The Presidential Office has announced that Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim will
travel to Palau on Saturday for visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic
relations with the Pacific ally.

Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo says, Hsiao will be representing
President Lai Ching-te on the trip, following an invitation from Palau's
President Surangel Whipps for the two Taiwan leaders to visit.

According to Kuo, Hsiao is slated to meet with Whipps and other government
officials during the five-day trip, and will visit sustainable tourism sites
and join Whipps in promoting the Pacific island country's tourism.

Kuo says Hsiao will also review the impact of bilateral projects in the
fields of healthcare, agriculture, and public infrastructure in Palau, as
part of an objective to strengthen the diplomatic ties between the two sides.

The vice president's delegation will include Deputy Health Minister Lin
Ching-yi and Deputy Foreign Minister Ger Bao-shuan.

The trip will be Hsiao's first visit to a diplomatic ally since taking office
as vice president.

Visiting Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil says China cannot tell the
Czech Republic whom to befriend.

The statement came shortly after Vystrcil arrived in Taiwan on Monday heading
a delegation of around 40 people for a four-day visit at the invitation of
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu.

Speaking alongside Han at a press event at the Legislative Yuan, Vystrcil
told reporters that both Taiwan and the Czech Republic are "free and
democratic countries and do not take orders from other countries" ...

.. and "we will decide who to befriend and who not to befriend."

Those comments are in response to a statement issued China's embassy in
Prague, which accused Vystrcil of "interfering in China's internal affairs,"
as Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

According to Vystrcil, the Czech Republic follows its own one-China policy
rather than China's one-China principle and there is nothing wrong with
parliamentary exchanges.

Along with meeting with representatives from the K-M-T and the D-P-P,
Vystrcil is also slated to hold talks with President Lai Ching-te and other
senior government officials this week.

The Ministry of Transport says it is seeking harsher penalties for drivers
caught under the influence of narcotics.

The statement comes amid a recent spate of serious traffic accidents
involving drug-impaired drivers.

According to the transport ministry, it held inter-agency meetings last month
with the Judicial Yuan, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health and
the National Police Agency to discuss related legal amendments.

Under the proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act,
the current one- to two-year license suspension for drug-impaired driving
will be raised to revocation, with a three-year ban on reapplying for a new
license.

The licenses of individuals who use Category 1 and Category 2 narcotics will
also be revoked, even if they are not driving or have a vehicle, while
possession of Category 3 and Category 4 narcotics would result in license
suspension.

The transport ministry says it will also establish a driving eligibility
management system for drug-impaired drivers and drug users.

Data shows 4,725 drug-related driving under the influence cases were referred
to prosecutors from January to April this year -- three times the number
recorded during the same period last year.

long-term care services

The Ministry of Health says foreign professionals and their dependents will
soon be eligible for long-term care services.

According to the ministry, the move means foreign professionals with
permanent residency status along with their spouses, children under the age
of 18 will have access to the services beginning June 30.

Foreign professionals with permanent residency, dependants aged 65 or over or
with disabilities will also be eligible.

The services include transportation assistance, assistive devices for
individuals with disabilities or age-related limitations, home accessibility
modifications and respite care services.

However, eligibilty only applies to those who have legally lived in Taiwan
for 10 cumulative years and spent at least 183 days per year here.

The health ministry says the move is expected to benefit between 100 to 200
people.

The Civil Aviation Administration says fuel surcharges on international
flights operated by Taiwan carriers will be reduced starting June 7 due to a
decline in aviation fuel prices.

The surcharge will be reduced to 35 U-S dollars for short-haul flights and 91
U-S dollars for long-haul routes.

The announcement comes after C-P-C said that international aviation fuel
prices have fallen from 208.78 U-S dollars per barrel in May to 160.1 U-S
dollars for this month.

The fuel surcharge soared to 45 U-S dollars for short-haul routes and 117 U-S
dollars for long-haul routes on April 7 after aviation fuel prices surged
amid tensions in the Middle East and remained at those levels.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration, it has airlines to disclose
information such as the percentage of their overall operating costs devoted
to fuel so that passengers can better understand the surcharge mechanism.

Nvidia founder and C-E-O Jensen Huang has delivered a Keynote speech at
Nvidia G-T-C Taipei - in which he said that A-I has become a driver of
profits and G-D-P growth.

According to Huang, artificial intelligence is no longer just an experimental
technology lacking a revenue stream, but has now become a profit generator
and growing demand for A-I services is fueling investment in computing
infrastructure worldwide.

Huang told attendees that as A-I becomes more useful,, the units generated by
A-I models, have become "profitable units of revenues," encouraging companies
to generate more tokens, build more A-I factories and expand computing
capacity.

Huang also insisted that A-I technology will increase demand for people
rather than cause job losses, despite recent layoffs by major companies such
as Meta and Amazon as they prepare to compete on A-I and seek leaner
organizations ...

.. and AI-assisted coding has significantly increased productivity while
driving demand for more software engineers rather than replacing them.

Huang also highlighted what he said was Taiwan's role in the AI boom - and
described it as home to "the richest ecosystem" and "the world's best supply
chain ecosystem."

And finally,

A pygmy sperm whale that was stranded on a shore in Penghu's Xiyu Township
has been successfully released back into the wild.

Coast Guard Administration personnel discovered the live whale stranded
during a routine patrol.

Conservation personnel assessed the whale on site and found no significant
external injuries, with vital signs remaining relatively stable.

Officials coordinated with a leisure fishing vessel to transport the whale
out to sea, and the release was completed successfully before midday.

The Coast Guard is reminding the public that anyone who spots a stranded,
trapped, or distressed cetacean should not attempt to handle it
independently, and should call the coast guard emergency hotline at 118 or
contact conservation authorities immediately.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications says it's considering
tougher penalties for drug-impaired driving following a recent rise in
serious traffic accidents involving narcotics.

The ministry says drivers caught under the influence of drugs could face
license revocation instead of the current suspension, along with a three-year
ban on applying for a new license.

Officials are also considering higher fines and new penalties for adult
passengers who knowingly ride with drug-impaired drivers.

In addition, people found using certain categories of illegal drugs could
lose their driving privileges even if they are not caught behind the wheel.

The proposals are part of a broader effort to strengthen deterrence and
improve road safety.

Government data show more than 4,700 drug-related impaired driving cases were
referred to prosecutors in the first four months of this year, roughly three
times the number recorded a year earlier.

The Taoyuan City Department of Environmental Protection says applications are
now being accepted for the latest round of airport noise control subsidies
...

The program covers residents living in designated noise-affected areas near
Taoyuan International Airport ... covering about 55 thousand households
across both Taoyuan and New Taipei.

Eligible areas include all of Dayuan District, as well as parts of Guanyin,
Luzhu, Zhongli and Xinwu in Taoyuan, and one neighborhood in New Taipei's
Linkou District.

Depending on the level of noise exposure, households can receive between 10
thousand and 60 thousand NT.

Applications will be accepted through the end of 2027.

Officials are encouraging residents to apply online for faster processing.

(IG)

KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun announced details of a U.S. visit as she prepared to
depart for the United States today.

She said the delegation plans to meet federal officials in Washington,
including those from Taiwan-related offices, the State Department and the
Defense Department.

Cheng said the delegation will begin in California with discussions at
Stanford University's Hoover Institution before traveling to Boston for
visits and exchanges at Harvard University and MIT.

The group will then travel to New York for discussions with leading think
tanks before heading to Washington for meetings with lawmakers,
administration officials and policy institutes.

Cheng also said she would welcome a meeting with U-S President Donald Trump
...

However, She acknowledged that there is no precedent for such a meeting since
Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

(IG)

Visiting Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil says China cannot tell the
Czech Republic whom to befriend.

He defended his visit to Taiwan and announced he has invited Legislative
Speaker Han Kuo-yu to visit Prague.

Vystrčil made the remarks earlier today during a meeting with Han at the
Legislative Yuan.

His comments came after China's embassy in Prague criticized the visit and
urged the Czech government to address what it called the adverse consequences
of the trip.

Vystrčil said the Czech Republic follows its own one-China policy, not
Beijing's one-China principle, and that parliamentary exchanges with Taiwan
are a legitimate part of Czech foreign policy.

Health officials are encouraging eligible students to get vaccinated early
and build protection against HPV-related cancers.

The call comes as Taiwan's free HPV vaccination program for junior high
school boys approaches its first anniversary.

The Health Promotion Administration says more than 81 percent of eligible
boys have received their first dose since the program was expanded last
September.

Meanwhile, vaccination coverage among junior high school girls has reached
more than 92 percent, surpassing the World Health Organization's target for
eliminating cervical cancer.

Officials say HPV can cause several types of cancer in both men and women,
and that adolescence is the ideal time for vaccination because it provides
the strongest and longest-lasting protection.

(IG)

In related news,

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says artificial intelligence is now generating
profits and driving economic growth, as demand for AI services fuels
investment in computing infrastructure around the world.

Huang made the remarks Monday at Nvidia's GTC Taipei event, where he argued
AI has moved beyond the experimental stage and become a major source of
revenue.

He also pushed back against concerns that AI will eliminate jobs, saying the
technology is boosting productivity and increasing demand for software
engineers rather than replacing them.

Nvidia also unveiled a new AI-PC processor developed with MediaTek Inc. and
manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. using its advanced
3-nanometer process.

The chip will power a new generation of AI-enabled laptops expected to launch
this fall.

Huang also praised Taiwan's role in the industry, describing the country as
home to the world's best supply chain ecosystem.

President Lai Ching-te said the government will support the CPC as it works
to strengthen Taiwan's energy resilience.

He made the remark today ... at the state-run utility's 80th anniversary
celebration.

Lai went on to say that the CPC has played a key role in stabilizing oil and
natural gas supplies, helping to keep fuel prices and daily life relatively
stable ... despite fluctuations in global energy markets.

The president said the CPC must continue upholding the principle that "energy
security is national security" by strengthening oil and gas infrastructure,
diversifying import sources, and improving real-time dispatching and backup
capabilities.

Lai also urged the CPC to accelerate the adoption of AI technologies to
optimize processes, for equipment maintenance ... and for workplace safety
management.

(IG)

Taiwan's first domestically built submarine, the Hai Kun, resumed sea trials
this morning ... after testing was briefly delayed by poor weather late last
week ...

... drawing military enthusiasts to Kaohsiung's waterfront to watch.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo said no delivery timetable has been set,
stressing that the submarine must meet safety and performance requirements
before delivery.

Military analysts say the prototype still faces several key evaluations,
including endurance and deep-diving tests, some of which will require
overnight operations.

If those trials are completed successfully, analysts say the Hai Kun could be
delivered to the Navy sometime between July and September.

(IG)

A pygmy sperm whale that was stranded on a shore in Penghu County's Xiyu
Township this morning has been successfully released back into the ocean

Coast Guard Administration personnel discovered the live whale stranded
during a routine patrol this morning.

Conservation personnel assessed the whale on site and found no significant
external injuries, with vital signs remaining relatively stable.

Officials coordinated with a leisure fishing vessel to transport the whale
out to sea, and the release was completed successfully before midday.

The Coast Guard is reminding the public that anyone who spots a stranded,
trapped, or distressed cetacean should not attempt to handle it
independently, and should call the coast guard emergency hotline at 118 or
contact conservation authorities immediately.

(NS)

Health authorities are pushing to tighten laws on e-cigarettes, saying the
devices are becoming a delivery vehicle for etomidate

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced today that it is drafting
amendments to the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act that would for the first
time make simply possessing e-cigarettes and their components a punishable
offense.

Officials say the amendments also propose requiring internet platforms to
establish risk management and self-regulatory systems to take down illegal
listings.

So-called zombie vape cartridges containing etomidate oil are primarily
consumed through e-cigarette devices.

The ministry says cutting off access to the delivery mechanism is central to
reducing related offenses such as drug-impaired driving.

The draft has been submitted to the Executive Yuan for review.

(NS)

The 37th Golden Melody Awards has revealed its lineup of performers for the
June 27th ceremony at Taipei Arena.

The night will feature a mix of veteran Mandopop stars, a Taiwanese folk
queen, and a Japanese band that has become one of Asia's most talked-about
acts.

Karen Mok will perform alongside The Masters, and Hebe Tien will be returning
to the Golden Melody stage for the first time in six years.

Taiwanese singer May Sun will make her Golden Melody stage debut, and says
she plans to condense three decades of music into a highlights performance.

And Japanese band Hitsuji-bun-gaku, whose song "More Than Words" from the hit
anime series "Jujutsu Kaisen" has accumulated nearly 100 million music video
views, will also perform.

The ceremony will be broadcast starting at 5 p.m. for the red carpet and 7
p.m. for the awards show.

(NS)

Nutritionists in Taiwan are reminding that traditional zongzi may be
difficult to digest, especially when eaten in large quantities during the
Dragon Boat Festival holiday period.

They say the glutinous rice used in zongzi can be harder for the digestive
system to break down, potentially causing bloating and discomfort.

They also note that it can cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly, leaving
some people feeling tired after eating.

Nutritionists recommend mixing glutinous rice with whole grains such as
purple rice, black rice or red quinoa to to boost health benefits while
maintaining the dumplings' chewy texture.

They also suggest choosing fillings such as fish, chicken and beans as
healthier alternatives to the traditional ones that tend to be higher in fat.

(IG)

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim will be heading to Palau this Saturday.

That's according to Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo, who says the
Vice President and her delegation will stay in Palau through Wednesday of
next week.

She says, the trip is expected to be focused on strengthening the
relationship between the two countries and promoting tourism.

This trip will mark Hsiao's first to a diplomatic ally since taking office 2
years ago.

Kuo added that the presidential office was honored to again receive an
invitation from the Palauan president to visit the country.

Kuo also downplayed the risk of a sudden cancellation of the trip- like what
happened in April to the President's trip to Eswatini...

adding that this trip would not make any additional stops.

(AH)

The National Archives is launching its first ever summer festival program,
with a lineup of lectures, music performances, family theater, and
interactive exhibitions.

The Archives Bureau says the festival kicks off on Saturday in New Taipei's
Linkou district... with a talk by Taiwan Space Agency Director-General Wu
Jong-Shinn (吳宗信)... on the stories behind Taiwan's space industry and rocket
program.

Later this summer, on August 29th, the National Archives will extend opening
hours until 9 p.m. for the first time.

That evening, the festival will feature several musical acts, alongside
themed guided tours, a karaoke session featuring songs that were once banned
under martial law-era censorship, and an interactive walking experience
through the archive building.

All the festival events are free to attend with some requiring advanced
registration.

(NS)

Looking at business news

Asian shares mostly advanced, with stock markets in Japan and South Korea
hitting fresh record intraday highs.... on enthusiasm over the artificial
intelligence boom.

Here in Taiwan, shares are up today, with the benchmark Taiex gaining 604
points to close the session at 45,337.

Turnover topped $1.47 trillion NT.

The Tai-Ex surged nearly 700-points in early trading to surpass the 45,000
point mark.

The main board opened at 44,872 and added 683-points to reach 45,53 and hit
yet another all time record high.

Tech heavyweights led the rise.

With Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing adding 5 N-T to reach 2,370 N-T, Hon
Hai 5-per cent to 304.5 N-T, Delta Electronics rose over 5-per cent to 2,470
N-T ...

... while MediaTek saw its share price surge by over 8-per cent and Quanta,
Wistron, and Compal all hit their 10--per cent daily limit.

The rises come as C-E-O's from some of the world's leading tech companies are
in Taiwan for Computex this week - where they're expected to gove solid
guidance for A-I at a series of forums and keynote speeches.

Intel C-E-O Tan Lip-Bu has arrived in Taiwan ahead of Computex 2026 - which
begins tomorrow.

Tan will be delivering a keynote address at Computex.

He's expected to showcase his vision for the next generation of computing and
how it related to Taiwan's position in the global tech supply chain.

Tan has previously said that if Intel wants to become a top player globally,
it must deepen its cooperation with the Taiwan supply chain.

Reports say Intel's main focus at this week's Computex will be to showcase
its Edge AI, next-generation Xeon data centers, and dedicated gaming handheld
processors rather than standalone consumer desktop C-P-Us.

The Central Weather Administration says typhoon Jangmi's outer rim will be
bringing showers to north and northeast today, as it move towards
Okinawa.

The weather in other parts of the island is forecast to mostly clear skies -
with highs of between 32 and 35-degrees.

The storm is currently located some 600-kilometers east of Hualien and moving
in a northerly direction at 20-kilometers-an-hour.

Jangmi has a radius of 250-kilometers and is packing sustained wind speeds of
126-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 162-kilometers-an-hour.

K-M-T Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun will leave for a two-week trip to the U-S later
today.

Cheng will heading a 14 member members delegation.

The delegation includes K-M-T International Affairs Department head Tung
Chia-yu, former Taiwan representative to the U-S Jason Yuan, KMT Central
Standing Committee members Lee De-wei and Vivi Chin as well as K-M-T overseas
affairs head Wu Liang-i.

According to the K-M-T, Cheng and her delegation will begin their visit on
the West Coast with a stop in San Francisco before traveling to the East
Coast, where they will visit New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston.

Cheng is expected to arrive in the U-S capital on the evening of June 9 and
remain there through June 12.

The K-M-T says Cheng is expected to meet with members of Congress, visit the
headquarters of the American Institute in Taiwan and and participate in
closed-door discussions at three major think tanks while in Washington D.C.

The K-M-T says those talks center on peace and stability in the Taiwan
Strait, regional security, and the future of Taiwan-US relations.

The trip will end with a stop in Los Angeles, where Cheng and the delegation
will meet with with members of the overseas Taiwanese community.

Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil is visiting Taiwan this week.

Vystrcil will be heading a delegation of around 40 people to Taiwan from
today through Thursday.

It will be his second trip to Taiwan country since he first visited in August
of 2020.

Vystrcil has said the primary goal of the trip is to demonstrate mutual
support between the two sides and help further strengthen mutual
understanding and cooperation on both the political and people-to-people
levels.

He's scheduled to meet with senior government officials and attend a series
of events.

Those events include a symposium on former Czech President Vaclav Havel at
the National Chengchi University, the unveiling of a "Havel's Bench"
installation at Taipei's Daan Park, and a screening of the documentary, which
chronicles his 2020 trip to Taiwan.

According to Vystrcil, the events also carry important symbolic significance,
as they not only commemorate Havel's legacy, but also reflect the shared
values of the Czech Republic and Taiwan as democratic societies.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has refused to provide a government
aircraft for the trip, saying he did not want it to be seen as an official
endorsement that could harm Czech business interests in China.

NT$446

Tai-Power's summer electricity rates for residential customers kick-in today.

It means that the average household can be expected to pay about 446 N-T more
per month through the end of September.

According to Tai-Power, the seasonal rates will apply to about 15-million
residential and small commercial users from today through September 30.

Around 26,000 high-voltage and extra-high-voltage users are subject to summer
rates from May 16 to October 15.

The state-generator says electricity demand rises sharply during the summer
months, mainly because of increased air conditioner use ..

.. and that means more expensive power-generating units have to be brought
online to meet peak demand, pushing up overall generation costs.

Based on data from last year, the average monthly household electricity bill
rose to 1,084 N-T during the summer, nearly 70-per cent higher than in
non-summer months.

Average household electricity use also increased from 308-kilowatt-hours per
month in non-summer months to 418-kilowatt-hours per month
during the summer, up about 40-per cent.

interview

The Presidential Office is condemning China after it expelled a New York
Times correspondent from Beijing, following the newspaper's publication of an
interview of President Lai Ching-te.

According to Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo, he Lai
administration has noted a series of recent incidents in which Beijing had
used similar tactics to "threaten and pressure international media and
journalists ..

.. and the move highlighted Beijing's suppression of press freedom and its
threat to international media outlets.

Kuo says such actions concerns not only press freedom and freedom of
expression, but also the safety of journalists, and Taiwan and relevant
partners are paying close attention to the situation.

The statement came after the New York Times confirmed that China expelled
Vivian Wang in February of this year.

She had been based in Beijing since 2022.

An Associated Press report published this past weekend, said that Wang was
expelled after The New York Times hosted President Lai Ching-te in a recorded
interview for its DealBook Summit 2025, which aired in December of last year.

Wang had no role in the interview.

The Taipei Department of Health's smoking ban in Ximending takes effect
today.

Smoking is now banned in the shopping district, except in designated smoking
areas.

People caught violating the ban face fines of between 2,000 and 10,000 N-T
under the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act.

The smoke-free zone was originally planned to cover the area bounded by
Section 1 of Zhonghua Road, Xining South Road, Chengdu Road, and Section 2 of
Hankou Street.

However, the Taipei Department of Health has since expanded it to include the
area around Exit 4 of Ximen M-R-T Station, Yanping South Road, Xiushan
Street, and Hengyang Road.

People who wish to smoke in the Ximending shopping area in Wanhua District
are advised to use negative-pressure smoking rooms and other designated
smoking areas.

The Taipei Zoo has marked World Parrot Day with a special educational event
featuring a sulphur-crested cockatoo.

The zoo used the occasion to urge the public not to abandon pet parrots and
to reject the illegal wildlife trade.

According to the zoo, parrots are popular companion animals because of their
colorful plumage, ability to mimic sounds and strong learning skills ..

.. but demand from the pet market has also fueled illegal capture and trade,
threatening wild populations.

To raise public awareness, the zoo held a pop-up educational session in the
Children's area, with a sulphur-crested cockatoo serving as a "teaching
assistant" to help visitors learn about parrot behavior and social habits.

The zoo also cited data from the International Union for Conservation of
Nature showing that about one-third of all parrot species face threats to
their survival in the wild.

Tech titans will be converging on Taipei for Computex, which kicks off on
Tuesday.

The theme of this year's tech expo is "AI Together." It will feature four
keynote addresses ... from the heads of Qualcomm, Marvell Technology, Intel
and NXP Semiconductors.

Taitra says that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will appear on stage with Marvell's
Matt Murphy. The pair will discuss their partnership announced in March and
how it will contribute to next-generation AI infrastructure.

Huang will be hosting a separate Nvidia event that coincides with Computex.
Media are reporting that some of his guests will include TSMC's CC Wei, and
SK Group's Chey Tae-won.

Taitra says that a total of around 30 senior executives from tech giants with
combined market capitalization exceeding 10 trillion dollars will be speaking
at Computex.

CNA_zh_JvW

Authorities will start imposing fines ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 NT on
people who smoke in Ximending on Monday.

It's part of Taipei's "smoke-free city" policy.

If you're heading to the nightlife and shopping area, keep your cigarettes
sheathed or face the penalty in all pedestrian areas as well as in front of
Ximen MRT Exit 4.

There *is* a so-called negative pressure smoking room behind that same exit
for those who need to feed their habit while in Ximending... and another
outside the Watsons on Wuchang Street.

CNA_JvW

Taiwan's Tourism Administration has released data showing more than 7 million
outbound trips between January and April, a 19 percent increase over the same
period last year.

Japan continues to be the top destination, accounting for 37 percent of all
trips. China was second, at 17 percent of trips ... and South Korea was
third, at 10 percent.

Inbound tourist numbers fell just short of 3 million, up 3.8 percent from a
year earlier. Japanese accounted for 14 percent of travelers to Taiwan in
April. 15 percent came from Hong Kong or Macau, while South Koreans accounted
for 11 percent of inbound tourists.

CNA_zh_JvW

The Ministry of Labor says airline pilots were the highest-paid occupation in
Taiwan last year, according to the results of its annual survey of wages.

Airline pilots topped the list with a monthly salary of NT$298,000
(US$9,500), followed by certified actuaries at NT$203,000 and physicians at
NT$180,000.

The tenth-highest paid occupation was financial investment analysts, with an
average monthly salary of NT$78,000.

The ministry said that the top-10 list has been relatively unchanged in
recent years.

Among the occupations with strongest wage growth this year were insurance
agents, funeral service workers and hairdressers, whose wages improved by
more than 7 percent.

Among the occupations seeing declines were real estate agents as well as
securities and financial traders and brokers.

CNA_JvW

Wistron Corp. says Taiwan's government should reassess its electricity demand
projections ... as power supply constraints have already affected its plans
to expand AI computing infrastructure.

Wistron Chairman Simon Lin (林憲銘) told reporters after the company's annual
shareholders' meeting that the company had originally planned to build its
second computing center near an existing facility in Taipei's Neihu District,
but it changed course after being informed of insufficient power supply.

Instead, the company opted to establish the facility at National Yang Ming
Chiao Tung University in Tainan.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) has also expressed power concerns. While
addressing employees and officials in Taipei on Wednesday, he reminded Taipei
Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) that Taiwan would need more power to support future
AI development.

"Human labor needs rice," he said. "But our AI labor needs electricity."

Wistron is a key supplier for Nvidia's AI hardware ecosystem.

CNA_JvW

Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control will bar entry to most citizens of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda for 90 days starting on Tuesday
... to prevent the spread of Ebola.

Citizens of the two countries won't be permitted to enter Taiwan, even with
valid visas. Meanwhile issuance of visas will be suspended for Ugandans and
Congolese.

Exceptions will apply to four groups: students admitted to degree programs,
diplomatic or official visitors, spouses or children of Taiwanese citizens
... and those with emergencies or humanitarian needs.

This marked Taiwan's first entry restriction on foreigners since March 2020,
at the start of the COVID pandemic.

As of Wednesday, the DRC reported 906 suspected Ebola cases, including 223
suspected deaths, with 125 cases and 17 fatalities officially confirmed.

Uganda has confirmed seven cases and one death, according to World Health
Organization.

The CDC cited similar measures adopted by the US and Canada in issuing its
own entry ban.

CNA_JvW

The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has raised its
forecast for GDP growth in 2026 to 9.6 percent -- thanks to
stronger-than-expected global demand for AI.

The DGBAS increased its GDP growth forecast by 1.9 percentage point from its
February estimate. It would be the highest annual growth rate since 2010,
when the economy grew by 10.25 percent.

Taiwan's economy grew by 14.6 percent in the first quarter, the highest
quarterly growth rate in 48 years.

The DGBAS also upgraded growth forecasts for Taiwan's exports and private
consumption in 2026.

In announcing its forecasts, it cited accelerating momentum in AI development
as well as strong global demand for Taiwan-made high-end chips, servers and
other key electronic components.

The stats agency expects Taiwan's merchandise and service exports to grow by
nearly 20 percent this year, while imports are tipped to grow 17 percent.

Meanwhile, a surging stock market and wage hikes have boosted disposable
income, with consumption expected to grow by 3.6 percent in 2026, up from the
previous estimate of 2.5 percent.

CNA_JvW

Taichung police have cleared the National Taichung Theater as safe ... after
the venue received a bomb threat.

Police said someone claimed to have planted 10 plastic bombs in the theater
yesterday afternoon.

A preliminary investigation found that the IP addresses linked to the
threatening messages originated overseas.

Police said they're cross-checking the case against previous threats
targeting the theater, government agencies and other institutions.

CNA_JvW