Taiwan's president led the annual martyrs' memorial ceremony on Armed Forces Day, but the absence of the legislative speaker for the second time this year points to deepening friction between the government and the opposition.

• Lai Ching-te presided over the autumn rites at the Martyrs' Shrine, joined by Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim and Premier Cho Jung-tai.
• Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu stayed away citing other commitments, repeating his no-show from the spring ceremony in March.
• The Control Yuan sent no one at all because its appointments remain frozen, a sign of how stuck Taiwan's political machinery has become.
• The two branches are openly fighting: Han accuses the cabinet of weaponizing its refusal to countersign laws, while the cabinet says it has done so in only a small share of cases.
• Parliament pushed through an opposition version of a drone and defense self-reliance bill funding unmanned systems through the regular budget over six years instead of a special budget.

Outlook: Expect the standoff between the presidency and the opposition-controlled legislature to sharpen as both sides position for the 2026 local elections, seen as the warm-up for 2028.