Taiwan's morning papers lead with a budget fight that pits the government against opposition lawmakers, plus a coming train fare rise — a mixed bag for taxpayers and commuters.

• The government plans to restore the 1.25 trillion NT dollar defense package that opposition KMT and TPP lawmakers had slashed, using next year's main budget plus a record extra budget topping 300 billion.
• Opposition lawmakers cut the Culture Ministry's promotion funds and trimmed money for public TV and Taiwan Plus, drawing sharp pushback from the culture minister.
• Police broke up an organized Taiwanese cash-collection ring that flew to California and stole 3 million US dollars from an elderly woman, arresting over 20 suspects tied to a known gang.
• Japan's PM Takaichi skipped visiting the Yasukuni shrine on the 81st anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender but sent a ritual offering, while other party and defense officials did visit.
• Taiwan's high-speed rail welcomed its first new N700ST train and signaled fares will rise once safety and service upgrades are in place, with the Taipei-Kaohsiung cap potentially climbing to 1,780 NT dollars.

Outlook: The cabinet is set to finalize next year's budget and the extra spending on the 20th, while the fare review and defense funding restoration play out into 2027.