K-M-T Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun will leave for a two-week trip to the U-S later
today.

Cheng will heading a 14 member members delegation.

The delegation includes K-M-T International Affairs Department head Tung
Chia-yu, former Taiwan representative to the U-S Jason Yuan, KMT Central
Standing Committee members Lee De-wei and Vivi Chin as well as K-M-T overseas
affairs head Wu Liang-i.

According to the K-M-T, Cheng and her delegation will begin their visit on
the West Coast with a stop in San Francisco before traveling to the East
Coast, where they will visit New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston.

Cheng is expected to arrive in the U-S capital on the evening of June 9 and
remain there through June 12.

The K-M-T says Cheng is expected to meet with members of Congress, visit the
headquarters of the American Institute in Taiwan and and participate in
closed-door discussions at three major think tanks while in Washington D.C.

The K-M-T says those talks center on peace and stability in the Taiwan
Strait, regional security, and the future of Taiwan-US relations.

The trip will end with a stop in Los Angeles, where Cheng and the delegation
will meet with with members of the overseas Taiwanese community.

Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil is visiting Taiwan this week.

Vystrcil will be heading a delegation of around 40 people to Taiwan from
today through Thursday.

It will be his second trip to Taiwan country since he first visited in August
of 2020.

Vystrcil has said the primary goal of the trip is to demonstrate mutual
support between the two sides and help further strengthen mutual
understanding and cooperation on both the political and people-to-people
levels.

He's scheduled to meet with senior government officials and attend a series
of events.

Those events include a symposium on former Czech President Vaclav Havel at
the National Chengchi University, the unveiling of a "Havel's Bench"
installation at Taipei's Daan Park, and a screening of the documentary, which
chronicles his 2020 trip to Taiwan.

According to Vystrcil, the events also carry important symbolic significance,
as they not only commemorate Havel's legacy, but also reflect the shared
values of the Czech Republic and Taiwan as democratic societies.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has refused to provide a government
aircraft for the trip, saying he did not want it to be seen as an official
endorsement that could harm Czech business interests in China.

NT$446

Tai-Power's summer electricity rates for residential customers kick-in today.

It means that the average household can be expected to pay about 446 N-T more
per month through the end of September.

According to Tai-Power, the seasonal rates will apply to about 15-million
residential and small commercial users from today through September 30.

Around 26,000 high-voltage and extra-high-voltage users are subject to summer
rates from May 16 to October 15.

The state-generator says electricity demand rises sharply during the summer
months, mainly because of increased air conditioner use ..

.. and that means more expensive power-generating units have to be brought
online to meet peak demand, pushing up overall generation costs.

Based on data from last year, the average monthly household electricity bill
rose to 1,084 N-T during the summer, nearly 70-per cent higher than in
non-summer months.

Average household electricity use also increased from 308-kilowatt-hours per
month in non-summer months to 418-kilowatt-hours per month
during the summer, up about 40-per cent.

interview

The Presidential Office is condemning China after it expelled a New York
Times correspondent from Beijing, following the newspaper's publication of an
interview of President Lai Ching-te.

According to Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo, he Lai
administration has noted a series of recent incidents in which Beijing had
used similar tactics to "threaten and pressure international media and
journalists ..

.. and the move highlighted Beijing's suppression of press freedom and its
threat to international media outlets.

Kuo says such actions concerns not only press freedom and freedom of
expression, but also the safety of journalists, and Taiwan and relevant
partners are paying close attention to the situation.

The statement came after the New York Times confirmed that China expelled
Vivian Wang in February of this year.

She had been based in Beijing since 2022.

An Associated Press report published this past weekend, said that Wang was
expelled after The New York Times hosted President Lai Ching-te in a recorded
interview for its DealBook Summit 2025, which aired in December of last year.

Wang had no role in the interview.

The Taipei Department of Health's smoking ban in Ximending takes effect
today.

Smoking is now banned in the shopping district, except in designated smoking
areas.

People caught violating the ban face fines of between 2,000 and 10,000 N-T
under the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act.

The smoke-free zone was originally planned to cover the area bounded by
Section 1 of Zhonghua Road, Xining South Road, Chengdu Road, and Section 2 of
Hankou Street.

However, the Taipei Department of Health has since expanded it to include the
area around Exit 4 of Ximen M-R-T Station, Yanping South Road, Xiushan
Street, and Hengyang Road.

People who wish to smoke in the Ximending shopping area in Wanhua District
are advised to use negative-pressure smoking rooms and other designated
smoking areas.

The Taipei Zoo has marked World Parrot Day with a special educational event
featuring a sulphur-crested cockatoo.

The zoo used the occasion to urge the public not to abandon pet parrots and
to reject the illegal wildlife trade.

According to the zoo, parrots are popular companion animals because of their
colorful plumage, ability to mimic sounds and strong learning skills ..

.. but demand from the pet market has also fueled illegal capture and trade,
threatening wild populations.

To raise public awareness, the zoo held a pop-up educational session in the
Children's area, with a sulphur-crested cockatoo serving as a "teaching
assistant" to help visitors learn about parrot behavior and social habits.

The zoo also cited data from the International Union for Conservation of
Nature showing that about one-third of all parrot species face threats to
their survival in the wild.

Ukraine has launches strikes on Russian enery sites...

with Russian authorities saying that drone debris set fire to a fuel storage
facility in the Rostov region, while civilian infrastructure was damaged in
Saratov province.

Ukraine has ramped up attacks on Russian's oil and gas facilites, saying they
fund Moscow's invasion.

Meanwhile, Kyiv denied Russian claims that a Ukrainian drone struck the
Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

Russian authorities accused Ukraine of a deliberate attack... but Ukrainian
officials said they did not target or strike the plant, describing Russia's
claims as propagandistic.

The plant has repeatedly come under fire since Russia launched its full-scale
invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Polls have closed in Colombia's presidential election, with a runoff
confirmed for June.

Pro-Trump Abelardo de la Espriella and the incumbent's favorite for the
presidency, IvAn Cepeda, will face off later this month.

This weekend's vote came 10 years after Colombia signed a historic peace pact
with guerillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in a deal that
many hoped would end decades of armed conflict in the country.

Since then, the violence has resurged.

Criminal groups have increasingly launched drone strikes, armed attacks have
plagued the race and last June, the politician and presidential hopeful
Miguel Uribe Turbay was fatally shot at a political rally.

De la Espriella has sought to portray himself as "tough on crime..." while
Cepeda favors dialogue with the armed groups, in a similar manner to current
president Gustavo Petro.

The outcome of the election is expected to act as a bellweather for the rest
of the continent at a time when voters are increasingly ditching leaders that
pitched progressive policies and turning instead to more populist rhetoric.

An explosion in Myanmar has killed several dozen people as media reports that
the building where the blast took place was storing explosives.

On top of 46 dead, about 70 more people were injured.

The area where the explosion took place is near the Chinese border and is
controlled by a rebel ethnic armed group.

Rescue workers say they were able to recover 46 bodies by last night, while
they say the injured were taken to a local hospital.

100 houses near the site were damaged in the blast.

Rescue operations are ongoing.

A Canadian man accused of running an online operation selling lethal products
has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of counseling or aiding suicide.

A lawyer for Kenneth Law says Canadian prosecutors will withdraw 14 murder
charges in exchange for the plea.

Police in Canada and internationally have been investigating more than 100
suicides linked to Law.

Canadian police say he used a series of websites to market and sell sodium
nitrite. The substance is commonly used to cure meats and can be deadly if
ingested.

Police say Law is suspected of sending at least 1,200 packages to more than
40 countries.

AP_JvW

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured Pacific allies today that
Washington remains committed to the region.

At the same time, he softened past comments that described China as an
imminent threat.

Speaking at the Shangri-La defense conference in Singapore, Hegseth said US
policy aims to preserve a favorable balance of power and prevent any country
from dominating the Indo-Pacific.

Hegseth said there is no change in US policy toward Taiwan, but he declined
to address the reported pause in moving forward with a pending arms package.

AP_JvW

The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 to clinch the Eastern
Conference Final in five games and earn their first trip to the Stanley Cup
Final since 2006.

Taylor Hall opened the scoring for Carolina, which entered the third period
with 5-nil lead.

Seth Jarvis capped off the rout with an empty-net goal.

Carolina went 12 and 1 through the Eastern Conference playoffs to earn a
matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's
administration from paying claims through a new $1.8 billion settlement fund
for allies who believe they were victims of a weaponized government.

US District Judge Leonie Brinkema also barred the government from moving
forward with the fund's creation while litigation is pending to challenge it.

The judge scheduled a June 12th hearing for arguments on whether to extend
the order blocking payouts from the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund that
the government created to resolve Trump's lawsuit against the Internal
Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.

The White House has declined to comment.

AP_JvW

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is planning to ease parking
space requirements for tour bus operators.

Under current rules, operators must provide one parking space for every eight
vehicles in their fleet.

The ministry is proposing to lower that ratio to one space for every ten
vehicles.

The MOTC says vehicles frequently operate away from home base and often park
overnight in other locations, reducing the need for on-site parking, and
limited land availability and the large space required for tour buses have
also made it increasingly difficult for operators to meet current
requirements.

The draft amendment has been announced for public review.

(NS)

TSMC said that, through a partnership with one of its suppliers of hydrogen
peroxide, it will be able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1200 metric
tonnes annually.

That is roughly four or five times the weight of the Statue of Liberty in New
York.

In a newsletter, TSMC said that hydrogen peroxide and carbon dioxide are both
required in the production of semiconductors.

But carbon dioxide is emitted during the generation of hydrogen, which is a
chemical used in turn to produce hydrogen peroxide.

So, instead of using fresh carbon dioxide, TSMC and its suppliers have
installed a recovery pipeline at the hydrogen plant to capture and purify the
carbon dioxide that was already a byproduct of hydrogen peroxide production.

Kenyan soil

A court in Kenya suspended an American plan to establish a quarantine
facility for Americans exposed to Ebola in northeastern Democratic Republic
of the Congo.

The decision came earlier today after backlash from medical workers and
activists.

The United States had intended to send individuals exposed to the virus to
Kenya instead of flying them home to the States.

It was unclear whether the Kenyan government had signed off on the plan, or
where in Kenya it would have been constructed.

U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio had promised Kenya 13.5 million USD (420
million NT) for its Ebola preparedness efforts.

But the Kenyan Law Society and Katiba Institute, an organisation devoted to
defending Kenya’s constitution, challenged the facility, citing public health
risks and a lack of public consultation.

The court will next hear arguments concerning this planned faclity on Tuesday.

The United States and Iran appear to be closing in on a deal to end the war
and open the Strait of Hormuz.

An American official said that American and Iranian negotiators have reached
a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire in the three-month-old war by
sixty days and to start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Iran has not immediately confirmed any such deal.

U.S. vice president JD Vance has confirmed that there is a tentative
agreement but says it is unclear whether president Donald Trump will approve
it.

A mosaic of a prancing bull on the floor of Milan’s Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele II arcade is being restored, because tourists have worn away the
tiles representing its testicles.

Superstition has it that visitors who grind their heels on the bull’s
testicles and then spin around three times are granted good fortune and are
fated to return to the mosaic.

City councillors said that thousands of people do that every day, leaving a
small crater where the testicles should be.

The mosaic was last restored in 2017.

One councillor said that the Galleria was a piece of living heritage, “which
can wear away precisely because it is loved and experienced.”

He added that they take of it, so that can continue to be loved and
experienced.

The Taoyuan Flight Attendants' Union is demanding that Tigerair Taiwan
immediately repay wages to cabin crew members who were forced onto unpaid
leave during pregnancy.

This comes after the Taoyuan City Government found the airline guilty of
discriminating against pregant staff.

The union said today that most airlines help pregnant cabin crew temporarily
transfer to ground duties to protect their income and comply with gender
equality requirements.

But it alleges that Tigerair required pregnant cabin crew to take unpaid
leave, with no option for internal reassignment.

The union is calling on the airline to stop using internal regulations to
override national law and to restore wages to affected employees without
further delay.

In response, Tigerair says the issues raised are being carefully reviewed and
discussed with employees at all levels.

(NS)

Lu Chun-hsiung of the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots has been named the most valuable
player in the P. League (Plus League).

He thus becomes the first player to receive this distinction for three years
in a row.

He averaged 18.5 points per game this season, ranking third in the league and
the highest amongst domestic players.

Lu also became the first player in Plus League history to record more than
2000 points in the regular season.

Lu's teammate, American Alec Brown, won the best foreign player award.

Brown was also named both star blocker and defensive player of the year.

Other players making the league's First Team include the Pilots' Lee
Chia-kang, the Fubon Braves' Mouhamed Mbaye, and the TSG GhostHawks' Ku Mao
Wei-chia.

The Braves defeated the GhostHawks in the semifinals of the league's
playoffs, and will thus head to face the Pilots for the first game of the
league trophy on June 5th.

(JM)

obstructing police officer

A prominent Hong Kong journalist began serving a five-day prison sentence
today after losing an appeal against his conviction for obstructing a police
officer.

Ronson Chan, a former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists’ Association, was
arrested in 2022 on his way to a reporting assignment.

He was convicted in 2023 for failing to give an officer identification in a
timely manner and for continuing to ask the officer questions “recklessly”.

A judge upheld the conviction and sentence today.

The case has sparked concerns about the city’s declining press freedom.

Chan wore a black T-shirt with the words “Free Press” to court.

He said that he stayed in Hong Kong because press freedom was promised by the
city’s Basic Law.

Hong Kong ranked 140th of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without
Borders’ latest World Press Freedom Index.

Chan's lawyer is considering an appeal.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says that Russia’s “war of
aggression has crossed yet another line”, after a Russian drone crashed into
an apartment block in the Romanian city of Galati, just two kilometres from
the border with Ukraine.

Meanwhile, NATO’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, said that Russia’s “reckless
behaviour” was “a danger to us all”.

He said that he assured Romania’s president, Nicusor Dan, that NATO “stands
ready to defend every inch of allied territory”.

And Dan that he will demand “proportional measures” to be carried out against
Russia.

He also said that he has formally requested allies to deploy additional
anti-drone weapons into Romania.

In the past few months, Russian drones have also crashed in all three Baltic
states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), even resulting in the collapse of
the government in Latvia.

No one has been reported dead from yesterday’s attack in Romania, but two
people were injured.

The overwhelming favourite to win the men's title at this year's French Open,
Jannik Sinner, has been knocked out of the tournament.

He came in on a 30-match winning streak, and the absence of his biggest
rival, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, due to a wrist injury meant that many thought
his path to the title was all but clear.

But world number 1 Sinner let slip a 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 lead against Argentina's
world number 56, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, as his physical condition rapidly
deteriorated.

The heat has plagued Paris, with temperatures hovering around 34 degrees
Celsius, but Sinner said that that was not to blame.

He said that he could not find any energy, felt dizzy, and wanted to vomit.

This opens up the path to the title for 39-year-old Novak Djokovic of Serbia,
and for second-seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, widely regarded as the best
player still yet to win a Grand Slam title.

The top half of the draw is wide open, with both Juan Manuel Cerundolo and
his older brother, Francisco, still in contention.

The Legislative Yuan has approved a special defence budget of more than 8.81
billion NT for purchases of five U.S. weapons systems.

The vote comes just days before this Sunday's payment deadline for HI-MARS
rocket systems, which make up one part of the package.

The budget also includes funding for self-propelled howitzers, anti-armour
drones and two types of anti-tank missiles.

The entire package will be financed through government borrowing.

Earlier this month, lawmakers approved a special arms procurement framework
allowing up to 780 billion NT in U.S. weapons purchases between 2026 and
2033.

That includes 300 billion NT for weapons already approved by Washington and
480 billion NT for a future package that has yet to be formally announced.

This year's 8.81 billion NT allocation is the first funding package under
that plan.

(CNA_JM)

Starlux Airlines is launching flights to Zurich and Barcelona next year as
part of its efforts to extend its reach into Europe.

Starlux Chairman Chang Kuo-Wei says the company has applied to fly to these
two cities to expand its network in Europe beyond Prague, to which it will
begin service on Aug. 1st.

In addition to Europe, Chang said New Zealand and Australia will be expansion
targets next year, with Sydney a possible destination.

The airline also has plans to increase its presence in the United States.

(CNA - NS)

A Canadian man accused of selling lethal substances to people online for the
purpose of taking their own lives is expected to plead guilty today to
fourteen counts of counselling or abetting suicide.

Police in Canada and around the world have been investigating more than a
hundred suicides linked to Law.

All charges against him in Canadian court are related to those living in
Ontario between the ages of 16 and 36.

Police said that Law, from the Toronto area, used a series of websites to
market and sell a substance that is commonly used to cure meat, but that can
be deadly if ingested.

He is suspected of sending at least 1200 packages to more than forty
countries.

Authorities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and
New Zealand have also conducted investigations.

Assisted suicide is legal for adults in Canada, but only through a physician.

Anyone else found guilty of aiding suicide in Canada can face up to fourteen
years in prison.

Aid supplies have been rushed into the centre of the Ebola outbreak in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, where medical workers are struggling with
equipment shortages, distrustful locals, and armed groups.

Yesterday, a white cargo plane delivered masks, gloves, boots, and
medications donated by the European Union to Bunia, a town in the northeast
of the country at the heart of the outbreak.

The DRC government has confirmed more than a thousand suspected cases and at
least 220 deaths.

Dangers faced by health personnel have been compounded by anger from
residents over the stringent medical protocols that have prevented families
from burying loved ones.

The United States pledged yesterday to an extra $80 million in aid to the DRC
and Uganda, which has also been affected by the virus.

New Zealand defender Tim Payne has become an unlikely football superstar
after an Argentine influencer called on his followers to make the
little-known 32-year-old a “hero” of the upcoming World Cup.

Football influencer El Scarso, real name Valen Scarsini, identified Payne as
the least-known player at the upcoming World Cup in North America based on
his small social media following.

He only had 4,700 followers on Instagram earlier this week.

But after being singled out by El Scarso, Payne gained roughly a thousand
followers every minute to reach more than a million today.

“We are all waiting to cheer for our national team, but what if there was a
player who united us all, a footballer we all support regardless of their
nationality?” asked El Scarso.

Now there’s even a song in Spanish supporting Payne, which includes the line,
"No Payne, no gain.”

New Zealand is playing in the World Cup for the third time.

It plays in Group G against Belgium, Iran, and Egypt and will be looking for
its first-ever win.

Taiwan shares soared to a new record high today ...

... after global index provider MSCI increased Taiwan's weighting in several
major stock market indexes.

The benchmark Tai-ex jumped 1,096 points to close at 44,732.

Market turnover also reached a new all-time high, topping 1.81 trillion NT.

(IG)
 

In more business news...

(Taiwanese tech giant) Hon Hai approved its highest cash dividend in 35 years
... at its annual shareholder meeting this morning.

The record-breaking payout of 7.2 NT per share marks the highest since
listing on the stock market in 1991.

The total cash distribution will exceed 100 billion NT.

The company also says demand for artificial intelligence remains strong ...
with global spending on AI infrastructure expected to grow at a double-digit
pace this year.

Chairman Young Liu said the company remains very optimistic about operations
for the second half ... barring any major black-swan events.

Hon Hai says it's strengthening its supply chain and expanding financial
hedging measures to cope with currency swings and geopolitical risks.

The company adds that tariffs and geopolitical tensions continue to reshape
global manufacturing ... and that its worldwide production network helps
reduce those risks.

(IG)

The Ministry of National Defense says it detected 22 Chinese aircraft and
vessels operating around Taiwan between 6 a.m. yesterday and 6 a.m. today.

Of those sorties, ten PLA aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan
Strait and entered airspace to the north, central, southwest and east of
Taiwan.

The aircraft included fighter jets and helicopters.

The military also reported eight Chinese naval vessels and four government
ships operating near Taiwan during the same 24-hour period.

The defence ministry says it closely monitored the activity and responded
with aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems.

(IG)

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung says Taiwan is deeply grateful to Tuvalu ...

... for publicly supporting Taiwan after what he described as Chinese
interference in President Lai Ching-te's planned visit to Eswatini.

Lin made the remarks while hosting Tuvalu's foreign minister, Paulson Panapa,
during a luncheon in Taipei yesterday.

According to Lin, Tuvalu quickly issued a public statement backing Taiwan
when China allegedly sought to interfere with Lai's travel arrangements.

Panapa says the two sides will continue strengthening cooperation under their
recently signed partnership framework ...

... including collaboration on climate resilience, energy, healthcare,
education, and other fields.

(IG)
 

The Philippines' top diplomat says Southeast Asian leaders will meet with
Russian President Vladimir Putin at a commemorative summit in Russia next
month.

Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro says she and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov discussed the event during recent talks.

The two-day summit is scheduled to begin June 17th in the Russian city of
Kazan.

Ahead of the summit ... the Russian Embassy in Manila says Lavrov and Lazaro
discussed expanding a strategic partnership between Russia and ASEAN.

While most ASEAN members supported a U-N resolution condemning Russia's
invasion of Ukraine, the regional bloc has continued to maintain relations
with Moscow as a dialogue partner.

Police have confirmed that cameras discovered near restrooms at Fu Jen
Catholic University in New Taipei City were installed by the school itself
and were not positioned to record inside the facilities.

Officers received a report late yesterday that a smoke detector in a women's
restroom at one of the university's buildings may have concealed a pinhole
camera.

On-site inspection confirmed the cameras were hidden surveillance devices
installed by the university, positioned in the corridor corners outside both
the men's and women's restrooms.

The camera angles covered only the area outside the restroom entrances and
could not capture the interiors.

No cameras were found inside the restrooms.

In light of public concerns, the school said it will immediately post visible
notices at all camera locations to clearly disclose that recording is taking
place.

(NS)

The Central Weather Administration says Taiwan has received only 60 percent
of its historical average rainfall so far this year, with southern regions
running even drier.

The CWA says plains areas in central and northern Taiwan have received 60 to
80 percent of typical levels, while the south has received only 30 to 60
percent.

Officials say meaningful rain for southern Taiwan typically arrives after the
plum rain season gets underway.

Forecasts indicate a rain period of about a week beginning around June 7th as
southwest monsoon winds push into Taiwan, which may bring relief to central
and southern regions.

As for typhoon season, the CWA says El Niño conditions are expected to
persist through year-end, which means typhoons are likely to form farther
from Taiwan this year.

The greater travel distance will allow storms more time to develop and
intensify before approaching the island.

But the number of storms expected to directly affect Taiwan remains within
the normal range of three to five.

(NS)

Yemen's former President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi has died at 80.

State-run Yemeni TV reported that he died in Saudi Arabia's capital Thursday.

Hadi led Yemen's government mostly from exile for eight years during a civil
war and famine before stepping down in 2022.

Hadi became president in 2012, facing challenges from Houthis rebels and
al-Qaida.

He spent his final years in exile and transferred power in 2022.

Japan's population has fallen by a record 3.1 million over the past five
years, according to new census data.

Government data shows that the total population, including foreign residents,
stood at just over 123 million as of October last year.

That's a 2.5 percent decline and the third consecutive drop in the country's
five-year census.

The census also found that more than 30 percent of Japan's population is now
concentrated in the Tokyo metropolitan area, crossing that threshold for the
first time.

Among the world's 20 most populated countries, Japan recorded the steepest
population decline between 2020 and 2025, outpacing China, Russia and
Thailand, all of which also saw drops.

Now turning to internationla news...

A United Nations report on sexual violence in conflicts around the world has
included Israeli forces for the first time.

That's over their treatment of Palestinian detainees.

Also on the list was Hamas over their treatment of Israeli civilians during
October 7th attacks on Israel.

Russian armed and security forces were also blacklisted for the first time
this year for sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilians detained
during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Israel and Russia both deny the accusations.

The report points out that the number of cases overall rose sharply last year.

It says that the UN was able to document "patterns of sexual violence"
against Palestinians detained in Israel and in Palestine...

verifying multiple incidents of conflict-related sexual violence, including
as a form of tortue.

They say that Israeli forces carried out such actions on 14 men, 7 women, and
10 minors in 2025.

National Development Council Minister Yeh Chun-hsien is refusing to set a
timeline or target for President Lai Ching-te's proposed measures aimed at
reversing Taiwan's declining birth rate.

The proposed package will cost around 380-billion N-T annually, which is
roughly equivalent to 1-per cent of the island's G-D-P.

According to Yeh, the policies will be reviewed "on a rolling basis" and the
results of any population policies depend on people's willingness to start
families and are therefore difficult to predict.

Speaking at regular weekly Cabinet press conference, the N-D-C minister told
reporters the the government is unable to say how many children will be born
next year or five years from now ...

.. and the proposed measures are meant to send a "signal" to younger
generations that the government will provide support if they decide to get
married and have children.

Yeh said a Cabinet-level task force responsible for overseeing the
implementation of the measures will review their effectiveness regularly and
the effective policies will be expanded, while the weaker ones will be
adjusted.

Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee says relevant government agencies have been
asked to earmark funding for the proposed measures in the general budget for
fiscal year 2027.

The government is insisting that increased tax revenues due to strong
economic performance are sufficient to fund the proposed policies.

term

Legislative Yuan Secretary-General Chou Wan-lai says he hopes a site for the
legislature's relocation or reconstruction can be decided during the current
term

The statement comes amid ongoing calls for the Legislative Yuan to be moved
from its current location, which is a complex that once served as the girls'
high school during the Japanese colonial period.

Although the building has undergone several expansions, the location still
faces space constraints.

Former legislative speaker You Si-kun convened a panel of experts to review
the issue and six potential expansion sites were shortlisted

They include the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, the former Air
Force headquarters in Taipei, the Tucheng Detention Center in New Taipei, the
Chengkungling military training base in Taichung and the Chung Hsing Cultural
and Creative Park in Yilan.

However, no further decision were held at the time.

Current Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu has said that he favors the Grand
Hotel site in Taipei as a possible location.

The secretary-general of the Legislative Yuan says he hope Han will convene
cross-party talks to discuss the matter and establish a committee to finalize
a location.

The Supreme Court has ruled that former President Chen Shui-bian cannot be
prosecuted for money laundering in a case linked to the appointment of former
Taipei 101 Chairperson Diana Chen due to the expiration of the statute of
limitations.

The ruling uphold a similar verdicts by both the Taipei District Court and
the High Court.

According to the Supreme Court, it found no errors in the lower court's
ruling and rejected the appeal by the Taipei Prosecutors' Office.

The ruling is final an cannot be appealed.

It stems from a bribery case in which Chen and his wife, Wu Shu-jen, were
convicted of accepting 10-million N-T from Diana Chen in exchange for helping
her secure the Taipei 101 chairmanship.

Both were sentenced to eight years in prison at the time.

Chen served as president from 2000 to 2008 and was sentenced to 20 years in
prison for multiple corruption cases.

However, he was released on medical parole in 2015.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau says a total of 4,725 drug-related driving
under the influence cases have been referred to prosecutors from January to
April of this year.

That figure is three times the number recorded during the same period of last
year

The bureau says the increase in the number of drug-drving cases being
referred for prosecution so far this year follows the introduction of rapid
saliva tests for detecting drug residues.

According to law enforcement official, 98-percent of the cases were uncovered
during routine traffic stops, helping prevent potential accidents that could
have resulted in injuries or deaths.

A majority of the case involved methamphetamine, accounting for 70.06-per
cent of the total.

The National Police Agency launched several targeted operations against drugs
between January and April -- leading to the arrest of 17,022 suspects - and
increase of 31.75-per cent, from last year.

The rapid saliva tests can detect drug residues within three minutes and were
introduced late last year.

The first-ever direct ferry service between Keelung and Okinawa's Ishigaki
Island set out on its maiden voyage last nigt.

The ferry was carrying about 200 passengers -- roughly 40-per cent of its
capacity.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the launch ceremony, Wagon Group General
Manager Hung Yu-hang attributed the relatively low bookings to the short
sales period, noting that tickets only went on sale on May 15.

However, Hung says bookings for the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival long
weekend holiday have already sold out.

The ferry will initially operate once a week on a trial basis, before
expanding to two round trips per week starting in July.

The ferry departs Keelung between between 11PM and midnight on Thursdays and
arrives in Ishigaki around 8 o'clock the following morning.

Return trips from Ishigaki will depart every Sunday night and arrive back in
Keelung on Monday morning.

The 265-kilometer Keelung–Ishigaki route was originally slated to launch at
the end of last year, but was delayed due to ship preparation and engineering
work.

Monday

And finally,

The Central Weather Administration says Tropical Storm Jangmi is expected to
come closest to Taiwan between Sunday and Monday as it continues to move
towards Japan's Ryukyu Islands.

The storm is currently located some 1,700-kilometers east-southeast of
Eluanbi, at the island's southernmost tip and is moving in a northwesterly
direction at 22-kilometers-an-hour.

Jangmi currently has a radius of 100-kilometers and is packing sustained wind
speeds of 72-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 101-kilometers-an-hour.

The weather administration says the chances of the storm directly impacting
Taiwan remain low.

The storm is currently forecast to move toward southern Japan through June 4
and its outer bands could bring brief showers to northern and northeastern
parts of the island this weekend and early next week.

Taitung and the Hengchun Peninsula could see also see brief showers as the
storm makes it way towards the Ryukyu Islands.