The 2026 local elections and the national referendum Case No. 22 will be held on November 28. Labor Department representative Tsai Ying-chieh (蔡瑩潔) clarified voters' rights as stipulated by Article 37 of the Labor Standards Act.

On election day, November 28, employees who would normally be scheduled to work that day are entitled to a day of paid leave. Those not on duty that day are not entitled to paid leave, and no additional leave will be granted, as they can vote normally.

Similarly, this one day of paid leave is non-transferable and applies only to the 24 hours (0:00 to 24:00) of November 28. This special leave is not subject to the same rules governing national holidays, as its intended purpose is to allow citizens to exercise their right to vote – which can only be done on November 28.

Employers may get consent from employees who are eligible voters to work on election day, provided it doesn't hinder their ability to vote. Eligible voters who elect to work on November 28 must be given extra pay for whatever period they work on that day.

Tsai also reminded employees that, should employers violate these regulations, employees should submit evidence and file a complaint with their local labor department, or via the Labor Ministry's 1955 hotline.

Friday’s event gathered over 200 experts from seven countries, including Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The forum was focused mainly on operational challenges facing the new terminal.

Speaking at the event, Chen pointed out Taoyuan International Airport’s important position in connecting Taiwan with the world. He said the Transportation Ministry will continue to promote major construction projects at the site, prioritizing projects that will keep the airport competitive with others in the area.

“The Transportation Ministry will continue to promote construction of Taoyuan International Airport – to strengthen the overall air transport service capacity, balancing operational efficiency, passenger services, and sustainable development, so that Taiwan can maintain its competitive edge in the international aviation market.” He said, “Among these efforts, Terminal 3 is currently Taoyuan Airport’s top priority. The North Concourse of Terminal 3 was opened last year, and main Terminal construction is progressing towards the 2027 completion target. Taoyuan Airport is entering its next important development phase – and we hope that next year’s forum will be held at the new Terminal 3!”

Taoyuan International Airport currently connects 27 countries and 106 destinations. It hosts over 1,700 flights per week to and from Japan and South Korea, more than 1,900 to Southeast Asia, and over 380 to North America. Last year, it was ranked 13th globally in international passenger traffic, 9th in total cargo volume, and 7th in international cargo volume. It is projected to be even busier in 2026.

Tsai spoke at the fifth Berlin Taiwan Conference, held during the annual event that marks the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall. She said her visit last year showed that Taiwan-Germany ties are rooted in both shared authoritarian threats and commitment to democratic values. She pointed to TSMC’s investment in Dresden as evidence that cooperation is expanding into economic and technological exchange. 

Tsai said that Taiwan’s democracy was not bestowed by others, but built by its own people. She recalled the 1990 Wild Lily student movement that led to full parliamentary elections and the first direct presidential vote in 1996. Tsai argued that Taiwan’s eight direct presidential elections and three peaceful transfers of power prove democracy can take root in Asia. If Taiwan were forced to give up its way of life, she warned, it would signal to authoritarian leaders that coercion works.

Tsai noted that the Berlin Wall fell because ordinary people refused to accept authoritarian rule. The conference, backed by the German-Taiwanese Dialogue Platform, featured seven panels at the Berlin State Library with lawmakers, diplomats and scholars. 

The new emails used the same Russian-language alias, “ Mikhail Andropov,” but were sent through an account belonging to Filipino teacher Jorhida Budiang. The messages carried a more aggressive subject line, “you are in danger,” and included false claims that an explosion had already caused casualties. 

The Italian Prime Minister’s office said 77 schools carried out emergency evacuations, while 36 resumed classes after security checks. Officials said the smaller number of evacuations suggested that guidance issued after Wednesday’s threats had helped schools avoid panic-driven responses.

Domenico Laforenza, an expert at Italy’s national research council, described the campaign as “psychological cyberterrorism” rather than a prank. He said the threats may be intended to test Italy’s social resilience and public-safety response times. They may also test vulnerability to future attacks on banks, hospitals, energy systems, and other critical infrastructure. 

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani suggested Italy was being targeted because of its firm support for Ukraine. Taiwan’s representative office in Italy has condemned intimidation and said it is prepared to cooperate with Italian authorities for technical and investigative support. 

Chiang said the Taipei City Government and Nvidia had signed a complete contract and that he had received no information indicating a change to the project. Huang stepped down as Nvidia’s president, chief executive officer, and a board member on Thursday, November 12, ending his 33-year leadership tenure.

Chiang said, “We are very grateful that Nvidia has recognized Taiwan’s industrial supply chain, which is why it chose Taipei for its first overseas headquarters. I think Nvidia’s choice of Taipei reflects its confidence in the city’s complete supply chain, and in our vision for building a Beitou Shilin Technology Park. The city government has made great efforts on this, and we hope more technology companies will come to Taipei.”

Chiang made the remarks while campaigning in Taipei’s Wuxing Street commercial district, two weeks before year-end elections. He also said he firmly defends the sovereignty of the Republic of China and believes cross-strait exchanges must be conducted with dignity, responding to the concerns that tensions around the upcoming APEC summit in Shenzhen could affect the mayoral race. 

Huang’s departure has prompted discussions about Nvidia’s future, as well as prospects for continued orders from Taiwanese semiconductor and AI server suppliers. Market analyst Weng Wei-jie (翁偉捷) told Radio Taiwan International on Friday, November 13, that Nvidia’s has long-standing relationships with Taiwanese supply chain partners which will not easily change because of one person’s departure. Nvidia needs to maintain stability and its existing supply chain at a time when management is changing and market confidence is being tested.

Liu Pei-chen (劉佩真), a researcher at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER), said in a separate interview that Nvidia’s competitiveness rests on its software ecosystem and high-performance hardware. Its leading position in the global AI ecosystem is unlikely to be shaken in the short term, as major U.S. cloud computing companies continue to spend on infrastructure. However, factors like a leadership vacuum or an exodus of core technical staff may affect Nvidia’s prospects.

Weng noted that Huang has long been an important communicator of the AI vision. With his removal as Nvidia CEO, market conviction about longer-term industry development may be tested. Weng believes AI technology will withstand the test and the industry will not collapse, but the market may experience a period of volatility and valuation adjustment.

Weng said that the U.S. AI chip stock sell-off is nearing its end. In the next phase, the market will be paying attention to whether companies’ revenue and earnings can maintain the growth trajectory the market originally expected. If profit outlooks fall short, companies could face another round of valuation corrections.

Liu cautioned that if investigations into Huang lead the U.S. to further tighten chip export controls on China or strengthen compliance reviews, Taiwanese chipmakers could face higher compliance costs. They will also need to better manage cross-border contracts and geopolitical risks.

G7 foreign ministers met in Paris early this week and issued a joint statement together with EU’s top diplomat on Wednesday, November 11. It reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion, and explicitly supported Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.

Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific are core issues for global security and prosperity. On behalf of Taiwan, she expressed sincere thanks to France, the G7’s rotating chair, to all member states, and to the EU for continued concern over the situation in the Taiwan Strait. She also expressed gratitude for addressing the challenges that authoritarian expansion poses to regional security and freedom of navigation, and for recognizing Taiwan’s contributions to the international community.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) expressed welcome and gratitude for the G7 statement, which shows that preserving the status quo in the Taiwan Strait has become an international consensus. The ministry added Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded partners to jointly defend the rules-based international order, safeguard universal values of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law, and contribute to regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity.

Chen told reporters at the Legislature that Taiwan has always handled Taiwan-Lithuania relations based on the principles of reciprocity, mutual benefit, and openness. He noted that cooperation in lasers, semiconductors, culture, and education has been advancing in recent years. The deputy minister added that the office’s current name can have a real benefit for the advancement of bilateral relations.

Chen said: “I want to stress again that the Foreign Ministry has no plans to change the name. At the same time, Lithuania’s president and prime minister have repeatedly said they respect Taiwan’s decision.” He was referencing Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda’s statement that efforts to normalize relations with China should not depend on the Taiwanese Representative Office’s name. Chen said Taiwan agrees with Nausėda’s position and will work within that framework to maintain and advance Taiwan-Lithuania relations.

On Sunday, Huang told employees he had been unfaithful to his wife and apologized. While he did not identify the other person, Nvidia’s board opened an independent investigation that day into reports that Huang had been having an affair with and was targeted by foreign intelligence agent. 

The New York Times reported Wednesday that Huang also had an affair with an Nvidia employee.

The Times and the Financial Times reported that U.S. intelligence officials believed China’s Ministry of State Security had recruited Alice Huang (黄乐), a businesswoman linked to Singapore-based cloud computing company Megaspeed. While the two share the same surname, Alice Huang is not related to Jensen Huang. China’s Foreign Ministry called the allegation groundless. Reuters said it could not independently verify the report.

While Nvidia said it had no reason to believe U.S. national security or company secrets had been compromised, three U.S. House committee chairs requested a closed-door briefing with Jensen Huang on Nov. 18 about his interactions with Alice Huang and Nvidia’s safeguards against foreign espionage. Jensen Huang has agreed to cooperate with the investigation. U.S. authorities have also scrutinized whether Megaspeed, which buys Nvidia chips and rents out computing power, helped Chinese customers gain access to advanced chips that Washington restricts from being shipped to China.