5 media platforms are inviting Taipei mayoral candidates Puma Shen and Chiang
Wan An to participate in a televised debate.

Those platforms include the Liberty Times newspaper and China Television
Company, among others.

A statement from the 5 platforms emphasized that Taipei residents have a
right to see both candidates' policy proposals and their ideas for how to
make these proposals happen.

The announcement added that the debate, should candidates accept the
invitation, would maintain neutrality and transparency...

emphasizing a return to "rational policy exchange" rather than virtue
signaling and political sloganeering.

The invitation comes as Shen and Chiang have already in principle agreed to a
debate hosted by TVBS and S-E-T News but have not nailed down dates or
format.

(AH)

Police have arrested a 33-year old man suspected of killing his aunt in New
Taipei's Xinzhuang District.

He was caught in Taoyuan District around noon today after officers used
surveillance footage to track his movements.

Police say the 59-year old woman was found dead with multiple knife wounds in
her kitchen on Yong'an Street.

Her husband discovered her body after returning from work yesterday evening
and called police.

Investigators say her nephew lived with her, had previously argued with her,
and could not be contacted after the incident.

Police are investigating the circumstances of her death.

(PB)

China has sanctioned Paraguay’s communications minister and Belize’s foreign
minister over ties with Taiwan.

China's Foreign Ministry said the sanctions against the two officials serve
to safeguard China’s interests.

Paraguay and Belize are 12 diplomatic allies of Taiwan.

The sanctions are mostly symbolic, as officials from countries that have ties
with Taiwan do not generally travel to China.

Countries including Nauru, Honduras and Nicaragua have switched allegiances
from Taiwan to Beijing in recent years.

A red panda from Taipei Zoo is settling well into his new home in Singapore.

Chi-Chi (奇奇), also known as Yaffa, moved to Singapore Zoo in June as part of
an international conservation program.

A keeper tells CNA he is eating and sleeping well, exploring his surroundings
and staying active.

Now on public display, he is also drawing visitors who have followed news of
his move.

Taipei Zoo says transfers between zoos help maintain genetic diversity and
reduce the risk of inbreeding among endangered red pandas.

The two zoos also hope to support healthy breeding through cooperation in
animal care and conservation research.

(PB)

The Air Force says some electronic warfare hardware is installed on Taiwan's
first two new F-16V Block 70 fighters.

But software development and system integration are still underway.

The jets arrived in Zhi-hang (志航) Air Base in eastern Taiwan from Hawaii, on
October 2nd, roughly one month later than initially expected.

Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Ching-jan (李慶然) says work on their Viper Shield
system is proceeding according to plan.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo says integration must meet the timetable set
for after delivery.

Koo hopes more fighters will arrive this month after passing acceptance
inspections.

But he says completing all 66 deliveries next year still requires
coordination with Washington.

The United States approved the sale of those fighter jets and related
equipment to Taiwan in 2019, and delivery was supposed to begin in 2023 and
be completed by 2026.

(PB)

Defense Minister Wellington Ku says, the Coast Guard is the primary law
enforcement unit for patroling Taiwan's territorial waters, while the Navy
can provide assistance.

He added that the Coast Guard should drive away Chinese maritime militia or
coast guard vessels if they cross into restricted waters.

The Defense Minister made the remarks when answering KMT lawmaker Huang
Jian-bin's question regarding a Reuters report that a Chinese militia vessel
was spotted in waters east of Taiwan in August.

It marked the first known appearance of such a vessel in the area.

Ku said Taiwan monitors Chinese militia vessels using databases maintained by
the Coast Guard and the military, along with joint intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance operations.

He said these resources allow authorities to closely track the movements of
those ships.

(JL)

Legislative Speaker Han Guo-yu has reiterated that no matter how hard the
ruling and opposition parties clash, they should follow the rules, compromise
and uphold moral standards.

Stumping for a TPP candidate in Keelung yesterday, Han said he often tells
foreign dignitaries that Taiwan has a mature and successful democracy...

but said that privately he feels uneasy due to the Cabinet's refusal to
countersign legislation and last year's recall campaign.

He described the situation as "anti-democratic," claiming that even
professors of constitutioanl law can no longer properly teach the subject.

The comments echoed his comments at Saturday's National Day ceremony, when he
called on President Lai Ching-te to resolve the current standoff between the
legislative and executive branches.

Han also said that people absolutely cannot allow the world to see Taiwan's
democracy as "a democracy in name, but a dictatorship in reality."

Meanwhile the Presidential office and DPP legislative caucus leaders called
Han's speech "embarrasing and inappropriate", saying Han fell short of the
standards expected of a Speaker.

(JL)

Taiwan shares closed slightly down today, with the benchmark tai ex losing 11
points to close the sessiont at 49301

The turnover was 843.9 billion NT

12 candidates in this year's local elections have signed on to a climate
resilience, energy and transportation policy pledge.

The pledge was put forward by civic groups including the Green Citizens'
Action Alliance and the Taiwan Climate Action Network, and asks candidates to
agree to 5 major policy directions, including adapting to extreme heat and
flood control.

Among the signees were both candidates for Taipei mayor, while KMT candidates
Li Si Chuan and Jiang Qi Chen in New Taipei and Taichung both refused to sign
on.

Advocates say that leaders of the six major municipalities should take the
initiative to assess how well-prepared schools and other public places are
for climate change...

adding that local governments should also integrate solar power and energy
storage into disaster preparedness centers in order to make them
self-sufficient.

They're calling for local leaders to incorporate the needs of vulnerable
groups into disaster prevention plans and drills as well.

(AH)

The Maritime Port Bureau says, fresh drills launched by China will not have
too much of an impact on shipping in waters around Taiwan.

China announced last week that it would be carrying out drills in the South
China, Yellow, East China, and Bohai Seas, with the drills kicking off today.

They're expected to continue through the end of the week.

The Maritime Port Bureau is emphasizing that the areas where China is
carrying out the drills are outside Taiwan's search and rescue area of
responsibility.

Although authorities say that shipping is running normally right now, the MPB
will continue to monitor Chinese military activity in the region.

(AH)

Taiwan's manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry said that the U.S.
International Trade Commission has launched an investigation into it under
Section 337 of the Tariff Act.

Hon Hai said the process began on Friday, and that it will actively respond
to the investigation through established legal procedures.

The tech company stressed that it respects intellectual property rights and
vowed to protect the interests of investors.

It also said that its operations remain unaffected.

Hon Hai is among 20 businesses, including German, US, and Chinese companies,
named in the U.S. trade investigations into alleged patent infringement.

Taiwan's Delta Electronics and Quanta Computer are on the list as well.

(JL)

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.

Taiwan's main political parties are having difficulty achieving their ideal
of coming together -- even it if it's just for National Day.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu focused his National Day address on a message
urging President Lai Ching-te to resolve cross-party conflict.

KMT and TPP party members rallied around the message, saying that the
president has a responsibility to resolve the deadlock between the DPP and
the opposition parties.

But DPP caucus whip Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) says Han's speech exacerbated the
conflict by pointing fingers.

Chuang notes that Han had called on all parties to avoid adding fuel to the
fire and immediately used terms like "fake democracy, real dictatorship"
(假民主、真獨裁).

To put Han's words into context, he said "Taiwan cannot be seen as a fake
democracy, a real dictatorship."

TPP caucus whip Hung Yu-hsiang (洪毓祥) said he appreciated the sentiment,
noting that a truly confident democracy doesn't fear parliamentary oversight.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has announced that as of
11am today, 11 accidents had occurred on National Highways since midnight.

The ministry's Freeway Bureau says traffic was generally moving smoothly
around noon ... though not necessarily quickly ... with northbound traffic
traveling around 40kph northbound on National Highway 1 from Xiluo to Puyan
System Interchange.

The bureau is highlighting 12 sections of national highways that it expects
to be congested this afternoon. For example, the northbound section of
National Highway 5 is likely to be congested from now to midnight between
Yilan and Pinglin.

The Freeway Bureau says traffic volume on the nation's highways is within
expectations for a holiday, with 107 million vehicle-kilometers anticipated
for the full day.

CNA_zh_JvW

National Day celebrations held in front of the Presidential Office have
wrapped up.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu and President Lai Ching-te both emphasized the
need for peace across the Taiwan Strait in speeches to mark the 115th
anniversary of the Republic of China.

Han praised Taiwanese citizens for their hard work and ingenuity in making
Taiwan a semiconductor powerhouse, but he also highlighted the need for
politicians to overcome deep divisions and to work together more closely to
ensure the country continues to thrive.

In a wide-ranging speech themed "A City on the Hill," Lai addressed said that
while he values peace, it is equally important to continue to strengthen
national defense.

JvW

The PLA was relatively active in the Taiwan Strait in the 24 hours before 6
am this national day.

The Ministry of National Defense says that it detected 21 sorties of Chinese
military aircraft, 13 of which crossed the strait's median line.

It also detected seven Chinese warships and two government vessels.

CNA_zh_JvW

video

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) has apologized for including footage of a
baseball player in a music video that unveiled his campaign theme song
yesterday.

DPP lawmaker Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) questioned whether the footage of Chang
Yu-cheng playing in an international game had been authorized.

Chiang today said the footage has been adjusted to remove the baseball
player, adding that Chang's presence in the video didn't necessarily reflect
his or any player's political stance.

CNA_zh_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.

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.

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.

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."

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.