Taiwan's November local elections formally began with candidate registration, and the early scramble points to a messy, fractured fight for the opposition parties.

• A minor-party figure, Kuo Hsi of the "Taiwan Mahjong Party," registered for Taipei mayor before either incumbent Chiang Wan-an or the DPP's Puma Shen, framing his run as a protest against two-party control of the city.
• The KMT and the Taiwan People's Party are splitting over who runs in Zhubei, with TPP chair Huang Kuo-chang accusing the KMT of breaking its word.
• Vote-buying and underground betting rumors are already circulating, with Changhua's history of cash-for-votes cases spanning all parties.
• A Taiwanese youth was reportedly held for questioning for six hours at Shanghai customs over past work with Amnesty International, and South Korea's Gwangju Biennale still refuses to restore the Taiwan pavilion's name.
• Taichung mayor Lu Shiow-yen, seen as a 2028 contender, is sending two close aides to a trade expo in Dongguan rather than visiting China herself during the campaign.

Outlook: With under three months to go, the New Taipei race looks like the decisive contest, and the blue-white split is the biggest threat to the opposition's chances.