Opening

The US is preparing to place the entire International Criminal Court under sanctions, and once the grace period ends, most transactions with it could be fully banned. Today Muyan brings you the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York, the latest developments on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield, and Typhoon Danas disrupting Tokyo travel plans and prompting evacuation advisories for nearly 1.6 million people. We'll also look at how flights have been affected, and which major manufacturer just broke ground in southern Taiwan's semiconductor cluster.

Today's International Highlights

1. TSMC moves into Kaohsiung's Baipu district, completing southern Taiwan's advanced packaging cluster

• What happened: On September 21, Taiwan broke ground on the Baipu Industrial Park in Kaohsiung, spanning 88.73 hectares in total, with 53 hectares designated for industrial use. About 25 hectares are reserved for back-end semiconductor equipment and supply chain companies, with more than 20 firms expected to move in. TSMC will set up a technology validation lab and a talent training center at the site, with operations slated to begin in Q4 2029. President Lai Ching-te said the park will accelerate testing and validation of advanced packaging equipment and materials, supporting the transition of new technologies to mass production.
• Why it matters: Advanced packaging is currently the tightest capacity bottleneck for AI chips, and this park fills a gap in southern Taiwan's cluster, which already spans "advanced processes in Nanzi, packaging and testing in Renwu, and materials and components in Ciaotou."
• Taiwan's perspective: Beyond the ongoing pressure from the US for Taiwan to move capacity to Arizona, this is a concrete move to keep critical packaging validation capabilities on home soil.
• Source: TechNode Global (https://technode.global/2026/09/21/taiwan-kaohsiung-baipu-advanced-packaging-park-tsmc/)

2. Typhoon Danas approaches Tokyo, JAL and ANA cancel 275 flights

• What happened: Typhoon Danas approached Tokyo on September 21, prompting Japan Airlines to cancel 135 flights and ANA to cancel 140. More than 1.6 million people in the greater Tokyo area received non-mandatory evacuation advisories, over 9,000 households lost power, and the Tokyo Game Show, one of the world's largest video game expos, was forced to close early on its final day. The typhoon's maximum wind speed reached about 144 km/h, and the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that cumulative rainfall through Tuesday could exceed the average for the entire month of September, potentially breaking records.
• Why it matters: This storm hit right at the tail end of Japan's Silver Week holiday, and the mass flight cancellations directly disrupted local itineraries and surrounding transportation.
• Taiwan's perspective: With large numbers of flights canceled at Haneda and Narita, many Taiwanese independent travelers to Japan had to rebook on short notice, and gaps in disaster information are especially easy to fall through in situations like this.
• Source: France 24 (https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260921-flights-scrapped-evacuations-urged-as-typhoon-dujuan-nears-japan)

3. US crude falls below $100 a barrel as Trump signals openness to talks with Iran

• What happened: US crude oil fell back below $100 a barrel on September 21, mainly because Trump indicated he would be willing to talk with Iran, leading markets to bet on a possible breakthrough in the diplomatic standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, which eased the geopolitical risk premium. At the same time, Saudi Arabia's September crude exports rebounded from 2.4 million barrels a day in August (the lowest since 2013) to over 4 million barrels a day, easing supply pressure. This pullback also came against the backdrop of US 10-year Treasury yields approaching 5% amid concerns over oil prices and inflation.
• Why it matters: Oil prices affect not just prices at the pump, but also global inflation and bond market sentiment.
• Taiwan's perspective: Since Taiwan relies almost entirely on imported energy, falling oil prices could ease domestic electricity and shipping fuel costs, but the risk of a rebound remains as long as safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz isn't truly secured.
• Source: CNBC (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/21/iran-us-oil-prices-crude-saudi-arabia-.html)

4. Yemen's Houthi movement: won't target US ships in the Red Sea, but Saudi Arabia is an exception

• What happened: A political bureau member of Yemen's Houthi movement told the Associated Press that the group has assured the Trump administration it will not attack US ships in the Red Sea. According to the AP report, he stressed that "the only exception is our enemy, Saudi Arabia," and warned that if any country joins Saudi Arabia's military operations against Yemen, the Houthis are capable of fighting on multiple fronts. This month, the group has advanced along the western coast, seizing the port city of Mokha and islands in the Red Sea.
• Why it matters: This waterway overlooks the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, through which roughly 12% of global trade normally passes. Trump confirmed the US has "had contact with the group," with Oman serving as an intermediary.
• Taiwan's perspective: The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Red Sea, and Suez Canal form a critical shipping corridor for Taiwan's exports to Europe. Any renewed disruption forcing vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope would lengthen delivery times and push up freight rates, directly eating into the margins of Taiwan's electronics and machinery exporters.
• Source: ABC News (Associated Press) (https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/iran-backed-houthi-rebels-warn-joining-saudi-arabia-136602219)

5. US prepares "institution-level" sanctions against the International Criminal Court

• What happened: The Trump administration is preparing to expand sanctions from individual ICC officials to the entire institution, planning to ban most transactions with the ICC after a grace period of 6 to 7 months. After that, US citizens and companies would be barred from providing funding, goods, or services without Treasury Department authorization. According to Al Jazeera, the US argues the court "has exceeded its authority by prosecuting officials from non-member states." The ICC's president and registrar previously warned that sanctions would affect its ability to procure IT systems, hire investigators, and even pay American staff salaries. Since February 2025, the US has sanctioned more than a dozen ICC judges and prosecutors.
• Why it matters: This decision could be finalized during or shortly after the UN General Assembly, prompting the international community to reassess how much real constraint international judicial institutions can actually impose on major powers.
• Taiwan's perspective: Taiwan has long treated the "rules-based international order" as a pillar of its security. The US shift in stance toward international judicial institutions effectively serves as a real-world test of how robust that framework truly is, one that matters directly to Taiwan.
• Source: Al Jazeera (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/21/trump-administration-readies-sweeping-sanctions-against-icc-reports-say)

6. UN General Assembly general debate opens, Chinese and Russian leaders absent

• What happened: The general debate of the 81st UN General Assembly opened in New York on September 22 and will run through September 28. As per tradition, Brazilian President Lula spoke first, followed by the host country's President Trump, with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung taking the podium that afternoon. Iran's and Ukraine's presidents are scheduled to speak on the 23rd, and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Abbas on the 24th. Neither China's nor Russia's leader is attending in person.
• Why it matters: This week's agenda covers the Russia-Ukraine war, Gaza, US-Iran tensions, Security Council reform, and AI safety, making it an annual bellwether for diplomatic trends worldwide.
• Taiwan's perspective: Taiwan is not a UN member and cannot take the floor, but how various countries address cross-strait issues and AI governance this week remains Taiwan's most important annual window into its international visibility.
• Source: SBS News (South Korea) (https://news.sbs.co.kr/english/article.do?news_id=N1008762809)

7. Ukraine launches "largest attack since the war began" on Moscow

• What happened: On the final day of Russia's parliamentary elections, Ukraine launched what Moscow Mayor Sobyanin called the "largest attack on Moscow since the war began." Russia said it shot down more than 1,600 drones nationwide since Saturday, 450 of which were headed toward the capital. Several reached the area around a Moscow oil refinery, and one struck a residential building; the Moscow region reported 2 deaths. Zelensky said the long-range strikes used FP-1 drones and Palianytsia missiles, hitting key oil and logistics facilities.
• Why it matters: In the same week, Russian forces also fired more than 2,000 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs, and 19 missiles at Ukraine, showing that the war of attrition on both sides continues to escalate.
• Taiwan's perspective: This is the latest real-world case study in using low-cost drones to strike high-value energy targets, offering direct reference value for Taiwan as it develops its own asymmetric warfare capabilities.
• Source: Euronews (https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/20/moscow-hit-by-largest-scale-attack-on-capital-so-far-mayor-says)

Closing

The one thing most worth remembering today is that an advanced packaging cluster has officially landed in southern Taiwan, filling a critical gap in Taiwan's AI supply chain. Meanwhile, this week's UN General Assembly speaking schedule and the US sanctions move against the International Criminal Court are both testing just how much weight international rules still carry in the face of major powers. Over the coming days, Muyan will keep a close eye on what world leaders say about cross-strait issues and AI governance at the UN General Assembly, the aftermath of Typhoon Danas, and how the Russia-Ukraine battlefield shifts following the attack on Moscow. See you tomorrow.