A video circulating on social media shows a junior high school boy in New Taipei being forced to kneel while surrounded by peers of similar age. The boy was also reportedly forced to kowtow and physically assaulted, and a female student from the same school was also affected. The incident involves three schools, and the Education Bureau has responded.
The Chinese Communist Party announced on the 29th, at the close of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee in Beijing, that it had formally expelled 33 senior political and military officials from the party. The New York Times also reported on the announcement.
Comedian Huang Yi-hao, whose performances satirize Chinese President Xi Jinping, was reportedly targeted in an alleged transnational repression plot linked to the Chinese Communist Party. According to reports, he was hit by a vehicle in a staged car accident that was allegedly arranged by hired individuals. New Taipei prosecutors recently filed an aggravated indictment in the case. Huang described the scene and said he was fortunate not to have gotten into the vehicle.
Intel released its 2026 third-quarter financial report, with both revenue and profit exceeding Wall Street analysts' expectations. However, its fourth-quarter forecast fell short of market expectations, and shares at one point dropped more than 20% in after-hours trading.
The U.S. Federal Reserve voted in October to keep the federal funds rate in the 3.75% to 4% range, but two officials dissented in favor of a quarter-point increase. The policy statement raised its economic growth forecast, and Chair Powell stressed that the inflation target will not be compromised. Markets see the Fed's stance as still hawkish, and the probability of a December rate hike has risen above 85%.
The Chinese Communist Party announced on the 29th, at the close of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee in Beijing, that it had formally expelled 33 senior political and military officials from the party. The New York Times also reported on the announcement.
Comedian Huang Yi-hao, whose performances satirize Chinese President Xi Jinping, was reportedly targeted in an alleged transnational repression plot linked to the Chinese Communist Party. According to reports, he was hit by a vehicle in a staged car accident that was allegedly arranged by hired individuals. New Taipei prosecutors recently filed an aggravated indictment in the case. Huang described the scene and said he was fortunate not to have gotten into the vehicle.
Sources told Reuters that ExxonMobil and Chevron have cancelled plans for senior executives to attend the ADIPEC energy conference in the United Arab Emirates next week, citing security concerns. The decision comes as the risk of US-Iran military conflict rises and Iran may retaliate against US action, amid tensions across the Middle East. ExxonMobil's chief executive Darren Woods had been scheduled to attend in Abu Dhabi, while Chevron's upstream chief Clay Neff was to represent the company.
Independent Kaohsiung city councilor Chen Shan-hui is suspected of involvement in a case over the disposal of waste from solar power installations. The day before, prosecutors from the Qiaotou District Prosecutors Office directed Kaohsiung investigators to search and take him in for questioning. While probing nearly NT$10 million in suspicious funds linked to fellow councilor Chen Ming-tse, investigators found Chen Shan-hui was also implicated. After a second round of questioning, prosecutors sought detention, and the court approved it. He is reportedly suspected of being an accomplice of Chen Ming-tse.
Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao told the Legislative Yuan's Education and Culture Committee that the ministry expects to soon publish guidelines on preventing illegal infringement against teachers in the workplace. The guidelines will include an "offline right" to protect teachers' right to rest, and will provide reference templates for schools. Teacher groups welcomed the direction and called for legislation so that teachers are not reported for failing to reply to messages promptly.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Asif told Bloomberg on the 28th that Pakistan had refused Taiwanese airlines access to its airspace in line with its One China policy. After the disclosure, Pakistan reversed the ban and began approving Taiwan-registered airlines to use its airspace from October 28 to March 27 of next year.
France is set to face a new wave of protests this weekend. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has warned of the risk of violence in towns, and authorities are on high alert and have stepped up security deployments.
Pakistan once refused Taiwanese airlines entry to and passage through its airspace, citing support for the One China principle. In response to a question from Central News Agency, an EU spokesperson said today that freedom and safety of overflight should be upheld and that connectivity should not be disrupted for political purposes.
The Keelung District Prosecutors Office on the 29th ordered searches and questioned Li Yunjing, a candidate for the Zhongshan District Keelung city council, along with former councillors Zhang Bingjun and Zhang Jinhuang, among others. Investigators acted on a tip alleging that Li's campaign may have used banquets, trips, and gifts of rice and drinks to win voters. Li, Zhang Bingjun and Zhang Jinhuang were transferred to prosecutors at 9 p.m. for further questioning on suspicion of vote buying under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act. Li is running as an independent.
Prosecutors investigating a kickback case involving the Luzhu solar farm in Kaohsiung found that independent Kaohsiung city councilor Chen Shanhui was also involved and carried out a search on the 29th. After questioning, prosecutors said Chen Shanhui and Democratic Progressive Party Kaohsiung city councilor Chen Mingze are suspected of accepting bribes from a company, that the suspicion is serious, and that they petitioned the court that evening for detention. Chen Mingze had already been ordered detained and held incommunicado on August 1.
Intel released its 2026 third-quarter financial report, with both revenue and profit exceeding Wall Street analysts' expectations. However, its fourth-quarter forecast fell short of market expectations, and shares at one point dropped more than 20% in after-hours trading.
US stocks closed lower on Thursday, the 29th. Alphabet fell about 12% after its third-quarter adjusted earnings per share and revenue missed market expectations, and its free cash flow turned negative for a second straight quarter. Marvell plunged more than 13%, pulling the Nasdaq and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down more than 1%. The S&P 500 snapped a three-day winning streak, though more than 400 of its constituents still rose, suggesting selling was concentrated in a few tech heavyweights.
Alphabet, Google's parent company, reported disappointing earnings that deepened market doubts about the artificial intelligence boom. Its shares closed down more than 12% on the day, dragging U.S. stocks lower.
Oil prices closed lower on Thursday, the 29th, as hopes of renewed diplomatic contact between the United States and Iran eased concerns over energy supply disruptions in the Middle East. Continued attacks by Yemen's Houthi forces, a fresh attack on Saudi Arabian energy facilities and reports of a tanker encountering a mine near the Strait of Hormuz limited the decline. Brent crude futures fell 44 cents, or 0.38%, to $114.88 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures dropped 78 cents, or 0.76%, to $102 a barrel.
Rising financing needs for data centers and AI chips have pushed bond and loan yields into double digits, making it harder for banks to offload risk. Elon Musk warned that hundreds of neocloud companies could collapse if they run out of funding. Castle Securities cautioned that large technology firms may also be affected, as credit default swap costs for Broadcom, SpaceX, Oracle, Nvidia and Meta have climbed to junk-level levels. Still, major technology companies raised tens of billions of dollars this week.
International oil prices closed lower after choppy trading today. Market expectations of peace negotiations between the United States and Iran eased some concerns that escalating Middle East conflict could disrupt oil supplies, pushing prices down.
Twelve European countries pledged today to jointly release 42.6 million barrels of strategic oil reserves by the end of January next year. The move follows a G7 agreement reached earlier this month to ease surging global energy prices.
US economic growth in the third quarter posted its largest gain in a year, driven by strong corporate investment in AI and resilient consumer spending, which offset the impact of higher oil prices. Inflation measures preferred by the Federal Reserve came in line with market expectations. Although still elevated, AI-driven inflation appears to be nearing its peak.
Federal Reserve Chair Warsh said on the 28th that, in assessing the economic and interest rate outlook, he is watching how higher interest rates affect investment in artificial intelligence, as well as economic developments in Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
The U.S. Federal Reserve voted in October to keep the federal funds rate in the 3.75% to 4% range, but two officials dissented in favor of a quarter-point increase. The policy statement raised its economic growth forecast, and Chair Powell stressed that the inflation target will not be compromised. Markets see the Fed's stance as still hawkish, and the probability of a December rate hike has risen above 85%.
The New York Times reported that a Chinese-national female executive with close ties to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is suspected of passing intelligence to Beijing. The report said U.S. President Donald Trump was aware of the matter but took no action. Huang plays a key role in the artificial intelligence revolution.
The Kaohsiung City Government held an achievement showcase for its Lighthouse Project at Pier-2 Art Center, with NVIDIA, Chunghwa Telecom, Linker Visio and Zituo Hongyu demonstrating AI-enabled municipal management. Mayor Chen Chi-mai said the Lighthouse Project is the world's first city-level sovereign AI, serving as a brain for governing the city. He cited the heavy rain in Kaohsiung in August this year as an example.
OPPO on the 29th officially launched its flagship Find X10 series, comprising the Find X10 and Find X10 Pro Max, priced from NT$42,990 and NT$58,990 respectively. The series is built around Hasselblad ultra-clear authentic imaging and uses MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 series chip. In an interview after the event, general manager Liu Jin said memory costs affect all brands. Facing Honor's entry into Taiwan, he welcomed competition and said OPPO has operated in Taiwan for 12 years and has a stable user base.
Samsung Electronics said demand for memory chips will remain strong through 2028 and announced that capital expenditure this year will rise 60% to $63 billion. The company stressed that higher construction costs and longer equipment lead times will still constrain production capacity even with expanded investment. Details of shareholder returns have been postponed to the end of January next year, and the stock fell about 4%.
The South Korean government has set a goal to master fully autonomous ship navigation technology by 2035 through the adoption of artificial intelligence, aiming to rank first in global ship order volume. Its AI strategy for the maritime sector also seeks to raise the productivity of South Korean ports by more than 30%.
On Thursday, rescuers searched through mangled carriages for victims of Spain's second fatal high-speed train crash this year. The death toll has risen to 69.
A judge-led independent panel investigating Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades found that a lack of urgency and overreliance on an "honour system" prevented buildings, labour and fire safety authorities from acting on fire risks at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. In its final report, the committee singled out four government bodies, saying the Labour Department bears the least responsibility.
The Ebola outbreak in Congo passed 10,000 confirmed cases this week, raising questions about health authorities' ability to contain it.
A Russian drone strike killed at least 14 people on a crowded rail platform in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, and five more were killed in daytime strikes.
At a White House meeting, Adm. Brad Cooper gave Trump a rare in-person briefing on options related to Iran as the United States weighs new combat operations.
British actor Patrick Stewart, best known for Star Trek and X-Men, has died at age 86 at his home in Los Angeles, according to a message posted to his Instagram account. The message said he died on Wednesday after a brief journey with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. Born in 1940 in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, Stewart began his career in theater before playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran from 1987 to 1994. He returned as the captain in later Star Trek films.
British actor Sir Patrick Stewart died on October 28 at the age of 86 after a brief battle with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. His family announced his death on social media on October 29. In a statement, family spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak said he was surrounded by family and friends, live music, prayer and laughter in his final moments. A veteran of the British stage, Stewart became internationally famous as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and also appeared in the X-Men franchise.
Defense lawyers and Democrats say the Trump administration's Justice Department has launched a flurry of high-profile actions and cases as the midterm elections approach. They argue the timing and targets of these actions are politically motivated and not a coincidence.
Christine Lagarde will step down early as president of the European Central Bank. Europe's largest countries are already competing over who will succeed her and take on responsibility for an economy facing mounting problems.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu apologised for last year's deadly Tai Po fire and pledged extensive civil service and legislative reforms, along with an overhaul of government departments. Housing chief Winnie Ho Wing-yin resigned to offer political accountability. At the start of a Thursday press briefing, Lee and seven other top officials bowed their heads in apology, the first time the administration had directly expressed regret since the November 26 blaze.
The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.4% in the third quarter, with consumer spending rising at a solid pace and business investment increasing sharply, reflecting the AI boom.
The US Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Thursday that gross domestic product grew at a 3.4 percent annualized rate in the third quarter in its advance estimate, above the 3.2 percent forecast by economists polled by Reuters. Resilient consumer spending and AI-driven business investment more than offset the impact of higher oil prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the resignation of the housing minister was his "comprehensive political decision" to establish accountability for the city's deadliest fire in decades. A three-member team will also investigate up to 50 civil servants. On Thursday, Lee said he had decided to stay on to lead comprehensive reforms. Last November's Tai Po fire killed 168 people and displaced about 5,000 residents.
Hong Kong's security chief has pledged tougher enforcement against unauthorised shutdowns of fire safety systems and a structural overhaul of the Fire Services Department. The move follows an independent committee's report on the Wang Fuk Court fire, which criticised the department for relying on a "passive, paper-driven" audit regime and for having received notices that the estate's fire hydrant and hosepipe reel system had been deactivated.
The latest train crash in Spain is expected to add pressure on the government of Pedro Sánchez, one month before the general election. Public reaction has moved from shock to sorrow and outrage in a politically divided country.
A video circulating on social media shows a junior high school boy in New Taipei being forced to kneel while surrounded by peers of similar age. The boy was also reportedly forced to kowtow and physically assaulted, and a female student from the same school was also affected. The incident involves three schools, and the Education Bureau has responded.
Japanese police are investigating a killing in Kawaguchiko, where a Taiwanese woman surnamed Jing was fatally stabbed at a hotel in Japan. A Taiwanese woman surnamed Yang has been arrested. According to reports, Yang bought a kitchen knife alone the day before the incident and told police she accidentally stabbed the other person.