The DPP is slamming an assault on a Japanese commentator that took place last
night...

raising concerns that the attack may have been orchestrated by China.

A Hong Kong national was arrested at the airport after allegedly punching
Akio Yaita, a Taiwan-based political commentator who heads the Indo-Pacific
Strategic Thinktank.

DPP Spokesperson Lin Chu Yin condemned the attack, and called for the KMT and
TPP to stand together with the DPP in condemning the assault.

She added that it represemts the first instance of cross-border repression
since China's new "ethnic unity" law went into effect last week.

Meanwhile, Taipei DPP Mayoral Candidate Puma Shen has said the attack
represents a means of China's trying to use violence to silence Taiwanese
people.

The Mainland Affairs Council has said that the case bore "strong
similarities" to two earlier paint attacks on Taiwan-based Hong Kong activist
Tong Wai-hung's Muay Thai studio in Taipei.

(AH)

As Super Typhoon Bavi approaches Taiwan, Taipei City is stepping up flood
prevention preparations.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an 蔣萬安, accompanied by the commander of the Taipei
Reserve Command, inspected key flood-control sites, including Wuxing 吳興
Street, Dahu 大湖 Park, and the Zhoumei 洲美 Pumping Station.

Officials checked drainage systems, pumping equipment, and emergency
flood-control facilities to ensure they are fully operational before the
storm arrives.

The Reserve Command said it will maintain close coordination with the Taipei
City Government and stand ready to support disaster response efforts if
needed.

Super Typhoon Bavi is expected to pass north of Taiwan this Friday and
Saturday, with particularly intense conditions expected on Friday.

(AL)

A tourist was rescued after nearly drowning at Longfeng龍鳳 Fishing Harbor in
Miaoli.

The coast guard responded to reports yesterday that a man was struggling in
the water near Lover’s Bridge.

They deployed a remote-controlled powered lifebuoy, which successfully guided
the man back to shallow water.

Officers then entered the water and brought him safely ashore.

The man remained conscious and was taken to the hospital for observation.

Authorities urge the public to be mindful of high and low tides when walking
on the beach so as to avoid being swept out to shore.

(AL)

Taiwan shares are sharply down today, with the benchmark tai ex losing 1077
points to close the session at 45479.

The turnover was 1.169 trillion NT

The Legislative Yuan has passed a Criminal Code amendment giving sexual
assault victims more time to pursue criminal cases.

Under the change, the period from the date of the crime until the victim
turns 20 will not count toward the statute of limitations for prosecution.

The Executive Yuan and Judicial Yuan say sexual assault cases are often
hidden, and victims may be unable to seek help right away because of trauma,
lack of legal knowledge, or a power imbalance with the offender.

Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties supported the change,
saying it protects victims' rights.

The Legislature also approved related enforcement rules.

Cases where the statute of limitations has already started but has not yet
expired will also fall under the amended law.

(PB)

The second Taipei Theatre Awards have honored leading performers and
productions from Taiwan's theater scene.

Lin Zi-heng (林子恆) and Hsu Yen-ling (徐堰鈴) won best actor and best actress in
the drama category.

Kung Neng-an (宮能安) and Chang Ya-han (張雅涵) took home the top acting awards for
musicals.

The ceremony was held at the Taipei Performing Arts Center.

The best drama award went to "The Queen with No Name," by Shakespeare's Wild
Sisters Group.

The best musical award went to "Tales of Success: the Return of a Prodigal
Son," by HaoxHsiaoTroupe.

Wu Jing-ji (吳靜吉) received the Outstanding Contribution Award, and encouraged
younger theater workers to keep finding mentors and building resilience.

Jury chair Liu Ruo-yu (劉若瑀) says many categories were highly competitive this
year, reflecting the strength of Taiwan's theater community.

(PB)

National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen says Chinese naval
activity in the western Pacific has increased, as Beijing enters its peak
annual exercise season.

Tsai said July to September is typically the busiest time of the year for
Chinese military exercises... and comes as China test fired a missile from a
nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific.

Officials have identified four Chinese naval formations operating in the
western Pacific, one in the South Pacific, two south of Japan's Amami Oshima,
and one off Santa Ana on the Philippines' coast.

Tsai said these mobilisations represent an increase from the same period of
last year... and reflect an upward trend in the mobilization of Chinese naval
forces.

At the same time, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu said
China's expanding maritime deployments reflected broader strategic ambitions.

Wu said via social media that there's "a clear sign of its expansionism," as
China had deployed more than 110 Navy and coastguard vessels along the First
Island Chain.

We'll have more on this a little bit later on in the program.

Guatemalan Congress President Luis Alberto Contreras Colindres has reaffirmed
his country's long-standing diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Contreras, who is here for a five day visit, said his trip is being made to
underscore his country's friendship, and to build mutual support and
cooperation between the two countries.

The Guatemalan delegation include representatives from eight political
parties in Congress, and reflects broad cross-party consensus on the
importance of maintaining bilateral ties with Taiwan.

The Guatemalan president is here for five days in an official capacity...

His delegation is scheduled to meet with President Lai Ching-te, Foreign
Minister Lin Chia-lung, and other senior government officials to discuss
issues of mutual concern and bilateral cooperation projects.

The delegaiton is also slated to visit the Legislative Yuan, the Mainland
Affairs Council, and the Ministry of Health.

The Mainland Affairs Council says China could have been involved in an attack
on a Taiwan-based political comentator.

Akio Yaita, who is executive director of the Indo-Pacific Strategic
Thinktank, had been invited to speak in Taichung on Monday.

Yaita says he was hit by a man after he delivered his address.

A Hong Kong man was arrested in connection with the incident... he was picked
up shortly before he boarded a flight to South Korea.

MAC said the case bore "strong similarities" to two cases of vandalism on
Taiwan-based Hong Kong activist Tong Wai-hung's (湯偉雄) Muay Thai studio in
Taipei... as the perpetrators fled Taiwan shortly after the incidents.

MAC described the attack on Yaita as the "first case of transnational
repression" in Taiwan since China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law
took effect on July 1.

The Taichung District Prosecutors Office is trying to determine what caused
the contamination of 1,300 tonnes of cooking oil supplied by Central Union
Oil and whether the company should be held criminally liable.

Investigators have linked the presence of a carcinogenic element to
contaminated raw materials or the manufacturing process.

They've so far inspected the company's facilities and seized records related
to production, quality control, testing, inventory, shipments and reporting.

Those documents will be cross-checked with third-party data to determine the
scope of the problem and prosecutors say they will then determine whether any
laws have been broken.

The Food and Drug Administration says 360 companies and 18 products have been
impacted by the incident.

The F-D-A is ordering manufacturers to complete precautionary recalls by
midnight Monday of all raw oils, blended oils and processed foods that
contained at least 20-per cent of the problem oil.

The Keelung City Government is continuing its investigation into child abuse
allegations at a quasi-public preschool later today... with the school's
license expected to be revoked as early as tomorrow.

The announcement comes after the city government disclosed the identities of
two educators found responsible for child abuse.

Lin Chia-ching and Liu Ke-chieh's names were released in accordance with the
Preschool Educators' Act.

City education authorities also ordered that the two educators to be
suspended from their posts and fined the person in charge of the preschool
30,000 N-T for failing to promptly report the incident.

Keelung city officials announced the results of the first stage of its
investigation last Friday... which found that both educators had violated
the Preschool Educators' Act.

Several children were found with bruises allegedly caused by abuse at the
preschool, which is located in Keelung's Qidu District.

The teachers were fined 400,000 N-T and permanently banned from working in
early childhood education.

A mud volcano has erupted without warning near a temple in Pingtung.

The eruption is the second this year, and occurred near Huang Yuan temple in
Wannei Village.

Village chief Chen Yu-yi said the mud spurted from two vents about 50-meters
apart and left some nearby farmland covered in mud, but there was no crop
damage, as the fields are currently lying fallow.

An excavator was used to divert the mud flow and prevent it from spreading
further over the farmlands.

The Pingtung County Government says mud volcano eruptions are a rare
geological phenomena that occur when underground high-pressure gases such as
methane push groundwater through dissolved mudstone, forcing mud to the
surface through cracks.

The volcanoes can range in size from a few meters to several kilometers, with
eruptions reaching heights of several hundred meters.

The mud volcanoes in Wannei Village have erupted at least once a year since
1988.

Impact

Taiwan is bracing for its biggest weather threat of the year as Super Typhoon
Bavi has tied this year's record as the strongest typhoon.

The Central Weather Administration says Bavi reached peak sustained winds of
216 kilometers per hour, matching Super Typhoon Sinlaku in April as this
year's most powerful storm.

Forecasters say the storm is most likely to pass northeast of Taiwan, rather
than making landfall, but its massive radius is still expected to affect much
of the island.

The agency says sea warnings could be issued on Wednesday, with land warnings
possible Wednesday night or Thursday, depending on the storm's track.

Bavi is expected to pass closest to Taiwan on Friday and Saturday, bringing
rain across the island.

Heavy to torrential rain is forecast across western Taiwan, Yilan and
Hualien, with northern mountain areas facing the highest risk of extremely
heavy rainfall.

Officials are also warning of dangerous swells beginning Tuesday along the
north coast, eastern coastline, Green Island, Orchid Island and the Hengchun
Peninsula.

Taipei Transit Police have tracked down a 70-year-old man after he
accidentally discharged a canister of pepper spray at Taipei Main Station,
briefly causing commuters to cough.

Police say the man found the canister near the station's M8 exit and
mistakenly thought it was a cooling spray before using it.

After experiencing irritation himself, he threw the canister into a nearby
trash bin.

Although several people reported coughing, there were no injuries, no panic
and no disruption to metro services.

Police identified the man through surveillance footage and found him in
Taichung by mid-afternoon.

He is being investigated for violating the Social Order Maintenance Act ...

... while Taipei Metro will determine whether additional penalties are
warranted.

(IG)

New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih is ordering city agencies to step up preparations
as Super Typhoon Bavi approaches Taiwan.

Hou says the storm is expected to have its greatest impact on the city from
Friday night through Saturday and has instructed departments to prepare for
heavy rain and strong winds.

City officials say Bavi remains a powerful typhoon with an exceptionally
large wind field, meaning its outer circulation could bring severe weather to
northern Taiwan even if the center does not make landfall.

Hou is also urging residents to stock up on emergency supplies and closely
monitor the latest weather forecasts.

(IG)

Lawmakers across party lines are calling for a long-term health monitoring
program after contaminated soybean oil was found to have been used in school
lunches at 50 schools in New Taipei City.

Following a citywide inspection, the contaminated oil has been removed from
use, taken off shelves, and placed under seal.

The KMT caucus in the New Taipei City Council praised the city government's
quick response in tracing the products and publishing a list of affected
schools.

However, lawmakers still emphasized that identifying the schools is only the
first step.

They urged authorities to establish a comprehensive system covering
prevention, traceability, emergency response, and follow-up care.

DPP councilors called for greater transparency, saying parents still do not
know how long the contaminated oil had been used, which products were
involved, or what health risks their children may face.

They requested that the city government provide regular updates, health
consultations, and long-term medical monitoring for affected students to help
ease parental concerns.

(AL)

In related news,

Changhua health officials say Tai-sun Enterprise has completed the removal of
all salad and blended cooking oils in the county ...

... after a batch of soybean salad oil supplied to the company was found to
be contaminated with a cancer-causing substance.

The Changhua County Public Health Bureau confirmed today that the recalled
products were pulled from the market on Thursday (July 2nd) ...

... bringing the total amount secured to nearly 11 metric tons.

The bureau said the recall follows the Food and Drug Administration requiring
manufacturers to remove affected salad oils and blended oils until their
safety can be confirmed.

Officials added that 150 kilograms of affected products from the other two
companies supplied with the contaminated oil — Fwusow Industry and Formosa
Oilseed Processing — have also been recalled in Changhua County.

(IG)

The Interior Ministry is raising concerns about potential amendments to the
Stalking and Harassment Prevention Act.

That's after DPP Lawmaker Lin Yue Qin and KMT Lawmaker Wang Yu Min王育敏
proposed to amend the law to get rid of language defining stalking as being
related to a the victim's sex or gender.

Interior Minister Liu Shi Fang says today that she's concerned the law may
have negative impacts upon how police officers operate in cases of harassment
or stalking.

The minister stated that some lawmakers believe police may be unable to
determine whether or not the crime is related to the victim's gender or is of
a sexual nature...

which may lead to missed cases.

But she added that the MOI has already implemented training programs
requiring officers to prioritize victim protection.

She emphasized that broadening the language of the law may accidentally
include instances of bullying or workplace disputes.

(AH)

Police have located a man who discharged pepper spray at a Taipei MRT exit
today, causing discomfort for nearby commuters.

Metro police received a report earlier this afternoon that a man had sprayed
an unknown substance near Exit M8 of Taipei Main Station, causing commuters
at the scene to cough and cover their faces.

Surveillance footage showed the man apparently picking up a pepper spray
canister near the exit, then accidentally sprayed it on himself, causing the
surrounding crowd to react to the irritant.

The man then discarded the canister in a trash can and left the scene.

Police confirmed no one required medical attention, and metro operations were
not affected.


Officers were able to identify the man with surveillance footage, and sya
that he was located about 2 and a half hours after the fact in Taichung.

(NS)

The Taipei and New Taipei city governments have tracked down where tainted
oil from Zhonglian went, saying that nearly 100 schools' lunch box providers
used the products.

Taipei city officials said they include 3 kindergartens, 8 elementary schools
and 24 junior high schools.

The city's health officials said although it's now summer vacation, schools
have still been asked to explain to parents how they're handling the issue.

Fifty schools in New Taipei are affected by the contaminated oil products as
well, including 30 elementary schools.

Officials say all of the oil has since been taken out of use, sealed, and
removed from shelves.

Meanwhile, in Taichung, 39 school are also believed to have been affected by
the problematic oil.

The moves came after soy bean salad oil and blended oils under the brand
names of Yi-kang (益康) and Tai-shan (泰山), among others, were found to contain
excessive levels of a carcinogen.

(JL)

The National Security Bureau has confirmed increased military activity over
the next couple months.

This comes just as the National Security Council said on Saturday that China
had dispatched a record 110 ships in the latest round of military drills
around the liminal island chain.

NSB Chair Tsai Ming-yen says today that China has historically upped the
military ante annually from July to September.

He noted that the PLA has currently dispatched 4 naval formations in the
western Pacific, marking a clear increase in what has become usual for the
Chinese military.

The NSB chair added that the different formations are located in the south
Pacific, south of Japan's Kagoshima prefecture, and east of the Philippines.

Tsai emphasizes that the NSB will be paying close attention to any new
strategies that the PLA tests in this round of drills and through the rest of
the summer.

(AH)

President Lai Ching-te says he's requested that the 257 companies affected by
the latest tainted oil scandal voluntarily release their names and effected
products to ensure the public is aware of food quality.

The statement comes after the Food and Drug Administration expanded its
recall order over soybean salad oil produced by Taichung-based Central Union
Oil.

The oil was found to contain excessive levels of a carcinogen late last week.

The expanded recall covers unprocessed oil sold in its original form, such as
soybean salad oil and blended oils; and processed foods containing 20-per
cent or more of the affected oil.

The contaminated batch totals about 1,300 metric tons and was supplied to
Taisun Enterprise, Fwusow Industry and Formosa Oilseed Processing before
entering the downstream food supply chain.

Health Minister Shih Chung-liang says authorities are now prioritizing the
disclosure of affected products and all businesses using the tainted oil,
must disclose the relevant products or face penalties under the Act Governing
Food Safety and Sanitation.

The President of Guatemala's Congress has arrived in Taiwan for a five day
visit.

Luis Alberto Colindres arrived at Taoyuan International Airport about 6
o'clock this morning and was greeted by Deputy Foreign Minister Chen
Ming-chi.

Speaking briefly to reporters, Colindres said Guatemala cherishes its
friendship with Taiwan, will continue to support bilateral relations and he
also hopes to deepen cooperation through exchanges to benefit the people of
both countries.

Colindres also said that he's leading a parliamentary delegation comprised of
representatives from eight political parties ..

... and that fully reflects the unified consensus within the Guatemalan
National Congress regarding the importance of bilateral relations between
Taiwan and Guatemala.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Colindres is scheduled to meet with
President Lai Ching-te for talks on bilateral cooperation and issues of
common concern and will also be visiting the Legislative Yuan, the Mainland
Affairs Council, and the Ministry of Health.

Hon Hai is reporting a 39.8-per cent year-on-year rise in second-quarterly
revenue.

That figure beat analyst's expectations and came on continuing solid demand
for A-I products.

According to Hon Hai, revenuer stood at 2.513-trillion N-T in ​the April to
June period and its cloud and networking products ​division saw robust
revenue growth, while its smart consumer electronics posted "significant"
growth.

Hon Hai's revenue for June alone rose 52.1-per cent year-on-year to
821.8-billion N-T.

That was a new record for the month of June.

Hon Hai says operations are expected to grow both quarter-on-quarter and
year-on-year in the third quarter, with A-I racks maintaining a ​growth
trend.

Hon Hai's share price has gained only 4.3-per cent so far this year, as it is
underperforming the 61.5-per cent overall rise seen on the Tai-Ex.

The Central Weather Administration says Typhoon Bavi is expected to be
closest to Taiwan on Friday and Saturday and there's a high chance that a sea
warning will be issued.

However,its direction could still change and whether a land warning is issued
will depend on how sharply the typhoon turns in the coming days.

The storm is currently located some 2,800-kilometers east-southeast of
Eluanbi at Taiwan's southernmost tip, and moving west-northwesterly direction
at 21-kilometers-an-hour.

Bavi has a radius of 320-kilometers and is packing sustained wind speeds of
208-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 262-kilometers-an-hour.

Based on the weather administration's latest tracking, Bavi is expected to
veer in a northwesterly direction on Thursday and pass waters east to
northeast of Taiwan before entering the East China Sea and heading toward
China.

Independent meteorologist Daniel Wu says the latest European model simulation
shows that Typhoon Bavi has the highest chance of passing through waters
north of Taiwan on Saturday.

In sports news now,

Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei and China's Wang Xin-yu have advanced to the women's
doubles third round at Wimbledon.

They beat Belgium's Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai of China 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

Hsieh and Wang next play Japan's Shuko Ao-yama and Taiwan's Liang En-Shuo.

Hsieh won the women's doubles at the All England Club in 2013 with China's
Peng Shuai and again in 2021 with Belgium's Elise Mertens.

Hsieh and her mixed doubles partner Jan Zielinski of Poland were eliminated
in the first round.

Hsieh is competing at the 2026 Wimbledon tournament as the World No. 9 in the
W-T-A Doubles Rankings.

And finally in Sunday's Chinese Professional Baseball League.

The Wei Chuan Dragons beat the Fubon Guardians 5-3 at the Tienmu Stadium in
Taipei.

The T-S-G Hawks beat the Uni-President Lions 4-1 at the Cheng-Ching Lake
Stadium in Kaohsiung,

And the Rakuten Monkeys beat the C-T-B-C Brothers 4-2 at the Intercontinental
Stadium in Taichung.

Looking at the standings following the opening weekend of the
second-half-season ...

The Wei Chuan Dragons, the Rakuten Monkeys and the T-S-G Hawks are all tied
at the top of the table - with two wins and one lose.

While the C-T-B-C Brothers, the Uni-President Lions and the Fubon Guardians
are all on one win and two loses.

There are no games today.

The Ministry of National Defense says the military has resumed
"anti-communist" patriotic classes for its graduates.

The "anti-communist patriotic ​education" classes were scrapped in 2002 and
renamed 'patriotic education" classes.

The defense ministry has released a statement saying the classes for
graduates from military academies had been restored due to an increasing
military and infiltration danger from China.

The Lai administration is seen to believe it is necessary for graduates to
better understand national security threats and the aim is to establish a
clear awareness of friend and foe.

The defense ministry says graduates will attend lectures by the Mainland
Affairs Council, the National Security Council, the Ministry of Justice and
Academia Sinica.

Health Minister Shih Chung-liang says the decision to order a precautionary
recall of processed foods containing at least 20-per cent carcinogen-tainted
cooking oil is based on food safety guidelines established in 2017.

The statement comes after the Food and Drug Administration expanded its
recall order over soybean salad oil produced by Taichung-based Central Union
Oil.

The expanded recall covers two categories of products - unprocessed oil sold
in its original form, such as soybean salad oil and blended oils; and
processed foods containing 20-per cent or more of the affected oil.

Products with smaller amounts are exempt from recall but must be disclosed.

The health minister, the 20-per cent threshold follows the 2017 principles
governing the recall, withdrawal and destruction of food products that
violate safety standards and was reaffirmed at an expert meeting this past
weekend.

The contaminated batch totals about 1,300 metric tons and was supplied to
Taisun Enterprise, Fwusow Industry and Formosa Oilseed Processing before
entering the downstream food supply chain.

The tainted oil was reported last week.

The Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau is warning that the rapid
spread of etomidate abuse, particularly through e-cigarettes, is a growing
public safety concern for its role in drug-impaired driving.

National Police Agency data shows there were 8,659 cases of drug-impaired
driving in 2025, a sharp increase from the just over 2,600 cases in 2024.

Authorities had already recorded 6,730 such cases between January and May of
this year.

Of those cases, about 20-per cent involved drivers who tested positive for
etomidate.

Some drivers tested positive for multiple drugs.

Etomidate first appeared in Taiwan in 2023 and spread rapidly along with the
growing popularity of vaping.

As of April this year, authorities had seized nearly 850-kilograms of
etomidate, or about 8.5 million etomidate-laced vape cartridges.

The National Immigration Agency is urging travelers not to bring pork or
other meat products from African swine fever -affected areas into Taiwan
during the summer travel season.

542 travelers were fined 200,000 N-T each last year for bringing pork
products from ASF-affected areas into Taiwan.

Many were Taiwan nationals, while 144 foreign travelers were denied entry
after failing to pay the penalties.

Customs statistics show most violations involve travelers carrying prohibited
pork products in their luggage, followed by international courier parcels.

The immigration agency says travelers should exercise caution when buying
overseas souvenirs - as illegally bringing pork products into Taiwan could
jeopardize the country's disease-free status and result in hefty fines.

Taiwan regained its ASF-free status on April 6 after receiving official
recognition from the World Organisation for Animal Health, becoming the only
country in Asia free of ASF, classical swine fever and foot-and-mouth
disease, the agency said.

The designation followed the successful containment of an ASF outbreak
detected in Taichung last October.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau says it has received more than 1,500
reports of fake winning invoice lottery emails in the latest two Uniform
Invoice Lottery redemption periods.

Scammers have reportedly sought to exploit people's desire to win the lottery
as the number of people using digital carriers to store cloud-based receipts
has grown in recent years.

The "Ministry of Finance Electronic Invoice Integration Service Platform"
sends emails to verified addresses registered by users, notifying them of
prize information and automatic remittance options for winning invoices.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau says criminals are impersonating the
Ministry of Finance, or major online retailers and sending winning
notification emails to trick recipients into logging into a fake "electronic
invoice service platform" ....

.... where they are asked to bind credit card information to receive
automatic prize deposits.

The bureau says more than 1,500 scam reports were filed during the March and
May draw periods this year, with total losses exceeding 60-million N-T.

Victims lost amounts ranging from a few thousand to several hundred thousand
New Taiwan dollars.

The Central Weather Administration says Taiwan is likely to experience a
warmer-than-normal winter this year due to strong El Nino effects.

The administration says extreme heat likely to extend into the spring and
summer of next year.

The weather administration's forecast center says, El Nino events typically
peak in autumn and winter, increasing the likelihood of a warm winter in
Taiwan ...

Based on historical patterns, the warming effect often persists into the
following spring and summer, raising the probability of prolonged heat next
year.

Data shows Taiwan experienced its most severe heat between 2020 and 2021,
driven by the combination of an unusually strong subtropical high-pressure
system, La Nina conditions and regional sea surface temperature changes.

Taipei recorded 100 days with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius in 2020,
the highest annual total since records began.

The Ministry of Environment has said it's developing a tiered national heat
response framework that will activate protective measures at different
temperature thresholds for different groups.

And,

The Ocean Conservation Administration says a live dwarf sperm whale stranded
on a beach in Miaoli has been transferred to a marine mammal rehabilitation
center for treatment and observation.

The whale was reported stranded by the Coast Guard Administration near Zhunan
Township.

Ocean Conservation Administration personnel and coast guard officials rushed
to the scene and provided emergency care, including keeping the whale upright
and hydrated.

A veterinarian from the Taiwan Cetacean Society later identified the animal
as a dwarf sperm whale.

The rescue team transferred the whale to the Ba-dou-zi Cetacean Rescue
Station in Keelung.

The Ocean Conservation Administration says the cause of the stranding has yet
to be determined and will be investigated through continued monitoring and
veterinary examinations.

Václav Havel Airport in Prague says that Taiwanese travelers remain eligible
to use its eGate system, despite a change in how countries are represented at
eGate displays.

The airport's clarification came after Taiwanese travelers visiting Prague
noticed in mid-June that Taiwan's flag had been removed from the eGate
displays, although the country code "TW" remained.

In a response to CNA's inquiry, a spokesperson said the update will remove
all flags and move to a text-only display of countries eligible to use the
system that expedites exit from the Czech Republic.

She added that the display list is set to be expanded next week to include
more eligible countries that aren't considered high-risk.

She didn't explain the reason for the initial removal of just the ROC flag.

Prague's Airport opened its eGate system on May 15 to eligible travelers from
Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea ... departing for
destinations outside the Schengen Area.

CNA_JvW

The Taipei City Government is urging residents to prepare for a strong
typhoon that's currently centered around 3,000 kilometers east-southeast of
Taiwan's southern tip.

The government forecasts Typhoon Bavi's influence will be felt starting on
Thursday.

The Taipei City Disaster Prevention and Relief Office recommends that
residents secure items such as potted plants and hanging items starting this
weekend.

The storm's path is still uncertain, but the office says that its influence
will be felt regardless.

CNA_zh_JvW

Taipei prosecutors interrogated and then released a man on 500,000 NT bail
after he confessed to organizing a scheme involving buying and selling
tickets to concerts by K-pop groups.

A judge said the man was forthcoming during interrogation, meriting release
pending further court actions, but bail conditions were set to restrict him
from leaving the country.

The man allegedly hired an engineer to write a program that enabled the group
to buy tickets online under false identities. The tickets were subsequently
scalped via Facebook groups.

Prosecutors didn't release the name of the K-pop group or when the incident
happened, but they did say the investigation lasted two years.

Police arrested the main suspect and two assistants on July 1. They also
confiscated more than a million Japanese yen and several dozen tickets to
Korean and Taiwanese concerts.

CNA_zh_JvW

104 Job Bank says job opportunities are on the rise.

At its 2026 Career Expo, the employment website said that it has platformed
1.23 million job offers in the year to date. That's up 4.2 percent on year.

104 Job Bank says AI and the green economy are the main theme of job ads
these days, with 85% of companies offering AI-related positions and 73
percent offering so-called green-collar jobs.

Some 300 companies are participating in today's Career Expo at Taipei World
Trade Center. They include Tokyo Power Technology, CTBC Bank and Din Tai
Fung.

By sector, 104.com says accommodation and food services has the most
openings, at 248,000, followed by the electronics, IT, software and
semiconductor industry, with 194,000 openings.

JvW_zh_CNA

The Taipei Health Bureau has announced the newest additions to its smoke-fee
city program will be Dihua Street (迪化街) and the Chifeng Street (赤峰街) business
district that runs along the red MRT line between Zhongshan and Shuanglian
stations.

Beginning on August 1, anyone smoking in the proscribed areas will be issued
a fine of between 2,000 and 10,000 NT.

As with other no-smoking areas, people who absolutely must fuel their habit
will be able to use designated smoking enclosures.

The city temporarily prohibited smoking in the Dihua Street business district
during the Chinese New Year.

It permanently designated the Ximending shopping area as smoke-free in May.

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Taiwan's first long-term care facility for cats and dogs has opened in
Zhonghe.

It marks the launch of New Taipei's efforts to repurpose public animal
shelters into animal care and medical facilities.

New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) noted at the opening ceremony that pets grow
old and get sick just like humans do ... and he urged owners to properly care
for aging pets as they develop physical or behavioral problems.

Hou was given a tour of the facility and its equipment, which includes
aquatic therapy treadmills and yoga balls.

The mayor said New Taipei will work with veterinarians to provide free
monthly health and physical therapy classes.

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The Ministry of the Interior has detailed drug seizures in a report to the
legislature, indicating that more than 20 metric tons of illicit drugs of all
descriptions were seized between last January and this June.

That breaks down into 700 kilograms of Class I drugs, primarily heroin, as
well as seven tons of Class II drugs, which include cannabis, etomidate,
amphetamines and MDMA.

Etomidate is an anesthetic that has recently increased in popularity as a
recreational drug. It's included in vape cartridges sometimes referred to as
"zombie vapes."

Etomidate was officially reclassified as a Class I drug last month.

The MOI says a further 7 tons of Class III drugs, primarily ketamine, were
seized.

That leaves more than 5 tons of Class IV drugs, mainly precursor chemicals
used to make narcotics.

The top five source countries for the drugs were Thailand, the United States,
China, Malaysia and Canada.

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EasyCard users can now automatically top up their cards when taking buses in
Taipei and New Taipei.

EasyCard Corp. says the service applies to EasyCards linked to credit cards,
debit cards or bank accounts.

When the balance on an eligible EasyCard falls below 100 NT, the bus fare
validator will automatically add 500 NT to the card before deducting the
fare.

The company reminds passengers that the auto top-up process takes about three
to five seconds. Riders should keep their cards on the validator until the
machine indicates the top-up has been completed.

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The government has failed to secure legislative confirmation of three
nominees for the Central Election Commission.

The legislature rejected Cabinet nominees for a second time ... having done
the same in the case of three previous nominees in March.

Former Cabinet advisor Shen Shu-fei (沈淑妃), lawyer Tsai Wei-che (蔡維哲), and
Deputy Justice Minister Huang Mou-hsin (黃謀信) all fell short of the required
57 "yes" votes in a confirmation vote that took place yesterday afternoon.

The rejection of the three nominees won't prevent the CEC from operating. It
currently has eight commissioners, and though it's mandated to have nine to
11, only a minimum of five members have to be present to reach a quorum.

In March, the opposition-dominated legislature voted to approve four
commissioners that the KMT and TPP had put forward.

Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) noted that the latest group of
nominees had received good evaluations during their confirmation hearings ...
and said the result may undermine public confidence in the legislature's
confirmation process.

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