The Taichung City government today identified two additional batches of
edible oil products contaminated with excessive levels of a carcinogen, along
with hundreds of downstream businesses that received products made from the
tainted oil.

According to the city's Office of Food and Drug Safety, those two
contaminated oil also originated from Taichung-based Central Union Oil and
was processed into two Fwusow 福壽 products: Fwusow Peanut Flavored Blended
Oil, and Fwusow Unsaturated Soybean Salad Oil.

The two batches had already been included on the Ministry of Health and
Welfare's recall list.

Taichung officials said they were sold to three major food manufacturers,
福壽Industry, Formosa Oilseed Processing, and Taisun Enterprise, which then
supplied hundreds of food businesses, including major bakery, coffee, and
restaurant chains.



Officials have ordered the three companies to continue identifying affected
products, customers, and distribution channels, saying any newly confirmed
products will be announced and immediately removed from sale.

(CNA JL)

Typhoon Bavi has caused more than $22 million in agricultural damage across
Taiwan.

The Ministry of Agriculture says Miaoli County suffered the heaviest losses,
totaling nearly $16 million NT.

That accounts for almost 70 percent of the national total.

New Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung, and Taoyuan also reported severe crop and
infrastructure damage.

Officials say persimmons were the hardest-hit crop... with losses reaching
12.5 million NT.

Dates, rice, bitter melons, and tomatoes also suffered significant damage.

(NS)

The National Stabilization Fund committee has released the results of its
stock market stabilization earlier this year, saying it invested a total of
$12.25 billion NT and generated a net profit of $9.9 billion.

That represents a return of 81 percent.

The Fund said after supporting the market for 279 days, the fund ended the
intervention on January 12 this year and began selling its holdings.

It had successfully sold all of its shares and completed its exit by May 6.

The fund stressed that Taiwan shares continued to rise steadily during the
period in which it sold its holdings, and that the sales did not have a
negative impact on the market.

The Stabilization Fund entered the market on April 9 last year to support
Taiwan shares in response to the United States tariffs.

(JL)

Kaohsiung City's annual milk tea festival returns in September, for a weekend
celebration of the city's tea drink industry.

The 2026 Kaohsiung Milk Tea Festival will be held on September 19th and 20th
at the plaza outside Yan-cheng-pu MRT Station Exit 1, bringing together more
than 70 bubble tea and food brands.

Organizers say Kaohsiung leads all of Taiwan's cities in hand-shaken drink
shops, with over 3-thousand outlets as of the end of last year, that's nearly
one fifth of the national total.

And the city says the Yanchengpu location was chosen to link the festival
with the surrounding historic commercial district, which is home to several
Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized restaurants.

It also boasts a concentration of classic Kaohsiung street food.

(NS)

Taiwan Railways says its popular railway bento boxes are not affected by the
contaminated soybean oil scandal.

Although Taiwan Railways bento products appeared on the Food and Drug
Administration’s list of affected items, the company says a review confirmed
it did not use any of the contaminated oil batches identified by authorities.

It also received inspection certificates from its supplier verifying that the
oil met safety standards.

As a precaution, Taiwan Railways has still removed soybean oil purchased
between April and June from use and switched to another approved cooking oil
supplier.

Officials say daily lunch box production and sales will continue as normal
while the company cooperates with the ongoing food safety investigation.

The Food and Drug Administration has denied online claims that it has relaxed
the maximum allowable residue limit for the pesticide fipronil in apples.

It stressed today that no such standard exists and warned that anyone
spreading the false claim could face criminal penalties.

The clarification came after Facebook posts claimed that the F-D-A had
increased the allowable residue limit for the pesticide in apples sixfold.

The agency said the pesticide involved in the recent revision to apple
residue regulations was fen-pro-pa-thrin, not fipronil, stressing that the
two are completely different substances.

It stressed that Fipronil is an environmental insecticide used to control
pests such as termites and ants and is not approved for agricultural use,
while fen-pro-pa-thrin is legally permitted for use on fruit and vegetables.

Turning to typhoon news..

Typhoon Bavi weakened to a tropical storm on Sunday, hours after making
landfall in eastern China 's Zhe-jiang province, but was still bringing days
of strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the country.

The storm's intensity continued to weaken as it moved northwestward across
eastern China into the province of An-hui on Sunday afternoon, according to
China’s national weather center.

Strong winds and heavy rain are expected to impact many eastern and
northeastern Chinese cities today.

China's state media said in Zhejiang province, more than 2.2 million people
were evacuated due to Bavi.

Shanghai evacuated over 290-thousand people from at-risk areas, while Fujian
province evacuated more than 180-thousand people.

Xin-hua News Agency said Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao
International Airport were expected to cancel around 653 inbound and outbound
flights due to Bavi.

An Academia Sinica's survey shows that a majority of the general public
believed that daily necessicities will continue to become more expensive next
year.

The Taiwan Consumer Expectations and Policy Response Survey, done in March
this year, indicates that 63-percent of the respondents expected their cost
of living to rise in 2027, with an average increase of nearly 9-percent.

The items expected to cost more include transportation, energy and food, as
well as new houses.

As many as 93-percent of the people also believed that Consumer Price Index
will rise with an average inflation rate of 2.2-percent.

On fertility intentions, only 12% of respondents said that a monthly
allowance of $5,000 NT per child until age 18 would increase their
willingness to have children.

(JL)

Civil youth groups are urging the legislature to pass amendments that would
lower the voting age to 18 for elections.

The amendment passed a first reading in May, but has been pending a second
reading since then.

However, the proposals still require interpretation of citizens' rights by
the Constitutional Court.

In the meantime, the legislative Internal Affairs Committee recommended that
the Legislative Yuan's Constitutional Amendment Committee begin the work of
getting the changes in place.

NGOs are calling for the legislature to pass the proposed changes to the
Elections and Recall Act as soon as possible...

and announce a date that those changes would go into effect.

The changes would lower the voting age to general elections from 20 to 18
years old.

Currently, teenagers can only vote in referendums.

(AH)

The DPP is slamming the KMT and TPP over having made this year's central
government general budget, in their words, the longest-procrastinated bill in
the legislature's history.

The 2026 general budget has been pending legislative examination for 319
days.

DPP Spokesperson Li Kun Cheng李坤城 noted that next year's general budget
proposal will be submitted to the legislature next month...

which means that there may be two central government budgets pending in the
Legislative Yuan at once.

The 2026 budget was submitted to the legislature in August of 2025, but Lee
says, only one of eight legislative committees have completed their reviews.

(AH)

Typhoon Bavi caused widespread damage in Miaoli County, where landslides and
mudslides have forced the closure of multiple sections of County Roads 21,
22, and 62,

Emergency crews are working to clear debris, with traffic expected to resume
tomorrow.

The sections are mainly in the mountainous areas of Tou-wu (頭屋), Shi-tan
(獅潭), Nan-zhuang (南庄) and Tai’an (泰安) townships.

In Nanzhuang 南庄 Township, road damage temporarily cut off Donghe 東河 Village,
leaving 12 residents in the Luhu 鹿湖 tribal area isolated.

Local officials say everyone is safe, but daily supplies are needed to be
airlifted in until access is fully restored.

The Central Weather Administration's data shows that mountains in Miaoli
received some 600 millimeters of rain from Bavi over the weekend.

(AL)

Air and sea transportation to and from Taiwan's outlying Matsu islands has
resumed normal schedules after Typhoon Bavi moved away.

Nan-gang and Bei-gan Airport officials say about 390 travelers were stranded
during the storm, but most have departed as of 4 PM today.

Ferry services have largely resumed, with only the Nangan南竿–Daqiu大坵 ferry
route still suspended.

Authorities say extra ferry services and available airline seats are helping
clear the backlog, and no military aircraft were needed.

(AL)

Now turning to international news...

The US has become the top source of helium for Japan, South Korea, and
Taiwan...

as the US/Israeli war in Iran and Chinese export restrictions squeeze global
supplies of the gas, which is key for chipmaking.

That, according to a Nikkei Asia analysis of customs data.

Asia's key tech economies have traditionally sourced much of their helium and
other noble gases -- also known as rare gases -- from Qatar and China.

A TSMC executive told reporters that Qatar is home to some of the world's
most cost-effective helium production。。。

but conflict in Iran disrupted Qatar's LNG production and exports, reducing
helium output as well.

The US has emerged as the clear beneficiary...

as Taiwan's imports of helium and other noble gases from the U.S. rose from
less than 4% of total imports in 2025 to nearly 60% in the first six months
of this year.

In Malaysia,

the opposition Barisan Nasional coalition beat out the ruling party in a
closely watched local election that may serve as a bellweather ahead of the
next general election.

Nikkei Asia reports that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan won
only 8 out of 56 seats, while the opposition BN took 48 seats in Johor's
state assembly.

The BN and PH are partners in Anwar's federal government, but in this
election they competed directly in all 56 constituencies.

BN's strong showing in the southern economic hub could give it momentum at
the national level, potentially changing the power balance within the
government

Voter turnout was relatively high in this round of polling, reaching 67% by 5
pm, compared with about 53% 4 years earlier.

This weekend's vote was the first in a series of state elections in Malaysia
with the next one set for August 1.

Residents south of Paris are being forced to evacuate, as a fire rages in the
historic Fontainebleau forest。

The fire is unusual for its proximity to the French capital.

Two water-dumping planes and hundreds of firefighters are battling the blaze.

Trains to and from Gare de Lyon were disrupted but are returning to normal.

France is experiencing its third heat wave this year, with temperatures
surpassing 40 degrees Celsius.

Spain is also facing violent fires, highlighting Europe's rapid warming.

The DPP says, it is in favor of amending the food safety laws following the
oil carcinogen case.

The party's legislative caucus says, it would consider strengthening
oversight mechanisms and 3rd party testing, as well as lengthening the
statute of limitations.

That's after party chair Lai Ching-te previously said the party would
consider amending the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.

DPP legislative caucus secretary general Zhuang Rui Xiong says today that the
caucus may propose changes aimed at ensuring public health.

Zhuang added that the issue was at its core a systemic one, and that changes
were needed to accelerate decision-making processes in order to minimize
financial losses.

Zhuang added that self reporting and closing blindspots between central and
local governments is key.

(AH)

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an 蔣萬安 is calling on President Lai Ching-te 賴清德 to
convene a national security meeting over the recent contaminated soybean oil
scandal.

Chiang said the government should first determine how the oil became
contaminated, trace its distribution, and ensure all risks have been
eliminated before allowing any products back on store shelves.

He said the case has seriously undermined public confidence in food safety,
and urged cross-ministerial cooperation to restore consumer trust.

(AL)

The 2-day Advanced Subjects Test, which kicked off today, has introduced
metal detectors for the first time this year to help prevent electronic
cheating.

The College Entrance Examination Center said the detectors are not used on
every student.

They are only deployed if a candidate is suspected of carrying or using
prohibited devices, such as mobile phones or smart wearables, and refuses to
cooperate with an inspection.

If a student voluntarily hands over the device, no metal detector will be
used.

However, those who refuse may be checked after the exam in the testing
office.

Officials said confirmed violations will be reviewed by the examination
committee, with penalties determined based on the severity of the offense.

(AL)

Lawmakers, local officials, and candidates for office in Pingtung attended
yesterday's opening of a new main office for the 75-year-old Pingtung County
Chamber of Commerce.

ICRT's Southern Taiwan correspondent Michael Smith reports.

Now turning to international news...

13 people have been killed in a road accident in Indonesia.

A pickup truck carrying wedding guests was crushed between two larger trucks
on a highway in West Java yesterday.

Police say the pickup had slowed to make a U-turn when a truck hit it from
behind, pushing it into oncoming traffic where it was struck again.

The passengers were riding in the open back of the vehicle.

Five people are in the hospital, as police are still investigating.

Ukraine has lost one of its most important allies in Washington DC.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly yesterday, had been in
Kyiv just two days earlier.

He told reporters that tough new economic sanctions on Russia were finally
within reach.

Graham had visited Ukraine ten times since the full-scale Russian invasion.

More importantly, he was Kyiv's most trusted line to the US president.

Graham was a rare Republican who kept pushing for Ukraine even as much of his
party turned away.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the two were in constant dialogue, and
that he'd miss it greatly.

One Ukrainian lawmaker called him indispensable and that he doesn't know who
could replace him in Trump's circle.

Without Graham, Ukraine could lose an influential advocate with direct access
to Trump.

The sanctions bill that Graham championed is still pending.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare says about 144 metric tons of soybean oil
products had been removed from shelves and recalled as of yesterday.

That's a small faction of the 3-thousand 900 metric tons of affected or
precautionarily recalled oil products that have entered the market.

The Food and Drug Administration has been testing the affected products since
July 9, and Deputy Health Minister Lin Jing- yi said her ministry will
announce the test criteria today, allowing products that pass safety tests to
return to store shelves as soon as possible.

Lin stressed that the government is trying to balance food safety with
minimizing disruption to businesses and consumers.

She also acknowledged criticism over delays in the recall process and said
reporting procedures for food companies will be reviewed and improved.

Meanwhile, officials questioned discrepancies between test reports submitted
by Central Union Oils and those from downstream companies.

Prosecutors have already launched an investigation into the case.

(AL)

The first day of this year's astronomical high tide brought minor flooding to
parts of Pingtung County...

with seawater reaching ankle level in Donggang 東港 Township early yesterday
morning before receding a couple of hours later.

According to the Central Weather Administration, tide levels are expected to
be even higher tomorrow and wednesday...

increasing the risk of seawater flooding in low-lying coastal areas.

Pingtung County says it has completed flood prevention preparations,
including inspecting pumping stations, deploying mobile pumps, clearing
drainage systems, and monitoring tide conditions.

Officials are urging residents, especially those in coastal communities and
the aquaculture industry, to stay alert and take necessary precautions as the
high tides continue through the rest of the week.

(AL)

Taiwan shares are slightly up today, with the benchmark tai ex gaining 25
points to close the session at 45380.

The turnover was 1.025 trillion NT

Now turning to international news...

14 countries have reasserted that China's sweeping claims in the South China
Sea have no legal basis.

Nikkei Asia reports that the joint statement, led by the US and Britain, and
including Japan, Australia, and the Philippines, marks ten years since an
international tribunal ruled against Beijing in 2016.

At that time, China rejected the ruling and has continued to uphold its
claims to almost all of the sea passage.

The signatories say the ruling is final and legally binding.

They also condemned the use of coast guard and militia vessels to intimidate
other countries at sea, referencing the repeated confrontations involving
water cannons and dangerous maneuvers with China.

Beijing says the ruling is null and void and that it neither accepts nor
recognizes it.

Taiwan is among the claimants in the disputed waters, along with Vietnam,
Malaysia and Brunei.

works.

Tokyo's July and August conditions now rival those of Bangkok and Singapore.

Nikkei Asia reports that, last year, extreme heat cost Japan more than
two-point-eight billion working hours.

That's double the average from the 2010s.

Employers are adapting...

with one construction company now giving workers nine days off in a row each
month through the summer.

They then make up the hours in October, when it cools down.

That's because heatstroke cases at the company doubled in a single year.

But outside of Japan, extreme heat cost the global economy an estimated one
trillion dollars in 2024.

Governments around the world are adapting, with Qatar banning outdoor work
during the hottest hours while South Korea now requires rest breaks tied to
temperature.

Taichung City has fined Fwusow 福壽 Industry an additional $6 million NT for
failing to promptly report two products that tested above the legal limit for
carcinogen BaP.

According to officials, Fwusow received laboratory results on July 6 showing
excessive BaP levels in two cooking oil products.

However, the company did not notify authorities until July 12, violating
Taiwan's Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.

Fwusow has now been hit with a total of 9 million NT in fines stemming from
the contaminated oil case.

The latest findings expand the case from three to five affected batches of
soybean oil supplied by Chung Lien 中聯 Oils.

Authorities have ordered Fwusow 福壽, Formosa Oilseed Processing, and Tai Shan
泰山 to provide detailed distribution records as officials continue tracing
affected products and ensuring they are removed from the market.

(AL)

The National Communications Commission says, amending the Telecommunications
Management Act would indeed offer greater flexibility.

That's as media reports have said that the changes could open the market to
Starlink.

Under current regulations, the chair of any public communications network
must hold Taiwanese citizenship, and foreign disrect shareholding cannot
reach half of all shareholders.

Local media speculations would indicate that some proposed amendments would
relax regulations for satellite communication operators...

leading some to question whether or not SpaceX's Starlink can operate in
Taiwan.

The proposed amendments were brought by several KMT lawmakers and DPP
lawmaker Lin Jun Xian.

Starlink is a telecom subsidiary of Elon Musk's Space X, which provides both
civilian service as well as government/military communication in the Russian
invasion of Ukraine.

Some have raised concerns about potential national security issues related to
allowing Starlink to operate in Taiwan...

but the Ministry of Digital Affairs says, the legislature will cross that
bridge when the amendment examination process arrives there.

(AH)

Now turning to international news...

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko (svih-ryh-DEN-koh) has stepped down
as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced fresh changes to Ukraine’s
government.

Svyrydenko was named prime minister in July 2025.

She said in a statement on social media yesterday that she was “proud to have
had the honor of leading the government during one of the most difficult
periods in Ukraine’s modern history.”

Svyrydenko, who previously served as Ukraine’s economic minister, also said
she had discussed “next steps” with Zelenskyy, but did not provide further
details.

Zelenskyy, who has remained in office under martial law because wartime
elections are prohibited, has periodically reshuffled his government in an
effort to bring fresh momentum to his administration.

He said he had offered Svyrydenko the opportunity to lead “a new, important
area” in Ukraine’s relations with a key international partner.

Zelenskyy said the changes would also affect the top ranks of Ukraine's law
enforcement agencies.

(KK)

Vietnamese police have detained the captain of a speedboat that capsized off
southern Vietnam, killing 15 Indian tourists.

The boat was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members
when it overturned less than half a kilometer from the shore over the
weekend.

The captain is under investigation for alleged violations of waterway safety
regulations.

Sixteen survivors have been discharged from the hospital and are returning to
India, while one remains in critical condition.

The victims were on a company trip.

Rough seas with waves up to 3 meters high hampered rescue efforts, with
nearby boats rushing to help but arriving too late.

(KK)

In Germany, Volkswagen’s CEO has indicated that he’s trying to avoid closing
plants as he seeks to turn around the automaker’s performance.

The company faces pressure to cut costs at home and increasingly intense
competition in the lucrative Chinese market.

Last week, Volkswagen said its “fundamental realignment” over the past three
years had reached its next phase, announcing plans to streamline the model
lineup by up to half.

There has been renewed speculation about the future of several plants in
Germany.

CEO Oliver Blume said in remarks published yesterday that "there are more
intelligent solutions than closing plants."

(KK)

Typhoon Bavi left at least 135 people injured as it swept across Taiwan over
the weekend.

The Central Emergency Operations Center says more than 3,100 incidents were
reported, with fallen trees and damage to public facilities accounting for
most of them.

More than 15,000 people were evacuated across 14 cities and counties during
the storm.

Officials have also lowered the alert level for a barrier lake on Hualien
County's Wanli River after inflows subsided, reducing the immediate risk of
an overflow.

However, authorities say the area will continue to be closely monitored.

TaiPower says electricity has been restored to nearly all of the roughly 250
thousand households affected by the typhoon.

As of this morning, almost 1,400 households in Hsinchu County and 19 in
Miaoli County were still without power.

Meanwhile, transportation services across Taiwan have been gradually
returning to normal in the wake of the storm.

Taiwan Railway says services on its western and eastern trunk lines, the
South Link Line and the Neiwan Branch Line have all resumed.

Taiwan High Speed Rail is also back to its normal schedule after reducing
services on Saturday as a precaution.

At Taoyuan International Airport, most flights and ground transportation
services resumed on Sunday, although more than 120 flights were canceled
after aircraft were unable to return from overseas because of the storm.

Ferry services were the hardest hit, with more than 100 sailings on 14 routes
canceled due to the storm.

Meanwhile, the Danjiang Bridge in New Taipei has reopened following safety
inspections and the clearing of debris.

And in central Taiwan, the Alishan Forest Railway remains closed today while
crews clear landslides and inspect the tracks.

Health authorities say they are withholding test results for cooking oil
produced by Central Union Oil after conflicting results raised questions
about the reliability of the samples.

The move comes as officials continue investigating how some batches became
contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical benzo[a]pyrene.

Health Minister Shih Chung-liang says samples kept by Central Union did not
match test results from products made using the company's oil.

Because of those discrepancies, the Food and Drug Administration has decided
not to release the latest test results and instead ordered every production
batch to be re-tested by accredited third-party laboratories.

The FDA says it expects to announce today when products made with the
affected batches between April and June can return to store shelves.

Benzo[a]pyrene is commonly found in tobacco smoke, and vehicle exhaust fumes.

In related news,

The general manager of Central Union Oil has been released on 20 million NT
bail as prosecutors continue investigating why the company's cooking oil
contained excessive amounts of the contaminant.

Prosecutors immediately appealed the bail decision for General Manager Yu
Ling-chung, arguing he should remain in custody because of concerns he could
destroy evidence or collude with witnesses.

The Taichung District Court also ordered company chairman Tsai Ching-sung
released on 20 million NT bail, while the plant manager and 10 other suspects
were also granted bail pending further investigation.

Prosecutors allege Central Union manufactured about 1,300 metric tons of
contaminated soy-based cooking oil that exceeded the legal limit for
benzo[a]pyrene by four times and supplied it to major food processors between
April and June.

Those companies then distributed products containing the oil to smaller food
manufacturers and restaurants.

Academics are rejecting U-S President Donald Trump's claim that Taiwan took
America's chip industry.

American scholar Michael Cunningham, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center,
says Taiwan and the United States are partners rather than competitors in
chip production.

He says U-S companies continue to lead in semiconductor design ... while
manufacturing is largely handled by Taiwanese firms, calling it a partnership
that has benefited both sides.

Trump ... in a CNBC interview early this month … said that Taiwan had
"literally took 100 percent" of the semiconductor business ... and predicted
the U-S would have up to 60 percent of chip manufacturing by the time he
leaves office.

However, Cunningham says that's unrealistic, arguing Taiwan's
long-established semiconductor ecosystem cannot be replicated quickly, even
as investment in U.S. chip manufacturing grows.

President Lai Ching-te has expressed his condolences over the death of U-S
Senator Lindsey Graham, calling the South Carolina lawmaker "a true friend of
Taiwan".

Graham, a longtime senator and close ally of U-S President Donald Trump,
passed away Saturday night U-S time at the age of 71, after what his office
said was "a brief and sudden illness.

Lai on social media said Senator Graham will always be remembered as an
unwavering advocate (for Taiwan) and defender of freedom.

In a separate statement, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧)
said Graham championed legislation friendly towards Taiwan, supported the
country’s participation in the international community ...

... as well as stronger self-defense capabilities and closer Taiwan-U.S.
economic and trade ties.

Eighty-six Indonesian students have been awarded Taiwanese government
scholarships to study in Taiwan this year.

Before leaving, they attended a pre-departure orientation in Jakarta held by
Taiwan's representative office there, covering student visas, residency
procedures and campus life.

Taiwan's representative to Indonesia, Bruce Hung, said more than 19 thousand
Indonesian students are currently studying in Taiwan, making Indonesia the
second-largest source of international students after Vietnam.

Hung said Taiwan offers a strong Mandarin-learning environment and diverse
higher education opportunities, and encouraged the students to learn more
about the island's AI and semiconductor industries during their studies.

Israeli fire in Gaza has killed at least six Palestinians, including a
9-year-old girl.

A drone strike on a blacksmith shop in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood on
Sunday killed at least four.

The Israeli military acknowledged striking the area, saying it targeted
“terrorist infrastructure.”

Israeli strikes have lessened since a ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10 but
continue almost daily.

Sen. Mitch McConnell is revealing for the first time that a fall led to his
hospitalization, breaking the silence about his condition after weeks of
mounting speculation about the Kentucky Republican’s health.

McConnell, 84, said in a statement Sunday that he has undergone a battery of
tests as doctors try to determine what led to his fall. He explained the long
silence about his condition by saying that “folks of my generation often
hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older.”

McConnell said he is now in a rehabilitation center and will not be returning
to the Senate “quite yet.”

McConnell had provided little information since his hospitalization on June
14, his office insisting only that he was “receiving excellent care” and
recovering.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) will build three additional
advanced packaging facilities in Phase II of the Chiayi Science Park (CSP).

National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) head Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said
the roughly 90-hectare site will be developed into an advanced packaging
industry cluster.

Two advanced packaging facilities at Phase I began mass production in June...
while the Phase II expansion is aimed at meeting growing global demand for
high-performance computing (HPC) chips and advanced packaging technologies.

Once both phases are fully operational, Wu said companies with facilities at
the Chiayi Science Park are expected to generate more than NT$300 billion
(US$9.35 billion) in annual output.

--------

In international business news ...

Apple is suing OpenAI and two former employees, alleging misappropriation of
its trade secrets... the lawsuit was filed late last week.

Ben Thomas reports.


--

A proposed legal settlement with the U.S. government would require the
Keystone Pipeline system’s operator to pay a civil penalty of nearly $27
million over a major oil spill in Kansas in December 2022.

Canada-based South Bow also would spend about $40 million to prevent future
accidents under terms of the agreement filed Friday in U.S. District Court in
Kansas.

The agreement would resolve allegations that South Bow violated U.S. and
Kansas clean water laws in operating the pipeline.

The 2002 rupture dumped nearly 13,000 barrels of heavy crude oil into a creek
in Washington County, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City. The company
disputes the allegations.

---

U.S. drivers have seen gasoline prices climb again after weeks ​of steady
declines, as renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran lifted crudeoilprices
to their biggest weekly rise in eight weeks.

Disruptions in the global refining ‌system and robust U.S. fuel exports
further tightened supplies, and average pump prices rose 6 cents this week to
$3.88 a gallon on Friday in the biggest weekly increase since mid-May.

This comes as the International Energy Agency says global oil demand is set
to decline this year for the first time since the height of the COVID-19
pandemic in 2020...

Here's Ben Thomas again.

And Taiwan's gold medal haul at the meet continued in the women's javelin...

... with Chu Pin-hsun (朱品薰) achieving a personal-best throw of 57-point-31
meters ...

... finishing ahead of China's Zhang Xidan and Japan's Aoi Murakami.

The 21-year-old's winning mark was just 35 centimeters short of Taiwan's
national record.

Chu had already qualified for September's Asian Games in Nagoya after
surpassing the entry standard earlier this year.

Her coach, Hsueh Sheng-jung, credited her success to months of work improving
her physical conditioning, saying the focus now will be on building explosive
power ahead of the Asian Games.

---

In international sports news we begin with tennis and...

Italian top seed Jannik Sinner resisted an all-out onslaught by an inspired
Alexander Zverev to retain his Wimbledon crown in a thunderous final and
claim a fifth Grand Slam title on Sunday.

Zverev was playing in his first Wimbledon final hot on the heels of winning
​the French Open... he threatened an upset after taking an intense opening
set, but eventually ran out of firepower as Sinner found another gear to win
6-7(7) 7-6(2) 6-3 ‌6-4.

Sinner, who is 24 years old, became the first Italian to win a Wimbledon
singles title last year by beating Carlos Alcaraz, and now joins an elite
list of 10 men to successfully defend it in the professional era.

It was a 10th successive victory ​for Sinner over Zverev... but this time he
was pushed to the limit by the 29-year-old who had been bidding to become the
first German man to win the Wimbledon title ​since Michael Stich in 1991.

---

To major league baseball news and ...

Ben Rice hit a two-run triple in the top of the eighth inning to give the New
York Yankees their third straight come-from-behind victory over the
Washington Nationals, 5-3.

New York, which has won four in a row overall, completed a three-game sweep
in which it overcame one deficit in the ninth inning and two in the eighth.

--

Alex Bregman had a season-high four RBIs, including a three-run homer in a
four-run seventh inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-4.

Chicago took two of three from the Reds and entered the All-Star break at
54-42, in position for an NL wild card and five games back of NL
Central-leading Milwaukee.

Cincinnati (43-52) lost its fourth straight series and is last in the
division.

--

In basketball news and

Victor Wembanyama has officially signed a five-year, $252 million maximum
rookie-scale contract extension with the San Antonio Spurs.

The new deal will pay him an average of $50.4 million annually and includes a
player option for the final year.

Ben Thomas reports.


--

And...

Sailing might look like an environmentally friendly sport... but is it?

The world body governing the sport now wants to find out... Julie Walker
reports.

Typhoon Bavi is around 200 kilometers north of Taipei and continuing to move
in a northwesterly direction at around 25 km/h.

The storm is weakening as it heads toward Fujian and Zhejiang provinces in
China, with a maximum sustained wind speed near the center of 137 km/h and a
radius of 350 kilometers.

Taoyuan International Airport says 760 flights into and out of the airport
were canceled today.

Two flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are scheduled to arrive just
after 9pm. The airport is urging China Airlines to confirm these flights'
status with its partner Vietnam Airlines.

In principle, the typhoon should be far enough away from Taiwan to ensure
safe landings.

Approach

Further work and class suspensions have been announced, as rain and winds
pick up with Typhoon Bavi on approach.

Taichung City, Nantou County, and some townships in Chiayi County, have
announced that schools and offices will be closed starting 6pm tonight.

That's in addition to some townships in Kaohsiung, which made a similar
announcement earlier this afternoon.

Full work and school closures for Saturday have been confirmed in Hsinchu
County, Taichung, Nantou, Miaoli, Pingtung, and Tainan.

Other local decisions are pending.

Meanwhile...

The Central Emergency Operation Center says five people have been injured so
far, due to rough conditions brought on by the approaching Typhoon Bavi.

Officials say the cases involving scooter falls on slippery roads and a
person struck by a collapsed canopy structure.

All have been treated and discharged.

As of 2 p.m., 2,050 people have been evacuated across Taiwan.

In Hualien, nearly 200 residents from communities downstream of a
landslide-dammed lake on Wanli Creek have been relocated, and over 400 people
are in emergency shelters nationwide.

Waves of up to 8.6 meters have been detected in southeastern waters, and
residents are urged to stay away from beaches and shorelines.

Gusts of wind 118-kilometers per hour or higher are forecast tomorrow, for
Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Yilan, and outlying islands.

Officials are urging the public to complete typhoon preparations and remain
indoors.

(NS)

The Highway Bureau plans to close Danjiang Bridge tonight as Typhoon Bavi
approaches.

The pedestrian and bicycle path and motorcycle lanes are expected to close at
8 p.m.

The main roadway and bus lanes are expected to close at 11 p.m.

Drivers traveling between Tamsui and Bali are advised to use Guandu Bridge
instead.

Officials say the exact timing could change depending on weather conditions.

The bridge can withstand very strong winds, but its location at the mouth of
the Tamsui River leaves it exposed to sudden gusts.

Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai says the bridge is expected to reopen
on July 12, depending on wind conditions.



Crews will inspect the bridge for about two hours before traffic is allowed
to resume.

(PB)

Health authorities say 49 products made with oil from Central Union Oil Corp.
have now been removed from shelves as a precaution.

The affected volume has been revised down from an earlier estimate of
110-thousand metric tons to about 27-thousand-500 metric tons supplied to
Fwusow, Formosa Oilseed Processing and Taisun.

Two Central Union production lots tested above legal limits for the
carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene.

Meanwhile, McDonald's Taiwan issued a statement saying it does not use the
affected oil batches, and its frying oil is imported sunflower oil.

However, it has temporarily suspended its Thousand Island dressing and
changed the sauce used in breakfast egg burgers because the supplier made
those sauces during the period covered by the withdrawal order.

(PB)

China has successfully recaptured the first stage of a rocket after a launch,
marking a breakthrough for its space program.

The Long March-10B rocket's first stage separated after liftoff and returned
to a platform in the sea.

The achievement, reported by state media, mirrors what SpaceX has been doing
for years to reduce launch costs.

The rocket launched from Hainan Island, a popular beach destination.

It can carry up to 25,285 pounds into low Earth orbit.

In comparison, SpaceX's Falcon 9 can carry up to 50,265 pounds.

The Falcon 9 transports astronauts and supplies to the International Space
Station.

At least 11 people have died in a wildfire in southeastern Spain, with
firefighters and military crews battling the region's deadliest blaze on
record.

China has recovered the first stage of a rocket at sea for the first time,
marking a major step toward reusable launch technology and lower costs.

------


------

And now, in Taiwan news...

Typhoon Bavi is expected to bring its strongest effects to Taiwan from
tonight through Saturday.

The Central Weather Administration says the storm is moving northwest and is
forecast to pass northeast of Taipei tomorrow afternoon.

Land warnings cover Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City and
County, Miaoli, Taichung, Nantou, Yilan, Hualien and Taitung.

Northern, northeastern and eastern Taiwan face the greatest risk of strong
winds and heavy rain.

Torrential or extremely torrential rain is possible in northern areas, Yilan
and central mountain regions.

Authorities are urging people to stay away from beaches, rivers, mountain
roads and landslide-prone areas.

Evacuations are underway near the landslide-dammed lake on Wanli Creek in
Hualien.

Standards for work and school closures have been reached in Taichung and
Nantou, while Tainan has confirmed full work and school closures for
Saturday.

Decisions from other cities and counties were still pending at the latest
check.

Meanwhile...transport disruptions are increasing.

Some Taiwan Railways services are canceled, with Saturday morning schedules
due by 9 p.m. tonight.

Major airlines have canceled or reduced flights through the weekend.

Passengers should check directly with airlines before going to the airport.

Danjiang Bridge will close in stages tonight, beginning with pedestrian,
bicycle and motorcycle access at 8 p.m., followed by the main roadway and bus
lanes at 11.

Several mountain roads in Yilan, Hualien and eastern Taiwan are also closing.

Residents should secure loose objects, charge phones, prepare emergency
supplies and continue checking official updates.

(PB)

Major retailers today increased food and household supplies as Typhoon Bavi
approaches Taiwan.

PX Mart and RT-Mart have doubled stocks of fruit, vegetables, fish and meat.

Uni-President's hypermarket and supermarket chains have increased fresh
produce supplies to 2.4 times normal levels, reaching 180 metric tons.

A.mart says its stocks of daily necessities and fresh produce are about 30
percent above normal.

Costco stores across Taiwan are operating normally today.

Retailers say opening hours, deliveries and restocking may be adjusted
depending on local weather and closure announcements.

They are also urging customers to put safety first when deciding whether to
shop.

(PB)

The military has deployed two AAV7 amphibious assault vehicles and two
inflatable boats to Su'ao as Typhoon Bavi approaches.

More than 100 service members are also on standby in Yilan and Taoyuan to
assist with evacuations, sandbags and flood-control work.

Yilan County's emergency operations center has been raised to its highest
activation level.

Parts of Provincial Highways 9D and 7A will close tonight because of the risk
of landslides and other storm damage.

Officials say the roads are expected to reopen around noon tomorrow, although
the closures could be extended.

(PB)

Taiwan's total population fell again for June, marking 30 consecutive months
of negative population growth.

According to the latest demographic data released by the Ministry of the
Interior today, Taiwan's population decreased to 23-million-243-thousand-565
by the end of June.

Taiwan recorded only 7,324 newborns in June, bringing the total for the first
half of the year to 46,344.

Compared to the first half of last year, the number of newborns dropped by
more than 9-thousand.

Taiwan officially transitioned into a "super-aged society" last year, meaning
more than one in five citizens is aged 65 or older.

Looking at individual municipalities, Taipei City has the oldest demographic
profile in the nation, with seniors accounting for over 24-percent of its
residents.

Conversely, Hsinchu County remains the youngest, with seniors making up just
15-percent of its local population.

(NS)

Tainan will announce before the end of the workday whether offices and
schools will close tomorrow as Typhoon Bavi approaches.

Mayor Huang Wei-che says the city will base its decision on the latest
forecast from the Central Weather Administration.

Huang inspected flood-control projects and typhoon preparations along the
coast today.

He says Bavi has turned north, but its large wind field could still affect
southern Taiwan.

The city has checked pumping and drainage equipment and reviewed work in
several flood-prone areas.

Officials are urging residents to follow weather updates, complete storm
preparations and avoid coastal areas, rivers and mountains.

(PB)

Large waves from Typhoon Bavi have triggered coastal flooding at a popular
park in eastern Taiwan.

The Taitung County Government closed a major entrance to Taitung Forest Park
today after seawater surged into the grounds.



Officials say the flooding hit the Lüshui Bridge area, which sits at the
lowest elevation in the park.

The seawater submerged nearby walking paths, lawns, and public restrooms.

Emergency workers have set up caution tape to block off the flooded zones.



Authorities say they will monitor water levels at Pipa Lake before deciding
when to reopen the park.

Bavi is currently 620 kilomters east of the Eluanbi at the island's
southernmost tip, and is moving in a northwesterly direction at 27 kilometers
an hour.

The storm has a radius of 380-kilometers, and maintains wind speeds of
162-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 198-kilometers-an-hour.

(NS)

Two gold bars have been recovered from a Tainan garbage truck just before the
waste was sent to an incinerator.

A Guanmiao resident accidentally threw away a purse containing the gold and
quickly contacted sanitation workers.

Officials stopped the truck, unloaded the garbage and found the gold bars
within 10 minutes.

The Environmental Protection Bureau says valuables accidentally thrown away
should be reported immediately for a chance of recovery, before the garbage
reaches the storage pit.

(PB)

Spanish authorities say a wildfire has killed 12 people in Almeria in
southern Spain as soaring temperatures gripped much of the country.

Local media reported that several victims of the Los Gallardos fire were
found inside burnt-out vehicles.

Some 150 firefighters were battling the blaze.

Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the fire.

Spain’s military emergency unit, which is deployed in major emergencies, is
due to join firefighting efforts in the coming hours.

Regional authorities say the fire is the deadliest the region has seen to
date.

The Bayeux Tapestry has returned to England for the first time in nearly
1,000 years.

The priceless medieval artwork arrived at the British Museum today after a
high-security journey from France, carried out in secret.

It will be on display from Sept. 10th until July 2027.

The tapestry vividly depicts the 1066 Norman invasion, a key event in British
history.

Museum officials say the exhibit, which has already sold 100-thousand
tickets.

The tapestry's loan was announced during a state visit by French President
Emmanuel Macron in 2025.

The artwork symbolizes the intertwined histories of France and Britain.

The land warning for Typhoon Bavi has expanded to 12 cities and counties,
including areas north of Taichung, Yilan, Hualien and Taitung.

The storm is expected to come closest to Taiwan from tomorrow afternoon
through the evening, although forecasters say landfall is unlikely.

The Central Weather Administration says the heaviest rain will fall from
tonight through Saturday daytime.

Northern Taiwan, Yilan and mountain areas of central Taiwan could see
torrential or extremely torrential rain.

Strong winds will also spread inland Saturday, with gusts of force 9 to 11
possible in the Taipei Basin. Winds along the north coast could be even
stronger.

Waves of more than seven meters are possible in northern and eastern waters.

Rain is expected to begin easing tomorrow night.

(PB)

As Typhoon Bavi closes in, weather officials are warning that northern and
northwestern Taiwan face torrential downpours

The Central Weather Administration says from this afternoon through Saturday,
the highest accumulations are expected across mountainous areas of New Taipei
City, Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, and Miaoli County, with forecasts ranging
between 400 mm and 600 mm.

Out of the mountains, New Taipei City and Hsinchu County will see the
heaviest rainfall at up to 450 mm.

Forecasters also say wind speeds will intensify progressively as Bavi’s core
edges closer to the coast, with northern and southern coasts feeling the
effects pick up starting early Saturday morning.

An orange alert, meaning wind speeds of up to 62 kilometers per hour, is up
for Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Yilan, Miaoli, Pingtung,
Taitung, and the Matsu Islands.

And a yellow alert, meaning wind speeds up to 39 kilometers per hour is up
for Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Penghu,
and Kinmen.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is defending his decision to visit Saudi
Arabia despite its poor human rights record.

He said on Thursday, the second day of his visit to the kingdom, that
publicly condemning countries from afar is “an ineffective strategy.”

Canada seeks to expand its trade and economy beyond its reliance on the
United States.

Carney met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de
facto ruler.

Saudi Arabia’s human rights record drew global scrutiny after the 2018
killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

African countries have secured $900 million in new financial commitments to
expand access to clean cooking.

The International Energy Agency announced the funding Thursday, building on
$2.2 billion mobilized at the Africa Clean Cooking Summit in Paris.

This brings total commitments to over $3.1 billion.

Nearly 1 billion Africans still rely on polluting fuels like charcoal and
firewood, which contribute to 850,000 premature deaths annually.

The IEA's latest tracking shows $740 million has already been deployed across
22 African countries.

The agency is working with the African Union to strengthen clean cooking
policies and launched a new program to improve global supply chains for
cooking fuels.

Both land and sea warnings are in effect for Typhoon Bavi - as it continues
to move towards waters north of Taiwan.

The storm is currently located some 700-kilometers east of Eluanbi at the
island's southernmost tip, and moving in a northwesterly direction at speeds
of between 22 and 26-kilometers-an-hour.

Bavi still has a radius of 380-kilometers, and is packing sustained wind
speeds of 162-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 198-kilometers-an-hour.

The Central Weather Administration says Bavi is currently forecast to pass
through waters north of Taiwan and will have a significant impact on Taiwan
-- with the most severe conditions expected from tonight through tomorrow.

According to the weather administration's latest forecast, cumulative
rainfall from now through Sunday could reach between 60 and 90-centimeters
mountainous areas of New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County and Miaoli.

Low-lying areas of New Taipei could see between 50 and 70-centimeters of
rainfall - the highest total forecast for any plains area, while Hsinchu and
Miaoli counties can expect to receive between 40 and 60-centimeters of
rainfall.

Winds are also expected to strengthen as the typhoon approaches Taiwan from
tonight through Saturday.

Airlines have canceled dozens of domestic and international flights scheduled
for today and tomorrow.

Further disruptions are possible and travelers are being advised to check
with their carriers before heading to the airport.

The Taiwan Railways Administration and the Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail are
currently operating regular schedules - but cancellations or suspensions of
service could begin this evening.

The Taoyuan Airport M-R-T is operating on a holiday timetable and the Taipei
M-R-T is also operating on a reduced schedule today.

In international news,

The U-S and Iran have traded missile strikes.

The U-S says it's hit 90 military targets, while Tehran is saying it's been
targeting American assets in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.

The exchange came as huge crowds had been gathering for the burial of Iran's
late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after six days of funeral
events.

Crowds massed on the streets of Mashhad in north-eastern Iran waving Iranian
flags, while some were pictured holding signs carrying death threats directed
at U-S President Donald Trump.

Iran's foreign ministry denounced the latest US strikes as a "grave war
crime" and is describing the Trump administration as being "evil and
psychopathic."

The Mexican government says it will file criminal complaints in the United
States over the deaths of more than a dozen of its citizens in US custody.

According to Mexico's foreign minister, the government will be taking
"forceful legal action" to protect the human rights of Mexican citizens in
the U-S.

The minister says 14 Mexican nationals had died while in the custody of
America's Immigration and Customs Enforcement and another three during ICE
"arrest operations."

The Mexican government also plans to launch civil cases against companies
which manage U-S detentions centres where its nationals died.

Syrian authorities say they've arrested several suspects accused of a string
of explosions in Damascus.

They include the bombings during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit
this week.

The Interior Ministry says security forces carried out raids in the Syrian
capital and the surrounding areas, and "succeeded in dismantling the entire
cell responsible" for the bombings.

It hasn't given any information on the identity or affiliation of the
suspects.

Macron was in the presidential palace when the blasts happened and was not
harmed.

But the blasts killed one person and injured 36 others.

No group has claimed responsibility.

exploited

Senior British policing officials say technology and online platforms are
increasingly being exploited for threats to the United Kingdom.

According to the Metropolitan Police, law enforcement officers are in a
"continual battle" against online threats and that police need help from
technology companies to deal with the threats.

Islamist extremism remains the biggest threat, but extreme right-wing threats
and hostile state activities have grown significantly over the past five
years.

The head of the London's counterterrorism police, says the threat landscape
is large, complex and constantly changing, especially with online
radicalization and recruitment.

And finally,

Celebrities across the entertainment industry are mourning singer Bonnie
Tyler - who has died at the age of 75.

They're expressing affection and admiration for the gravelly voiced,
Grammy-nominated Welsh pop star.

The singer was best-known for her chart-topping power ballad "Total Eclipse
of the Heart."

She was honored as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2022 for
her services to music by Queen Elizabeth II.

Her family says she died unexpectedly in a hospital in Portugal.

Everyone from actors Catherine Zeta Jones and Kevin Bacon to singers Rod
Stewart and Bryan Adams have shared tributes to Tyler on social media.

Both land and sea warnings are now in effect as Typhoon Bavi continues to
approach northern Taiwan.

The land warning currently covers New Taipei, Yilan and Hualien.

Schools and offices are closed today in Keelung, New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan,
Hsinchu, Miaoli, Yilan, Hualien and Matsu due to Typhoon Bavi.

The storm is located some 710-kilometers east of Eluanbi at the island's
southernmost tip, and moving in a northwesterly direction at speeds of
between 22 and 26-kilometers-an-hour.

Bavi still has a radius of 380-kilometers, and is packing sustained wind
speeds of 162-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 198-kilometers-an-hour.

The weather administration says Bavi is currently forecast to pass through
waters north of Taiwan, but any slight north-south shifts in its path as it
approaches the island mean that it could still make landfall.

And it's warning that Bavi's size means it will have a significant impact on
Taiwan regardless of whether or not it makes landfall, with the most severe
conditions expected from tonight through tomorrow.

According to the weather administration's latest forecast, cumulative
rainfall from now through Sunday could reach between 60 and 90-centimeters
mountainous areas of New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County and Miaoli.

Winds are also expected to strengthen as the typhoon approaches Taiwan from
tonight through Saturday.

And the weather administration says sustained winds and gusts of between 75
and 117-kilometers-an-hour are forecast across Taiwan.

-

Airlines have canceled dozens of domestic and international flights scheduled
for today and tomorrow.

Further disruptions are possible and travelers are being advised to check
with their carriers before heading to the airport.

-

The Taiwan Railways Administration has announced that all trains on all lines
will be operating regular schedules until 6PM today.

Information about services after 6PM will be announced by the railways
administration before 2PM today and any cancellations or suspension of
services will depend on the latest typhoon developments.

Services on the Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail will be operating normally today.

However, the network operator says it will issue an advance notice if any
adjustments are made to its schedule due to the typhoon.

The Taoyuan Airport M-R-T is operating on a holiday timetable today, and its
schedule will be adjusted based on the impact of the typhoon.

The Taipei M-R-T operating on a reduced schedule today - with trains on the
Wenhu Line, Tamsui-Xinyi Line, Songshan-Xindian Line, Bannan Line, and
Zhonghe-Xinlu Line running every 12 minutes.

And Danhai Light Rail and the Ankeng Light Rail will be operating with at
30-minute interval, while trains of the Sanying Line and Circular Line
will be operating at 15-minute intervals.

A delegation from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China has toured waters
off Kinmen on board a Coast Guard Administration patrol vessel as part of a
fact-finding mission.

The group included the alliance's co-founder and executive director, Luke de
Pulford, as well as law lawmakers from the U-K, New Zealand, the Czech
Republic and Ukraine.

The delegation was accompanied by the alliance's Taiwan co-chairs, D-P-P
lawmaker Fan Yun and Taiwan People's Party lawmaker Chen Gau-tzu.

Coast Guard Administration officials briefed the delegation on maritime
security around Kinmen, including "gray-zone" activities by Chinese coast
guard vessels in nearby waters.

The visiting Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China delegation held a
closed-door meeting with officials from the Coast Guard Administration
Ninth Fleet Branch.

According to de Pulford, it's important for lawmakers from around the world
to see the situation firsthand and the visit marked the first time an
international parliamentary delegation had joined a Taiwan coast guard
patrol.

The High Court has upheld the death sentence of a man convicted of murdering
his wife, his mother-in-law and his 3-year-old stepson.

According to the High Court's Criminal Division, it rejected the defendant's
appeal after finding that the New Taipei District Court's sentencing complied
with the principle of proportionality and fit the severity of the crimes.

High Court hudges found that the man had carefully planned the murders and
the case constituted "the most serious of crimes" due to the premeditated
nature of the killings.

The murders occurred sometime between April 30 and May 2, 2024, in New
Taipei's Sanchong District.

The man suffocated his wife, his mother-in-law and his stepson while they
slept.

He then stole valuables and fled to Taichung, before being arrested there on
May 12.

The New Taipei District Court sentenced Chang to death in September of last
year.

The High Court ruling can be appealed.

And finally in last night's Chinese Professional Baseball League.

The T-S-G Hawks beat the Wei Chuan Dragons 5-0 at the Douliu Stadium in
Yunlin.

In this evening only scheduled game ...

The Uni-President Lions meet the Wei Chuan Dragons at the Asia-Pacific
International Baseball Training Centers in Tainan.

That game, weather permitting, begins at 6:30.

However, fans are still being advised to check with the C-P-B-L website
before heading to the stadium.

The evening's other scheduled games between the C-T-B-C Brothers and the
Fubon Guardians at the Xinzhuang Stadium in New Taipei and between the T-S-G
Hawks and the Rakuten Monkeys at the Rakuten Taoyuan Stadium have already
been cancelled due to the typhoon.

The Central Weather Administration has now issued both land and sea warnings
for Typhoon Bavi.

The land warning currently covers New Taipei, Yilan and Hualien.

Schools and offices are closed today in Keelung, New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan,
Hsinchu, Miaoli, Yilan, Hualien and Matsu.

While schools and offices will be closed from 6PM today and all day tomorrow
in Taichung.

The weather administration says Bavi is currently forecast to pass through
waters north of Taiwan, but any slight north-south shifts in its path as it
approaches the island mean that it could still make landfall.

It's warning that Bavi's size means it will have a significant impact on
Taiwan regardless of whether or not it makes landfall, with the most severe
conditions expected from tonight through tomorrow.

The storm is currently located some 750-kilometers east of Eluanbi at the
island's southernmost tip, and moving in a northwesterly direction at speeds
of between 22 and 26-kilometers-an-hour.

Bavi still has a radius of 380-kilometers, and is packing sustained wind
speeds of 162-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 198-kilometers-an-hour.

The latest forecast shows cumulative rainfall from now through Sunday could
reach between 60 and 90-centimeters mountainous areas of New Taipei, Taoyuan,
Hsinchu County and Miaoli.

Low-lying areas of New Taipei could see between 50 and 70-centimeters of
rainfall - the highest total forecast for any plains area, while Hsinchu and
Miaoli counties can expect to receive between 40 and 60-centimeters of
rainfall.

Winds are also expected to strengthen as the typhoon approaches Taiwan from
tonight through Saturday.

The weather administration says sustained winds and gusts of between 75 and
117-kilometers-an-hour are forecast across Taiwan.

The weather administration has also issued its first ever "mega wave" warning
since introducing the new alert system this typhoon season.

That warning covers coastal areas of Pingtung, Yilan, Hualien and Taitung.

-


Airlines have canceled dozens of domestic and international flights scheduled
for today and tomorrow.

Further disruptions are possible and travelers are being advised to check
with their carriers before heading to the airport.

-

The Taiwan Railways Administration has announced that all trains on all lines
will be operating regular schedules until 6PM today.

Information about services after 6PM will be announced by the railways
administration before 2PM today and any cancellations or suspension of
services will depend on the latest typhoon developments.

Services on the Taiwan High Speed ​​Rail will be operating normally today.

However, the network operator says it will issue an advance notice if any
adjustments are made to its schedule due to the typhoon.

The Taoyuan Airport M-R-T is operating on a holiday timetable today, and its
schedule will be adjusted based on the impact of the typhoon.

The Taipei M-R-T operating on a reduced schedule today - with trains on the
Wenhu Line, Tamsui-Xinyi Line, Songshan-Xindian Line, Bannan Line, and
Zhonghe-Xinlu Line running every 12 minutes.

And Danhai Light Rail and the Ankeng Light Rail will be operating with at
30-minute interval, while trains of the Sanying Line and Circular Line will
be operating at 15-minute intervals.

Meanwhile,

Authorities in Hualien have evacuated over 900 residents from 358 households
in Fonglin and Wanrung townships, as Typhoon Bavi approaches Taiwan.

A "yellow alert" for two landslide dams on Wanli Creek and Matai'an Creek has
also been issued.

The Hualien branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency issued that
alert citing the risk of landslides and debris flows near the two creeks -
after the Central Weather Bureau issued a sea warning for the typhoon.

Vulnerable residents and people with limited mobility have also been
evacuated from Guangfu Township.

Authorities say the typhoon is expected to bring torrential rain to the area,
which already face multiple hazards, including possible overflow from
Matai'an Creek, the Wanli Creek landslide dam, and the threat of debris
flows.

The U-S State Department says Washington, Tokyo and Seoul have all reaffirmed
the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Top diplomats from all three countries the restated that goal during a
meeting of their top diplomats on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey
earlier this week.

U-S Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Japanese and South Korean
counterparts to discuss how deeper trilateral ties could benefit shared
economic interests and promote security and prosperity in a free and open
Indo-Pacific.

The State Department says the three official underscored the importance of
maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and expressed
concern over the "increasingly frequent destabilizing actions around Taiwan."

The State Department says they also encouraged the peaceful resolution of
cross-strait issues and expressed opposition to any attempts to unilaterally
change the status quo, particularly by force or coercion.

Health Minister Shih Chung-liang has further expanded recall orders for
products containing edible oil manufactured by Central Union Oil.

The latest move means that edible oil products manufactured by Central Union
between April and June, along with first and second-tier food products made
using those oils, must be removed from shelves by noon today.

Shih says all affected products are banned from being returned to store
shelves until tests have confirmed they are safe.

The Ministry of Health initially ordered the recall of directly affected
products on July 1.

It expanded the order on July 4 to include edible oils and processed foods
containing more than 20-per cent of the affected oil, before extending it on
July 7 to processed foods containing smaller amounts.

The Food and Drug Administration earlier this week expanded the list of
products under precautionary recall due to the contaminated cooking oil -
raising it to 401 items.

Prosecutors are continuing to investigate Central Union's internal reporting
procedures and quality control practices, while regulators have imposed
administrative penalties on the company for violations of food safety
reporting requirements.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu has held talks with a delegation of Panamanian
lawmakers - during which he called for Taiwan and Panama to deepen
cooperation in trade and technology.

Han also urged both side to establish closer parliamentary exchanges.

Han thanked the cross-party delegation for visiting Taiwan and stressed his
belief that people-to-people exchanges between the two countries remain
strong despite changes in official relations.

Han also said he hopes to see cooperation with Panama expand in the areas of
trade, technology, and industry.

The Panamanian delegation led by the chair of the National Assembly Committee
on Agricultural and Fisheries Affairs.

Panama officially severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of
Beijing in 2017.

However, Panamanian lawmakers have made regular parliamentary trips to Taiwan
in recent years.

And,

The Taoyuan City Government has broken ground on the construction on the
M-R-T Brown Line.

The 11-kilometer line will connect northern Taoyuan with New Taipei and
Taipei when completed and runs from Taoyuan Railway Station to the New Taipei
M-R-T's Huilong Station.

It includes 6-kilometers of underground track, 5-kilometers of elevated track
and will have eight stations.

The Cabinet first signed off on the Taoyuan Metro Brown Line project in May
of 2024 and a project budget of 45.6-billion N-T was approved in January of
this year.

Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony, Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang said the
new M-R-T line will cut travel time between downtown Taoyuan and Huilong in
New Taipei City to about 18 minutes.

Huilong Station is on the M-R-T Zhonghe–Xinlu, or Orange Line.

Syrian authorities say they've arrested several suspects accused of a string
of explosions in Damascus, including the bombings during French President
Emmanuel Macron’s visit this week.

The Interior Ministry said on Thursday that security forces carried out raids
in the Syrian capital and the surrounding areas, and “succeeded in
dismantling the entire cell responsible” for the bombings.

It did not give any information on the identity or affiliation of the
suspects.

Macron, who was in the presidential palace when the blasts happened, was not
harmed.

The blasts killed one person and injured 36 others. No group has claimed
responsibility.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced a deal with the United States
to buy American-made Tomahawk cruise missiles and station them in Germany.

Merz said the agreement about the long-range missiles was reached on the
sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, this week.

Tomahawks are used to strike targets deep inside enemy territory.

The German leader said the deal would “close an important strategic gap in
our defense” even as Germany works to develop Europe's own systems.

Nominations have opened in a Labour Party election to replace Keir Starmer as
Britain's prime minister.

Former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is expected to be the sole
candidate.

He needs at least 80 signatures from Labour lawmakers to run, a target he’s
likely to exceed.

Other potential contenders, including former Defense Minister Al Carns, have
ruled themselves out.

Nominations remain open until July 16.

Burnham is highly likely to be announced as the new Labour leader the
following day and to formally become prime minister on July 20.

A fire has broken out at a shoe factory in China's Fujian province, killing
28 people.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded an all-out search and rescue effort
and urges a swift investigation.
The blaze started at the Huiteng shoe company in Jinjiang, a manufacturing
hub for sports shoes.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and it's unclear if more people were
injured.

Local media reports say people were trapped on the rooftop.

Xinhua reports the factory’s owner and others in charge have been arrested,
and the company’s accounts have been frozen.