ICRT

Posted on 2026-06-29 13:07:13

Taichung Mayor Lu Xiu-yan has voiced strong support for the KMT's alternative
drone procurement bill after the opposition blocked the Executive Yuan's
proposal in the legislature on Friday.

Lu says she backs a $240- billion-NT plan to be funded through the regular
budget over six years, rather than through a special budget, adding that the
exact amount can still be adjusted through negotiations.

She argues that Taiwan should strengthen its domestic drone industry as
recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have shown the growing
importance of drones.

The Executive Yuan's version of the bill has a cap of $210 billion NT in
special funding for domestically developed military drones and unmanned
vessels.

The Yuan said the funding would be used over five years to procure drones
and drone boats after those items were left out of the $780 billion NT
special defense procurement bill passed by the legislature in May.

(JL)

Posted on 2026-06-29 13:07:14

Knives Control Act

Shi-lin prosecutors have indicted youTuber Edward Sun on charges of violating
the Firearms, Ammunition, and Knives Control Act and the Criminal Code.

Prosecutors said Sun, also known as Sun An-zuo (孫安佐), built a homemade
shoulder-mounted flamethrower, publicly tested it multiple times on roads and
parking lots in greater Taipei, and posted the videos online.

According to the prosecutors, Sun and his friends turned the gas valve to its
maximum setting, producing long-range, high-temperature flames, thus creating
a danger to the public.

The indictment said Sun made profits from posting the videos of those
activities.

He was also found in possession of an unregistered shotgun, an air gun
capable of causing injury, and a prohibited replica firearm.

Sun has been under detention without communications since May 17th and the
Shi-lin District Court will decide whether to extend his detention today.

(JL)

Posted on 2026-06-29 13:07:14

Australia plans to double potential fines for social media platforms,
including Facebook and Instagram, who fail to prevent Australian children
from holding accounts.

Critics argue the world-first ban on under-16s was failing.

Australia's communications minister today blamed the platforms’ resistance to
the age restrictions to the laws that came into force on December 10.

The government announced Sunday it would introduce draft legislation into
Parliament this week that would double the maximum fine to the equivalent of
$2.2 billion NT for platforms that fail to prevent children from holding
accounts.

(KK)

Posted on 2026-06-29 13:07:14

In the U.S., NASA is racing to save its Swift telescope from falling back to
Earth with a daring rescue mission.

The salvage effort, costing the equivalent of 950 million NT, gets underway
as soon as this Tuesday with the planned launch of a three-armed robotic
lifesaver.

NASA is planning to boost Swift to a higher orbit where it can continue
hunting for some of the universe's biggest explosions.

Launched in 2004, Swift has been sinking faster and faster because of recent
intense solar activity.

It needs to get to a higher orbit as soon as possible to survive.

The spacecraft will take about a month to catch Swift, and another couple of
months to raise its orbit.

(KK)

Posted on 2026-06-29 13:07:18

5th Ld-Writethru

Pakistani officials say security forces have targeted militant hideouts in a
major operation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The country's information minister says the operation follows multiple
militant attacks across the country.

Afghanistan said women and children were among the dead and wounded.

On Saturday, militants attacked the paramilitary Rangers' headquarters in
Karachi, killing three soldiers.

Security forces killed three attackers and captured another.

A Pakistani Taliban faction claimed responsibility.

Pakistan's operation targeted two militant hideouts, killing 29 fighters.

The countries have engaged in months of military action despite international
efforts to broker peace.

(KK)

Posted on 2026-06-29 09:08:13

The Israeli Cabinet has approved a proposal to designate violence against
Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as genocide.

The step still needs Parliament's approval, but it reflects worsening ties
between Israel and Turkey.

Turkey has long lobbied to prevent countries from officially recognizing the
mass deaths of Armenians around 1915 as a genocide, even as Armenians have
pushed for it.

Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman
Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed by scholars as
the first genocide of the 20th century.

Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been
inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

Israel's decision marks a shift in its stance, influenced by deteriorating
relations with Turkey over the past two decades.

Turkey criticized the move as politically motivated.

Israel and Turkey were once allies, but tensions have risen, especially
regarding Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.

Posted on 2026-06-29 08:07:13

US-Taiwan ties

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

The U-S State Department is crediting parliamentary exchanges as being key
elements aimed at strengthening US-Taiwan ties

According to a state department spokesperson, the robust unofficial
relationship between the U-S and Taiwan is strengthened through regular
interactions between officials and lawmakers from political parties from both
sides.

The statement comes after Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu and members of
a cross-party delegation returned from Washington, D.C. on Saturday.

Han and the delegation met with several senators, more than 30 bipartisan
members of the House of Representatives, and with officials from the White
House and the U-S Department of War during the trip.

The talks focused on US-Taiwan security cooperation, the development of the
drone industry, assisting Taiwan in expanding its international
participation, and improving the ease of investment for Taiwanese businesses
in the U-S.

A State Department official says the "the strong unofficial relationship
between the U-S and Taiwan is boosted through regular interactions."

Posted on 2026-06-29 08:07:13

Former President Tsai Ing-wen has taken to Facebook to says her visit to the
Italian Senate last week showed growing momentum in Taiwan’s exchanges with
Italy.

Tsai traveled to Italy to attend the Global Women Leaders Summit and says she
meet with lawmakers from both governing and opposition parties there.

Tsai also held talks with the deputy speaker of the Italian Senate

Taking to Facebook, Tsai said the visit allowed her to explain the pressures
facing Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific, and democratic countries.

Tsai also said that European interest in Taiwan has expanded in recent years
and the island is now being increasingly seen for its role in technology,
democratic governance, women’s leadership, and resilient supply chains,
rather than solely as international hotspot.

According to Tsai, more Italian lawmakers across party lines are now paying
attention to Taiwan and supportive of closer ties.

Posted on 2026-06-29 08:07:13

The Kaohsiung City Government has announced a series of relief measures
following days of heavy rains, that have inundated several districts.

According to city officials, it is offering subsidies of up to 35,000 N-T for
residential and commercial premises that were flooded by 50-centimeters of
water or more ..

... and 10,000 N-T in financial assistance for residential and commercial
premises flooded with less than 50-centimeters of water.

City officials say an additional 10,000 N-T will be provided to owners of all
flooded premises for damage to electrical appliances.

The city's relief measures are in addition to the central government's
providing 20,000 N-T subsidies for homes or businesses that were flooded by
50-centimeters of water or more.

The Kaohsiung City Government also says it has implemented a compensation
program for vehicles damaged by flooding.

Posted on 2026-06-29 08:07:13

The Ministry of Transport has announced that a new category of fully
enclosed, three-wheeled scooters will be permitted on public roads from
tomorrow.

According to the ministry, manufacturers and importers must obtain a vehicle
safety type approval certificate under the Vehicle Safety Type Approval
Management Regulations before the vehicles can be sold and registered.

That approval process is expected to take three to six months before the
vehicles can receive license plates and be legally operated on public roads.

The transport ministry says drivers of such vehicles will be required to hold
a standard automobile driver's license.

The vehicles will have the same road rights as passenger cars, but will not
be permitted on freeways, expressways or national highways.

Posted on 2026-06-29 08:07:13

And finally,

C-P-C has cut gasoline and diesel prices for a second consecutive week after
the U-S and Iran last week began negotiations for a ceasefire and an increase
in shipment volumes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The price cuts see gasoline declining by 1 N-T per liter and diesel falling
by 0.8 N-T per liter.

The move means that 92 octane unleaded costs 30.4 N-T per liter, while the
price of premium diesel has dropped to 29.5 N-T a liter at the pump for this
week.

Under C-P-C's floating price mechanism the average international oil price
fell to 69.8 U-S dollars per barrel last week.

That was down from 76.39 U-S dollars the previous week.

The state-refiner says although more ships have been passing through the
Strait of Hormuz, an attack on a container cargo ship owned by Taiwan's
Evergreen Marine last Thursday has renewed safety concerns.

Posted on 2026-06-29 07:04:13

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has wrapped-up a trip to Poland and Italy.

Lin was heading a trade delegation to the two countries aimed at
strengthening Taiwan's partnerships with both Warsaw to Rome.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the six-day trip began with Lin
leading a delegation of business representatives to the 2026 Taiwan Expo
Europe in Poland, before visiting the Polish Parliament.

Lin also announced the establishment of Taiwan Language Centers in Europe.

The first centers will be set up in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, and
Poland and Lin says that will serve as hubs for Mandarin-language education
and talent exchanges.

Lin's trip to Italy included attending a business forum, as well as an event
organized by the Regional Council of Lombardy on strengthening supply chain
resilience and Taiwan-Italy exchanges.

The event focused on semiconductors, I-C-T, and advanced manufacturing.

The foreign ministry says it was the largest business delegation from Taiwan
to attend an industry event organized by the Regional Council of Lombardy.

Posted on 2026-06-29 07:04:20

The Taichung District Prosecutors' Office says autopsies have confirmed that
four hikers killed in a rockfall died of traumatic shock caused by falling
rocks.

The statement comes after prosecutors and forensic examiners conducted the
autopsies after the victims' bodies were taken to a funeral home in Taichung.

The prosecutors' office has ruled that the four deaths were accidental, and
issued death certificates after the victims' families raised no objections to
the findings.

Prosecutors says they are continuing to investigate whether the accident
involved criminal negligence.

The victims were among a 16-member hiking group organized by the Republic of
China Primitive Life Education Association that traveled from Taipei on
Saturday to hike the Butterfly Valley Waterfall Trail in Taichung's Heping
District.

Authorities says rocks struck five members of the group on the trail, killing
four and leaving one with minor injuries.

Association Chairman Wu Swei-pi says the weather was clear when the group set
out and forecasts had shown no rain was expected in the area Saturday
afternoon and the they were struck by falling rocks while crossing a stream.

Wu says warnings or a temporary trail closure could have alerted hikers to
the danger.

The Taichung Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency says the
trail remained open because rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Mekkhala
had not met the threshold for closure.

Posted on 2026-06-29 07:04:20

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency has installed a water level meter
at the barrier lake on the Wanli River in Hualien.

The agency says it will allow authorities to receive water-level data every
10 minutes to improve monitoring and emergency response times.

The water level meter was installed with assistance from the National
Airborne Service Corps.

According to the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, data is now being
transmitted to the Ministry of Agriculture's Forest Disaster Prevention
Response and Barrier Lake Monitoring System.

Installation of the water level meter comes amid concerns of the barrier lake
overflowing.

The risk of the barrier lake bursting has been downgraded from a "red" to a
"yellow" alert, but authorities are still warning that the landslide-dammed
lake still poses a risk of breaching within 10 days.

The Hualien County government has urged the public to stay away from the
Wanli River, Matai'an Creek and surrounding hazardous areas.

Nearly 200 residents of Wanrong and Fenglin townships have been evacuated as
a precaution.

Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei says police patrols and fire
department drones were monitoring the riverbed to prevent people from
entering hazardous areas.

The lake's water level stood at 1,067 meters late Sunday.

The barrier lake has an estimated storage volume of 2.4-million cubic meters
and the overflow elevation is estimated at about 1,080 meters.

Posted on 2026-06-29 07:04:22

A total of 500-kilograms of Taiwan Irwin mangoes has been air-shipped to the
U-K.

According to the Tainan City government, it is the first such shipment of the
popular fruit to the U-K.

The shipment of mangoes headed for the U-K is being transported using cold
packaging, which means they will be refrigerated in low temperatures during
the entire trip.

The city's Agriculture Bureau says th cartons containing eight to 10 mangoes
will be sold at high-end supermarkets, with each mango priced at between 18
and 20 euros.

Cartons containing 10 to 12 mangoes will be sold at retail supermarkets, with
each mango priced at between 15 and 18 euros.

While, cartons containing 10 to 12 mangoes will also be sold as whole cartons
to wholesale supermarkets, and cartons containing 12 to 14 mangoes will be
distributed to fruit and vegetable wholesale markets.

The mangoes have been transported to be Frankfurt Airport in Germany and
beeen transferred to Manchester Airport in northern England.

The total production of Taiwan mangoes in 2025 was 102,578 tons, of which,
836 tons were exported to different markets.

Along with the U-K, Taiwan's Irwin mangoes have been exported to France this
year.

Posted on 2026-06-29 07:04:25

The Taiwan Blood Services Foundation says blood supplies have fallen to five
days, as the recent heavy rain resulted in a decline in the number of people
making donations across the island.

According to the foundation, one week of supply is its minimum safety line
and supplies of type B are the only blood group still above the level -- with
7.1 days available.

The tightest overall supplies are in Taipei and Taichung, where blood centers
have an average of 4.7 days of supplies.

The foundation says the decline in donations was due to the closure of some
donation sites and blood drives because of the heavy rains.

It is urging people to give blood now the rains are weakening and says
hospitals in the center and south could face serious shortages in the coming
days if supplies are not replenished.

Posted on 2026-06-29 07:04:26

Local and international rescue teams are racing to find survivors in
Venezuela, four days after 2 powerful earthquakes.

The government has so far reported a death toll of 1450.

Officials have faced criticism from Venezuelans who believe that the
government's response is inadequate and not as widespread as those of
civilian-led search and rescue efforts.

Thousands are still missing.

More than 2600 rescue workers from around the world had arrived by yesterday,
with support from specially trained dogs.

Authorities say that more than 770 buildings had totally or partially
collapsed in the two earthquakes..

while twice as many were reported destroyed or damaged.

The risk of further damage remains, as aftershocks continue.

Posted on 2026-06-29 07:04:26

Pakistani officials say, security forces launched a major operation along the
border between Pakistan and Afghanistan...

targeting militant hideouts and killing 29 fighters.

Officials say, the operation follows multiple militant attacks across the
country.

Over the weekened, militants attacked the headquarters of a paramilitary
group in Karachi, killing 3.

A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the
attack.

Officials say that Pakistan's latest operation targets the safe havens of the
Pakistani Taliban.

Posted on 2026-06-29 07:04:26

Israel has killed at least 4 more people in the Gaza Strip in the latest
round of strikes.

The first strike targeted a group of people in northern Gaza, killing 2 and
wounded another.

Another strike in the south killed a man, while Israeli tank shelling
shrapnel killed a 13 year old child.

This comes as a ceasefire has been in place since October, but Israel
continues strikes in Gaza, with new deaths reported almost daily.

Since the ceasefire went into effect, Israel has killed more than 1040 people
in Gaza alone.

Israel claims that one of the most recent strikes targeted a "Hamas
terrorist."

Posted on 2026-06-29 07:04:26

Ukraine is intensifying its drone attacks on Russia, setting fire to a major
oil refinery and killing at least 2.

Kyiv's long-range strikes aim to disrupt Russian fuel supplies and military
deliveries, pressuring Moscow to the negotiating table.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike on teh Slavyansk
refinery, and claimed another hit in the Yaroslavl region.

Ukraine's campaign targets Russian military industries and energy facilites
to cut Moscow's revenue and apply pressure.

Zelenskyy has called the strikes "long-range sanctions," saying that each
strike means a hit to Russia's war machine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time over the
weekend that the country was facing a "certain deficit" of fuel.

He vowed to strengthen protection of oil facilites and boost fuel output.

Western officials say that the attacks have stalled Moscow's war effort...

but Russia remains among the world's top exporters of oil and natual gas.

More recently, Ukraine has attemped to cut off fuel deliveries to the
illegally Russian annexed Crimea.

Last weekend, Kremlin-installed officials in Crimea suspended gasoline sales
to civilians, after Kyiv's targeting of supply routes triggered the worst
energy crisis there since the annexation.

Posted on 2026-06-27 13:11:13

Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 at the World Cup, securing its place atop Group
G.

Iran appeared to score in injury time to put them up 2-1 against Egypt, which
would have upset the latter's hopes of ending in second place in Group G. But
the goal was disallowed by a VAR offside ruling. Both countries are likely to
go through to tournament play.

In other World Cup action from the past day, France beat Norway 4-1, Senegal
demolished Iraq 5-0 and Spain got past Uruguay 1-0.

Cape Verde, meanwhile, has completed an improbable run through the group
stage with a third straight World Cup draw. This time against Saudi Arabia.

Posted on 2026-06-27 11:07:18

AI is continuing to drag down markets. Here's AP's market wrap:

Posted on 2026-06-27 11:07:19

Cape Verde has completed an improbable run through the group stage with a
third straight World Cup draw.

It's the smallest-ever country to earn a spot in the knockout round ...
following a scoreless tie against Saudi Arabia.

Its three draws were enough to earn it second place after Spain in Group H.

Spain won its match against Uruguay 1-0.

Earlier, France pummeled Norway 4-1. Mbappe was scoreless, but he had two
assists as teammate Dembele scored three goals in the first half. Both teams
advance to the knockout round.

Senegal beat Iraq 5-nil and could face England in tournament play.

JvW

Posted on 2026-06-26 20:08:49

At least two people have died as torrential rain entered a second day in
Taiwan, triggering widespread flooding and emergency rescues across the
island.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs had said nearly 500 flooding incidents have
been reported since yesterday, with Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Taipei and Tainan
among the hardest-hit areas.

Officials say floodwaters have stranded residents, inundated homes and forced
rescue teams to carry out evacuations in parts of southern Taiwan.

Forecasters say the heavy rain is being fueled by a seasonal weather front,
strengthened southwesterly winds and the outer bands of Tropical Storm
Mekkhala.

Forecasters warn that heavy rain is expected to continue through this evening
... although conditions should gradually improve over the weekend.

Posted on 2026-06-26 20:08:49

New Taipei's long-awaited Sanying Metro Line will officially open on June
30th, or this coming Tuesday ... with free rides for passengers using transit
smart cards through the end of August.

The new 14.3-kilometer line has 12 stations linking Tucheng, Sanxia and
Yingge, and is expected to cut travel times between the Sanying area and
central Taipei by about 20 minutes.

Passengers will be able to transfer to Taipei Metro's Blue Line at Dingpu
Station and Taiwan Railway services at Yingge Station.

Ahead of the opening, Taipei Metro says it is reconfiguring Blue Line trains
to handle an expected increase in passengers transferring at Dingpu during
the morning rush.

The trains are being modified with fewer seats and more standing room,
allowing each train to carry about 72 additional passengers.

Taipei Metro is also adjusting train schedules and deploying extra staff at
busy stations.

Posted on 2026-06-26 20:08:49

Only certified domestically produced milk will be allowed to use the term
"fresh milk" in its Chinese product name beginning July 1.

The Ministry of Agriculture says imported liquid milk labeled as "fresh milk"
in Chinese could face fines of up to 4 million NT under the new rules.

Officials say the changes are intended to help consumers more easily
distinguish between locally produced and imported milk.

Certified products will also begin carrying a Taiwan Fresh Milk logo printed
directly on their packaging instead of the stickers previously used.

The ministry says the new system will apply to about 330 companies and 13,000
retail outlets.

Posted on 2026-06-26 19:00:15

The New Taipei District Court was expected to decide today whether Airlee
Group President Chang Ju-shan (常如山) should remain in custody after
prosecutors indicted him yesterday ...

... over hidden camera allegations at cosmetic clinics.

Prosecutors have charged Chang and six others with secretly recording
customers at multiple clinic branches and are seeking a prison sentence of at
least 14 years for Chang.

Chang and two other suspects were transferred to the court this morning after
spending nearly two months in detention.

Investigators allege cameras disguised as smoke detectors were installed in
consultation rooms to secretly record customers changing clothes or exposing
intimate body parts.

Police say they identified 99 alleged victims, including four minors, and
believe the suspects attempted to remove cameras and recording equipment
after the scheme was uncovered.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-06-26 19:00:17

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai was out inspecting flood control projects this
afternoon ... as torrential rain continued to affected southern Taiwan.

Chen visited projects Jiading and Hunei, where he instructed officials to
continue strengthening drainage operations and closely monitor local
conditions.

He also called for faster progress on flood control projects in low-lying
coastal areas that are especially vulnerable when heavy rain coincides with
high tide.

The city says more than 1,400 cleanup workers have been deployed since
Tuesday to clear drains and remove debris.

Officials say several districts, including Meinong, Dashu and Cishan, have
recorded more than 500 millimeters of rain in recent days, while parts of
Kaohsiung's urban districts have received more than 350 millimeters.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-06-26 19:00:17

An Evergreen-operated cargo ship has safely exited the Strait of Hormuz after
being struck by an unidentified object while transiting the strategic
waterway.

Evergreen says the crew, vessel and cargo were all unharmed.

The Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely was damaged on the starboard side of its
bridge late Wednesday near the coast of Oman.

Media reports citing unnamed sources say the ship was hit by a projectile,
while Reuters quoted U.S. officials as saying Iran fired on the vessel.
Another security source suggested it may have been struck by a drone.

Evergreen says two other ships in its fleet also passed safely through the
strait and that none of its vessels remain in the Persian Gulf.

(MW)

Posted on 2026-06-26 19:00:17

In related news,

The European Union is moving to extend temporary protection for millions of
Ukrainians who fled Russia's invasion.

The proposed one-year extension would keep the program in place until March
2028, but would exclude some new arrivals who are eligible for military
service.

Ukraine has been seeking to strengthen its armed forces as the war continues.

More than 4.4 million Ukrainians have received temporary protection in the
European Union since 2022, with most living in Germany and Poland.

The Council of Europe says Ukraine remains too dangerous for many people to
return and has warned against scaling back protections.

Posted on 2026-06-26 19:00:17

Heavy rain has triggered flooding in parts of western Japan as two
approaching tropical storms combine with a seasonal rain front.

Japan's weather agency says Tropical Storms Mekkhala and Higos are expected
to bring more heavy rain as they move toward the Tokyo region on Saturday.

Flooding alerts have been issued in parts of Kyoto, Osaka and other areas in
western Japan.

Officials say more than 30 homes have been flooded, while heavy rain has also
disrupted some train services and flights.

One man was injured after falling into a waterway in Nara, according to
Japan's public broadcaster NHK.

Posted on 2026-06-26 18:46:13

Forecasters warn that heavy rain is expected to continue across much of
western Taiwan through Friday night.

They say a weather front, southwesterly winds and the outer bands of Tropical
Storm Mekkhala are continuing to bring unstable weather.

Torrential rain warnings remain in effect for Kaohsiung and
Pingtung, while heavy rain advisories cover much of northern, central and
southern Taiwan.

The weather agency says rainfall is expected to ease in northern Taiwan
overnight, though rainy conditions are likely to persist in parts of the east
and south.

Forecasters say some areas in western Taiwan could still see heavy rain on
Saturday before conditions begin to stabilize on Sunday.

(CNA_IG)

Posted on 2026-06-26 18:46:13

In related news,

Taipei could be on track to record its wettest June since weather records
began.

The Central Weather Administration says the Taipei Weather Station has
recorded more than 800 millimeters of rain so far this month, surpassing the
previous June record set in 1991.

The weather agency says the figures will be officially confirmed after the
data is verified early next month.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-06-26 18:46:13

Most Taiwan Railway services are back to normal after two days of heavy rain
...

... although part of the Neiwan Line in Hsinchu County remains closed due to
a rockfall.

Officials say it was caused by the weather ... forcing the closure of the
section between Zhuzhong and Zhudong.

Rail replacement bus services are operating while crews work to clear the
route.

Meanwhile, services on the Pingxi Line in New Taipei between Ruifang and
Jingtong resumed at 2 PM ... after rainfall eased and inspections confirmed
the line was safe to reopen.

Taiwan Railway is advising passengers to check the latest service information
before traveling as weather conditions continue to be monitored.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-06-26 18:46:13

Taipei Metro is modifying Blue Line trains ahead of the June 30 opening of
the New Taipei MRT Sanying Line, which will connect with the Blue Line at
Dingpu Station.

The transit operator says it expects about 1,500 additional passengers to
transfer at Dingpu during the weekday morning rush.

To increase capacity, Blue Line trains are being reconfigured with fewer
seats and more standing space, including designated areas for strollers.

According to the metro operator, the changes will allow each train to carry
about 72 more passengers and improve the flow of people boarding and exiting
the trains.

Taipei Metro says it is also adjusting train schedules and deploying
additional staff at busy stations, with the remaining train modifications
expected to be completed by the end of the year.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-06-26 18:46:13

The American Institute in Taiwan is reminding US citizens now is the time to
prepare for the upcoming mid-term elections.

All US citizens can vote in federal elections… for US House and Senate seats…
and may be able to vote in local elections in their home state too.

The first step is for US citizens to register in their home state, and
request an overseas absentee ballot.

The federal web site, "triple w dot FVAP dot gov" (www.fvap.gov), can help
American voters… and direct them to their respective state office for
completing registration and ballot request.

If voters need to return any registration applications, or ballots… they can
mail them through the post office, or drop them off at AIT’s Taipei or
Kaohsiung offices. Materials dropped off at AIT need US postage, or a
postage-free return envelope.

AIT warns that transit times can take up to three weeks, so act early to
ensure the vote is counted.

US midterm elections are on November 3rd this year.

(TB)

Posted on 2026-06-26 17:11:13

Premier Zhou Rong Tai headed to the Water Resources Agency's disaster
response center today.

Zhuo says, as heavy rain continues in many areas across the country, he's
asking local officials to re-inspect pumping equipment to make sure it's up
to snuff.

The premier says, over one hundred sites across Taiwan remain flooded.

He also urged continued prudence in monitoring the Wanli river barrier lake.

That's after over 200 Hualien residents were evacuated due to overflow risk.

Meanwhile...

the situation is especially severe in Pingtung, where some parts of the
county got over 900 milimeters of rain over the past 2 days.

In that same time period, some parts of Kaohsiung exceeded 630 milimeters,
and Tainan and New Taipei exceeded 400.

Pingtung Magistrate Zhou Chun Mi says, the rainfall accumulation in the
county is second only to that of Typhoon Morakot.

She says, it's currently most important to wait for the water to recede.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-06-26 17:11:14

The KMT is opting against pursuing a referendum on caning for the time being.

The party says it wants to wait until there's greater consensus on the issue
before bringing it to a public vote.

KMT Lawmaker Hong Meng Kai, who's been vocal in his support for the corporal
punishment tactic, says today that he's "unable to understand" but respects
the party's decision.

Hong says, if there can't be a referendum, he will propose an amendment to
the law instead.

Originally, the party had planned to push for a referendum on the issue
alongside this fall's elections.

The KMT says, it's prioritizing issues with greater social consensus at this
stage.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-06-26 17:11:15

The DPP is slamming the opposition for stalling the central budget, saying
the failure to pass the 2026 budget means that the central government is
unable to dispatch several billion NT in disaster preparedness funds.

A spokesman today said that opposition lawmakers have delayed the general
budget for over 300 days...

affecting disaster prevention, relief, and flood control projects.

The spokesman added that the government is currently legally only allowed to
utilize funds from the previous year's existing plans.

But, the truly crucial emergency funds are unable to be used.

The KMT has said that the government should explain how disaster funds are
being used...

rather than saying there's no money for disaster relief.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-06-26 17:11:15

Now turning to internaitonaln ews...

Russia says it intercepted 660 Ukrainian drones overnight over 12 regions as
well as the illegally annexed Crimea.

It appears to be one of the biggest drone attacks on Russia and Crimea since
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up its aerial campaign against Russian
military installations and energy facilities.

Its success has caused fuel shortages and disrupted army supply lines,
stalling Moscow’s war efforts after more than four years of fighting.

The major attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
said on X that he had ordered “a 40-day influence operation。。。”

believed to mean an escalation of attacks, aimed at “compelling (Russia) to
end the war” after U.S. peace efforts over the past year yielded no
breakthrough.

Posted on 2026-06-26 17:11:15

Authorities in Myanmar have burned more than 600 million US dollars worth of
seized illegal drugs.

That's double the amount destroyed last year.

Massive stockpiles of heroin, methamphetamine, and ketamine were destroyed in
nation-wide events, marking the U.N.’s International Day Against Drug Abuse.

Experts say that illicit drug production in Myanmar has surged since the 2021
military takeover and resulting civil war.

The ruling government claims that ethnic militias are complicit in the
narcotics trade as a means of funding insurgency.

Some of these armed groups may have been involved in the drug trade, but
others have begun their own drug crackdowns in areas under their control.

Posted on 2026-06-26 15:31:13

Authorities are warning the public not to swim, fish, or engage in other
activities around rivers and ponds downstream of the Shihmen Reservoir in the
south of Taoyuan City.

That's because water has been released from the reservoir, which will
increase the water level and the speed of the water flowing through certain
sections of the river.

This water has been released in order to discharge the roughly 250,000 cubic
metres of silt that has recently fallen into the reservoir and its downstream
ponds and river channels.

That’s about 7500 shipping containers, or about a third of how much
Evergreen’s Ever A-class container ships can hold.

This is the sixth time since its construction that the Amuping Silt Removal
Tunnel has been opened.

The operation should extend the usable lifespan of the reservoir.

As of 8 AM today, the water level of the Shihmen Reservoir was at 245 metres;
that's 99.8 per cent of its total storage capacity.

(JM)

Posted on 2026-06-26 15:31:13

New Taipei's long-awaited Sanying Metro Line is set to officially open on
June 30th (next Tuesday), with free rides for passengers using transit smart
cards through August 31st.

Mayor Hou Yu-ih says the two-month trial period is intended to gather
passenger feedback while officials continue refining services and station
facilities.

The 14.3-kilometer line has 12 stations linking Tucheng, Sanxia and Yingge,
cutting travel times between the Sanying area and central Taipei by about 20
minutes.

Passengers will be able to transfer to the Taipei Metro's Blue Line at Dingpu
Station and Taiwan Railway services at Yingge Station.

City officials say the opening will expand New Taipei's metro network to 108
kilometers, making it the longest in Taiwan.

(IG)

Posted on 2026-06-26 15:31:13

Opens Sunday

The annual "Yehliu Night Tours See the Queen's Head Illuminated at Night" is
returning to Yehliu Geopark starting this weekend.

Starting this Sunday through to July 12th, the event blends advanced
audiovisual technology with the park's iconic coastal rock formations.

Tours travel through themed zones before ending at the Queen's Head area,
with a synchronised light and sound display.

Live performances are scheduled for opening night and then across the next
two weekends, from Thursday through Sunday.

Tickets are available for purchase and free shuttle buses run on weekends.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-06-26 15:31:13

memory (RAM)

Apple hiked the price of its iPads and MacBooks yesterday, and Microsoft did
the same for its Xbox gaming console.

Apple said "the consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented
challenge", and attributed the price hikes to the wildly increasing cost of
memory and storage chips.

The world's major memory manufacturers, such as Samsung, Micron, and SK
Hynix, have diverted their production towards AI chipmakers like NVIDIA.

That has led to record profits for these manufacturers, but also reduced
production capacity for consumer electronics.

Apple's cheapest laptop, the MacBook Neo, is now roughly 950 USD (30 000 NT),
up from 800 USD (25 000 NT).

Microsoft's Xbox could cost as much as 800 USD (25 000 NT), up from 600 USD
(19 000 NT) less than a year ago.

However, Apple did not raise the price of its main product, the iPhone.

Micron has said that it expects the memory shortage to last until at least
2027.

Posted on 2026-06-26 15:31:13

Brooke George, a 23-year-old influencer from England, is facing death by
firing squad after being charged with the death of her boyfriend in Dubai.

She met the man online and was on her second visit to the Middle Eastern city.

Advocacy group Detained in Dubai says that she grabbed a kitchen knife in
self-defence after a violent attack by the man.

They say that she was forced to strip naked in front of male officers,
without the presence of a female officer.

The group adds that the United Arab Emirates "has a well-documented history
of criminalising and revictimising women who report violence".

Posted on 2026-06-26 15:31:13

The Supreme Court of the United States has given the Trump administration
another immigration-related victory.

In a 6-3 ruling, the court decided that only migrants who physically "arrive"
and step foot on American soil can apply for asylum and not those who simply
stop on the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border.

In the majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito said that "in ordinary speech,
no one would say that a person 'arrives' in a place ... before the person
enters that place".

But dissenting Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that "more people will die; more
people will attempt to cross the border illegally, and some will make it
while others will not".

The policy dates from the Obama era, was rescinded during the Biden
presidency, and was revived by Trump in his second term.

Posted on 2026-06-26 14:33:13

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan An has visited Neihu today, where he pledged
compensation for residents affected by the severe flooding in the district.

He promised that applications from these residents would be given priority.

Chiang and other city officials inspected the areas hardest-hit in the
flooding yesterday, including Jinlong road and Section 3 of Neihu Road.

He assured the public that affected Neihu residents would have applications
for compensation given preferential treatment.

The city government says, if floodwaters reach 50 to 100 centimeters,
households can get 10,000 NT in compensation.

If they exceed 100 centimeters, each household can get 20,000 NT.

District offices will proactively conduct site inspections, and residents are
encouraged to take photos as evidence of the flood level.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-06-26 14:33:15

The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation says, a downed tree was what likely
set off a slope landslide detector on the Hsinchu section of the track this
morning.

No trains were located in the affected area at the time, but trains were
forced to slow down, causing slight delays.

Personnel dispatched to the scene found that a downed tree had set off the
detector.

THSR says, ongoing heavy rain is hindering maintenance capabilities, so
trains will continue to operate at slower speeds through affected sections...

which may cause small delays.

THSR apologizes for the inconvenience.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-06-26 14:33:15

Major League Baseball's New York Yankees are betting on a Taiwanese teenager.

18-year-old pitcher Lai Chien-Fan 賴謙凡officially signed with the Yankees,
inking a deal worth up to a million US dollars including bonuses.

That's on top of an 875,000 dollar signing bonus alone.

The Yankees held a press conference in Taipei to introduce him, calling him a
future big-league talent.

Lai didn't start formal baseball training until junior high, but turned heads
at last year's Under-18 World Cup.

He posted a 1.00 ERA across seven relief innings with 14 strikeouts, helping
Taiwan capture bronze.

The Yankees' international scouting director praised Lai, calling the signing
proof of the team's renewed investment in Taiwan and the broader Asian
market.

(MW)

Posted on 2026-06-26 14:33:15

Taiwan shares are downt oday, with the benchmark tai ex suffering huge
losses, ending down 1683 points to close the session at 44571

The turnover was 1.549 trillion NT

Posted on 2026-06-26 14:33:15

Now turning to international news...

A new study has found that record-breaking heat in Europe this month would
have been impossible without climate change.

The study says that the heat would have been virtually impossible only 50
years ago...

and is 200 times more likely than 20 years ago.

That's as millions of people in France, Italy, Spain, the UK and elswhere are
experiencing temperatures and humidity this week associated with a heat dome.

Daytime temperatures have exceeded 40 degrees celsius in many places...

while high nighttime temperatures have also made it harder to cool down and
recover.

Reseachers say, it's the most severe heat wave to have ever been recorded in
that part of Europe.

Posted on 2026-06-26 13:08:13

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che 黃偉哲 says that the city is utilising all of its
water pumps to clear extreme flooding.

Huang visited flooded locations this morning and said that a high tide had
exacerbated the floods caused by extreme rain.

That's as Tainan's Guiren district has received nearly 290 milimeters of rain
today as of 12:30.

Huang said that although the tropical storm didn't directly hit Taiwan, the
storm's outer bands still caused heavy rain to fall on Tainan, leading the
city to cancel work and classes for the day.

Huang added that the city government has exhausted all means of flood
control, but that the Rende Retention Basin has demonstrated its efficacy in
alleviating flood conditions.

However, he added that local governments still require support from the
central government to address such extreme conditions.

Huang said that he hopes the Legislature will expedite the central
government's 2026 general budget to faciliate the upgrading of local flood
control standards.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-06-26 13:08:17

Officials are reminding the public to expect extra traffic during tomorrow's
Golden Melody Awards in Taipei.

Motorists should brace for extra traffic near the Taipei Arena tomorrow
between 5 and 7 pm.

Dunhua North Road, Nanjing East Road, Bade Road, and Beining Road will be
affected.

Officials also note that parking - even for a short time - will be strictly
prohibited in the area, with patrols in place.

Drivers and motorcyclists are encouraged to exercise patience if transiting
through the area tomorrow, and are urged to consider taking public transit if
possible.

Posted on 2026-06-26 13:08:17

Turkey has just defeated the United States, 3 to 2, for their first win at
the FIFA World Cup.

That was due to a literally last-minute goal by Kaan Ayhan, a defender born
in Germany, in the eighth minute of stoppage time at the end of the match
held at the Los Angeles Stadium.

But Turkey lost its first two games, so despite this win, Turkey finishes
last in its group and is going home.

In the other Group D fixture, Paraguay and Australia played to a goalless
draw, 0-0, in San Francisco.

The United States finish first in their group and will play Bosnia and
Herzegovina in their round-of-32 match next Thursday.

Australia finish second in their group and will also move on.

Paraguay finish third in their group and are in the running to be one of the
eight top third-place teams that will also move on to the elimination round.

Posted on 2026-06-26 13:08:17

Parisians will be unable to drink alcohol in public from noon today until 7
AM tomorrow, as authorities try to reduce the pressure on hospitals during a
heat wave hitting Europe right now.

France experienced its hottest day ever on Tuesday, before breaking that
record again on Wednesday.

At night, the temperature in Paris only went down to 26.4 degrees.

And a three-year-old child left alone in a car just outside the city was
found dead by its parents.

Three nuclear power plants have been taken offline because of the heat.

And 61 of France's 96 departments (or subnational divisions) are still on a
red heat alert today, down from 72 yesterday.

Temperatures are now expected to go down in France, but only because of
severe thunderstorms coming in from the Atlantic that have already caused the
cancellation of a music festival.

A global monitoring unit says that Europe is the fastest-warming continent,
with temperatures going up twice as fast as the global average.

Posted on 2026-06-26 13:08:17

France

And staying in France, more than fifty women have formed a collective to
demand the removal of the statute of limitations that currently applies to
rape and sexual assault cases in the country.

Currently, such cases have to be brought within 20 years of the date of the
crime if the victim was an adult, and within 30 years if the victim was a
minor.

These women have alleged that they were raped by, amongst others, Jeffrey
Epstein and his former business associate, model scout Jean-Luc Brunel.

Others have accused Egyptian businessman and owner of London's Harrods
department store, Mohammed Al-Fayed, who was the father of the boyfriend of
Princess Diana at the time of her death.

All three of these men have passed away.

One woman was quoted as saying, "Rape doesn't expire, trauma doesn't expire",
and the collective says that the statute of limitations makes them feel that
their cases "don't matter simply because of the date" when they took place.

Posted on 2026-06-26 12:17:13

All of Hsinchu City and parts of Hsinchu County are suspending work and
classes starting this hour, as heavy rainfall is causing flooding in many
areas.

This comes after two local schools called off classes earlier today, and
schools and offices are already closed in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung due
to the rain.

Some trains on the High Speed Rail are also experiencing delays, amid
slowdowns for safety reasons.

And the Taiwan Railway Corporation suspended services between Tainan's
Yongkang and Kaohsiung's Gangshan stations, with some railway tracks flooded
in southern Taiwan.

(NS)

Posted on 2026-06-26 12:17:13

EVA Airways is inaugurating it first-ever non-stop flight between Taoyuan
International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport today.

The carrier says the new route means its North American network will grow to
include 10 gateways.

It also means EVA Airway's now has the most destinations and the largest
flight network from Taiwan to North America.

The Taipei–Washington D.C. route will be operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft
featuring a three-class configuration - Royal Laurel Class, Economy Class,
and the new fourth-generation Premium Economy Class.

American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene has described the new
route as a milestone and says it is a vital upgrade to US-Taiwan bilateral
ties, technology exchanges, and cultural trade.

A cross-party delegation of lawmakers led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu
is scheduled to return to Taiwan from the U-S on EVA Airways's inaugural
flight following a six-day trip.

Posted on 2026-06-26 12:17:13

And finally in sports news and the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

Where last night's game between the Rakuten Monkeys and the C-T-B-C Brothers
at the Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung was rained off.

In this evening's games.

The Rakuten Monkeys play the Fubon Guardians at the Xinzhuang Stadium in New
Taipei.

And the C-T-B-C Brothers meet the T-S-G Hawks at the Intercontinental Stadium
in Taichung.

Both games, weather permitting, begin at 6:30.

However, fans are being advised to check the C-P-B-L's website before heading
to the stadiums.

Posted on 2026-06-26 12:17:13

Parts of India are facing severe water shortages due to poor rains and a weak
monsoon weather system.

Mumbai has already cut water supply to construction sites as its reservoirs
run low.

Farmers in the rural north of India are delaying planting their seeds, while
they plan nationwide strikes in August.

Farmers are already trying to deal with uncertainty caused by fertilizer
supplies interrupted by the Iran war, a federal trade agreement with the US,
and below-average rain predictons.

Climate experts say, the El Nino weather phenomenon combined with climate
change is likely to result in weak, erratic rainfall across India.

The rainy season in India usually begins in June but has been less
predictable in recent years.

Monsoon rains reached Mumbai earlier thsi week, about two weeks later than
normal.

The city has put in place water restrictions to try to bolster the city's
dwindling reservoirs.

Posted on 2026-06-26 12:17:13

And,

Formula 1 drivers will be carrying extra cooling gear for this weekend's
Austrian Grand Prix after "heat hazard" rules were activated as hot weather
causes disruption across Europe.

It's the first time Formula 1's heat rules have been used for a race in
Europe after being introduced last year.

A heat hazard applies when temperatures above 31-degrees are forecast for
race day.

It can get much hotter inside the cramped cockpits where drivers sit wearing
layers of flameproof clothing.

A forecast on Formula 1's website says the maximum temperature expected for
Sunday's race is expected to be 32-degrees.

Posted on 2026-06-26 11:09:13

Hsinchu county is warning motorists against transiting through some areas due
to heavy flooding.

They say, Hukou township's Shanye 山葉underpass, Sanyuan road三元, and Dasheng達生
underpass are currently flooded.

They say, the same goes for Xinfeng township's Datong underpass and Qiedong
茄苳road...

as well as in Qionglin芎林 township's Wende 文德road, and many areas of Xinpu新埔
and Zhubei.

Officials say, they've blocked off the affected roads and are carrying out
traffic controls.

They urge the public to abide by the traffic controls and take alternative
routes if possible.

The county government is also advising the public against going near
mountains and rivers...

while those in low-lying areas should be wary of flooding.

This comes as parts of the county have already gotten over 230 milimeters of
rain since midnight today.

The county government previously announced that some schools in Xinpu and
Wufeng townships will suspend work and classes.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-06-26 11:09:14

Some trains on the High Speed Rail are experiencing delays at this hour due
to ongoing heavy rain.

The THSR says that a slope landslide detector on the Hsinchu section of the
track activated this morning, suspending train traffic.

No trains were located in the affected area at the time, but trains passing
through will be moving at lower speeds for safety reasons.

After control center staff were able to confirm that there were no
abnormalities at the site, maintenance personnel were dispatched for furhter
observation.

THSR apologized for any inconvenience to passengers.

(AH)

Posted on 2026-06-26 11:09:14

North Korea says that leader Kim Jong Un has observed major weapons tests and
called for strengthening the military's "deadly and destructive offensive
posture."

State media said that the tests were meant to evaluate the power of a
"special mission" missile warhead.

According to the state news outlet, Kim said the results of the tests were
proof of the technological progress achieved in a push to bring about a
change in the fire posture on southern areas...

implying that the tested weapons systems target sites in South Korean
including US military bases there.

South Korea's Defense Ministry later said that it would drastically boost its
drone warfare capabilities.

Their statement also said that the north had received technological
assistance from Russia.

The plans include developing long-range exploding drones, acquiring more than
20,000 low-cost reconnaissance and attack drones and training the country's
entire 500,000 troops as “drone warriors.”

Posted on 2026-06-26 08:07:13

Meanwhile,

Residents of seven areas in Hualien Fenglin and Wanrong townships have been
evacuated after a flood alert was issued for a barrier lake in the upper
reaches of the Wanli River.

The "yellow" alert was issued by the Hualien branch of the Forestry and
Nature Conservation Agency and warned that the barrier lake could overflow
within 48-hours.

Authorities notified residents through public broadcasts and door-to-door
notices, informing them of the mandatory evacuation.

In Fenglin Township, local government officials say military personnel were
mobilized to assist with the evacuation process there.

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency says aerial surveys have shown
that the barrier lake currently contains about 780,000 cubic meters of water
- and is close to its maximum capacity.

The barrier lake is located about 30-kilometers upstream from the Wanli River
Bridge.

Posted on 2026-06-26 08:07:16

acquitted

The High Court has reduced the prison sentences of three former D-P-P
staffers convicted of passing classified information to Chinese intelligence
agents and acquitted a fourth.

The ruling overturns a lower court verdict issued last year.

The High Court sentenced Huang Qu-rong to six years in prison for violating
the Classified National Security Information Protection Act and money
laundering, reducing the Taipei District Court's sentence of 10 years.

The court also reduced former D-P-P staffer Chiu Shih-yuan's sentence from
six years and two months to five years, and Wu Shang-yu's sentence from four
years to three years.

While Ho Ren-chieh, a former adviser to then-Foreign Minister Joseph Wu was
acquitted, after being sentenced to eight years in prison by the Taipei
District Court.

The High Court has not explained the reasons why it chose to reduce the
original sentences imposed against Huang, Chiu and Wu or why its
acquitted Ho.

All four defendants were expelled from their local DPP chapters in May 2025,
before the Taipei District Court handed down its ruling in September last
year.

The High Court rulings can be appealed.

Posted on 2026-06-26 08:07:16

The Cabinet is proposing measures to deny parole to repeat drunk drivers and
drug drivers who re-offend within a five-year period.

The measures will also apply to those convicted of felonies who are sentenced
to life imprisonment or terms exceeding 10-years.

Premier Cho Jung-tai says the proposed amendments were drafted by the
Ministry of Justice with the aim of deterring such criminal activities.

According to the bills, anyone violating Article 185-3 of the Criminal Code
will be ineligible for parole if they re-offend within five years of their
previous conviction.

The amendments also extended the parole ban to include individuals convicted
of homicide, attempted murder, or child abuse resulting in death or severe
injury, who are sentenced to life imprisonment or terms of 10 years or more.

Individuals sentenced to life imprisonment are currently eligible for parole
after serving 25 years, while first-time offenders must serve half of their
sentence and repeat offenders two-thirds before they can apply for parole.

Posted on 2026-06-26 08:07:16

And finally,

Taiwan Irwin mangoes have entered the U-K market - and British consumers
sampled the fruit at a Taiwanese specialty supermarket in London this week -
praising their delicate texture and sweet flavor.

One British shopper described the Irwin mango as "absolutely beautiful,"
saying it was "perfectly ripe and very, very sweet" and stood out from
mangoes typically sold in British supermarkets.

Another said said he liked mangoes and noted that the Taiwan Irwin mangoes
are less fibrous than those commonly available in grocery shops across
London.

The mangoes have been introduced to the U-K by LingerMart, a supermarket in
London's Richmond district founded and operated by a Taiwanese entrepreneur.

LingerMart already sells a variety of products from Taiwan including snacks,
drinks, noodles and condiments, and recently imported a box of 14 Irwin
mangoes from Taiwan as a trial run to test how they perform in the local
market.

Posted on 2026-06-26 06:59:13

Torrential rain caused has been caused widespread flooding and landslides
across Taiwan -- stranding residents, disrupting traffic and prompting work
and school suspensions in several cities and counties.

Schools and offices are closed today in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung due to
the rain.

The outer bands of tropical storm Mekkhala and strong southwest winds brought
heavy rain across most of Taiwan on Thursday, forcing localized school and
office closures.

The Central Weather Administration is warning that heavy rain and
thunderstorms are expected to continue in the south today, while nothern and
central parts of the island could also see heavy rain or localized torrential
downpours.

It has issued rain warnings for much of the island.

Torrential or extremely torrential rain advisories are effect for Kaohsiung
and Pingtung.

Extremely heavy or torrential rain advisories have been issued for Tainan and
the Hengchun Peninsula.

Heavy rain or extremely heavy rain advisories are in effect for the North
Coast area, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County, Changhua, Yunlin,
Chiayi, mountainous area of Taitung as well for Penghu.

While heavy rain advisories are in effect for Keelung, Hsinchu City, Miaoli,
Taichung, Nantou and low-lying areas of Taitung.

All of the rain warnings are currently in effect through tonight.

The rainfall is expected to gradually ease from tomorrow as the weather front
begins moving northward, but intermittent showers and thunderstorms are
likely continue across western Taiwan.

More stable weather is expected from next Monday as the Pacific high-pressure
system strengthens.

Posted on 2026-06-26 06:59:13

U-S lawmakers pledged support for Taiwan during a meeting with Legislative
Speaker Han Kuo-yu, during his visit to Washington D.C. as the head of a
cross-party delegation.

More than 30 House representatives attended a reception organized by Taiwan's
representative office in the U-S capital.

They included Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, former chair of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee Michael McCaul and Ted Lieu who serves as the vice chair of
the House Democratic Caucus.

Several U-S lawmakers showed their support for a stalled 14-billion U-S
dollar arms sale to the island - with Lieu criticizing the Trump
administration for holding up the package.

Han urged the U-S to help Taiwan gain more international space during the
reception - saying the current situation for Taiwan is "like being able to
date but not marry."

The delegation is scheduled to return to Taiwan on EVA Airways's inaugural
nonstop flight between Washington D.C. and Taoyuan International Airport.

Posted on 2026-06-26 06:59:13

quo

President Lai Ching-te is reiterating his administration's aims to strengthen
Taiwan's self-defense capabilities and repeating arguments that China, not
Taiwan, is the party undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and
the Indo-Pacific.

Speaking at the eighth meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience
Committee, Lai said Beijing has intensified gray-zone activities, coercion
and infiltration targeting neighboring countries, including Japan, Taiwan and
the Philippines ...

.... fueling concerns across the Indo-Pacific and internationally.

According to Lai, China is the one changing the status quo in the Taiwan
Strait, and his administration's efforts to strengthen elf-defense
capabilities, preserve the peaceful status quo and protect our democratic way
of life are not acts of provocation.

Lai cited last week's Group of Seven leaders' summit, saying its joint
statement reaffirmed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific based on
the rule of law and opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo
in the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion.

And he went on to thank members of the armed forces and the Coast Guard
Administration for responding to China's activities.

Posted on 2026-06-26 06:59:13

C-S-B-C says its first domestically built submarine remains on track for
delivery in the second half of this year.

The statement comes as the shipbuilder has been accumulating daily fines
since missing an initial November 2025 deadline for delivery of the Narwhal
to the Navy.

Speaking after a shareholders meeting, C-S-B-C Chairman Chen Cheng-hung said
the submarine has not encountered any major technical obstacles during sea
trials, and is currently undergoing detailed fine-tuning and functional
verification.

According to Chen, although seasonal monsoons and typhoons could cause minor
delays of a few days, those delays are not expected to significantly derail
the overall schedule and the completion of testing.

The C-S-B-C chairman says the submarine program has been a highly complex
defense R&D project, and because Taiwan had no experience building
submarines, it had to build its expertise in design, systems integration, and
sea testing completely from scratch ...

... which introduced timeline uncertainties.

The Narwhal began its latest round of sea trials that included dive tests,
earlier this month.

Posted on 2026-06-26 06:59:18

The Cabinet is proposing fines of up to 100,000 N-T for individuals found in
possession of electronic cigarettes as part of efforts to curb the use of
etomidate.

The proposed amendment to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act also recommends
the same maximum fines for individuals found in possession of electronic
cigarette components.

However, it does not define what constitutes such components.

Electronic cigarettes are illegal here in Taiwan.

However, there are currently no penalties for possessing them.

Another proposal is to introduce criminal penalties for the manufacture and
importation of electronic cigarettes - meaning those who manufacture or
import more than 1,000 units would face up to seven years in prison and a
potential fine of up to 5-million N-T.

Premier Cho Jung-tai said earlier this week that the widespread use of
electronic cigarettes has fueled the spread of etomidate and other emerging
narcotics, posing a serious threat to society and schools.

Posted on 2026-06-26 06:59:18

The New Taipei District Prosecutors' Office has indicted seven people for
their involvement in a hidden-cameras scandal linked to aesthetic clinic
chain Airlee.

Those indicted include Airlee Group Chairman Chang Ju-shan, group president
Liu Chen-hua and equipment supplier Hsieh Chin-heng.

According to the prosecutors' office, five of the suspects have been charged
with secretly recording non-public activities of customers without
justification, unlawfully recording sexual content, filming sexual content
involving minors ....

.... and of violating the Personal Data Protection Act.

The equipment supplier's wife and son have also been indicted on charges of
destroying evidence after allegedly assisting him to remove and deleting
recordings.

Prosecutors say the clinic's chairman and group president had cameras
disguised as smoke detectors installed in at least seven of Airlee's branches
between 2019 and 2025, secretly recording customers while they were changing
or their private parts were exposed.

Prosecutors have identified 99 victims, including four minors, across the
seven branches involved in the case.

Investigations into other Airlee branches are ongoing.

Posted on 2026-06-26 06:59:18

The Jiji railway line has resumed full operations after services were
suspended in August of 2021 after torrential rainfall triggered a slope
collapse that blocked a tunnel section running adjacent to Provincial Highway
16.

The rainfall also disrupted the Jiji Line railway improvement project, which
was launched in 2019 and cost 3.5-billion N-T.

The popular 29-kilometer branch line connects Changhua and Nantou.

Partial services resumed in January.

Transport Minister Chen Shih-kai says tourist arrivals in Jiji Township
declined by about 80-per cent during the line's four-year closure and he
hopes the reopening of the line will help revive tourism in Jiji, Shuili and
Checheng townships.

According to Chen, the century-old Jiji Line was originally built to support
the Sun Moon Lake hydroelectric project and transport bananas and timber in
the Japanese colonial period.

Posted on 2026-06-26 06:59:20

A United Nations agency paused the evacuation of ships through the Strait of
Hormuz after the British military said a vessel was hit by a projectile off
the coast of Oman.

The strike reported by the British military followed the passage of several
tankers that used a route backed by the U.N.

The head of the International Maritime Organization says the vessel that was
attacked was not part of the evacuation effort, but the plan to move stranded
ships out of the Persian Gulf through the strait will be on hold until the
agency can confirm safety guarantees.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the vessel sustained
damage, but it reported no injuries or environmental effects from the attack
off the coast of Oman.

It was unclear who launched the projectile or the type of vessel that was
targeted.

Posted on 2026-06-26 06:59:20

From the US.....

The Supreme Court is allowing the Trump administration to end legal
protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and
Syria.

The decision Thursday blocks lower court orders and allows the Department of
Homeland Security to swiftly end temporary protected status.

That program protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries, and
the move exposes hundreds of thousands more people to potential deportation.

The administration had argued that Homeland Security can revoke protections
without court interference.

Immigration lawyers say the decision to end the program ignored the law and
was tainted by racial animus.

Posted on 2026-06-26 06:59:20

From the UK....

King Charles III has revealed that he paid $12.2 million pounds in 2024-2025
taxes, becoming 1st British monarch to reveal tax details.

At a briefing on royal finances, the king released the details of his
personal taxes when he was Prince of Wales paid the equivalent of $16.1
million Us dollars in income and capital gains taxes in that financial year.

Royal officials also revealed that the king will not live at Buckingham
Palace after the completion of a 10-year, $487 million dollar refurbishment
program as the monarchy seeks to increase public access to the historic
building that has been the center of royal life for almost 200 years.

Royal officials stress that the king and Queen Camilla would continue to work
out of the palace, which will remain “the ceremonial and operational center”
of the monarchy.

But for the rest of Charles’ reign, the king and queen will remain in nearby
Clarence House.

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