The KMT legislative caucus has proposed major policies aimed at addressing
the country’s declining birthrate.

The proposals include fully covering National Health Insurance premiums for
children aged zero to six, and providing them childcare subsidies at
40-thousand NT a year.

There’s also an offer of monthly childcare allowance of 5-thousand NT for
every child aged zero to 15.

The combined annual budget for the three policies is estimated 241 billion.

KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-xiang said the cost would be less than
one percent of Taiwan’s GDP and about eight percent of this year’s central
government budget.

Lin stressed that low birthrates are an urgent crisis and should be treated
as seriously as other national security issues.

(JL)

Taichung Mayor Lu Xiu-yan said today TSMC has broken ground on its investment
project in the city, and the first plant in Phase 2 is expected to be
completed in 2027.

She added that the company’s combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects in
Taichung, totaling 7 factories, are expected to form Taiwan’s largest
semiconductor R&D and manufacturing cluster.

The Mayor made the comments when asked if U.S. President Donald Trump's
summit with his Chinese counterpart would change Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Company's plan.

Lu stressed that rven if there are changes, TSMC would adjust its future
projects, and that it would not be Taichung.

She also noted that TSMC's plans in her city will feature 1.4-nanometer
advanced process technology, which is Taiwan's most advanced chipmaking
process.

(JL)

The Child Welfare League Foundation is highlighting the prevalence of
"time-borrowing" practices in junior high schools.

The foundation released a survey for this year, comparing current conditions
with data from a similar survey in 2015, finding that nearly 60 percent of
Taiwan's junior high school students have had classes "borrowed" by teachers
of other subjects.

The data shows that come exam time, subjects such as phys. ed, and art are
often sidelined in favor of core subjects.

In additon, more than 80 percent of students surveyed have taken tests during
morning homeroom, and roughly half have had their break times canceled.

The foundation says students in schools with abnormal teaching practices show
significantly higher rates of severe fatigue, and is calling on education
authorities to strengthen oversight .

(NS)

The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Xin-yi Line, from Xiang-shan (象山)
to Guang-ci (廣慈) Station is expected to open for operations by the end of
June.

The 1.4-kilometer section passed its preliminary inspection on the weekend.

But the Taipei City officials said four deficiencies still need to be
corrected before the project can be submitted to the Transport Ministry for a
final inspection.

The improvements mainly involve station and tunnel facilities and signage, as
well as fire safety inspections, and should be complete in a month.

Officials said the project is considered one of the most challenging metro
construction projects in Taipei Metro history because excavation reached
depths equivalent to nearly 10 underground floors.

As the area surrounding the Guang-ci Station is densely populated, city
officials say in the future there'll be the YouBike system and connecting bus
routes to make commuting even more convenient.

(JL)

In response to increased complaints, New Taipei's Agriculture Bureau said
district offices have already listed shade improvements at parks as a
priority project.

The Bureau said if district offices lack sufficient funding, the city’s
Landscape Engineering Office will provide priority subsidies.

New Taipei city councilor Chen Shi-xuan (陳世軒) said a slide at Xin-zhuang's
Happy Park, an all-age inclusive park, can reach temperatures beyond 50
degrees Celsius if it's exposed to direct sunlight for a long time.

Chen said a lack of adequate shade design for the park has turned it
unsuitable or even dangerous for children and adults.

He stressed that with climate change, extreme heat will become the norm, and
district offices should moderately relax restrictions on installing shade
facilities in parks.

Meanwhile the Agriculture Bureau said parks can achieve shading effects by
planting north-south rows of large trees.

Officials said 11 parks and playgrounds were identified as needing improved
shade coverage last year, and work on nine of those has already been
completed.

Another nine projects are currently underway this year.

(JL)

The head of the Veteran Affiars Council says, Taiwan must build up reliable
military strength as Chinese threats against Taiwan grow.

Yan De Fa made the comments in regards to funding for Taiwan's domestic
submarine program being frozen or cut.

He emphasized Taiwan's key role as a defender of democracy in the
Asia-Pacific region, saying that Taiwan must maintain free democracy.

(AH)

remarks

President Lai Ching-te says Taiwan "will never be sacrificed or traded away"
- as the government and the D-P-P continue to respond to remarks by U-S
President Donald Trump last week following his meeting China's Xi Jinping.

Lai said ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait has long been a
broad consensus and shared interest of Taiwan, the United States and all
democratic countries around the world.

Lai used social media to describe what he called the "greatest consensus"
among Taiwan's people ..

.... including the position that the Republic of China and the People's
Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, that Taiwan's
sovereignty must not be infringed upon or annexed, and that Taiwan's future
should be decided by its people.

Lai went on to claim that his points of consensus "are also the status quo"
his government is seeking to defend, and there is no so-called 'Taiwan
independence issue."

In an interview with Fox News aired last Friday, Trump said that he did not
want to see Taiwan declare independence, but instead hoped to see tensions
eased between Taiwan and China.

Trump also said his administration is weighing a new round of weapons sales
to Taiwan, but stopped short of saying whether he would approve the package.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung will be attending events organized by the
government and N-G-O's in Geneva this week to coincide with the upcoming
World Health Assembly.

Lin is Taiwan's first top diplomat to have visited the Swiss city during the
annual meeting of the global health body.

The foreign minister says he has already attended two events there with
Health Minister Shih Chung-liang.

Lin took part in an annual symposium organized by the European Federation of
Taiwan Health Alliance and a banquet hosted by the health ministers and
permanent representatives of allied nations in Geneva.

The traveling diplomat said although Taiwan was not invited to participate in
the W-H-A again this year, it has never been absent from the critical moments
whenever the global public health system needs Taiwan.

Taiwan's representative office in Geneva, says Lin and Shih also held a press
event on Sunday to release a government-produced promotional video calling
for Taiwan's inclusion in the W-H-A.

The 79th W-H-A is scheduled to take place in Geneva from today through
Sunday.

Lawmakers are slated to vote tomorrow on a motion to impeach President Lai
Ching-te.

This, after Lai failed to attend legislative review sessions on an
impeachment motion against him ahead of a final vote.

The impeachment drive was initiated by the K-M-T and the Taiwan People's
Party ..

They accuse Lai of breaching the Constitution after Premier Zhu Rong-tai
refused to countersign amendments passed by lawmakers to a fiscal revenue
allocation law.

The K-M-T stressed that no one in the Republic of China is above the law and
it is unacceptable that a president elected through democracy who is
unwilling to accept its constraints.

While the T-P-P says the impeachment bid is aimed as being a "wake up" call
for the the president.

D-P-P lawmakers boycotted the review sessions after charging the opposition
with turning a political dispute into an impeachment matter.

However, D-P-P lawmakers are slated to attend tomorrow's vote to formally
oppose the motion.

The impeachment is expected to fail - as the K-M-T and T-P-P hold a combined
62 seats - which falls short of the two-thirds majority required to refer the
case to the Constitutional Court.

It comes as Lai will be marking the halfway point of his four year term on
Wednesday.

The Shilin District Prosecutors' Office has detained the son of television
personalities Sun Peng and Di Ying over allegations related to a homemade
flamethrower and weapons possession.

Sun An-tso is suspected of offenses that include public intimidation,
endangering public safety, and illegal possession of a non-standard shotgun
and imitation firearms.

Prosecutors further argued that Sun could collude with others, tamper with
evidence and interfere with witnesses if he isn't detained.

Sun was seen in a video circulated on social media showing individuals
testing a flamethrower-like device near a riverside area in Taipei.

Prosecutors and police searched Sun's residences of Sun on Saturday... they
seized a shoulder-mounted flamethrower device, fuel hoses, industrial gas
cylinders, a modified shotgun, imitation firearms and marijuana.

Another suspect has has been released on bail of 30,000 N-T.

Sun drew international attention in 2018 after being arrested in the U-S over
threats linked to a planned school shooting.

He later pleaded guilty to terroristic threats and weapons-related charges
before he was deported back to Taiwan.

And,

The Central Weather Administration's Seismological Center is warning that
aftershocks of between magnitudes 4 and 4.5 could be felt over the coming
week, after yesterday's magnitude 5.1 earthquake in Nantou County.

The quake struck at 8:46AM and was centered some 33-kilometers east-northeast
of Nantou County Hall at a depth of 15-kilometers.

It was felt strongest in Nantou's Puli Township, where it measured a 4 on the
weather administration's intensity scale.

The earthquake was caused by the northwestward collision of the Philippine
Sea Plate with the Eurasian Plate ..

Its epicenter was located in an area with relatively active seismic activity,
where long-term stress accumulation and fracturing in geological formations
triggered the quake.

The center says the quake has been regarded as a single, isolated seismic
event, but that aftershocks could still occur.

Data shows there have been 15 earthquakes of magnitude 5 or above within a
30-kilometer radius of Sunday's epicenter since 2000, with the most recent
one occurring in 2021.

The DPP and KMT are arguing over how to pay for weapons left out of a special
defense budget bill.

The bill passed last week with a cap of 780-billion NT for U.S.-approved
weapons sales to Taiwan.

But it left out items including drones, unmanned surface vessels,
counter-drone systems and anti-ballistic missiles.

Premier Cho Jung-tai says the Cabinet is weighing three options to cover
those costs.

Those include another special budget bill, a higher 2026 general budget, or a
larger 2026 defense budget.

The DPP says the opposition cut the original plan and forced the government
to find another solution.

The KMT says the funding should go through the 2027 general budget so it can
face fuller public review.

Lawmakers also voted Friday to extend the current legislative session through
the end of August.

(CNA-PB)

Taiwan has launched the 12th and final 600-tonne Anping-class patrol vessel
for the Coast Guard.

The new ship is named Donggang and was christened Friday at a ceremony in
Kaohsiung.

Officials say the launch completes the Anping-class fleet under Taiwan's
indigenous shipbuilding program.

Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling says the program began in 2018 to
build 141 coast guard vessels over 10 years.

She says Taiwan's coast guard now faces growing pressure from gray-zone
activity, Chinese incursions and threats to undersea cables.

Officials say the new vessel can handle patrol, fishery protection and rescue
work in peacetime.

It can also support maritime defense under Taiwan's civil-military
mobilization system when needed.

The Donggang will be deployed with a mobile coast guard unit in eastern
Taiwan to strengthen regional patrols.

(CNA-PB)

The Ministry of National Defense says it detected no Chinese military
aircraft near Taiwan during the latest reporting period.

The report covers the 24 hours from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. today.

It came as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held
their final day of talks in Beijing.

The ministry says it did detect eight Chinese naval vessels and one official
vessel around the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan's military closely monitored the situation with aircraft, ships and
shore-based missile systems.

Trump left Beijing yesterday afternoon after his final meeting with Xi.

The defense ministry says no flight-path map was issued because no Chinese
military aircraft were detected.

(PB)

Support for same-sex marriage in Taiwan has risen to 54-point-3 percent,
according to a new survey.

The Taiwan Equality Campaign says that is up 12 percentage points from seven
years ago, when same-sex marriage became legal.

Support for transnational same-sex marriage reached 63 percent, while support
for joint adoption by same-sex couples rose to 67-point-2 percent.

The survey also found record support for gender equality education at 75
percent.

Nearly 60 percent of respondents also backed assisted reproduction rights for
female same-sex couples.

The group is urging lawmakers to move faster on proposed legal changes.

The survey also found growing support for LGBTQ-plus people holding public
office and for LGBTQ-friendly workplaces.

(CNA-PB)

The Centers for Disease Control says a New Zealand cruise passenger linked to
a rare hantavirus outbreak poses no risk to the local community.

Officials say the passenger tested negative for both PCR and antibody tests
for the Andes strain.

The case is tied to an outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship Hondius, where
11 cases and three deaths have been reported.

The passenger arrived in Taiwan on May 7 after leaving the ship in late April.

Health officials say the person has shown no symptoms and is being kept under
enhanced health management in a hospital room until June 6.

The CDC says the next week is still important because most infected patients
develop symptoms within 25 days of exposure.

Authorities also say no other passengers or contacts from the cruise ship are
currently in Taiwan.

(CNA-PB)

TSMC plans to sell part of its stake in Vanguard International Semiconductor,
or V-I-S.

The company says it may sell up to 152-million VIS shares through block
trades to financial institutions.

That would cut TSMC's holding in VIS by 8-point-1 percentage points, from the
current 27-point-1 percent.

TSMC says the move will help it focus resources on its core businesses.

The company adds that its strategic cooperation with VIS will stay in place.

That includes outsourcing silicon interposer production and licensing gallium
nitride process technology.

TSMC also says it does not plan to sell more VIS shares in the near term.

(CNA-PB)

Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-jing says Starlink has not made Taiwan a
high-priority market.

Lin says Starlink believes Taiwan's 4G and 5G networks already cover more
than 99-percent of the population.

He says Starlink earlier insisted on operating in Taiwan as a fully owned
company.

But Taiwan law limits direct foreign ownership in telecom businesses to
49-percent.

Lin says the ministry is still communicating with Starlink.

He says Amazon LEO is preparing to launch commercial service worldwide in the
first half of next year, including Taiwan.

Amazon is working with local agents and has not asked Taiwan to change the
law.

Lin says low-Earth-orbit satellite service is a commercial issue, but it also
affects Taiwan's communications resilience and national security.

(PB)

Chinese President Xi Jinping used strong rhetoric regarding Taiwan during his
summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, which is rare in a diplomatic sense.

Xi told Trump that any mishandling of that critical issue could lead to
conflict and push China-U.S. relations into an “extremely dangerous
situation”.

Wen-ti Sung, a Nonresident Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub,
has this to say about Xi's remarks.


Meanwhile U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that U.S. policy
toward Taiwan was "unchanged."

He also framed Xi's comments as standard practice.

(TB)

Several Democratic U.S. senators are urging President Donald Trump to move
forward with a 14-billion US dollar arms sale to Taiwan.

The call came after Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Trump says he and Xi talked a lot about Taiwan, but he made no commitment on
the issue.

He also says he will soon decide on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

Democratic senators say they are concerned the two leaders discussed
Washington's legal duty to help Taiwan defend itself.

They are calling on the Trump administration to formally notify Congress
about the sale.

Congress had pre-approved the package in January.

The senators say Congress will keep backing Taiwan and oppose attempts to
change the status quo by force or coercion.

(PB)

The junior high school entrance exam is taking place today and tomorrow, as
southern Taiwan faces hot weather.

The Central Weather Administration has issued a yellow high-temperature
warning for Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

It says people should watch for temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius or higher.

Weather expert Wu Der-rong says the weather is improving as a front moves
south to the Bashi Channel.

He says eastern Taiwan may see some showers, while central and southern areas
may see afternoon thunderstorms.

Wu says southern Taiwan could reach 36 degrees today, and tomorrow will feel
like summer.

He says the weather will stay mostly stable and hot through next week.

(PB)

Major flooding is being reported in parts of Hualien's Guangfu Township ...
after heavy rain caused rivers and drainage systems to overflow.

Authorities say rising water levels in the Mataian and Hualien rivers
overwhelmed the Madana (瑪達娜) Creek drainage system, triggering floods in
Dongfu (東富) Village and along Fozu (佛祖) Street.

Floodwaters trapped vehicles and flooded several homes, with water levels in
some houses reaching ankle-to-calf height ... forcing six households to
evacuate.

Officials say local tribal patrol teams helped residents leave flooded homes,
while emergency shelters have also been opened.

Local authorities and construction crews have deployed large flood-control
bags in an effort to stop more water from entering residential areas.

The Central Weather Administration has issued an Extremely Heavy Rain
advisory for Hualien County ...

... warning of intense rainfall, thunderstorms, strong wind gusts, possible
landslides, as well as flooding in low-lying areas.

(IG)

New Taipei is fining three branches of the Airelee Clinic group 500 thousand
NT over violations of patient privacy.

City authorities have also ordered the branches in Xinzhuang, Linkou, and
Yonghe districts to suspend operations for six months.

The penalties came after health authorities said investigators confirmed the
clinics used disguised surveillance equipment to record patients inside
treatment and operating rooms.

They say the clinics violated medical regulations and laws protecting patient
privacy and safety.

Authorities add that another Airelee branch in Banqiao could face the same
punishment once investigators recover and review surveillance footage that
had been formatted or erased.

New Taipei officials also say they are coordinating with prosecutors in a
separate investigation involving Glow Clinic ...

... and promise severe penalties if evidence of illegal recordings is
confirmed.

(IG)

In a related development, authorities have ordered two branches of Airelee
Clinic to suspend operations for six months ... also over allegations
involving hidden cameras.

City officials say the Da-an and Nanjing branches seriously violated patient
privacy rights after investigators confirmed evidence of concealed recording
devices through seized footage.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an says the clinics were also fined a combined
1-point-25 million NT.

Health authorities say one branch received additional penalties for improper
fee practices, including unauthorized charges.

The Taipei City Government says inspections targeting cosmetic clinics, gyms,
and saunas will continue as part of a broader crackdown on illegal hidden
cameras and privacy violations.

(IG)

New survey data shows public support for same-sex marriage in Taiwan has
risen sharply since it was legalized nearly seven years ago.

According to the poll released by the "Taiwan Equality Campaign", support for
same-sex marriage now stands at 54-point-3 percent — up 12 percentage points
from 2019.

The survey also found growing support for related issues, including adoption
rights, cross-national same-sex marriages, and gender equality education.

More than two-thirds of respondents said they support adoption by same-sex
couples, while support for gender equality education reached a record 75
percent.

The poll also found younger Taiwanese are especially supportive of
LGBT-friendly workplaces and political representation.

(IG)

Taiwan Railway Corporation says it will add 116 extra train services to
handle increased passenger demand during the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival
holiday.

The additional trains will operate between June 18th and June 22nd, covering
routes across Taiwan, including extra east coast and cross-island services.

Tickets for the holiday period will go on sale starting midnight on the
morning of May 19th — which is this coming Tuesday at early hours.

Taiwan Railway also says real-name reservation services for eligible east
coast residents and their immediate family members will begin a day later.

The operator also announced that EMU-3000 trains on the western line will
temporarily suspend non-reserved seating during the holiday rush ...

... with 200 standing tickets to be sold on the day of travel instead.

(IG)

Chinese President Xi Jinping used strong rhetoric regarding Taiwan during his
summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, which is rare in a diplomatic sense.

Xi told Trump that any mishandling of that critical issue could lead to
conflict and push China-U.S. relations into an “extremely dangerous
situation”.

Wen-ti Sung, a Nonresident Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub,
has this to say about Xi's remarks.


Meanwhile U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that U.S. policy
toward Taiwan was "unchanged."

He also framed Xi's comments as standard practice.

(TB)

A recent survey by a KMT-run think tank suggests that mainstream public
opinion in Taiwan favours maintaining an equal distance from both the United
States and China.

The National Policy Foundation's poll shows that 44 per cent believe that
Taiwan should not lean too heavily towards either side.

27 per cent favour moving closer to the U.S., while only 12 per cent prefer
closer relations with China.

In addition, more than 40 percent of respondents said they 'somewhat
distrust' or 'completely distrust' the United States.

And a majority, at 53 per cent, said they were not worried about the Trump-Xi
summit that wraps up today.

(IG)

The Highway Bureau says traffic has been restored to the number 9 Provincial
road, also known as the Su-hua Highway.

The section between Ho-ren (和仁) and Chong-de (崇德) was shut down as a
precaution from 12:15 PM to 2 PM today due to torrential rain-triggered
mudslides.

The closure means some 40 vehicles got stuck within that section.

Highway officials say the road is currently open in both directions, but it
could close again depending on weather conditions.

(JL)

A woman who was injured whilst performing at an "escape room" business in
Taipei has died.

Her family announced her death today, and called on the city government and
the industry to overhaul safety standards.

The 29-year-old was found suspended and unresponsive at the entertainment
facility in Xinyi District on May 10th and was rushed to hospital.

Police have referred the case to the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office on
charges of negligent injury and negligence causing grievous bodily harm.

The family's lawyer said they will file additional charges of negligent
homicide against the company's responsible person.

The familiy is demanding a comprehensive review and clear safety regulations
for escape rooms and immersive experience venues.

(NS)

June at the earliest

Officials in Hualien County announced today that pedal boats are currently
undergoing inspections and will not resume operations on Liyu or Carp Lake
until June at the earliest.

This is after a pedal boat capsized on the lake during the Lunar New Year
holiday, resulting in the death of a 9-year-old boy.

The Hualien County Government said that they have now established boat safety
inspection procedures and standards.

Businesses - which have been shut down since the incident nearly three months
ago - can apply to resume operations after passing these inspections.

Operators will also have to conduct inspections every year or every three
years, depending on the size of the craft.

It is expected that inspections of all 143 boats plying the lake will be
finished by June 10th.

(JM)

Taiwanese paddler Li Yu-jhun (李昱諄) claimed the women's singles title at
the WTT Feeder Istanbul 2026, a table tennis tournament, marking the first
international title of her career.

Li also reached the women's doubles final alongside Taiwan's Chien Tung-chuan
(簡彤娟), with the pair finishing as runners-up.

The 28-year-old Li faced 18-year-old South Korean Park Gahyeon in the
championship match.

Li came out firing, reeling off five consecutive points in the first game,
and kept her composure through a rough patch to dominate the fourth game,
sealing the match and the title with an 11-2 win.

She is currently ranked 61st in the world and was seeded second at the
tournament,

(CNA -NS)

The Highway Bureau has partially closed the Number 9 Provincial Road, also
known as the Su-hua (蘇花) Highway, due to mudslides triggered by torrential
rain.

The section being closed runs from Ho-ren (和仁) to Chong-de (崇德), and
vehicles are banned from entering.

The Central Weather Administration's data shows that the accumulated rainfall
in Hualien County's Sioulin Township (秀林) has already reached nearly 140
millimeters today and the rain continues to fall.

(JL)

The KMT's mayoral candidate in New Taipei, Lee Shu-chuan, is promoting
upgrades to the senior citizen card program, pledging that the card will
cover medical services, prescription pickups, senior care products, and daily
necessities.

Lee said that the goal is to make the program more practical and better
suited to seniors' actual needs.

Currently, the main complaint is that the card is used only sparingly,
especially amongst seniors in remote areas who do not have access to the MRT
system or sports centres.

That leaves many of the points unused.

Meanwhile Lee's rival, DPP lawmaker Su Chiao-hui, said her six major welfare
policies include increasing the number of points on the senior card to 1,000,
and extending their validity to one year.

The card now contains 480 points and expire at the end of every month.

Su said that the card could be used not only for public transportation but
also for shopping.

(JL)

Taipei's Mayor Chiang Wan-an says the city will complete its smoke-free city
plan by the end of the year.

Chiang says the first phase focuses on establishing negative pressure smoking
rooms and hedge-enclosed outdoor smoking areas.

These will be in two commercial districts in Zhongshan and Ximending, as well
as along Dunhua North and South Roads and Xinyi Road.

This first phase is expected to cost $100 million NT and be completed by the
end of June.

Deputy Mayor Lin Yi-hua also says eight additional negative pressure smoking
rooms will be installed before the end of June.

Lin says the city will monitor the areas' usage rates and maintenance needs
to guide future site selection, and construction costs are expected to come
down as the program scales up.

(NS)

Asian stocks are mostly lower today as investors are watching closely for
developments from the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese
leader Xi Jinping.

Taiwan shares dropped 579 points today to end the session at 41,172 points.

The turnover remains robust, at 1 trillion 314 billion NT.

(JL)

The opposition KMT is urging the central government to include the deleted
budget in the special defense procurement bill in the 2027 general budget.

KMT legislative caucus leader Fu Kun-qi said today that the 2027 general
budget is scheduled to send to the Legislature at the end of August, so the
Cabinet could list needed military equipment and weapons procurement funding
in it.

Fu argued that special budgets should only be used during wartime emergencies
or natural disasters, saying the current military-civilian cooperation
projects are planned over periods of eightyears, making them unsuitable for
special budget treatment.

The Legislative Yuan last week passed a special defense bill worth 780
billion NT, which is more than 400 billion short of the Lai administration’s
proposed 1.25 trillion.

The excluded funding was meant to cover commercial procurement and
commissioned manufacturing projects, including drones.

The ruling DPP caucus, on the other hand, said it supports the plans that the
Executive Yuan has proposed.

Premier Chuo Rong-tai said on Wednesday that he's considering several
options, including introducing another special bill, seeking additional
budget allocations, or expanding the annual defense budget.

(JL)

Cathay Pacific is tightening its boarding procedures starting June 1st.

The airline says it will close departure gates 15 minutes before takeoff —
five minutes earlier than the current practice.

Cathay Pacific says one of the leading causes of departure delays is
passengers arriving late at the gate or failing to show up at all.

The airline says the five-minute adjustment is designed to ensure smoother
boarding and help flights depart on schedule.

(NS)

In world news...

Trump said China has agreed to buy oil from the U.S. as the two nations push
for tangible wins at the two-day summit in a pre-recorded interview with Fox
News.

The interview was conducted after his first meeting with Chinese leader Xi
Jinping on Thursday.

Trump also said that the Chinese president would like to see the Strait of
Hormuz open and free of tolls.

U.S. crude oil exports to China plunged 95% from 2023 to 8.4 million barrels
in 2025.

China’s foreign ministry said today that the two leaders have reached “a
series of new consensus” during the Thursday meeting, including an agreement
to build “constructive, strategic stability” in the bilateral relationship.

Premier Cho Jung-tai says the Cabinet is considering ways to fund key weapons
programs excluded from that supplementary defense budget bill passed by
lawmakers last Friday.

Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee says the options include proposing another
supplementary budget or increasing the Ministry of National Defense's annual
budget.

Lawmakers passed opposition-backed supplementary budget bill to fund U-S
weapons systems, including self-propelled howitzers, drones, and anti-armor
missiles.

However, the bill excluded funding for domestic contract production programs
and foreign direct commercial sales.

The head of the defense ministry's Department of Strategic Planning, says the
decision to cut funding for man-portable counter-drone systems will
significantly weaken Taiwan's ability to respond to small drone swarms.

According to Huang Wen-chi, the exclusion of funding for domestically
produced attack drones and kamikaze unmanned surface vessels will also hurt
Taiwan's defense industry.

The premier is urging lawmakers to quickly approve funding for the High
Mobility Artillery Rocket System that U-S has approved for sale to Taiwan, as
required under the supplementary budget bill signed into law by President Lai
Ching-te.

Under the legislation, both approved and future arms sales must still receive
legislative approval before funding can be made available.

Meanwhile,

The Cabinet says an external investigation team has completed its interviews
as part of an probe into the death of former deputy trade representative, Yen
Huai-shing.

Yen died on March 12 at the age of 53 after being hospitalized with an
unspecified illness at the beginning of the year.

News of her death was made public on March 24, after her funeral, at her
family's request.

Yen's sudden death draw allegations of work place bullying by trade
representative Yang Jen-ni - which allegedly may have contributed to Yen's
passing.

Premier Cho Jung-tai ordered an investigation into those allegations days
after reports of Yen's surfaced surfaced.

According to the Cabinet, the investigation team is compiling a summary
report and it will handle the issue appropriately once the report is
released.

The Kaohsiung City's Health Department has ordered two branches of the Airlee
aesthetic clinic chain to suspend medical services for six months over
multiple violations.

Those violations include the alleged unauthorized filming of patients.

The move comes amid widening scrutiny of cosmetic surgery and aesthetic
clinics following allegations of hidden-camera recordings at several clinics
across the island.

According to the health department, inspections found the two clinics had
violated the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and the Medical Care Act, including
by allegedly recording patients without consent.

Along with being ordered to suspend medical operations for six months, the
clinics are still required to remain open to process patient refunds.

City's health department officials say inspections of 43 medical institutions
- including 40 aesthetic clinics and three municipal hospitals - have been
completed as part of a special campaign targeting high-risk cosmetic medicine
providers.

Authorities say they had received 88 complaint calls and 15 formal
complaints, all linked to the two Airlee clinics and one Dr. Shine clinic.

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a Taoyuan chemistry teacher
convicted of helping manufacture narcotics.

The man was found guilty by the Taoyuan District Court in December of 2024 of
manufacturing narcotics and mixing controlled substances in violation of the
Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.

Two other men were convicted in the same case.

The three were found to have produced mephedrone and other drugs at a
manufacturing site in Taoyuan's Yangmei District.

The Supreme Court's ruling means that chemistry teacher will serve a prison
sentence of seven years and nine months.

It cannot be appealed.

According to prosecutors, the chemistry teacher provided technical guidance
and helped procure ingredients and equipment for the operation.

He denied teaching the other two men how to produce drugs and denied any
knowledge that they were manufacturing narcotics during his trial.

However, the court rejected those arguments, citing phone records showing the
teacher was aware of the drug operation.

And finally, in last night's Taiwan Professional Basketball League play-offs.

The Formosa Dreamers beat the Hsinchu Lioneers 114-106 Game 3 of their
play-off series at the Hsinchu County Stadium.

The result means the Dreamers are now leading the five game series 2-1.

Game 4 is tomorrow, also at the Hsinchu County Stadium.

Meanwhile,

The Taiwan Beer Leopards and the New Taipei Kings meet at the Hoping
Gymnasium in Taipei this evening for Game 3 their play-off series.

That series is level at one win apiece.

This evening's game begins at 7 o'clock.

Trump

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is calling Beijing is "the sole risk to
regional peace and stability."

The statement came after Xi Jinping told U-S President Donald Trump that
Taiwan was "the most important issue" in China-US relations.

Chinese state media reports quote Xi as telling Trump that if the issue "is
handled properly," then "the bilateral relationship" between the U-S and
China "will enjoy overall stability ...

... otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts,
putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy."

Xi also told trump that "Taiwan independence" and cross-strait peace are as
irreconcilable as fire and water"

The foreign ministry here in Taipei says Taiwan will continue to cooperate
with the U-S and other countries that uphold freedom and democracy to ensure
regional security and prosperity.

The ministry is also reiterating that Taiwan and the People's Republic of
China "are not subordinate to each other," and Beijing has no right to
represent Taiwan in any international arena.

Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee says the government's national security and
diplomatic teams remained in close contact with the U-S side during the
Trump-Xi meeting.

While Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Liang Wen-chieh says there has been
no surprising information out of Trump's visit to China so far and the
government will continue to maintain close communication with the U-S side.

At the same time,

U-S Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stressed Washington's policy on Taiwan
has not changed following the summit between U-S President Donald Trump and
China's President Xi Jinping.

Rubio reiterated that it would be a terrible mistake for China to pursue what
it calls "reunification" by force or through any coercive means, and "there
would be repercussions for that globally, not just for the United States."

Rubio said Beijing raised the Taiwan issue, as it has in the past, and the
U-S responded by by saying "anything that would compel or force a change in
what we have now would be problematic, and U-S "policies on that have not
changed."

Rubio added that Xi's requesting that Trump stop selling weapons to Taiwan
had been discussed in the past, but it "did not feature prominently in
Thursday's discussion."

And the U-S Secretary of State went to say that U-S arms sales to Taiwan are
decisions "the president gets to make," and that the U-S Congress also plays
a role in the process.

The U-S and the European Union are both expressing support for Taiwan's
participation in international organizations.

This, after Taiwan failed to receive an invitation to the World Health
Assembly - scheduled for May 18 through 23 in Geneva.

It's the 10th consecutive year that Taiwan has been denied representation at
the annual meeting of the global health body.

A U-S State Department spokesperson says although Washington withdrew from
the World Health Organization in January, it remains supportive of Taiwan's
participation in international organizations ..

.. as the world stands to benefit from Taiwan's expertise and resources to
address some of today's most difficult global challenges.

The European Union's diplomatic service has also issued a statement saying
"Taiwan's participation in international frameworks should be allowed
wherever this is consistent with the rules or practice of the organization."

Although Taiwan has not been invited to participate in the W-H-A again this
year, Health Minister Shih Chung-liang will be leading a delegation to Geneva
to hold bilateral talks with health officials from other countries.

While Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has said he hopes to travel to Geneva to
take part in events being organized by there by Taiwan's W-H-A Action Team.

Premier Zhu Rong-tai has issued a crackdown government agencies on voyeurism
crimes.

The move follows lleged privacy violations involving several cosmetic clinic
chains across Taiwan.

Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee says the directive covers the ministries of
health, sports, transportation and economic affairs - these have been ordered
to inspect cosmetic clinics, beauty salons, fitness centers and hotels to
identify potential hidden-camera crimes.

Lee says local governments have been asked to assist with those inspections.

The Cabinet spokeswoman also say authorities are studying whether buyers of
covert recording devices should be required to register their real
identities, and whether online sales of such devices should be more tightly
regulated.

Authorities are also discussing ways to strengthen oversight of contractors
responsible for installing such equipment.

The statements come afer three well-known cosmetic clinic chains and several
independent ones have been searched and pinhole cameras were discovered in
treatment rooms.

The Changhua District Prosecutors' Office has indicted a poultry farmer and
an egg distributor on charges related to the illegal use of fipronil and the
sale of tainted eggs.

Both the Changhua County poultry farm owner, and the Taichung-based egg
distributor have been charged with fraud and of violating the Act Governing
Food Safety and Sanitation.

Prosecutors says the farm owner mixed fipronil with other diluted pesticides
and sprayed the mixture in chicken coops and cages to treat a mite
infestation that occurred last year... they knew the insecticide is banned
for use on egg-laying chickens.

The farm owner then began selling the contaminated eggs in October of last
year to four egg dealers in Taichung and Changhua, who then sold them to
various local chain supermarkets and shopping centers.

One of those egg dealers allegedly continued selling boxes of contaminated
eggs to downstream restaurants and consumers after the illegal use of
fipronil by the poulty farmer had been reported to authorities.

Prosecutors have requested the confiscation of 3.6-million N-T in alleged
illegal gains from the poultry farm owner and 120,000 N-T in illegal gains
from the egg dealer.

minors

The Shilin District Prosecutors' Office has indicted a former Taipei
elementary school basketball for allegedly sexually assaulting minors and
filming sexual images involving up to 53 victims.

Prosecutors say the man was charged with violations of the Child and Youth
Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act, the Child and Juvenile Welfare and Rights
Protection Act, and the Criminal Code.

The prosecutors' office says the man created Instagram accounts in June and
July of last year and used a female profile photo to pose as a woman to
befriend underage girls and persuade them to send nude and sexually explicit
photos and videos to him.

Prosecutors say the man sexually assaulting two other children in separate
incidents in August and November 2025, and secretly filmed students in
toilets and shower areas at schools and other locations using his mobile
phone between 2024 and 2025.

The Taipei Department of Education says he was immediately dismissed from his
job when the case first came to light late last year and handed a lifetime
teaching ban.

And,

The Taipei Zoo says one of its Asian small-clawed otters has arrived at New
Zealand's Auckland Zoo to participate in an international conservation
program aimed at contributing to biodiversity.

The otter departed for Auckland on Tuesday evening to participate in the
program, which is being coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and
Aquaria.

The program selected the Taiwan-born otter to help conserve the Asian
small-clawed otter population by contributing to genetic diversity through
its transfer to the New Zealand zoo.

The otter is currently undergoing quarantine procedures in Auckland, after
which it will join the zoo's Asian small-clawed otter family.

The Asian small-clawed otter is the smallest otter species and is commonly
found in the wetlands, rivers, and lakes of Southeast and South Asia.

It is listed as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of
Nature Red List of Threatened Species.