ICRT

Posted on 2025-11-06 20:09:13

Taiwan may actually resume the use of nuclear power despite the DPP
government's insistence of a "nuclear-free homeland" policy over the past
nine years.

In a surprising statement, Economics Minister Gong Ming-xin confirmed today
that his office received a report from TaiPower on the evaluations of
recommissioning the second and the third nuclear power plants early last
month.

Gong said he expects the Economics Ministry to approve the report in December.

The Minister claimed that the plan of bringing the shut-down reactors back
online has nothing to do with Nvidia's setting up an overseas headquarters in
Taipei as speculated by the media.

He said the Nvidia headquarter is an office and won't consume that much
electricity.

On the question of whether the recommissioning procedures will take 18 months
to 24 months as originally estimated, Gong said it'll depend on the Nuclear
Safety Commission's review and the original manufacturers' cooperation.

The number 2 nuclear power plant is located in New Taipei's Wan-li, while the
number 3 is in Pingtung Heng-chun (恆春).

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-06 20:09:15

Taiwan's Air Force says it’s on schedule to receive the first two of four
U-S-made MQ-9B 'SkyGuardian' drones in the third quarter of next year.

Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Ching-jan told lawmakers that production is
progressing as planned, with the remaining two drones expected in 2027.

The advanced drones, approved for sale by the U-S in 2020, will boost
Taiwan's surveillance and strike capabilities across land, sea, and air.

In addition, Taiwan will take delivery of 14 Volcano mine-laying systems and
28 Abrams tanks from the U-S in 2026.

The update comes amid concerns about delayed U.S. weapons shipments to Taiwan
— including the F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, now postponed due to manpower
shortages and supply chain disruptions.

(CNA_IG)

Posted on 2025-11-06 20:09:15

The Central Weather Administration says that a geomagnetic storm is expected
to occur tomorrow at around 5 AM ... and is expected to last for a little
over 33 hours.

Forecasters say that an active region of the Sun began sending high-speed
solar wind towards Earth earlier this week, likely triggering moderate
geomagnetic disturbances.

That means satellite navigation and radio communications could experience
temporary interruptions, and some electrical protection systems could issue
false alarms.

Forecasters also mentioned that auroras may be visible as far south as 50
degrees magnetic latitude, which basically means Taiwan likely won't see
them.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-06 17:14:13

The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation says, it will soon require passengers
wishing to get on trains more than 1 hour ahead of their reserved time to
change out tickets.

The new rule will go into effect on Monday.

The company says, that's in an effort to prevent about 60,000 seats being
wasted monthly.

They say there will be specific windows for ticket exchange at each station
to make the implementation smoother.

Going forward, passengers wishing to take an earlier train than the one on
which they have a reserved seat will need to head to these counters to
exchange their tickets if its more than a one hour change.

The new policy will take effect on November 10th.

(AH)

Posted on 2025-11-06 17:14:18

The Taiwan Railways Corporation is offering a limited edition commemorative
ticket set at the Taipei International Travel Fair opening tomorrow.

The event takes place at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1 through
November 10th, and the TRC says the exhibit will highlight the charm of train
travel and promote new sightseeing trains.

The corporation is also offering several special items for sale, including a
limited edition Yongkang-Baoan ticket set, which carries the meaning of
"eternal peace and good health."

The TRC booth will also feature a special photo wall where visitors can share
their rail travel stories to receive a free gift.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-06 16:08:13

Authorities have decided to lift the ban on pig auction, slaughter, transport
and retail starting at midnight tonight, and Premier Chuo Rong-tai says the
government will now focus on maintaining stable pork prices.

He also said all local governments must make sure that all pork stalls at
traditional markets, slaughter houses, pig farms and transport vehicles are
fully sterilized before resuming normal business.

The ban has lasted 15 days due to the outbreak of African Swine Fever at a
pig farm in Taichung last month.

The Premier said today that the Ministry of Agriculture needs to carefully
implement production and marketing adjustment measures to stabilize market
order and prices.

Meanwhile the feeding of pigs with kitchen waste will remain prohibited as
more time is needed to consider that policy.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-06 16:08:13

The Taipei City Urban Regeneration Office is introducing a new elevator
subsidy installment policy, which will take effect on November 10.

The change aims to ease the financial burden on applicants, who currently
must cover the full installation cost upfront and can only apply for
reimbursement after the project is completed.

Officials say with an aging population and some 80-thousand apartment
buildings over 30 years old in the city, the problem of having no elevators
has become more serious.

Although Mayor Chiang Wan-an raised the subsidy to 3 million NT maximum after
taking office to encouage the installation of elevators in old buildings, so
far only 78 applications have been filed.

Under the upgraded program, applicants can now choose to receive up to 50% of
the elevator subsidy within three months of approval and the rest after
completion, or get the full amount in one payment.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-06 16:08:13

Authorities in Kinmen have detained a Chinese national after he distributed
pro-unification flyers and displayed a Chinese flag in front of the Kinmen
County Government building today.

The man reportedly scattered flyers with the message "Unify Taiwan" near the
main staircase of the government building around 9 a.m. today.

A security guard who witnessed the event said the man was carrying two
flags—the flag of the Republic of China and the Chinese five-star flag.

The guard says county personnel detained the man before handing him over to
police.

Kinmen officials say they are investigating the man's motives for entering
Taiwan.

If the man is found to have engaged in activities inconsistent with his entry
permit, he will be deported.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-06 15:46:13

The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research says that TSMC expanding advanced
chip production in the United States is 'likely a foregone conclusion'.

TIER said geopolitical tensions and renewed U-S pressure under Trump are
driving Taiwan's chipmakers to boost investment in America.

TSMC, already the world's leading contract chipmaker, has made major new U-S
investments and could receive tariff exemptions on its chips.

But analysts warn that as more advanced manufacturing shifts abroad, Taiwan's
once-complete semiconductor ecosystem may face new strains.

Still, TIER says Taiwan's chip industry is set to hit record output again in
2025, with TSMC remaining the biggest winner in the AI era — second only to
NVIDIA.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-06 15:46:13

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen announced today that some restrictions will
remain in place, as schools will resume using fresh domestic pork in student
lunches starting tomorrow.

Officials have announced a lifting of restrictions on transporting live pigs
to slaughterhouses starting this afternoon, but Lu says the ban on feeding
food waste to pigs remains in effect.

Lu says the city will deploy personnel to strictly monitor pig farms and feed
containers to prevent farmers from using illegal food waste.

And the mayor also says the city will maintain a one-week ban on taking
leftover food home from school lunches.

She also reminds pet owners that feeding food waste to pet pigs is also
prohibited.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-06 15:46:13

The Ministry of Education says it is actively promoting preschool inclusive
education by supporting professional learning communities for teachers across
the country.

The ministry says nearly 470 teachers' professional learning communities have
been established in the last five school years.

It says these communities encourage early childhood educators, special
education teachers, and related professionals to delve into issues concerning
inclusive education and enhance their professional skills.

Inclusive education integrates special needs students and general education
students in the same classroom, moving away from traditional segregated
special education classes.

Officials say this approach helps special needs students integrate into
society earlier while fostering understanding and acceptance among general
education students.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-06 14:12:13

A major fire last night destroyed about two thirds of the Nan-men Market in
Tao-yuan city, affecting hundreds of stalls.

The Fire Department said the blaze started at around 9:30 PM and while it was
put out about three hours later, it had burned an area of some 3,000 square
meters.

Taoyuan Mayor Simon Zhang inspected the 70-year-old Nan-men market this
morning, and the city's Economic Development Bureau is convening an emergency
meeting to discuss the follow-up assistance plan.

Zhang said for vendors who cannot operate in the near future, rent collection
will be temporarily suspended with subsidies from the city government.

He added that there'll be arrangements for those vendors to operate elsewhere
before the market reconstruction is complete.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-06 14:12:14

The Taichung City government says, the heads of its agricultural and
environmental protection departments have been dismissed.

That follows the outbreak of African Swine Fever in the city.

Officials say the outbreak was linked to farm operators' insufficient
sterilization of kitchen waste used to feed pigs.

Former agricultural and environmental department heads Zhang Jing Chang
張敬昌 and Chen Hong Yi 陳宏益 have vacated their positions, effective
immediately.

The Animal Protection Office Director Lin Ru Liang 林儒良 was also removed.

(AH)

Posted on 2025-11-06 14:12:14

The Central Weather Administration is not ruling out the possibility of
issuing a sea warning for Tropical Storm Fung-wong when it gets closer to
Taiwan this weekend.

The storm is currently located some 2,500 kilometers southeast of Taiwan's
E-luan-bi, moving in a west-northwesterly direction toward the Philippines'
Luzon Island.

Forecasters expect Fung-wong to strengthen into a typhoon in the coming days
as the sea temperatures remain high.

They say there are still uncertainties about its path, but as the storm has a
large structure, it's bound to bring heavy or torrential rain to greater
Taipei, and eastern and southern Taiwan Monday through Wednesday.

On the likelihood of it making landfall in Taiwan, forecasters say things
should become clearer on Sunday.

The good news is that the weather should stay warm and stable with lots of
sunshine islandwide from today til Sunday.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-06 14:12:14

Taiwan shares are up today, with the benchmark tai ex closing at 27899 after
gaining 182 points.

The turnover was 499.1 billion NT.

Posted on 2025-11-06 13:06:14

Labor Minister Hung Shen-han says his ministry is working on the law
regarding the benefits and welfare of delivery personnel and will present the
draft bill to the Cabinet as soon as possible.

Hung says after the Legislative Yuan's public hearing concludes, the Labor
Ministry will finalize its version of the draft bill and send it to the
Executive Yuan and the Legislature for review.

The Minister made the comments today at the Legislative Social Welfare
Committee's hearing on the draft act on the protection of the rights and
interests of delivery drivers and the management of delivery platforms.

He has also outlined the scope of the draft, saying that it will regulate the
contract between delivery workers and platforms, and guarantee the basic wage
for delivery drivers' every order.

The draft bill will also seek to strengthen the platform operators'
assistance to delivery personnel in subscribing to occupational accident
insurance.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-06 13:06:14

Deputy Taipei Mayor Li Si Chuan is congratulating DPP lawmaker Su Qiao Hui on
her run for New Taipei Mayor.

That's after the DPP election strategy committee yesterday recommended Su as
its candidate for the race.

Li says that his efforts are currently focused on getting Nvidia settled into
its new Taiwan headquarters in the Beitou-Shilin technology park.

He stresses that it's much more important than thinking about the 2026
election.

Some local media have quoted political insiders to say that the KMT is
getting ready to nominate Li as the candidate for the New Taipei mayoral race
after the Nvidia land issue has been solved, but Li has declined to
elaborate.

TPP chair Huang Kuo-chang has also indicated that he will run for the
position, and has implied that he would like the KMT not to put forward its
own candidate.

(AH)

Posted on 2025-11-06 13:06:14

Japanese authorities at Kansai International Airport have arrested a
Taiwanese woman for allegedly smuggling a large quantity of liquid marijuana.

According to local media reports, Kansai Airport police announced yesterday
the arrest of a 30-year-old Taiwanese woman who listed her occupation as a
security guard.

Police say she arrived at the airport on September 12th, on a flight from
Bangkok.

She is accused of attempting to smuggle the drugs in her checked luggage,
after a drug-sniffing dog detected the anomaly at the airport's arrival
area..

Officers seized 20-kg of liquid marijuana, the largest amount seized at the
airport in the last 10 years.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-06 09:06:13

Philippines

The 26th tropical storm of this year's Pacific typhoon season formed east of
the Philippines overnight.

Tropical Storm Fung-Wong is currently located some 500-kilometers southwest
of Guam, has a radius of 250-kilometers and is moving in a westerly direction
at 29-kilometers-an-hour.

The Central Weather Administration's latest tracking chart shows the storm
making landfall in the northern Philippine island of Luzon on Monday.

The storm is then currently forecast to either veer north over the Bashi
Channel or enter the South China Sea.

Fung-Wong's impact on Taiwan will be most significant next Tuesday and
Wednesday - when it could bring potentially extremely heavy rain to northern,
eastern, and southern parts of the island.

Posted on 2025-11-06 08:13:13

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

Agriculture Minister Chen Jun-ji says the transportation and slaughter of
pigs will resume this afternoon after officials comfirmed no more cases of
African swine fever.

According to the minister, except for the case in Taichung, no other sites
have reported any outbreaks of the virus.

Chen says the "failure to properly boil kitchen waste was the main cause of
the outbreak" and three conditions must be met for the ban on using kitchen
waste to be lifted.

Those conditions include complete inspection, comprehensive monitoring, and
full legal compliance.

Animal health inspection officials say 53 meat markets and slaughterhouses
have begun large-scale disinfection, pork stalls must complete disinfection
before markets reopen on Friday ..

... while the Ministry of Health and Welfare will supervise the cleaning of
carcass transport vehicles.

The government imposed a nationwide ban on the transportation and slaughter
of pigs on October 22.

Posted on 2025-11-06 08:13:16

Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan says Shin Kong Life Insurance has proposed
a fee for terminating the contract for a plot of land at the Beitou Shilin
Technology Park where Nvidia hopes to build it Taiwan headquarters.

According to Lee, the insurer proposing that the city government pay it
4.47-billion N-T to terminate the contract.

The deputy mayor is describing that figure as being "reasonable" ...

.. saying subtracting the 3.44-billion N-T the insurer has already paid to
the government for the land rights and rent, the difference of 1.04-billion
is not far from the compensation of 800-million N-T that the city has
estimated.

Lee says the gap in the estimates of reasonable compensation arose from
100-million N-T in taxes that Shin Kong Life paid to the central government
and different approaches to calculating capital costs.

The deputy mayor also says the city and the insurer will now hire accountants
to review the various proposals and it's hoped the amount can be finalized
and the termination agreement signed by as early as tomorrow.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an is stressing that the termination fee will not be
paid at the public's expense, but passed on to Nvidia as a rights fee.

Posted on 2025-11-06 08:13:16

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung says the government is still in talks with
Estonia on the "name and legal status" related to setting up reciprocal
representative offices.

Formal talks on the issue began in June, two months after Estonia's
parliament passed an amendment to its Foreign Relations Act that paved the
way for opening reciprocal representative offices.

Speaking during a legislative hearing, Lin said the ongoing talks are
focusing on issues such as the title of the representative offices, their
legal status, and other concerns related to diplomatic immunity and
privileges.

The statement follows reports that the government is hoping the office will
follow the formula of its counterpart in Lithuania, called the "Taiwanese
Representative Office in Lithuania."

However, Estonia is reportedly insisting on using the title "Taipei" due to
concerns about a backlash from China.

Beijing strongly objected to Lithuania's 2021 decision to allow the
"Taiwanese" in the name of Taiwan's representative office in Vilnius.

Posted on 2025-11-06 08:13:16

The D-P-P's nominations committee has selected lawmaker Su Chiao-hui as its
nominee for next year's New Taipei City mayoral election.

Su's selection is still pending final approval by the party's Central
Executive Committee.

She has represented a New Taipei district in the Legislature Yuan since 2016
and he father, former Premier Su Tseng-chang served as New Taipei County
magistrate 1997 to 2004, before it was upgraded to city status.

New Taipei's K-M-T incumbent Mayor Hou Yu-ih will leave office after two
terms.

The K-M-T has yet to announce its nominee in the city.

However, Taiwan People's Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang has said on multiple
occasions that he plan to run for mayor of New Taipei in next year's local
elections, which will be held on November 28.

New Taipei is Taiwan's most populous municipality, with over 4-million
residents.

Posted on 2025-11-06 08:13:16

Former President Tsai Ing-wen will be traveling to Germany this weekend to
attend the Berlin Freedom Conference.

According to the office of the former president, Tsai has been invited by the
Berlin Freedom Conference to deliver a speech at the event, which will take
place on November 10, as part of the Berlin Freedom Week.

Office spokesperson Tsai Shu-ching says the former president hopes her trip
will help Taiwan deepen its relations and cooperation with Germany and other
democratic partners in Europe.

The office of the former president has not said whether Tsai plans to visit
other countries during her trip.

It will be the fourth public overseas trip by Tsai since she left office in
May of last year.

The Berlin Freedom Conference is organized by visit Berlin, the Axel Springer
Freedom Foundation, and the World Liberty Congress.

The conference commemorates the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and brings
together government officials, journalists, business representatives, and
members of the public.

Posted on 2025-11-06 08:13:16

The Ministry of Finance says some 800,000 eligible recipients signed up for
the one-time universal 10,000 N-T cash handout yesterday when online
registration began.

Registration was opened to Taiwanese citizens, foreign permanent residents
and spouses of Taiwanese citizens with a national I-D or Alien Resident
Certificate number ending in zero or one at 8AM on Wednesday.

Registration will continue in stages through Sunday.

Those whose I-D numbers end in two or three can register today, followed by
numbers four or five tomorrow, six or seven on Saturday, and eight or nine on
Sunday.

Registration will be open to all eligible individuals from next Monday
through April 30 of next year.

While the option to modify and verify information will be available on the
dedicated website starting on November 13.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs says those who complete registration before
November 11 will receive the payment between November 11 and November 12.

While individuals who register on or after November 11 will get the universal
10,000 N-T cash payment within two business days.

The cash handout can also be collected without online registration, either
through A-T-Ms starting November 17 or at post offices beginning on November
24.

Posted on 2025-11-06 06:49:13

participation

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung says the government will launch unspecified
"countermeasures" against China...

this, after Beijing laid down certain guidelines for Taiwan's participation
in next year's APEC events which take place in Shenzhen.

Earlier this week, China said Taiwan's participation in APEC activities was
contingent on its compliance with the 'one China' principle.

Lin said China had previously provided written assurances that it would
support Taiwan's equal participation at the event and protect the safety of
all participants ..

.. but China's latest comments have raised an "extra condition" for Taiwan's
participation.

The foreign minister says the government will work with its allies to
safeguard Taiwan's right to participate in the conference.

Meanwhile, the U-S State Department has also responded to China's guidelines
for Taiwan's APEC participation ..

... with a spokesperson saying Washington will "continue to press Beijing for
security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when
attending APEC meetings in China."

Posted on 2025-11-06 06:49:17

A nominee for top position within the U-S Department of Defense says the
Pentagon is working to expedite the delivery of 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense
Systems to Taiwan.

Austin J. Dahmer told a U-S Senate Armed Services committee that he had
visited the Harpoon production line in Missouri to understand broader
challenges facing the U-S defense industrial base ..

.. and the Pentagon is "working very urgently and expeditiously" to ensure
that Taiwan has the capabilities needed for self-defense.

The U-S Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the sale of the Harpoon
Coastal Defense Systems to Taiwan in 2020.

Dahmer is a nominee for assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans
and forces.

He also told the committee hearing that the U-S strategy of denial
complements Taiwan's plans for layered defense by providing combat-capable
forces on operationally relevant timelines, to provide a strong local defense
would be challenging to dislodge.

However, he also stressed that Taiwan needs to significantly increasing its
defense spending and rapidly acquire the appropriate weapons and systems
needed to deter aggression from China.

Posted on 2025-11-06 06:49:17

The D-P-P legislative caucus says a recent survey reflect a majority of
respondents opposing efforts by the K-M-T and the Taiwan People's Party to
end annual cuts to civil servant pensions.

The survey was conducted by the D-P-P.

D-P-P lawmaker Wu Si-yao said 59.7-per cent of respondents supported
continuing pension reforms initiated by the D-P-P in 2016, while only
31.7-per cent thought they should be stopped.

Wu says stopping reforms will exacerbate inequality between active and
retired workers, civil servants and workers receiving labor, farmer and
national pensions.

Civil servants have been subject to 1.5-per cent annual income replacement
ratio cuts since 2020.

That is slated to continue through to 2029, cutting the ratio by 15-per cent.

However, the K-M-T has submitted a series of bills aimed at ending many of
the pension reforms including stopping annual cuts and requiring civil
servant pensions to be adjusted for inflation.

The K-M-T legislative caucus has placed the bills at the top of its priority
for the current legislative session.

Posted on 2025-11-06 06:49:18

Malaysian rapper Namewee has been detained as part of an investigation by
police in Kuala Lumpur into the death of Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh.

Namewee surrendered to police early yesterday and has placed under remand for
six days.

His detention comes after law enforcement authorities in the Malaysian
capital reclassified Hsieh's death as a murder following the discovery of
unspecified new evidence.

The case was originally investigated as a sudden death

Hsieh was found dead at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur last month.

Reports have been claiming she was in the city working on a video project
with the rapper.

According to police, Namewee was the last person seen with her before her
death.

Namewee became known in Taiwan in 2021 after releasing a song Taiwan-based
Australian singer Kimberley Chen that poked fun at Chinese nationalists and
touched on Taiwan's sovereignty.

Posted on 2025-11-06 06:49:18

The Formosat-8 satellite is scheduled to be sent into space at 2:18AM Taiwan
time on November 11 for the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

It will be carried into orbit by a rocket on the Transporter-15 mission.

The satellite has been named after late Taiwanese documentary director, Ji
Bo-lin - who was known for recording Taiwan through aerial imagery.

It will be the first of eight satellites to make up the first Taiwan-made
satellite constellation.

The satellite was developed by the Taiwan Space Agency and has a resolution
of under one meter, which is improvement over the currently orbiting
Formosat-5, allowing for clearer Earth observations.

The constellation setup will also enable more frequent data collection.

According to the space agency, the satellite is equipped with a weather probe
developed by the National Cheng Kung University.

The launch will be livestreamed on the space agency's Facebook and YouTube
pages.

Posted on 2025-11-06 06:49:18

Health experts here are calling for stronger government action to curb the
spread of early-onset diabetes.

A 2024 study released by the Taiwanese Association of Diabetes Educators
shows diabetes among Taiwanese under 40 rose by 25 percent between 2016 and
2020.

It identified unhealthy lifestyles -- including high-sugar diets and lack of
exercise -- as driving the rise among young people.

As proof, experts cited local studies showing that about 70 percent of
bottled drinks sold in Taiwan are "high-sugar" products, with 41.6 percent
exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended limit of 25 grams of
sugar per serving.

The group urged the government to learn from the experience of the United
Kingdom, South Africa, and Singapore by introducing mandatory nutrition
warning labels, expanding health education in schools and communities, and
raising the sugar tax.

Posted on 2025-11-06 06:49:18

And,

A 67-year-old man has been reunited with seven gold bars worth an estimated
5-million N-T after they were found in a park in Miaoli City.

City officials say the gold was left in a flowerbed near the Martyrs' Shrine
Plaza in Maoli-shan Park.

Staff at the park then retrieved the gold bars along with 60,000 N-T in bills
and more than 10,000 Reminbi in cash.

They also found an insurance certificate at the scene, which led police to a
jewelry store, which confirmed that the man had purchased the gold bars in
August.

Police say the man explained he spent the previous night sleeping in the park
and had forgotten to take his valuables with him when he left.

The man also told police that he carried the gold and cash with him because
he was worried they might be stolen if he left them at home.

Posted on 2025-11-05 19:59:13

Agriculture Minister Chen Chun-chi announced that Taiwan is lifting its
nationwide ban on live pig movement and slaughter.

That means ... starting at noon tomorrow, live pigs can be transported across
the country.

... And pig auctions, slaughter, and carcass transport will resume on Friday.

The restrictions were imposed after Taiwan confirmed its first case of
African Swine Fever at a pig farm in Taichung's Wuqi District.

Officials say the outbreak was limited to that single farm and is now under
control.

Premier Cho Jung-tai said markets are expected to start offering fresh pork
this Saturday, after auction, transport, and slaughter processes are
completed.

However, feeding pigs with kitchen waste remains banned until inspection,
monitoring, and regulatory measures are fully in place.

Authorities also announced that support programs for farmers and industry
workers will re-open on November 7th.

The government stressed that strict biosecurity measures will continue to
protect Taiwan's pork industry.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-05 19:59:15

The Transport Ministry says it expects to begin enforcing stricter penalties
for unlicensed driving in the first half of next year.

The newly-amended Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act has raised fines
for those caught driving without a valid license.

Motorcyclists can now be fined up to 36 thousand NT, while car drivers face
fines of up to 60 thousand NT.

Vehicles will also be impounded on the spot, and their license plates
suspended.

Repeat offenders within ten years will face even steeper penalties, with no
upper limit in fines for those caught three or more times.

According to police statistics, unlicensed driving caused over 760 deaths and
nearly 78 thousand injuries in 2023—far exceeding fatalities linked to drunk
driving.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-05 19:59:15

Diabetes rates among young adults in Taiwan are on the rise — and experts
say unhealthy eating habits are a major contributing factor.

According to the Taiwan Association of Diabetes Educators, more than 2.5
million people in Taiwan now live with diabetes, with over 20 percent
diagnosed before age 50.

Researchers warn the disease is no longer limited to middle-aged and older
adults.

High-sugar diets, frequent dining out, and lack of exercise are driving the
trend.

Nutritionists note that even so-called 'low-sugar' bubble tea drinks often
contain excessive sugar — nearly 30 percent of those labeled as 'three-parts
sugar' exceed recommended limits.

Health experts are urging the government to adopt stronger sugar-reduction
measures, such as clearer nutrition labels, higher taxes on sugary drinks,
and public education campaigns similar to those in Singapore and the U-K.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-05 17:26:13

Deputy Taipei Mayor Lee Szu-chuan (李四川) says Shin Kong Life Insurance is
asking the city for 4.47 billion NT to end its land-use rights for two plots
in the Beitou–Shilin Technology Park.

Those sites are slated to become the home of Nvidia's Taiwan headquarters.

Lee says the amount seems reasonable, and both sides hope to sign the
termination agreement this Friday.

The city will reimburse Shin Kong Life 3.4 billion NT for its original
land-use rights and pay an additional one billion NT.

Lee says that gap is mainly due to tax payments the company made to the
central government and differences in financing cost calculations between
both parties.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an told the city council the payout will come from the land
premium paid by Nvidia — so taxpayers won't have to foot the bill.

Once the deal is signed, the city will cancel the land rights and begin
reviewing Nvidia's investment and development plans.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-05 17:26:16

Forward Alliance founder Wu Yi Nong says, his work to establish and build the
think tank over the past 5 years have been part of efforts to build the
foundation to run for mayor.

That's after the former National Security Council member submitted an
interest form on Friday to become the DPP's mayoral nominee in Taipei City.

In an interview today, Wu touted his organization's achievement at having
provided nearly 30,000 civilians with first aid knowledge.

Wu also responded to criticism that he lacked political experience, having
twice lost legislative elections to KMT candidates.

He noted that former President Tsai Ing-wen had no electoral wins under her
belt before she was elected to the nation's highest office.

Wu further stated that he believes voters care most about a candidate's
viewpoints, ability, and trusthworthiness.

Although Wu has made clear his interest to run for the position, it's still
not clear who the DPP nominee will be.

(AH)

Posted on 2025-11-05 17:26:16

The US' Pentagon is working urgently to expedite the delivery of 100 Harpoon
Coastal Defense Systems to Taiwan.

Austin Dahmer, a nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for strategy,
plans and forces, was asked about the progress of the Harpoon missile systems
sale at a Senate hearing.

Dahmer said he had visited the Harpoon production line in Missouri to
understand broader challenges facing the U.S. defense industrial base.

Regarding Taiwan's Harpoon order, he said the Pentagon is "working very
urgently and expeditiously" to ensure that Taiwan has the capabilities needed
for self-defense.

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the sale of 100
Harpoon systems to Taiwan in 2020.

(CNA)

Posted on 2025-11-05 16:10:13

The central government is pushing back on the opposition parties' proposals
of stopping the annual reduction of pension payment for civil servants,
saying it would undermine the positive effects of pension reform.

The Ministry of Civil Service said from the perspective of sustainable fund
operation, the reform should continue, adding that stopping it would cause
the pension funds to run out sooner.

Because of the pension reform, the Ministry said the depletion years for the
public and teaching staff retirement funds were pushed back by 18 years to
2049, and by 15 years to 2045, respectively.

MOCS Minister Shi Neng-jie (施能傑) said if the Legislative Yuan passes the
proposals, the depletion years will be advanced again, affecting all
incumbent personnel and retirees.

Shi also said the savings generated over the past 7 years from the reform, at
259 billion NT, have been injected back into the fund.

Meanwhile the Examination Yuan noted that the pension reform includes a
review mechanism, and adjustments have already been made twice due to
inflation.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-05 16:10:13

Families

Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) says the government is still evaluating
a proposal to relax rules for hiring foreign domestic helpers, including
potentially allowing families with just one child to hire one.

Recent media reports suggested that the related policy and supplementary
measures could be announced by the end of the year.

But speaking at an event in Taipei today, Hung says the entire package of
measures is under evaluation, and there is no specific timetable for an
announcement.

The proposal was first raised by President Lai Ching-te, and is aimed at
increasing the female labor force participation rate.

Hung also says the ministry is assessing proposed changes to a monthly fee
paid by employers of migrant workers, but such adjustments have not been
finalized.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-05 14:19:13

The opposition KMT and TPP have joined forces in their proposals to halt the
annual reduction of pension payment and the income replacement rate for civil
servants and teachers.

The TPP expressed their support for the proposal yesterday and brought
forward its own version of the amendments to the Retirement and Severance
Compensation laws for those workers.

The laws were changed 7 years ago under President Tsai's pension reform
policy.

Local news media expect the draft bills to be passed into law next month
since the blue and white parties hold a majority in the legislature.

Today is the first day that the Legislative Judicial Committee starts
reviewing the 26 different proposals on the same issue.

Meanwhile the ruling DPP is calling on the public to voice their support for
the pension reform, which has lasted 7 years, saying as the pension fund
deficit grows larger, the government will ultimately bear the burden.

They say that means the cost will shift to all taxpayers.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-05 14:19:13

Officials are raising concerns over China hosting next year's APEC summit.

China's Foreign Affairs Ministry said on Monday that Taiwan's participation
in the annual summit in Shenzhen, Guang-dong Province, rests on its
compliance with the "one China" principle.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung says that Taiwan will coordinate with
like-minded partners to ensure equal treatment and to oppose China's new
conditions.

He emphasized that, when China applied to host the conference, it assured
that Taiwan could participate in a capacity equal to other countries.

Meanwhile Finance Minister Zhuang Cui Yun says that Taiwan's equal treatment
at next year's conference must be ensured.

The Chinese foreign ministry is dismissing safety concerns raised by
Taiwanese officials.

(AH)

Posted on 2025-11-05 14:19:13

Taiwan shares are down today, with the benchmark Tai ex losing 399 points to
end the session at 27717.

The turnover was 589.4 billion NT.

Posted on 2025-11-05 13:07:13

Deputy Taipei Mayor Li Si-chuan said today that Taipei city is expected to
pay Shin Kong Life Insurance 4.5 billion NT at most to terminate the contract
of land-use rights for 2 pieces of land that Nvidia needs.

Li said the amount was calculated by the city's Legal Affairs and the Land
Administration Department in consultations with the insurance company.

He noted that Shin Kong will send them an official letter confirming the sum
today, and city will then deliver it to the City Council for approval after
getting it notarized.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an also said the contract termination procedures with
Shin Kong are expected to be completed this month.

Chiang said after Nvidia submits its investment proposal, the city government
will begin the administrative procedures for a special ground lease, with
the goal of signing the contract with the company early next year.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-05 13:07:18

The Hualien County government says, temporary homes for people left homeless
by last year's earthquake will be ready next month.

The April 3rd, 2024 quake damaged dozens of buildings in Hualien County to
the point of unlivable or potentially dangerous conditions.

The government offered residents rental subsidies and short term rental
options.

But now, the local government, Tzu Chi, and the Red Cross have collaborated
to construct homes in Hualien City for affected residents.

Those in need will be able to sign contracts as soon as this month, and move
in in December.

The local government says, it hopes that affected residents can return to
normalcy as quickly as possible.

(AH)

Posted on 2025-11-05 11:06:13

The Tai-Ex tumbled in early trading this morning as investors reacted to
losses for same big tech companies on Wall Street overnight.

Those companies included Nvidia - which fell 3.8-per cent.

The main board lost 685-points to fall below the 28,000-point mark as it hit
27,431.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing saw its share price drop by 2.9-per cent
as it moved back to below 1,500 N-T mark to hit 1,460 N-T.

Hon Hai, MediaTek, and Delta Electronics all fell by about 2-per cent, while
artificial intelligence development related stocks including Wistron, Quanta
and Uni-micron also all declined in early trading.

Analysts say after a recent strong showing among electronics stocks due to
the A-I boom, investors are turning cautious over high tech valuations and
seized on the U-S losses overnight to dump their holdings - and T-S-M-C was
their major target.

Posted on 2025-11-05 11:06:13

And,

The African Swine Fever Forward Command Center is set to decide whether to
lift the nationwide ban on the transportation and slaughtering of pigs
initiated to counter the recent African swine fever outbreak in the coming
couple of hours.

The 15 day ban was imposed on October 22 and could be lifted on Friday.

The center will meet at noon when it will make a decision depending on the
status of the outbreak.

However, officials are stressing that the ban on feeding pigs with food waste
will remain until preconditions put forward by the Ministry of Agriculture
are met regardless of the center's decision.

Posted on 2025-11-05 08:14:13

In news from and about Taiwan this morning ...

Premier Cho Jung-tai says the government will decide later today whether to
lift the nationwide ban on the transportation and slaughtering of pigs
initiated to counter the recent African swine fever outbreak.

The 15 day ban was imposed on October 22 and could be lifted on Friday.

According to Cho, the African Swine Fever Forward Command Center will make a
decision at noon concerning the status of the outbreak and the lifting of the
ban on the transportation and slaughtering of pigs.

However, Cho says the ban on feeding pigs with food waste will remain until
preconditions put forward by the Ministry of Agriculture are met regardless
of the center's decision.

Posted on 2025-11-05 08:14:14

The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office has detained 25 suspects and seized
more than 4.5-billion N-T in assets linked to the Cambodia-based Prince
Holding Group.

The arrests and seizures come after United States sanctioned the Prince
Holding Group last month for transnational fraud and money laundering
involving Taiwan nationals and companies.

The group was led by China-born Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi and allegedly
operated large-scale online scams in Cambodia and laundered the illicit
proceeds through shell companies and business networks spanning multiple
countries.

U-S federal prosecutors indicted Chen and his associates on October 8.

While the U-S Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control later
added three Taiwan nationals and nine Taiwan-registered companies to its
sanctions list.

According to the prosecutors office, it formed a task force on October 15 to
trace the group's financial flows and assets in Taiwan.

Authorities carried out 47 simultaneous raids on the homes and offices of
senior members of the Prince Group and related firms in Taipei and 25
suspects were detained, and 10 witnesses were summoned for questioning.

Eighteen real estate properties worth 3.8-billion N-T, 26 luxury vehicles
valued at 477.5-million N-T and 60 bank accounts holding 235.8-million were
confiscated.

Posted on 2025-11-05 08:14:15

The Centers for Disease Control says although the flu epidemic period is
likely to end this week, cases are expected to rise again next month and that
could be more serious than the current wave.

According to the C-D-C, 106,829 flu-related outpatient visits were recorded
during the week on October 26 to November 1 - a decline of 4.9-per cent from
the previous week.

C-D-C Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui says that 10.4-per cent of last
week's hospital visits were at emergency rooms, which is lower than the
epidemic threshold of 11-per cent ..

.. and health officials expect that number to be below the threshold again
this week, meaning the epidemic period has ended.

However, Tseng is warning that as temperatures fall, the next wave of
infections is expected to be more serious.

The C-D-C is advising those at high risk of developing serious illness from
flu to get vaccinated as soon as possible

Data shows that more than 4.77-million doses of government-funded flu
vaccines had been administered since the start of the current flu season on
October 1 - and fewer than 2-million remain in stock.

Posted on 2025-11-05 08:14:15

The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation says its ridership reached
7.352-million passengers in October - setting a new monthly record as travel
demand surged during three consecutive long weekends.

According to the company, extended holidays for the Mid-Autumn Festival
National Day, and Retrocession Day spurred a significant rise in passenger
traffic, as many people took the opportunity to travel or visit family.

Average daily ridership in October stood at 237,000 - up by about 11-per cent
from the 2024 full-year average of 214,000, and 7.4-per cent higher than the
January to September average of 221,000.

During the long weekends, average daily ridership reached 262,000 for the
Mid-Autumn break, 250,000 for National Day, and 261,000 for Retrocession Day.

The high speed rail operator says it expects strong demand during holidays
and peak travel seasons to continue until the new-generation trains enter
service and expand its fleet of trains in mid-2027.

Posted on 2025-11-05 08:14:15

The 2025 Taiwan Creative Content Fest is underway in Taipei.

The opening day saw the launch of two investment funds totaling over
1.5-billion N-T.

One of the funds was established by South Korean entertainment giant C-J
E-N-M and T-V-B-S.

Called the Taiwan-Korea Entertainment and Cultural Content Fund, it's aimed
at backing co-productions between Taiwan and South Korea and their global
releases and helping Taiwan's entertainment industry better connect with
international markets.

The other fund was established in partnership with the Taiwan Creative
Content Agency and Far EasTone Telecommunications.

That fund is called the Far EasTone-Enjoy Entertainment Fund and has been
designed to invest in and promote local film and television productions.

Deputy Culture Minister and Taiwan Creative Content Agency Chairwoman Sue
Wang says the initiatives mark a milestone for Taiwan's film and television
sector in terms of systematic investment and international cooperation.

The 2025 Taiwan Creative Content Fest is being held at the Nangang
International Exhibition Center and runs through Friday.

Posted on 2025-11-05 08:14:15

The Central Weather Administration says a tropical depression located east of
the Philippines could develop into a tropical storm as early as today.

However, the administration's forecast center says its potential impact on
Taiwan remains unknown and the weather patter is still being monitored.

It develops into a storm is will called Fung-wong and become the 26 tropical
storm of this year's Pacific typhoon season.

According to the forecast center, the system is expected to intensify into a
typhoon before the weekend as it moves toward the Philippines and a key
turning point in its path is expected by next Monday.

The center says the storm could curve northward toward waters east of Taiwan
or continue westward across the Philippines depending on atmospheric
conditions.

Posted on 2025-11-05 08:14:15

And finally in news from the Chinese Professional Baseball League ....

Uni-President Lions slugger Lin An-ko has exercised his overseas free agency
option.

Thes decision means that Lin is the second player this off-season to explore
opportunities with overseas teams while still under contract.

The 28-year old signed a three-year, 21.6-million N-T deal with the Lions and
under C-P-B-L regulations, he remains eligible to request a posting having
played for the team for at least three full seasons.

Lions General Manager Su Tai-an says the team offered Lin an early contract
renewal earlier this week, but he's determined to pursue an overseas
opportunity ..

.. and the franchise respects his determination to chase his dream.

Lin joined the Uni-Lions as the fourth overall pick in the 2019 midseason
draft and hit his 100th C-P-B-L home run against the Fubon Guardians in
Tainan on June 28.

Reports says multiple teams from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League
have expressed interest in Lin.

Posted on 2025-11-05 06:54:13

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is slamming Beijing for insisting that
Taiwan's participation in next year's APEC leaders summit in Shenzhen be in
compliance with its "one China" principle.

MOFA says Beijing's insistence on compliance with the "one China" principle
is a violation of the organization's norms and practices.

The ministry says Taiwan is an official member of APEC and shares equal
participation rights with other member economies ...

.... and as such China must honor its commitments and, in accordance with
APEC rules and practices, to ensure Taiwan's "equal, dignified and safe
participation" in all APEC meetings and activities in Shenzhen next year.

Foreign ministry official Jonathan Sun said after the 2025 APEC summit
wrapped-up in South Korea this past weekend... China had provided written
assurances about the safety of all participants in next year's summit.

China's foreign ministry is dismissing the safety concerns being raised by
the government here in Taiwan.

Posted on 2025-11-05 06:54:13

A father and son who operate the pig farm in Taichung's Wuqi District where
an outbreak of African swine fever originated have been detained on suspicion
of forging documents.

They were ordered detained after the Taichung District Prosecutors' Office
said it believes they committed forgery.. and they pose a high risk of
destroying or forging evidence and colluding with accomplices or witnesses if
released after questioning.

The two farmers are suspected of altering the numbers on forms used to cover
the handover of dead carcasses to off-site "rendering" operations, which use
heat to make the carcasses safe for further processing into pork products.

Prosecutors said last week that altering the form numbers led to differences
in the forms handed to the rendering operator and the one the farmers kept ..

.. and the discrepancy makes it difficult to determine whether all of the
deceased pigs from the farm were handled by the rendering operator or if some
may have been illegally sold on the market or disposed of separately.

Officials say the outbreak originated from the farm on October 25.

The African Swine Fever Forward Command Center said earlier this week that
the outbreak likely resulted from feeding the pigs food waste that had not
been properly sterilized.

Posted on 2025-11-05 06:54:15

Mainland Affairs Council head Chiu Chui-cheng says about 50 people have lost
their "Taiwan status" because they were confirmed to hold household
registrations in China or have obtained Chinese passports.

Chiu says household registration agencies have been notified to revoke the
household registrations of the 50 individuals after evidence of their holding
China-related documents was confirmed.

The cases were reported by members of the public and confirmed through
investigations or discovered by relevant authorities.

Chiu pointed out that the Act Governing Relations between the People of the
Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area "clearly stipulates" that "people of the
Taiwan Area may not have household registrations in the Mainland Area or hold
passports issued by the Mainland Area."

However, he is not saying what could happen to those to have their household
registration revoked.

The Lai administration has repeatedly warned that violators of the Act
Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland
Area will have their Taiwan household registration revoked.

Posted on 2025-11-05 06:54:15

The Administrative Enforcement Agency is scheduled to auction off
64-kilograms of gold on November 11.

It will be the largest gold auction ever by law enforcement authorities.

The gold was all seized from companies that owed a large amount of tax to the
government.

The agency's New Taipei branch says the gold came from 90 items, including
gold bars, gold bricks and shoe-shaped gold ingots.

The auction will be divided into 22 bids.

Gold is currently quoted on global markets at around 4,000 U-S dollars per
ounce.

Although items sold in Administrative Enforcement Agency auctions fetch less
than their market prices, the items are still slated to bring in a
substantial amount of revenue.

Posted on 2025-11-05 06:54:17

The government has donated 700,000 U-S dollars to two international N-G-Os
providing humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza.

MOFA says 500,000 dollars of the total was donated to the International
Medical Corps.

the donation was made after the government signed a deal last month agreeing
to fund a 10-month project by the Los Angeles-based I-M-C to deliver
essential medicines and equipment to Gaza via Jordan and Egypt.

The other 200,000 U-S dollars was donated in early October to the World
Central Kitchen to support the Washington-based N-G-O's "Chefs for Gaza"
initiative.

The latest donations come after the government provided 500,000 U-S dollars
to Mercy Corps Palestine to supply food, clean water, clothing and tents to
those in need in Gaza.

Posted on 2025-11-05 06:54:17

The Centers for Disease Control says a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Novavax
and targeting the JN.1 variant will be made available next Wednesday to those
eligible for free vaccination.

Health officials say just under 14 hundred COVID-19-related outpatient visits
were recorded from October 26 to November 1, slightly higher than the
previous week, but the outbreak - which is dominated by the NB.1.8.1 variant
- remains at a low level,

The C-D-C is urging people with chronic diseases or underlying health issues
to get vaccinated even though the current outbreak is mild.

Starting next Wednesday, people aged 12 and older who are eligible for
government-funded vaccination can choose from the Novavax JN.1 vaccine or the
Moderna LP.8.1 vaccine.

Health authorities have been offering free Moderna vaccines since October 1
to priority groups.

Those seeking self-paid COVID-19 vaccines must first undergo a physical
assessment at one of 10 designated hospitals.

Posted on 2025-11-05 06:54:17

The New Taipei District Court has sentenced a woman to four and a half years
in prison for attacking a high school student with a box cutter on the Taipei
Metro.

The court found she suffered from schizophrenia.

After she completes her sentence, the court ruled the woman must spend two
years under court-ordered residential psychiatric supervision.

The incident occured in November of last year, when the woman attacked the
student on a Bannan Line train with a box cutter.

The court heard the attack took place after the woman suffered auditory
hallucinations, hearing "mocking remarks" and mistaking the student for a
stalker.

She slashed him in the head and neck before the student and bystanders
managed to restrain her.

The woman was indicted for attempted murder by the New Taipei District
Prosecutors' Office last December.

Posted on 2025-11-04 18:10:13

Taiwan's flu epidemic appears to be in the rear-view mirror — but health
officials warn the road ahead could still be bumpy.

They say that while infection numbers are falling, the risk of severe
complications remains high.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, flu-related clinic visits
totaled nearly 107 thousand last week — down almost five percent from the
week before — suggesting the outbreak is tapering off.

But 63 new severe cases and nine deaths were reported during the same period,
including a three-year-old girl with a pre-existing condition who developed
breathing difficulties after two days of high fever.

Officials say around 4.8 million people have received free flu shots so far
this season, but fewer than two million doses remain unused.

And with another wave expected in late December, the CDC is urging the public
to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-04 18:10:13

Doctors in Taiwan are warning that having both diabetes and obesity can
double the risk of death for patients.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, more than two and a half
million people in Taiwan have diabetes, and about 80 percent are also
overweight or obese.

Doctors call the condition 'diabesity', which puts extreme pressure on the
body's organs, increasing the likelihood of heart and kidney disease.

Medical experts say that excess body fat reduces the body's ability to
produce insulin, worsening diabetes and creating a triple threat to the
heart, kidneys, and metabolism.

The Diabetes Association of the Republic of China says ... says fewer than 30
percent of patients manage their weight effectively.

To address this, the Association launched a program across over 120 medical
institutions late last year, focusing on helping patients control blood
sugar, lose weight, and protect vital organs.

So far, that program has helped nearly 900 patients lose a collective total
of over 3 thousand 700 kilograms.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-04 18:10:13

Taipei City councilors say that Taipei Dome's leaking problem still hasn't
been resolved, despite months of repairs and repeated fines.

During a city council meeting today, members criticized the Department of
Sports for failing to fully address the issue, saying fans attending concerts
and sporting events continue to encounter water leaks inside the stadium.

The department said it has fined the Dome's operator, Farglory Group, a total
of 2.4 million NT over the past two years.

Farglory Group believes the leaks are caused by uneven joints in the dome's
curved roof panels, allowing rainwater to seep into the drainage system.

Officials say further waterproofing work is being planned, and a joint
inspection with professional engineers will take place tomorrow to pinpoint
the root cause.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-04 18:10:13

Premier Zhuo Rong Tai is pushing back on comments made by the new KMT chair
over Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zhuo said that anyone who believes that Putin is not a dictator themselves
must hold the mentality of a dictator.

The premier is emphasizing that Putin has been in office for 25 years, and
has changed Russia's constitution to allow himself to stay in office.

She stated in a media interview last week that Putin was elected
democratically, and said that he therefore cannot be considered a dictator.

She also claimed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was not Russia's fault and
rather was due to eastward expansion of NATO.

(AH)

Posted on 2025-11-04 17:07:14

The Taiwan Fertilizer Corporation's board members have elected Zhang
Cang-lang (張滄郎) as its new chairman, contrary to earlier reports that Wu
Yin-ning (吳音寧) would take the post.

Wu was appointed as one of the state-run enterprise’s board members by the
Agriculture Ministry last week, which immediately sparked widespread rumors
that she was on her way to becoming chair.

The reports drew strong backlash from the opposition KMT and TPP, who said
she's not qualified for the job.

But the company announced last night that the Ministry had appointed Zhang as
a board member, and elected him as chair today.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-04 17:07:17

Kinmen authorities are stepping up joint patrols at the "Mini Three Links"
ports of entry to block African Swine Fever from entering Taiwan.

Customs officials say they are working with the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Agency to intensify inspections of passengers and cargo arriving
from Xiamen and Quanzhou.

They say warning signs have been posted and all inbound passenger luggage
will undergo x-ray inspection.

Detection dogs are also being used in the searches.

The officials confirm several recent cases where travelers were caught trying
to bring in pork products, including sausages and fish rolls containing pork.

All cases resulted in fines of 200-thousand NT or more.

Authorities urged the public not to violate the regulations, noting that the
African Swine Fever virus is highly contagious and resilient, posing a major
threat to the swine industry.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-04 17:07:22

The Taiwan High Speed Rail saw a record number of passengers last month.

The THSR reported today that total passenger volume for October hit 7.35
million people, surpassing the previous record set in August of this year.

The average daily ridership for the month was 237-thousand people.

The high volume was attributed to the Mid-Autumn, National Day, and
Retrocession Day long weekends.

Ridership specifically during the holiday periods reached daily averages of
over 260-thousand people.

To manage the high demand, the THSR implemented several measures, including
adding non-reserved trains during peak hours as needed, and expanding the
allocation of early bird discounts on non-peak travel days.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-04 16:08:13

be reviewed

The Legislative Judicial Committee has scheduled to review revisions of the
pension reform bills for government workers and teachers on the 5th and 6th.

The revisions were proposed by the KMT, and the ruling DPP caucus said today
that if passed, they would reverse the progress of pension reform and cause
the pension fund to go bankrupt sooner.

The KMT is seeking to halt the annual 1.5-percent cut to the pension payment
and the reduction in the retirement income replacement rate starting from Jan
1st, 2024, or after 2025.

The ruling DPP, on the other hand, said if the amendments are passed, the
pension fund's bankruptcy will be accelerated.

It said the public servants' portion of the fund would go bankrupt
prematurely in 2042 instead of the original 2049, while the teachers' portion
would go bankrupt even earlier, in 2039.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-04 16:08:13

Police have arrested three suspects in connection with a case where two were
found dead in Taipei's Xinyi District, where unidentified powders and pills
were found at the scene.

Police say a special task force quickly identified the suspects, two men and
one woman, believed to have sold drugs to the male victim.

The three were apprehended yesterday in the Xinyi and Zhongshan districts,
and officers seized crystal metham-phetamine, ecstasy pills, and more than
$560-thousand NT in cash during the arrests.

The suspects were transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for
further investigation.

The investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of death for the two
victims.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-04 16:08:13

The cost of buying a home in Taiwan has doubled over the past decade, far
outpacing the 60 percent increase in national bank deposits.

According to real estate data, total bank deposits reached a record 62.4
trillion NT as of June, with most of the money concentrated in the six major
municipalities.

But housing prices have surged even faster, from an average of 270 thousand
NT per ping for new houses in 2016 to 556 thousand this year, that's more
than doubled.

Analysts say the sharp rise is driven by an influx of money from returning
Taiwanese businessmen and the booming AI and semiconductor shares.

Hsinchu County and City recorded the strongest growth, with both deposits and
home prices more than doubling, fueled by high-tech industry expansion.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-04 15:21:13

Taichung Mayor Lu Xiu-yan has defended her city's handling of the African
Swine Fever outbreak, saying that city officials took immediate actions after
finding out about possible infections.

She said as the A-S-F disease is highly contagious and resilient, it's very
difficult to confine the virus to the case farm and prevent it from spreading
out.

The Mayor stressed that Taichung city managed to do that, saying she can
responsibly state that, "as of now, Taichung's other 154 farms with over
80-thousand pigs, as well as pig farms and pigs nationwide, have not been
infected."

Meanwhile Deputy Taichung Mayor said starting yesterday, all food waste has
been sent to incinerators instead of landfills.

Zheng Zhao-xin (鄭照新) noted that all 300 metric tons of kitchen waste daily
are now being sent to incinerators for burning and power generation, saying
that there will be no more kitchen waste landfilling.

The city government has also installed surveillance cameras, reinforced
fences, and intensified cleaning and disinfection at the Hou-li (后里) and
Wu-feng (霧峰) landfills.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-04 15:21:15

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is lowering the minimum age
for several pilot licenses to expand the nation's pool of flight personnel.

Among the changes, the MOTC says the minimum age for a commercial pilot
license has been lowered from 20 years old to 18 years old, while the maximum
age for pilots working as part of a two-person crew has been raised to 65
years old.

Officials say the revision of aviation personnel certification rules align
with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The ministry says the changes aim to increase scheduling flexibility for
airlines and mirror global aviation practices.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-04 15:21:15

The Administrative Enforcement Agency is getting ready to auction off 64
kilograms of gold on November 11th in what will be the largest gold auction
ever by the A-E-A.

The gold bricks and bars are collectively worth around 9 million U.S. dollars
at its current price, that's the equivalent of 278 million NT.

Gold is currently quoted on global markets at around $4,000 dollars per
ounce, up more than 45 percent from a year earlier.

The A-E-A said the gold to be auctioned was seized from companies that owed a
large amount of tax to the government.

The branch said the auction will start at 10 a.m. on Nov. 11 in the meeting
room of its office located in Xinzhuang District of New Taipei.

(CNA-JL)

Posted on 2025-11-04 14:21:13

Premier Zhuo Rong Tai says, the central government will soon decide whether
or not to lift a ban on the transport and slaughter of pigs.

That's been in place since October 22nd.

Authorities confirmed the African Swine Fever virus on October 25th at a pig
farm in Taichung, marking Taiwan's first A-S-F case.

The public is watching closely to see if restrictions can be lifted on
November 7th, as the ban has had a significant impact on pig farmers,
wholesale pork producers, retail vendors, restaurants and consumers.

The Premier said over the next month, the government will launch follow-up
market management and meat supply stabilization plans, to be reviewed
weekly.

According to authorities, the A-S-F infection originated from the Taichung
farm’s food-waste feeding operation, where the waste was not properly
boiled, inspected and monitored.

Chuo said that going forward, the government will explore more advanced ways
of handling food waste.

He added that tomorrow's meeting will also discuss stabilizing pig prices and
meat supplies across both the production and downstream markets.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-04 14:21:13

The TPP is putting forward two of its own recommendations to fill open seats
in the Central Election Comission.

Party chair Huang Kuo-chang said that the TPP would recommend National
Chengchi University Professor Jiang Ming Xiu 江明修...

and Soochow University's Su Zi Qiao 蘇子喬 to fill those some of the 6 open
positions.

Huang also called on the Executive Yuan to independently and professionally
evaluate who would lead the commission.

The TPP chair stated that the Executive Yuan had asked the TPP legislative
caucus to recommend nominees for the positions.

Huang says that Jiang is a highly-respected professor of political science,
while Su has experience working with the Examination Yuan.

(AH)

Posted on 2025-11-04 14:21:13

Taiwan shares are down today, with the benchmark Tai ex closing at 28116,
after losing 218 points.

The turnover was 584.8 billion NT.

Posted on 2025-11-04 13:07:13

Premier Chuo Rong-tai says the nominations for the Central Election
Commission members shall be made by mid-November.

According to the law, the executive branch should have done so three months
ago.

With the terms of six members having expired on October 31st, the C-E-C now
has only four members, falling short of the five required to convene meetings
or make decisions.

Answering lawmakers' questions today, Acting C-E-C chair Wu Rong-hui (吳容輝)
said the Commission now can only handle matters unrelated to elections.

Chuo said due to extensive considerations, they are currently consulting
various parties to find appropriate and impartial individuals to fill the
C-E-C positions and will present the nominees in mid-November.

He called on the Legislature to approve the nominees as soon as possible,
adding that the date for next year's local elections was already set on
November 28th.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-04 13:07:13

The Taitung County government is urging the public not to be tricked by scams.

That's after rumors emerged online claiming that the county was seeking
workers for its annual New Year's concert, with pay sitting at 4500 NT for
one day.

Local officials say, such claims are untrue, and they're encouraging the
public not to fall for it.

They emphasize that such scams attempt to collect victims' banking details by
promising bank deposits.

The county government is preparing to announce the lineup for the New Year's
Eve concerts tomorrow.

But some fans are already speculating that aMEI will headline the event.

In the past, when aMEI, also known as Zhang Hui Mei　張惠妹, has performed at
the event, local accomodations were booked out in just 3 days.

(AH)

Posted on 2025-11-04 06:54:13

Taiwan's envoy to the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting says the island's
"visibility" at the event improved this year, with many member economies
seeking cooperation in several advanced technology fields.

Lin Hsin-i noted that, when compared with past years, when Taiwan's
delegation needed to invest far more effort to attract foreign investment and
cooperation, many economies this year had approached the delegation without
much prompting.

Lin said he held "constructive exchanges" with many leaders and delegation
members ... who expressed a willingness to cooperate with Taiwan in
semiconductors, Information and Communication Technology, medical technology,
and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises development,

The envoy told reporters that those interactions not only enhanced Taiwan's
visibility, but also laid a solid foundation for future substantive economic
and trade cooperation.

Lin represented President Lai Ching-te at this year's APEC Leaders' Meeting
in South Korea, which concluded on Saturday.

This year's APEC discussions focused on technological innovation, supply
chain security, and artificial intelligence.

Posted on 2025-11-04 06:54:17

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Du Wen-zhen says tests have identified
unsterilized food waste as the likely source of last month's African swine
fever outbreak at a pig farm in Taichung's Wuqi District.

The investigation into the outbreak had ruled out people, vehicles and pigs
from outside the farm as possible sources of infection.

And the deputy agriculture minister says researchers now believe the most
likely source was food waste that had been improperly sterilized before it
was fed to pigs on the farm.

The African Swine Fever Forward Command Center said the latest investigation
report says pigs on the farm fed food waste died at a significantly higher
rate than those given regular animal feed ...

.. and another pig farm, which obtained its food waste from the same source,
but properly sterilized it, had no positive cases among its pigs.

The center says pig farmers were granted permits to use food waste, but had
to upload photos showing that it had been sterilized at above 90 degrees for
at least one hour, and it appears those rules were not strictly enforced.

The farm in Wuqi where the A-S-F cases occurred is currently being
investigated by prosecutors for not submitting any documentation of food
waste sterilization from May through September.

It's owner is also believed to have submitted multiple photos in October with
fake dates for the previous months.

Posted on 2025-11-04 06:54:17

The K-M-T is calling for the authority to announce the suspension of work and
classes during typhoons to be reverted back to the Central Weather
Administration.

Typhoon days used to be determined by the central government, but local
governments currently decide whether to cancel work or school during severe
weather.

K-M-T lawmaker Hung Meng-kai said such decisions should rely on professional
assessments on weather, rather than political pressure on local officials.

However, weather administration director-general Lu Kuo-chen says decisions
on typhoon closures are not only based on wind and rainfall forecasts, but
also take into consideration living conditions, water, electricity and
environment ...

... and as such he believes the authority to announce the suspension of work
and classes should be handled by local governments.

Posted on 2025-11-04 06:54:19

The National Health Insurance Administration says a total of 169 patients
were treated on the first day of the government's newly initiated urgent care
center service.

The service was launched on Sunday and operates at 13 locations across the
six special municipalities.

Nearly 90-per cent of patients were treated for fevers, respiratory problems,
gastrointestinal symptoms, and minor issues such as migraines and muscle
strains.

Of the 169 patients treated on Sunday, three were transferred to hospitals.

The newly opened centers are staffed by rotating primary care physicians and
are part of government efforts to reducing patient numbers in emergency
rooms.

They're open on Sundays and national holidays for patients with fevers,
respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, minor injuries or acute
discomfort in children.

Center fees are lower than those of large hospitals.

Health Minister Shih Chung-liang says the effectiveness of the centers will
be observed over the next few months the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday in
February and the service could be expanded, depending on the data.

Posted on 2025-11-04 06:54:21

The Keelung City Government is seeking more funding from the central
government to build its M-R-T line.

The call comes after the approved budget for next year fell short of its
request by over 1.1-billion N T.

The Keelung Transportation Department says the central government has only
approved only 369-million N-T for the next fiscal year -a figure that is
significantly less than the 1.4-billion N-T requested by the city government.

City government officials in Keelung say they're working with their
counterparts in Taipei and New Taipei, and the New Taipei City Government has
agreed to release extra funding ...

.. which wil be paid back by the Keelung City Government through an
additional budget proposal.

When completed the 15.5-kilometer long Keelung M-R-T line will run from
Nangang Station in Taipei to Badu Statio and includes 13 stations.

Construction of the route is estimated at over 69-billion N-T.

Posted on 2025-11-04 06:54:21

The Changhua District Court has sentenced three Vietnamese nationals to
prison terms of up to 12 years for participating in a fraud group.

The court said the group deceived victims through fake investment and dating
platforms as well as false department store promotions, tricking them into
wiring money to designated accounts.

Two of those sentenced were recruited as "money mules," while the third
delivered the bank cards used to withdraw the illegally obtained funds and
carried out daily cash collection tasks.

The three suspects came to Taiwan as migrant workers but later absconded from
their contracted workplaces.

The Changhua District Prosecutors' Office had requested sentences of up to 30
years, based on the principle of "one crime, one punishment," and will decide
whether to file an appeal.

Posted on 2025-11-04 06:54:21

And,

This year's largest full moon will appear tomorrow evening.

The Taipei Astronomical Museum says it will be the biggest and brightest moon
since February of 2019.

The full moon will reach its peak at 9:19PM tomorrow - about nine hours after
reaching its perigee at a distance of 356,978 kilometers from Earth.

It will appear roughly one-sixth larger and one-third brighter than April's
smallest full moon.

The museum says when a full moon occurs near the moon's closest point to
Earth, known as its perigee, it is called a "perigee full moon," or more
commonly, a "supermoon."

The Taipei Astronomical Museum is marking the occasion by hosting a super
full moon observation event in front of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, where
telescopes and guided sessions will be provided for the public to enjoy the
view.

Posted on 2025-11-03 20:12:13

Taiwan's new Urgent Care Centers saw a modest start on launch yesterday,
recording just 169 visits across the six major municipalities.

Health experts say the low turnout was expected, as people need time to
adjust their medical habits and gain trust in the new system.

They urged the government to step up public outreach and ensure that patient
records can be shared between UCCs and hospitals.

Experts also noted that about 20 percent of clinics already open on holidays
could work alongside UCCs to further relieve emergency room congestion.

The centers are open on Sundays and national holidays from 8 AM to midnight,
offering basic internal medicine, pediatrics, and trauma care for patients
with mild conditions.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-03 18:05:13

Food Waste

The Central Emergency Response Center announced today that the source of a
recent African Swine Fever outbreak in Taichung likely originated from
improperly sterilized food waste used for feed.

The Center released its epidemiological investigation report, which concludes
that the case at the pig farm in Taichung’s Wuqi District is a single,
isolated incident with no signs of wider spread.

Officials say epidemiological analysis ruled out other sources of infection,
such as people, vehicles, or outside pigs.

Instead, the virus is believed to have entered the farm through food waste
that was not properly cooked before being fed to the pigs.

Since the outbreak was reported on October 22nd, the Center has inspected and
tested related farms, rendering plants, markets, and slaughterhouses
nationwide.

The investigation found no other infected cases and no positive results in
environmental samples outside of the initial case site.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-03 18:05:13

The Food and Drug Administration says ten all-you-can-eat restaurants failed
to meet hygiene standards during inspections conducted this year.

Officials said more than half of the violations involved excessive levels of
coliform bacteria—commonly used as indicators of hygiene, and mostly found
in beverages such as iced tea and apple cider vinegar.

The violators were fined up to 40 thosuand NT and included establishments in
Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Hualien, and Pingtung.

The FDA noted that while such organisms are widespread in the environment,
high counts usually indicate poor hygienic practices during food preparation
or storage.

In total, the FDA inspected 145 restaurants and tested nearly 230 samples,
finding overall compliance to be high, at over 96 percent.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-03 17:16:14

The Transport Ministry is mulling over several lawmakers's proposal to amend
the Meteorological Act to include high temperatures as a form of disastrous
weather.

Deputy Transport Minister Lin Guo-xian said there have been lots of opinions
about the issue, especially from business groups, adding that his ministry
will announce the draft amendments to the law later this month.

The lawmakers who made the proposal said record-high temperatures in Taiwan,
just like in other places, pose threats to public health, labor conditions,
agricultural/fishery disasters, and energy dispatching.

They said that's why they wanted to revise the law to list heat wave as
natural disaster.

In response, Lin said it's just the first step, which will provide the
relevant authorities with the legal basis for making necessary adjustments
such as calling a high-temp holiday.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-03 17:16:14

Singer Jody Chiang, also known as Jiang Hui, is returning to the Taipei Arena
for five encore performances of her latest concert series.

Chiang's comeback shows will run from February 20th to 25th next year.

Her original concert series ended in a sold-out run on September 1st, but the
singer says she is excited to perform during the Lunar New Year holiday for
the first time.

Organizers say tickets for the encore shows will be handled through a
real-name registration and lottery system.

Registration will be open from noon on November 13th to 14th, and winners
will be announced on November 15th.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-03 16:07:13

The Keelung City Government is seeking funding from the central government
for the city's MRT line after the approved budget for next year fell short of
its request by over $1.1 billion NT.

The city’s Transportation Department reported today that the central
government approved only $369-million for the next fiscal year, significantly
less than the $1.48 billion the city had requested.

Keelung officials say the city is working with the Taipei and New Taipei City
governments, and if costs become insufficient, New Taipei City has agreed to
front the money, and Keelung will cover the costs through an additional
budget proposal later on.

The Keelung MRT project runs 15.59 kilometers, from Nangang Station to Badu
Station, and includes 13 stations.

The total cost is set at over $69 billion NT, with the central government
covering over $22 billion of Keelung’s share.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-03 16:07:13

The opposition KMT's new chairperson Zheng Li-wen has vowed to strive for
breakthroughs in southern Taiwan in the 2026 local elections.

The ruling DPP has governed in Pingdong County for 28 years, and in
Kaohsiung, 25 years, except for the one-and-a-half-year stint by KMT mayor
Han Kuo-yu.

And in Tai-nan, it's 24 years.

Zheng said today that those are difficult electoral districts, but the KMT
should put in more efforts to win them over.

Speaking at the KMT's Central Review Committee meeting today, she also
expressed concerns about her party's overall support level lagging behind the
ruling DPP and called on supporters to reverse the current disadvantages.

For 2028, Zheng stressed the goal is to become the largest party that truly
represents Taiwan's mainstream public opinion, and unite all opposition
forces to replace the DPP administration.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-03 16:07:13

Chunghwa Post is releasing a new miniature sheet of stamps featuring four
dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Period.

The postal service says the new stamps are scheduled for release on Friday,
November 7th.

And Chunghwa Post is also printing commemorative items, including first-day
covers, stamp cards, and postcards, which will go on sale two days earlier,
on Wednesday.

Each of the four stamps featuring the Titanosaurus, the Hadrosaurus, the
Oviraptor, and the Therizinosaurus will carry a face value of 15 New Taiwan
dollars.

Chunghwa Post says says the stamp series aims to increase public
understanding of paleontology and biological evolution.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-03 15:10:13

The number of employees on reduced working hours in Taiwan has fallen for the
first time in the second half of the year.

According to the Ministry of Labor, around 8 thousand 300 workers across 455
companies are currently on furlough — over 200 less than the previous
report.

Officials say the drop reflects a rebound in orders, prompting several large
manufacturers to end furlough programs early.

The manufacturing sector continues to account for the majority of affected
workers, with nearly 7 thousand 900 people from over 370 companies, mostly in
metal and machinery industries.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-03 15:10:15

For the very first time, the Taipei branch of the Administrative Enforcement
Agency is auctioning off aircraft that once belonged to a local airline.

Officials say two Far Eastern Air Transport passenger jets will go up for
auction on November 11th at 11 AM.

The sale aims to recover more than 100 million NT in unpaid airport fees
dating back to 2019.

Each plane starts at just 5 million NT — roughly the price of a luxury SUV.

The agency says aircraft auctions are extremely rare and have already drawn
interest from aviation companies, collectors, and investors.

Those wishing to bid can attend in person or submit their offers by mail.

(IG)

Posted on 2025-11-03 14:07:13

Defense Minister Wellington Koo said today that the U.S. has set up a special
task office to help ensure timely delivery of weaponry, and that his Ministry
is doing its utmost to speed up delivery of three U.S. arms procurement
projects.

They include 66 F-16V fighter jets, which were scheduled for delivery
starting in 2024 and to be completed by 2026.

However, Taiwan has yet to receive the first one, while it has already paid
60 percent of the $247 billion NT budget for the project.

Koo said the U.S. has now adopted a two-shift, 20-hour work schedule to speed
up production, while Taiwan continues to strengthen oversight of contract
fulfillment.

On AGM-154C missiles and MK-48 heavy torpedoes, Koo said deliveries were
initially planned for this year and next, but have been postponed to 2028.

He said the main reasons for the delay were the adoption of the latest
missile variant, production line reactivation, material preparation, and
system integration work.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-03 14:07:20

Taiwan shares were higher today as were most other Asian stock markets after
gains for Amazon carried the U.S. stock market to the finish of another
winning week and month.

The Taiex rose 101 points to end the session at 28,334.

The turnover was 562.3 billion NT.

Posted on 2025-11-03 14:07:20

The 2025 Kaohsiung "Wild Wild" Halloween festival has concluded after drawing
an estimated 600,000 visitors to the Weiwuying Metropolitan Park over the
weekend.

City officials say the event, which was integrated with the city's "Wild Wild
Life" camping experience brought substantial tourism and economic benefits to
the area.

This portion of the festival featured over 100 vendors blending an outdoorsy
style with a spooky Halloween theme, and the event also included a
22-meter-tall giant pumpkin with a light show, and family activities and
performances.

The city says its "Wild Wild Life" series of events this year reached new
heights, featuring more than 130 brands on display alongside over 60 food
trucks and brands.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-03 13:07:14

The Bureau of Labor Funds announced that as of September this year, the
overall return of the Labor Funds reached $559 billion NT, with an average
return rate of 8.1-percent.

The September single-month return also hit $216.7 billion, making it the 4th
highest single-month return in history.

2025 has been a good year for the fund, as data shows that three of the top
five single-month returns in history occurred this year.

The Bureau also said that the overall scale of the Labor Funds, which
include the pension fund and labor insurance fund, now stood at $7.44
trillion NT.

Some 10.4 million people in Taiwan are covered by the Labor Insurance system.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-03 13:07:14

Prosecutors in Taipei have indicted three individuals and a contractor on
charges of negligent homicide following the death of a construction worker
who fell from a stage structure being built for the city’s New Year's Eve
celebrations.

The incident occurred on December 25th, 2024, when a worker on the stage
scaffolding in front of Taipei City Hall fell approximately 18 meters and
later died at the hospital.

An investigation found that the worker was not properly using a
fall-protection harness.

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office indicted the three individuals,
including the overall event site manager, and the construction company.

The defendants were charged with negligent homicide and violations of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act.

(NS)

Posted on 2025-11-03 13:07:14

A new Holiday Urgent Care Center (UCC) system began operation on Sunday,
offering patients with minor injuries or illnesses a new option for medical
treatment on Sundays and national holidays.

Across Taiwan’s six major cities, the first day of Urgent Care Center
service saw 169 visits, mostly for fevers, fish bones stuck in the throat,
nosebleeds, and small wounds.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to expand the program nationwide in
preparation for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Earlier this year, Taiwan’s emergency rooms faced unprecedented
overcrowding, drawing complaints from both patients and medical staff.

To ease the strain, the National Health Insurance Administration launched the
UCC program, targeting patients with mild conditions.

Staffed by rotating clinic doctors, the centers operate from 8 a.m. to
midnight on Sundays and national holidays, providing internal, including
pediatric and surgical care.

Health Minister Shi Chong-liang (石崇良) said while Taiwan’s emergency
services are convenient, community-level urgent care still needs to be
strengthened, especially for pediatric services.

(JL)

Posted on 2025-11-03 11:06:13

The Tai-Ex rebounded from Friday's loses in early trading this morning.

The main board added 212-points to hit the 28,446 point mark - as Taiwan
Semiconductor Manufacturing led the upturn, as it share price added 15 N-T to
reach 1,515 N-T.

Other blue chip tech stocks were mixed - with MediaTek gaining ground, and
Han Han and Delta Electronics both falling.

This morning's rise in T-S-M-C's share follows moves by the company to hike
the prices of its advanced processes next year.

T-S-M-C is implementing a substantial increase of over 50-per cent for its
new 2-nanometer wafers.

Posted on 2025-11-03 11:06:17

The Yilan County Government says it plans to fully ban the use of food waste
for pig feed.

The county banned the use of food waste for pig feed following confirmation
of an outbreak of African swine fever at a farm in Taichung on October 22.

The move follows the Ministry of Agriculture's announcement on the ban of the
transportation, slaughter, and use of food waste for pigs islandwide.

That ban was due to be lifted this Friday.

However, county government officials say they will completely ban the use of
kitchen waste for pig feed after November 7 due to concerns that using
kitchen waste for pig feed involves too many uncontrollable factors.

Yilan County has 84 pig farms, but officials say only 10 of them use kitchen
waste for feed.

Posted on 2025-11-03 11:06:17

And,

A fire at residential building in Taichung's Wuri District has left one
person dead and another in critical condition.

According to the city's fire bureau, the blaze occurred in a two-story
sheet-metal building on Wuguang Road.

Two people were found on the upper floor of the building with no signs of
life and were rushed to nearby hospitals.

A woman in her 50s, suffered second-degree burns to 80-per cent of her body
and is in critical condition, while her 17-year-old daughter was later
pronounced dead at the city's Asia University Hospital.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

Posted on 2025-11-03 07:06:13

The Ministry of National Defense says U-S contractors are working to speed up
the delivery of F-16Vs purchased by Taiwan.

The ministry claims they are working 20 hours a day to expedite the
delivery... but they will still miss the deadline and it is continuing to
monitor progress in the U-S to fulfill contractual obligations.

The ministry made the statement in a report submitted to lawmakers where it
outlined the status of U-S arms sales to Taiwan, and noted delays in the
delivery of several weapons systems.

The Air Forces was was scheduled to take delivery of all 66 F-16Vs by the end
of 2026, but that timeline has been pushed back due to production line
relocations and disruptions.

Other weapons systems highlighted in the report include GM-154C missiles,
which were originally slated to be delivered by the end of 2026 but have also
been postponed due to supply-chain issues.

The defense ministry says they are now expected to be delivered to Taiwan
from 2027-2028.

MK-48 heavyweight submarine-launched torpedoes, which were originally to be
delivered by 2026 are also facing production line disruptions, and that
delivery timeline has now been deferred to 2026-2028.

Posted on 2025-11-03 07:06:15

The National Immigration Agency says about 50 people could have their Taiwan
household status revoked, after it was reported that they either household
registration in China or had obtained Chinese passports.

The statement comes as authorities are continue their investigation into
Taiwanese nationals who have illegally registered in China or received
Chinese identity documents.

The agency says about 12,000 former Chinese nationals living in Taiwan have
been asked to provide proof of loss of their original household registration
..

As of October 29, a total of 7,835 people had submitted the required
documents, 2,317 had received extensions or made declarations, while 1,388
who had been abroad long-term were placed under registry management.

The agency also says that the completion rate for processing these cases has
reached 95.1-per cent.

Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang has warned that Taiwanese found holding a
Chinese identity card will have their Taiwan identity card revoked.

The Ministry of Interior has said it will notify the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and household registration offices to cancel related identification
and travel documents, including national health insurance, I-D cards and
passports.

Posted on 2025-11-03 07:06:15

The D-P-P claims that Taiwan People's Party's promotion of the idea of a
"coalition government" is incompatible with Taiwan's constitutional
structure.

D-P-P spokesperson Justin Chuo says T-P-P chairman Huang Kuo-chang is using
the concept of "coalition government" for political gain, even as local
governments operate under a chief-executive system, making such an
arrangement impossible.

Chuo said Taiwan is not a parliamentary system, and a so-called 'coalition
government' is not applicable."

Chuo is also says coalition governments can only arise in parliamentary
systems where parties form majority cabinets, and that Taiwan's
constitutional system "has never been a cabinet system."

The D-P-P has been claiming that cooperation between the K-M-T and the T-P-P
is aimed only at removing the D-P-P from power and it is a "political
struggle" rather than inter-party cooperation.

The statements also come after the T-P-P chairman said the idea of a
coalition government "could apply broadly to both the central government and
local governments" in Taiwan's current political landscape.

Posted on 2025-11-03 07:06:15

National Taiwan Normal University has revoked its former soccer team coach
Chou Tai-ying's doctorate degree because her thesis involved research
misconduct.

The statement comes after Chou was found to have bullied students by coercing
them into providing blood samples for research, threatening them with the
loss of required graduation credits and isolating them if they did not
comply.

Her coaching license was revoked and she was dismissed from the university in
July.

The university said the Ministry of Education had also requested it
investigate Chou's doctoral thesis for alleged violations against the Human
Subjects Research Act.

The heaviest penalty for being found guilty of violating that Act is the
revocation of a doctorate.

Chou's thesis was titled "The Impact of Sport Science Interventions on
Preventing Sports Injuries and Enhancing Performance in Female Football
Players.

The university says it found that although the study did not involve invasive
methods, its subjects included 19-year-old college freshmen who participated
without obtaining the required consent forms from their legal guardians,
constituting research misconduct.

Posted on 2025-11-03 07:06:15

Two people have died after suffering suspected hydrogen sulfide poisoning at
a hot spring hotel in Taipei's Beitou District.

The Taipei City Fire Department says it received a call after two employees
lost consciousness while cleaning a water storage tank at a hot spring hotel
off Wenquan Road.

Both of the employees were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were later
pronounced dead.

Authorities say the exact cause of death would be determined via autopsy.

Reports say firefighters initially detected hydrogen sulfide inside the
storage tank at a concentration of 200-parts per million, the legal limit is
10-parts per million.

The Taipei City Labor Inspection Office say the hotel where the accident
occurred was not open to the public at the time.

The office says based on a preliminary investigation, the hotel "conducted
drainage" on the storage tank on Friday in order to have workers clean silt
from the inside on Sunday ...

.. and the hydrogen sulfide was likely released into the air as the cleaners
were scrubbing the tank.

Posted on 2025-11-03 07:06:15

And,

Fifty cancer survivors and their family members have set-off on a 10-day,
1,100-kilometer cycling journey around Taiwan to demonstrate resilience and
hope in the face of adversity.

The annual round-island ride is now in its 13th year and began at the Taipei
Mackay Memorial Hospital.

It brings together participants aged 40 to 84, representing three
generations of cancer survivors and their loved ones.

Taiwanese Anti-Cancer Association Chairman Huang Wen-chieh said public
education about cancer should begin with awareness and understanding ..

... and his association is committed to providing resources and emotional
support to patients and their families while promoting public engagement in
cancer care.

Mackay Memorial Hospital Superintendent Chang Wen-han praised the riders'
resilience, saying their spirit demonstrates that true strength lies not in
being unscarred, but in pressing forward despite the scars.

The 10-day journey will see more than 300 volunteers from across Taiwan join
the cyclists at different legs, supporting their message of perseverance and
hope.

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