The Tai-Ex opened down 185 points this morning from yesterday's close, at
46,833, on turnover of 11.8 billion NT.

The market closed sharply (大幅地) higher on Wednesday.

The main board rose for a second day.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ended at the day's highest price, after
its American depositary receipts made strong gains in overnight (一夜之間的 / 隔夜的)
trading.

The Office of the President has issued a Presidential Order formally removing
the government's top trade negotiator from office.

The move comes after Premier Cho Jung-tai suspended (停職) Yang Jen-ni on
Monday.

An investigation (調查) found Yang had bullied her late deputy, Yen Huai-shing,
at work.

Yen died in March at the age of 53, shortly after resigning from her job as
the deputy chief of the Office of Trade Negotiations.

A Cabinet report said Yang created a difficult workplace for Yen.

Yang has repeatedly denied doing anything wrong.

She is threatening to take legal action, saying the case has hurt her
reputation (名譽).

The Philippines has extended (延長) its 14-day visa-free entry program for
Taiwan passport holders (護照持有人) until June 30, 2027.

The Manila Economic and Cultural Office says the move gives Taiwan passport
holders the same special treatment (待遇) they received last year.

The office says the extension follows the Philippine government's order to
give equal visa-free benefits (好處 / 優惠) to Taiwan.

That is because Philippine passport holders can also travel to Taiwan without
a visa.

The Philippines first allowed Taiwan travelers to enter visa-free for up to
14 days on July 1, 2025.

The program was originally set to end on June 30 of this year.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry says there has been "positive progress" in indirect
(間接的) talks between the United States and Iran in Doha.

Mediators (調停人 / 調解人) have been moving between the two sides to discuss
issues linked to a memorandum of understanding.

US President Donald Trump says denuclearisation is "moving along well."

But Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi says official talks have
not started yet, and working groups are still being formed.

The two sides seem to disagree on more than the main issues.

They also disagree on whether important topics have even been discussed.

Mitch Mccann reports from New York.

Floods in Ivory Coast have killed at least 59 people this year, according to
a government spokesperson.

The announcement came after a Cabinet meeting, where officials discussed the
high number of deaths.

On Monday, heavy rain caused floods and landslides (土石流 / 山崩) in the capitals
of Ghana and Ivory Coast.

At least 24 people died.

The government urged people to follow safety rules and evacuate (疏散 / 撤離)
high-risk areas.

The World Meteorological Organization says Africa is one of the parts of the
world most at risk from extreme weather.

But Africa produces only a small share of the world's greenhouse gas
emissions (排放).

A conservation (保育) group says humpback whales are now seen more often off
Rio de Janeiro.

It says their numbers are recovering after years of commercial whaling in the
past.

The Humpback Whale Project says the population (族群數量) has grown from about
2,000 to 35,000 in 40 years.

In 1982, the International Whaling Commission ordered a pause in commercial
whaling.

That pause began three years later.

Between June and November, humpback whales move through Brazilian waters.

Their return is helping tourism.

Some companies now offer whale-watching trips.

The Tai-Ex opened up 108 points this morning from yesterday's close, at
46,234 on turnover of 19.1 billion N-T.

The market went solidly higher on Tuesday.

It also saw its third-biggest point rise during a trading day.

Investors were again interested in big electronics and semiconductor shares.

That helped push the main board higher.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is taking steps to make its official
(官方的) document system safer.

The statement comes after a Control Yuan report accused the ministry of poor
handling of several possible document leaks (洩漏) in 2024 and 2025.

Foreign ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei says the ministry has been
checking its electronic document rules.

He says it is also working to make the system safer after finding possible
leaks of official papers.

The Control Yuan report questioned some of the ministry's earlier responses
to the leaked documents.

And,

Passengers (乘客) on the Taipei Metro can use credit cards or digital wallets
linked to those cards starting today.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an announced the new payment (付款) service.

He said the move is meant to help Taipei follow international trends.

The metro operator says it will accept major international and Taiwan credit
cards.

It will also accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.

The change follows the launch (推出) of Q-R code payments in January.

That system lets passengers use major electronic payment services to take
buses and M-R-T trains in Taipei and New Taipei.

Iran says it will not hold direct talks (直接談判) with the United States in Doha
yet.

Iran says the current ceasefire agreement must first be fully carried out.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry also says Iranian officials and U-S envoy Steve
Witkoff will not meet face-to-face on Tuesday.

Washington had hoped to use the 60-day talks to pressure Tehran on its
nuclear program (核子計畫).

But Iran says the main goal is to make sure the U-S-Iran ceasefire continues.

Tehran is also calling for a three-country committee to help protect
Lebanon's sovereignty as part of the wider peace deal.

Nick Harper in Washington says Iran's refusal to talk directly with the
American team is making it harder for Washington to deal with the nuclear
issue during the 60-day period.

Thousands of protesters (抗議者) have gathered in South Africa to protest
illegal immigration.

It is the country's largest protest about migration since 2008.

Activists blame migrants (移民) for joblessness and crime.

They gave the government until June 30 to remove all migrants staying in the
country illegally.

But the government rejected the deadline.

It says only officials can carry out immigration laws.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for peaceful protests.

Police have sent hundreds of officers to cities such as Johannesburg and
Durban to stop violence.

Past protests have led to attacks on migrants and damage to property.

Thousands of migrants are now leaving South Africa because they fear for
their safety (安全).

The Tai-Ex opened up 165-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
45,165 on turnover of 12.7-billion N-T.

The main board rebounded on Monday from Friday's slump on a mild technical
rebound, but turnover still shrank as many investors remain concerned about
possible volatility in the local market.

Premier Cho Jung-tai has suspended the government's top trade negotiator
after an investigation found she had engaged in workplace bullying of her
late deputy.

The move comes after an an investigative committee found that Minister
Without Portfolio Jenni Yang bullied Yen Huai-shing.

Yen died in March at the age of 53, shortly after resigning (辭職) from her job
as the deputy chief of the Office of Trade Negotiations.

The investigation found that Yang dismissed Yen's opinions, creating an
"offensive and unfriendly" work environment that placed her under mental
pressure.

Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee says the premier met with Yang before
suspending her from her duties.

in California

And,

Taiwan's Su Li-yang has won the men's singles championship at the Yonex U-S
Badminton Open in California.

Su is currently ranked No. 46 in the men's singles and he beat No. 38
Sri-kanth Kidambi of India 21-15, 16-21, 21-9 at the 17th Badminton World
Federation World Tour stop.

It was Su's first professional title, following two gold medal wins in B-W-F
junior competitions in 2018 and 2019.

Su took silver at the Taipei Open in 2023, as well as four runner-up titles
at lower-level B-W-F international challenges and series events.

A blast from an explosive device has seriously injured three people at a
residential building in Monaco.

Authorities said the attacker fled to neighboring France.

Monaco officials say the explosion occurred around 9 p.m. at the entryway
(入口通道) of a residence near the French border, injuring two adults and a child
who were taken to hospitals in France.

French and Ukrainian media reported that a Ukrainian construction tycoon and
his family were those injured.

One of the reports says he was targeted by Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 for
ties to Russia.

French and Monaco authorities are searching for the attacker, whose motive is
under investigation.

ABUSE VERDICT

The United States Supreme Court has refused to hear US President Donald
Trump's appeal against a jury finding that he sexually abused and defamed
(誹謗) the writer E. Jean Carroll, leaving a five-million-dollar civil judgment
intact.

None of the nine justices — including three appointed by President Trump
himself — issued a written dissent, and Carroll's lawyer said the ruling ends
the president's effort to avoid accountability.

President Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, calling the case fake
and vowing to continue fighting what he described as lawfare.

David Smith, Washington Bureau Chief for The Guardian, says the ruling will
shape how history regards the president.

The Tai-Ex opened up 23-points this morning from Friday's close, at 44,594 on
turnover of 10.5-billion N-T.

The market suffered its third steepest point fall in history on Friday, as it
was dragged down by the bellwether electronics sector after heavy losses
among tech stocks on Wall Street overnight.

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency has installed a water level meter
at the barrier lake on the Wanli River in Hualien.

The agency says it will allow authorities to receive water-level data every
10 minutes to improve monitoring (監控) and emergency response times.

According to the agency, data is now being transmitted to the Ministry of
Agriculture's Forest Disaster Prevention Response and Barrier Lake Monitoring
System.

Installation of the water level meter comes amid concerns of the barrier lake
overflowing.

The Hualien County government has urged the public to stay away from the
Wanli River, Matai'an Creek and surrounding hazardous areas.

Nearly 200 residents of Wanrong and Fenglin townships have been evacuated as
a precaution.

And,

A total of 500-kilograms of Taiwan Irwin mangoes has been air-shipped to the
U-K.

According to the Tainan City government, it is the first such shipment of the
popular (受歡迎的) fruit to the U-K.

The shipment of mangoes headed for the U-K is being transported using cold
packaging, which means they will be refrigerated in low temperatures during
the entire trip.

The mangoes have been transported to be Frankfurt Airport in Germany and been
transferred to Manchester Airport in northern England.

The total production of Taiwan mangoes in 2025 was 102,578 tons, of which,
836 tons were exported to different markets.

Along with the U-K, Taiwan's Irwin mangoes have been exported to France this
year.

Ukraine has intensified its drone attacks on Russia, setting fire to a major
oil refinery in the south and killing at least two people, according to
Russian authorities.

Kyiv's long-range strikes aim to disrupt Russian fuel supplies and military
deliveries, pressuring the Kremlin to negotiate.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike on the Slavyansk
refinery and claimed another hit in the Yaroslavl region.

Ukraine's campaign targets Russian military industries and energy facilities
to cut Moscow’s revenue and apply pressure.

The campaign has choked Russian fuel supplies, causing widespread shortages
and long lines at gas stations across the country and prompting (敦促，推動)
authorities in many regions to introduce fuel rationing.

According to Western analysts, it has also slowed Moscow’s efforts on the
battlefield, adding pressure on the Kremlin to come to the negotiating table.

records

France records around 1,000 additional deaths as extreme heat sets European
records (記錄).

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports