Taiwan's premier is refusing to countersign several laws passed by the opposition-controlled legislature, deepening the fight between the cabinet and lawmakers.

• Cho Jung-tai says he blocked changes to the satellite, cable, and broadcasting laws because they could let political parties and the military creep back into control of the media.
• He also refused to sign a change to the legislature's powers law, saying it would wipe out criminal liability for lawmakers who misuse their assistant budgets.
• He compared himself to a goalkeeper taking hit after hit, saying the cabinet has to absorb the punishment for the sake of the historical record.
• President Lai Ching-te's approval sits at 39% against 38% disapproval, with disapproval down sharply since May even amid the tainted-oil scandal and the standoff with lawmakers.
• Election season is heating up: the KMT's Lee Szu-chuan leads the DPP's Su Chiao-hui by about 7 points in New Taipei, and a record supplementary budget is moving forward with big money for drones and weapons.

Outlook: The standoff between the cabinet and the legislature is set to drag on, with the unsigned bills and the tainted-oil investigation likely to dominate the run-up to local elections.