Transport Minister Chen Shih-kai says Taiwan's transport networks have
successfully handled the Mid-Autumn and Teachers' Day holiday crowds ...
despite record passenger numbers.

Taiwan High Speed Rail carried 348-thousand passengers last Thursday,
September 24th ... which is an all-time high ... while also reaching its
maximum daily service level of 200 trains.

Chen says airports, train stations and intercity bus services were able to
clear the crowds ... with no passengers left stranded.

For today's holiday return rush ... Chen says that extra Taiwan Railway train
services ... and highway buses ... are ready to handle possible crowding
around Taichung High Speed Rail Station.

THSR may also add trains with all-unreserved seating if necessary ...
depending on passenger numbers this afternoon.

Chen is urging travelers to spread out among different transport options ...
including THSR, Taiwan Railway and intercity buses.

(IG)

Taiwanese high jumper Fu Chao-hsuan has won gold at the Asian Games in
Nagoya, becoming the first Taiwanese man in 60 years to win an athletics gold
medal at the meet

The 23-year-old cleared 2.25 meters on his first attempt, matching his season
best.

India's Sarvesh Anil Kushare also cleared 2.25 meters, but needed two
attempts.

Neither athlete could clear 2.28 meters, giving Fu the gold.

Fu had struggled with injuries and inconsistent results since moving into
senior competition, and said he initially only hoped to win bronze.

He said clearing 2.25 meters gave him confidence that gold was within reach.

Fu now hopes to compete at the world championships and eventually fulfill his
childhood dream of reaching the Olympics.

At least 62 people have died after days of heavy rain and flooding in
northern India's Uttar Pradesh state.

Officials say another 46 people were injured and more than 1,000 homes were
damaged.

Schools were closed Monday in parts of the state, including the capital
Lucknow, as rescue teams moved residents to safer areas.

Flooding has also affected neighboring Odisha, where more than 75,000 people
have been evacuated.

In neighboring Nepal, 21 people died in weather-related incidents between
Thursday and Sunday.

Taoyuan City Police are searching for a wanted man who allegedly rammed a
patrol car and fled during an attempted traffic stop early this morning.

Police say officers spotted a black sedan driving erratically on Lixing Road
(力行路) in Taoyuan District ... and signaled the driver to pull over.

Instead, the driver allegedly rammed the patrol car and sped away.

Officers followed from a safe distance and alerted other police to intercept
the car ... but stopped the close pursuit when the driver reached dangerous
speeds.

The car was later found abandoned on Longxiang Street (龍祥街) ... but the
driver had already fled.

Police have identified the suspected driver as a wanted man surnamed Huang
... and are continuing to search for him.

(IG)

The Central Weather Administration has issued heat advisories for eight
municipalities and counties across Taiwan today ...

.... with temperatures expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius or higher in some
areas this afternoon.

The advisories cover Taipei, New Taipei and Tainan, as well as Changhua,
Nantou, Yunlin, Pingtung and Hualien counties.

The CWA is advising people to limit outdoor activities and strenuous
exercise, stay hydrated, use sunscreen, and watch for signs of heat-related
illness.

Most of Taiwan will see partly cloudy to sunny skies today, with afternoon
showers possible in mountainous areas.

Temperatures will reach highs of around 35 degrees in northern and southern
Taiwan, 36 degrees in central Taiwan, and 32 degrees in the east.

------

Looking ahead ....

The weather is expected to remain similar through Wednesday.

Then on Thursday ... forecasters say that seasonal northeasterly winds will
strengthen and start affecting Taiwan on Friday ...

... bringing more showers to areas north of Taoyuan, eastern Taiwan, the
Hengchun Peninsula and mountainous areas around the island.

Elsewhere, skies should remain mostly cloudy to sunny through Sunday.

And now for the latest in panda diplomacy...

Two giant pandas have arrived in Atlanta as part of a new agreement between
China and the U-S.

Officials say Ping Ping and Fu Shuang left Chengdu in southwestern China on
Sunday and arrived in the U-S aboard a specially arranged FedEx Boeing 777.

A new agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation
Association makes Atlanta one of three U-S zoos currently set to house giant
pandas.

But visitors will have to wait to see them.

The pandas will spend about a month in quarantine before making their public
debut.

Legislature begins a new session Tuesday, with the three major parties
setting out different priorities for the months ahead.

The KMT says it will focus on the central government budget and proposals for
larger cash handouts.

The DPP is prioritizing more than 40 bills covering business support, family
policies and social welfare.

Meanwhile, the TPP plans to push measures including expanded parental leave,
tax breaks for renters and parents, and increased support for elderly
farmers.

The party also wants to legalize surrogacy and euthanasia.

Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) is scheduled to deliver a policy report when the
new session opens on Tuesday.

The Executive Yuan confirms the session begins September 29th and says the
2026 supplementary budget and 2027 central government budget will be major
items for consideration.

(PB)

KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is calling on President Lai Ching-te (賴清德)
to seek the resumption of dialogue with Beijing following this week's
Trump-Xi summit.

Cheng says the meeting showed Washington and Beijing can maintain
communication despite major economic and geopolitical differences.

She says Taiwan should similarly pursue dialogue to reduce cross-strait
tensions, while continuing to strengthen its defenses and security ties with
the United States.

The DPP responded by saying Taiwan remains open to dialogue based on equality
and mutual respect, but accused Beijing of refusing such exchanges and
increasing military and other pressure on Taiwan.

(PB)

Authorities are investigating a suspected case of illegal coral harvesting in
Kenting National Park.
The park's management office says a diving instructor filmed a diver
apparently removing coral near the Hejie (合界) diving site in Hengchun (恆春) on
Wednesday.

However, officials say the video does not clearly establish whether coral was
actually taken.

The footage and other information have been turned over to police for
investigation.

The park office says it will also increase patrols and work with local diving
operators to report suspected illegal harvesting.

Violations of conservation restrictions under the Fisheries Act can carry up
to three years in prison and a fine of up to 150-thousand N.T.

(PB)

Meanwhile in international news...

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have wrapped up
a three-day summit in Washington with few major public breakthroughs.

The two leaders agreed to extend their current trade truce by two months,
while U.S. officials say limited agreements were also reached on agricultural
trade and other goods.

But major differences remain over Taiwan, technology and China's ties with
Iran.

Xi urged Trump to oppose Taiwan independence and handle the issue with
caution.

Trump has yet to publicly detail his response or say whether he will move
ahead with a pending 14-billion U.S. dollar arms package for Taiwan.

The two leaders are expected to meet again later this year at the APEC and
G20 summits.

The White House confirms Xi's state visit concluded Friday following tea at
the White House and a visit to the National Archives.

Health officials say contact tracing is falling far behind as an Ebola
outbreak continues spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya says authorities have identified only about
30-thousand people who may have been exposed to the virus.

With roughly 7-thousand confirmed cases, he says officials would expect to
identify more than 400-thousand contacts.

Kaseya says more than 80-percent of new confirmed cases are being detected
among people who were not already being monitored, indicating continued
community transmission.

The World Health Organization says the outbreak has now reached 63 health
zones across seven provinces.

Its latest situation report recorded more than 7-thousand-700 confirmed cases
as of September 20th.

The Cabinet is preparing to push about 40 priority bills when the Legislature
begins its new session on Tuesday.

The proposals include measures to support families with children, small
businesses and startups, as well as changes to food safety, disaster
prevention and social welfare laws.

The Cabinet is also seeking quick approval of this year's supplementary
budget and the 2027 central government budget.

The 2027 proposal sets spending and revenue at about 3.93-trillion N.T., with
overall defense spending exceeding one-trillion N.T. for the first time.

The budget also includes funding for planned cash payments and pay
adjustments for military personnel, civil servants and teachers.

Premier Cho Jung-tai is scheduled to present the government's policy report
when the new legislative session opens Tuesday.

(PB)

Taiwan picked up another gold and five bronze medals at the Asian Games in
Japan on Friday.

Swimmer Wang Kuan-hung (王冠閎) won the men's 200-meter butterfly in one minute,
55.05 seconds, becoming Taiwan's first male swimmer to win Asian Games gold.

Weightlifters Kuo Hsing-chun (郭婞淳) and Chen Guan-ling (陳冠伶) both took bronze,
while Taiwan added another bronze in canoe sprint and two in kabaddi.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's baseball team beat China 9-1, keeping it in contention
for a place in the gold medal game.

Taiwan now faces host Japan tonight in its final super round game, with a
place in the gold medal game on the line.

(PB)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is rejecting comments on Taiwan made by
Chinese President Xi Jinping during his state visit to the United States.

China's Foreign Ministry says Xi told U.S. President Donald Trump that
Washington should oppose Taiwan independence and handle the Taiwan issue with
caution during their White House meeting Thursday.

MOFA responded Friday, accusing Beijing of "distorting facts" to promote its
own position.

The ministry reiterated that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each
other, and said Taiwan's future can only be decided democratically by its
people.

Xi's three-day U.S. state visit concluded Friday.

The White House has released video and other material from the visit, but I
have not found a U.S. readout detailing Trump's response to Xi's comments on
Taiwan.

(PB)

U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal aimed at ending
regional fighting and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Wall
Street Journal.

The newspaper cited unnamed U.S. officials as saying Trump remains skeptical
that Tehran will meet his demands and expects U.S. bombing of Iran could
resume after November's midterm elections.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says Tehran submitted its proposal
through Qatari mediators.

Under the plan, an agreement would begin a seven-day process toward reopening
the Strait of Hormuz and halting fighting across the region.

Iran is seeking an end to the U.S. blockade of its ports, access to frozen
funds and relief from oil sanctions.

The conflict has severely disrupted shipping and energy supplies through the
Strait of Hormuz.

Iran had already publicly signaled this week that it was prepared to reopen
the waterway if Washington eased military pressure and lifted its blockade.

U-S President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have remained
silent on whether Taiwan was discussed during their White House meeting in
Washington.

China's state-run Xinhua News Agency says Xi urged Washington to oppose
"Taiwan independence" and handle the Taiwan issue cautiously.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Beijing is distorting the facts to
promote its own position, stressing that Taiwan's sovereignty belongs to its
people.

The ministry says Taiwan will continue working with the U-S and other
partners to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun says Taiwan should put its own security and interests
first, while strengthening its defenses and keeping the door open to dialogue
with Beijing.

The rulling DPP says Taiwan has never closed the door to dialogue, but argues
that Beijing must engage with Taiwan on an equal and mutually respectful
basis.

Divers in Indonesia have recovered 52 bodies following the capsizing of a
ferry in rough seas earlier this month.

Officials say 108 people were rescued, but 83 remain missing.

The ferry, carrying 243 people, was traveling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin
when it issued a distress call on September 13.

Authorities later found it had capsized in the Java Sea.

Divers smashed windows to enter the ship and recover bodies.

Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency is focusing on locating missing victims.

The agency plans to salvage the ferry from about 30 meters deep.

Ferries are common in Indonesia, where disasters occur regularly.

The DPP is pushing back against KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun's call for President
Lai Ching-te to reopen cross-strait dialogue following this week's Trump-Xi
summit in Washington.

The DPP says Taiwan's door to dialogue with the world has never been closed
... but Beijing has refused to engage Taiwan on what the party describes as
an equal and mutually respectful basis.

It says Beijing has instead increased military and other forms of pressure on
Taiwan and the region.

The DPP says if Beijing can sit down with Washington despite major
disagreements ... it should also be willing to engage Taiwan through
dialogue.

The party is calling on Beijing to return to a rules-based international
order ... saying cross-strait dialogue is possible if it is based on equality
and mutual respect.

(IG)

Labor representatives expressed disappointment while major business groups
called for relief measures following yesterday's decision to raise Taiwan's
minimum wage.

The representatives said the 4.7-percent hike fell short of their
expectations, after they had called for a nearly 8-percent increase to give
workers a greater share of Taiwan's economic growth.

Business groups, meanwhile, warned that higher wages would add to costs for
labor-intensive industries and smaller businesses.

They called on the government to provide more support, including help with
insurance costs and funding for businesses seeking to upgrade and improve
productivity.

The new minimum wage - of 30 thousand 900 NT per month or 205 NT per hour -
is expected to take effect in January, pending Cabinet approval.

(CNA_IG)

A high school student injured in a scissors attack in New Taipei's Ruifang
District is showing stable vital signs after undergoing surgery.

Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital says the 16-year-old remains in
intensive care for further treatment and observation.

The attack happened Thursday afternoon when two students got into a
confrontation off campus.

Police say the alleged attacker, a junior high school student at the same
private school, used a pair of scissors to stab the victim in the neck before
turning himself in.

The suspect told police the victim had mocked and provoked him.

The school said the two students were not well acquainted and had no reported
history of bullying.

A juvenile court has ordered the suspect detained.

(CNA_IG)

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in France for a four-day visit ...

And he told reporters they were welcome to cover him ....

.... as he responded a question about the Trump administration’s attempt to
bar U-S media from the White House by affirming the importance of journalists
covering public figures.

Leo said he was happy to have reporters on his plane and that they were all
welcome.

This visit marks the first by a pope in 18 years.

Leo is set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and address topics like
climate change and artificial intelligence.

High security measures are in place, similar to those during the Paris 2024
Olympics.

The Premier League and three other major European soccer leagues are calling
for reforms at FIFA after President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in
the World Cup failed.

The leagues from England, Spain, Italy and Germany accused Infantino of
promoting what they called "exploitative ideas."

The Premier League is soccer's richest and most popular domestic league.

The joint statement adds to pressure on Infantino, who plans to seek
re-election despite opposition from some national soccer federations.

The dispute centers on his plan to sell World Cup profits through a
commercial subsidiary.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is rejecting Beijing's comments about Taiwan
.... off the heels of talks between U-S President Donald Trump and Chinese
leader Xi Jinping in Washington.

China's Foreign Ministry says Xi urged the U-S to oppose Taiwan independence
... and handle the Taiwan issue cautiously.

MOFA says Beijing is once again distorting the facts to promote its own
position ...

... saying Taiwan's sovereignty belongs to its people ... and the Chinese
Communist government has no right to represent Taiwan.

The ministry says Taiwan will continue working with the U-S and other
partners to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

It also points to recent statements from the U-S, Japan and South Korea ...
and other countries ...

.... stressing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and
opposing unilateral changes to the status quo.

(IG)

In similar news,

KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun says Taiwan should put its own security and interests
first ... following the talks between Trump and Xi.

Cheng says Taiwan does not need to choose between being closer to the U-S or
China ... and should instead find its own path amid growing competition
between the two powers.

She says Taiwan should strengthen its defenses while keeping the door open to
dialogue ... arguing that deterrence and efforts to reduce tensions can go
hand in hand.

Cheng is also calling on President Lai Ching-te to explain the government's
assessment of the latest U-S-China developments ... and propose concrete
steps to reduce risks in the Taiwan Strait.

She says the government should reopen cross-strait dialogue ... while
protecting Taiwan's security, democracy, prosperity and peace.

(IG)

Taoyuan has confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in more than eight
years ... after birds at a farm in Dayuan District began dying unexpectedly.

Authorities culled about 2,500 guinea fowl ... and disinfected the farm and
nearby roads after tests confirmed the virus.

Officials say authorities responded within two hours of the farm reporting
unusual deaths on the afternoon of the 23rd ... taking samples and
restricting movement in and out of the the site.

Officials are also checking other poultry farms in the surrounding area.

They say this is currently the only confirmed case ... and there has been no
impact on local poultry supplies.

(IG)

A powerful explosion has caused a building to collapse near the ancient
Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

The blast happened Friday morning local time in the tourist district of Plaka.

Authorities say the explosion occurred in an old two-story building.

Firefighters rescued two women who were injured and trapped in a nearby
building. They were taken to a hospital.

The explosion also damaged neighboring buildings and parked cars. Local media
say a passer-by suffered minor injuries.

Rescue crews are searching the area for anyone else who may be trapped.

The cause of the explosion remains unclear, but authorities suspect a gas
leak.

Poland is urging the European Union to allow countries to temporarily suspend
asylum applications during periods of what it calls "instrumentalized" mass
migration.

Poland stopped registering asylum applications from migrants entering from
Belarus in March 2025, calling the measure a temporary emergency response.

The policy has remained in place for 18 months.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the E-U executive
branch will soon propose a new "European emergency response framework" for
cases of what she calls "engineered and weaponized" mass migration.

Critics warn that suspending asylum applications could violate international
law and undermine fundamental human rights.

The proposal comes amid continuing tensions between Poland and Belarus over
migration along their border.

Heavy traffic is slowing parts of major freeways across Taiwan as the
Mid-Autumn and Teachers' Day long weekend gets underway.

Currently ... on National Freeway 3 southbound from Huandong to Nangang,
traffic speeds have slowed to just 4 kilometers per hour on ...

... while northbound lanes between Xindian and the Muzha Service Station have
slowed to around 17 kilometers per hour.

On National Freeway 1, southbound lanes in the Hsinchu area are seeing the
heaviest congestion ... with traffic crawling at around 16 kilometers per
hour from the Hukou Service Area all to the way to Hsinchu and beyond ...

And if your heading to Yilan or Hualien from Taipei ...

... National Freeway 5 southbound from the Pinling System Interchange to
Toucheng ... is also expected to see heavy congestion this afternoon ... so
drivers are being advised to wait until after 5 PM before heading out.

(IG)

A retired U-S Navy admiral is urging Washington to move ahead with arms sale
notifications for Taiwan following U-S President Donald Trump's summit with
Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mark Montgomery said Friday that the summit had delayed proposed arms sales
and urged the U-S to avoid further delays.

He said notifying Congress of a sale is separate from delivering the weapons,
and argued that delivery constraints should not prevent the notifications.

Montgomery suggested a proposed $14 billion U-S dollar arms package, stalled
since early this year, could be divided into smaller packages.

The White House has not said whether Taiwan was discussed at the summit,
while China's state-run Xinhua News Agency said Xi urged Washington to oppose
"Taiwan independence."

Montgomery also called for greater military cooperation through training and
exercises.

(CNA_IG)

Doctors are urging people to take extra care when barbecuing over the
Mid-Autumn Festival ... as emergency room visits typically rise by 20 to 30
percent around the holiday period.

Taichung Hospital says stomach and respiratory infections are among the main
reasons for the increase.

Doctors say many stomach illnesses are linked to undercooked meat and seafood
... or using the same utensils for raw and cooked food.

They recommend keeping raw and cooked food separate ... washing hands
regularly and making sure meat and seafood are thoroughly cooked.

Nationwide, about 126-thousand people sought treatment for stomach-related
illnesses last week ... the highest level in around five years.

Norovirus was the most commonly detected cause.

(IG)

The U-S-created Board of Peace has said the U-N agency for Palestinian
refugees has no place in Gaza.

But behind the scenes, the board has held talks with UNRWA about providing
services under the fragile ceasefire, according to the agency's former chief,
Philippe Lazzarini.

UNRWA remains Gaza's largest aid provider, despite Israel's accusations that
the agency has been infiltrated by Hamas.

Several people familiar with the discussions say the Board of Peace has
involved UNRWA in planning and has considered building on its work or copying
its programs.

A board member says some of those programs could continue even if UNRWA
itself does not.

Governments across Europe are using subsidies, tax cuts and other measures to
help people and businesses cope with rising energy costs linked to wars in
Ukraine and the Middle East.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says seven of the
10 countries taking the strongest action to limit the impact of higher fuel
prices are in the European Union.

Lithuania has cut train ticket prices in half, while France and Spain have
extended fuel subsidies for farmers and fishermen.

Germany has reduced fuel taxes, and Greece is raising taxes on gambling to
help fund relief measures.

The European Union relies heavily on energy imports from outside the bloc.

Yodeling fans in Austria have found an unusual place to practice: an
underground parking garage in the city of Graz.

The garage offers acoustic conditions similar to the echoing mountains of the
Alps.

Yodeling teacher Anna Maria Gutschi led a group of about 30 people through
the garage earlier this week.

Gutschi works for a cultural organization that promotes traditional folk
music in Graz.

The group holds courses in unusual places, including car parks, canals and
even gas stations, to help keep the tradition alive.

Yodeling developed centuries ago as a way for people to communicate across
the Alps.

U-S President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping did not respond
to questions yesterday about whether Taiwan was discussed during their
meeting at the White House.

Trump described the talks as "great" but did not answer questions about
Taiwan, artificial intelligence or jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

Xi also declined to respond when reporters asked about Taiwan after the
meeting.

However, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi raised the
Taiwan issue, saying Beijing's position on "national unification and
territorial integrity" was clear.

Xinhua said Xi urged Washington to oppose "Taiwan independence" and
"prudently handle the Taiwan question."

The White House had not released its own readout of the meeting as of
Thursday night.

The talks marked Xi's first visit to the White House in 11 years and his
second meeting with Trump this year.

(CNA_IG)

Holiday travel is getting off to a smooth start at Taoyuan International
Airport ... despite nearly 143-thousand passengers expected today.

The airport about 74-thousand passengers were expected to depart this morning
... with the busiest period between 8 and 10.

Many travelers arrived about three hours early ... while airport agencies
added staff to handle the holiday crowds.

The airport expects about 930-thousand passengers during the six-day holiday
travel period through September 29th.

The busiest departure days are expected to be yesterday and today ... while
arrivals are expected to peak on Monday, September 28th.

Passengers are being advised to arrive three hours before their flights ...
and use self-service check-in and baggage-drop facilities.

(IG)

Hurricane Nolo is strengthening in the Pacific as forecasters warn it could
bring catastrophic flooding to Hawaii.

The National Hurricane Center says Nolo became a hurricane Thursday and is
expected to strengthen further as it moves toward Hawaii's Big Island.

Residents are preparing for the possibility of severe flooding in the coming
days.

Forecasters say the Big Island could receive up to 35 inches of rain.

The hurricane center says parts of Hawaii could begin experiencing hurricane
conditions by Friday night.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Polo is bringing heavy rain to Mexico, with forecasters
warning of possible flooding and landslides.

A month after deadly floods hit Nepal, Prime Minister Balendra Shah says the
disaster should serve as a warning to the world about climate change.

Shah says Nepal is being affected by rising temperatures caused by greenhouse
gases that the country has contributed very little to.

Nepal produces less than 1 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.

Shah says poorer countries like Nepal are often among the most vulnerable to
climate-related disasters.

He also says international financial support for vulnerable countries is not
enough and is too difficult to access because of bureaucracy.

The prime minister says he hopes world leaders will listen to Nepal's calls
for stronger climate action.

Italy's conservative government has approved new school rules limiting
classrooms to 30 percent of students with insufficient Italian-language
skills.

The decree also bans full-face Islamic veils, including burqas and niqabs, in
schools.

The government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says the measures are
designed to promote integration through Italian-language learning and
additional support for newly arrived students.

Educators, unions and opposition parties criticize the plan as difficult to
enforce and politically motivated.

Critics also warn the rules could disrupt enrollment in areas with large
migrant populations.

The decree includes funding for language programs and additional teaching
support, but critics say the resources are not enough.

Pope Leo XIV this weekend is beginning a four-day visit to France, where he
plans to highlight the dignity of human life, calls for peace and concerns
about artificial intelligence.

Leo will visit Paris, the Catholic shrine at Lourdes and the northern city of
Metz.

The pope is expected to use the trip to call for greater reflection on the
impact of A-I, which he says could challenge ideas about what it means to be
human.

He will also renew his appeals for peace as wars continue in several parts of
the world.

Church bells across France are expected to ring at 10 a.m. Friday, when Leo's
charter flight arrives at Paris' Orly Airport.

It is the first papal visit to France in 18 years.