Taiwan's government budget cleared its final vote after a record 351-day deadlock, a relief for governance but only after lawmakers cut NT$48 billion from spending.

• The long-blocked general budget passed on its third reading, ending nearly a year of gridlock, with NT$48 billion trimmed.
• Opposition parties KMT and TPP pushed through full funding for military drones, a win for defense spending.
• Three referendums were approved to run alongside the year-end elections.
• Big investors are piling into a batch of stocks showing improving profit margins, a bullish sign for those names.
• A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit northeastern Taiwan, and gas and diesel prices will stay flat next week.

Outlook: With the budget unlocked, attention shifts to the year-end elections and the three referendums now set to share the ballot.