Reports say the Air Force is considering purchasing the latest version of the
domestically developed Teng Yun 2 uncrewed combat aerial vehicle.

Sources are being cited as saying, the move comes after the significant
upgrades improved its performance.

The Teng Yun 2 has been developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of
Science & Technology.

It completed the military's required combat readiness evaluation in May of
2024 before entering mass production.

However, the Air Force did not immediately place an order because its
performance at the time did not fully meet service expectations.

According to the institute, the Teng Yun 2 is capable of autonomous takeoffs
and landings, uses satellite navigation, and can remain airborne for nearly
24-hours.

C-P-C has opted to leave gasoline and diesel prices unchanged at the pump
this week.

The move is part of continuing government efforts to ease local inflationary
pressure, and comes despite a spike in international crude oil prices last
week.

It marks the second consecutive week that C-P-C has maintained its fuel
prices at the same levels.

The move means that the price of 92 octane unleaded remains at 29.8 N-T per
liter, while the price of premium diesel stays at 28.8 N-T a liter.

Since Donald Trump's war against Iran broke out at the end of February, C-P-C
estimates it has absorbed 15.56-billion N-T in losses.

And finally,

The Taiwan All Stars beat Team Taiwan 1-0 on Sunday in the final Chinese
Professional Baseball League All Star weekend game.

Team Taiwan beat the Taiwan All Stars 7-4 in Saturday's game.

The Team All Star squad was a fan-voted team, while Team Taiwan was made up
of players eligible for the Asian Professional Baseball Championship.

Premier Cho Rung-tai and Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu attended Saturday's
game, while President Lai Ching-te and Sports Minister Lee Yang attended
Sunday's game.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to release test results on the
cooking oil and downstream samples linked to the Central Union Oil
contamination scandal.

The F-D-A says it collected 224 samples, including raw oil and finished
products, from 52 raw oil samples and 321 product samples... but not all of
the batches could be tested because some companies had not retained reserve
samples.

If tests clear products, they can technically be removed from the list of
non-compliant items and allowed back on the market.

As of Sunday, authorities have recalled 2,769-metric tons of products from
the seven contaminated batches and removed another 5,200-tons from other
batches as a precaution, bringing the total withdrawn amount to 7,970 tons.

Central Union had produced 30 batches of oil products between April and June,
three of which were never shipped and passed government testing.

However, seven batches were found to contain excessive levels of a carcinogen
and recalled.

As of Sunday, authorities have recalled more than 27 hundred-metric tons of
products from the seven contaminated batches and removed another 5,200-tons
from other batches as a precaution, bringing the total withdrawn amount to
7,970 tons.

Premier Zhu Rong-tai has said the Cabinet will also unveil proposed
amendments to the Food Safety and Sanitation Act later today.

President Lai Ching-te is honoring Air Force pilot Hisin Po yi with a
posthumous presidential citation.

Hsin served with the Air Force's Hualien-based 5th Tactical Composite Wing.

Aside from being awarded the Order of Loyalty and Valor, he was also
posthumously promoted from captain to major.

Hsin's father, Hsin Chin-yu, accepted the citation from Lai at a ceremony.

Lai praised Hsin at the ceremony as an exemplary fighter pilot who had
devoted himself to defending Taiwan's airspace and maintaining peace across
the Taiwan Strait.

He also extended his condolences to Hsin's family and instructed the Ministry
of National Defense to provide them with "the fullest support."

Hsin's F-16V fighter jet disappeared from radar on the evening of January 6
on a routine raining mission shortly after he reported becoming separated
from the lead aircraft while flying through clouds.

The aircraft's flight data recorde was recovered in March and sent to the
manufacturer in the United States for analysis.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo said last week that the analysis is still
ongoing and results are expected soon.

U-S Senator Tammy Duckworth says China may be more likely to impose an
economic blockade on Taiwan than launch a full-scale military invasion in
2028 -- arguing such a move could be carried out under the guise of maritime
safety.

She believes Beijing will be more likely to pursue an economic blockade, and
seek to block access to the Taiwan Strait by requiring commercial vessels to
report to the Chinese Coast Guard for escort under the pretext of ensuring
maritime safety.

The statement came as Duckworth was speaking at a Center for Strategic and
International Studies event in Washington, D.C.

She was responding to comments by former Australian Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd, who recently suggested Chin's Xi Jinping could seek to exploit
simultaneous U-S and Taiwanese presidential elections in 2028 to attack
Taiwan.

Duckworth serves on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services
committees and most recently visited Taiwan two weeks ago.

The Ministry of Education says the island's student population fell by about
6.7-per cent, over the past five school years.

Ministry data shows enrollment figures plummeted from about 4.212 million in
2020 to 3.929 million in 2025... with the sharpest declines were seen in
senior high schools and colleges, reflecting the continuing impact of the low
birth rate.

Figures show the number of senior high school students fell by about 12.7-per
cent and college enrollment declined by about 12.2-per cent in 2025.

The education ministry says enrollment declined across all senior high school
programs over the five-year period, but the share of students attending
general high schools increased to 51.7-per cent in 2025.

Data also shows that preschool enrollment fell by about 9-per cent, and
elementary school enrollment declined by about 0.7-per cent in 2025 when
compared with 2020's numbers.

The Taipei Veterans General Hospital and the Vietnam Medical Association held
their annual event in Hanoi this past weekend to expand bilateral cooperation
in cancer care, smart healthcare and medical technology.

The conference is part of the government's health diplomacy efforts in
Southeast Asia.

The Taipei Veterans General Hospital says the event drew more than 400
medical professionals, government officials, hospital administrators and
industry representatives.

That made it the largest Taiwan-Vietnam medical exchange since the conference
was launched in 2024.

The Taiwan delegation also included representatives from the Kaohsiung
Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Show Chwan Healthcare System,
En Chu Kong Hospital and Tungs' Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital.

Taiwan's representative to Vietnam, Liu Shih-chung says the participation of
five major hospital systems marked a new milestone in bilateral medical
cooperation built on years of mutual trust.

Taiwan students have ranked first and third, respectively, in gold medal
tallies, at the International Biology Olympiad and the International
Chemistry Olympiad.

The students won four gold medals at the Biology Olympiad and three golds and
one silver at the Chemistry Olympiad.

Both events took place in Vilnius, Lithuania,

The Ministry of Education says Taiwan sent students from the Taipei Municipal
Chien Kuo High School, the Taipei First Girls High School the Taichung
Municipal Taichung First Senior High School to the event.

Taiwan's four-gold haul topped the medal table among 78 participating
countries and 302 contestants.

Taiwan's representative to Lithuania, Constance Wang attended the awards
ceremony and conveyed congratulations from President Lai Ching-te and Vice
President Hsiao Bi-khim to the students.

Taiwan students who win gold, silver, or bronze medals at international
academic Olympiads receive cash awards of 200,000, 100,000 and 50,000 N-T
respectively, from the education ministry.

The Central Weather Administration says rainfall is expected to peak today.

Heavy rain and localized torrential downpours are possible in the north,
northeast and mountainous areas of the center due to the influence of
southwestern winds.

Parts of the south could also see localized showers and thunderstorms today.

But other areas are expected to see mostly cloudy to sunny skies.

The administration's forecast center says southwesterly winds will gradually
weaken from tomorrow through Friday, and most of the island will see partly
cloudy to sunny skies.

However, afternoon thunderstorms can still be expected in western and
mountainous areas.

The weather administration says its also monitoring a tropical disturbance
that developed in waters east of the Philippines toward Guam... there is a
likelihood it could gradually strengthen into a tropical depression in the
latter half of this week.

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital has built Taiwan's first gut microbiome database
... mapping how intestinal bacteria change throughout life.

The Chang Gung Microbiota Therapy Center says the gut microbiome, often
described as the body's "second genome," is a complex ecosystem of
microorganisms that influences digestion, metabolism, immune function and
even cardiovascular health.

The center analyzed samples from more than 1,000 Taiwanese participants ...
from newborns to a 93-year-old ... to create a life-course map of the local
gut microbiome, providing a reference for understanding health patterns in
Taiwan's population.

A hospital official said most gut microbiome research has relied on data from
Europe and the United States, but differences in diet and lifestyle mean
those findings may not fully apply to Taiwan.

He said a locally developed microbiome database will improve the accuracy of
future assessments of health risks while supporting the development of more
personalized healthcare.

CNA_JvW

Premier Cho Jung-tai has requested the Ministry of Health and Welfare to
amend the Food Safety Act to strengthen source and process management at food
producers.

This comes amid a food safety scandal surrounding Central Union Oil Corp. ...
resulting in tainted edible oils entering the food supply.

The amended act will require businesses to report any abnormal test results
within a statutory deadline, with penalties for late submissions and heavier
punishments for malicious concealment or deception.

Yesterday, Cho lambasted Central Union for hiding the truth and delaying
reporting that hindered government agencies' ability to prevent the spread of
contaminated products.

The KMT has laid the blame squarely on the government for failing to manage
the crisis effectively and strengthen food-safety protections. It's planning
a rally for next Saturday.

The premier said the Executive Yuan will meet this coming Thursday to pass
proposed amendments to the Food Safety Act.

children

A speech therapist in New Taipei has been indicted for allegedly sexually
abusing 29 minors with speech and cognitive impairments.

Prosecutors are seeking a 20-year prison sentence. The speech therapist
surnamed Chen (陳) allegedly molested the children, all under the age of 12,
on 107 occasions between February and March at his clinic in Banqiao.

CNA_JvW

The Financial Supervisory Commission says a pilot program aimed at reducing
fraud at ATMs looks promising.

The commission says that 15 banks and 1,600 ATMs have been part of the pilot
project that so far essentially looks for obscured faces of people seeking to
withdraw money.

If the user's face is covered by a mask and/or helmet, he or she is asked to
remove the coverings. Data show that 95% of people comply, while the other 5%
are allowed to complete their transactions after a 2-minute wait.

Even with this limited intervention, the commission says the number of
fraudulent withdrawals has decreased by 60% at high-risk hotspots, which
account for about 1 in 50 of the country's ATMs.

More enhancements are on the way ... with plans to detect frequent card
switching at ATMs as well as people spying on customers as they key in their
PINs.

CNA_zh_JvW

Taiwan and Eswatini supporters are launching a project to expand charitable
cooperation and create new opportunities.

The Taiwan International Family Alliance says the campaign encourages people
to help others through practical action.

Organizers say the project combines education, charity and trade to
strengthen ties between Taiwan and Eswatini.

The alliance says donations include children's health books, water treatment
equipment, 45 boxes of toys, and 3,000 pairs of new shoes.

According to organizers, the goal is to support children in Eswatini, a
diplomatic ally in southeastern Africa, while promoting Taiwan's cultural,
educational and economic engagement in the continent.

Taiwan is removing Cambodia from two visa-facilitation programs on Aug. 1.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it's extending eased-entry
arrangements for Thailand, India and several other Southeast and South Asian
countries.

The ministry said Cambodia had failed to reciprocate Taiwan's goodwill and
had instead echoed China in statements undermining Taiwan's sovereignty.

MOFA also accused Cambodia of appearing to support Beijing's possible use of
force in seeking unification with Taiwan.

It added that Cambodia's links to recent cross-border fraud cases have also
raised public concern.

MOFA said any resumption of visa facilitation would depend on future changes
in Cambodia's policy toward Taiwan.

CNA_JvW

The 2026 East Longitudinal Valley Festival will be held from August 20 to 23
at the Hualien Luoshan Visitor Center in Fuli Township.

"Indigenous Brewing" is this year's theme. The festival will bring together
more than 20 Indigenous communities from the East Longitudinal Valley for a
celebration of food, crafts and culture.

Visitors can enjoy traditional cuisine, a curated market, hands-on workshops
and themed areas showcasing the cultures of the Amis, Bunun, Seediq, Truku,
and Puyuma peoples.

Ticketed corporate banquet events will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on August
20 and 21 ... and the festival will open to the public free of charge from 3
to 8:30 p.m. on August 22 and 23.

The Taichung District Court has ordered Central Union Oil Corp. General
Manager Yu Ling-chung (余凌冲) detained and held incommunicado after a higher
court overturned an earlier ruling granting him bail in a tainted oil case.

Yu is under investigation over edible-oil products found to contain excessive
levels of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene.

The district court last week ruled that detention was unnecessary and granted
Yu bail of NT$20 million (US$621,960).
It also imposed residential restrictions, an eight-month overseas travel ban
and regular police check-ins.

Prosecutors appealed, and the Taichung branch of the Taiwan High Court
revoked the bail ruling on Thursday.

The higher court said the district court had failed to adequately explain why
detention was unnecessary despite Yu's alleged flight risk and the
possibility that he could collude with others or tamper with evidence.

CNA_JvW

Taiwan Railway says tains on the Eastern Trunk Line have resumed normal
service after the threat from a barrier lake in Hualien eased.

Local trains between Fenglin and Guangfu stations resumed operations after 5
PM after the expected overflow from the Wanli River barrier lake was delayed.

Taiwan Railway says updated water level assessments showed the expected
overflow had been delayed, allowing services to restart.

The railway operator says it expects to announce train services through noon
Saturday by 9 PM tonight, depending on the latest water conditions.

(IG)

New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih is condemning Central Union Oil over new
revelations in the contaminated cooking oil case.

The Food and Drug Administration says the company failed to report one
production batch made between April and June -- the period currently under
investigation.

Separately, two additional batches have also tested above the legal limit for
the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene -- or BaP -- bringing the total number of
contaminated batches to seven.

Hou says about 230 businesses in New Taipei have been affected and that city
inspectors moved quickly to carry out inspections.

He is also calling on the FDA to release complete information all at once so
local governments can complete inspections more efficiently and reassure the
public.

(IG)

In related news,

The opposition KMT has announced plans to hold a mass rally in Taipei on July
25th over the contaminated cooking oil scandal.

That's next week on Saturday.

Participants will begin gathering at 5 PM ... after the party's national
congress ... with the main rally scheduled to start at 6 PM on Ketagalan
Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office,

KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) says the government has failed to effectively
manage the food safety crisis and should be held politically accountable.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an earlier today also called on President Lai
Ching-te to apologize and Premier Cho Jung-tai to resign over the scandal.

The KMT says it will invite representatives from opposition parties, experts
and civic groups to join the rally and demand greater transparency and
accountability from the government.

(IG)

Taipei prosecutors have indicted KMT Taipei City Councilor Lee Fu Chung-wu
(李傅中武) and six others on corruption and document forgery charges over an
alleged assistant subsidy fraud scheme.

Prosecutors allege that Lee Fu and his wife used relatives and acquaintances
as so-called ghost assistants and inflated reported salaries in order to
fraudulently claim nearly 10 million NT in government-funded subsidies.

The couple are accused of claiming subsidies for assistants who did not
perform any work and overstating salaries paid to office staff.

Prosecutors say Lee Fu and his wife admitted wrongdoing during the
investigation and have returned the full amount of the alleged illegal gains.

They are asking the court to consider reducing their sentences.

Researchers at National Taiwan University Hospital say adding a one-time
stomach bacteria test to Taiwan's colorectal cancer screening program could
reduce stomach cancer deaths ...

... while generating benefits worth more than five times its cost.

The two-in-one screening strategy uses the same stool sample to test for both
colorectal cancer and Helicobacter pylori infection - the leading cause of
stomach cancer.

Taiwan became the first country in the world earlier this year to offer the
combined screening nationwide for eligible adults aged 45 to 74.

Researchers say people infected with H. pylori face about six times the risk
of developing stomach cancer.

The study found that the combined screening program could reduce stomach
cancer mortality by 13.5 percent ...

... while every dollar invested in screening and early treatment could
generate more than five dollars in societal benefits.

(CNA_IG)

O'Pay has become Taiwan's first electronic payment platform approved to offer
overseas remittance services, including money transfers for migrant workers.

The Financial Supervisory Commission says the service is expected to launch
in the fourth quarter of this year and will initially allow migrant workers
from the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam to send money to their home
countries.

The approval marks the first time an electronic payment company in Taiwan has
been authorized to provide overseas remittance services.

O'Pay has also been approved to launch a separate overseas transfer service
for Taiwanese citizens and foreign nationals with local bank accounts.

That service is expected to begin in the second half of next year.

(CNA_IG)

President Lai Ching-te has asked government agencies to be on high alert ...

... after a pig carcass found on a beach in offshore Kinmen County earlier
this week tested positive for African Swine Fever.

Lai is urging relevant authorities to implement quarantine, surveillance, and
control measures ... to safeguard the nation's pig farming industry.

County officials immediately disinfected the site, incinerated the carcass
and suspended shipments of pork from Kinmen.

They also assure that pigs in nearby swineries are all confirmed to be in
good health.

The Coast Guard Administration has also stepped up patrols and anti-smuggling
operations.

In April, the World Health Organization officially approved Taiwan's
self-declaration as a African Swine Flu free area.

(JC)

The American Institute in Taiwan has welcomed TSMC's decision to invest an
additional 100 billion U-S dollars in the United States, calling it a sign of
confidence in U-S-Taiwan relations.

AIT Director Raymond Greene says the investment will allow the chipmaker to
work more closely with its largest American customers, respond more quickly
to growing demand for advanced semiconductors and help strengthen global
supply chains.

Greene also rejected concerns that the investment could weaken Taiwan's
position in the semiconductor industry, saying Taiwan will remain the anchor
of global chip manufacturing even as TSMC expands overseas.

(CNA_IG)

And,

Authorities in Tainan are investigating the death of a one-year-old boy who
died while in the care of an unlicensed babysitter.

The babysitter, surnamed Lee (李), reported that the child had stopped
breathing and no longer had a heartbeat.

The boy was pronounced dead before arriving at hospital.

Police say the cause of death has not yet been determined and have referred
the case to prosecutors for further investigation.

Tainan's Social Affairs Bureau says Lee was not licensed or registered as a
childcare provider and was illegally caring for children outside her
immediate family.

She faces a 60-thousand NT fine for violating child welfare regulations.

Officials say prosecutors will determine whether there is any criminal
liability in connection with the child's death.

(CNA_IG)

The Control Yuan has issued a stern rebuke to the Hsinchu City Government and
the Ministry of Sports over major failures in the Hsinchu Baseball Stadium
project.

The government watchdog announced today that it has passed official
corrections against both government agencies following a thorough
investigation into the stadium's multi-million NT renovation.

It says the city committed major administrative failures by opening the
unfinished stadium for professional games in 2022, which resulted in player
injuries.

Investigators found that the field's soil was filled with debris and lacked
proper drainage.

They also revealed that the city hired an unqualified firm to oversee the
project, violating regulations.

Watchdog members say they will wait for the Hsinchu District Prosecutors
Office to complete its ongoing criminal investigation before deciding on
final administrative punishments for the public servants involved.

(NS)

A Taoyuan airport MRT train, bound for Taipei, experienced a technical
malfunction at A6 Taishan Guihe Station during the morning rush hour today,
causing service disruptions and frustrating commuters.

The incident occurred at around 7:54 a.m..

The operator said passengers were transferred to another train within 10
minutes, and train dispatching was adjusted to restore normal service.

The company apologized for the disruption and said the affected train will
undergo a detailed inspection after service to determine the cause of the
malfunction.

(AL)

Taiwan shares have crashed today, in line with steep losses across Asia ...

... as heavy selling in chipmakers and other AI-related stocks have dragged
markets lower.

The benchmark Tai-ex lost 2 thousand 953 points to close at 42 thousand 671.

Turnover for the trading session topped 1.21 trillion NT.

Prosecutors have indicted a Taipei city councilor on corruption charges.

Li Fu Zhong Wu 李傅中武, of the KMT, is accused of taking fraudulent assistant
fees totaling 9,770,000 NT.

Prosecutors also indicted 6 others in the case.

Prosecutors are gunning for a lighter sentence for Li Fu, as he confessed to
the crimes and returned the stolen money to prosecutors.

(AH)

Classes and work are off in parts of Hualien today, ahead of the expected
overflow of a barrier lake in Wanli.

The county government is cancelling work and classes for those in Wanrong
village, as well as in Fenglin township's Senrong森榮, Chang Qiao長橋, Shan
Xing山興, Feng Xin鳳信, and Darong大榮.

That's after officials issued a red alert flood warning yesterday for the
barrier lake, which is expected to overflow today.

As of yesterday morning, the lake was about 97% full and just one meter below
its overflow warning level.

About 210 people in Wanrong and Fenglin were evacuated earlier this week.

Officials are forecasting a gradual overflow, but, they say, the possibility
of a suddent breach of the barrier lake cannot be ruled out.

Taiwan's freedom and prosperity indicies have risen in an annual
international report.

Taiwan ranked 21st in the freedom index and 19th in the prosperity index out
of 171 countries surveyed.

Both those indices mark improvements from last year.

But around the world, political freedom and the rule of the law declined
overall, while prosperity growth slowed.

The only country to beat out Taiwan for freedom in Asia was Japan at number
14...

but Singapore was the only one to beat Taiwan for prosperity.

The indices from the Atlantic Council were established in 2022 and have been
published annually since.

(AH-CNA)