Taiwan's opposition KMT and TPP failed to agree on a joint candidate in Hsinchu County, but KMT leaders are spinning the setback as a lesson before the 2028 presidential race — a mixed picture for the opposition and a boost for the ruling DPP.

• The KMT-TPP alliance broke down in Zhubei after months of talks, and a new poll shows the DPP's candidate leading the KMT's in Hsinchu County by a modest margin, with nearly half of TPP supporters backing the DPP candidate.
• Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, seen as a likely 2028 KMT presidential contender, wants the alliance to be "infinitely" bigger than the sum of its parts and says supporters should feel more confident about 2028 because cooperation now involves whole groups of politicians, not just individuals.
• A political food fight erupted after the heir of the Formosa Chang braised-pork chain backed Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an; DPP supporters called for a boycott, the company distanced itself, and Chiang posted a lunch photo of the chain's pork rice in response.
• Former President Chen Shui-bian, on medical parole for 12 years, drew a KMT lawmaker's attack for hosting a fan event, and a fight over KMT party assets escalated after the top administrative court rebuked the government's party-assets commission.

Outlook: With local elections two months away, the opposition's ability to fix its alliance in the remaining races will shape whether it enters 2028 united or split.