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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Central Weather Bureau has downgraded Typhoon Champi.

It's now Tropical Storm Champi ... after the weather system weakened over the
course of the day.

The CWA lifted its land warning as it downgraded the storm -- at 2:30pm.

A sea warning is still in effect, but it's likely to be lifted this evening
or tonight.

Champi now has maximum sustained winds of 108 km/h and a radius of 200km. The
eye is about 250km northeast of Taipei.

typhoon

TSMC will give each of its non-managerial employees a special Sports Day
bonus of NT$30,000.

That's despite today's event being canceled due to Typhoon Champi.

TSMC Chairman and CEO CC Wei (魏哲家) made the announcement to employees in an
email yesterday. He said the bonus is NT$5,000 higher than last year's.

It'll be distributed in November to employees who were on TSMC's payroll as
of May 31.

The bonus is one of the reasons many employees look forward to TSMC's Sports
Day every year.

It's unclear whether overseas employees will also get a bonus.

CNA_JvW

Land and sea warnings associated with Typhoon Champi are still in effect at
this hour ... as the storm continues to weaken and move away from Taiwan at a
speed of 20km/h.

Champi has shrunk to a radius of around 220km from 280km this morning.
Maximum sustained winds have fallen to 120km/h from 150.

Meantime, its cloud system has become more dispersed, with the Central
Weather Administration saying that rainfall has been diminishing since this
morning.

The Taiwan Railway Corporation says that its western trunk line and
south-link line are back to normal operation ... but the north link line and
Yilan line are still under repair.

The latter two lines have been hit with severe treefall damage. Crews are
working to clear the lines, and the railway expects to return to normal
service by 3pm.

Some trains on the eastern trunk line have resumed normal service, but others
have been suspended ... and still others have been shortened.

CNA_zh_JvW

The Central Weather Administration says a land warning for Typhoon Champi is
expected to be lifted this evening, as the storm moves away from Taiwan.

A CWA official says Champi is likely to weaken into a tropical storm this
afternoon, adding that the sea warning for the storm is expected to be lifted
tonight.

Rainfall brought by the storm will likely continue to ease. As of noon,
Champi was centered about 175 km northeast of Taipei, moving north at 20 kph.

The storm's radius has shrunk to around 220km, with maximum sustained winds
falling to 120km/h

As the typhoon weakens, the Taipei City Water Resources Office announced that
it would gradually open some evacuation gates and overpass ramps starting now
(at 1pm). Still, some bike paths along the riverways remain closed.

Meanwhile, office closures are in effect throughout northern and central
Taiwan, as well as in Yilan and Lianjiang County.

The Central Disaster Response Center says Typhoon Champi has led to one death
and 527 injuries so far.

Most of the injuries are minor, such as abrasions and contusions.

The death involved a person diving off Liuqiu Township in Pingtung County
yesterday despite sea warnings being in effect.

The CCDC said that as of 7:30 this morning, there were more than 6,500
general disaster reports ... with most of them reported in Taipei City,
Taichung City and Yunlin County.

Typical disaster reports involve fallen trees, downed power lines and fallen
advertising signs.

CNA_zh_JvW

The National Immigration Agency has cut its forecast for passenger traffic
over the Retrocession Day weekend.

It originally estimated peak passenger volume of 157,000 today, but due to
the typhoon, that will be only 114,000, with 59,000 arrivals and 55,000
departures.

Taoyuan International Airport Corporation says flights are gradually resuming
today, with 607 flights scheduled for arrival and departure by midnight.

A total of 261 flights have been cancelled, including 160 passenger flights.

Passengers are advised to check flight information on airline websites before
making their way to the airport.

CNA_zh_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)

Typhoon Champi is weakening, and it's starting to move away from from the
island.

The storm's sustained winds have fallen to around 125km/h at the center, with
gusts of up to 160km/h.

Champi's eye is located around 150km due east of Taipei at this hour, and the
storm's radius is around 250km.

Office closures are in effect throughout northern and central Taiwan, as well
as in Yilan and Lianjiang County.

Nevertheless, many businesses in northern Taiwan are planning to be open this
afternoon. Examples include Far Eastern's Xinyi A13, which will open at 1pm,
while Sogo and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi are planning to open stores at 2pm in
northern Taiwan ... and to operate normally in the center and south.

The Taipei Railway Administration says eastern and western trunk lines will
gradually regain normal operations starting at noon. There are exceptions, so
check the TRA website or customer hotline before you head out. The TRA
reminds customers that refunds are available for trains that were cancelled
due to the storm.

According to the Civil Aeronautics Administration, 145 domestic flights and
114 international flights have been cancelled today.

The Maritime and Port Bureau says six ferry routes affecting 84 voyages have
been cancelled.

Check airline and ferry websites for specifics.

Meanwhile, Taipower says that as of 9am, 56,600 customers were without
electricity. That's after nearly 290,000 *had* lost power, meaning 80 percent
had recovered power.

The most-affected area is Yilan County, which had nearly 16,000 customers
without power as of 9 o'clock. Nearly 13,000 were blacked out in New Taipei
City. Taoyuan followed far behind, with fewer than 4,500 households without
power -- down from 43,600 at the blackout's peak.

Two earthquakes measuring magnitude 5.0 and 4.8 struck off eastern Taiwan 10
minutes apart early this morning.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

According the the Central Weather Administration The first quake struck at
4:48am. Its epicenter was about 30 kilometers east-southeast of Hualien
County Hall, at a depth of 15 km.

The second earthquake was 10 minutes later within a kilometer of the first
... at a depth of 17 km.

In Kaohsiung, a magnitude 4 earthquake struck at 9:25 this morning. Its
epicenter was 76km northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall at a depth of 5km.

CNA_JvW

The Central Weather Administration says parts of 16 counties and cities could
meet the wind or rainfall criteria for suspending work and classes tomorrow
as Typhoon Champi moves north.

The agency's latest forecast shows strong winds affecting coastal areas of
northern and central Taiwan, as well as several offshore islands, between 6
AM Saturday and noon Saturday.

Under Taiwan's regulations, sustained winds of around 50 kilometers per hour
or gusts approaching 90 kilometers per hour can meet the threshold for work
and school suspensions.

Separately, seven counties and cities, including Taipei, New Taipei and
Taoyuan, could meet rainfall thresholds, particularly in mountainous areas.

However, the final decision on whether to suspend work and classes rests with
individual local governments - which we should be expecting later this
evening.

According to the CWA's latest typhoon update, Champi was located about 140
kilometers east-southeast of Yilan ... moving north-northeast at between six
and 15 kilometers per hour.

The data also indicates the storm hasn't weakened or shrank all afternoon -
it's still packing maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour near
its centre with gusts of up to 191 kilometers per hour ... and has a radius
of 320 kilometers.

Taiwan remains engulfed in the storm's bands ... with forecasters warning
that the heaviest rain is expected from this evening through Saturday
morning.

The CWA expects Champi's storm bands to move away from Taiwan's main island
by tomorrow evening.

(IG)

The Mainland Affairs Council is expressing condolences to China following a
deadly earthquake in Tibet ...

... while the Tourism Administration says it has received no reports of
Taiwanese tour groups being affected.

The magnitude-7 quake struck Nagqu in northern Tibet yesterday evening,
killing 16 people, injuring 65 and collapsing at least 300 homes.

Rescuers are searching the remote region amid concerns over further building
collapses and rockslides caused by aftershocks.

Low temperatures and difficult terrain are also complicating rescue efforts.

The MAC says Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation is trying to contact
Taiwanese nationals in the affected area.

A total of 164 Taiwanese nationals traveling in China, Hong Kong and Macau
were registered as being in Tibet.

Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, sold out in just five
minutes at Costco's Neihu store in Taipei today ... despite disruptions
caused by Typhoon Champi.

Costco says all 20 phones in its initial shipment were snapped up shortly
after going on sale.

The 256-gigabyte model is priced at just over 72-thousand NT at Costco.

The retailer says stock levels and available models vary between stores,
depending on Apple's deliveries.

Meanwhile, Apple and major telecom operators have announced that their stores
will close in areas where typhoon-related work and school suspensions are
declared.

Customers who have preordered the new phone can collect their purchases once
the stores re-open.

(IG)

Taipower says, power has been restored to 75% of households that have
experienced power outages due to Typhoon Champi.

That's as over 102,000 households have been affected by outages as of 4pm.

That leaves over 25,000 households still without power.

Most of those without power are in Changhua, Tainan, Yunlin, Taichung, and
Chiayi County.

(AH)

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation says, 75,000 passengers took their trains
in just three hours last night after school and work closure announcements
were made for today.

That's after social media users complained about big crowds and long waits
last night.

The surge in passengers is likely due to the bonus typhoon day on top of a 3
day weekend.

THSR says, they had a total of 280,000 passengers yesterday, which they note
is not particularly high...

however their data shows that over a quarter of those were all from 8 to
11pm.

THSR adds that they anticipated a surge in passengers, establishing a command
post at 3pm yesterday to conduct crowd control operations, and added extra
trains at 6:30.

They continued to add more trains and lengthen service throughout the
evening.

(AH)

defamation campaign

The DPP pick to run Hsinchu County says, he hopes an investigation into Wu Zi
Jia 吳子嘉 will uncover who's behind a defamation campaign.

Prosecutors yesterday searched the political commentator's home and office in
an apparent investigation into violations of the Public Officials Election
and Recall Act.

They previously detained another suspect in the same case, surnamed Peng,
while Wu was released after questioning.

Zhubei Mayor Cheng Chao-fang says, there is no tolerance for defamation and
illegally influencing elections...

adding that he hopes the investigation will reveal who's behind the deamation
campaign.

Cheng's lawyer says, they believe foreign nationals have been distributing
leaflets bearing Cheng's face and name with false information.

Peng is suspected of printing and handing out the leaflets.

(AH)

Taichung police discovered two children left in a car after they started
towing the vehicle earlier this week.

After witnesses alerted police to the kids' presence, they were let out of
the car and their parents notified.

Their parents have been turned over to social services, while the police's
violation has also been dealt with internally.

The car apparently had a sun shade up when authorities arrived, so police
couldn't immediately see the kids inside.

The kids were unharmed.

However, authorities remind parents to never leave their kids in the car
unattended.

(AH)

The Central Emergency Operations Center says, one person has been killed by
extreme weather related to Typhoon Champi...

while 94 are injured.

Officials say, most of those were injured in traffic accidents, most notably
motorcyclists who were blown over by strong winds.

The number of injured increased by 52 since last night, with 30 of those
being motorcyclists.

Another 10 people were hit by flying debris, like billboards,

The deceased was diving off of Pingtung's Xiaoliuqiu yesterday morning, while
both sea and land warnings for Champi were in effect.

(AH)

The Central Weather Administration says, some areas are likely to get 400
milimeters of rain today thanks to Typhoon Champi.

Residents of mountainous areas of Yilan, New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu
County, and Miaoli should be on alert for particularly heavy rainfall.

Forecasters expect the total rainfall in some of those areas to get up to 900
milimeters from yesterday through tomorrow.

So far today, Yilan has been hardest hit by the rain, with some areas
exceeding 400 milimeters of rain.

(AH)

from 3 PM Due to Typhoon

New Taipei Metro says three of its lines are now suspending service ... as
Typhoon Champi brings strong winds to northern Taiwan.

Those affected lines include the Danhai and Ankeng light rail lines, along
with the Sanying Line ... as wind gusts are forecast to reach force 9 to 12
on the Beaufort scale.

The Circular Line will continue operating, with trains running every 15
minutes.

Meanwhile, the Danjiang Bridge is also now closed due to the threat of strong
winds near the Tamsui River estuary.

Drivers travelling between Tamsui and Bali are being advised to use Guandu
Bridge instead.

Authorities are also monitoring several expressways in northern Taiwan ...
and may impose traffic restrictions if necessary.

(IG)

Those planning to travel by air or sea today are being advised to check for
the latest service updates before travelling ...

... as Typhoon Champi is disrupts air and sea travel across Taiwan.

As of this morning ... the Civil Aviation Administration reports that over
260 domestic and over 700 international flights have been cancelled.

Meanwhile, the Maritime and Port Bureau says 96 ferry services have been
cancelled across ten routes.

Affected services include ferries between Keelung and Matsu, Kaohsiung and
Penghu, and Donggang and Xiaoliuqiu.

While some services between Kinmen and China have also been cancelled.

(IG)

day off

The Taitung County government is defending its decision to call off work and
school for today this morning.

Last night, Taitung was the only municipality on the main island to not have
made the announcement to suspend work and classes for the day...

with the county government ultimately making the call early this morning.

Some residents had complained that the announcement was made as they were
already on their way to work.

The county government then said that the call was made after the Central
Weather Administration updated its data this morning to show stronger winds
influencing the county for the entire day.

(AH)

weekend

President Lai Ching-te is urging the public to stay away from mountainous and
oceanside areas when possible...

due to the risk of flooding, landslides, and dangerous waves.

Lai has also called on the public to cooperate with mandatory evacuations and
other directions from officials.

Lai made the comments this morning when he headed to the central response
center.

The president also called on local governments to prioritize the elderly and
disabled when undertaking preventative evacuations.

(AH)

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, and this year's theme centers around "Symbiosis".

Organizers say participation from overseas galleries reached a new high this
year, led by 25 South Korean galleries and 22 Japanese art spaces.

Curated sections also 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)

The Central Weather Administration says, Typhoon Champi will bring the
heaviest rain to Taiwan this evening into tomorrow morning.

Land and sea warnings remain in effect across Taiwan, with classes and work
off for most of the country, with the exception of Kinmen.

As of this morning, Champi was centered 320 kilometers north-northeast of
Eluanbi.

Experts say that the storm's outer bands are entering eastern Taiwan,
Pingtung, Kaohsiung, and Nantou as it continues its trek northwest.

Forecasters expect the entire main island of Taiwan to be engulfed by the
storm this afternoon.

Forecasters are also warning of particularly heavy rain in the north and
northeast.

They're warning residents of the mountainous regions of Yilan to be on guard
for extremely torrential rain and potential landslides.

(AH)

Nearly 3000 households in Yunlin are currently without power after strong
winds knocked over power lines in Mailiao and Taixi.

Taipower says, it's working to restore service to the affected areas.

The Yunlin County government says, they're experiencing sustained winds
measuring force 8 on the Beaufort scale, with gusts of up to force 11.

(AH)

New Taipei City is preventatively evacuating nearly 1400 people due to
landslides risks in mountainous regions of the city.

Mayor Hou You Yi says, the evacuations are still underway in Yingge, Xindian,
Pingxi, and Shulin.

That's as some areas of New Taipei are facing sustained winds of up to force
10 on the Beaufort scale.

Hou called on workers to make sure that electricity poles and lines are
stable in order to avoid accidents.

He also urged workers to prepare water pumping equipment before the worst of
the typhoon hits northern Taiwan.

Mountainous areas of New Taipei are currently under torrential rain
advisories, while the rest of the city can expect extremely heavy rain.

That warning is in place through this evening.

(AH)

peace

Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Liang Wen-chieh says more than half of
respondents to a recent survey believe the Chinese Communist Party is
undermining peace across the Taiwan Strait.

According to Liang, the survey found that 52.3-per cent of respondents blamed
the C-C-P, up from 47.4-per cent in May, while 28.5-per cent said both Taiwan
and the C-C-P were responsible, down from 33.3-per cent.

Liang is attributing the changes to increased activity by Chinese coast
guard, research and maritime militia vessels in waters east of Taiwan over
the past five months.

The Ministry of Transport is proposing bringing online ride-hailing platforms
under the same regulatory framework as taxi service operators.

Under draft amendments to the Regulations Governing Approval for Taxi
Passenger Transport Service Operators, ride-hailing platforms would be
required to obtain an operating license within one year of the rules taking
effect.

According to the transport ministry, operators that fail to obtain approval
could be fined up to 25-million N-T, depending on the severity of the
violation, and ordered to cease operations.

The amendments have been put forward as app-based taxi booking has become a
mainstream mode of transportation.

The ministry says that has prompted calls for clearer oversight of platform
operators while giving taxi drivers greater flexibility in accepting ride
requests.

And finally,

This evening's Game 5 of the Chinese Professional Baseball League Taiwan
Series has been postponed due to Typhoon Champi.

It has been rescheduled for tomorrow at the Taipei Dome and will begin at
5PM.

The Dragons are leading the best-of-seven championship series 3-1, after the
Brothers' cut the deficit on Wednesday by winning their first game of the
series.

The Dragons can claim the championship title if they win tomorrow's Game 5,
while the Brothers need to win all the remaining three games to become the
first team ever to win the Taiwan Series after trailing 3-0.

Game 6, if needed, has been rescheduled for Sunday, while Game 7, if needed,
has been rescheduled for Monday.

The impending arrival of Typhoon Champi has shut schools and offices across
much of Taiwan today... except for the outlying island of Kinmen...

A land warning covers all of the areas....

The storm is currently located 340-kilometers east of Eluanbi at the island's
southernmost tip and is moving in a north-northwesterly direction at speeds
of between 9 and 20-kilometers-an-hour.

Champi now has a radius of 320-kilometers and is packing sustained wind
speeds of 155-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 191-kilometers-an-hour.

The Central Weather Administration says Typhoon Champi is expected to move
slowly today and tomorrow and could move erratically as it approaches Taiwan.

The storm's center is currently forecast to come within 80-kilometers of
Taiwan at its closest point from late this evening into early tomorrow
morning, and there is the possibilty it could still make landfall.

The heaviest rain is expected through today, while northern parts of the
island will continue to see widespread showers tomorrow, with local heavy
rain and torrential rain possible.

The storm circle is expected to move away from Taiwan proper by tomorrow
evening.

Typhoon Champi has impacted rail and flight services...

The Taiwan Railway Corporation has suspended all express train services on
its western and eastern trunk lines today, while commuter services will
operate flexibly depending on the weather conditions.

The Taiwan High Speed Rail is operating normally.

However, High Speed Rail services could be effected during the day depending
on weather conditions.

The Taoyuan Metro Corporation has suspended all express train and in-town
check-in and baggage-handling services today, but commuter trains will
continue to operate at 15-minute intervals.

Reduced services are operating today on the Taipei and New Taipei MRT, and
the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation says services and elevated tracks could
be suspended depending on the weather conditions.

The Taichung M-R-T is operating on a reduced service, as are both the
Kaohsing M-R-T and the Kaohsing Line Rail system.

China Airlines and Tigerair Taiwan have canceled or rescheduled flights to
and from Okinawa.

Mandarin Airlines and UNI Air have partially canceled domestic flights
connecting Taiwan proper to Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.

People booked on flights today, regardless of the airline, are being advised
to check with their carriers before heading to the airport.

National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen says China's election
interference is now focused on specific groups and audiences.

Tsai says Beijing is mobilizing airlines to offer discounted tickets to
select Taiwan citizens living in China to return home to vote in the November
local elections for candidates it backs.

Tsai also says China is believed to be providing illicit funding to
candidates and political groups it supports.

Tsai said the N-S-B and other intelligence agencies are actively
investigating suspected interference cases and have identified several key
tactics used by China.

Tsai said those tactics include spreading disinformation and controversial
content, operating illegal betting pools, and hacking specific targets to
steal election-related intelligence for targeted interference.

The National Security Bureau Director-General said his agency is collecting
evidence of suspected election interference and hopes to hand it over to
judicial authorities for investigation before the November 28 ballot.

Tai-Power says rising natural gas prices amid Middle East tensions are
forecast to increase its fuel costs by more than 160-billion N-T this year.

Tai-Power executives issued the warning as they briefed reporters on the
company's financial situation.

Tai-Power is calling for support for the Cabinet's proposed 71-billion N-T
supplemental budget to help the company cover its growing losses...which it
attributes to high fuel costs and below-cost electricity rates.

That supplemental budget is still pending legislative review.

Tai-Power says since the US-Israel war with Iran began in late February,
natural gas prices for the power sector have increased by more than 70-per
cent - a figure that added 71-billion N-T to its fuel costs from March
through August.

The higher fuel costs are expected to add 70-billion N-T to the company's
accumulated losses this year, bringing them to 420-billion N-T.

The Cabinet has approved draft tax incentives for the Taiwan Individual
Savings Account program.

Taiwan Individual Savings Account are government-backed, long-term savings
accounts launched in July 2025 to help people prepare for retirement.

Under provisions approved by the Cabinet, taxpayers could deduct up to 24,000
N-T a year per person from their gross consolidated income for program
contributions made for themselves, their spouses and their dependent minor
children.

The draft incentives also state that to support retirement planning,
withdrawals by account holders aged 60 or older, or by those who have held an
account for at least 30 years, will be tax-exempt.

The proposed incentives were jointly developed by the Financial Supervisory
Commission and the Ministry of Finance.

The Financial Supervisory Commission says it hopes the provisions will pass
the Legislature next year and take effect in 2028.

Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee says more than 270,000 of the accounts had
been opened since the program's launch.

Eleven union officials at U-S memory chipmaker Micron Technology's Taoyuan
operations are holding a 24-hour "strike."

The union officials say the action is protest over the company's of failure
to offer a concrete profit-sharing proposal.

The Taoyuan union announced the limited industrial action on Monday in
solidarity with its Taichung counterpart, which had been scheduled to hold
mediation talks with Micron yesterday.

However, Micron and the Taichung union announced on Wednesday that they had
signed a labor-management agreement and canceled Thursday's mediation
meeting.

Micron's Taoyuan facility union Chairman Jerry Lin has criticized Micron, the
Ministry of Labor and the Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau for excluding
the Taoyuan union from the negotiations.

Lin says the two unions had jointly formulated four demands, but Taoyuan
union representatives and their views "were not adequately included in the
negotiations," resulting in an agreement being reached solely with the
Taichung union.

At the center of the dispute is Micron's Incentive Pay Plan, which the union
says lacks transparency.