🔥 Top Stories
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday (26th) signed a law extending martial law and full mobilization by 90 days, to January 29, 2027. Ukraine's parliament approved the extension, with 293 lawmakers supporting the martial law measure. On the same day, Russia said that even if three-way talks involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine resume, its forces will continue fighting and will not limit military operations. The two measures were originally set to expire on October 31. This is the 21st extension of martial law and mobilization measures by the current parliament.
As the Fifth Plenary Session of the Chinese Communist Party opened in Beijing, an open letter signed by undergraduate and graduate students at more than ten key universities, led by Peking University, appeared on campus forums. The letter calls for abolishing the system of indefinite term extensions for the state president. Many of the posts were deleted within a short time, but screenshots of them were later uploaded to the dark web and shared on overseas social media platforms.
Brazil's presidential election runoff results were announced on the 25th. Incumbent President Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva won more than 50% of the vote, defeating the son of right-wing former president Bolsonaro. He became the first candidate in Brazil's presidential history to win a runoff from behind, and the first leader in the country to govern four times.
CNN, citing US officials, reported that US forces deployed in the Middle East have the capability to launch a large-scale attack on Iran. If President Trump orders it, operations could begin within 96 hours, with targets possibly expanding from military facilities to energy and nuclear infrastructure. Trump has not made a final decision, and the White House declined to comment.
Israel will hold parliamentary elections, its first major vote since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Reports say the election focuses on five key issues and amounts to a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership.
🏛 Politics
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday (26th) signed a law extending martial law and full mobilization by 90 days, to January 29, 2027. Ukraine's parliament approved the extension, with 293 lawmakers supporting the martial law measure. On the same day, Russia said that even if three-way talks involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine resume, its forces will continue fighting and will not limit military operations. The two measures were originally set to expire on October 31. This is the 21st extension of martial law and mobilization measures by the current parliament.
As the Fifth Plenary Session of the Chinese Communist Party opened in Beijing, an open letter signed by undergraduate and graduate students at more than ten key universities, led by Peking University, appeared on campus forums. The letter calls for abolishing the system of indefinite term extensions for the state president. Many of the posts were deleted within a short time, but screenshots of them were later uploaded to the dark web and shared on overseas social media platforms.
Brazil's presidential election runoff results were announced on the 25th. Incumbent President Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva won more than 50% of the vote, defeating the son of right-wing former president Bolsonaro. He became the first candidate in Brazil's presidential history to win a runoff from behind, and the first leader in the country to govern four times.
Former Taitung County Magistrate Wu Chun-li, a defendant in a corruption case over the widening of the Dongying connecting road, was granted bail of NT$5 million by the Taitung District Court after prosecutors sought his detention. Prosecutors appealed, and the Hualien High Court overturned the original ruling. When the Taitung court reopened the detention hearing, Wu was absent, citing hospitalization in Kaohsiung. Prosecutors dispatched investigators to Kaohsiung, and after confirming he was fit to travel, they brought him back to Taitung.
On October 4, Cai Kangyong attended the campaign launch of Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Boyang. Afterward, Chinese netizens called for a boycott, and partner brands cut ties with him. China's Taiwan Affairs Office publicly called him a 'two-faced person.' Cai issued a statement apologizing to those affected and stressing that he has never supported Taiwan independence. Shen said he was 'very saddened,' arguing that Taiwanese people's freedom should not be interfered with by China.
The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV is recovering as expected from surgery for lung adenocarcinoma and is physically fit to carry out his planned trip. He is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17.
Iran has invited senior security and defense officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey to regional security talks in Tehran on the 26th. The talks come as concerns over escalating Middle East conflict have eased and oil prices have fallen. On the 25th, US President Donald Trump told reporters, "Today we are not going to attack Iran," adding that people would soon see the Iran conflict end in some way.
Former Taitung County Magistrate Wu Chun-li is suspected of granting favoritism in a road-widening project linked to the Dongying Resort. A Taitung court had set bail at NT$5 million, but after prosecutors appealed, the case was remanded for retrial. While Wu was hospitalized at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital for myocarditis awaiting surgery, investigators took him into custody from his ward on the afternoon of the 26th and transferred him back to Taitung that evening. His legal team issued a statement questioning the move, saying the court had approved a leave request, and asked prosecutors to explain the procedures and medical risks.
CNN, citing US officials, reported that US forces deployed in the Middle East have the capability to launch a large-scale attack on Iran. If President Trump orders it, operations could begin within 96 hours, with targets possibly expanding from military facilities to energy and nuclear infrastructure. Trump has not made a final decision, and the White House declined to comment.
Israel will hold parliamentary elections, its first major vote since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Reports say the election focuses on five key issues and amounts to a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership.
💰 Finance
Senior officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan travelled to Tehran, Iran's capital, in an effort to restart security negotiations. Market concerns over a further escalation of tensions in the Middle East have eased, and international oil prices have fallen.
AI company Anthropic has filed for an initial public offering, reviving investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. Falling oil prices also eased inflation concerns, and US stocks closed higher on Monday, the 26th. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 146 points and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index gained over 300 points. TSMC's ADR (TSM) rose 5.86 dollars, or 1.40 percent, to close at 424.37 dollars.
Brazilian leftist President Lula won re-election, an outcome that surprised investors and raised concerns about greater pressure on the country's debt. The Bovespa stock index closed nearly 14% lower today, according to the Associated Press.
Taiwan's milkfish farming area has shrunk by more than half from its peak, to about 5,000 hectares this year, as young workers leave coastal villages and fishery-solar coexistence projects expand. Labor shortages affect farming, fishing, slaughtering and processing, and TSMC's plant expansion is also drawing workers away. Fishermen jokingly describe the industry as a sunset business, and it faces an existential crisis.
Micron's Taichung union reached a labor agreement with the company, raising pay for more than 80% of employees by nearly 2.7 times. Production line staff annual salaries will rise to over NT$2 million, while entry-level and mid-to-senior engineers will earn up to NT$4 million and NT$6 million a year. Pension contributions will rise to 10%. Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs welcomed the consensus. Separately, the boards of four public-owned financial holding companies, First Financial, Mega, Taiwan Cooperative and Hua Nan, approved on the 22nd a merger of their four investment trust subsidiaries.
Goldman Sachs said in its latest report that US retail stock trading activity has fallen about 20% since this summer and 45% since the end of 2025. Retail trading now accounts for about 9% of total US equity volume, down from 15% at the end of last year and near its lowest level since 2020. Goldman attributes the trend to weak consumer confidence, rising energy prices and climbing bond yields.
According to Reuters, U.S. Treasury yields had surged earlier, prompting Federal Reserve officials to worry that financial conditions were tightening too quickly, a key factor in this week's decision to pause rate hikes. After last week's sharp stock selloff sent funds into bonds as a safe haven, yields have since fallen, leaving Fed Chair Powell with a harder communication task: explaining why rates are being held while convincing markets the Fed remains committed to curbing inflation. The market widely expects the Fed to keep its benchmark rate at 3.75% to 4% at its October 27-28 meeting, with futures pricing a 90% chance of no change as of last Friday. Some economists, however, argue the latest data supports another hike, and the decision may be closer to a dilemma than markets expect.
A Goldman Sachs report obtained by Reuters shows market doubts over whether massive AI spending will pay off have driven volatility in stock and bond markets. Trend-following hedge funds recorded their worst single week since 2024 last week, while tech stocks continued to face selling pressure. The Nasdaq 100 fell 5.5% last week, its largest weekly decline since April 2025. Meta shares plunged 10% last week; although its earnings were strong, the company disclosed it still needs to raise more funds to finance AI investment, unsettling investors.
Brazilian President Lula came from behind to win the second round of the election on the 25th, securing an unprecedented fourth term. Markets had hoped a right-wing leader would tighten fiscal policy, and that hope was disappointed. When trading opened on the 26th, Brazil's stock and currency markets both fell sharply, each down more than 10%, and the stock market triggered a circuit breaker. Agricultural commodities such as soybeans and coffee also weakened. Investors will watch whether Lula can balance social welfare spending with curbing the deficit and rising debt.
Anthropic has formally applied for an initial public offering, which would make it the first listed developer of advanced AI models. The company hopes the offering will match or exceed the size of SpaceX's record. The filing comes amid turmoil in U.S. stock markets.
💻 Technology
Germany's Manager Magazin reported, citing sources, that Volkswagen may bring the software architecture currently used in its China-market models into its mass-market vehicles in Europe. The move could affect Volkswagen's partnership with US electric vehicle startup Rivian.
Microsoft, while heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI), is also seeking to cut costs. The company said today it is offering a voluntary exit program to about 60,000 employees, roughly one-quarter of its total workforce.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, has drawn reports of internal screen cracks, lines and other abnormalities after its launch, with some users saying their phones failed after only a few openings and closings. On its launch day, Apple published a hinge troubleshooting document listing symptoms such as incomplete opening and closing, noises when folding, and loose hinges. The document states that such hardware issues cannot be fixed through software.
Bloomberg reported that some users of Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, said their inner screens cracked when unfolded within hours to days of its launch last Friday, and some devices no longer work properly. The complaints first surfaced on Reddit, and Bloomberg independently verified at least seven users' accounts, including photos of the damage and records of contact with Apple support. Apple employees said a team is investigating and engineers are trying to obtain faulty devices for analysis, but the company has not publicly responded. The share of affected devices and the exact cause are not yet known, and most iPhone Duo users do not appear to have experienced problems.
🌏 International
The United States has charged former FBI director James Comey with leaking national defence information. The move marks the third time Comey has faced criminal allegations from the Trump administration. These are allegations, and a court has not yet ruled on them.
Microsoft has offered voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees, about 27% of its global workforce, as the software giant spends heavily on artificial intelligence.
Anthropic, one of the world's leading artificial intelligence companies, on Monday made public its plans to sell shares on the stock market. The filing reveals soaring sales and points to potential dangers associated with AI.
A group of independent experts commissioned by the United Nations says a ceasefire agreement in Gaza has not stopped what they describe as genocide carried out by Israel in the territory.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil's presidential runoff on Sunday, completing a political comeback. His competitor, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, is challenging the result.
On Monday, top officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met Iranian officials in Tehran in an effort to de-escalate the Middle East conflict. The talks took place as Yemen's Houthis launched more attacks.
Brazil's currency fell sharply after leftist politician Lula defeated Flávio Bolsonaro, its steepest drop since 1999. The São Paulo stock exchange also saw heavy selling.
Meta plans to raise $95 billion through a stock offering to fund its artificial intelligence expansion. Chipmakers Nvidia, AMD and Broadcom will act as cornerstone investors in the offering.
Microsoft is offering buyouts to 60,000 employees as part of a move to control costs. The tech giant plans to spend up to $175 billion on AI infrastructure this year.
Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan held talks with Iran in Tehran on Monday to try to prevent the Middle East war from reigniting. The officials, from the three Mecca pact countries, travelled to Iran to "de-escalate between the parties to the current crisis," according to a Saudi foreign ministry statement. The talks included Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. They followed warnings by the United States, Iran and Israel that hostilities could resume.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he would not return the UK to EU freedom of movement rules without a referendum, and has ruled out rejoining the bloc during this parliamentary term. His weekend call for an "honest discussion" on restoring freedom of movement has raised questions about the parameters of his vision for a deeper relationship with Brussels.
Israelis are in the final hours of an intense election season. Reports say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military clashed over Iran. Netanyahu denies allegations that he is escalating tensions with Iran ahead of the election.
Anthropic has filed for an initial public offering that could be the largest IPO ever. The filing comes weeks after CEO Dario Amodei argued in an essay for slowing the development of the most advanced AI models.
Microsoft has offered a "voluntary exit offer" to 60,000 employees, roughly 25 percent of its total workforce. The job cuts come amid a heated race in artificial intelligence.
Microsoft has offered buyouts to around 60,000 employees. The offers are part of the company's latest efforts to cut costs and rework its workforce.