With inflation reaching the adjustment threshold, the estate and gift tax
exemptions are expected to rise next year.



Compared with the last adjustment in 2022, the Consumer Price Index had risen
a cumulative 11.6 percent as of August this year, exceeding the mandatory
adjustment threshold of 10 percent under the Estate and Gift Tax Act.

The Ministry of Finance said the estate tax exemption is expected to rise to
$14.9 million NT next year, an increase of 1.5 million.

Meanwhile the gift tax exemption is expected to be at 2.7 millin NT, an
increase of 280-thousand.

The M-O-F says the exact increases will not be confirmed until the government
releases October's inflation figures.



The higher exemptions will apply to inheritances and gifts made from
January 1st next year, providing a tax break particularly for wealthier
families transferring assets to the next generation.

(JL)

The Presidential office has accused China of "transnational repression" for a
suspected Chinese agent's alleged surveillence of President Lai Ching-te's
son.

Presidential office spokesperson Karen Guo says Taiwan strongly condemns what
she called "barbaric acts" that disregard human rights and national
sovereignty.

The comments follow a CBS News report that the FBI had arrested a suspected
Chinese agent at Los Angeles International Airport after she allegedly
surveilled Lai's Seattle-based son.

Wan-ying Zhang (張婉瑩), an Irvine, California resident, was arrested on Sunday
before she boarded a flight to Shanghai from LAX, on a charge of acting as an
unregistered agent of a foreign government.

A criminal complaint, filed in federal court by a member of the FBI's
counterintelligence squad in L.A., accused Zhang and an accomplice of
traveling to Seattle in September 2025 and taking pictures at the suburban
home of Lai Ting-yu (賴廷與).

Ting-Yu, an engineer in his 30s, attended college in America and has a young
U.S.-born son with his wife.

According to FBI's criminal complaint, Zhang was acting on instructions from
people linked to the Chinese government.

(JL)

And finally,

The 2026 Asian Games wrapped up its final day of events on Sunday ... and
Taiwan will be coming home with five gold 17 silver and 33 bronze medals.

Taiwan ended the games in 15th place in the overall medals between Qatar in
14th and Indonesia in 16th place.

While the total medal count was only slightly lower than in previous Asian
Games, the five golds were Taiwan's fewest since the 1990 Asian Games in
Beijing, when it didn't win any.

It was also a sharp decline from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, when Taiwan
tied its best-ever performance with 19 gold medals.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung is in the U-S for a three-day visit that
included the opening of Taiwan's new representative office in Phoenix,
Arizona.

Lin is scheduled to preside over the unveiling ceremony for the office...
he's also scheduled to meet with Taiwan business leaders and members of the
expatriate community in the region.

American Institute in Taiwan Washington Managing Director Ingrid Larson will
be with Lin during his Arizona trip.

The foreign ministry is calling the inauguration of the Taipei Economic and
Cultural Office in Phoenix a new milestone in the economic and trade
partnership between Taiwan and the U-S.

The government first announced that it would open a representative office in
Phoenix to strengthen economic, technology, education and supply-chain
cooperation back in July...

The Phoenix office is scheduled to become Taiwan's 14th representative office
in the U-S.

Lin arrived in Arizona after wrapping up a week-long visit to Belize and
Guatemala.

Leaders of Taiwan's major political parties have been rallying in support of
their respective parties mayoral and city council candidates ahead of the
November 28 local elections.

Events on Sunday were held in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung.

In Taipei, President Lai Ching-te praised D-P-P's Taipei mayoral candidate
Puma Shen at the opening of his campaign headquarters.

Shen is running a "positive campaign" focused on policy and the future of the
capital, rather than attacking his opponent.

K-M-T chairwoman Cheng Li-wun attended the opening of the campaign
headquarters of the party's Taichung mayoral candidate Johnny Chiang.

Cheng said the K-M-T needs to win both the 2026 local elections and the 2028
presidential election so that the central and local governments can work in
concert to promote economic development and peace.

Meanwhile, Taiwan People's Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang joined K-M-T
Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en at a campaign event for T-P-P
Kaohsiung city council candidate Lin Yu-kai.

Huang touted KMT-TPP cooperation - saying Kaohsiung needs a new,
forward-looking and efficient model of governance.

Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is set to travel to the U-S this week to
deliver a keynote speech at Stanford University.

Tsai's office says she will deliver the opening keynote at Stanford DEFCON's
2026 Technology & National Security Conference on October 7... where she will
share Taiwan's experience in critical technologies and semiconductor
manufacturing...

she'll also touch on its efforts to strengthen international partnerships,
defense and national resilience.

Stanford's Hoover Institution has also invited Tsai to speak on October 8
about democracy, resilience and global security.

That event will be jointly hosted by the Hoover Institution's Taiwan in the
Indo-Pacific Region program and Stanford in Government, the university's
oldest and largest nonpartisan public service and policy organization.

This week's visit to the U-S will be Tsai's first trip there since she left
office in 2024.

Several gender equality groups are calling on the Taipei City Government to
investigate a police raid on a gay bar.

The groups are claiming police used excessive force, violated procedures and
made discriminatory and degrading remarks towards some of the patrons.

The claims come after the Taipei City Police Department's Wanhua Precinct
conducted the raid on a BDSM-themed gay bar in Taipei's Ximending District.

A statement posted on the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association's Facebook page
says police refused to show a search warrant and took dozens of people to the
police station against their will to give statements.

The Wanhua Police Precinct says the raid was a lawful operation in response
to a report of suspected violations of public morals and was conducted under
a search warrant issued by a court.

Police say they found violations of public morals during the raid and took
the person responsible for the venue and other relevant individuals in for
questioning.

Several people have referred to prosecutors on suspicion of public indecency
and violations of the Social Order Maintenance Act.

The Agency of Corrections says the percentage of inmates serving sentences
for drug-related offenses has fallen from 35.1 to 24.8-per cent over the past
five years.

The agency is crediting a policy of diverting eligible offenders into
community-based addiction treatment rather than prison for the decline.

The government's third-phase New Generation Anti-Drug Strategy Action Plan is
said to emphasise tiered diversion and diversified treatment.

Under the policy, people whose offenses involve only drug use and who
primarily require addiction treatment are, where possible, offered deferred
prosecution with court-ordered treatment in the community instead of
imprisonment.

Those involved in violent crimes, serious offenses or other criminal
activities are placed in correctional institutions.

The plans runs from 2025 to 2028.

The Agency of Corrections says as of the end of June of this year, 14,521
inmates were serving sentences for drug related offenses, representing 24.8
percent of the total prison population of 58,455.

The Railway Bureau says the new Tainan Station is scheduled to open October
17 as part of a major project to move the mainline rail infrastructure in the
city underground.

The new station will allow the surrounding area to be redeveloped with a
plaza, parking facilities, a transport hub and green space to improve
connectivity and passenger access.

Taiwan Railway Corporation has said the new Tainan station will also be the
first to use a color-coded way-finding system similar to that of the High
Speed Rail, with blue indicating northbound trains and green for southbound
trains.

The project covers an 8.2-kilometer section of track from the southern end of
Daqiao Station to just of south of Dalin Road.

It also includes two new underground commuter stations.

Once completed, the Tainan Urban District Railway Underground Project is
expected to eliminate 23 railway crossings and other grade-separated
intersections, including nine level crossings, eight underpasses and four
overpasses.

American banks accounted for more than 30 percent of international loans
issued by Taiwan banks as of June.

That's the first time Taiwan's banks have reached that level of exposure to
US debt.

Taiwan's central bank says local banks' exposure to immediate counterparty US
debt reached a new high of 222.5 billion dollars in the second quarter, up
6.5 percent on quarter.

CNA_JvW

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is scheduled to arrive in Phoenix,
Arizona, this evening, local time.

Lin is expected to be joined by American Institute in Taiwan Executive
Director Ingrid Larson, highlighting the importance that both Taiwan and the
US place on deepening industrial exchanges.

Lin will be attending the opening of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office
in Phoenix ... and he'll visit TSMC's Arizona plant.

TSMC operations in Arizona represent 265 billion dollars in investment
commitments by the Taiwan chipmaker.
According to CNA, since an initial 12 billion-dollar investment was announced
toward then end of Donald Trump's first term, more than 200 companies in
Taiwan's supply chain have set up factories there.

The foreign minister visited Texas last year as part of President Lai
Ching-te's policy of deepening Taiwan-U.S. economic and trade relations.

CNA_zh_JvW

cleaning in Yilan

One worker died and another was injured today, when a crane tipped over
during exterior wall cleaning at the Yilan Science Park.

The Yilan County Fire Bureau says it dispatched rescue teams from its Yilan
and Yuanshan divisions after receiving a report of the accident this morning.

One worker was found without a heartbeat and was rushed to a nearby hospital,
where he was pronounced dead.

The other remained conscious and was initially diagnosed with various
injuries, including a fractured femur.

The bureau says the cause of the accident being investigated by other
authorities.

CNA_JvW

The Taipei edition of Daniel Pearl World Music Day is getting started at
Huashan Creative Park.

The free concert commemorates the life of Daniel Pearl, a journalist for The
Wall Street Journal who was kidnapped and killed while on assignment in
Pakistan in 2002.

Concerts around the world are held under the theme "Harmony for Humanity" to
celebrate Pearl's life every year.

Musical acts in Taipei this year include Seventh Sons, New New and Point 22.

The concert runs between 2 and 10pm at Huashan. The event is supported by the
Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club.

JvW

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) says this year's National Day
celebrations will feature a wide range of programs showcasing the diversity,
vitality and unity of Taiwanese society.

Han, who also serves as chairman of the National Day Preparatory Committee,
says the ceremony will pay tribute to the land and all those who have
contributed to the country.

Meanwhile, this year's light projection show on the Presidential Office
building will spotlight the 30th anniversary of Taiwan's first direct
presidential election ... looking back at the country's democratic
development over the past three decades.

The light show will run every 30 minutes from 7 to 9:30pm between Wednesday
and Saturday, which is "Double-10 Day."

Beyond Taipei City, the events will include a concert at Banqiao Stadium and
fireworks at Taitung's Haibin Park

CNA_JvW

The Taiwan Railways Administration is adding 11 trains from Oct. 9th to the
11th to accommodate increased National Day traffic.

The additional tickets will go on sale at midnight on Tuesday on the TRA app
as well as at convenience stores and via telephone.

Each train will hold up to 1,500 passengers.

Six additional trains will be available on the eastern trunk line, two on the
south link and three between Qidu and Changhua.

CNA_zh_JvW

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has amended regulations
related to revenue from traffic fines to increase the allocation for
improving traffic safety from "at least 12 percent" to 100 percent.

Previous regulations have been criticized for local authorities' use of the
funds for general operating costs rather than to address deficiencies in
roads and traffic policing.

Under the new regulations, which take effect in 2028, counties and
municipalities will be required to file half-yearly reports on how they've
spent the funds.

CNA_zh_JvW

Workers at snack maker Kuai Kuai Co.'s only production facility in Taiwan
have voted to continue their strike indefinitely following a one-day action
yesterday.

According to the union, workers only learned through news reports in July
that land and factory buildings in Zhongli had been sold to Advanced
Semiconductor Engineering.

According to the sale contract, Kuai Kuai planned to lease the buildings for
up to 2 years to give it time to find a new manufacturing location.

The union has accused management of failing to engage in substantive
negotiations.

A Kuai Kuai spokesperson says the two sides have reached agreement on some
issues, while discussions were continuing over arrangements for employees who
leave the company during the two-year transition period before the relocation
is completed.

Kuai Kuai's butter-coconut-flavored corn puffs are a familiar sight in
Taiwan's tech sector, where packets are often taped to equipment in the
belief that they'll help machinery to operate smoothly.

CNA_JvW

DPP Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) is proposing smaller classes and
reduced teacher workload in the city's schools.

Shen outlined four other educational priorities yesterday: reducing teacher
workload, improving parent-teacher relations, strengthening preschool
education and expanding special education support.

He proposed reducing elementary school classes in Taipei to 24 pupils and
junior high classes to 25 by the 2028-2029 academic year while maintaining
teacher numbers as enrollment falls.

Shen has advocated offering parents the option of contributing to better
quality school lunches while also increasing the government's share of lunch
funding to account for inflation.

His opponent, Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), held the line on the current
free-lunch program.

Chiang said the existing program reduces the financial burden on families
and prevents children from feeling differences in household income at the
dining table.

CNA_JvW

Team Taiwan won a total of 50 medals as of last night at the Aichi-Nagoya
Asian Games, including four gold.

Boxer Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) won the latest gold ... in the women's 60-kilogram
final.

Taiwanese athletes also won four silver medals yesterday, in women's boxing,
men's taekwondo, canoeing and kayak cross.

They also took three bronze medals -- in taekwondo, doubles tennis and
archery.

CNA_JvW

The KMT is renewing calls to double the government's planned universal cash
payment next year from 10,000 to 20,000 N.T.

KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi says stronger tax revenue and economic growth mean
the government can afford the higher payment.

Premier Cho Jung-tai disagrees.

Cho told lawmakers today that revenue generated by Taiwan's AI-driven growth
is already being used for social welfare, industrial development and disaster
prevention.

He says raising the payment to 20,000 N.T. would require additional borrowing.

The government has budgeted about 235.7 billion N.T. for a 10,000 N.T.
payment next year, while maintaining that the plan will not require new
borrowing.

(PB)

Experts say, the Haikun submarine is expected to undergo more and more sea
tests as the shipmakers prepare to hand off the domestically produced vessel.

The Haikun underwent its 23rd sea test today, and would appear to be nearing
delivery.

However, experts say that tactical verification will still be needed after
delivery and it will not immediately be combat ready.

Ji Dong Yun adds that the shipbuilder and manufacturer aim to complete the
delivery by the end of the year.

He emphasizes, though, that the public should not expect to see the sub in
combat scenarios for another 6 months to even a year after hand off.

(AH)

The Minister of Agriculture has apologized after an app linked to the MOA was
found to show Chinese National Day on the in-app calendar.

Minister Chen Jun Ji says, the mistake was due to an error from the
developer, but that his ministry should have caught the issue before it went
live.

He added that the ministry updated the app last night, saying that the issue
would not happen again.

Chen says, the developer pre-loaded an external calender, failing to remove
both Chinese National Day and China's Military Day.

(AH)

Former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will give the opening keynote at a
technology and national security conference at Stanford University next week.

It will be Tsai's first visit to the United States since leaving office in
2024.

Tsai's office says she will speak at Stanford DEFCON on October 7 and share
Taiwan's experience in critical technology and national security.

The annual conference brings together figures from academia, government, the
military and technology industries to discuss emerging technologies and their
security implications.

This year's topics include artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, space
technology and other areas linked to national security.

Tsai's office says her speech will focus on Taiwan's experience and its role
in critical technologies and democratic resilience.

(PB)

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan An is trading fire with challenger Puma Shen over
Chiang's free lunch program for students.

Shen and many pan-green city councilors have called for Taipei City to extend
flexible options to parents who wish to pay for their kids to get slightly
better lunches and so that the public funds can be used to purchase higher
quality food for everyone else.

Shen announced a new plan this morning that would allow parents the option to
pay for the meals themselves.

But Mayor Chiang says today that the free meals alleviate the stress of
parents.

he also adds that students bringing their own meals will make others feel
left out.

This comes after DPP City Councilor Xu Shu Hua yesterday asked the Taipei
City Department of Education during interpellation about potentially
contaminated squid that is thought to have caused food poisoning...

but city officials were unable to answer questions regarding which schools
had received the squid.

Chiang says today though that the Education department is continuing to trace
the supply chain.

(AH)

Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting won gold in the women's 60-kilogram division Friday
at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Lin delivered a 5-0 unanimous decision victory over China's Yang Cheng-yu in
the final bout, securing Taiwan's fourth gold medal of the Games.

She dominated all three rounds of the championship match, and the victory
marks back-to-back Asian Games gold medals for Lin across two different
weight classes.

Lin previously claimed gold in the 57-kilogram division at the Hangzhou Games
before moving up to 60 kilograms after Paris 2024.

(NS)

Taiwan shares are up today with the benchmark tai ex gaining 122 points to
close the session at 48475.

The turnover was 898.1 billion NT

The Coast Guard Administration says, it has removed two Chinese fishing boats
from the waters around the Dongsha Atoll.

The CGA adds that one of the boats refused to follow orders, leading the
Coast Guard vessels to use water cannons to drive it away.

Authorities say that the incident took place yesterday when they received a
report that Chinese fishing vessels intruding in restricted waters...

leading them to dispatch the Yunlin patrol boat to respond.

The Yunlin called on the boats to retreat, but one of them failed to do so.

The crew first used a 30 second blast of a water cannon into the air, which
proved ineffective, and thus followed it up with a second, 90-second blast,
making sure to avoid crew in the process.

Following this exchange, the shift lifted anchor.

The CGA says, crew followed policy for engaging with Chinese vessels, using
non-lethal force to drive away intruders.

However, the exchange caused the Chinese boat to lose its propeller power,
leading the Yunlin to tow the boat away.

Yunlin crew even provided hot meals to crew aboard the Chinese ship and
ensured that they were in good health before their ship was towed away by
another vessel.

(AH)

The Taiwan High Speed Rail says new trains are set to deploy next year,
easing crowding over holidays.

The corporation says the first of 12 new N700ST train sets purchased from
Japan arrived in Taiwan in August and is undergoing required safety tests.

The THSRC says three of the new trains will enter commercial service in July
2027, increasing peak capacity by up to seven percent next summer.

And they say all 12 new train sets will join the active fleet by late 2028,
expanding overall high-speed rail network capacity by 25 percent.

This comes after the High Speed Rail set a single-day record of nearly
348-thousand passengers during the recent Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, with
passengers experiencing heavy crowding in carriages.

(NS)

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

The first two of a total of 66 F-16V Block 70 fighter jets purchased from the
U-S are expected to arrive in at Taitung's Chihhang Air Base this morning.

The two aircraft took off from Texas on August 17 before arriving in Hawaii,
where they have spent nearly a month being inspected and underging final
preparations for the flights to Taiwan.

The U-S State Department has issued a statment saying Washington continues to
stand with friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific region - including Taiwan -
to advance shared prosperity, security, and values.

That statment went on to say that U-S policy toward Taiwan has not changed
and Washington emains committed to its "one China" policy, which is based on
the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiqués, and the Six
Assurances.

Taiwan purchased the F-16V Block 70s in 2019.

They were originally scheduled to begin being delivered in 2023, but Lockheed
Martin's program was delayed.

The Centers for Disease Control says the current flu epidemic is expected to
peak this week, when outpatient and emergency visits for flu-like illnesses
are likely to reach between 140,000 and 150,000.

According to C-D-C Director General Philip Lo, the elevated activity could
continue until mid-November, although the epidemic is expected to decline
significantly after mid-October due to the publicly funded flu and COVID-19
vaccination program.

Lo says vaccinations could help bring the epidemic under control more
quickly, with a noticeable decline expected after mid-October if vaccination
uptake is strong.

The first stage of the government's publicly funded flu and COVID-19
vaccination program began on Thursday.

The second stage will begin November 2 and shots will be available to adults
aged 50 and older without high-risk chronic conditions.

The government purchased 7.05-million doses of influenza vaccines for the
publicly funded vaccination program this year.

The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office has indicted a man for allegedly
operating an unregistered office for a Chinese semiconductor company.

According to prosecutors, Lin Hao-yuan has been charged with violating the
Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the
Mainland Area.

Lin headed Lontium Semiconductor Corporation's Taipei office.

Prosecutors say the company, which is based in China's Anhui Province,
established an office in Taipei's Neihu District in 2012, but its board
decided to close it down in January of 2015.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs here in Taiwan approved the closure later
that month.

However, Lontium instructed Lin in July 2024 to rent an office in Taipei's
Zhongshan District to serve as its Taiwan operating base ..

.... where prosecutors says it began headhunting high-tech engineers to
conduct chip research and development without authorization.

The Civil Aviation Administration says fuel surcharges for international
flights operated by Taiwan carriers will increase from October 7 due to a
recent rise in international aviation fuel prices.

The surcharge for short-haul routes will rise to 37.5 U-S dollars.

While the surcharge for long-haul routes will increase to 97.5 U-S dollars.

The adjustment reflects an increase in international aviation fuel prices
from 156.79 to 177.89 U-S dollars a barrel, based on prices announced by
state-refiner C-P-C.

According to the C-A-A, it has instructed airlines to provide sufficient
information on the adjustment, including fuel costs and their proportion of a
flight's total expenses, to address consumer concerns.

The latest increase marks the third consecutive month in which airline fuel
surcharges have been raised as international fuel prices continue to
fluctuate.

And finally,

Chang Cheng-wei won silver in the men's individual compound archery at the
Asian Games in Japan on Thursday -- to record Taiwan's best ever finish in
the event.

The 22-year-old advanced through the quarterfinals and semifinals before
losing 149-145 to South Korea's Kim Jong-ho.

It was Chang's first individual medal at an international competition and his
second podium finish at these Games, following the bronze he won in the men's
team event on Wednesday.

Taiwan also won silver in the men's C-1 canoe slalom event on Thursday, with
Wu Rong-cheng finishing behind China's Zhang Zhi-cheng.

It was Wu's first Asian Games medal and Taiwan's second canoeing podium
finish of the Games this year.

And in the men's tennis doubles, Hsu Yu-hsiou and Ho Chen-rui took bronze
after losing their semifinal to their South Korean opponents.

Thursday's medals bring Taiwan's tally to 42 in total - including three gold
and 12 silver, and 27 bronze.

Taiwan is now sitting in 16th place in the overall medals table - between
Kuwait in 15th and Qatar in 17th.

President Lai Ching-te has appointed Vice Admiral Yuan Sheng-hua to post of
deputy director-general... of the Coast Guard Administration.

Yuan's appointment is a first, no active-duty Navy officer has been
appointed to the posts of either deputy director-general or director-general
of the Coast Guard Administration before.

Yuan has been tasked with improving coordination between the Navy and Coast
Guard in response to maritime pressure from China.

Lai said he expects Yuan to draw on his experience to strengthen maritime
intelligence sharing, and ensure surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as
emergency response, are closely coordinated to safeguard the country's
maritime territory.

Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling says Yuan was promoted because it
was believed that Coast Guard Administration needed someone familiar with
maritime defense operations and the transition between peacetime and wartime
conditions.

Yuan is the agency's third deputy director-general after the position was
created through amendments to the Coast Guard Administration Organization Act
passed in June.

The Coast Guard Administration says the creation of the new post addresses
changes in the maritime situation surrounding Taiwan and the evolving
geopolitical landscape.

The Cabinet has approved a draft amendment to the Securities Transaction Tax
Act that will extend a tax exemption on corporate bonds, financial bonds and
passive bond exchange-traded funds for 10 more years.

The amendment also expands the exemption to actively managed bond E-T-Fs.

The proposal comes amid strong growth in Taiwan's bond market following the
introduction of the exemption in 2017.

The current tax exemption for bonds and passive bond E-T-Fs is set to expire
on December 31 of this year.

Under the draft amendment, the exemption for active bond E-T-Fs will take
effect on January 1, 2027 and remain in place through December 31, 2036.

The Ministry of Finance is estimating that the outstanding value of corporate
and financial bonds could reach 17.96-trillion N-T by 2036, while annual
trading value could amount to 93.19-trillion N-T.

Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee says Premier Zhu Rong-ta believes the
amendment will boost asset management activity and support the government's
goal of developing Taiwan into an "Asian asset management center."

The High Prosecutors Office's Kaohsiung Branch has indicted three former
military personnel for allegedly collecting military secrets for China.

All three have been charged with offenses involving the National Security
Act, Anti-Corruption Act and Classified National Security Information
Protection Act, as well as the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces.

Prosecutors say one those indicted began receiving instructions and funding
from officials at an intelligence agency under a provincial committee of the
Communist Party of China in late 2020.

He allegedly obtained confidential military information, including tank
specifications and details of the Han Kuang military exercises, from a man
who was still serving in the Army at the time, before traveling to China to
meet with intelligence officials.

Prosecutors say he was then asked to establish organization for China here in
Taiwan and approach serving military personnel in order to collect
confidential military information from them.

The Kaohsiung Military Police, Tainan Military Police, Pingtung County Police
Bureau's Criminal Investigation Corps and the Ministry of National Defense's
Political Warfare Bureau reported the case to the High Prosecutors Office in
June of this year.

The Food and Drug Administration has fined a probiotic seller 4-million N-T
so far this year for repeated violations over advertisements falsely claiming
that the product could "reverse kidney disease."

It seventh time the company has been fined this year.

The FDA ordered ads involving the Huo Hua Sheng probiotic product to be
removed, while its endorser, nephrologist Chiang Shou-shan, has been referred
for disciplinary action.

The F-D-A says the product and Chiang have appeared across different ads
making exaggerated claims that the probiotic could treat or reverse kidney
disease.

While the F-D-A says the the product mainly contains probiotics and lactic
acid bacteria, the advertisements could lead consumers to believe that the
item had therapeutic effects.

The Huo Hua Sheng product has been penalised for its ads before -- it was
fined 3-million N-T in 2024 and 1.8-million in 2025.

The F-D-A has asked broadcast media outlets to ensure that the offending
advertisements are removed from their channels.

Taiwan ranked fifth globally in net financial assets per capita at the end of
2025, averaging 164,470 euros.

The latest Global Wealth Report by Allianz Research indicates Taiwan's
ranking remained unchanged from the previous year, trailing only the United
States, Switzerland, Denmark and Singapore.

Allianz assessed household assets and liabilities in nearly 60 countries.

It found that global household wealth reached a record high in 2025, while
the rise of A-I and market gains made asset ownership increasingly important
in determining who benefits from wealth creation.

The report shows that total financial assets held by Taiwan households rose
8.7-per cent to 4.5 trillion euros at the end of last year.

That increase was slightly slower than the 9.3-per cent growth recorded in
2024 and below the 9.8-per cent average for other Asian markets covered in
the report - excluding Japan and China.

Howevr, it remained above the global average of 8.6 percent.

observation

Fourteen junior high school students at the Taipei Huaxing High School
underwent medical care after eating nuts from tung trees on the school
campus.

Thirteen of them have since been discharged from hospital, but one remains
under observation.

The school says the the students ate the tung nuts out of curiosity because
they resembled almonds and later began feeling unwell.

They and alerted a teacher, who arranged for them to be taken to two
hospitals.

A pediatrician at the Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, which received 10
of the students, says most of them had eaten only a small number of tung
nuts, while one had eaten seven of them.

The students experienced nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort, with one
vomiting.

The other four students were taken to Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

One of them are eight tung nuts and remain hospitalized.

Tung nuts are not considered highly toxic, but they can cause
gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and
diarrhea.

And,

The Golden Horse Awards has announced this year's nominations

"Arrested Memory" leads the nominations with 11 nods... including for beat
director, best leading actor, best supporting actor, best cinematography,
best art direction, and best original film song.

This crime thriller follows a Taiwanese detective who develops amnesia
shortly after being transferred to a new post and becomes embroiled in a
high-profile kidnapping case as his memory deteriorates.

"Arrested Memory" was directed Japanese filmmaker Hiroyuki Tanaka.

Shu Qi's directorial debut "Girl" ranked second with 10 nominations, while
"Double Happiness" and "We Are Born Good" tied for third with nine
nominations each.

The 63rd Golden Horse Awards take place on November 22 at the Taipei Music
Center.