Both candidates running to lead Taiwan's biggest municipality have drawn
numbers this morning to determine their ballot ordering.

The proxy for the DPP's Su Qiao Hui drew number 1, while her KMT opponent Li
Si Chuan's proxy drew 3.

The teams for both candidates announced accompanying slogans to go along with
their numbers, with Su's being a play on her name, saying that she would
definitely win...

while Li's encourages voters to pick three to support Si chuan.

Another candidate, an independent, is also running for New Taipei's top job.

(AH)

Now turning to international news...

Israelis are heading to the polls in the first vote since Hamas attacks on
October 7th 2023 and Israel's ensuing barrage on the Gaza Strip as well as
attacks on neighboring Syria and Lebanon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a strong challenge from former
military chief Gadi Eisenkot.

Polls show neither candidate's party likely to garner enough support for a
parliamentary majority...

leading to possible weeks of negotiations over forming a winning coalition.

The election will serve as a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership.

There is a chance that neither Netanyahu's coalition nor the group of parties
looking to remove him will have enough support to win a parliamentary
majority...

potentially setting off weeks of negotiations before a leader is declared.

Israel's Arab-led parties could then emerge as kingmakers if they agree to
support one candidate over another.

The Taiwan Roadkill Observation Network is proposing using artificial
intelligence to simulate and predict road sections at high risk of
wildlife-vehicle collisions.

According to the group, that system will work alongside a early warning
network to help prevent roadkill and related traffic accidents.

Citing government statistics, TaiRON says over the past eight years, an
average of 3,000 traffic accidents per year involving animals suddenly
running onto roads have been reported.

Motorcycles accounted for 95-per cent of those cases, and the accidents
caused a total of 25,345 injuries over the period.

However, TaiRON says the actual number of such accidents is likely much
higher, as the available statistics cover only major cases.

It's estimating that collisions involving medium- to large-sized mammals
alone number between 500,000 and 1-million annually.

TaiRON says its proposal aims to proactively identify high-risk road
sections, including those previously not recognized, rather than relying on
static warning signs installed after roadkill has occurred.

Taiwan Railway Corporation's revenue from its bento boxes hit a record
876-million N-T last year.

It's signature pork chop bento remained the best-selling item.

According to the corporation, it sold 9.42 million bento boxes in 2025, or
about 25,800 boxes a day.

Although sales volume fell short of the record 10.54 million boxes sold in
2019, revenue rose 9.07-per cent from a year earlier to an all-time high.

Pork chop bentos topped sales with 7.18 million boxes sold, far ahead of
chicken drumstick bentos in second place with 560,000 boxes.

The Kaohsiung Double Happiness bento, which features two main dishes came
third with 260,000.

By location, the Taipei Main Station sold the most bentos last year, at 2.65
million bentos, followed by New Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung with 800,000 and
Banqiao Station in New Taipei with 680,000.

And finally,

The Wei Chuan Dragons beat the C-T-B-C Brothers 6-0 in Game 6 of the Taiwan
Series at the Taipei Dome - to take their sixth Chinese Professional Baseball
League title.

The win gave the Taipei-based Dragons their fourth win in the best-of-seven
series, securing the title 4-2.

Dragons starter Cristopher Mercedes pitched eight scoreless innings, striking
out six and allowing two walks and two hits.

Offensively, the Dragons erupted for five runs in the bottom of the eighth
inning to take a commanding 6-0 lead.

They collected five hits in the inning, including a two-run home run by
catcher Jiang Shao-hong, even as the Brothers brought in two relievers to try
to contain the damage.

Mercedes was named Taiwan Series M-V-P after winning two games and allowing
one earned run over 14 innings, for an earned run average of 0.64.

Despite losing the title, the Brothers put up a strong fight.

After dropping the first three games of the series, the Taichung-based team
made history as the first C-P-B-L team to win two straight games in a Taiwan
Series after trailing 3-0.

No team in the Taiwan Series' 37-year history has overcome a 3-0 deficit to
win the championship.

The Ministry of Agricultur says farming loses due to Typhoon Champi has
surpassed 200 million NT... with the figure expected to rise in the coming
days.

The ministry has so far identified hardest hit crops as corn, garlic, onions,
peanuts and tangerines.

Storm damage to crops accounted for 210-million N-T, while livestock losses
currently stand at 90,000 N-T.

Farms in Yunlin County reported the heaviest agricultural losses at
137-million N-T.

That was followed by Miaoli, Taichung, New Taipei and Yilan.

The Ocean Affairs Council and the National Cheng Kung University are jointly
developing an intelligent drone system aimed at strengthening maritine
defense.

The system will utilise artificial intelligence to control fixed-wing drones
capable of vertical takeoff and landing.

The team has already completed synchronized flight simulations involving two
groups of the unmanned vehicles.

The team will be conducting hardware real-world flight tests to assess the
system's reliability in different sea conditions.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an is calling attention to his administration's
achievements even has he pledges to continue moving the capital forward at
the opening of his campaign headquarters.

Chiang touted Taipei's receipt of a Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Special
Mention earlier this year and Nvidia's decision to establish its first
overseas headquarters in the capital.

He also cited initiatives including free milk for schoolchildren, free school
lunches, measures to reduce smoking in public spaces and progress on six
M-R-T projects.

Chiang says as mayor, he's not just looking at the next few weeks of the
election campaign, but at Taipei's future 20 years from now.

Chiang was joined at the rally by several prominent political figures,
including K-M-T Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu and
Taiwan People's Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang.

Meanwhile,

D-P-P Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen is proposing to revitalize the
capital's waterways, saying it draws inspiration from Singapore's approach to
urban water management.

Shen says his plan focuses on five priorities -- Active, Beautiful, Clean,
Detention and Ecosystem -- collectively known as "A-B-C-D-E."

Specific measures include improving waterfront facilities along the Tamsui
and Keelung rivers to make them more accessible to the public, using wetlands
and vegetation to improve water quality.

Shen is also looking to develop small-scale floodwater retention facilities
in schools and parks to strengthen the city's flood control capacity.

The initiative aims to reconnect residents with the waterways and make water
a central consideration in urban planning.

Members of Taiwan's Asian Para Games team are back... and they've been
welcomed by President Lai Ching-te at the Presidential Building.

Lai thanked Sports Minister Lee Yang for protecting athletes' rights and
national dignity during venue disputes abroad and said his administration
will continue improving sport's environments and supports athletes towards
the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Taiwan finished the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in 13th
place in the overall medals table with four gold, seven silver and nine
bronze medals.

The 13th place finish was the same as the same as Taiwan achieved at the 2022
Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China.

Taiwan's athletes secured medal honors across seven sports, including
taekwondo, badminton, table tennis, swimming, and wheelchair tennis.

Team Taiwan was made up of 71 athletes competing across 12 sports.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim says businesses, organizations, and experts need
to work with the government to improve care for the island's fast aging
society.

Hsiao made the call at the Super-Aged Society Action Summit in Taipei.

Hsiao stressed that Taiwan became a super-aged society last year and that has
resulted in the island healthcare system facing new challenges to both the
workforce,and family support systems.

The Vice President said that although Taiwan has a world-class healthcare and
national health insurance systems, there is still room for improvements,
especially in regards eldercare.

Hsiao said the Lai administration's annual budget for long-term care has
grown to more than 110-billion over the past decades and the government is
implementing policies aimed to improve chronic disease prevention and build
age-friendly communities.

Hsiao thanked businesses and experts for supporting older adults through
technology, insurance, and senior housing, in order to create a better life
for them.

And she also touted the use of artificial intelligence applications and
innovative devices to ensure the future of Taiwan's healthcare system for the
elderly.

And,

"The World Between Us: After the Flames" has won Best Television Series at
the 61st Golden Bell Awards.

The series follows six families whose lives become intertwined after a
supermarket arson attack.

Spanning 20 years, it explores grief, revenge and redemption through
characters, including a psychiatrist whose wife and child died in the fire.

The show collected a total four prizes to finish as the night's
third-most-awarded production.

The drama earned Best Directing for Lin Chun Yang, Best Writing for Lu
Shih-yuan and Best Leading Actress for Yang Kuei-mei.

Its prequel, "The World Between Us," won six awards at the 54th Golden Bell
Awards in 2019, including Best Television Series, Best Directing and Best
Leading Actress.

Kaiser Chuang won Best Leading Actor in a Television Series for playing a
construction crew foreman in "City Founding Pioneer," a drama drawing on the
experiences of workers building Taipei's MRT system in the 1990s.

While "Forget You Not" led the night with six awards - lighting,
cinematography, editing, art and design, costume design, and Best Actor in a
Miniseries or Television Film for veteran actor Chin Han.

The awards ceremony took place at the Taipei Music Center on Monday, after
Typhoon Champi forced its postponement from Saturday.

Turning to other... non-election related news now and...

A Swiss woman being treated for Ebola in Nigeria has been medically evacuated
to Switzerland with her husband.

Nigerian Health Minister Muhammad Pate said Monday that the woman left Abuja
with his approval. It is Nigeria’s first confirmed case in the current
outbreak.

The woman's condition has improved significantly, but she remains infectious.

Her husband, a Swiss diplomat, has shown no symptoms.

The World Health Organization said Nigeria has no remaining Ebola cases but
continues to monitor 52 contacts.

The woman tested positive after returning from Uganda, where she likely
contracted the virus.

The spread of Ebola beyond Congo has heightened fears of rapid transmission.

Ukraine's military has started using specialized aerial rescue drones to
evacuate wounded soldiers.

The StarGate drone, developed by Ukrainian company SkyFall, has been deployed
for the first time by the 475th Separate Assault Regiment.

It successfully rescued two soldiers stranded near the Russian border.

The drone features an enclosed evacuation capsule and can carry up to 150
kilograms. It aims to reduce rescue times from hours to minutes, especially
in high-risk areas.

The regiment plans to create a dedicated medical aviation unit to expand
these aerial rescue operations.

President Lai Ching-te welcomed Taiwan's Asian Para Games delegation to the
Presidential Office on Monday.

Taiwan's national team earned 20 medals at the Nagoya games, including 4
gold, 7 silver, and 9 bronze medals.

Athletes secured medal honors across seven sports, including taekwondo,
badminton, table tennis, swimming, and wheelchair tennis.

President Lai thanked Sports Minister Li Yang for protecting athletes' rights
and national dignity during venue disputes abroad.

He also pledged that the government will continue improving international
sports environments and supporting athletes toward Los Angeles 2028.

(NS)

Flash flooding has inundated several areas of Thailand's island of Phuket
after heavy rain overnight.

Officials say all three island districts, including its capital of Phuket
City, were impacted, starting early on Monday morning.

Although water levels began to recede by late morning, flooding persisted in
low-lying areas.

The provincial deputy governor advised small vehicles to avoid these areas.

Some parts of the province also experienced mudslides, and officials are
working to clear the debris.

About 100 households were affected, but no casualties have been reported.

The Thailand Meteorological Department warns of more rain until Wednesday,
which could trigger further flash floods and landslides.

National highway traffic remained smooth this morning, but heavy northbound
return vehicle flows are expected throughout the afternoon.

The Freeway Bureau recorded 25.4 million vehicle-kilometers driven by 11
a.m., matching initial transport forecasts.
and morning congestion remained
limited to minor slowdowns along northern sections of National Highway 1.

But highway officials warned that heavy northbound return traffic will build
rapidly across 11 designated corridor bottlenecks this afternoon, including
northbound National Highway 1 from Xiluo to Puyan, and National Highway 3
from Guanxi to Daxi.

Authorities advise motorists to check the 1968 highway app and travel during
off-peak hours to avoid severe delays.

(NS)

The Yunlin County Government is celebrating the grand opening of the Beigang
1911 Warehouse Cultural Park today.

The site transforms historic Beigang Sugar Factory warehouses into a vibrant
cultural hub for local crafts and exhibitions.

Restoration began in 2021, with four warehouses currently completed and eight
additional structures scheduled for completion next year.

Three inaugural exhibitions opened Monday, highlighting lantern-making
traditions, cultural asset preservation, and creative local products.

The park plans to host biweekly markets, artisan workshops, and cultural
performances to encourage longer visitor stays in Beigang.

(NS)

Jordanian security forces say they have arrested three men for an attack on a
Greek Orthodox Church that killed nine people and wounded more than two
dozen.

The Public Security Directorate said Monday that the three suspects were
arrested following a shootout and that all three were wounded.

No members of the security forces were injured in the dawn operation in
Karak, south of Jordan’s capital, Amman.

Karak is home to a minority Christian population.

The attack on the church in Karak took place Friday during a funeral.

Three men were reported to have taken part in the attack.

Flavio Bolsonaro is refusing to concede defeat to incumbent President Luiz
Inácio Lula da Silva, who bested him by nearly 4.4 million votes, following a
chaotic delay in poll closing times ordered by a Supreme Court justice.

Both Bolsonaro and Lula asked that polls remain open late after issues with
public transportation and inclement weather in some parts of Brazil.

The decision to keep polls open came three minutes before scheduled poll
close; some polls got word after they’d closed and it’s unclear how many
votes were cast in the extended hours.

Bolsonaro called the move to extend voting hours unprecedented and asked for
the election results to be annulled.

KMT lawmaker Su Qing Quan has apologized over comments he made in his bid to
become the next magistrate of Pingtung County.

He yesterday accused his opponent, current magistrate Zhou Chun Mi, of not
knowing the pain of raising a child due to having none herself.

Su's comments incited much discussion and he ultimately took to Facebook last
night saying that "if his comments made his opponent uncomfortable then he's
sorry."

Zhou's offices said that the issue of having kids is a personal one, and
should not be a political tool.

They added that Su's comments represented a serious lack of empathy and they
requested that he apologize.

This year's Taiwan International Travel Fair will showcase themed itineraries
as travelers increasingly seek experiences over just destinations.

The event will be held November 6th to 9th at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition
Center.

The fair will feature exhibitors from 123 countries and cities presenting
products that reflect growing demand for experience-based travel.

Those include Antarctic expeditions, Arctic aurora tours, scenic rail
journeys, cruises, and seasonal trips.

Travel agencies and hotel operators will also launch special promotions
during the event.

Alergia has approved a resolution to send troops to Niger.

That's the first time since 1973 that Alergian soldiers will be deployed
abroad.

Officials say the troops are being sent to "protect Algeria's economic
interests, particularly its oil facilites in Niger."

The move comes during ongoing instability in the Sahel region, where violent
extremism and coups have affected not only Niger but also Mali and Burkina
Faso.

Algeria has been working with Niger on the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline which
aims to transport natural gas to European markets.

The move emphasizes the thawing relations between Algeria and Niger.

The Army has adopted a new "unscripted" combat training format this year to
improve combat readiness.

Instructors say that Army combat units are required to undergo base training
at least twice a year, with the Army launching its new CTC 2.0 initiative
earlier this year.

They say, that's in an effort to ensure that the training more closely
simulates actual combat rather than just putting on a show.

The nine-week base training program is an intensive live-fire exercise
conducted at designated training bases.

The new framework differs from previous training exercises by empahsizing
joint operations among differeing units and forcing troops to to respond to
unexpected enemy movements...

as opposed to following a predetermined scenario.

The changes follow a move to adopt an unscripted, real-world combat format
for the annual Han Kuang military exercises, starting in 2024.

Changes to Starbucks' policy that have seen customers pay more for a drink
customization that was previously free has sparked consumer backlash.

Since earlier this month, customers who ordered drinks with less or no ice
and asked to have the remaining space topped up have been charged an
additional 15 NT.

Topping off was previously free.

The policy has triggered floods of complaints, accusing Starbucks of
stinginess.

Experts say the key question is whether customers view the fees as ""paying
for an additional option or losing a service they had come to expect."

Ultaimtely, they say, customers judge prices based on the value they receive
from the product.

While others say that the change will help Starbucks improve profit margins
without directly raising fees, the company still faces rising labor, rent and
utility costs.

Starbucks Taiwan had more than 600 stores as of this year, up from 458 in
September 2018.

The latest fee changes appear designed to bring in additional revenue without
increasing standard drink prices, but it remains to be seen if customers will
come to see the charges as reasonable or not.

Now turning to international news...

The World Health Organization says a nurse has been killed in an attack while
responding to an Ebola alert in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Another health worker was also severely injured in the incident.

That's the latest in a series of assaults on health workers that authorities
say are hindering efforts to control the world's fastest growing Ebola
outbreak.

The WHO has emphasized the need for safety for those fighting the disease.

Ovre 4700 people have died in the outbreak, which is the deadliest in
history, out of a total of 9800 people infected.

The Freeway Bureau is warning travelers heading north from southern Taiwan to
depart as soon as possible in order to avoid traffic.

They also say that drivers heading north on freeway 5 should leave soon too,
while drivers from central Taiwan heading north should head out before noon.

Meanwhile, Taiwan High Speed Rail said it will operate more than 100
northbound trains throughout the day today...

with the peak travel period expected to run from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. to absorb a
possible surge of travelers.

A man has been arrested after allegedly attacking the deputy Taiwan Railways
stationmaster of Taipei Main Station over a ticketing issue.

The man, surnamed Mao, had been drinking when he attempted to charge into the
duty room and attack the deputy stationmaster with a thermos.

Police responded immediately and arrested Mao.

No one was injured in the scuffle.

5 Cacao farmers have been selected to represent Taiwan at the 2027 Cacao of
Excellence world competition after performing well in this year's
competition.

The Pingtung County government says the gold award in the Taiwan event went
to Mo Chia-wei (莫佳瑋)of Laomo Cocoa.

Next up was Shih Shu-chin (施淑錦) of Huirui Cocoa Farm in Changhua County, and
Lin Cheng-hung (林政弘) of Si Wei Cocoa Workshop in Nantou County.

A total of 30 cacao bean samples were submitted for the Taiwan competition,
with some advancing to the sensory evaluation stage and ultimately bring
processed into cocoa paste and thin pieces of choclate.

The event was co-organized by the Pingtung County government and the Taiwan
Cocoa & Chocolate Industry Association.

The five award-winning entries were selected based on attributes such as
aroma, acidity, bitterness and astringency.

Now turning to international news...

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been reelected.

With all the votes counted, Brazil's electoral court says that Lula held an
unassailable lead over opponent Flavio Bolsonaro.

That's after a chaotic evening at polling places across the country,
following a last-minute decision to extend voting.

That decision may trigger legal action by Bolsonaro.

The result is a relief to critics of US president Donald Trump, maintaining
some distance between Latin America's most populous country and Washington
DC.

Lula's win also bucks a trend in Latin America where right wing presidential
candidates allied with the US president have been scoring election wins...

extending the US' influence in the region.

Lula's victory leaves Mexico and Brazil both with left of center leaders.

More than 80 people have been injured in a bus crash near Barcelona in Spain.

7 of those were serious hurt in the accident.

Local media says that the bus veered off a narrow road and fell down a 20
meter embankment.

The exact circumstances are under investigation.

Emergency services deployed 23 ambulances, 2 medical helicopters, and
specialist rescue teams.

Rescue crews are searching for more victims.

The CTBC Brothers took another step towards overcoming a 3-0 deficit in the
Taiwan Series with a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Wei Chuan Dragons at the
Taipei Dome.

That extends the championship series to a Game 6.

After losing the first three games of the best-of-seven series, the Brothers
have now won two straight to narrow the Dragons' lead to 3-2.

No team in CPBL Taiwan Series history has overcome a 3-0 deficit to win the
championship, nor had any team even won two games in a row after losing three
straight until now.

Game 6 is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. this afternoon at the Taipei Dome.

Long-ruling Serbian leader Aleksander Vucic has conceded defeat in an
election that pitted him against a diverse student-led opposition movement
that spent two years protesting his government.

It's a seiasmic political shift in the country.

Vucic had received Russian President Vladimir Putin's endorsement and
denounced the student-led movement against him as a foreign attempt to unseat
him.

He was president for 14 years.

Almost immediately, crowds flooded the streets of the capital Belgrade and
other Serbian cities in an outburst of euphoric celebration.

Serbia's 6.4 million voters were electing lawmakers to the 250-member
Parliament.

In conceding the election, Vucic said his party projects that his opponents,
the youth-backed Students’ List, will take between 135 and 140 seats while
his Serbian Progressive Party party will have around 105.

The Freeway Bureau is warning of congestion on 11 freeway sections today.

Drivers in the south are advised to depart before 9am in order to avoid the
crowds, while those in central Taiwan should leave before 12.

Officials also say that drivers heading north on freewat 5 should leave
before 9.

They're expecting the most congested areas to be the northbound sections of
Freeway 1 between Xiluo and the Puyan System Interchange, Nantun and Houli,
and Miaoli and Hukou.

Meanwhile on Freeway 3, traffic is anticipated between Zhushan and Zhongxing,
Caotun and Wufeng, Dashan and Xiangshan, and Guanxi and Daxi.

The same goes for Freeway 5 from Yilan to Pinglin and the westbound section
of Freeway 4 between the Tanzi System Interchange and Fengshi.

Meanwhile, Taiwan High Speed Rail said it will operate more than 100
northbound trains throughout the day today...

with the peak travel period expected to run from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. to absorb a
possible surge of travelers.

Runners from Kenya and the Philippines took home the 2026 EVA Air Marathan
half marathon titles yesterday despite wet conditions.

Amos Cheruiyot Kirui of Kenya won the men's title while the Philippines'
Michelle Zamora took home the women's one.

Kirui won with a time of neary 1 hour and 7 minutes, while Chou Ting-yin
(周庭印)was the fastest Taiwanese finisher in the men's half marathon section.

Meanwhile Zamora won the women's half marathan section in one hour 21 minutes
and 49 seconds, just 11 second faster than the first Taiwanese finisher,
Hsieh Chien-ho(謝千鶴).

Hsieh says she viewed the race as a warm up for the Taipei Marathon at the
end of the year.

In the full marathon, Japan's Yoshiki Nagano and the Philippines' Art Joy
Torregosa won the mens and womens titles respectively.

More than 20,000 runners took part in this year's race, with EVA Air saying
organizers were committed to staging the event despite weather challenges.

VietJet has launched a new route between Tainan and Hanoi, becoming the third
international route offered out of Tainan.

Tainan Deputy Mayor Ye ze Shan greeted passengers on the inaugutal flight
from Hanoi, noting that all 230 flights had sold out.

Flights on the route will be offered four times weekly.

Ye says that the city government hopes to bring more Southeast Asian tourists
to Tainan, while also offeringa more convenient option for Tainan-area
leisure and business travelers to visit Vietnam.

The other two international routes from Tainan are to Okinawa and Kumamoto,
offered by Tigerair Taiwan.

Now turning to international news...

Vote-counting has resumed in Brazil after voting hours were extended
following requests by both candidates.

Both incumbent president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his competitior Flavio
Bolsonaro said there were issues in their respective strongholds.

The extension caused confusion at many polling stations.

Some had already shut down when the decision was made just three minutes
before the polls were scheduled to close.

The decision sets the stage for possible legal challenges regardless of who
wins, with Lula's party saying it was looking into legal action due to what
they called "interference in the electoral process."

The contest will determine whether or not the US will significantly expand
its growing influence in Latin America...

as a win for Bolsonaro would mean a slide right in Latin America's most
populous country and its lagrest economy.

That's as Trumpallies have scored victories in Chile, Peru, and Colombia this
year.

A victory for Lula would leave Brazil and Mexico with left-of-center leaders.

Results currently show the two candidates neck and neck.

Trevor Megill struck out Jonny DeLuca with runners on second and third to
wiggle out of a ninth-inning jam as the Milwaukee Brewers escaped with a 3-2
victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series.

The strikeout came after Tampa Bay's Liam Hicks had hit into an apparent
game-ending double play that was overturned after a replay review.

The review determined that the Brewers shortstop's foot was slightly off the
bag when he caught a throw from the second baseman.

Jacob Misiorowski allowed one run over five innings to earn the win.

AP_JvW

The US Justice Dept. has sent letters to officials across California ...
demanding that they help identify potential noncitizens on their voter rolls
and set aside their ballots.

The New York Times reports that the same letter was sent to every county in
the state .. and it included a threat that officials would "risk significant
federal scrutiny" if they didn't comply.

It's part of a series of Trump administration moves late in the midterm
election campaign aimed at stalling election processes or digging up evidence
of noncitizen voting.

The suit is scheduled to be heard by a judge next week, but the Justice
Department is urging an appeals court to make a decision in the case this
weekend.

NYT_JvW

The US State Department says it will reduce staffing at four embassies in the
Middle East after receiving intelligence that Iran has stepped up efforts to
target American personnel in the region and elsewhere.

The reductions appear to be in the wake of a memo sent by the Director of
National Intelligence to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that detailed the
threat risk.

The staff reductions will be carried out at embassies in Jordan, Lebanon,
Qatar and the UAE.

US officials have adamantly denied the drawdowns are tied to any potential
new US or Israeli strikes on Iran.

AP_JvW

Trevor Megill struck out Jonny DeLuca with runners on second and third to
wiggle out of a ninth-inning jam as the Milwaukee Brewers escaped with a 3-2
victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series.

DeLuca's strikeout came after Tampa Bay's Liam Hicks had hit into an apparent
game-ending double play that was overturned after a replay review.

The review determined Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt's right foot was
slightly off the bag when he caught a throw from second baseman Brice Turang.

Jacob Misiorowski allowed one run over five innings to earn the win.

AP_JvW

The 33rd edition of "ART TAIPEI" is set to open next week, showcasing
contemporary works from around the world.

"ART TAIPEI 2026" features 127 prominent galleries from six countries and
regions. This year's theme is "Symbiosis".

Organizers say participation from overseas galleries reached a new high this
year, led by 25 galleries from South Korea and 22 from Japan.

Curated sections feature emerging Taiwanese talent, indigenous contemporary
art, Hakka cultural narratives and special Japanese exhibitions.

"ART TAIPEI 2026" runs from October 30th to November 2nd, at Taipei World
Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1.

In addition, Taipei Art Week will run alongside the main fair from Oct. 24th
to Nov. 7th, bringing art into urban public spaces citywide.

Art lovers can explore public art, digital screenings, gallery weekend events
and dedicated shuttle routes across Taipei.

(NS)

For ICRT, this is Jacques van Wersch