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A fire broke out at Taiwan Songxia Multilayer Materials Co. on Guangfu Road in Zhongxing Village, Hukou Township, Hsinchu County, shortly before 2 a.m. on the 4th. Flames and black smoke were visible several kilometers away. The blaze was accompanied by loud noises and strong vibrations, causing power outages for nearby residents, and glass doors and windows in some homes were reportedly shattered. The Hsinchu County Fire Department dispatched personnel and vehicles to the scene to fight the fire.
American voters went to polling stations today to decide next Congress seats and new governors in several states. The midterm results are critical to whether President Trump's remaining term runs smoothly, to the 2028 presidential race, and to whether the Democratic Party's left wing can wield real influence in Congress.
US President Trump confirmed on Tuesday that American forces struck a newly built air defense facility in Iran, describing it as a "small-scale attack" ahead of the US midterm elections. Iranian officials warned that an agreement remains far off and reserved the right to retaliate. Qatar, which is mediating, said the two sides are still exchanging proposals toward a temporary deal. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government still seeks dialogue. The US described the action as defensive, while Israel denied any involvement.
Attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea continue to increase, with the Russia-Ukraine maritime conflict spreading toward waters near NATO member states, according to Reuters and other foreign media. Attacks near Romanian and Bulgarian waters last month prompted NATO to announce additional maritime patrol aircraft, radars and drones to strengthen defenses on the eastern flank of the Black Sea, but attacks have not stopped. Experts believe Russia's primary aim is to cut off Ukraine's grain export shipping routes. Russia denies using drones to attack Ukraine's neighbors and accuses European countries of expanding the conflict through military aid to Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump said he reached an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu under which Washington will stop providing $4 billion in financial aid to Israel after the end of this year.
🏛 Politics
A man surnamed Zhang, a former office director for an independent legislator, is suspected in an espionage case and has been on the run for about two months, according to reports. Investigators reviewing surveillance footage found that Zhang reportedly left Taiwan by boat from Zhengbin Fishing Port in Keelung on October 28. Coast Guard personnel boarded the vessel for an inspection at that time. Police and prosecutors have continued tracking his whereabouts.
American voters went to polling stations today to decide next Congress seats and new governors in several states. The midterm results are critical to whether President Trump's remaining term runs smoothly, to the 2028 presidential race, and to whether the Democratic Party's left wing can wield real influence in Congress.
US President Trump confirmed on Tuesday that American forces struck a newly built air defense facility in Iran, describing it as a "small-scale attack" ahead of the US midterm elections. Iranian officials warned that an agreement remains far off and reserved the right to retaliate. Qatar, which is mediating, said the two sides are still exchanging proposals toward a temporary deal. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government still seeks dialogue. The US described the action as defensive, while Israel denied any involvement.
Greenland's parliament today formally approved a security agreement that the government earlier signed with the United States and Denmark. According to AFP, the move was seen as curbing U.S. President Donald Trump's attempt to take control of the large Arctic island.
Attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea continue to increase, with the Russia-Ukraine maritime conflict spreading toward waters near NATO member states, according to Reuters and other foreign media. Attacks near Romanian and Bulgarian waters last month prompted NATO to announce additional maritime patrol aircraft, radars and drones to strengthen defenses on the eastern flank of the Black Sea, but attacks have not stopped. Experts believe Russia's primary aim is to cut off Ukraine's grain export shipping routes. Russia denies using drones to attack Ukraine's neighbors and accuses European countries of expanding the conflict through military aid to Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump said he reached an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu under which Washington will stop providing $4 billion in financial aid to Israel after the end of this year.
The US congressional midterm elections begin on the 3rd. Although Democrats are seen as favored, winning control of both the House and Senate is not assured. Bloomberg modeled four possible scenarios, and Reuters analyzed how each could affect industrial policy across sectors.
On the 2nd, the day before the U.S. midterm elections, Trump told Axios in a phone interview that he was "in no hurry" to decide whether to resume military strikes on Iran. The midterms had been seen as a key point in time for whether the administration would escalate military action against Iran after the vote to pressure Tehran into a deal.
The APEC leaders' summit is scheduled for November 18 and 19 in Shenzhen, China. Reports said Beijing did not deliver invitations in person as is customary, instead contacting Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs by email, which has sparked a dispute over alleged unequal treatment. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung confirmed receipt of the invitation, which still uses the name "Chinese Taipei," but protested the method. Premier Cho Jung-tai said on the 3rd that the government will keep seeking equal and dignified participation.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 3rd that Washington will stop providing about $4 billion (about NT$130 billion) in annual military aid to Israel at the end of this year. Trump said Israel "no longer needs" the aid. He said the U.S. would continue to provide it if Israel still requires it, and that he had reached an agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
💰 Finance
Oil prices fell about 1% on November 3, with Brent crude futures settling at $103.60 a barrel, their lowest close since October 7. Investors weighed progress in US-Iran talks and the planned resumption of Russia-Ukraine trilateral talks, which eased risk premiums. However, recent attacks on energy facilities and shipping vessels kept supply risks in place, limiting further declines.
Premier Cho Jung-tai, presenting the supplementary budget for Fiscal Year 115 to the Legislative Yuan, said stabilizing oil and electricity prices helps keep living costs steady without adding burdens for the public, and urged lawmakers to consider the people's welfare. Eight business groups jointly issued a statement calling on the government to allocate budget funds or inject capital to offset losses borne by CPC Corporation, Taiwan and Taiwan Power Company while they support government price stability and electricity supply. They said this would avoid harm to industrial operations and consumer prices.
The United States launched an airstrike overnight on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz. Even so, renewed market hopes that the US-Iran standoff may end have pushed international oil prices back into a downward trend.
Dutch chipmaker Nexperia filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in a Dutch court against its Chinese parent company, Wingtech Technology, and founder Zhang Xuezheng, seeking compensation for operating losses. Nexperia did not disclose the amount it is seeking. Wingtech said Nexperia demands a total of 2 billion US dollars from the defendants and denies all allegations and claims. Nexperia alleges that Nexperia China and Nexperia Shanghai breached internal agreements with the Dutch company, and that the defendants built a separate supply chain in China that disrupted its operations and competed directly with it, constituting unfair business practices under Dutch law.
Goldman Sachs has modeled three scenarios for oil prices. In the worst case, with supply from the Middle East continuing to be disrupted, Brent crude could average $130 per barrel next year.
Former New York Federal Reserve President Bill Dudley wrote in a Bloomberg column that total investment in planned AI infrastructure could exceed $10 trillion if completed. He estimated that, given the depreciation rate of data centers, the AI industry may need at least $3 trillion in annual revenue to generate adequate returns. He argued that a market correction could follow once the enthusiasm fades, but the likelihood of a financial crisis on the scale of 2008 remains low. He also said at least seven or eight companies are competing to become major AI computing service providers, though perhaps only two or three will emerge as winners.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised its policy rate by 25 basis points to 4.85% on the 3rd, as markets had expected. The rate is the highest since the peak of the global financial crisis at the end of 2008. The central bank aims to bring inflation back to its target range.
US midterm elections are underway, with most prediction markets favoring Democrats to win both chambers of Congress. CNBC reported that JPMorgan estimates the S&P 500 could fall about 0.5% on Wednesday (the 4th) if Democrats take full control of Congress, while it could rise up to 1% if Republicans lose the House but keep the Senate. Election outcomes may also affect stocks in AI, defense, healthcare and financial sectors.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) showed that job openings unexpectedly rose by 333,000 in September to 7.523 million, the highest level in four months. Actual hiring recovered, layoffs fell to their lowest level in a year and a half, and quits rose by more than 10% from the previous month. The resilience of the labor market suggests the Federal Reserve has room to keep watching inflation. However, nonfarm payrolls rose by only 29,000 in September, leaving open whether employers are accelerating hiring.
Meta has launched a multi-currency bond offering, aiming to raise about $15 billion through U.S. dollar bonds, with its first euro bond issuance possibly as early as Wednesday. According to people familiar with the matter, Meta plans to raise at least $20 billion in total, and the final size could be increased depending on demand. The dollar bonds will be issued in five tranches with maturities from 5 to 30 years. Meta, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley declined to comment.
🌏 International
Americans are voting in an election that also serves as a referendum on Trump's presidency. Republicans are working to retain their majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The U.S. and Israel have discussed phasing out grants, and President Trump's comments suggest the change could happen much faster than previously expected.
Russian attacks hit an aid centre, a hospice and a hospital in Ukraine, killing at least 38 people within 24 hours. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that dozens more could be trapped under rubble.
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance said in a preliminary investigation on Tuesday that hackers used fake job interviews, malicious software and an internal artificial intelligence tool to breach its systems in stages. The attackers stole $6.3 billion (about HK$49.14 billion) in cryptocurrency last Thursday, October 29. Bloomberg described it as the largest crypto theft in digital asset history. Binance and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation attributed the attack to North Korean hackers, which North Korea denies.
President Donald Trump announced a surprise decision to halt US military aid to Israel by the end of the year. The roughly $4 billion annual funding has featured prominently in midterm election campaigning. The announcement would end the long-standing yearly appropriation.
A Russian strike on an aid site in Komyshuvakha, a village in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, killed at least 31 people. Emergency workers and volunteers searched debris at the cratered blast site, carrying bodies away in white plastic sheeting. More than 45 residents remain missing.
The U.S. launched new attacks on Iranian targets, days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly pressed Trump for more strikes. According to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter, Netanyahu pushed for another wave of strikes on Iran after the U.S. elections.
The United States struck Iran's Qeshm Island, and Washington said the attacks were a defensive measure against Tehran's potential use of surface-to-air missiles. Oil prices remained steady following the strikes.
Voting is under way in the 2026 United States midterm elections, which will fill all 435 House seats, 35 of 100 Senate seats and governorships in 36 states. The election is widely viewed as a national referendum on President Donald Trump's first two years of his second term, with the key question being whether Democrats can regain control of Congress and check the White House. More than 57 million people have already cast early votes.
Spain's transport minister, Oscar Puente, submitted his resignation on Tuesday following a train crash last week that killed 69 people, one of the worst railway disasters in Europe this century. Puente had earlier pledged to work "tirelessly" to restore confidence in the country's high-speed rail network, the world's second largest. He also said he would withdraw from the coming general election. Last week's crash and another disaster earlier this year have overshadowed the campaign.
At least 69 people were killed and dozens injured in a train collision south of the capital, Madrid. The Spanish transport minister resigned days after the crash.
Greenland's parliament voted on Tuesday to approve an agreement among the Arctic island, Denmark and the United States aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic and North Atlantic. The deal follows months of pressure from U.S. President Trump.
Keen Sword 27, an 11-day US-Japan exercise, concluded on October 29. During the drills, US Marines deployed NMESIS anti-ship launchers and MADIS air defence systems to Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost island, about 110 km (70 miles) from Taiwan. Japan also mobilised its new Type 25 missile from Kumamoto, which is reported to have a range of 1,000 km.
Hours before the U.S. midterm elections, the United States carried out what appeared to be a limited strike on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting questions about what comes next.
On Tuesday, Russia carried out waves of attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, using dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones that knocked out power across swathes of the country. The attacks came a week before planned Abu Dhabi talks, and German Chancellor Merz urged Moscow to engage in the negotiations.
📰 Other
Abbot Zhang Qingyu and his monk son, Zhang Weifu, of Donglin Temple in Yilan are suspected of taking more than NT$100 million in donations and temple property for personal use, then converting the funds into virtual currency, gold and silver to launder them. The Yilan District Prosecutors Office carried out searches and detentions. A court ordered Zhang Qingyu and Zhang Weifu held without visitation. Five other temple staff members are co-defendants, and prosecutors set bail ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$1 million.
A case involving alleged embezzlement of assets at Dongling Temple in Dongshan Township, Yilan County, has come to light. The abbot, surnamed Zhang, and his son, who is also a monk, are suspected of misappropriating believers' donations. The suspects allegedly used the funds to buy gold and virtual currency to launder money and conceal assets. A court has ordered both men detained and barred from contact with others. Reports also say a deceased owner of a century-old shop on Taipei's Dihua Street may have been deceived into transferring nearly NT$300 million in family assets to the temple.
A fire broke out at Taiwan Songxia Multilayer Materials Co. on Guangfu Road in Zhongxing Village, Hukou Township, Hsinchu County, shortly before 2 a.m. on the 4th. Flames and black smoke were visible several kilometers away. The blaze was accompanied by loud noises and strong vibrations, causing power outages for nearby residents, and glass doors and windows in some homes were reportedly shattered. The Hsinchu County Fire Department dispatched personnel and vehicles to the scene to fight the fire.
Around 2 a.m. on the 4th, a fire broke out at the Taiwan Songxia Multilayer Materials Co. plant in the Hsinchu Industrial Park in Hukou, Hsinchu County. Thick black smoke rose into the sky and could be seen several kilometers away. Some residents said they heard a loud bang, and a report said the sound shattered windows of nearby homes.
A 21-year-old male student surnamed Chen was found in his dormitory room on September 8, the second day of the semester, with his upper body trapped under a metal chair. He had multiple injuries and died on September 17 after nine days of treatment. The school initially said he fell from an upper bunk; his family questioned this and suspected bullying or external violence. Forensic expert Gao Dacheng said the autopsy report listed the cause of death as cardiopulmonary and renal failure, and that a fall from height or being beaten before death could not be ruled out.