Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an will register for re-election on the final sign-up day for Taiwan's 2026 local elections and has agreed to debate, keeping the capital's race the most closely watched one.

• Chiang will send a proxy to file his candidacy and has ticked the box agreeing to a televised debate.
• His main rival, the DPP's Puma Shen, registered two days earlier, setting up a head-to-head fight for Taipei.
• Chiang is trading blows with the Presidential Office over a cooking-oil scandal, saying President Lai Ching-te should just explain whether he set the 20% removal standard.
• He also accused the Cabinet of spending frozen budget money without lawmakers' approval, calling it contempt for parliament.
• On the free school-milk program, he says Taipei stepped in because the central government's version left teachers and children short, and it now reaches 280,000 kids.

Outlook: With both main candidates registered, the Taipei race moves into open campaigning and a likely debate, while the oil scandal keeps pulling the mayor and the presidency into direct conflict.