In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

The U-S International Trade Commission has launched a Section 337
investigation naming several Taiwan tech companies as respondents.

Those companies include Hon Hai, Delta Electronics and Quanta Computer.

According to the U-S International Trade Commission, the investigation under
the U-S Tariff Act of 1930 stems from a complaint filed by
Massachusetts-based power technology company Vicor Corp.

It focuses on some vertical power delivery systems, related components and
computing devices incorporating such systems.

The commission says the investigation covers 20 companies from Taiwan, China,
Germany and the U-S.

Here in Taiwan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs says the probe involves
power delivery technology used in artificial intelligence servers and it's
ready to assist the effected companies if necessary

And finally

The Uni-President Lions are on the cusp of booking a spot in the Chinese
Professional Baseball League Taiwan Series -- after beating the C-T-B-C
Brothers 4-2 in Game 3 of the play-offs at the Intercontinental Stadium in
Taichung to take a 2-1 lead.

Game 4 is this evening also at the Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung.

And that game begins at 6:30.

The winner of the playoff series will meet the first half season champion Wei
Chuan Dragons in the Taiwan Series.

The best-of-seven Taiwan Series will begin on October 17 at the Taipei Dome.

D-P-P Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen is reiterating his call for four
debates, saying a single event would not allow enough time for detailed
discussions of individual policy issues.

He made the call as he held his first campaign motorcade in the capital.

Shen's motorcade event started in Datong District and drew thousands of
supporters, some of whom followed the procession on scooters, carrying
campaign banners.

This comes as incumbent K-M-T Mayor Chiang Wan-an called on Shen's camp to
discuss arrangements for a televised election debate or debates.

Chiang says the focus should be on actually holding debates, rather than
turning them into a campaign talking point... both camps have already agreed
in principle to T-V-B-S holding a televised debate or debates and signed
consent forms.

The broadcaster is scheduled to meet representatives of both parties later
today to discuss details of the possible televised election debates.

Eswatini's visiting King Mswati III thanked Taiwan for its donation of
military helicopters to the African kingdom as he visited an aviation
training center in Tainan.

King Mswati was accompanied by President Lai Ching-te during his tour of the
Army Aviation and Special Forces Command's Flight Training Command.

King Mswati and his wife were shown military helicopters on display in a
hangar during the visit... both also tried their hand at operating a military
helicopter flight simulator, while the king sat in the cockpit of a Black
Hawk helicopter.

Lai said Taiwan donated two retired UH-1H helicopters to Eswatini in 2020 and
between 2019 and 2020, the Tainan-based command also trained 11 Eswatini
pilots and maintenance personnel to operate and maintain the helicopters.

Lai also expressed his gratitude to the personnel involved in the mission for
their contributions to diplomatic ties between the two countries.

King Mswati arrived in Taiwan last Friday, primarily to attend the National
Day celebrations.

It's his 20th visit to Taiwan since he was crowned king in 1986.

Social and medical support groups have come out in support of drug
harm-reduction policies... amid a political debate fueled largely by Taipei's
mayoral candidates.

The Taiwan Association of Clinical Psychology and the Association of Taiwan
Clinical Psychologists expressed harm-reduction measures, including
clean-needle programs and methadone maintenance treatments.

The call comes amid similar statements issued by the Taiwan Medical
Association and the Taiwanese Society of Psychiatry on October 5, and the
Taiwan Society for Forensic Clinical Psychology on Saturday.

The Taiwan Union of Nurses Association also emphasised that harm-reduction
policies do not encourage drug use and is urging politicians to respect
professional expertise and avoid sending unclear messages that could deepen
social divisions.

The nursing association further called on the government to strengthen drug
prevention and addiction treatment systems, as it ensures that people with
addiction are treated with dignity.

Firefighters have been working to extinguish a fire at a Miaoli trash dump.

The Miaoli County Fire Bureau said the fire broke out at a trash dump in
Yuanli Township - burning an area of about 4,000 square meters.

No injuries have been been reported so far.

A total of 13 fire trucks and 29 firefighters from Yuanli and neighboring
townships were dispatched after the fire was reported.

The fire bureau says two drones, a disaster response robot and three
excavators were at the scene to assist with firefighting efforts.

Yuanli Township chief Liu Yu-yu says she notified the county's Environmental
Protection Bureau to monitor air quality.

And,

The Philippines has opened its largest overseas Filipino worker service
center in Taipei.

It's located in the same building as the Manila Economic and Cultural Office
in Taipei's Neihu District.

The O-F-W Global Center-Taipei is the third such facility worldwide,
following centers in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

It is also the largest to date.

The country's Overseas Workers Welfare Administration called the Taipei
center a one-stop hub where Filipino migrant workers in Taiwan can access
government services, welfare assistance and training without returning to the
Philippines.

The facility includes training spaces, a cafe, a karaoke room and areas for
government services.

Planned activities include Mandarin classes, financial literacy programs,
computer and artificial intelligence training, and courses on content
creation and entrepreneurship.

Manila Economic and Cultural Office Chairperson Corazon Avecilla-Padiernos
says the new center reflects the Philippine government's commitment to
supporting its citizens overseas.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government has announced new
measures to lower fuel prices.

This comes ahead of the presidential election's second round.

Fuel costs are a sensitive issue for voters, who'll decide on October 25
between Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro and Lula.

A new decree eliminates federal taxes on gasoline imports and sales for 30
days.

Ethanol tax exemptions and subsidies are also extended and the government
will provide additional subsidies to diesel importers.

AP_JvW

China and the European Union have reached a broad initial agreement to ease
trade tensions.

The EU trade commissioner has announced that the deal includes lower tariffs
for some European goods and measures to stabilize rare-earth supply chains.

The agreement could cut up to 50% of Chinese electric and plug-in hybrid
vehicle imports to the EU.

The talks were aimed at addressing growing trade imbalances, and the deal
would require approval from leaders across the 27-nation EU.

Both sides plan to meet again in January by video and in person in March.

The EU has been limiting imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles and other
products, while China has launched investigations into imports from the EU.

AP_JvW

At least 36 people have sustained minor injuries after parts of a plaster
ceiling collapsed at a shopping mall in South Korea's Daegu city.

The Daegu Fire Department says about 70 others were evacuated from the
facility.

Officials say at least nine people were receiving treatment at hospitals, but
they didn't immediately report any serious injuries.

AP_JvW

Angel Reese scored 22 points and Rhyne Howard added 21 as the Atlanta Dream
beat the New York Liberty 85-83 to advance to the WNBA Finals for the first
time since 2013.

The fourth-seeded Dream completed a three-game sweep of the Liberty.

Meanwhile, Kayla Thornton scored 18 points and the second-year Golden State
Valkyries became the expansion team to reach the WNBA Finals the quickest,
sweeping the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 87-77 in overtime.

A'ja Wilson scored 21 points in a disappointing night for the WNBA MVP.

The two teams will face each other next Friday at Chase Center in San
Francisco.

AP_JvW

Hurricane Isaias has made landfall on the western Florida panhandle,
threatening dangerous storm surges and damaging winds.

The National Hurricane Center says it came ashore as a Category 2 storm.

Isaias is expected to bring potentially dangerous conditions to the Florida
Panhandle and southern Alabama.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis advised residents to take the storm seriously.
DeSantis said flash flooding would be a hazard "throughout the region."

AP_JvW

communicating"

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan An is acknowlegding outlying islands' opposition to
his suggestion to move the Songshan Airport...

adding that he will continue "communicating."

Chiang has proposed relocating the airport to create an "AI park" at the
site.

But both the KMT and DPP candidates for Penghu Magistrate have come out
against the idea.

Chiang announced his plan yesterday, and this morning said that the traffic
normally handled by Songshan Airport could be taken over by the under
construction third terminal of Taoyuan airport in the meantime.

He emphasized the importance of AI to Taipei's and Taiwan's economies, but
said that he was aware of outlying islands' needs and udnerstood them.

A fire on Green Island broke out this morning, with residents worried the
fire could last at least 2 more days.

A landfill near the island's hot springs district started smoking this
morning, with half of the island able to see the smoke.

Local representatives say, firefighters were able to arrive at the scene
decently quickly, but were only able to spray water from a ways away.

County Councilor Wang Yu Li says, the cause of the fire is not yet clear, and
there are fears that the fire may continue through the rest of the weekend.

She says, they're trying to get a helicopter on site to help with
firefighting efforts.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is pledging to bring Myanmar back into
the fold following a meeting with the military leader of the country.

Min Aung Hlaing came to power due to a military coup on the
democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

He has agreed to facilitate and accelerate the repatriation of thousands of
Buremese people currently held in Malaysian immigration detention cetners.

The meeting with Anwar is part of the Myanmar leader's effort to make inroads
with other ASEAN countries and gain legitimacy for his government.

Malaysia is the fifth ASEAN member country that Min Aung Hlaing has visited
recently, in addition to China, India, Russia, and Belarus.

His two-day visit to Malaysia came a week after the country began deporting
more than 1,400 people under a program to repatriate 5,000 Myanmar nationals
in stages, amid Malaysians' growing frustration with their presence.

This is despite the U.N. Refugee Agency and human rights groups' warnings
that returnees are facing persecution and forced military conscription in
Myanmar.

Japan is warning of increased cyberattacks, encouraging government ministries
to ensure updates security protection, use storng passwords, and tighten
cybersecurity.

The government says, AI is making vulnerabilities of such systems more
complex.

The statement comes after the Lawson convenience store chain, Daiwa, and
secondhand retailer BookOff have all reported customer data leaks.

Last month, a cyberattack on a car-sharing service leaking information from
some 6.6 million member accounts.

Such attacks have topped 500 this year, marking what is likely to be a new
record for the year.

Those leaks have involved passport and driver's license data, as well as
contact and credit card information.

Foreign media is reporting on tensions within Taiwan's largest opposition
party ahead of local elections fast approaching.

The report on divisions within the KMT centers around two increasingly
evident camps, one coalescing around chair Cheng Li Wen...

and the other around outgoing Taichung Mayor Lu Xiu Yan and the KMT
legislative caucus.

Nikkei Asia reports that infighting is undermining the KMT's electoral
prospects, as the party fails to coordinate heavyweights.

Sources say that the Cheng-centered coalition has aimed to block or downsize
defense spending proposals put forward by the Lai administration, drawing
criticism from the US and other more Taiwan-friendly governments.

Insiders say that, despite outwardly claiming to be making those cuts for the
sake of accountability, some KMT figures have privately aimed to deflect
crticism of these policies towards Zheng...

attempting to shift responsibility to the chair rather than the party as a
whole.

Foreign officials say, the strategy appears to be largely successful, as the
US seems convinced that, when someone else takes over for Zheng at some
point, the party will deliver on defense reforms.

A man has been sentenced to death for allegedly murdering and sexually
assaulting a teacher last year,

The man, surnamed Liu, allegedly broke into the victims dormitory in Hualien
and assaulted her before killing her, after the earlier rejected his romantic
advances,

Police say that Liu also stole several of the victim's personal items,
including her credit cards.

The Hualien District Court also handed Liu a separate 7 month prison sentence
for burglary.

The ruling can be appealed.

The KMT says, it will hold its flag raising ceremony in Kaohsiung tomorrow...

rather than in Taipei as in years past.

The KMT's communications offices say, Chair Zheng Li Wen will personally
attend the ceremony in Kaohsiung...

accompanied by party heavyweight Wang Jin Ping and mayoral candidate Ke Zhi
En.

Communications director Chen Yi Xin says, holding the ceremony in Kaohsiung
aims to pay tribute to the integration of diverse ethnic groups.

Analysts are raising concerns that Afghanistan risks backsliding into civil
war as two main factos have created the conditions for anti-Taliban groups to
flourish.

Nikkei Asia reports that prolonged conflict with neighboring Pakistan and the
failure of Chinese-led meditation between the two countries has fed
opposition groups like the Afghanistan Freedom Front.

The AFF was formed in 2022 to counter the Taliban after US forces abruptly
left.

Beijing has urged both sides to avoid furhter escalation, but militant
attacks have continued, with Islamabad blaming Kabul for providing support to
militant groups within Pakistan.

In just the last two weeks, Pakistan has carried out three waves of strikes
in Afghanistan targeting allegeding Pakistani Taliban hideouts.

Pakistani officials say that anti-Taliban groups are gaining the strength and
motivation to attack.

KMT Chair Zheng Li Wen's decision to skip tomorrow's National Day festivities
in Taipei have stirred enough controversy for some to turn to TPP Chair Huang
Kuo-chang for answers.

When asked this morning as to Cheng's motivation behind the decision, Huang
said he guessed that she was attempting to create more of a balance between
north and south...

pulling some media south to Kaohsiung on National Day rather than having all
the attention on the capital.

But Huang says, regardless of the location, putting the country first is the
most important thing.

Huang made the comments as he headed to New Taipei's Xizhi this morning to
promote a TPP candidate for city councilor.

losses over summer

Pingtung saw a surge of traffic this morning, prompting police to activate
lane allocation on Provincial Highway 1...

as Donggang Wharf was packed with tourists heading to Xiaoliuqiu.

That's as tourism operators hope to alleviate losses over the summer.

Local data shows that Xiaoliuqiu's hotel occupancy rate is nearly full for
today and tomorrow...

but officials say the holiday crowds were actually even greater during the
Mid Autumn/Teacher's Day long weekend.

They note that weather is a crucial factor affecting tourism to Xiaoliuqiu,
so this summer's heavy rain negatively impacted tourism to the island.

A security guard has caused a fire at the Nangang Taiwan Railways Station
after smoking in the station's smoke exhaust room.

It is believed that the guard, surnamed Zhan, failed to put out the cigarette
butt fully before throwing it away.

The fire was able to be extinguished quickly and did not cause any injuries
or damage.

Railway police arrested Zhan after receiving the report.

Now turning to internaitonal news...

A US organization in Gaza says it will use AI to flag speech it decides is
"hateful" in class conversations.

The plans have elicited strong criticism from advocacy groups and charity
partners, especially considering that the Israeli military uses AI to shift
through intercepted communications to find what it considers to be suspicious
speech...

even using such materials to identify targets for strikes.

The charity put forward the plan over concerns that teachers at its schools
may stray from the curriculum that the charity claims promotes "peace and
tolerance."

But Palestinian rights groups have been critical of the organizations
education agenda more broadly, as it does not answer to UN or local agencies
that have long been in charge of Gaza's schools.

It's not clear what kind of language would be flagged by the surveillance
tech, or whether or not school members have been informed of the plan.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) has proposed "relocating" Taipei Songshan
Airport (TSA) and building an "AI park" on the site.

Chiang said he would build an AI park, transforming the 300-hectare site into
an industrial cluster and residential area, with an estimated 65,000 jobs and
35,000 residents.

However, the mayor did not say where he planned to relocate the airport,
instead pointing to the third terminal and runway under construction at
Taoyuan International Airport, which he said would be able to replace TSA's
current capacity once the runway is completed in 2033.

Chiang's proposal drew a response from rival, DPP candidate Puma Shen, who
said the airport sat in Chiang's electoral district when he served as a
legislator from 2016 to 2022.

Shen added that when former DPP legislative candidate Enoch Wu (吳怡農) made the
same proposal in a 2023 legislative by-election, Chiang criticized it as a
"hasty election promise."

Now turning to international news...

Heavy rains have triggered mudslides in the Chilean capital, sweeping cars
through streets and flooding homes and hospitals.

At least 6 people were injured, including a one year old child.

Authorities declared a state of emergency in a suburb, ordered evacuations,
and closed schools after the Mapocho River overflowed.

Firefighters say theyve rescued or assisted more than 1000 people so far.

Presidnet Jose Antonio Kast declared a state of emergency for the suburb of
Santiago, giving the government more power to repond to emergencies.

Local officials say that 14.4 centimeters of rain have fallen in recent days,
representing around 9 times the average rainfall for the entire month of
October.

No deaths have been reported as of yet.

Rain storms earlier this week already damaged a few dozen homes across
central Chile and left nearly 12,000 customers in Santiago without power.

The downpours are expected to ease today.

South Korea says it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, stepping up its
protest of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent revelation of a
supposedly secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South
Korea.

The South Korean announcement on Thursday came days after its President Lee
Jae Myung threatened unspecified punitive steps if Ukraine refuses to
apologize over the revelation.

Zelenskyy spoke about the transfer of the soldiers during his U.N. speech
last month.

South Korea has accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement on
their transfer, but Kyiv has denied agreeing to such a deal.

The Nobel Peace Prize is set to be awarded today.

The committee in charge of awarding the honor received 287 candidates, with
just over one fourth of those being organizations, rather than individuals.

Experts say, the committee typically focuseson the durability of peace, the
promotion of international relationships, and the often unrecognized work of
institutions that strenthen those goals.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado received last year's prize
for her struggle to achieve a democratic transition in the country.

Forecasters say possible contenders this year include the Internatioanl Space
Station, emergency teams in Sudan, children's advocates in Ukraine, and two
top internaitonal courts.

Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada has also attracted attention from
laypeople.

The US is urging China to stop putting pressure on Taiwan, following reports
of a Chinese maritime militia boat in the area in August.

A spokesperson for the US department of state said that the US remains
"concerned by China's activity east of Taiwan."

They added that the actions exacerbate tensions in the area.

The comments follow a report from Reuters, which stated that a Chinese
maritime militia boat had been spotted more than 30 nautical miles off the
coast of Hualien mid August.

The boat is thought to be a fishing vessel that doubles as a militia vessel,
and was accompanied by a Chinese coast guard cutter and a research vessel at
the time.

The Ministry of National Defense says that China is using law enforcement and
scientific research as pretext to expand its activities without triggering a
direct conflict.

The MND says, they do so in order to create the impression that it had
jurisdiction over the waters, and challenge Taiwan's maritime law enforcement
authority, undermining the international order.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard Administration said that it deploys joint
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to monitor Chinese
vessels operating in waters around Taiwan, around the clock.

The CGA said all the Chinese vessels in question were operating outside
Taiwan's restricted waters and that it had monitored their movements
throughout and responded appropriately.

Taipei mayoral hopeful Puma Shen says, a suggestion to relocate the Songshan
Airport seems a bit out of the blue.

Shen says, if there were to be a robust plan in place for what the land would
be used for and a reason important enough to relocate, it could certainly be
considered.

However, he says, with the mayoral elections coming up soon, the suggestion
seems a bit sudden.

Media noted that the suggestion to move the airport has historically been
part of the platform of DPP candidates, and Shen said that issues like
national security, military use, and needs of the residents of outlying
islands remain, so any suggestion to move the airport must support these
issues.

Therefore, he said, Mayor Chiang Wan An's recent suggestion to relocate
without relevant planning seems a bit premature.

Mexican officials say, a deadly riot broke out at a prison in Sinaloa state.

The incident occurred at the El Castillo Penitentiary in Mazatlan during
family visiting hours.

Sinaloa officials say that nine inmates and one family member were killed in
the incident...

while 16 prisoners were injured and taken for medical treatment.

Local media reports indicate that inmates used guns during the fight.

Following the clash, members of the army, National Guard, navy and state
security forces entered the prison to restore order.

Mexico's federal security cabinet said the prison, which houses 1,800
inmates, is now “under control.”

The riot comes as Mexico's government faces pressure from the US Trump
administration to crack down on cartels.