Taiwan's opposition politics are flaring up again just a month before local elections, with old wounds over a failed 2024 alliance resurfacing alongside fresh campaign moves in Taipei and Kaohsiung.

• Ko Wen-je pushed back against claims he insulted Hou Yu-ih during their 2024 alliance talks, saying he only pointed out that Hou couldn't beat the ruling party's candidate one-on-one either.
• Ko blamed the alliance's collapse on unclear and shifting terms set by the then-KMT chair, plus polling requirements he says were designed to guarantee his party would lose.
• In Taipei's mayoral race, polls show the ruling party's candidate pulling ahead of the incumbent, prompting the president to warn his own party not to get overconfident and to watch for Chinese interference in the vote.
• The Taipei incumbent abruptly canceled his schedule for health reasons just before a debate, with his wife stepping in to campaign on his behalf.
• In Kaohsiung, the opposition candidate is campaigning on breaking a long-ruling political faction's grip on the city.

Outlook: Expect the alliance blame game and Taipei's tightening race to dominate headlines over the next month as the vote approaches.