Taiwan's president toured flood-control works in northern Kaohsiung, a push that could mean more money and faster disaster aid for a region hit by recent flooding.

• President Lai Ching-te inspected drainage, pumping and flood-detention sites in the Gangshan and Yongan areas of Kaohsiung.
• Local officials, including Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai and DPP mayoral candidate Lai Jui-lung, used the visit to ask the central government to pay for more detention basins, stronger pumps and higher river banks.
• The pitch is that northern Kaohsiung's waterways are all linked, so fixing one bottleneck alone will not stop flooding under extreme weather.
• Farmers in Kaohsiung already qualify for cash disaster relief and cheap loans on all crops; officials are now pushing for the same help, plus interest-free loans, for fishermen.

Outlook: Expect central funding for Kaohsiung flood works and a fisheries relief package to move ahead in the coming weeks, with the issue running straight into the city's mayoral race.