The Tainan District Prosecutors' Office says the founder and chairman of the
Taiwan People's Communist Party has been detained on suspicion of accepting
funding and instructions from China to run in a local election.

According to prosecutors' office, Party Chairman Lin Te-wang allegedly
accepted instructions and funding from the Chinese Communist Party to run for
ward chief in the city's Xinying District.

Lin is suspected of violating the Anti-Infiltration Act and the Election and
Recall Act.

The prosecutors' office says it requested a detention on the grounds that Lin
could flee or collude with others to destroy evidence.

A total of 14 people have been questioned as part of the investigation.

And,

The Taiwan Rice Heaven-Tianzhong Marathon attracted more than 17,000 runners
in Changhua County.

The race started at the Jin-Sung Cultural and Educational Park in Tianzhong
Township.

Changhua County Magistrate Wang Hui-mei attended the opening ceremony of this
year's run, which was held under the theme of "Let's Run Together."

Now in its 15th year, the Taiwan Rice Heaven-Tianzhong Marathon was won by
Japan's Koji Sakimoto with a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes and 37 seconds.

Now turning to international news...

South Africa's African National Congress has experienced its worst ever
election results.

It's a new low point for the party of the late Nelson Mandela after it
received only 31% of the vote.

Despite the poor showing, the once-dominant ANC remains the largest party...

while the main opposition Democratic Alliance recieved one quarter of the
vote and beat the ANC in many major cities.

Voters have rebuked the ANC over failed public services that have left many
areas with regular water and electricity outages, broken roads and
streethlights, and trash lining the streets.

The ANC's popularity has declined for more than a decade.

The U-S State Department is expressing concern over the closure of Taiwan's
representative office in Papua New Guinea under pressure from the government
in Port Moresby.

According to a State Department spokesperson, the incident is another example
of Beijing's intimidation of Taiwan.

The statements come after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last Friday
announced that it was closing its representative office in Papua New Guinea
and withdrawing all personnel stationed there after.

The ministry said at the time that the Papua New Guinea government had
renewed its unilateral demands that personnel from the Taipei Economic Office
in Port Moresby leave the country and that the office be shut down.

The U-S State Department spokesperson says such moves undermine the sovereign
decisions of countries choosing to partner with Taiwan and threatens
international peace and prosperity.

The spokesperson went on to say that Taiwan is a reliable, like-minded, and
democratic partner, and its relationships around the world provide
significant benefits to the citizens of those countries, including Papua New
Guinea.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau says fraud cases related to the upcoming
local elections have resulted in financial losses totaling 20.15-million N-T
over the past two months.

According to the bureau, the 87 cases of election-related fraud last month
alone saw losses of 19.11-million N-T.

The bureau says the scams typically involved fraudsters impersonating
customer service representatives or bank employees and persuading victims to
perform online banking operations, make cardless cash withdrawals, or scan QR
codes.

Common pretexts included claims that accounts had been frozen or that
transactions required verification.

Law enforcement authorities say legitimate transactions do not require
customers to verify payments by carrying out online banking operations.

They're urging people to stop any transaction if they encounter suspicious
links or requests to engage in any type of banking transaction.

The C-I-B says anyone who suspects they have encountered a scam can call the
165 anti-fraud hotline.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an and the D-P-P's Puma Shen both held campaign
events on Sunday.

Chiang's event highlighting sports achievements.

Speaking to supporters at the Taipei City Council, Chiang touted his
administration's achievements over the past four years, including Taipei's
first-place ranking in a nationwide sports-city survey conducted by Global
Views Monthly this year.

He also pointed to the Taipei Dome, which opened during his first year in
office and has since hosted major baseball games, as well as his
administration's efforts to renovate baseball fields and develop new sports
facilities across the city.

Meanwhile, Shen attended the opening ceremony of a joint campaign
headquarters with fellow DPP-nominated city councilor candidate Wendy Ma in
Taipei's Zhongzheng District.

In his address, Shen praised Ma, a former TV anchor and talk show host, for
her investigative reporting, which he said had exposed numerous scandals in
the city, including cases of child abuse.

He said Ma's vision of ensuring that the voices of disadvantaged people are
heard aligns with his own concept of municipal governance, which would
prioritize listening to the public and protecting vulnerable groups.

The second batch of three F-16V Block 70 fighter jets purchased by from the
United States has arrived in Taiwan.

According to the Air Force, the three jets landed at Chihhang Air Base in
Taitung County.

The Air Force Command Headquarters says it will proceed with training for the
induction of the new aircraft into service as planned, gradually building up
their initial operational capability.

Reports say the three jets departed from Lockheed Martin's factory in South
Carolina earlier this month and arrived in Hawaii on November 4.

Their arrival followed the delivery of the first batch of two F-16V Block 70
jets on October 2.

The U-S approved the sale of 66 F-16Vs and related equipment to Taiwan in
2019 for approximately 8-billion U-S dollars.

Deliveries were originally expected to begin in 2023 and be completed by
2026, but delays caused by technical issues have pushed back the timetable.

The Kaohsiung City Police Department says the bodies of two people have been
found after a fire burned through a row of small factory buildings in the
city's Niaosong District.

According to police, the a fire broke out at the bodies of two males were
found in a second-floor room in one of the factories the burned down.

The fire was reported at 8AM Sunday near Zhongcheng Road, Lane 8, and quickly
spread to a row of small corrugated metal factories buildings along the same
road.

It took the Kaohsiung City Fire Department two hours to contain the fire.

Police said the owner of one of the factories has said the fire appears to
have broken out on a terrace behind the buildings.

The cause of the fire and where it broke out are still under investigation.

And finally,

Taiwan inventors have won 12 gold medals, 15 silver medals and 23 bronze
medals at the 2026 iENA International Trade Fair-Ideas-Inventions-New
Products in Nuremberg, Germany.

The Taiwan Invention Association led a delegation of 78 inventors to the
event.

The gold medal winners included students from Feng-tian Junior High School in
Taitung County, who received the award for a smart safety vest for cyclists
that is equipped with lights that signal a cyclist's intended direction of
travel.

Another gold medal went to a student from Tung Hai Junior High School, also
in Taitung, for a multifunctional nail-trimming box equipped with a
magnifying glass and smart analysis features.

Students from St. Joseph Technical Senior High School in Taitung won a gold
medal for a height-adjustable urinal, while a caffeine- and melanin-based
scalp-revitalizing shampoo developed by Taiwanese care brand O'right also won
gold.

The 2026 iENA fair was held in Nuremberg from October 31 to November 2.

It featured 580 inventions presented by 340 exhibitors from 21 countries and
regions.

Sudanese authorities have detained a former senior Islamist official wanted
by the International Criminal Court for atrocities in Darfur.

Ahmed Haroun was originally detained in 2019 after the ouster of longtime
dictator Omar al-Bashir.

At that time the miltiary declined to hand Haroun over to the ICC.

He walked away from prison in 2024 amidst conflict between the army and the
paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Lawyers linked his latest detention to comments he made on a podcast...

comments which stirred outrage amongst rights groups, who condemned them as a
challenge to international justice.

Haroun has been accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

A Pakistani astronaut will board China's Shenzhou 24 spacecraft as the first
foreign national on Beijing's Tiangong space station.

Xinhua reported the news but didn't specify the launch date.

It said the Pakistani astronaut would complete a short on-orbit flight and
then return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft.

The mission will mark the first joint flight involving Chinese and foreign
astronauts in the history of China's manned space program.

AP_JvW

One of Haiti's most powerful gangs says it has reached out to the state
agency responsible for dismantling armed gangs in a push for peace.

The 400 Mawozo gang says that it plans to participate in a peaceful
demonstration later this month "to lay the groundwork for a national dialogue
and peace negotiation process."

Haiti's National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization, and
Reintegration has confirmed that an individual contacted them on behalf of
the armed group.

AP_JvW

Paraguay's ousted president, Santiago Peña, has been placed under house
arrest on suspicion of breach of trust, as prosecutors investigate the
collapse of Ueno Bank.

The Senate removed Peña from the presidency in a unanimous vote by the 44
senators present.

His vice president, Pedro Alliana, was sworn in to serve out the term through
August 2028.

Lawmakers accused Peña of using his influence to direct public funds to Ueno
while regulators overlooked risky lending.

He denies wrongdoing.

Prosecutors also ordered the arrest of former central bank chief Carlos
Carvallo, whom Peña appointed.

The *new* president is also under investigation.

Public outrage over the scandal has triggered mass protests in recent days.

AP_JvW

Macanese former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San has been sentenced to 12½
years in prison.

The sentencing followed a closed-door trial that raised concerns about
fairness.

Au's arrest last year was the first publicly known prosecution under Macao's
national security law since it was enacted in 2009.

A Macao court found him guilty of subverting state power and establishing
contacts outside Macao to commit acts endangering national security.

Critics said that his case reflected Beijing's emphasis on security and
intolerance of dissent.

Macao's pro-democracy movement has never been as influential as the one in
neighboring Hong Kong.

AP_JvW

Taiwan shares plunged more than four percent on today ...suffering their
fourth-largest single-day point loss and closing below the 40,000-point mark.

The benchmark TAI-EX fell 1,873 points to finish at 39,701, after dropping as
much as 3,700 points in early trading.

The sell-off followed heavy losses on Wall Street, as concerns grew over
possible restrictions on AI data center development in the United States
after Democrats won the midterm elections.

However, the market recovered some ground in afternoon trading after the
Financial Supervisory Commission said it would discuss possible measures to
support stocks.

TSMC also rebounded from an earlier 10-percent drop, helping the broader
market recover around 920 points.

Foreign institutional investors remained heavy sellers, offloading a net
91-billion NT worth of shares.

Police in Kaohsiung said today that they have arrested a man in connection
with the alleged theft of more than 230,000 pieces of personal information
using generative AI.

The suspect, a port worker surnamed Lin (林), is alleged to have used AI to
write an automated hacking program to steal membership and customer
information from websites in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand.

He is believed to have then sold this information on the dark web.

Officials found high-performance computer equipment, cloud storage devices,
network switches and other evidence at Lin's home last month.

The Criminal Investigation Corps warned that generative AI and AI agents
lower the technical threshold for computer programming and could be easily
abused by criminals.

It thus urged government agencies, businesses and website operators to
routinely update their systems, to conduct cybersecurity checks and
vulnerability scans, and to encrypt and back up important information.

A man who hoped to run for Taipei City Council this November has been barred
from running.

The Central Election Commission disqualified Yu Chih-pin (游智彬) from running,
as he only provided proof of his having given up Chinese household
registration earlier this year.

That's in conflict with the Act Governing Relations between the People of the
Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.

This act states that Chinese nationals must submit proof of their having
given up Chinese household registration 10 years before they can run for
public office.

Yu, of the New Party, previously ran for city council and lawmaker in Taoyuan
but failed.

He earlier appealed the CEC's decision, an appeal which was rejected by a
lower court before he appealed a second time.

His disqualification is now final.

(AH)

US Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi, two states that have historically
heavily leaned Republican, are still too close to call today.

In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican incumbent Cindy
Hyde-Smith by just 1100 votes with more than 930 000 votes cast – a
difference of roughly 0.1 per cent.

Colom would be the first black senator from Mississippi in more than 150
years if he wins.

And in Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan
by 600 votes with 200 000 vote cast – a difference of 0.3 per cent.

But her victory has been marred by controversy, as she has been accused of
recruiting another candidate, also named Dan Sullivan, to confuse voters.

Trump loyalist Lauren Boebert, running for re-election to the House of
Representatives in Colorado, is slightly behind her Democratic opponent
Eileen Laubacher, with 7 per cent of votes in the district still to be
counted.

And in Kansas, Democrat Cindy Holscher has a narrow 7000 vote lead over
Republican Ty Masterson in a vote for state governor.

That race is also still too close to call.

after the shooting

Eva Geller, a Holocaust survivor who was shot during last December’s
anti-Semitic terror attack on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, has passed away in
hospital.

She was 90 years old.

A rabbi from her synagogue said that Geller had remained “positive, loving,
and strong throughout her life, right until the end.”

He added that “She was told she would never walk again, but miraculously and
with incredible determination she did walk again.”

Two gunmen attacked a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach last December 14th,
killing 15 people on the spot between the ages of 10 and 87.

It was Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in almost 30 years and led to
stricter gun control and anti-hate speech laws.

lived rent-free

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the disgraced former Prince Andrew, could have
received up to £2,000 (88 000 NTD) per month by subletting three cottages at
Royal Lodge, his former home.

This was despite Andrew not paying rent on Royal Lodge himself.

The United Kingdom’s Public Accounts Committee, which oversees public
spending, did not know how often Andrew sublet the cottages or how much money
he made in total over the 20 years he lived at Royal Lodge.

Any income from subletting went to Andrew himself instead of to his landlord,
the Crown Estate.

Royal Lodge is in Windsor Great Park, just 5 kilometres south of the official
royal residence of Windsor Castle.

Andrew was forced to leave Royal Lodge earlier this year due to his
association with American child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Taiwan's Coast Guard says four Chinese coast guard ships entered restricted
waters near Kinmen this morning, despite rough sea conditions.

The vessels were spotted around 9 AM, prompting Taiwanese patrol boats to
intercept and monitor them ... while repeatedly broadcasting warnings in
Chinese and English.

All four ships left the restricted waters by 11:13 AM.

The Coast Guard says the Chinese vessels created navigation risks for other
ships in the area ... and has called on Beijing to stop what it describes as
harassment.

It also warned China against using law enforcement as a pretext to expand its
authority ... and undermine regional peace and stability.

(IG)

The Taiwan Creative Content Agency has signed a memorandum of understanding
with Wētā FX, the visual effects company behind "The Lord of the Rings" and
James Cameron's "Avatar" ...

... to promote investment in Taiwanese productions and develop local talent.

The agreement was signed today at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest ..... with
Wētā FX CEO Daniel Seah (謝安) representing the company.

Seah says the partnership will begin with investment in "Moonshine Studio" -
a Taiwanese animation studio - with plans to support more local film and
television productions.

Another key goal is to give young Taiwanese filmmakers opportunities to
exchange ideas and collaborate with Wētā FX teams.

Seah, who grew up in Taiwan, says the island has outstanding technical and
creative talent, along with a leading position in the global semiconductor
industry.

*The Taiwan Creative Content Fest is running through Monday ... at Taipei
Nangang Exhibition Center.

(IG)

*can omit

Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu (吳志中) is urging European
countries to deepen industrial cooperation with Taiwan ...

... saying the partnership could strengthen both sides' economic and security
interests.

Wu proposed moving beyond "Made in Taiwan" to a "Made 'with' Taiwan"
approach, combining Europe's strengths in research and design with Taiwan's
manufacturing capabilities.

He made the remarks at the Berlin Security Conference held earlier this week,
where officials discussed European defense, the war in Ukraine and security
threats from China.

Wu says closer cooperation would help Europe strengthen its manufacturing
industry while supporting a democratic partner in Asia.

He also says Taiwan wants to build long-term economic partnerships without
using trade as a tool of political pressure.

(CNA_IG)

U-S chipmaker Micron says its Taiwan operations are continuing as normal,
following reports that it has suspended plans for a new factory in Taoyuan
amid a labor dispute.

The company did not directly address the reported suspension, but said it was
confident it could maintain stable operations without disrupting customers.

Micron says it will continue negotiating with its Taoyuan workers' union,
which is demanding a specific profit-sharing system.

The dispute remains unresolved despite Micron reaching an agreement with its
Taichung union last month.

The Taoyuan union held a 24-hour strike in October and has since received
authorization for further industrial action.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economic Affairs says it will help facilitate
negotiations, describing Micron as a major foreign investor and an important
partner in Taiwan's AI industry.

(CNA_IG)

Defense Minister Wellington Koo has confirmed that a second batch of three
U-S-made F-16V Block 70 fighter jets is expected to arrive in Taiwan soon.

Koo told reporters today that the Ministry of National Defense would announce
the exact arrival date once confirmed.

Sources familiar with the matter say the aircraft are expected to follow the
same route as the first batch, flying via Hawaii and Guam before arriving at
Chihhang Air Base in Taitung.

Taiwan has ordered 66 new F-16V Block 70 fighters from the United States
under a procurement program worth over 247 billion NT.

The first two single-seat jets arrived in Taitung on October 2nd.

(IG)

Kao Jin Su Mei says, she hopes to present evidence that will clear her of
charges leveled against her.

That's as High Prosecutors seek 14 years in prison for the independent
lawmaker, accusing her of corruption and working for China.

Kao Jin denies that she developed organizations in Taiwan at China's behest
or took money from Beijing.

She claims that the entire indictment is full of falsehoods and pledged to
clarify the truth during the judical process.

The lawmaker makes the comments as her former aide, Zhang Jun Jie, jumped
bail two months ago and is believed to have left the country at the end of
last month...

with prosecutors saying he took two boats to the median line of the Taiwan
Strait before getting on a Chinese fishing boat.

(AH)

The DPP legislative caucus is continuing to push back against opposition
calls to increase universal handouts to 30,000 NT per person.

That's as KMT Communications Chair Chen Yi Xin has touted the tack taken by
candidates for local office to say that a vote for the KMT will win 30,000 NT
handouts...

while one for the DPP will get only 10,000 NT in cash.

Chen says, the line has been "particularly effective."

As a result, he says the party will double down on this line of messaging.

DPP Caucus Secretary-General Zhuang Rui Xiong says, the Executive Yuan will
not bend on this issue...

and accused the opposition of seeking to score political points with cash.

In other words, Zhuang said, even if the KMT wins several local government
positions in this month's elections, the Executive Yuan will not allow 30,000
NT handouts to happen.

(AH)

And in international news

Myanmar says, it will hold special elections in April to fill vacancies in
parliament.

That will be the first vote since this year's general elections which critics
say were designed to cement military rule and were not legitimate elections.

This vote will also include areas that were previously unable to vote due to
conflict.

The vote is unlikely to change the balance of power in the national
partliament which is currently controlled by a military backed party.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power from the elected
government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, triggering widespread opposition.

After security forces suppressed peaceful protests with lethal force, many
opponents of military rule took up arms, plunging large parts of the country
into conflict.

The Union Election Commission said the April 4 by-elections will be held in
55 constituencies, including 34 seats in the lower house, five in the upper
house and 16 in regional and state parliaments.

escape

Prosecutors are seeking to detain a Chinese national who is believed to have
helped former legislative aide Zhang Jun Jie 張俊傑 escape Taiwan.

Authorities believe that Zhang, former aide to lawmaker Kao Jin Su Mei 高金素梅,
fled the country at the end of last month from Keelung.

Prosecutors have been speaking to suspects believed to have helped Zhang
escape, questioning the crew of the ship, the Man Rui Fu 滿瑞富 No. 6,
yesterday, one of whom is a Chinese national, surnamed Chen.

Prosecutors believe that Chen received hundreds of thousands of dollars in
payment from a Chinese national to help Zhang escape.

They've requested that a court approve Chen's detention.

Prosecutors are also seeking to detain the other four crew members, all of
whom are Indonesian nationals, as well as the captain.

The Taiwanese ship owner has been released on bail of 100,000 NT.

(AH)

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) repeated today that Taiwan aims to generate more
than NT$1 trillion in annual tourism output, with 10 million annual
international visitors by 2030.

This was at the opening of the Taiwan International Travel Fair (ITF), which
runs through Monday at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Centre.

Lai said that these targets would be supported by improved services, stronger
branding, and digital transformation.

He added that the Taiwan Tourism Institute, established earlier this year,
would bring together public- and private-sector resources to improve Taiwan’s
competitiveness in the tourism sector.

And Lai said that the government would help tourism businesses use AI and big
data to better understand travelers’ preferences, improve efficiency, and
develop appealing tourism offerings.

(JM_CNA)

Donald Trump has won approval to build a “triumphal arch” in Washington.

His administration said that construction of this 72-metre-high arch could
begin as early as this week.

The arch, nicknamed the “Arc de Trump” after Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, is
meant to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary.

A draft shows a golden statue of Lady Liberty on top of the arch, with two
gold eagles on either side of it.

The administration also said that military equipment could be stored inside
the arch.

However, opponents say that it will block the view of Arlington National
Cemetery, where thousands of fallen American soldiers and servicemen and
women are buried, and of the Lincoln Memorial.

Some protestors say they will chain themselves to bulldozers or otherwise
impede construction.

Lawsuits have already been filed against the construction of the new arch.

New Zealanders will vote tomorrow to elect a new government.

The centre-right incumbent prime minister, Chris Luxon, faces namesake
centre-left opponent, Chris Hipkins, in a rematch of 2023’s election.

Voters’ key concerns include inflation, unemployment, and health care.

Luxon was elected on a pledge to “build the economy”, while Hipkins – who
took over from Jacinda Ardern – focussed on lowering living costs.

Preliminary results should be available tomorrow, but the Electoral
Commission will first verify the vote-counting and only formally declare
final results at the end of the month.

Neither party is expected to win outright in New Zealand’s proportional
representation system, and a tight race means that coalition talks – and a
clear indication of who will rule New Zealand for the next three years –
could be delayed.

An Italian chef in Australia was fired because he, amongst other complaints,
refused to put pineapple on top of pizza.

Davide Tamburella refused to prepare Hawaiian, or ham and pineapple, pizza,
three time in the last four years.

Tamburella said that orders from a boss "need not be followed when it is
offensive to his culture" as an Italian.

And he had asked his boss to "check how important it is for Italians not to
put pineapple on pizza".

Tamburella works in Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland, which
produces all of Australia's commercially-grown pineapples.

Tamburella was also sacked for his language and aggressive actions in the
workplace.

His LinkedIn profile shows that he is now working at another Brisbane
restaurant that does not serve pineapple.

High prosecutors are seeking 14 years behind bars for lawmaker Kao Jin Su Mei
on accusations that she took money from and worked for Beijing.

Kao Jin, who already faces corruption charges for allegedly fraudulently
taking assistant fees, is accused of developing organizations in Taiwan at
the behest of China.

Prosecutors believe she and three others took 170 million NT from China in
the scheme.

Kao Jin, as well as aide Zhang Jun Jie and two assistants, are believed to
have violated the National Security Act.

Prosecutors say that the four would work together to campaign for Kao Jin as
well as go between China and Taiwan to receive and relay instructions from
Chinese officials from 2005 to 2016.

Zhang Jun Jie would use money received from China to put towards construction
projects in tribal communities to curry favor with Indigenous voters...

while the rest of the funds would be used for Kao Jin's reelection campaigns.

He allegedly used the bank accounts of friends and family to transfer about
170 million NT into Taiwan from the CCP.

Prosecutors also believe that Kao Jin formed a delegation to go to meetings
of the United Nations to protest against Japanese representatives and arms
bills...

all at China's behest.

Prosecutors say that Kao Jin used her power as a lawmaker to influence
legislative proceedings on cross-strait and other issues.

They add that Kao Jin failed to show remorse during the investigation,
leading prosecutors to request a heavy sentence.

(AH)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed it is closely monitoring political
shifts in Paraguay following the resignation of President Santiago Peña.

Peña resigned amid intense political unrest caused by a major banking
collapse that impacted nearly three million citizens.

Vice President Pedro Alliana has assumed office as president following
standard constitutional guidelines.

Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi stated that diplomatic teams maintain
strong ties with ruling party officials and key political figures.

A foreign ministry officials assured lawmakers that bilateral relations and
diplomatic communications remain stable and under control.

(NS)

and in other internationalnews...

Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar now face new
challenges in Malaysia.

Some face discrimination at local mosques, while others avoid the mosques
altogether for fear of immigration detention.

Malaysia is a Muslim majority country, but it does not legally recognize
refugees.

As a result, some refugees struggle with limited access to education,
healthcare, and work...

as well as family separation and loss.

Advocates seek better protections while families aim to preserve their faith
and pass traditions on to the younger generations.

In 2017, about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled a military crackdown in Myanmar
and crossed into Bangladesh.

More have sought refuge in other countries across Asia, with about 126,000
registered in Malaysia.

Hsinchu Prosecutors have been busy today, cracking down on vote buying with
less than a month to go before election day.

In the county's Xiong Lin township, prosecutors detained a candidate for
township representative.

That candidate, surnamed Qiu, is believed to have gifted rice and cash to
voters.

A court approved Qiu's and an accomplice's detention incommunicado last
night, following a search that turned up over 17,000 NT in cash, five bags of
rice, cell phones, and other evidence.

Meanwhile, Hsinchu prosecutors also charged three in an investigation into
vote buying in the county's E Mei township.

A candidate for village chief in E Mei, surnamed Xu2, is suspected of paying
voters 3000 NT cash to secure his election.

Xu is believed to have given out a total of 87,000 NT to 11 voters to secure
their or a family member's support.

Two accomplices are believed to have also paid out 63,000 NT to four other
voters.

Prosecutors are seeking to confiscate that 150,000 in bribes as well.

All the suspects are believed to have violated the Public Officials Election
and Recall Act.

(AH)

Kaohsiung City unveiled its initial 2027 New Year's Eve concert lineup
featuring Golden Melody winners Sun Shu-may and Henry Hsu.

Both Kaohsiung locas will return home to perform on Dec. 31st at Dream Mall
to welcome the new year.

The city says Sun will deliver the evening's opening show, while Hsu plans an
interactive, energetic setlist with hometown fans.

City officials say additional headliners for the holiday countdown
celebration will be released in the coming weeks.

Mayor Chen Chi-mai encouraged residents and visitors to reserve travel plans
early to welcome the new year in Kaohsiung.

(NS)

Netanyahu's rule

Now turning to international news...

A veteran Arab lawmaker in Israel says, his bloc is willing to break with
decades of precedent and join forces with Jewish-led parties in a shared bid
to end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's extended rule.

But such a partnership could be politically fraught for both sides, as
Arab-led Joint List would have to back a government unlikely to end Israel's
wars on other countries or curb settlement expansion in the occupied West
Bank.

For Jewish opponents of Netanyahu, meanwhile, it would mean aligning with
parties that reject Israel's identity as an exclusively Jewish state.

Lawmaker Ahmad Tibi says that his bloc is willing to do things that they
would not in the past in order to remove the "criminal" government.

This comes as historic voter turnout in Israel's election gave Arab-led
parties a record amount of seats in Israel's parliament.

Only one Arab party has ever served in an Israeli government, in 2021.

But that party, is considered to be more conciliatory than the Joint List and
held fewer seats.

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office has says it's expanded an
investigation into how a legislative aide involved in a corruption case who
jumped bail in September was able to flee Taiwan by boat.

According to the prosecutors' office, a second fishing boat has been seized
in connection with the case.

The "Man Jui Fu 6" was seized at Zhengbin Fishing Port in Keelung and five
crew members, including a Chinese national and four Indonesians were
questioned.

Prosecutors say the crew members, the boat's captain and its owner will be
further questioned over their suspected involvement in the case.

It comes after reports surfaced saying that Chang Chun-chieh, a former
legislative office director for independent lawmaker Kao Chin Su-mei, managed
to leave Taiwan in October on a boat from Keelung.

Chang had been indictment on corruption charges and was allegedly seen first
boarding a fishing boat called "Chien Chun 168 at Zhengbin Fishing Port on
the night of Oct. 28 before being picked up at sea by the "Man Jui Fu 6."

Chang was among 24 people indicted by the in June on charges of conspiring
with Kao Chin Su-mei to misappropriate public assistant fees, in violation of
the Anti-Corruption Act.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo is insisting that U-S congressional support
for Taiwan's efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities has long been
bipartisan.

The statement comes amid questions over the Republican Party's major losses
in Tuesday's U-S midterm elections.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a legislative hearing, Koo said the
U-S Congress has consistently supported Taiwan's efforts to beef up its
defense capabilities on a bipartisan basis.

The defense minister went on to say that his office will continue to engage
with members of Congress and maintain close contact with the U-S Department
of War to help keep arms sales to Taiwan on schedule.

A Vietnamese migrant worker indicted for fatally stabbing another Vietnamese
man during a fight in Chiayi County in July has been released on 50,000 N-T
bail.

According to the Chiayi District Prosecutors' Office, the victim had been
drinking with the suspect's younger brother in Chiayi's Liujiao Township on
July 13 when the two argued before going their separate ways.

The victim later tracked down the suspect's brother and beat him with a
hammer.

After learning what had happened, the suspect went looking for the victim and
stabbed him multiple times.

The victim died the following day of a neck injury.

The suspect was indicted on a charge of causing injury resulting in death.

And finally,

The Central Weather Administration says the first surge of a northeasterly
wind system will affect Taiwan today and tomorrow -- bringing cooler weather
to northern and northeastern parts of the island.

Areas north of Taoyuan, eastern Taiwan and the Hengchun Peninsula are
expected to see intermittent showers.

Heavy rain is possible in Yilan, Hualien and Taitung.

According to the weather administration's forecast center, conditions are
expected to improve slightly on Sunday as the northeasterly winds weaken,
allowing temperatures in to edge higher.

However, parts of Greater Taipei and the east could still see brief showers.

A stronger surge of northeasterly winds is forecast to arrive on Monday,
bringing cooler weather to the north, northeast and east.

That second weather system is expected to keep temperatures noticeably lower
through Wednesday.

Wong

The Presidential Office is condemning the 10-year prison sentence handed to
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong and is urged Beijing and Hong Kong authorities
to release detained pro-democracy figures.

Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo says Beijing and Hong Kong
authorities have used the National Security Law to prosecute activists under
the pretext of safeguarding national security, violating residents' rights
and freedoms.

According to Kuo, seeking democracy should not be a crime, and young people
should not have to sacrifice their freedom for their ideals.

The Presidential Office spokeswoman also says the Lai administration would
continue to stand with those defending freedom and democracy.

Meanwhile, the Mainland Affairs Council says China's National Security Law
had been used to bring fabricated charges against activists, damaging Hong
Kong's international reputation and undermining the rule of law.

And the council is also calling for the release of those it says have been
wrongfully detained.

The statements come after the Hong Kong High Court sentenced Wong to for
conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the National Security Law.

The reduced from 13 years in light of his guilty plea and other mitigating
factors.

A senior faculty member at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research
says Taiwan's growing trade and investment ties with the U-S are unlikely to
be derailed by increased congressional scrutiny of Taiwan-US trade agreements
following this week's midterm elections.

According to Roy Lee of the institute's Center for International Trade
Policy, supply-chain shifts are already deepening economic integration
regardless of progress on the Taiwan-US trade agreement.

Lee says even if congressional oversight in the U-S takes longer, or Taiwan's
review takes longer than expected, he doesn't believe that will affect the
ongoing economic integration between Taiwan and the U-S.

The statements come as Democrats are expected to strengthen congressional
oversight of the Trump's administration, and will have the power to block
legislation and reject his nominees to ministerial posts.

The Hsinchu County Fire Bureau says the bodies of two employees at Panasonic
Holdings overseas production sites in Hukou Township have been recovered.

The two men had been unaccounted for following a fire at the plant on
Wednesday.

According to bureau, firefighters discovered their bodies of the two
Taiwanese employees while digging through debris using heavy machinery.

The company has said there were 20 people in the building at the time of the
fire.

Three Taiwanese and two Vietnamese employees were injured in the blaze.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, but it is believed to
be linked to flammable chemical solvents.

The factory, which is run by Panasonic Industrial Devices Materials Taiwan,
conducts research and development and manufactures printed circuit boards and
semiconductor packaging materials.

The Hsinchu County Fire Bureau says it passed a fire safety inspection in
August.

The Shilin District Court has sentenced two Chinese nationals who illegally
entered Taiwan after sailing across the Taiwan Strait in a rubber dinghy to
prison terms.

One of them received a nine month sentence, while the other was handed a
six-month prison term that can be commuted to a fine of 180,000 N-T,
calculated at 1,000 N-T per day.

The men illegally entered Taiwan in July,

According to prosecutors, the two men set out by car from Qingdao in China's
Shandong Province, on July 19, buying an outboard motor in Jinhua, Zhejiang
Province, along the way.

They departed from the coast of Fuzhou, Fujian Province, in the early hours
of July 22 in a rubber dinghy equipped with the motor.

The two arrived near Taipei Port at around 2AM on July 23 and later traveled
to several locations in northern and central Taiwan before being arrested by
the Coast Guard Administration on July 30.

The two men were indicted in September under the Immigration Act and the
Cross-strait Relations Act.

Prosecutors were seeking sentenced of two-years.

The district court rulings can be appealed.

The Ministry of Education is defending its scholarship program for
international students at Taiwan universities.

The ministry is insisting they are merit based and false claims concerning
the scholarship have been circulating on social media for years despite
repeated clarifications.

According to the ministry, the recipients are selected by Taiwan's overseas
representative offices through a competitive review process, subject to
annual quotas and eligibility requirements.

The statements come after amid charges that Vietnamese nationals
automatically receive financial assistance.

The education ministry says scholarship recipients enrolled in bachelor's
degree programs are eligible for tuition and miscellaneous fee subsidies of
up to 40,000 N-T per semester, along with a monthly living allowance of
15,000 N-T.

Students are also prohibited from simultaneously receiving scholarships or
subsidies from other government agencies or educational institutions.

The Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office has indicted operator of a lunchbox
shop in the city's Zhongli District over an April food poisoning outbreak
that sickened 155 people.

The store operator has been charged with violating the Act Governing Food
Safety and Sanitation.

Prosecutors say the operator failed to store ingredients properly or maintain
sanitary conditions in the kitchen, resulting in the sale of lunchboxes
contaminated with golden staph - is a bacterium that commonly lives on human
skin and inside the nose

Authorities say customers experienced symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea,
stomachaches and nausea.

Laboratory tests detected the bacteria in samples from four victims.

While the Taoyuan City government's Department of Public Health also found
the bacteria in potato salad served in the lunchboxes.

The lunchbox shop operator admitted to negligence and paid compensation to
several victims and plans to compensate other affected customers.

And,

Premier Cho Jung-tai has announced that weekday hotel subsidies and a theme
park accommodation promotion program will be extended until December 31.

According to the premier, the Ministry of Transport chose to extend the
tourism incentives as part of ongoing efforts to encourage more people to
travel on weekdays.

The 3.33 billion N-T programs include subsidies for weekday hotel stays and
special offers combining amusement park visits with overnight accommodation
and are aimed at both local and international visitors.

The transport ministry says the initiative is expected to generate
4.4-million tourist visits and 37.4-billion N-T in tourism revenue by the end
of this year.

The premier also says he's instructed to the transport ministry to prepare a
second round of half-price Taiwan PASS travel packages.

The transport ministry has said that its weekday accommodation subsidy has
been particularly popular, with more than half of subsidized stays involving
two consecutive nights.

Hualien, Penghu, Taitung have proven to be some of the top locations for
people opting to make use of the program.

Turkish legislators have approved a defense cooperation agreement with
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

This agreement, signed in August, commits the countries to regard an attack
against one as an attack on all three.

It aims to deter threats, deepen military cooperation, and strengthen defense
industry ties.

The agreement comes amid regional tensions with Iran-backed Houthi rebels and
concerns about U.S.-Iran conflicts.

Despite opposition, the Turkish parliament passed the agreement.

Officials stress that the agreement is defensive and does not target Iran.

Any deployment of Turkish troops would require separate parliamentary
approval.

Paraguay’s Attorney General has ordered three criminal investigations into
the Ueno Bank crisis, including allegations involving President Santiago Peña
and other current and former government officials.

The announcement Thursday followed Peña’s resignation after the collapse of
Ueno Bank, a major digital lender tied to his government.

The crisis froze millions in savings, sparked widespread protests, weakened
the country’s currency and cost Peña the support of his Colorado Party.

The lower house voted to impeach him, while the Senate was expected to accept
his resignation.

Many Paraguayans blame official corruption and reckless banking practices for
the turmoil.