KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ke Zhi-en (柯志恩) has proposed giving city
residents priority access to concert tickets, a suggestion Mayor Chen Qi-mai
(陳其邁) today dismissed as a "whimsical idea."



Ke said she's given the proposal much thought, and consulted leaders in the
entertainment sector, including pop star A-mei's manager Chen Zhen-chuan
(陳鎮川).

Drawing on their practical experience, she proposed the "Concert Economy 2.0"
initiative, which includes offering venue rental discounts to encourage
real-name ticketing systems and establishing a mechanism to monitor hotel
accommodation prices.

Ke stressed that while major concerts attract fans from outside Kaohsiung and
generate substantial economic benefits, local residents also bear the costs
of traffic congestion, environmental pressures, and disruptions to daily
life.

She said the city government should consider how to protect residents'
opportunities to attend concerts while continuing to expand tourism-related
economic benefits.

Mayor Chen, on the other hand, said candidates should better understand the
complexities of the concert industry before putting forward policy proposals.

(JL)

New Taipei City's Labor Inspection Office is warning logistics and freight
companies against overworking delivery drivers as the November 11th Singles'
Day shopping festival triggers a surge in online orders.



The office says drivers face heavy workloads from loading and unloading large
volumes of packages and navigating complicated delivery routes.



It is reminding employers that drivers must not work more than 12 hours a
day and must be given at least one regular day off every seven days.



Companies must also ensure sufficient rest between shifts and pay overtime at
legally required rates if drivers work additional hours.



Companies found violating the Labor Standards Act could face fines of up to
$1 million NT, and the names of offenders may also be made public.

(JL)

The Ministry of Economic Affairs has reiterated its plan to increase supplies
of cooking oil, saying it has reduced tariffs on imported oil and will import
an additional 5-thousand metric tons by the end of the year.

The move comes after a shortage of cooking oil surfaced across the island,
with many restaurateurs, vendors and food processing businesses reporting
difficulties in getting enough supplies.

The shortage stems from the shutdown in July of Central Union Oil, one of
Taiwan's biggest soybean oil suppliers,
after its products were found to contain traces of a carcinogen.

The M-O-E-A said it has already asked three domestic manufacturers to
increase their combined production by 4,400 metric tons per month.

It's also working with Taiwan Sugar to accelerate crude oil procurement and
expand its refining capacity, potentially adding another 700 metric tons to
monthly supplies starting in December.

Economics Minister Gong Ming-xin urged businesses facing cooking oil
shortages to contact his Ministry' Small and Medium Enterprise
Administration. through its hotline. at 0800-280-280.

(JL)

The Hua-lian County government is touting its tourist attractions, saying it
ranks first nationwide in the amount of domestic travel subsidies applied for
under the central government's program.

The County also ranks first in total funding allocated to support the tourism
industry, with total room sales exceeding $400 million NT.

To boost tourism recovery, Hualien County has combined central government
domestic travel subsidies with its own additional subsidy program to attract
more visitors.

Officials say the policy has proven to be successful, as over 150-thousand
individual travelers have applied for the subsidies since the program started
on September 1st.

They also express thanks to the businesses that have been most proactive and
successful in helping travelers apply for subsidies, including Lakeshore
Hotel Hualian, Hualien Hoya Resort and Parkview Hotel.

The County government is reminding travelers that its additional subsidy
program will continue until funding runs out, with an announcement expected
two weeks before the program ends.

(JL)

Employers that pay workers below Taiwan's minimum wage will face cumulative
fines for repeat violations beginning Jan. 1, 2027, with fines for listed
companies, medical centers and other specified entities set at a minimum of
NT$50,000 (US$1,522).

The Ministry of Labor announced the move after criticism from labor groups
over inconsistent penalty standards among local governments, which they said
could undermine minimum wage protections.

The fine structure was unveiled after the MOL revised the guidelines for
imposing fines under the Labor Standards Act and the Minimum Wage Act to
ensure more consistent enforcement nationwide.

Workers who discover employers violating labor laws or paying wages below the
statutory minimum wage can file complaints with local labor authorities or
call the 1955 labor hotline.

17 year old Chen Pin An has become Taiwan's first male archer to secure a
podium finish at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.

Chen won a silver medal in the men's recurve event but went on to lose 4-6
against a French opponent in the gold medal match.

Chen said he was regretful that he couldn't secure gold, but emphasized his
improvements compared to where he was before.

Chen has been training in archery since elementary school.

He said he was delighted to win an individual medal at the Youth Olympics and
hoped to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Chen thus becomes the first Taiwanese male archer to win a Youth Olympic
medal and the second Taiwanese competitor to achieve that feat, following Tan
Ya-ting's 譚雅婷silver in the women's recurve in 2010.

Visitors to the Taipei Zoo will have the chance to watch African penguins
leave their enclosure and waddle along a designated visitor pathway next
week.

The zoo says that African penguins in captivity are at risk of developing
bumblefoot, a common condition among penguins...

due to factors like insufficient exercise and excessive weight, which can put
sustained pressure on their feet.

As a result, the zoo has scheduled a 15 minute walk starting at 9:30am on
November 19th...

as long as temperatures stay below 24 degrees Celsius.

The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office says human remains found in a
plastic bag may belong to the sister-in-law of a man sentenced to death for
three murders.

A fisherman discovered the remains near Chenggong Bridge on November 5th.

The bag was tied to a dumbbell.

Prosecutors say DNA testing has not ruled out the possibility that the
remains belong to a woman surnamed Chang Huang (張黃), who was killed by her
brother-in-law, Chang Chieh-tsung (張介宗), in November 2024.

The 74-year-old Chang was sentenced to death in June this year for strangling
three women, dismembering their bodies and dumping the remains in a nearby
canal.

Chang has denied the charges and appealed the ruling.

Police previously found other remains dumped in the same canal during their
investigation into the three killings.

(CNA_IG)

Taiwanese nutritionists are reminding older people to store food properly in
their refrigerators to prevent contamination and spoilage.

A 2026 survey of caregivers found that 93 percent believe older people lack
sufficient knowledge about safe food storage.

Nutritionists recommend keeping cooked food above raw food, not filling the
fridge more than 70 percent full, using older ingredients first, and
regularly checking expiry dates.

They also advise people who cook large batches of food to divide them into
smaller portions, refrigerating what they'll eat the next day and freezing
the rest.

Cooked food should ideally be eaten within one or two days of refrigeration,
and no later than three days.

Doctors warn that refrigerators don't kill all bacteria, and reheating
spoiled food won't necessarily make it safe.

(IG)

The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research warns that inflation could top 3
percent and force interest rate hikes if lawmakers reject additional funding
for C-P-C and Taipower.

TIER President Chang Chien-yi (張建一) says the two state-owned companies have
helped shield consumers from soaring international energy prices caused by
the conflict in the Middle East.

But without additional government funding, C-P-C and Taipower may have to
raise fuel and electricity prices to cover their losses, while bottled LPG
could also become more expensive.

That would drive up costs for restaurants and small eateries, making dining
out more expensive.

TIER currently forecasts inflation of 2.05 percent this year and 1.94 percent
next year.

But Chang warns that higher energy prices could affect Taiwan's 23 million
residents and more than one million businesses.

(IG)

Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen says the suspected espionage attempt
involving NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang appears to follow what he calls a classic
Chinese intelligence tactic.

His comments come after Huang admitted to having an extramarital affair with
a Chinese woman (Alice Huang) and apologized to his family and employees.

Bloomberg reports that NVIDIA's board is launching an independent
investigation into whether Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence
operation.

The company says it has no reason to believe national security or company
secrets were compromised.

Shen says it's still unclear whether any damage was done, and that
investigators will have to determine what happened.

DPP caucus secretary-general Fan Yun (范雲) also called for an evidence-based
investigation, saying concerns about Chinese intelligence gathering targeting
sensitive technologies must be taken seriously.

China has denied there is any spy plot targeting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and
is calling it a smear campaign against Beijing.

(IG)

An investigation launched by Nvidia into its founder and CEO Jensen Huang
over his extra-marital affair with an alleged Chinese spy is unlikely to have
a major impact on Taiwan's AI supply chain.

Taiwan Institute of Economic Research president Zhang Jian-yi (張建一) made the
remarks answering questions about the possible effects on Taiwanese suppliers
in the semiconductor sector.

Huang has admitted that he was romantically involved with Alice Huang, a
Chinese businesswoman who was reportedly an asset of China's top intelligence
agency.

Zhang said for Taiwan's exporters, many orders for the first half of 2027
have already been placed, and data centers that have secured permits are
still being built.

He also noted that the scandal would hurt Huang's reputation, but the
question of whether it had led to China obtaining AI servers outside
authorized channels would have to await the investigation's findings.

(JL)

Taiwan shares staged a strong rebound today, surging more than 2,600 points
in morning trading and climbing back above the 42,000-point mark.



The benchmark Taiex ended up 1,960 points, or 4.9-percent, to close the
session at 41,661.

But the turnover was a modest 837.9 billion NT.

The rally followed Friday's historic sell-off, which was fueled partly by
concerns over possible changes to U.S. artificial intelligence policies.



Investor confidence was boosted by a rebound in U.S. technology stocks and
the National Financial Stabilization Fund's announcement that it would step
in to support Taiwan's market.



TSMC led the rally, jumping more than 6 percent to 2,290 NT a share at one
point, while other major technology stocks, including Foxconn, MediaTek and
Delta Electronics, also posted sharp gains.



The rebound extended across the semiconductor and electronics sectors.

However, the big rise in stock markets has not propped up the Taiwan dollar,
which continued to weaken today.



The local currency fell to as low as 32.937 NT against the greenback in
morning trading, before recovering some of its losses.



Currency traders say continued capital outflows from foreign investors,
following several days of heavy stock selling, are putting pressure on the
Taiwan dollar.



(JL)

TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang has slammed KMT and DPP candidates for Zhu-bei
mayor's race as neither candidate has agreed to a debate with TPP pick Qiu
Chen Yuan邱臣遠.

Huang says, he feels certain that debates between candidates are something
that voters expect and look forward to.

Huang described debates as an opportunity for candidates to present their
visions to voters and exchange opinions...

adding that debates are sign of a healthy democracy.

He questioned why Zhubei mayoral candidates were so "afraid" of debating.

(AH)

Back to Taiwan and taking a quick look at weather for the afternoon,

Cloudy skies with occasional showers in the north,

Partly cloudy in the center and east,

And partly to mostly clear skies in the south.

Current temperatures:

Taipei - 22

Taichung - 24

Kaohsiung - 30

Hualien - 25

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

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

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

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

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

And,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chiang's event highlighting sports achievements.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And finally,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Taipei District Court is holding incommunicado six crew members of a
fishing boat who allegedly helped a wanted man who worked as an aide to a
lawmaker to flee Taiwan by sea.

The boat owner was released on a bail of 100,000 NT on Thursday.

The wanted man, Chang Chun-chieh (張俊傑), was an aide to independent lawmaker
Kao Chin Su-mei (高金素梅), who has been accused of taking money from and working
with Beijing.

High prosecutors are seeking 14 years behind bars for Kao Jin.

The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office said Chang is also being investigated over
allegations that he accepted funds from China to set up an espionage network
in Taiwan.

Prosecutors said surveillance footage shows a man without a mask or hat and
with a build similar to that of Chang, boarding a fishing boat in Keelung on
the night of Oct. 28 ... and then jumping onto the boat moored next to it.

They said *that* boat later sailed to the median line of the Taiwan Strait,
where a Chinese fishing boat allegedly picked him up.

They added that the participants received payments ranging from 10,000 to
tens of thousands of NT.

CNA_JvW

sell-off

The Taiex has fallen to seventh place globally in terms of market
capitalization, according to data compiled by MarketCapWatch.

It started last month at a peak ranking of fourth place.

Total market capitalization stood at 4.4 trillion US dollars this morning,
down from $5.3 trillion in September.

The United States ranks first, followed by China, Japan, India, the UK and
Canada.

The Taiex has fallen by 20 percent in the past month. That compares with a
5.5 percent decline for the S&P 500 and an *increase* of 1.1 percent for the
Nasdaq in the same period.

CNA_JvW

The Tourism Administration has extended a program that provides vouchers to
people transiting Taiwan for another couple years.

The program was introduced a year ago. Any passenger transiting through the
Taoyuan International Airport for less than 24 hours has been given a 600-NT
voucher ... for an initial period that ended Oct. 31.

The Tourism Administration has extended that period to Dec. 31, 2028.

It said the program gives travelers an incentive to explore Taiwan during
their short stay. The extension is expected to benefit the opening of
Terminal 3 in Taoyuan, which is slated for completion at the end of 2027.

The agency says that an initial run of 40,000 vouchers will be distributed by
the end of this month, and an additional run of 40,000 is being ordered.

CNA_zh_JvW

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Taiwan will close its representative
office in Papua New Guinea and withdraw all personnel stationed there.

This was after PNG recently reiterated its demand that Taiwanese staffers
leave the country by a set deadline.

MOFA said the decision was made in consideration of Taiwan's national
dignity, diplomatic autonomy and overall interests.

PNG unilaterally announced in July that it would close Taiwan's
representative office, prompting Taiwan to suspend spot-market purchases of
LNG from the Pacific nation.

MOFA said PNG's actions had seriously undermined mutual trust built through
years of cooperation. It also accused China of using political pressure and
economic influence to interfere in other countries' diplomatic decisions and
restrict Taiwan's international space.

The ministry said that along with closing the office, Taiwan will terminate
all technical cooperation and assistance programs in PNG, including medical
missions, scholarships and personnel training.

KMT caucus secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) said today that the government
can't limit its response to condemning external forces.

She said it needs to conduct a deep review of its diplomatic and cross-strait
strategies ... and return to what she calls "pragmatic diplomacy."

CNA_JvW

The Central Weather Administration says the next wave of the northeast
monsoon is expected to arrive on Monday, sending temperatures in parts of
northern Taiwan down to as low as 16 degrees

It said the wave will start to weaken on Thursday.

In addition to lower temperatures, the northeast monsoon is bringing
moisture, with the possibility of heavy rain in the northeast today.

A heavy rain advisory has been issued for mountainous areas of Yilan, where
accumulated rainfall could exceed 200 millimeters within 24 hours or 100 mm
within three hours.

Meanwhile, the CWA says a tropical depression currently around Guam is likely
to intensify into a tropical storm today or tomorrow.

Independent meteorologist Wu Der-rong (吳德榮) said the system could strengthen
into a typhoon on Monday before making a U-turn and moving east-northeast,
posing no threat to Taiwan.

CNA_JvW

The Legislature has passed amendments that would raise the monthly allowance
for senior farmers from just over 8,000 NT to 15,000 NT ... while easing
eligibility requirements.

The changes would take effect retroactively from July 1.

The amendments also introduce a mechanism to review the allowance every two
years based on cost-of-living changes.

The Cabinet approved its own version of the amendments in January, proposing
10,000 NT as the new allowance.

The KMT and TPP jointly proposed the steeper increase, citing the need to
keep pace with inflation.

DPP caucus deputy whip Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜), said the Cabinet version was a more
fiscally responsible approach that would have also expanded eligibility and
introduced inflation-based adjustments.

She said higher payments could require additional borrowing and divert
funding from other public spending.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the 5,000-NT difference between the
executive and legislative versions amounts to 32 billion NT in annual
spending.

CNA_JvW

Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) won't countersign an amendment requiring the
central government to cover NHI premiums for certain seniors.

Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) laid out three reasons for the
premier's decision not to ratify the legislature's move to waive premiums for
seniors who meet a means test.

The first is the 40 billion NT a year it would cost to fully subsidize around
80 percent of people aged 65 and older. She said this would likely divert
funding from elderly care, long-term care and other welfare programs

Lee said the second concern is that low-income seniors could lose access to
medical assistance because no other law requires local governments to cover
their medical expenses.

Thirdly, she warned that the cost would continue to rise as Taiwan's
population ages, placing a greater financial burden on younger generation

This brings to nine the number of bills passed by the Legislature that have
been blocked from taking effect amid a political standoff between the ruling
DPP and opposition parties.

CNA_JvW

In Taiwan, the National Financial Stabilization Fund has authorized a market
intervention to ease volatility and prop up investor confidence after the
local stock market suffered its fourth-steepest single-session point decline.

This will be the 10th market intervention since the government established
the 500 billion-NT stabilization fund in 2000 as a buffer against disruptive
external events.

The TAIEX tumbled 1,873 points, or 4.5 percent, yesterday ... tracking heavy
losses in US markets the night before.

The Taiex has shed more than 10,000 points, or 21 percent, since an intraday
high of nearly 50,000 on Oct. 6.

Meanwhile, the Financial Supervisory Commission said in a separate statement
that it had encouraged listed companies to buy back their shares ... and also
placed restrictions on short-selling trades.

CNA_JvW

The Taipei International Blues Bash returns to Maji Square today.

The festival runs from noon until 10pm, featuring country blues, Chicago
classics, swing, British pub rock and more.

Acclaimed Japanese guitarist Shun Kikuta headlines the main stage at 9:00 PM,
while the daytime lineup includes sets by BoPoMoFo, Cooky & The Blues Boys,
and David Chen and The Seventh Sons.

Visitors can also join an interactive blues dance performance and a taster
class starting at 7:05pm.

The event is free and open to the public.

(NS)