[BS Nippon TV] “Deep Insight NEWS” Testimony from witnesses—the reality of war. Conflicts and tensions continue around the world. Over 5 days, the program conveys “the reality of war” through the firsthand accounts of witnesses on the front lines and asks where Japan stands today.
[Limited to 20 bottles; sold by lottery] The elusive first release, “°Ondo 001 Sparkling Sake,” returns after further aging at ice-cold temperatures! Applications open Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Published ・ Source Japan | PR TIMES
Summary not yet available
Facts
Limited to 20 units
Price: ¥22,000
Total production: 385 bottles
Only 70 bottles remain.
40 million people
Founded in 1897
Carefully polished down to 50% of its original size
Rehabilitation program uses kitchens and fields for training, helping stroke patients return home without anxiety
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
Summary not yet available
Facts
10 hospitals selected across northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan
373 beds in total
Inpatient stays of up to 180 days
About 2,000 people are expected to benefit
The golden period for stroke rehabilitation has been extended from 3 months to 6 months
Turning rehabilitation exercises—originally tedious, arduous and difficult to sustain over the long term—into challenge-based tasks featuring 150 “games”
Each “class” lasts about 1 hour
Regaining abilities at home during the chronic phase, 4 to 6 months after stroke
115 fiscal year budget cut by NT$48 billion, setting record for latest third-reading passage
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
The 立法院 passed the 115 fiscal year central government general budget proposal at third reading on the evening of the 14th. Spending was cut by NT$48 billion, setting a record for the latest passage in history after 266 days of review.
Facts
Originally proposed total expenditures: NT$3,034,974,371,000
The review resulted in cuts totaling NT$48 billion
After a delay of 266 days
Across-the-board 60% cut to agency heads' special expenses
Military equipment and facilities faced an across-the-board 2.5% cut
The original total revenue in the 115 fiscal year central government budget was NT$2,862,253,191,000
The review resulted in additions totaling NT$601,999,390,000
The provisional total revenue was revised to NT$3,464,252,581,000
Restoration of a century-old Western-style house in Kinmen reveals civil defense practices of the time; exhibitions and cultural trails bring the public closer to historic sites
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
Summary not yet available
Facts
The Huang family is providing the entire Western-style house rent-free for 1 year
With school starting soon and the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, Taichung businesses scramble to order cooking oil; one ordered 100 barrels but received only 5
US drone tariffs: Executive Yuan says 台灣's tariff advantage could reach 85 percentage points
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
Summary not yet available
Facts
Products exported to the US from 台灣 that meet US requirements on the origin of key components and technology, including large drones and drones with sensitive functions, are subject to a 15% tariff
An 85-percentage-point tariff advantage
Drones weighing 25 kilograms or more, or drones with sensitive functions such as thermal imaging, and their key components, face a 100% tariff on top of the MFN rate when exported to the US
General commercial or consumer drones and components weighing no more than 25 kilograms and without thermal imaging face a 25% tariff on top of the MFN rate when exported to the US
Compared with the 25% rate applied to other countries, this represents a 10-percentage-point tariff advantage
Jinfengsheng invests NT$640 million to build smart, low-carbon food processing plant in Yunlin
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
金豐盛食品 is investing NT$640 million to build a plant in Yunlin, introducing AI-powered automation and low-carbon technology to expand capacity and create local jobs.
Forestry agency invites the public to Alishan under clear autumn skies to view the Milky Way from a low-light-pollution location with a wide vista
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
The Chiayi Forest District Office is holding the “Starry Mountain Town” stargazing camp, combining autumn and winter skies over Alishan with ecology tours to invite the public to experience nature up close.
Fireworks at Fisherman’s Wharf on 3 consecutive Sundays; bicycles barred from Tamkang Bridge during traffic controls
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
New Taipei City’s Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf will host fireworks shows on 3 consecutive Sundays in late August, with traffic controls in place for 6 hours.
Facts
The 2026 Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf Midsummer Fun fireworks shows will take place at 8 p.m. on Aug. 16, 23 and 30.
Traffic controls will be in effect from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on event days.
5 nearby YouBike stations will suspend service during the events.
Additional fireworks shuttle buses will run between Tamsui MRT Station and Tamsui Bus Terminal.
National Freeway 1, Xinying section southbound: car crashes into guardrail, then is hit by tractor-trailer; 3 injured and hospitalized
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
A crash occurred in the early morning on the Tainan Xinying section of National Freeway 1, when a car hit a guardrail and was then struck by a tractor-trailer behind it; 3 people were injured and taken to hospital.
Zhu Rongji dies; New York Times: Chinese mourn an era that was once more open and full of hope
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji has died, prompting collective remembrance of the era of reform and opening up he represented and his forthright style.
Facts
Zhu Rongji served as premier from 1998 to 2003, during Jiang Zemin’s leadership.
National Palace Museum joins 5 Taiwan and U.S. schools to use AI to interpret horse artifacts
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
The National Palace Museum joined students from 5 schools to use generative AI to reimagine the digital narratives of horse artifacts. The initiative aims to deepen the use of technology and cultural heritage through young people’s creativity.
Facts
The National Palace Museum joined students from 5 schools
Create short films or interactive narratives lasting 2 to 5 minutes
Basic living expense allowance proposed to rise to NT$220,000, potentially cutting taxes for more than 2 million households next year
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 中央社 CNA
The basic living expense allowance is proposed to rise to NT$220,000, with more than 2 million households expected to benefit from tax cuts when filing in 2026.
Facts
Median disposable income per person in 2025 rose to NT$366,841
When will the military pay raise plan be announced? She compares the Cabinet’s additional allowances, saying they are “tacked onto the defense budget”: “They simply disregard military personnel, police, firefighters and paramedics”
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
KMT legislator 馬文君 has intensified criticism of the government for increasing the defense budget while failing to allocate funds for allowances and pension guarantees for military personnel and police and firefighters. This reflects a distortion in the administration’s priorities and deepening political divisions.
Building a digital-nomad-friendly city! Youth Bureau calls on hotels, shared workspaces and restaurants to join its friendly-business certification and connect remote-work communities
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
The Kaohsiung City Government Youth Bureau held a briefing to promote a digital-nomad-friendly certification, bringing together hotels, shared workspaces and restaurants to create a remote-work community and attract international talent.
Companies mentioned：遊牧台灣辦公室、愛嬉遊臺灣青年旅館聯盟、Second Space
Repeated lapses at 部立嘉南療養院! Patient in critical condition as “ambulance took 1 hour to arrive”; 衛福部 launches investigation
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
A case has come to light at 部立嘉南療養院 in Taiwan in which a psychiatric patient suffered a food obstruction emergency and waited more than 1 hour for an ambulance to arrive. 衛福部 has launched an investigation.
NXP expands Malaysia back-end packaging and testing capacity! Mass production starts in 2028 Q1, with full-capacity output doubling to complement new capacity at VSMC and ESMC
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
NXP Semiconductors announced an expansion of its packaging and testing plant in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Mass production will begin in 2028 Q1, with total output expected to double. The expansion will complement its joint ventures with VSMC in Singapore and ESMC in Germany, strengthening its global manufacturing ecosystem.
Beijing Watch》Guo Degang lands in hot water! Wuhan performance of “The Forbidden City is Quiet” investigated; what red line did he cross?
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
Chinese crosstalk performer 郭徳綱 came under scrutiny by cultural authorities after altering a revolutionary song during a Wuhan performance and singing, “The Forbidden City is quiet.” Authorities have raised concerns over improvised material that differed from the submitted program.
How did people cross the Pacific without a compass? Shihsanhang’s “Riding the Wind and Waves” exhibition explores Austronesian navigation
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
新北市立十三行博物館 is holding the special exhibition “Riding the Wind, Navigating the Waves: Ancient Austronesian Vessels.” The exhibition introduces traditional Austronesian navigation techniques and highlights the importance of passing on cultural heritage.
Shulin Arts Center teams up with “盜火劇團” for “Theater Unboxed” from 9/19 to 9/24, revealing what happens onstage and behind the scenes
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
Shulin Arts Center and “盜火劇團” will hold “Theater Unboxed” from September 19 to 24. The event combines the children’s play “Where Did Mickey Go?” with a theater exploration experience to promote wider access to performing arts and provide educational and cultural opportunities.
61 sets of “Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Lessons” arrive at Kaohsiung City Library, fostering Chinese medicine culture through reading
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
中華傳統養生教育發展協會 donated 61 sets of the children’s Chinese medicine book “中醫藥保健小學堂” to the Kaohsiung Public Library. The initiative promotes the passing on of traditional culture to the next generation by combining health education with reading.
Beijing mocks the Han Kuang exercises as a show; China’s Ministry of National Defense taunts Lai Ching-te as “fake defense, real escape”
Published ・ Source Taiwan | 風傳媒
China’s Ministry of National Defense criticized Taiwan’s “Han Kuang 42 exercises” as a sham, mocking Lai Ching-te as “fake defense, real escape” and stressing that Taiwan independence cannot change the status quo. The remarks carry a strong political warning.