After Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, President Donald Trump said at the White House on Wednesday (the 4th) that he was "not worried at all" about possible impeachment efforts. He warned that if Democrats pursued impeachment without cause, it would backfire on them politically. Trump said he was willing to work with Democrats but stressed that he holds veto power.
In the US midterm elections held on the 3rd, the Democratic Party regained control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate and gained ground in gubernatorial races in 36 states, with at least five states changing hands. The Washington Post said the result was a landslide "blue wave," the first of its kind since the 1974 Watergate scandal, 52 years earlier. Trump acknowledged that the Iran war was one reason for the Republican defeat.
An explosion and fire broke out early yesterday at the Taiwan Panasonic Multilayer Materials plant in Hsinchu County, injuring five employees, who were taken to hospital. Two ingredient workers, surnamed Xu and Jiang, are missing. The Hsinchu County Fire Department said 25 employees were working the night shift at the time. Reports said the two missing men may have been trapped under collapsed metal sheeting from the plant when they could not escape in time. After the fire was largely brought under control, excavators were used in the search. Missing employees had earlier reported a leak from a methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) tank on the fourth floor of Building A.
The Republican Party suffered major losses in the midterm elections, and President Trump attributed the defeat to the war with Iran. Trump said today that he ruled out firing War Secretary Pete Hegseth. According to AFP, Hegseth has consistently supported military action against Iran.
Qualcomm and SpaceX have signed a multiyear agreement to supply equipment and software for Starlink Mobile's planned nationwide terrestrial 5G network in the United States. Deployment is expected to begin in 2027 at tens of thousands of large base station sites. SpaceX will use Qualcomm Dragonwing mobile network infrastructure hardware and software, including radio units, baseband units and network control software, to complement Starlink satellite service. The deal is Qualcomm's largest 5G collaboration to date. The companies did not disclose the financial terms.
After Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, President Donald Trump said at the White House on Wednesday (the 4th) that he was "not worried at all" about possible impeachment efforts. He warned that if Democrats pursued impeachment without cause, it would backfire on them politically. Trump said he was willing to work with Democrats but stressed that he holds veto power.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea test-fired a newly designed advanced air defense missile system the previous day. The same report said a subunit of the long-range strategic cruise missile force in the eastern region also conducted a fire strike drill.
In the US midterm elections held on the 3rd, the Democratic Party regained control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate and gained ground in gubernatorial races in 36 states, with at least five states changing hands. The Washington Post said the result was a landslide "blue wave," the first of its kind since the 1974 Watergate scandal, 52 years earlier. Trump acknowledged that the Iran war was one reason for the Republican defeat.
A man surnamed Zhang, who is linked to espionage charges and once associated with legislator Gao Jinsumei, posted bail and went missing nearly two months ago. He is suspected of having illegally left Taiwan from Zhengbin Fishing Port in Keelung. Reports say he failed in two earlier smuggling attempts before succeeding on the third. During his flight, he traveled through northern, central and southern Taiwan and repeatedly changed vehicles to break his trail.
Premier Cho Jung-tai presided over a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for the new tunnel construction on Section A1, from Dongao to Nanao, of the Route 9 Suhua Road Safety Improvement Project, known as Suhua-an. The project includes three improvement sections: Dongao to Nanao, Heping to Hezhong, and Heren to Chongde. Authorities aim to open the entire project to traffic by 2032. Once completed, travel time from Suao to Hualien is expected to drop from 106 minutes to 82 minutes.
In an interview at the Legislative Yuan yesterday, Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Boyang said Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an currently has the edge in momentum. He called on supporters, whom he described as "small water droplets," to step forward and fight for a comeback on election day, 23 days before the local elections.
Democrats won a major victory in the U.S. congressional midterm elections, ending the Republican full control of Congress that had supported President Donald Trump's agenda during the first two years of his second term. That control will end in January next year. The Trump administration may face stricter oversight, including over immigration policy, corporate corruption and business dealings involving the Trump family, which could be subject to broad investigations. Trump will also need to compromise if he wants to push legislation through Congress.
After Republicans suffered heavy losses in the midterm elections on the 3rd, U.S. President Donald Trump made his first public appearance the following day. He acknowledged that the military action against Iran pushed up oil prices, which may have been one factor dragging on the party's electoral performance. He maintained that, even if he could do it again, he would make the same decision.
The Republican Party suffered major losses in the midterm elections, and President Trump attributed the defeat to the war with Iran. Trump said today that he ruled out firing War Secretary Pete Hegseth. According to AFP, Hegseth has consistently supported military action against Iran.
Prosecutors at the Miaoli District Prosecutors Office indicted He Xiumian, a candidate for mayor of Zhunan Township in Miaoli County, along with 13 others, on charges of violating the Public Officials Election and Recall Act. She is suspected of offering gift boxes to buy votes. Seven of the 14 defendants had been detained earlier. After the case was transferred to the Miaoli District Court, the court granted bail of NT$80,000 to NT$120,000 to four defendants, surnamed Luo, Li and two Zhang. He Xiumian, a defendant surnamed Shen and a defendant surnamed Wu remain in custody.
The Democratic Party won a sweeping victory in the U.S. midterm elections, easing political uncertainty and boosting investors' willingness to take on risk. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3%, and all three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher today.
Benzinga reported that Samsung Electronics, TSMC and Micron generated more free cash flow than Nvidia in the third quarter. The report said the funds from the AI infrastructure boom are flowing heavily to companies supplying chips, memory and manufacturing services. Cloud providers and large technology companies building data centers must buy GPUs, memory and other key components from chip suppliers.
The Legislative Yuan's Economics Committee reviewed the Ministry of Agriculture's 2027 budget proposal. Expenditure is set at NT$198.7 billion, up NT$15 billion from NT$183.7 billion in the previous year's figure including supplementary budgets. Added items include NT$3.861 billion for elderly welfare allowances, NT$3.757 billion for an agricultural disaster relief fund, and about NT$1.005 billion for agricultural electricity discounts and rate-difference subsidies. The budget also adds a NT$2 billion new investment in an agricultural finance entity.
The US Treasury Department on the 4th adjusted its policy wording on future Treasury auction sizes. Analysts expect the move to pave the way for larger short- and medium-term debt auctions and smaller long-dated auctions, with 20-year and 30-year bonds the most likely to be cut.
Eurozone inflation rose to a three-year high in October, double the European Central Bank's target, raising the likelihood of another rate increase by the ECB next month. The bloc's economic expansion also slowed sharply that month, with demand nearly stagnant and rising costs pushing business confidence to a five-month low.
Following Democrats' strong performance in the U.S. midterm elections, which gave them control of both chambers of Congress, assets linked to President Trump sold off. Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT) shares fell to 5.03 U.S. dollars on Wednesday the 4th, an all-time low. The Trump memecoin $TRUMP, launched days before Trump's second inauguration, fell more than 10% over the previous 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap. Investors fear the Trump family's business interests will face renewed congressional scrutiny.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, continues to raise funds through bond sales despite growing market concerns over large-scale tech investment in artificial intelligence (AI). After issuing $15 billion in bonds on the 3rd, Meta made its debut in the euro bond market on the 4th. Both issuances attracted strong subscription demand.
The US Institute for Supply Management reported that its October non-manufacturing index fell to 54.5 from 54.9 in September, below the 54.8 Reuters poll estimate. Readings above 50 signal expansion, and services account for more than two-thirds of US economic activity. Businesses continue to face high input costs, with tariff and Middle East war-related supply chain pressures still lingering, making the Federal Reserve's task of fighting inflation harder.
AI financing frenzy has become a major factor in this year's bond market, with its influence seen as comparable to war, prospects for a Middle East peace agreement and the U.S. midterm elections. U.S. Treasury yields and oil prices had largely moved in tandem this year, but that correlation has broken down as market doubts about AI and rising funding costs grew and the Iran war entered its ninth month. Since late October, investors have flocked to U.S. Treasuries during sharp tech-stock selloffs, which curbed yield increases but did not lower borrowing costs for AI companies.
Democrats won both houses of Congress in the US midterm elections, and Trump said he accepted the results, easing political uncertainty. US stocks opened sharply higher on Wednesday, the 4th, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising more than 1,000 points at the open. Investors expect a divided government to limit major policy shifts. However, concerns that Democratic control could bring tighter AI regulation weighed on data center-related stocks, and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell nearly 1.4%.
According to The New York Times, Google announced that early next year it will turn off by default its AI tools for primary and secondary school students, leaving schools to decide whether to enable them. However, if schools fully disable AI, students will also lose access to Google Search. The move has drawn criticism that Google is forcing schools to accept its AI tools in order to maintain a monopoly position.
Qualcomm and SpaceX have signed a multiyear agreement to supply equipment and software for Starlink Mobile's planned nationwide terrestrial 5G network in the United States. Deployment is expected to begin in 2027 at tens of thousands of large base station sites. SpaceX will use Qualcomm Dragonwing mobile network infrastructure hardware and software, including radio units, baseband units and network control software, to complement Starlink satellite service. The deal is Qualcomm's largest 5G collaboration to date. The companies did not disclose the financial terms.
Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs has formed an advanced artificial intelligence cybersecurity task force.
Yongfeng Bank reported large-scale abnormal transfers in which 418 customers had a total of NT$41.76 million moved out of their accounts without using its online banking app. The bank has refunded all of the amount, and attention is focused on whether the Financial Supervisory Commission will impose penalties. Xie Yunze, managing director of Anhou Enterprise Management, told ETtoday that hacking does not exempt banks from liability, noting that Diyi Bank and Yuandong Bank were previously hacked and fined a combined NT$18 million.
Taiwan's five-a-side baseball team lost the gold medal match to Cuba, the world's No. 1 ranked team, 1-2 and 1-7, and took silver. Taiwan had beaten Senegal, Turkey and Cuba to finish first in its group and advance to the semifinals, where it defeated Mexico. In wushu, Zhu Youen performed strongly in women's taijiquan/taiji fan, scoring 18.499 points, and Taiwan also won a wushu silver medal.
Democrats defeated Republican candidates across the country, including in several unexpected areas. Voters rejected the president's party in favor of a promise of change for the country.
Democrats secured several major wins and a few historic firsts in the US midterm elections, earning congratulations from President Trump.
Russian attacks caused power and water outages lasting for hours on Wednesday across Kyiv and surrounding regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the death toll in a stricken village had risen to 40.
Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for the Republican defeat in the midterm elections. As Democrats won a landslide victory, pressure mounted on Donald Trump to end the Middle East conflict, and oil prices fell.
Democrats won control of both chambers of the US Congress in the midterm elections, with victories stretching from Texas to Kansas. When the new Congress convenes in January, they can block Trump's legislation, scrutinise spending on the war in Iran and examine his deals with Beijing. The day after the results, Trump visited the construction site of his new White House ballroom to watch workers raise the final steel.
Kyiv says at least 40 people were killed and another 30 may still be trapped under rubble after an attack on a Ukrainian village on Monday.
Republicans had sought a midterm advantage through a redistricting effort backed by Trump. Instead, they lost most of the Democratic-held seats they had targeted and also lost some they had expected to keep. A Democratic surge swept them from power, fueled by voter dissatisfaction with Trump, the economy and the war with Iran.
After Republicans suffered a heavy defeat in Tuesday night's midterm elections, CBS reported on Wednesday, citing multiple people familiar with the matter, that President Trump has asked advisers in person and by phone whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should remain in his post.
On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance publicly broke from President Donald Trump's defense of the Iran war following the Republican Party's deep losses in the midterm elections. Vance is attempting to distance himself from voters' clear rebuke of the president as he faces questions about his own political ambitions.
Mike Johnson, often seen as an accidental speaker, will not seek reelection as House leader following a Republican wipeout. He drew close to President Donald Trump and led the House GOP through a tumultuous period, with one of the slimmest majorities in modern times.
Following Republican losses in Tuesday's midterm elections in the United States, House Speaker Mike Johnson will not run for the next House minority leader. Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that he informed his staff of the decision on Wednesday (4th) morning. Republicans will hold a closed-door meeting on November 10 to elect new leadership.
Relatives say a mother and daughter were found dead in Bella Coola, along the central coast of British Columbia, after a bear attack. Canadian authorities say more than one grizzly bear may have been involved.
Democrats in Texas took control of the state House after historic wins in the governor and U.S. Senate races. The gains were part of broader Democratic successes nationwide in Tuesday's elections, which shifted the balance of power in several battleground and Republican-leaning states.
On Wednesday, Iranians celebrated what they described as U.S. voters' rebuke of President Donald Trump in the midterm elections, striking a defiant tone. Many people across the Middle East were watching to see how events would unfold.
US stocks rose after Democrats swept the midterm elections, posting their best day since August. Hyperscaler stocks climbed while chipmakers fell, as investors bet on which sectors would win or lose from an expected backlash against the AI boom.
An explosion and fire broke out early yesterday at the Taiwan Panasonic Multilayer Materials plant in Hsinchu County, injuring five employees, who were taken to hospital. Two ingredient workers, surnamed Xu and Jiang, are missing. The Hsinchu County Fire Department said 25 employees were working the night shift at the time. Reports said the two missing men may have been trapped under collapsed metal sheeting from the plant when they could not escape in time. After the fire was largely brought under control, excavators were used in the search. Missing employees had earlier reported a leak from a methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) tank on the fourth floor of Building A.
In September last year, a fatal shooting occurred outside a KTV in Wuqi District, Taichung. After a drunken verbal dispute with a man surnamed Zeng, a man surnamed Wu obtained a magazine from a friend surnamed Wang, loaded it into a firearm and shot Zeng, who died at the scene. On the 4th, the Taichung District Court handed down a first-instance ruling: Wu was ordered to serve 15 years in total and fined NT$50,000; Wang was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months. The case can still be appealed.
Bosi Digital Co. said on the 4th that the Chinese Taipei Football Association still owes about NT$23.79 million in broadcast rights fees for matches. Late that night, the association responded that it has launched a full audit of past accounts and will check contracts case by case, spanning multiple years and matches. It said it will arrange payment for any amounts confirmed as owed and has sent NT$980,000 as a gesture of good faith.