The U-S government says China move to send coast guard vessels to waters east
of Taiwan "deeply destabilizing" and is calling on Beijing to end its
pressure campaign against Taiwan.

This, after a China Coast Guard formation was spotted off eastern Taiwan last
Friday.

A spokesperson for the China Coast Guard says the same task force has
strengthened control over the relevant waters to "safeguard the legitimate
rights and interests, as well as the lives and property, of fishermen on both
sides of the Taiwan Strait."

A U-S State Department spokesperson however says China is exacerbating
tensions and undermining the peaceful resolution of issues it claims to seek,
by asserting authority over maritime areas that Taiwan has peacefully
administered for over 70 years.

The spokesperson also says Washington is urging Beijing to cease its pressure
against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan's
democratically elected authorities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reiterating sovereignty claim over
islands in the South China Sea.

MOFA also stressing that any disputes in the area "should be resolved
peacefully in accordance with international law and the law of the sea."

And the ministry is also insisting that "Taiwan should be included in
multilateral dispute settlement mechanisms."

The Foreign Ministry's comments come after the Philippines deposited its
official nautical chart of Scarborough Shoal with the United Nations last
week to reinforce its claim over the atoll, which lies roughly 220-kilometers
from the west coast of central Luzon Island.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement saying
"the deposit was made pursuant to Article 16 of the 1982 United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea."

The Philippine claim also is also backed by a 2016 ruling by the
International Court of Justice which favors the Philippines.

The court also further determined that major elements of China’s
claim—including its nine-dash line, recent land reclamation activities, and
other activities in Philippine waters—were unlawful.

Scarborough Shoal is claimed by Taiwan, China and the Philippines.

China's Foreign Ministry said last week it will not accept the Philippines'
establishment of baselines around Scarborough Shoal, calling the move
"illegal and invalid."

The annual Han Kuang exercises begin on Wednesday and will run through August
14.

Defense officials say the 10 day and nine night drill will test the armed
forces' ability to sustain 24-hour defense operations.

The exercises will also focus on testing dispersed command-and-control
operations, as well as updated Rules of Engagement designed to counter
China's intensifying gray-zone tactics.

This year's Han Kuang live-fire exercises include several key US-style
rehearsal methods aimed at improving coordination and combat readiness,
including confirmation briefs.

Two brigade-level units - one in the north and another in the south - will be
mobilized to test the military's ability to complete reserve call-ups and
conduct pre-combat preparations.

As many as 5,000 reservists are expected to participate.

Blockage drills will be staged at the newly opened Danjiang Bridge in New
Taipei at the mouth of the Tamsui River.

Newly deployed M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks and the newly inaugurated
Littoral Combat Command will also participate in the Han Kuang exercises for
the first time this year.

The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly set
to begin mass production of its Ching Tien cruise missile next year.

Reports have said production is slated to be included in the Ministry of
National Defense’s regular budget for fiscal year 2027.

The solid-fuel rocket missile can reportedly travel three to five times the
speed of sound and a has a range of about 1,200-kilometers.

When operational, it will be deployed on ground-based launch vehicles.

The Ministry of Education says Taiwan is now an increasingly popular
destination for Vietnamese students seeking higher education, with enrollment
surpassing 50,000 for the first time last year.

Data shows nearly 53 thousand Vietnamese students were enrolled in Taiwan
colleges and universities in 2025... that number up by more than 13,000.

The education ministry says Vietnam has remained Taiwan's largest source of
overseas students for several years now, accounting for about 30-per cent of
the total.

The secretary-general of Vietnam's Taiwan Affairs Committee is attributing
the increase to Taiwan's high-quality education, advanced technology sector
and relatively affordable tuition and living costs.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vietnam awarded Ministry of
Education scholarships to 48 Vietnamese students on July 31 to encourage them
to pursue higher education in Taiwan.

Vietnam's Taiwan Affairs Committee was established in 1997 and coordinates
Taiwan-related affairs across government agencies and promotes economic and
trade cooperation with Taiwan.

Several dozen people staged protests outside the Bank of China's Taipei
branch at the weekend.

The rally marked one month since Tibetan activist set himself on fire outside
United Nations headquarters in New York to protest Chinese rule.

The protest in Taipai was a part of a Global Day of Action called for by
Lobga Rangzen's family.

Participants, included Tibetans living in Taiwan and Taiwan supporters - who
staged a "die-in" outside the branch, lying on the ground draped in Tibetan
flags before rising one by one.

The protest was organized by Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan.

The network says it chose the site for the protest because China has no
embassy in Taiwan and the bank is directly controlled by the Chinese
government, making it the closest available symbol of the Chinese state.

The Central Weather Administration says Typhoon Dolphin could bring heavy
rain to northern parts of the island later in the week, if it tracks closer
to the island after passing the Japan's Ryukyu Islands.

According to the administration's forecast center, the storm is expected to
move toward the Ryukyu Islands through from Thursday, but its path could
diverge after that.

The storm could either pass north of Taiwan, or veer toward the Korean
Peninsula if the Pacific high pressure system currently located over the East
China Sea and Taiwan weakens.

The weather administration continues to say its too early to determine
whether Taiwan will issue a sea warning for the storm.

Typhoon Dolphin is currently located some 6,000-kilometers east of Taiwan and
is moving in a west-northwesterly direction at 21-kilomters-an-hour.

The storm has a radius of 320-kilomters and is packing sustained wind speeds
of 162-kilomters-an-hour, with gusts of up to 198-kilomters-an-hour.

Typhoon Dolphin's outer rim could begin affecting Taiwan on Friday and
localized heavy rain is forecast for the north on Saturday and Sunday.

And,

Marathon swimmer Hsu Wen-erh has became the first Taiwanese to complete a
solo swim across the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

She's also become only the 83rd woman to complete a solo swim.

The 32-year-old set off from Northern Ireland and completed the
34.5-kilometer crossing in 12 hours, 46 minutes and 40 seconds.

Hsu first attempted the North Channel crossing in September 2025 but was
forced to postpone the effort after unfavorable sea conditions persisted for
two weeks.

She has pursued the Oceans Seven challenge since completing her first major
channel swim across the Strait of Gibraltar in October 2023.

After crossing the English Channel and Catalina Channel, and completing the
Swim Around Manhattan in 2024, she became Taiwan's first swimmer to earn the
Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

She said she plans to attempt the Cook Strait in December and also hopes to
lead a team of Taiwan swimmers in an English Channel relay next year.

An Indonesian ferry carrying 271 people has caught fire in waters off Madura
island, killing at least five people and leaving 41 others unaccounted for.

The Mutiara Sentosa 2 was en route from Surabaya to Makassar when the blaze
broke out early in the morning.

Rescue teams, naval vessels and nearby ships rushed to assist as passengers
gathered on deck or jumped into the sea to escape flames and thick smoke.
By Sunday afternoon, 225 passengers and crew had been rescued and five bodies
recovered.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Justice Department has moved to dismiss a criminal case charging a former
Olympian with deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Government lawyers said in a 20-page court filing that information provided
since the indictment of David Hearn shows that the damage was the result of a
"flawed installation by the contractor" as well as "the rush to complete the
project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the
weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026."

The 67-year-old Hearn competed in three Summer Olympics in slalom canoe
events. He stopped by the reflecting pool in June and reached in to touch
peeling paint. He was charged with felony destruction of property.

Hearn's lawyers say the case against him should never have been brought and
he's owed an apology.

AP_JvW

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is abandoning his divisive plan to sell World
Cup profits to private equity ... after receiving pushback from all corners
of the soccer world.

Infantino's decision came after his senior adviser, who sat on a White House
panel, resigned and Asia's soccer body joined Europe and North America in
opposing it.

Infantino had proposed creating a $20 billion company to run the World Cup
... with private investors including the Kushner family.

The backlash grew day by day.

UEFA's 55-member nations agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA
competitions over Infantino's plan, followed by CONCACAF and the Asian
Football Confederation.

AP_JvW

The Taiwan People's Party is doubling down on its push to abolish the Control
Yuan and transfer its oversight and auditing powers to the legislature.

Several party lawmakers accusing the government watchdog of failing to
properly supervise the government and of protecting the powerful at a press
conference.

The party says the Control Yuan received some 82 thousand public petitions
during its current members' six-year term, but completed investigations into
only about 1 thousand 300 cases.

TPP lawmakers also criticized Control Yuan members for what they described as
poor performance despite receiving minister-level salaries.

The TPP is calling on other political parties to support the proposal as part
of broader constitutional reform.

(AH)

Hon Hai says its subsidiary Visionbay.ai has begun commercial operations of
what it describes as Taiwan's largest AI computing cluster.

The 5-megawatt facility uses Nvidia's HGX B300 systems and is already
operating at more than 90 percent capacity.

Hon Hai says the cluster has also received Nvidia's Exemplar Cloud
certification for AI training infrastructure, making Visionbay.ai one of the
first 10 organizations worldwide - and the second in Asia - to receive the
recognition.

The facility is designed to provide computing capacity for developing and
operating increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence models.

Visionbay.ai says it now plans to expand its AI infrastructure across the
Asia-Pacific region using Nvidia's Blackwell and next-generation Vera Rubin
technology.

KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun has donated 1-million NT from her personal
account to support relief and reconstruction efforts following Tuesday's
earthquake in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture.

Cheng visited the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association's Taipei office on Friday
to express the party's condolences over the disaster.

She said Taiwan understands the suffering caused by major earthquakes and has
itself benefited from international assistance following previous disasters.

Cheng also called for stronger cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on
disaster prevention and emergency response.

Kumamoto authorities report the death toll from the magnitude 7.1 earthquake
has risen to 34 people.

The European Union is expanding its oversight of artificial intelligence
companies as new rules governing AI-generated content take effect.

Starting Sunday, companies will be required to label or watermark content
generated by artificial intelligence under the EU's AI Act.

The bloc is also adding 38 staff to its AI Office in Brussels to monitor
companies and enforce the new regulations.

EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen says the measures are aimed at building public
trust in artificial intelligence as concerns grow about its potential risks.

Companies that fail to comply could face fines or restrictions on access to
the European market.

Human Rights Watch says an airstrike carried out by Russian-controlled
aircraft killed eight civilians in central Mali last month.

The rights group says a Sukhoi Su-24 bomber dropped munitions on the village
of Kyrnia in the Mopti region on June 15.

One strike near the village chief's home killed his wife and three children,
while another at a cattle market killed four men.

Human Rights Watch says no fighters from the Islamist militant group JNIM,
which controls the village, were reported among those killed.

The group is calling on Mali's government to investigate the attack and hold
those responsible accountable, warning that the strike could amount to a war
crime.

Thousands of migrants have crossed into the Spanish territory of Ceuta from
Morocco, with at least 18 people dying in the attempt.

The surge has prompted local officials to ask Spain's national government for
help.

Videos show migrants, mainly Moroccans and including families, crossing near
a border checkpoint following an earlier wave of people attempting to reach
Ceuta by swimming.

Spain's Interior Ministry says it will take steps to ensure public safety and
protect the border, but has ruled out declaring a national emergency.

Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish territories on the North African coast and are
often used as gateways for migrants seeking to enter Europe.

Argentina's World Cup players have sparked a cultural moment over the
disputed Falkland Islands after displaying a banner declaring the territory
belongs to Argentina.

The players held up the banner following their semifinal victory over
Britain, referring to the islands by their Argentine name, the Malvinas.

The gesture has sparked a merchandising boom in Argentina, with the slogan
and images of the islands appearing on stickers, clothing, artwork and soccer
jerseys.

Murals depicting the islands and Argentine veterans of the 1982 Falklands War
have also appeared across the country.

Argentina and Britain both claim the islands, which remain under British
control.

FIFA has since charged Argentina's soccer federation for players parading the
banner.

Taiwan's manufacturing outlook improved for a second straight month in June,
supported by strong demand for AI and semiconductor-related products.

The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research says its manufacturing climate
indicator remained at the yellow-red level, signaling improving conditions.

No industries were classified under the recessionary blue light in June, down
from nearly 1 percent in May.

The computer and electronics sector remained at the prosperous red level,
while machinery improved from yellow-red to red.

TIER says strong demand for AI infrastructure, cloud services and
semiconductor equipment continues to support exports and production.

However, it warns that Middle East tensions, oil price volatility and U.S.
tariff policies remain risks to the outlook.

(PB)

The Coast Guard Administration says it is monitoring two Chinese coast guard
vessels operating east of Taiwan.

The China Coast Guard has described the activity by the Xiushan (秀山)-led
group as a routine law enforcement patrol.

But Taiwan's Coast Guard rejects that characterization, accusing Beijing of
using law enforcement claims to expand its jurisdiction.

As of around 8 a.m. this morning, one Chinese vessel was about 151 nautical
miles east of Orchid Island, while another was about 43 nautical miles
northeast of the island.

Taiwan's Coast Guard says vessels including the Taipei have been deployed to
monitor their movements.

The agency says it will continue taking necessary measures to protect
Taiwan's sovereignty and maritime security.

(PB)

The Ministry of National Defense says a Chinese carrier rocket passed through
Taiwan's air defense identification zone yesterday morning.

The MND says the rocket was launched from China's Taiyuan Satellite Launch
Center at 9 a.m. and traveled toward the western Pacific.

The ministry also detected 27 Chinese military aircraft around Taiwan from 6
a.m. yesterday to 6 a.m. today, with 22 crossing the Taiwan Strait median
line.

Nine Chinese naval vessels and two government ships were also operating in
the area.

The MND says Taiwan's military closely monitored the activity and responded
accordingly.

(PB)

A drone strike on two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has raised new
concerns over shipping near the Suez Canal as the U.S.-Iran war expands.

Egypt says an unidentified drone struck the U.S.-owned gas storage tanker
Energos Winter on Wednesday, sparking a fire that spread to a second vessel.

No one has claimed responsibility, and Iran has denied involvement.

The attack comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely
disrupted by the conflict, pushing more Saudi oil toward the Red Sea, Suez
Canal and SUMED pipeline.

London's marine insurance market has now widened its high-risk zone in the
Red Sea following recent Houthi attacks.

Saudi Arabia has also announced plans for a multinational maritime defense
coalition to protect shipping and energy routes in the region.

Human Rights Watch says air strikes by Russia's Africa Corps killed eight
civilians, including three children, in central Mali last month.

The rights group says at least two munitions struck the village of Kyrnia on
June 15, hitting near the village chief's home and a cattle market.

HRW says the strikes did not appear to target specific military objectives
and called them "unlawfully indiscriminate."

Africa Corps says it attacked a gathering place for terrorist groups in the
region.

Russian and Malian authorities did not immediately comment.

Africa Corps has largely taken over Wagner Group operations in Africa and is
supporting Mali's military-led government in its fight against Islamist
insurgents.

More than 8 in 10 Australian teenagers were still using social media three
months after the country's under-16 ban took effect, according to the
internet regulator eSafety.

The study found platform use among children aged 10 to 15 fell only slightly,
from nearly 86 percent before the ban to just over 81 percent in March.

About 58 percent said they used social media at least daily.

Around half of those who kept their accounts said platforms had not checked
their age.

Australia introduced the world-first ban in December over concerns about the
effects of social media on young people's health.

eSafety is investigating possible non-compliance by Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

KMT heavyweights appear to be pushing back against claims by the Taipei mayor
over whether or not to dissolve the cabinet.

Caucus Whip Fu Kun Chi says, there hasn't been much talk in the caucus about
such a move.

That's after Mayor Chiang Wan An has made several comments in recent days
advocating for the dissolution of the cabinet as a means of breaking
political deadlock...

saying that many KMT lawmakers had raised the issue with him.

But Fu says today that the KMT is a democratic political party, adding that
any dissatisfaction towards the ruling party has been heard and will be
factored into the KMT's decision-making.

Despite his seemingly lukewarm attitude towards dissolving the cabinet, Fu
went on to slam President Lai Ching te and Premier Zhuo Rong Tai over failing
to apologize for the Central Union Oils scandal...

saying that the DPP government remains unrepentant.

(AH)

Typhoon Dolphin is nearing peak intensity, but forecasters say its future
track remains highly uncertain.

Weather expert Wu De-rong says the storm is expected to move west-northwest
toward waters south of Japan over the next five days.

Current forecasts place the highest chance of storm-force winds around the
Ryukyu Islands and Kyushu.

The probability for northern Taiwan remains below 10 percent, although Wu
says a southward shift is still possible.

Dolphin's sustained winds remain at 60 meters per second, matching Typhoon
Bavi's record this year.

Meanwhile, Taiwan is expected to stay hot and mostly sunny through next
Wednesday, with isolated afternoon thunderstorms possible.

Rain chances could increase from next Thursday as moisture and the typhoon's
outer circulation move closer.

(PB)

The Ministry of Agriculture is reassuring the public that Taiwan’s national
egg supply remains stable... following media reports of empty egg shelves at
certain major supermarkets.

Officials clarified that empty shelves at some major retailers are due to
contract negotiations between distributors and stores, rather than a shortage
of eggs.

The Ministry confirmed it has launched a coordination mechanism to assist
distributors and retailers in resolving supply chain delays to get eggs back
on shelves promptly.

Officials also addressed rumors regarding a drop in brown egg production,
explaining that white-shelled eggs make up 80 percent of Taiwan's market due
to higher hen productivity.

They emphasize that brown and white eggs offer identical nutritional value,
noting that shell color is simply determined by the breed of the hen.

(NS)

Asian shares are up today, with South Korea's Kospi leading the charge to
gain 16%.

Taiwan shares shot up today, with the benchmark tai ex gaining 3186 points to
close the session at 43119.

The turnover was 833 billion NT.

Now turning to international news...

Mali is facing a serious security crisis, as militants and separatist rebels
join forces to intensify attacks on the military.

The coordination has resulted in some of the largest attacks Malian security
forces have seen in years.

Mali has had a 35% increase in fatalities from such militant attacks, with
nearly 3500 deaths recorded so far this year.

The al-Qaida-linked militants and rebels launched joint attacks across the
country in April for the first time in 10 years.

Earlier this month, they ambushed a military convoy, capturing or killing
dozens of soldiers.

An official survey shows China's factory activity slowed this month.

That marks the first time the figure has contracted in 5 months.

China reports that the official manufacturing purchasing managers index
dropped over one point in July....

an outcome worse than what economists had expected.

Some experts say weak domestic demand in concert with recent typhoons helped
to slow manufacturing activity.

The economy grew at its slowest annual pace in more than three years in the
April-June quarter, at 4.3%.

Economists expect China to continue to rely on exports to support its
economic growth for the rest of the year.

A book on Greek antiquities has been returned to an Australian library...
somewhat late.

The book was due about 150 years ago.

It was returned with water damage from years being bricked into a fireplace.

One local man found the book during home renovations, saying he suspects his
ancestor borrowed the book.

Included in the book is a list of rules about borrowing books in the 1870s,
including one that states that households whose members could read were
allowed to borrow more books.

And, local librarians say, the late return fee would be just under 20,000 US
dollars.

The Control Yuan has issued a correction of the Food and Drug Administration
after it allowed fake radish cakes to hit the market without verifying the
content.

The so-called "radish cakes" were actually mostly made up of cornstarch.

The Control Yuan says, the Ministry of Health and Welfare failed to study and
establish standards for labeling radish content...

adding that inspections only involved confirming the name of the product and
the ingredient labeling, without actually checking what was inside.

The watchdog previously said that some manufacturers of radish cakes were
suspected of using chemical starches to save on cost and production time,
while some were selling products without any radish at all.

The FDA has said that there is currently no testing method to confirm radish
content...

but the Control Yuan has negated those claims.

(AH)

Prosecutors will not pursue a case against Executive Yuan Secretary-General
Zhang Dun Han over claims that KMT lawmakers would freeze parts of the
budget.

Two KMT lawmakers accused Zhang of defaming them during last year's Great
Recall Movement, violating the Election and Recall Act during Zhang's time as
vice-secretary of the Presidential Office.

But Taipei prosecutors say, Zhang had reason to make the statements, meaning
such claims were not defamatory in nature.

The case began during the first stage of last year's Great Recall Movement,
when Zhang said in an interview that lawmakers Chen Yu Zhen and Lin Si Ming
had proposed to freeze the government's budget related to supporting small
and medium-sized enterprises.

Chen and Lin said that Zhang knew they had withdrawn the proposal but he
still brought it up during the recall period.

But prosecutors say, the comments were within reason, and have opted not to
prosecute.

(AH)

Spain is deploying its military after thousands of migrants entered the
country at the Moroccan border.

That's after local authorities in Ceuta requested reinforcements.

Large crowds breached a border fence yesterday, with at least 9 people dying
in the attempt.

The Spanish government said it was sending the Armed Forces to assist the
Civil Guard in maintaining security.

It also said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez would join Interior
Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska in a visit to Ceuta today.

Officials have said there are thousands of migrants crossing.

Ten climbers are missing after an avalanche at one of the world's highest
mountains in northern Pakistan.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan says it received initial reports that the
avalanche struck the team led by a renowned Nepal-born mountaineer.

They say that the climbers have been out of contact since then.

The expedition includes five Nepalese climbers and others from the US,
Pakistan, Oman, and China.

The club says, rescuers are pulling out all the stops to rescue the climbers,
weather permitting.

The avalanche took place at Broad Peak, which is the word's 12th highest
mountain.

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

The government has established a cross-agency mechanism that it says will
block goods linked to forced labor from entering the country.

The mechanism has been established by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and
the Ministry of Labor.

Officials say the Ministry of Economic Affairs will forward information on
goods identified by partner countries as involving forced labor to the
Ministry of Labor, which will initiate a review.

A 12-member committee jointly comprising of representatives from government
agencies including the Office of Trade Negotiations and the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs will determine whether the goods should be barred from
entering Taiwan.

According to labor ministry, the mechanism was established to implement the
Lai administration's commitment under the Taiwan-US Agreement on Reciprocal
Trade to enforce a ban on imports produced using forced labor.

It's creation comes after the Trump administration grouped 60 trading
partners according to their enforcement of forced-labor import policies and
granted Taiwan relatively favorable tariff treatment.

The government has said Taiwan's placement in the 10-per cent category
reflects its commitment under the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade to ban
imports produced using forced labor.

The Ministry of National Defense says it has exceeded a recruitment target
set last year, as the introduction of more incentives has helped improve both
recruitment and retention rates.

According to defense officials, it surpassed its enlistment targets by
117-per cent last year, after the armed forces recruited more than 17,000 new
personnel.

The overall retention rate rose to 87.2-per cent in 2025 and that was up more
than 5-percentage points from the previous year.

The defense ministry is attributing the recruitment and retention rate
figures to better wages, improved housing, and financial management
assistance approval for emergency loans.

However, the defense official are also admitting that the armed forces are
still operating at about 80-per cent of their authorized strength.

The defense ministry says recruitment still faces problems due to Taiwan's
declining birth rate and competition from the private sector.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has opened a dedicated bank account for cash
donations as it works to establish a relief fund for people in Japan affected
by Tuesday's magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture.

The Mega Bank account will accept donations from the public from tomorrow
through August 31.

Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo says President Lai Ching-te, Vice
President Hsiao Bi-khim and Premier Cho Jung-tai will each donate 200,000 N-T
to the account.

Kuo said Taiwan and Japan have supported each other during difficult times
over the years and she's calling on the public to extend their goodwill to
earthquake-hit areas and help residents return to normal life as soon as
possible.

And finally,

The Tang Prize Foundation says Harvard University has academic or
professional ties to more Tang Prize laureates than any other institution.

The Tang Prize spans sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science,
sinology and rule of law.

It has recognized 45 laureates since it was established in 2012, including
three non-governmental organizations.

According to the foundation, a review conducted after the announcement of the
2026 laureates in mid-June found that 11 had academic or professional ties to
Harvard, accounting for about 26-per cent of the 42 individual laureates.

Yale University, Columbia University and the University of California,
Berkeley were each linked to five laureates.

Oxford University and the University of California, San Diego each had ties
to four.

While seven recipients of the biennial Taiwan-based award have subsequently
gone on to be Nobel laureates.

The Tang Prize was established by the late Taiwan entrepreneur Samuel Yin,
who died in May at the age of 75.

The Ministry of the Interior is planning to petition the Constitutional Court
next month to dissolve the Chinese Unification Promotion Party.

Deputy Interior Minister Ma Shih-yuan is defending the move, saying says the
government has been forced to seek the dissolution of political parties whose
objectives or actions endanger the nation's existence or democratic
constitutional order under the Constitution and the Political Parties Act.

While Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang says the political party has long been
linked to organized crime and some core members have repeatedly been
implicated in alleged violations of the National Security Act, the
Anti-Infiltration Act and the Organized Crime Prevention Act.

Ma also says the party has carried out united front work, infiltrated
grassroots groups, recruited military personnel for espionage and engaged in
cross-border repression ..

He added the decision to seek its dissolution is a strategic response to
Beijing's escalating pressure on Taiwan that could help deter similar
activities.

Premier Zhu Rong-tai has approved the official recognition of the Siraya as
one of Taiwan's Indigenous tribes.

This makes the Siraya the country's 17th officially recognized tribe and the
first Plains Indigenous group to receive the designation.

The approval of recognition comes ahead of tomorrow's Indigenous Peoples' Day

Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee says the recognition affirms the Siraya's
collective rights and represents a concrete step toward historical justice,
cultural diversity and the protection of constitutionally guaranteed rights.

The Premier is said to have instructed the Council of Indigenous Peoples to
announce registration procedures and related supporting measures, while
coordinating with the Ministry of the Interior and local governments to
complete the necessary administrative work.

A bipartisan U-S congressional delegation led by Republican Congresswoman
Young Kim has arrived for a three-day visit.

The delegation will meet with President Lai Ching-te for talks on ways to
strengthen bilateral ties.

It will also been meeting with Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung as well as
other senior government officials to discuss US-Taiwan trade and investment
relations and regional security,

The foreign ministry calls Kim a staunch supporter of Taiwan in the U-S
Congress who has introduced several Taiwan-related bills in recent years,
including the Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act and the Deter PRC Aggression
Against Taiwan Act.

The American Institute in Taiwans says the delegation is visiting Taiwan as
part of a broader trip to the Indo-Pacific region.

The visit is intended to "underscore the U-S commitment to its partnership
with Taiwan and reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening a Free and
Open Indo-Pacific.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stopped accepting visa applications from
Moroccan nationals with immediate effect.

The move is in retaliation for a similar move by Rabat last week... and comes
after the Moroccan Embassy in Japan is said to have suspended its Visa
Confirmation Letter review process for Taiwanese Travelers.

In the past, Taiwan passport holders needed to obtain a Visa Confirmation
Letter through the Moroccan Embassy in Japan because they were ineligible for
a Moroccan e-visa.

Only Moroccan nationals involved in special projects approved by the
government can now get visas.

The government is urging Morocco to address the issue and maintain convenient
travel arrangements for business travelers and tourists on both sides, with
the aim of restoring normal bilateral people-to-people exchanges as soon as
possible.

The Moroccan government has not released any official statements regarding
the suspension of its Visa Confirmation Letter review process for Taiwan
travelers.

Data from the Ministry of Finance indicates the wage gap between men and
women is said to be the smallest since 2016.

The annual income of men here in Taiwan stood at 754,172 N-T in 2024, while
the average annual income of women that same year was 489,894 N-T.

But there is still a large gap in professional practice.. where men earn
nearly twice more than women do.

In terms of pay, men earned an average of 839,609 N-T a year, compared with
604,101 N-T for women.

The only income category in which women out-earned men was separation pay -
where women received an average of 682,035 N-T annually, compared with
581,245 N-T for men.

The Ministry of Finance says the male-to-female income ratio was first
recorded at 1.57 in 2016.

It gradually declined to 1.55 in 2020 before rising to a peak of 1.60 in 2022
and then dipped to1.54 in 2024.

hours

The New Taipei Metro Corporation says the newly opened Sanying Line will
remain free throughout August and extend its operating hours as part of its
trial operations.

The metro operator says the line has recorded more than 900,000 passenger
trips since opening on June 30

The line will run from 8AM to 10PM from tomorrow and the frequency of trains
will also be increased during weekday peak hours, with trains arriving every
six minutes from 8 to 8:30AM and from 5:30PM to 7:30PM.

The New Taipei Metro Corporation says the extended operating hours will allow
it to evaluate the line's performance at different times of day and assess
the stability of the overall system.

Trains will continue to operate at eight-minute intervals at all other times
on weekdays and throughout weekends, but the metro operator says additional
trains may be deployed if stations become overcrowded.

The company has yet to announce a date for full-day commercial operations.

Books.com.tw says Japanese mystery novelist Keigo Higashino dominated
Taiwan's bestseller lists after news of his death was announced on Monday.

Higashino's books exceeded their total sales for the entire month of July.

His books now claim five of the top 10 spots at Books.com.tw.

The acclaimed mystery writer had died of colon cancer at the age of 68 on
July 23.

Higashino published more than 100 books, which were translated and published
in more than 40 countries and territories.

The bestselling Chinese-language editions of his novels this week have been
"Journey Under the Midnight Sun," "The Miracles of the Namiya General Store,"
"The Devotion of Suspect X," and "Malice."

The Kumamoto prefectural government says the powerful earthquake that hit
southwestern Japan earlier this week has now killed at least 25 people.

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake on Tuesday set off an explosion at a mall,
toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes in the Kumamoto area on Japan’s
southern main island of Kyushu.

Time is running out to find survivors as rescuers continued to work.

The total number of those missing was unclear.

The quake left at least 86 people injured, five of them seriously, the
prefectural government said.

NATO scrambled its warplanes after a Russian missile entered Polish airspace,
landing in a rural area without causing injuries.

Poland's prime minister called it “a very serious incident.”

It could deepen tensions between the military alliance and Moscow, as wary
European countries fear the expansion of Russia's 4-year-old full-scale war.

The attacks targeted multiple Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, where tens of
thousands of people sheltered in subway stations. .. where the attacks killed
at least 10 and injured over 50 others.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for more air defense
systems from its Western allies.

U-S Federal regulators are clearing the way for robotaxis to operate without
steering wheels or eventually even brake pedals.

Amazon's fully autonomous Zoox vehicles got approval Thursday to begin
charging customers for rides in the specially designed cars that feature four
inward-facing seats once they secure state and local approval.

Zoox has already been offering free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco
since last fall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a rule last month
to allow robotaxis to operate without brake pedals, but that proposal is
still pending.

Zoox and Tesla are working to catch up to the industry-leading Waymo that
already operates in multiple cities.