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.

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)

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)

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