Taiwan and New Zealand have agreed on six areas for closer cooperation over
the next three years.

The agreement was reached during a joint committee meeting to review the
implementation results of the Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate
Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu on Economic
Cooperation.

That agreement has been in effect since December 2013.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, delegates at the 13th ANZTEC
Joint Committee meeting discussed the results of the implementation of
previous provisions such as food safety inspections and plant quarantine,
e-commerce and intellectual property.

The ministry says members of Taiwan delegation voiced their hopes that
reviews concerning the agreement's growth will continue.

They stressed that current priorities include small and medium-sized
businesses, trade, and Indigenous cooperation.

The Civil Aviation Administration has confirmed that it is reviewing an
application from Uni Air to suspend its regular Taipei to Hualien route.

The Uni Air application was submitted in June and mirrors a formal request
made by Mandarin Airlines that same month to suspend its Kaohsiung to Hualien
and Taichung to Hualien routes.

The three Uni Air and Mandarin Airlines routes are the only three regularly
scheduled inbound and outbound flights currently handled by Hualien Airport.

The airport does not offer services to any international destinations except
through occasional charter flights.

According to Uni Air, most people traveling between northern Taiwan and
Hualien rely on ground transportation, resulting in limited demand for air
travel.

The Civil Aviation Administration says the Taipei to Hualien route is
currently operated only by Uni Air and had an average load factor of 24.2-per
cent from January to June of this year.

While the Mandarin Airlines' Taichung to Hualien and Kaohsiung to Hualien
routes had load factors of 57.5-per cent and 42-per cent, respectively.

Under the Civil Aviation Act, airlines must file applications with and obtain
approval from the C double A before making adjustments to any domestic
routes.

And finally,

The Taipei Dome will host the opening and second rounds of the 2027 W-B-S-C
Premier 12 in November.

Organizers say Group A of the opening round will be played from November 8 to
12, followed by the second round from November 13 to 15.

The four-team Super Round will be held in Japan.

The announcements came as the organizers unveiled a new 16-team format for
the tournament.

Taiwan secured its place in the Premier 12 by finishing second in the W-B-S-C
men's baseball world rankings at the end of 2025 and will play in Group A at
home.

The other three teams in Group A and the hosts of Groups B, C and D will be
announced at a later date.

The 12 automatic qualifiers are Japan, Taiwan, the United States, South
Korea, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Netherlands, Cuba,
Australia and the Dominican Republic.

Spain, Colombia, Italy and Germany will contest the qualifier in Barcelona on
October, while China, the Czech Republic, Great Britain and Nicaragua will
play their qualifying games in China in November.

The top two teams from each qualifier will advance to the 2027 Premier12.

President Lai Ching-te says a proposed 2027 central government budget will
include 235.7-billion N-T to fund a universal 10,000 N-T cash handout.

Lai says the projected central government revenue for 2027 has been raised to
3.9266-trillion N-T... and that increase will allow the cash handout to be
included while maintaining a balanced budget, which also includes
"effectively no new borrowing."

The president says the decision was spurred by strong economic growth fueled
by booming AI-related industries... and says his administration wants the
'A-I dividend to be shared by all.

Individuals and families will be free to decide how to use the money, citing
uses such as education, elder care, household expenses or spending that
supports local businesses.

The Presidential Office has not provided any details concerning eligibility,
the distribution method or when the cash handout will be paid.

The announcement came after the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and
Statistics raised its forecast for Taiwan's 2026 economic growth to 11.05-per
cent from 9.64-per cent last Friday.

Lai's announcement triggered accusations from the K-M-T that the president
was applying a "double standard" after he announced plans to distribute
10,000 N-T in a cash handout to eligible recipients next year.

K-M-T Culture and Communications Committee Director Chen I-hsin says his
party had already proposed a 10,000 N-T cash payment in May, and a bill
containing the provision had already cleared its first reading in the
Legislative Yuan.

Chen further criticized the president for announcing the cash handout so
close to November local elections.

Chen says when the K-M-T proposed the 10,000 N-T cash handout in May, the
Cabinet had emphasized "fiscal discipline" -- saying budget funds should be
prioritized for national defense, major infrastructure projects and debt
repayment.

A similar accusation was levied at the Executive branch by the KMT's
legislative caucus.

Premier Zhu Rong-tai has refused to countersign the Special Act on Taiwan
Future Accounts, which was passed in July.

The cabinet claims the refusal is triggered by what it claims are "violations
of constitutional principles."

Its also being fuelled by concerns that it could allow wealthier families to
accumulate larger amounts and ultimately widen the wealth gap.

Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee says the government will instead continue
implementing the family support measures it approved in May.

This marks the sixth time since December of last year that the Premier has
refused to countersign legislation...

The K-M-T says Cho's decision not to countersign legislation is further
evidence of the contempt the Lai administration has for the Legislature and
the legislative majority.

The Act requires government to deposit 60,000 N-T annually into a Growth
Allowance Account for eligible children under the age 8.

Children aged 7 to 17 would receive 30,000 N-T annually in the Growth
Allowance Account and another 30,000 N-T in a Future Account.

The accounts would also accept "corporate sponsorship funds."

The government says excess savings are expected to reach a record 11-trillion
N-T in 2027, as the current AI boom boosts exports and current account
surplus.

The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics says the excess
savings rate is forecast to rise to a new high of about 29 and a half per
cent next year.

That's up from an estimated 25.13-per cent in 2026.

Taiwan's excess savings hovered around 3-trillion N-T from 2020 to 2023, but
strong global demand for A-I applications beginning in 2024 boosted exports,
paving the way for a rise in the current account surplus and an increase in
excess savings.

The current account primarily measures a country's exports and imports of
goods and services.

Taiwan's excess savings topped 4-trillion N-T for the first time in 2024 and
rose further to 5.6-trillion N-T in 2025.

The government says excess savings are expected to surpass 8-trillion N-T
this year to reaching 8.4-trillion N-T.

The Investigation Bureau has confirmed that a visiting German scholar
researching China's intelligence services was followed by a Chinese woman in
May of 2025 while vacationing in Alishan.

Jurgen Kremb is now a visiting scholar at Soochow University... he was a
correspondent in Beijing for Der Spiegel in the 1990s.

The Investigation Bureau saying it launched an investigation after Kremb
reported the incident.

The bureau also says the case shows that China has begun engaging in
transnational repression, targeting not only Chinese and Taiwanese people but
also individuals who oppose totalitarianism and advocate democracy, freedom
and human rights.

But the bureau is refusing to disclose any other details related to the case
- citing confidentiality.

The Tainan City Government says its new underground main railway station will
be unveiled next month.

The statements come after Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che inspected the station's
concourse and platforms.

During his inspection, Huang thanked the the Railway Bureau, the Taiwan
Railway Corporation and local residents for their support for the project

Work on the 8.23-kilometer-long, 33.67 billion N-T underground station
project began in September of 2009.

The underground section of track runs from south of Daqiao Station in
Yongkang District, through Tainan Main Station, and remerges near
Dalin Road rail crossing.

Two new stations, Linsen Station and South Tainan Station, are scheduled to
open in the coming years.

Inventions Festival

And,

Taiwan inventors won big at this year's Silicon Valley International
Inventions Festival in California.

They took the event's top prize, 24 gold medals and other special awards.

The event featured entries from more than 30 countries.

Taiwan students who jointly designed "AllerDetect GO" won the top prize in
the Youth Talent Competition category.

The "AllerDetect GO" app is an active health protection system designed for
children, older adults and people prone to allergies, that helps users
identify potential allergen risks earlier and reduces accidental exposure.

The second prize went to a team from the Affiliated Senior High School of
National Taiwan Normal University.

In the general inventors category, Baichao Greenergy Tech won the special
award from the World Intellectual Property Organization.

The gold medal count was the highest for Taiwan since it first participated
in the Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival in 2018.

The festival was held in the Santa Clara Convention Center in California from
Friday to Sunday.

President Lai Ching-te has announced a universal 10 thousand NT cash payment
... as part of the proposed central government budget for next year ...

The handouts will cost the government over $235 billion NT ...

... but Lai says stronger-than-expected economic growth -- driven largely by
booming demand for AI, semiconductors and high-performance computing -- will
allow the government to fund them ...

... while keeping the budget balanced and effectively avoiding new borrowing.

He says the aim is to let everyone share in what he calls an "AI dividend",
with people free to spend the money on things such as education, elder care
or household expenses.

The government's economic growth forecast for this year has been raised to
11.05 percent, which would be Taiwan's strongest growth in 39 years.

Beyond the cash payment, the 2027 budget will prioritize family support,
defense, technology, infrastructure and greater funding for local
governments.

Defense spending, including special budgets, is expected to exceed $1
trillion NT for the first time.

Hualien could lose all of its regular domestic air services if airlines are
allowed to suspend the county's remaining routes.

Uni Air has applied to suspend its Taipei-Hualien service, while Mandarin
Airlines wants to drop its Kaohsiung-Hualien and Taichung-Hualien routes.

The Civil Aviation Administration is reviewing the applications.

Airlines say demand is too weak, with Uni Air's Taipei-Hualien service
averaging just a 24 percent load factor in the first half of this year ..
compared to 80 percent for most routes to Taiwan's outlying islands.

But Hualien officials say air services are essential because the county lacks
high-speed rail and freeway connections.

They are urging the government to subsidize unprofitable routes as tourism
recovers from the 2024 earthquake.

Visitor numbers at Hualien attractions in the first half of this year were
still 27 percent below the same period in 2023.

Taiwan's excess savings are forecast to exceed 11-trillion N-T next year as
strong AI demand continues to drive exports.

The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics says the excess
savings rate is expected to reach a record 29.49-percent.

Officials say this does not necessarily have negative implications ...
addressing concerns over the accumulation of idle funds in the country.

Gross domestic investment is also forecast to hit a record 9.2-trillion N-T
in 2027.

The agency says AI demand has been stronger than expected, boosting both
exports and business investment.

Taiwan's 2026 economic growth forecast was recently raised to 11.05-percent,
the highest in 39 years.

Growth is still expected to reach 6.04-percent next year despite the high
comparison base.

(PB)

President Lai Ching-te says the government is planning a universal 10
thousand NT cash payment next year, so people can share in the benefits of
Taiwan's economic growth.

Lai made the announcement while reviewing the Cabinet's proposed central
government budget for 2027.

He says Taiwan's strengths in semiconductors, information and communications
technology, and manufacturing supply chains have helped drive the economy,
with this year's growth rate now expected to hit a 39-year high.

Lai says the government will also focus next year on family support, national
defense, smart technology, public infrastructure, and greater support for
local governments.

(IG)

Kaohsiung is bringing together more than 150 local brands this weekend for
its annual celebration of coffee, food and local products.

Organisers say this year's Kaohsiung Coffee Festival -- taking place this
Saturday and Sunday at Aozidi Forest Park -- will have a special focus on
iced coffee.

Seventy participating brands will showcase everything from city cafes and
coffee grown in local indigenous regions to specialty desserts, while the
adjoining Shennong Market will offer local produce and handmade goods.

The festival will also feature coffee workshops, where visitors can learn
about bean selection, roasting, brewing and tasting.

The event runs from 3 PM to 9 PM both days.

(IG)

The National Human Rights Museum is launching a series of children's
activities using Taiwanese-language picture books to introduce young
audiences to human rights themes.

The museum says the program combines storytelling, folk rhymes, games,
drawing, and hands-on crafts.

It's designed for two age groups, with younger children focusing on
self-awareness and understanding their surroundings, while older children
explore empathy and respect for others.

The museum says all three sessions, on September 20th, October 4th, and
November 1st, are free and require advance registration.

Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

(NS)

Taiwan and New Zealand have agreed on six areas for closer cooperation over
the next three years under their economic cooperation agreement.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs says the priorities include small and
medium-sized businesses, e-commerce, supply chains, food safety and
quarantine, environment and trade, and Indigenous cooperation.

The agreement came during the 13th ANZTEC Joint Committee meeting.

Officials also reviewed progress over the past year in areas including
digital trade, intellectual property and technical trade rules.

The ministry says New Zealand this year also opened its market to Taiwanese
phalaenopsis orchids and cut anthurium flowers.

Taiwanese mangoes, lychees, pineapples and Oncidium cut flowers already have
access to the New Zealand market.

ANZTEC has been in effect since 2013.

(PB)

The National Immigration Agency is stepping up multilingual anti-fraud
education for migrant workers in Taipei.

The agency recently joined a migrant worker health screening event at Taipei
Main Station, where staff and interpreters explained common scam tactics in
several languages.

Officials say language barriers can make it difficult for migrant workers to
identify suspicious calls or messages.

One Indonesian worker said she once received a call from someone pretending
to be from a bank and nearly followed the caller's instructions before a
friend stopped her.

The agency says face-to-face outreach in workers' native languages can help
them verify suspicious information and better protect themselves from fraud.

(PB)

Tainan is expanding multilingual services at traditional markets and night
markets to make them easier for foreign tourists to visit.

The city government has chosen Ximen Market and Garden Night Market as
demonstration sites.

Both will add signs and maps in Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean to help
visitors navigate the areas.

Vendor signs will also include translations, while businesses will receive
help creating illustrated multilingual menus.

The city is also promoting payment services with multilingual support.

Officials say the program is aimed at reducing language barriers and
improving the overall experience for international visitors at some of
Tainan's most popular local attractions.

(PB)

Police have referred a teenager to court after the teen was seen playing with
a plastic folding knife on the Taipei MRT.

The incident happened late Sunday on a Tamsui-Xinyi Line train heading toward
Xiangshan.

Police say another passenger saw the teenager handling what appeared to be a
knife and reported it.

MRT staff escorted the teen off the train at Mingde Station before police
arrived.

Officers later determined the folding knife was made of plastic.

Police say no one was injured or threatened.

The teenager was taken to a police station for questioning and later referred
to the Shilin District Court under the Social Order Maintenance Act.

(PB)

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che says Tainan Station is on track for an official
unveiling in early September, as part of the city's long-running railway
underground project.

Huang inspected the underground station's sunken plaza, concourse level,
platform level, fare gates, and ticketing facilities today, thanking the
Railway Bureau and Taiwan Railways for their work on the project.

The underground section runs just over 8 kilometers from south of Yongkang
Bridge Station through Tainan Station to about 0.6 kilometers south of the
Dalin Road level crossing, passing through North, East, and Rende districts.

Two new commuter stations, Linsen and South Tainan, are planned for
completion in September 2029 and September 2030 respectively.

The mayor says once complete, the underground railway will eliminate the
overpasses, level crossings, and underpasses that have long divided the city
east and west, reversing decades of urban fragmentation.

(NS)

The Ministry of the Interior is pushing back against media reports that the
government plans to cut its rent subsidy program nearly in half, insisting
the overall goal of supporting one million renting households remains
unchanged.

The ministry says today that the government intends to use three
complementary tools, social housing construction, government-brokered rental
schemes, and direct rent subsidies, in combination, with the mix adjusting
over time as more physical housing units become available.

Officials say as social housing and brokered rental units gradually approach
targets of 250,000 units each, some demand now met through subsidies will be
absorbed by those programs.

Premier Cho Jung-tai also confirmed that next year's rent subsidy funding
will continue to be covered by the central government.

According to government data, rent subsidies are being received by over
900-thousand households nationwide.

(NS)

China Airlines has been named one of Asia's best employers for a fourth
consecutive year.

The airline says it received especially high marks for organizational
teamwork in the 2026 awards.

A total of 330 companies in Taiwan took part in this year's evaluation.

China Airlines says the result reflects employee satisfaction with teamwork,
workplace cohesion and the overall working environment.

The airline says it offers competitive salaries and benefits including
discounted tickets and an employee stock ownership program.

It has also expanded work-life balance programs, including employee family
events, health activities and professional training.

Other Taiwan-based companies recognized this year include ADATA Technology,
Asia Cement, Cathay Financial Holdings and CTBC.

(PB)

Immigration officers at Taoyuan International Airport have stopped a Sri
Lankan man from traveling to Canada using a forged Canadian passport.

The National Immigration Agency says E-V-A Air ground staff noticed problems
with the man's documents and travel itinerary while he was transferring at
the airport last Thursday.

The man was also unable to answer basic questions about Canada and later
admitted he was Sri Lankan, producing his genuine passport from his luggage.

He told authorities he had paid a human smuggling group 10-thousand U.S.
dollars for the fake passport, travel route and airline tickets.

Officials say he had hoped to reach Canada for work.

He was returned to Singapore, his previous point of departure.

(PB)

Kaohsiung's Nibun Chorus has won two gold medals at the World Choir Games in
Sweden, after organizers stopped a Swedish supporter from displaying the
Republic of China flag.

The supporter was cheering for the choir as it warmed up for its final event
in Helsingborg.

CNA says organizers also warned its reporter that the reporter could lose
their press credential if the flag appeared during an interview.

Organizers say the competition follows the "Olympic model," under which teams
from Taiwan compete as "Chinese Taipei" and the ROC flag cannot be displayed
at venues.

Nibun later won gold in both the Contemporary Music and Mixed Choirs
categories.

The choir performed barefoot and wore traditional Bunun and Taivoan clothing.

Taiwanese teams won a total of eight gold medals and one silver at this
year's competition.

(PB)

New Taipei's Sanying MRT Line has completed its first weekday of expanded
full-day service, with officials reporting smooth transfers during the
morning rush hour.

The line began operating from 6 a.m. to midnight on Sunday as part of its
free trial period.

New Taipei Metro says trains departed on time Monday, while staff were
deployed at Dingpu Station to manage passengers transferring to the Bannan
Line.

Officials say most commuters from the Sanying area previously took buses to
Dingpu or Yongning before transferring to the Bannan Line.

The new service has increased overall ridership by only about 1-thousand-500
passenger trips.

Taipei Metro says the Bannan Line was busy but operating smoothly, with six
additional trains scheduled to help handle peak-hour demand.

(PB)

Taiwan artists and curators have issued a joint statement protesting what
they claim to be "political censorship" by organizers of South Korea's
Gwangju Biennale.

This, after the the word "Taiwan" was removed from promotional material and
replaced it with the abbreviation for the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts
at the event.

The statement was signed by 10 Taiwan artists and curators who had been
invited to take part in the art exposition... they also said the foundation
ignored repeated protests from the museum.

They further argued that the removal of the word "Taiwan" was not an isolated
incident, but represents a threat to freedom of expression and the global art
community.

The Ministry of Culture says it had asked its overseas representative office
to continue expressing strong protests to the organizers

The National Human Rights Commission is criticizing a referendum proposal on
judicial caning.

The proposal was initiated by the K-M-T and asks votes if they agree that
caning should be imposed by courts for sexual assault, child abuse,
high-value fraud and aggravated fraud involving multiple forms of fraud, in
order to deter crime?"

The commission says judicial caning violates international human rights
standards enshrined in Taiwan's legal system.

It further adds that while it understands public concerns over serious crimes
and the need to strengthen crime prevention, criminal policy should be based
on constitutional and human rights principles as well as scientific evidence.

The commission also says caning constitutes corporal punishment involving
elements of humiliation and degradation, making it incompatible with
protections under the United Nations' International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights.

The referendum proposal is one of three that have been approved by the
Legislative Yuan.

The other two referendum proposals to have been pased concern the use of
traffic fines and the abolition of the non-nuclear energy policy.

13 lawmakers is slated to travel to to Japan later this month to attend the
Asian Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union 54th General Assembly and 88th Council
Meeting.

The delegation will be led by Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang.

The event this year will held under the themes of inter-parliamentary
cooperation to maintain a free and open economic order and strengthen
regional supply chain resilience.

Taiwan hosted the Asian Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union General Assembly
last year.

Eight resolutions were adopted during that event, including three proposals
put forward by members of Taiwan's delegation.

They included a proposal that union member states participate in the
Indo-Pacific Marine Debris Cooperation Platform to promote regional
sustainability and security.

The Tzu Chi International Medical Association says more than 200 migrant
workers attended a free health check event staffed by medical personnel and
volunteers at Taipei Main Station on Sunday.

The event offered preliminary health checks, including ultrasound and dental
examinations, as well as consultations in specialties such as orthopedics and
gynecology.

The free health check event was jointly organized with the Taipei City
government.

The city government says it began cooperating with Tzu Chi in 2004, primarily
because many of Taipei's roughly 50,000 migrant workers are live-in family
caregivers with only one day off a month, making it difficult to seek medical
treatment.

More than 20,000 visits have recorded since the program began, which each
event this year drawing more than 200 participants.

Sunday's event was the third of four planned for this year.

The final one is set for October 4, also at Taipei Main Station.

The service is open to migrant workers legally residing in Taiwan, including
those employed outside Taipei.

The Industrial Technology Research Institute has developed a noninvasive
in-ear vagus nerve stimulator which it calls Taiwan's first digital
therapeutic technology for generalized anxiety disorder.

The institute says the wearable device stimulates the vagus nerve via the ear
to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with
relaxation.

The device also monitors physiological signals like heart rate variabililty
and uses this data to adjust stimulation parameters.

The technology is intended to provide an alternative treatment option for
people with anxiety... it aims to bring it into practical use within three to
five years.

The Ministry of Health says one in four people here in Taiwan experience
psychological distress.

A Starlux Airbus A350-1000 featuring livery by renowned Japanese artist
Hajime Sorayama has arrived at Taoyuan International Airport.

The aircraft, named "Airsorayama Gold," is at the airport ahead of its
commercial debut flight on the carrier's Taipei-Tokyo route later this week.

Starlux says it is the second plane in the airline's "Starlux Airsorayama"
art project, which showcases Sorayama's signature metallic aesthetic.

The new aircraft features a gold-themed livery and the airline says it
complements its first Sorayama-designed jet, the "Airsorayama Silver."

The aircraft is scheduled to enter commercial service on Starlux's
Taipei-Narita route starting Thursday.

And,

A four-member team from Taiwan has won one gold medal, two silver medals and
an honorable mention at the International Olympiad in Informatics.

The annual programming competition for school students was held in Tashkent,
Uzbekistan.

The four students received their awards at the closing ceremony - standing
out among 375 students from 92 countries and regions.

Students who win gold, silver, or bronze medals at international academic
Olympiads receive cash rewards and are also eligible for direct admission to
relevant university departments or recommendation-based admission to any
academic program.

SEMICON Taiwan's CEO Summit will be expanded into a full-day event for the
first time on Sept. 2, with discussions covering the technologies needed to
deploy AI at scale.

SEMICON's organizer said the expanded event will bring together executives
from major global technology companies and five key segments of Taiwan's
electronics supply chain.

Google Senior Vice President and Chief Technologist for AI and Infrastructure
Amin Vahdat will deliver the opening keynote, marking his first public
keynote address in Asia.

The association said an afternoon session will shift the focus to the
technologies supporting hyperscale AI development.

Guests at SEMICON will include executives from Microsoft, Micron, Broadcom,
Infineon, Meta and Nvidia.

An evening fireside chat will be co-hosted by executives from ASE and TSMC,
with panelists from MediaTek, Foxconn and Unimicron Technology Corp.

CNA_JvW

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council says passage yesterday of
legislation to fund development of the country's unmanned vehicle industry is
going to provide a significant boost to the frontier sector.

TAITRA Chairman Huang Chih-fang (黃志芳) said today that Taiwan's drone industry
already has a strong foundation thanks to the country's advantages in a range
of ICT and related areas, but what's been lacking so far is domestic demand.

He said government development and procurement programs will help to
accelerate drone development, adding that TAITRA will prioritize drones in
its overseas promotional activities.

CNA_JvW

3 Sundays

Traffic restrictions will be imposed around Tamsui's Fisherman's Wharf and
the Danjiang Bridge during fireworks displays on the next three Sundays.

The New Taipei Transportation Department said restrictions will be in effect
from 4-10pm on Aug. 16, 23 and 30 to ensure safety during the 8pm fireworks.

Roads around the wharf as well as the pedestrian walkway extending from the
seaward side of the Danjiang Bridge to the waterfront will become
pedestrian-only zones during the restricted period.

The department says visitors driving to the wharf will only be allowed to
enter through the waterfront's second entrance, and vehicle access will be
halted once the parking lot reaches capacity.

Bicycles are included in the traffic ban, hence rental of YouBikes at
stations in the area is also suspended from 3 to 10pm for the next few
Sundays.

CNA_JvW

Authorities say a woman injured in a hornet attack in Kenting National Park
was taken to a hospital early today, while the search continues for two men
who were also attacked.

Pingtung County's Bureau of Fire and Emergency Services said two men got
separated from the woman following the hornet attack.

All three are mountain guides who were scouting the area ahead of an event.

The bureau said it received a call from the woman around 9am yesterday.

The rugged terrain and thunderstorms hampered her evacuation and the search
for her companions.

CNA_JvW

The government says it's optimistic about expanding Taiwan's share of the US
unmanned aerial vehicle market.

This comes after Washington imposed new tariffs on Thursday.

The Executive Yuan's Office of Trade Negotiations said Taiwanese companies
are well positioned to benefit from shifting supply chains and increase their
presence in the US market.

Under the latest US policy, some larger drones suitable for military use will
be subject to up to a 100 percent tariff, while smaller models will be
subject to a 25 percent tariff.

Imports from Taiwan and some other countries will be subject to a lower 15
percent tariff, giving it an advantage over some competitors.

The office says Taiwan is currently the sixth-largest supplier of drones to
the United States, behind Vietnam, China, Canada, Norway and Switzerland.

CNA_JvW

Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute says it has developed a
digital treatment technology for generalized anxiety disorder.

Clinical trials are under way, and the treatment is expected to be available
for in-home use in three to five years.

The treatment involves non-invasive micro-electrical stimulation of the vagus
nerve in the ear to activate the parasympathetic nervous system.

The device combines treatment with monitoring of physiological signals like
heart rate variation and optical angiography to provide feedback to patients.

ITRI says the treatment could initially be used in conjunction with
psychotherapy and drugs ... but could eventually replace the other
interventions.

It says that after it transfers the technology for commercial development,
anxiety treatment and monitoring devices will likely be sold for home use at
prices comparable to commercial blood-pressure monitors.

CNA_zh_JvW

Taiwan has concluded its annual Han Kuang military exercises, with Defense
Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) praising troops and urging officers to address
issues identified during the drills to further strengthen combat readiness.

The 10-day exercises featured fully operational command centers at all levels
for the first time. Koo noted that units responded to dynamic orders based on
developing threats while maintaining strict safety discipline during
high-intensity maneuvers.

The Han Kuang exercises are aimed at testing the country's combat readiness
in the event of a possible Chinese invasion.

CNA_JvW

Taiwan International Cooperation Development Fund is launching a book marking
30 years of Taiwan's international development and foreign assistance.

Speaking at the book lunch, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Taiwan
has transformed from an aid recipient into an aid provider.

He said Taiwan is now using its technology in areas including smart
healthcare and AI.

Saint Lucia's Ambassador Robert Kennedy Lewis says TaiwanICDF assistance has
had a positive effect in nearly every business sector in his country.


TaiwanICDF says it will build on these partnerships by connecting Taiwan's
technology, know-how and talent with countries around the world.

TB

Taiwan's legislature has approved three of four referendum proposals put
forward by the opposition KMT and TPP, making it possible the referendums
will be held alongside local elections on Nov. 28.

The three approved proposals concern the use of traffic fines, the
introduction of judicial caning as a criminal punishment ... and the
abolition of Taiwan's nuclear-free energy policy.

On traffic fines, voters would be asked whether they want all revenue from
fines to be used to improve traffic safety and subsidize public
transportation.

The caning referendum would ask voters to approve corporal punishment for
sexual assault, child abuse, high-value fraud and aggravated fraud.

A TPP proposal to legalize euthanasia failed to pass. It sought approval for
the procedure to alleviate suffering from incurable diseases and unbearable
pain.

The three approved proposals must be sent to the Central Election Commission
within 10 days,

CEC Chairman Michael You (游盈隆) said he couldn't predict how many of the
proposals would ultimately qualify.

He said if all three proposals are approved, election-related spending would
increase by about NT$1.4 billion.

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The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has raised its
economic growth forecast for this year to 11.05 percent - the highest level
in 39 years.

The stats agency says stronger-than-expected demand for AI is driving robust
exports and investment, while rising stock market wealth is also boosting
consumer spending.

The new forecast is 1.41 percentage point higher than an estimate in May.

The agency has also raised its inflation forecast from 1.93 to 2.07 percent,
citing the impact of continued conflict in the Middle East.

(IG)

The International Community Choir is looking for new voices.

The choir is seeking additional singers, especially tenors and basses, for
its next semester, which begins on September 2.

Rehearsals take place on Wednesdays from 10am to noon at the Taipei American
Club.

The choir will be holding its annual Christmas Charity Concert on December 13.

All proceeds are going to support St. Anne's Home, which provides a safe,
stable place for people with disabilities who require long-term,
round-the-clock care.

The International Community Choir was founded in 2003 as a women's choir and
gradually added male voices, now boasting a full range of soprano, alto,
tenor, and bass voices.

The choir's repertoire includes classical choral works, traditional carols,
folk and world music, jazz and swing, gospel, and Broadway-musical songs.

For more information, go to the choir's website at ICC-Taipei.org.

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan has passed the central government's 2026 budget,
after a record 266-day delay.

The opposition-controlled legislature voted to reduce the originally proposed
budget from just over 3 trillion NT to just under 3 trillion -- slicing 48
billion NT or 1.6 percent off the original.

One of the most closely watched items was 63.4 billion NT in drone-related
spending. The opposition had considered cutting the entire amount from the
budget but ended up keeping it intact.

Most recently, the KMT had proposed cutting the drone budget by around 70
percent.

The KMT caucus said it decided against the cuts after determining there was
no overlap between the drone development and procurement programs that would
result in wasteful spending, which it had previously cited as the basis for
the proposed reduction.

Lawmakers cut special allowances for heads of government agencies by 60
percent.

Spending on military equipment and facilities was reduced by 2.5 percent,
while media policy and publicity budgets were cut by 50 percent, except for
expenditures required by law.

According to the Taipei Times, DPP spokesman Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城) accused the
KMT and the TPP of staging a political farce by proposing cuts and then
hastily withdrawing them -- saying they were misleading the public.

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