And finally,

The 2026 Asian Games wrapped up its final day of events on Sunday ... and
Taiwan will be coming home with five gold 17 silver and 33 bronze medals.

Taiwan ended the games in 15th place in the overall medals between Qatar in
14th and Indonesia in 16th place.

While the total medal count was only slightly lower than in previous Asian
Games, the five golds were Taiwan's fewest since the 1990 Asian Games in
Beijing, when it didn't win any.

It was also a sharp decline from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, when Taiwan
tied its best-ever performance with 19 gold medals.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung is in the U-S for a three-day visit that
included the opening of Taiwan's new representative office in Phoenix,
Arizona.

Lin is scheduled to preside over the unveiling ceremony for the office...
he's also scheduled to meet with Taiwan business leaders and members of the
expatriate community in the region.

American Institute in Taiwan Washington Managing Director Ingrid Larson will
be with Lin during his Arizona trip.

The foreign ministry is calling the inauguration of the Taipei Economic and
Cultural Office in Phoenix a new milestone in the economic and trade
partnership between Taiwan and the U-S.

The government first announced that it would open a representative office in
Phoenix to strengthen economic, technology, education and supply-chain
cooperation back in July...

The Phoenix office is scheduled to become Taiwan's 14th representative office
in the U-S.

Lin arrived in Arizona after wrapping up a week-long visit to Belize and
Guatemala.

Leaders of Taiwan's major political parties have been rallying in support of
their respective parties mayoral and city council candidates ahead of the
November 28 local elections.

Events on Sunday were held in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung.

In Taipei, President Lai Ching-te praised D-P-P's Taipei mayoral candidate
Puma Shen at the opening of his campaign headquarters.

Shen is running a "positive campaign" focused on policy and the future of the
capital, rather than attacking his opponent.

K-M-T chairwoman Cheng Li-wun attended the opening of the campaign
headquarters of the party's Taichung mayoral candidate Johnny Chiang.

Cheng said the K-M-T needs to win both the 2026 local elections and the 2028
presidential election so that the central and local governments can work in
concert to promote economic development and peace.

Meanwhile, Taiwan People's Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang joined K-M-T
Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en at a campaign event for T-P-P
Kaohsiung city council candidate Lin Yu-kai.

Huang touted KMT-TPP cooperation - saying Kaohsiung needs a new,
forward-looking and efficient model of governance.

Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is set to travel to the U-S this week to
deliver a keynote speech at Stanford University.

Tsai's office says she will deliver the opening keynote at Stanford DEFCON's
2026 Technology & National Security Conference on October 7... where she will
share Taiwan's experience in critical technologies and semiconductor
manufacturing...

she'll also touch on its efforts to strengthen international partnerships,
defense and national resilience.

Stanford's Hoover Institution has also invited Tsai to speak on October 8
about democracy, resilience and global security.

That event will be jointly hosted by the Hoover Institution's Taiwan in the
Indo-Pacific Region program and Stanford in Government, the university's
oldest and largest nonpartisan public service and policy organization.

This week's visit to the U-S will be Tsai's first trip there since she left
office in 2024.

Several gender equality groups are calling on the Taipei City Government to
investigate a police raid on a gay bar.

The groups are claiming police used excessive force, violated procedures and
made discriminatory and degrading remarks towards some of the patrons.

The claims come after the Taipei City Police Department's Wanhua Precinct
conducted the raid on a BDSM-themed gay bar in Taipei's Ximending District.

A statement posted on the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association's Facebook page
says police refused to show a search warrant and took dozens of people to the
police station against their will to give statements.

The Wanhua Police Precinct says the raid was a lawful operation in response
to a report of suspected violations of public morals and was conducted under
a search warrant issued by a court.

Police say they found violations of public morals during the raid and took
the person responsible for the venue and other relevant individuals in for
questioning.

Several people have referred to prosecutors on suspicion of public indecency
and violations of the Social Order Maintenance Act.

The Agency of Corrections says the percentage of inmates serving sentences
for drug-related offenses has fallen from 35.1 to 24.8-per cent over the past
five years.

The agency is crediting a policy of diverting eligible offenders into
community-based addiction treatment rather than prison for the decline.

The government's third-phase New Generation Anti-Drug Strategy Action Plan is
said to emphasise tiered diversion and diversified treatment.

Under the policy, people whose offenses involve only drug use and who
primarily require addiction treatment are, where possible, offered deferred
prosecution with court-ordered treatment in the community instead of
imprisonment.

Those involved in violent crimes, serious offenses or other criminal
activities are placed in correctional institutions.

The plans runs from 2025 to 2028.

The Agency of Corrections says as of the end of June of this year, 14,521
inmates were serving sentences for drug related offenses, representing 24.8
percent of the total prison population of 58,455.

The Railway Bureau says the new Tainan Station is scheduled to open October
17 as part of a major project to move the mainline rail infrastructure in the
city underground.

The new station will allow the surrounding area to be redeveloped with a
plaza, parking facilities, a transport hub and green space to improve
connectivity and passenger access.

Taiwan Railway Corporation has said the new Tainan station will also be the
first to use a color-coded way-finding system similar to that of the High
Speed Rail, with blue indicating northbound trains and green for southbound
trains.

The project covers an 8.2-kilometer section of track from the southern end of
Daqiao Station to just of south of Dalin Road.

It also includes two new underground commuter stations.

Once completed, the Tainan Urban District Railway Underground Project is
expected to eliminate 23 railway crossings and other grade-separated
intersections, including nine level crossings, eight underpasses and four
overpasses.

The United States removed its B-1 bombers from a UK air base one ​week after
several men were arrested there on ‌suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

A dozen B-1 bombers were stationed at RAF Fairford air base, located
​northwest of London.

The planes had been used ​for US strikes on Iran.

Britain has said it had "strong indications" that Iran was involved in a
suspected ​plot targeting the base.

Iran said accusations linking Tehran to the alleged plan were baseless and
summoned the British ambassador in Tehran over the issue.

The Reuters News Agency is reporting Chinese construction of a runway on
Antelope Reef in the Paracels archipelago is ​well underway with analysts
estimating it could be completed by mid-2027.

Satellite images reviewed by Reuters show grading work, piles of gravel and
concrete, and compaction cranes in operation to build a full-scale runway.

A ​completed base at Antelope would be China's most significant military
expansion in the South China Sea in a decade.

When completed, the facility is seen as strengthening Beijing's military
control over the disputed ‌South China Sea.

Japanese police say they have arrested a U.S. Marine for the alleged robbery
and killing of a woman on Okinawa.

The marine is suspected of killing a 39-year-old local woman at a hotel in
Naha, Okinawa's capital city, and taking her wallet and backpack early
Saturday.

Japanese officials were quick to express outrage and protested over the case
because crime related to U.S. service members on Okinawa.

Residents there are frustrated by the heavy burden of hosting American
troops, has been a sensitive issue that has repeatedly strained ties between
the central and local governments.

Australian officials say a car drove into a large crowd standing on a road to
cheer on the Newcastle Knights rugby team, injuring 10 people.

Two of the injured -- a 5-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man -- were in
critical condition.

The other eight were in stable condition at a hospital.

Police said they arrested the 18-year-old male driver of the vehicle and were
investigating what happened.

They said the crash wasn't believed to be related to terrorism.

Fans had been waiting for the team bus ahead of a rugby league finals match
between the Sydney Roosters and the Knights scheduled for tomorrow.

AP_JvW

China has launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of a chemical
compound used in dyes and pharmaceuticals from the European Union.

The Commerce Ministry says the probe into p-nitrotoluene imports was
initiated after a complaint from China's domestic industry.

Trade tensions between the EU and China have increased in recent months, with
both sides imposing or considering curbs on each other's imports. EU measures
are aimed at slowing down the inflow of electric vehicles and fast fashion
from China, among other products.

AP_JvW

The FlyDubai co-pilot who officials said nearly crashed a Tel Aviv-bound
flight with 182 people aboard was barred from flying by his native Oman over
concerns that he had adopted extremist views.

That's according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal, citing people
familiar with the matter.

The co-pilot was subsequently hired by the United Arab Emirates-based
FlyDubai.

It wasn't immediately clear to what extent he was vetted when he was hired in
the Emirates.

Meanwhile, India released footage from a video call between Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and the pilot who was stabbed ... and who let passengers into
the cockpit to subdue his attacker.

Speaking from an Abu Dhabi hospital bed with his head bandaged, the pilot
said he realized he had to get the door to the main cabin open despite
grievous injuries ... as he felt the plane rapidly losing altitude under the
co-pilot's control.

AP_JvW

Australian officials say a car drove into a large crowd standing on a road to
cheer on the Newcastle Knights rugby team, injuring multiple people.

Two of the injured -- a 5-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man -- were in
critical condition.

Police said they arrested the 18-year-old male driver of the vehicle and were
investigating what happened.

They said the crash was not believed to be related to terrorism.

Fans had been waiting for the team bus ahead of a rugby league finals match
between the Sydney Roosters and the Knights scheduled for tomorrow.

AP_JvW

The KMT is renewing calls to double the government's planned universal cash
payment next year from 10,000 to 20,000 N.T.

KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi says stronger tax revenue and economic growth mean
the government can afford the higher payment.

Premier Cho Jung-tai disagrees.

Cho told lawmakers today that revenue generated by Taiwan's AI-driven growth
is already being used for social welfare, industrial development and disaster
prevention.

He says raising the payment to 20,000 N.T. would require additional borrowing.

The government has budgeted about 235.7 billion N.T. for a 10,000 N.T.
payment next year, while maintaining that the plan will not require new
borrowing.

(PB)

Experts say, the Haikun submarine is expected to undergo more and more sea
tests as the shipmakers prepare to hand off the domestically produced vessel.

The Haikun underwent its 23rd sea test today, and would appear to be nearing
delivery.

However, experts say that tactical verification will still be needed after
delivery and it will not immediately be combat ready.

Ji Dong Yun adds that the shipbuilder and manufacturer aim to complete the
delivery by the end of the year.

He emphasizes, though, that the public should not expect to see the sub in
combat scenarios for another 6 months to even a year after hand off.

(AH)

The Minister of Agriculture has apologized after an app linked to the MOA was
found to show Chinese National Day on the in-app calendar.

Minister Chen Jun Ji says, the mistake was due to an error from the
developer, but that his ministry should have caught the issue before it went
live.

He added that the ministry updated the app last night, saying that the issue
would not happen again.

Chen says, the developer pre-loaded an external calender, failing to remove
both Chinese National Day and China's Military Day.

(AH)

A US lawmaker is calling on Starbucks to close its first stores in China's
East Turkestan province...

known in Mandarin as Xinjiang.

John Moolenaar, a Republican, called the decision to open a Starbucks there a
"morally bankrupt" one...

given the PRC's ongoing widespread abuse of Uyghur Muslims in the region.

Starbucks opened its first two stories this week in the capital of East
Turkestan, including one at the city center's grand bazaar and a second at
its international airport.

Former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will give the opening keynote at a
technology and national security conference at Stanford University next week.

It will be Tsai's first visit to the United States since leaving office in
2024.

Tsai's office says she will speak at Stanford DEFCON on October 7 and share
Taiwan's experience in critical technology and national security.

The annual conference brings together figures from academia, government, the
military and technology industries to discuss emerging technologies and their
security implications.

This year's topics include artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, space
technology and other areas linked to national security.

Tsai's office says her speech will focus on Taiwan's experience and its role
in critical technologies and democratic resilience.

(PB)

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan An is trading fire with challenger Puma Shen over
Chiang's free lunch program for students.

Shen and many pan-green city councilors have called for Taipei City to extend
flexible options to parents who wish to pay for their kids to get slightly
better lunches and so that the public funds can be used to purchase higher
quality food for everyone else.

Shen announced a new plan this morning that would allow parents the option to
pay for the meals themselves.

But Mayor Chiang says today that the free meals alleviate the stress of
parents.

he also adds that students bringing their own meals will make others feel
left out.

This comes after DPP City Councilor Xu Shu Hua yesterday asked the Taipei
City Department of Education during interpellation about potentially
contaminated squid that is thought to have caused food poisoning...

but city officials were unable to answer questions regarding which schools
had received the squid.

Chiang says today though that the Education department is continuing to trace
the supply chain.

(AH)

Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting won gold in the women's 60-kilogram division Friday
at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Lin delivered a 5-0 unanimous decision victory over China's Yang Cheng-yu in
the final bout, securing Taiwan's fourth gold medal of the Games.

She dominated all three rounds of the championship match, and the victory
marks back-to-back Asian Games gold medals for Lin across two different
weight classes.

Lin previously claimed gold in the 57-kilogram division at the Hangzhou Games
before moving up to 60 kilograms after Paris 2024.

(NS)

Taiwan shares are up today with the benchmark tai ex gaining 122 points to
close the session at 48475.

The turnover was 898.1 billion NT

Now turning to internaitonal news...

The death toll from an avalanche in Nepal has now risen to 15 after rescuers
discovered 8 more bodies.

One person remains missing after Sunday's avalanche at Mount Himlung.

Recovery efforts have been paused due to hazardous conditions, but 10
climbers were already rescued.

All the deceased victims were Nepali nationals preparing the climb for
foreign climbers.

The avalanche is considered one of the worst disasters in Nepal
mountaineering history.

Every year hundreds of foreign climbers come to Nepal to attempt climb the
highest mountain peaks.

The Asian Games in Japan's Nagoya are getting ready to conclude...

as officials apologize for the unusually large number of mishaps.

Nikkei Asia reports that this year's games saw the North Korean national
anthem played instead of the South Korean one...

the South Korean men's basketball team missing a practice after a bus failed
to arrive...

and long waits for athletes to check into their rooms.

This year's Asian Games have seen about 11,000 athletes in total, making them
bigger than the Summer Olympics.

Some experts believe that the issues are partially because Japanese
advertising company Dentsu was not involved in supporting the games this
year.

Dentsu has been involved in Japanese sporting events for more than 40 years,
but was previously found guilty of violating Japan's antimonopoly act.

The historical drama "Four Rivers Six Ranges" has debuted, bringing Tibet's
little-known resistance history to the screen.

The director covertly filmed the movie in Nepal's Mustang region, where
Tibetan guerillas later fought Chinese forces in the 1960s.

The film's Indian premiere was delayed, due to the Chinese president's visit
to India.

The director said, he knew he would not be able to get permits needed to film
in Nepal due to Chinese pressure stifiling Tibetan communities there...

going so far as to submit a "dummy screenplay" and cutting production time by
more than half.

The Coast Guard Administration says, it has removed two Chinese fishing boats
from the waters around the Dongsha Atoll.

The CGA adds that one of the boats refused to follow orders, leading the
Coast Guard vessels to use water cannons to drive it away.

Authorities say that the incident took place yesterday when they received a
report that Chinese fishing vessels intruding in restricted waters...

leading them to dispatch the Yunlin patrol boat to respond.

The Yunlin called on the boats to retreat, but one of them failed to do so.

The crew first used a 30 second blast of a water cannon into the air, which
proved ineffective, and thus followed it up with a second, 90-second blast,
making sure to avoid crew in the process.

Following this exchange, the shift lifted anchor.

The CGA says, crew followed policy for engaging with Chinese vessels, using
non-lethal force to drive away intruders.

However, the exchange caused the Chinese boat to lose its propeller power,
leading the Yunlin to tow the boat away.

Yunlin crew even provided hot meals to crew aboard the Chinese ship and
ensured that they were in good health before their ship was towed away by
another vessel.

(AH)

The Taiwan High Speed Rail says new trains are set to deploy next year,
easing crowding over holidays.

The corporation says the first of 12 new N700ST train sets purchased from
Japan arrived in Taiwan in August and is undergoing required safety tests.

The THSRC says three of the new trains will enter commercial service in July
2027, increasing peak capacity by up to seven percent next summer.

And they say all 12 new train sets will join the active fleet by late 2028,
expanding overall high-speed rail network capacity by 25 percent.

This comes after the High Speed Rail set a single-day record of nearly
348-thousand passengers during the recent Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, with
passengers experiencing heavy crowding in carriages.

(NS)

Now turning to international news...

Egypt has arrested 6 journalists over claims that they belong to an outlawed
group called the Muslim Borhterhood, and alleging that they produce fake news
in exchange for foreign funding.

The arrests swept up the entire editorial team of an independent Egyptian
media outlet called Matsadaash.

The platform was founded as a fact-checking venture, but has since expanded
into investigative reporting.

Human Rights Watch and others have called for the journalists' release and
condemned the arrests as part of a wider crackcown on independent media.

Advocates say the journalists' whereabouts remain unknown, and that they've
had no contact with their families or lawyers.

Matsadaash has unequiovcally denied the charges.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says that Egypt is one of the world's
worst when it comes to jailing journalists...

with local advocates saying that 26 journalists in Egypt are currently in
jail.

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

The first two of a total of 66 F-16V Block 70 fighter jets purchased from the
U-S are expected to arrive in at Taitung's Chihhang Air Base this morning.

The two aircraft took off from Texas on August 17 before arriving in Hawaii,
where they have spent nearly a month being inspected and underging final
preparations for the flights to Taiwan.

The U-S State Department has issued a statment saying Washington continues to
stand with friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific region - including Taiwan -
to advance shared prosperity, security, and values.

That statment went on to say that U-S policy toward Taiwan has not changed
and Washington emains committed to its "one China" policy, which is based on
the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiqués, and the Six
Assurances.

Taiwan purchased the F-16V Block 70s in 2019.

They were originally scheduled to begin being delivered in 2023, but Lockheed
Martin's program was delayed.

The Centers for Disease Control says the current flu epidemic is expected to
peak this week, when outpatient and emergency visits for flu-like illnesses
are likely to reach between 140,000 and 150,000.

According to C-D-C Director General Philip Lo, the elevated activity could
continue until mid-November, although the epidemic is expected to decline
significantly after mid-October due to the publicly funded flu and COVID-19
vaccination program.

Lo says vaccinations could help bring the epidemic under control more
quickly, with a noticeable decline expected after mid-October if vaccination
uptake is strong.

The first stage of the government's publicly funded flu and COVID-19
vaccination program began on Thursday.

The second stage will begin November 2 and shots will be available to adults
aged 50 and older without high-risk chronic conditions.

The government purchased 7.05-million doses of influenza vaccines for the
publicly funded vaccination program this year.

The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office has indicted a man for allegedly
operating an unregistered office for a Chinese semiconductor company.

According to prosecutors, Lin Hao-yuan has been charged with violating the
Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the
Mainland Area.

Lin headed Lontium Semiconductor Corporation's Taipei office.

Prosecutors say the company, which is based in China's Anhui Province,
established an office in Taipei's Neihu District in 2012, but its board
decided to close it down in January of 2015.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs here in Taiwan approved the closure later
that month.

However, Lontium instructed Lin in July 2024 to rent an office in Taipei's
Zhongshan District to serve as its Taiwan operating base ..

.... where prosecutors says it began headhunting high-tech engineers to
conduct chip research and development without authorization.

The Civil Aviation Administration says fuel surcharges for international
flights operated by Taiwan carriers will increase from October 7 due to a
recent rise in international aviation fuel prices.

The surcharge for short-haul routes will rise to 37.5 U-S dollars.

While the surcharge for long-haul routes will increase to 97.5 U-S dollars.

The adjustment reflects an increase in international aviation fuel prices
from 156.79 to 177.89 U-S dollars a barrel, based on prices announced by
state-refiner C-P-C.

According to the C-A-A, it has instructed airlines to provide sufficient
information on the adjustment, including fuel costs and their proportion of a
flight's total expenses, to address consumer concerns.

The latest increase marks the third consecutive month in which airline fuel
surcharges have been raised as international fuel prices continue to
fluctuate.

And finally,

Chang Cheng-wei won silver in the men's individual compound archery at the
Asian Games in Japan on Thursday -- to record Taiwan's best ever finish in
the event.

The 22-year-old advanced through the quarterfinals and semifinals before
losing 149-145 to South Korea's Kim Jong-ho.

It was Chang's first individual medal at an international competition and his
second podium finish at these Games, following the bronze he won in the men's
team event on Wednesday.

Taiwan also won silver in the men's C-1 canoe slalom event on Thursday, with
Wu Rong-cheng finishing behind China's Zhang Zhi-cheng.

It was Wu's first Asian Games medal and Taiwan's second canoeing podium
finish of the Games this year.

And in the men's tennis doubles, Hsu Yu-hsiou and Ho Chen-rui took bronze
after losing their semifinal to their South Korean opponents.

Thursday's medals bring Taiwan's tally to 42 in total - including three gold
and 12 silver, and 27 bronze.

Taiwan is now sitting in 16th place in the overall medals table - between
Kuwait in 15th and Qatar in 17th.

President Lai Ching-te has appointed Vice Admiral Yuan Sheng-hua to post of
deputy director-general... of the Coast Guard Administration.

Yuan's appointment is a first, no active-duty Navy officer has been
appointed to the posts of either deputy director-general or director-general
of the Coast Guard Administration before.

Yuan has been tasked with improving coordination between the Navy and Coast
Guard in response to maritime pressure from China.

Lai said he expects Yuan to draw on his experience to strengthen maritime
intelligence sharing, and ensure surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as
emergency response, are closely coordinated to safeguard the country's
maritime territory.

Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling says Yuan was promoted because it
was believed that Coast Guard Administration needed someone familiar with
maritime defense operations and the transition between peacetime and wartime
conditions.

Yuan is the agency's third deputy director-general after the position was
created through amendments to the Coast Guard Administration Organization Act
passed in June.

The Coast Guard Administration says the creation of the new post addresses
changes in the maritime situation surrounding Taiwan and the evolving
geopolitical landscape.

The Cabinet has approved a draft amendment to the Securities Transaction Tax
Act that will extend a tax exemption on corporate bonds, financial bonds and
passive bond exchange-traded funds for 10 more years.

The amendment also expands the exemption to actively managed bond E-T-Fs.

The proposal comes amid strong growth in Taiwan's bond market following the
introduction of the exemption in 2017.

The current tax exemption for bonds and passive bond E-T-Fs is set to expire
on December 31 of this year.

Under the draft amendment, the exemption for active bond E-T-Fs will take
effect on January 1, 2027 and remain in place through December 31, 2036.

The Ministry of Finance is estimating that the outstanding value of corporate
and financial bonds could reach 17.96-trillion N-T by 2036, while annual
trading value could amount to 93.19-trillion N-T.

Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee says Premier Zhu Rong-ta believes the
amendment will boost asset management activity and support the government's
goal of developing Taiwan into an "Asian asset management center."

The High Prosecutors Office's Kaohsiung Branch has indicted three former
military personnel for allegedly collecting military secrets for China.

All three have been charged with offenses involving the National Security
Act, Anti-Corruption Act and Classified National Security Information
Protection Act, as well as the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces.

Prosecutors say one those indicted began receiving instructions and funding
from officials at an intelligence agency under a provincial committee of the
Communist Party of China in late 2020.

He allegedly obtained confidential military information, including tank
specifications and details of the Han Kuang military exercises, from a man
who was still serving in the Army at the time, before traveling to China to
meet with intelligence officials.

Prosecutors say he was then asked to establish organization for China here in
Taiwan and approach serving military personnel in order to collect
confidential military information from them.

The Kaohsiung Military Police, Tainan Military Police, Pingtung County Police
Bureau's Criminal Investigation Corps and the Ministry of National Defense's
Political Warfare Bureau reported the case to the High Prosecutors Office in
June of this year.

The Food and Drug Administration has fined a probiotic seller 4-million N-T
so far this year for repeated violations over advertisements falsely claiming
that the product could "reverse kidney disease."

It seventh time the company has been fined this year.

The FDA ordered ads involving the Huo Hua Sheng probiotic product to be
removed, while its endorser, nephrologist Chiang Shou-shan, has been referred
for disciplinary action.

The F-D-A says the product and Chiang have appeared across different ads
making exaggerated claims that the probiotic could treat or reverse kidney
disease.

While the F-D-A says the the product mainly contains probiotics and lactic
acid bacteria, the advertisements could lead consumers to believe that the
item had therapeutic effects.

The Huo Hua Sheng product has been penalised for its ads before -- it was
fined 3-million N-T in 2024 and 1.8-million in 2025.

The F-D-A has asked broadcast media outlets to ensure that the offending
advertisements are removed from their channels.

Taiwan ranked fifth globally in net financial assets per capita at the end of
2025, averaging 164,470 euros.

The latest Global Wealth Report by Allianz Research indicates Taiwan's
ranking remained unchanged from the previous year, trailing only the United
States, Switzerland, Denmark and Singapore.

Allianz assessed household assets and liabilities in nearly 60 countries.

It found that global household wealth reached a record high in 2025, while
the rise of A-I and market gains made asset ownership increasingly important
in determining who benefits from wealth creation.

The report shows that total financial assets held by Taiwan households rose
8.7-per cent to 4.5 trillion euros at the end of last year.

That increase was slightly slower than the 9.3-per cent growth recorded in
2024 and below the 9.8-per cent average for other Asian markets covered in
the report - excluding Japan and China.

Howevr, it remained above the global average of 8.6 percent.

observation

Fourteen junior high school students at the Taipei Huaxing High School
underwent medical care after eating nuts from tung trees on the school
campus.

Thirteen of them have since been discharged from hospital, but one remains
under observation.

The school says the the students ate the tung nuts out of curiosity because
they resembled almonds and later began feeling unwell.

They and alerted a teacher, who arranged for them to be taken to two
hospitals.

A pediatrician at the Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, which received 10
of the students, says most of them had eaten only a small number of tung
nuts, while one had eaten seven of them.

The students experienced nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort, with one
vomiting.

The other four students were taken to Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

One of them are eight tung nuts and remain hospitalized.

Tung nuts are not considered highly toxic, but they can cause
gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and
diarrhea.

And,

The Golden Horse Awards has announced this year's nominations

"Arrested Memory" leads the nominations with 11 nods... including for beat
director, best leading actor, best supporting actor, best cinematography,
best art direction, and best original film song.

This crime thriller follows a Taiwanese detective who develops amnesia
shortly after being transferred to a new post and becomes embroiled in a
high-profile kidnapping case as his memory deteriorates.

"Arrested Memory" was directed Japanese filmmaker Hiroyuki Tanaka.

Shu Qi's directorial debut "Girl" ranked second with 10 nominations, while
"Double Happiness" and "We Are Born Good" tied for third with nine
nominations each.

The 63rd Golden Horse Awards take place on November 22 at the Taipei Music
Center.

In another development...

British police have arrested a dual UK-Iranian national on suspicion of
plotting a terror attack following a security incident at a U.S.-run air base
on the weekend.

The 25-year-old man was arrested in London on Thursday, and police have
searched two properties in the U.K. capital.
Five other men arrested Sunday have been released on bail.

Scores of residents were evacuated from their homes near the base as armed
police officers and army bomb-disposal experts swooped on the rural area.

Police found gasoline in three vans linked to the five suspects, but no
explosives.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the U.K. sees “strong indications” that
Iran played a part in the incident... but Iran denies involvement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday ​the world was living
through a dangerous moment and warned the West not to escalate a standoff
over Ukraine by threatening the Russian exclave ‌of Kaliningrad.

> pot down!!

Putin repeated his claim that Russia had no plans to attack any European
country and wanted to coexist peacefully.

But he reiterated that Moscow would resort to all weapons in its arsenal,
including nuclear ones, ​if its most westerly territory — Kaliningrad, which
is wedged between Poland and Lithuania — was threatened.

Putin's comments followed a diplomatic note which NATO said this week it had
received from Russia...

In it, a warning the Western military alliance it would be ready to resort to
nuclear weapons if NATO attempted ​to cut off Russia's Baltic exclave.

Nikkei Asia is reporting that a new set of Chinese exit and entry rules took
effect earlier this week, as Beijing tightens its legal framework for border
control.

Under the new rules, Chinese citizens can be banned from leaving for anywhere
from six months to an indefinite period if their acts are deemed to
contravene industrial and technology import and export controls.

Foreign nationals can also be barred from entering if they submit inaccurate
information or make false statements in their visa applications.

The change has reportedly triggered warnings here in Taiwan... several groups
of people could face increased risks under China's new border regime.

The rules could affect businesspeople, workers in chip and other high-tech
sectors, civil servants and members of some religious groups.