The Tai-Ex opened down 391-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
45,234 on turnover of $17.4-billion N-T.

Shares in Taiwan closed little changed Thursday after contract chipmaker TSMC
rebounded from the day's low amid continued enthusiasm (熱情) over artificial
intelligence (AI), helping the broader market recover most of its earlier
losses, dealers said.

Taiwan's freedom and prosperity (繁榮) indicies have risen in an annual
international report.

Taiwan ranked 21st in the freedom index and 19th in the prosperity index out
of 171 countries surveyed.

Both those indices mark improvements from last year.

But around the world, political freedom and the rule of the law declined
overall, while prosperity growth slowed.

The only country to beat out Taiwan for freedom was Japan at number 14...

but Singapore was the only one to beat Taiwan for prosperity.

The indices from the Atlantic Council were established in 2022 and have been
published annually since.

(AH-CNA)

Qatar is warning the public to take shelter as a barrage of Iranian missiles
targets the nation.

People heard explosions overhead early today as air defenses fired to
intercept the missiles.

Iran earlier targeted Bahrain and Kuwait over U.S. airstrikes hitting bridges
in the Islamic Republic overnight.

Qatar is a key mediator with Pakistan in trying to reach an end to the Iran
war.

This comes as the United States intensified its strikes on Iran, hitting
targets farther north.

American forces also fired into a ship they accused of trying to break a U.S.
naval blockade (封鎖) on the Islamic Republic.

Iran retaliated Thursday with missile and drone fire targeting U.S. allies
Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.

The interim ceasefire agreed to last month has collapsed and the region has
endured days of back-and-forth attacks by the U.S. and Iran as they battle
for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

HITS DOUBLE THE HAZARDOUS THRESHOLD

Canadian wildfire smoke has worsened sharply across the United States on
Thursday

Air quality alerts now covering at least 17 states and some 115 million
people.

The densest plumes are pushing south from the Midwest toward Washington and
New York, with forecasters warning conditions in the capital could
deteriorate (惡化) by Friday.

Jagruti Dave reports from Washington.

A law set to pass Friday by Japan’s parliament could doom its 1,500-year-old
hereditary institution by insisting that only men can be emperor, sparking
worry about the shrinking, fast-aging imperial family.

The revisions include adoption of distant male relatives to father future
heirs and allowing princesses to keep their royal status after marrying
commoners.

Emperor Naruhito’s 24-year-old daughter is hugely popular, and many Japanese
want her to be his successor.

Princess Aiko is ineligible because she is a woman.

Japan’s male-only succession rule means the emperor’s teenage nephew and
second in line, Prince Hisahito, will probably be the heir.

The Tai-Ex opened down 120-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
45,512 on turnover of $9.1 billion N-T.

Shares in Taiwan bounced back Wednesday from a slump a session earlier, with
buying sparked by a rally in the United States overnight after
slower-than-expected June inflation.

Contract chipmaker TSMC gained only 0.83 percent. Its consolidation capped
the Taiex's upturn and limited turnover.

Nontech stocks also attracted buying in line with the broader market.

Petrochemical stocks continued to move higher, led by the four major entities
of the conglomerate Formosa Plastics Corp.

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency has announced that it will
continue prohibiting visitors from bringing cats, dogs, and other mammals
into 19 forest recreation areas.

That's in an effort to prevent the spread of rabies.

The government says that it's extending (延長) the ban beyond its original
expiration date at the end of the month, citing a lack of reduction in the
geographic range where rabies has been detected in wildlife.

The restriction covering 19 national forest areas will be extended for 2
years, through July 2028.

The agency first imposed the ban in August 2013 after several ferret-badgers
tested positive for rabies and has extended the measure several times since
then.'

But some pets will be allowed under certain conditions at Neidong, Chihnan,
and Jhihben, as well as three plains-level forest parks.

The US military says it has ended a wave of overnight airstrikes that rattled
(使慌亂、使緊張) parts of northern Iran for the first time.

Iranian state media reported explosions around Iran’s capital, Tehran, for
the first time of the latest attacks over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

It also reported American attacks targeted Iran’s Semnan province, home to
ballistic missile production and its space program.

There was no immediate word on casualties or damage from the attacks.

BRAZILIAN GOODS

The United States Trade Representative faces a statutory deadline on
Wednesday to finalise, modify or abandon a proposed twenty-five per cent
tariff on thousands of Brazilian goods, after months of negotiations that
officials in Brasília have described as largely unproductive (沒有成效的).

The tariff, imposed under Section 301 of US trade law, would target more than
four thousand products worth some fifteen billion dollars a year, though key
Brazilian exports including beef, coffee and aircraft parts are expected to
be exempt.

Brazil's government says it is bracing for the tariff to land, but has not
ruled out a last-minute diplomatic push.

Nick Harper reports from Washington.

The British government has announced plans for a six-hour social media curfew
from midnight for 16- and 17-year-olds.

They can override this default setting.

On Wednesday, the Labour government also said features like autoplay videos
will be switched off by default (預設) for older teenagers.

This follows a recent social media ban for under-16s.

The UK's online safety minister says a pilot program showed reduced social
media usage and improved sleep.

Critics argue the curfew may not be effective, and a leading children's
charity has called for stronger measures to address addictive design
features.

The measures, which are one of the final acts of the government of Prime
Minister Keir Starmer, will have to be legislated upon. It is widely believed
that his expected successor Andy Burnham will follow through with the plans.

The Tai-Ex opened up 113-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
44,851 on turnover of $9.9-billion N-T.

Shares in Taiwan came under pressure Tuesday, falling below 44,000 points at
one point, before rebounding in the last 90 minutes of the session to cap the
losses.

But while most non-tech stocks were also in the doldrums, the petrochemical
sector outperformed the market on a spike in international crude oil prices
amid renewed unease in the Middle East, which could boost product prices.

Forecasters are warning of intense heat and severe afternoon thunderstorms
across Taiwan over the next several days.

The Central Weather Administration today issued high-temperature alerts for
eight counties and cities.

Officials say Changhua, Yunlin, Tainan, and Hualien are under an orange
alert... meaning temperatures could repeatedly exceed (超過) 36 degrees
Celsius.

Taipei, New Taipei, Chiayi, and Taitung are under a yellow alert.

Taitung also faces a high risk of hot, dry foehn winds.

Meteorologist Wu Der-rong says tropical disturbances in the South China Sea
and near the Philippines are bringing large amounts of moisture toward
Taiwan, creating highly unstable conditions.

Wu warns that severe convective thunderstorms will develop in mountainous
areas every afternoon through July 21st, and te storms will likely trigger
lightning, strong winds, and flash flooding in low-lying areas.

(NS)

Chinese state media says a senior official has been expelled from the ruling
Communist Party.

Ma Xingrui is one of three members of the current Politburo purged in leader
Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign, alongside two military generals.

Analysts see the campaign as a tool to enforce loyalty to Xi and root out
(根除) corruption.

Party authorities concluded that Ma committed violations including accepting
gifts and using his position to help others.

The 66-year-old Ma was previously the Communist Party chief of Xinjiang and
governor of Guangdong province.

relations

A Turkish businessman charged in a conspiracy to help Iran evade (逃避)
sanctions gets no additional prison time after helping U.S. investigators.

The AP's Jennifer King reports.

The fence separating Gibraltar from Spain has been dismantled, easing travel
for thousands who cross daily.

This change, which goes into effect today, follows years of post-Brexit
negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom over
Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory that is also claimed by Spain.

On Tuesday, the U.K. and the E.U. signed an agreement securing Gibraltar’s
economic future.

The deal de facto brings Gibraltar into the EU’s Schengen free travel area.

Gibraltar officials say live facial recognition (臉部辨識) cameras are now set up
at entry points.

When Britain left the EU in 2020, the relationship between Gibraltar and the
bloc had been left unresolved.

In 2025, the EU and U.K. announced an agreement on those issues, with the two
sides and Gibraltar’s government signing a treaty Tuesday that eases border
crossings.

The Tai-Ex opened down 16-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
45,364 on turnover of $8.7-billion N-T.

Shares in Taiwan closed little changed Monday with an initial significant
upturn eroded as investors rushed to lock in earlier gains in the wake of
losses on other regional markets.

But analysts say TSMC appeared resilient and posted gains to lend support to
the broader market, with investors also expecting the company to deliver
positive leads from its Thursday investor conference.

The Marine National Park Headquarters has signed a cooperation agreement with
TIPC Marine Corporation to strengthen maritime patrols in the waters of South
Penghu Marine National Park.

Returning port service vessels will carry park personnel (人員) on patrol
missions during their return voyages, increasing surveillance of protected
waters.

The partnership will also establish a system for sharing vessel tracking
data, images and patrol records to help detect suspected illegal fishing,
coral reef damage and other violations.

Officials say the partnership will expand patrol coverage and create a
stronger marine patrol network, helping better protect the national park's
marine ecosystem.

The two sides also plan to work together on marine conservation education and
public awareness programs.

(IG)

The United Arab Emirates says Iran attacked two tankers in the Strait of
Hormuz, killing one mariner and wounding eight others.

The Emirati Defense Ministry said Iran launched two cruise missiles at the
tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah.

The attacks set both tankers ablaze, though the fires were extinguished (撲滅).

Bahrain also came under renewed attack early Tuesday morning as Iran
retaliated over the latest round of U.S. airstrikes.

Bahrain sounded its missile alert siren, urging the public to seek shelter.

There was no word on any damage or casualties from the attack.

into protest shooting deaths

From the US...

Minnesota prosecutors have obtain (獲得) long withheld evidence in the state
investigation of ICE related shootings in Minnesota.

AP correspondent Ed Donahue reports

Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is facing backlash for comments
about France's World Cup team ahead of their semifinal match.

He claimed the team "does not have any French players," which leaders in
France and Spain have called racist.

Rajoy made the remarks in a column for a Spanish outlet.

France's foreign minister and the president of the French soccer federation
condemned (譴責) the comments, calling them racist.

Spain's ruling Socialist government and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez swiftly
condemned the comments.

It's not the first time France's team has faced racism during this year's
World Cup.

Earlier this month, France captain and star player Kylian Mbappé condemned a
Paraguayan senator over remarks she made following Paraguay’s loss to France
in the round of 16.