The Tai-Ex opened just over 10 points, marginally lower this morning, at
44,923.34.

This came after markets rebounded (復興) yesterday, as investors were buoyed
(受到鼓舞) by news that the U-S Treasury Department would at least double the
size of its planned purchases of longer-term government debt.

The government is proposing a record-high defense budget of over 1 trillion
Taiwan dollars for next year.

The move signals greater efforts to deter China's military threats.

If approved, Taiwan's defense spending will exceed 3% of its estimated GDP
next year, marking an 18% increase from last year's budget.

Overall, the proposed budget is just over 3.9 trillion NT, which represents
an increase of just over 29 percent from this year.

The Cabinet is expected to submit the budget to the Legislative Yuan for
review by the end of August.

And the Tourism Administration has announced it will be rolling out a series
of incentives (激勵措施) to promote the local travel industry beginning next
month.

The 3.33-billion N-T in funding for the initiatives was passed by lawmakers
last week.

The subsidy (補貼) program is being introduced on top of an existing incentive
travel program.

Weekday hotel subsidies will be available for domestic travelers from
September 1 through November 30th.

Eligible travelers can receive subsidies of up to 800 N-T for the first night
and 1,200 N-T for the second night.

In international news...

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi believes the U.S. should stop "its hostile
policy toward North Korea,"

He made the comments during a visit to South Korea, even as he said doing
that is "the fundamental way to resolve tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

Wang also took aim (瞄準) at Japan's military buildup under Prime Minister
Sanae Takaichi.... saying his country is "wary of actions and statements by
Japanese right-wing forces to reverse history."

Wang's comments came as North Korea fired a barrage of ballistic missiles in
an eastward direction...

Karen Chammas reports.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is set to receive 70,000 doses of the
Ervebo vaccine which has been effective in previous epidemics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that the doses have been allocated
from the global Ebola virus disease vaccine stockpile (儲存).

Donna Warder reports.

And the U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 6.7 earthquake has shaken
Peru's southern Andes Mountains.

The quake hit Thursday at 1 p.m. local time... it had a depth of 66
kilometers.

The tremor was felt in several regions.

Officials say two people were injured while evacuating their homes .

The Peruvian Navy has ruled out a tsunami threat.

The Tai-Ex opened up 222-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
44,942 on turnover of 12.1-billion N-T.

The market closed in negative territory (下跌；收黑) on Wednesday, as the main
board was dragged down (拖累) by the tech sector after A-I stocks were the
heaviest losers on Wall Street overnight amid investor criticism that their
prices have moved too high.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung says an ongoing investigation into numerous
allegations (指控) against the Lai administration's representative in Geneva is
likely to take two months.

According to Lin, Greg Lee has now returned to Taiwan and is cooperating with
investigators.

The statements come after the foreign ministry received complaints that
detailed seven categories of alleged serious misconduct by Lee...including
workplace bullying (職場霸凌), incompetent leadership and using public resources
for personal purposes.

The foreign ministry's Personnel Department has said if the investigation
finds that Lee was engaged in workplace bullying, he will be removed from his
post in Geneva and face follow-up disciplinary action.

Hengchun Township in Pingtung County is preparing for its annual Ghost
Festival pole-climbing contest on August 27.

Organizers have erected (豎立；搭建) a 21-meter bamboo lantern pole in a
traditional ritual inviting wandering spirits (孤魂野鬼) to join the festivities.

Using an excavator, workers hoisted (吊起) the 21-meter pole onto the roof of
the competition structure -- a raised structure supported by 36 wooden poles
for the event.

Locally known as Ciang-gu (搶孤), the contest sees five-member teams form a
human pyramid and help a climber scale (攀爬) a 13-meter wooden pole slicked
with beef fat to seize a ceremonial flag at the top.

The first team to do so wins a prize of 350,000 N-T.

DIPLOMATIC OVERTURES

US President Donald Trump has confirmed he plans to meet North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un this year, with a possible summit on the sidelines of the APEC
gathering in November.

Pyongyang has so far poured cold water on (對…潑冷水；降低…的可能性) the prospect of
talks, with Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong saying she is not aware of any
communication between the two nations.

President Trump's confirmation comes as he faces criticism over his decision
to cut short joint military drills with South Korea.

Nick Harper reports from Washington.

Canada and the United States have moved closer to finalizing a trade
agreement that would avert (避免；防止) threatened 50% U.S. tariffs.

A senior Canadian official calls the emerging terms “a very good deal for
Canada” while cautioning that negotiations are not complete.

The senior Canadian official said the emerging agreement would provide
greater certainty, protect Canada’s dairy sector and jobs threatened by the
new tariffs, and preserve what Ottawa considers favorable trade terms with
the United States.

The tariffs on about $20 billion dollars worth of Canadian imports have been
postponed until 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has also asked provincial premiers to
return U.S. alcohol to store shelves, according to Nova Scotia's premier.

Nearly 72% of Canada’s goods exports last year went to the United States.

And analysts say the Trump administration might be wary of (對…有所顧忌；保持警惕)
imposing a hefty new tariff, paid by U.S. importers who try to pass along the
cost to consumers via higher prices, ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The Tai-Ex opened down 237-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
45,071 on turnover of 9-billion N-T.

The market lost ground on Tuesday as investors opted to pocket gains from
recent sessions amid concerns over volatility (波動) in the market on the
settlement of August futures contracts.

The Taichung District Prosecutors' Office has indicted (起訴) four companies
and 15 individuals in connection with the recent contaminated cooking oil
scandal involving Central Union Oil Corporation.

All of the defendants (被告) have been charged with violating the Act Governing
Food Safety and Sanitation as well for forgery (偽造) and fraud.

According to the prosecutors' office, Central Union senior executives were
aware that certain shipments of soybeans imported from Brazil had higher
levels of heat damage, increasing the risk of a carcinogen (致癌物) forming
during the manufacturing process.

Prosecutors say they loosened the company's heat-damage control standard
without introducing corresponding measures such as increased testing and
monitoring in order to avoid immediately reporting the issue.

The case affected more than 13,000 businesses across Taiwan.

The Ministry of Culture has announced that "A Foggy Tale" will represent
Taiwan in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy
Awards.

The movie was directed by Chen Yu-hsun and is set during the White Terror era.

The selection committee says it chose the film for its vivid characters,
compelling (引人入勝的) storytelling and portrayal (刻畫；描寫) of the lives of
everyday people during one of Taiwan's darkest chapters.

The movie was released last November here in Taiwan and and won Best
Narrative Feature, Best Original Screenplay (劇本), Best Makeup and Costume
Design and Best Art Direction at the 62nd Golden Horse Awards.

The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 14, 2027.

OVER ALLEGED CHILD HARMS

The trial of Meta over alleged (被指控的；涉嫌的) child harms from Instagram and
Facebook has begun in Oakland, California, with opening statements from both
sides on Tuesday.

Four US states are seeking up to one-point-four trillion dollars in damages,
alleging the company knowingly (明知地；蓄意地) designed its platforms to hook young
users.

Meta's chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is among the witnesses prosecutors
plan to call during the six-week trial.

Ira Spitzer has more from San Francisco.

Archaeologists in Peru have unveiled (公布；展示) skeletal remains (遺骸) near Huaca
Pucllana, an ancient pyramid in Lima.

They believe the remains are of a man sacrificed in a ritual linked to a
ceremonial pool.

The body was found inside a canal, positioned with the skull facing the
pyramid and the Pacific Ocean.

Experts say the bones will help researchers understand the rituals of the
Lima culture.

The Lima culture thrived (蓬勃發展；繁盛) between the first and seventh centuries,
long before the Inca Empire.

Huaca Pucllana was a key ceremonial center and is now a tourist site.

The Tai-Ex opened up 65-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 45,922
on turnover of 8.4-billion N-T.

The market closed slightly higher, but on reduced turnover on Monday as
investors appeared reluctant to chase prices amid concerns of a major
pullback and instead opted to lock-in early gains in large-cap tech stocks.

Premier Cho Jung-tai has refused to countersign the Special Act on Taiwan
Future Accounts.

The Act which was passed by lawmakers in July.

According to the Cabinet, Cho is refusing to sign the Act due to violations
of constitutional principles and due to concerns that it could allow
wealthier families to accumulate larger amounts and ultimately (最終) widen the
wealth gap, violating the principle of proportionality (比例原則 ， 相稱性原則).

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

It's the sixth time since December 2025 that the Premier has refused to
countersign legislation.

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

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

That agreement has been in effect since December 2013.

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

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

Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, has announced plans to introduce
a resolution barring military action against Oman when the US Senate returns
from its August recess.

It's a direct response to US President Donald Trump's threat to bomb the Gulf
state if it interferes (幹擾) in a deal over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The threat came as a 60-day deadline for a wider peace deal between
Washington and Tehran expired on Monday without agreement, with no concrete
plans (具體計畫，實質規畫) to end the 24-week war.

The White House says it is now shifting to what it calls an economic pressure
campaign, with a fresh round of sanctions expected in the coming days.

James Gooderson reports from Washington.

Brazil’s President Lula da Silva says oil drilling in northern coastal
regions could be a "passport to the country’s future."

He visited a Petrobras offshore drilling vessel on Monday, following a find
announced last week near the Amazon River.

Petrobras detected hydrocarbons off Amapa state, suggesting significant
(重要的，有份量的) reserves.

Lula emphasizes Brazil's commitment to biofuel innovation and renewable
energy.

He faces a tight election in October and is balancing drilling with
alternative energy efforts.

The region could hold up to 10 billion barrels of oil.

Lula's announcement aligns with his election campaign, aiming to gain support
in northern Brazil.