title: The need for human rights due diligence

content_text:
US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) on Sept. 24 issued a Withhold and Release Order under Section 307 of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 — which prohibits imports of goods made with forced labor — targeting bicycles, bicycle parts and accessories manufactured by Giant, a Taiwanese bicycle brand. The measure applies only to the US market and does not affect exports to other regions.

However, it marks the first time that a Taiwanese manufacturer has faced sanctions due to concerns over forced labor — a warning for export competitiveness and institutional resilience.

The CPB has the authority to detain, exclude or seize goods at the border as long as it has reasonable suspicion that they involve forced labor. If a company wishes to regain market access, it has three months to provide “clear and convincing” evidence that its production processes are free of forced labor.

Observing international trends, the US typically adopts a “detain first, investigate later” enforcement model, whereas European countries emphasize prevention. Germany in 2023 implemented its Supply Chain Act, which requires large companies to establish oversight mechanisms. The EU has passed the Forced Labour Regulation and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, elevating human rights risk management to a shared obligation.

Japan in 2022 issued its Guidelines on Respecting Human Rights in Responsible Supply Chains, guiding companies to independently implement due diligence. These illustrate that the international market is moving toward robust governance, with human rights due diligence becoming a consensus.

Taiwan’s regulatory framework falls behind. Most companies only disclose information based on environmental, social and governance standards, placing a heavy focus on the environmental aspect while lacking comprehensive mechanisms for human rights and labor governance — a gap that poses risks for exports. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has outlined 11 indicators that can be used to identify forced labor. If regulators adopted and applied the indicators, Taiwanese products could face restrictions due to suspected forced labor.

Taiwan’s long-standing issues — high brokerage fees, overcrowded dormitories and excessive working hours — align with multiple ILO indicators, which only further amplifies the risk.

It is clear that neglecting labor governance can not only create human rights abuses, but also trade barriers, legal risks and market uncertainty. As the US attempts to reshore manufacturing, it is also employing legal tools to bolster human rights oversight.

Meanwhile, Europe is institutionalizing human rights governance through legislation. The developments indicate that the international community has upgraded labor standards to a prerequisite to market access. If Taiwan continues to delay reforms, the sanctions might not be limited to bicycles — other export industries could soon become the targets for scrutiny.

The Giant incident revealed that a sound framework for labor and supply chain governance is not just a matter of corporate responsibility, but a critical part of national strategy. As human rights protections evolve from ethical expectations to legal obligations and trade challenges, Taiwan can no longer afford to passively patch the holes — it must build robust defenses.

Only by accelerating the implementation of human rights due diligence systems and helping businesses pre-emptively identify and address risks can Taiwan improve its international reputation and lay a stable foundation for its industries.

Harper Chen is a youth adviser at the Executive Yuan and a licensed attorney in New York and Washington.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


content_text:
Public transport failures

The removal and reconstruction of the Gongguan roundabout in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District (中正), originally scheduled to take 65 days as proposed by the design team and approved by city officials, was shortened to just 17 days and officially completed on Monday.

While Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) administration has been publicizing this achievement, it fails to recognize that completing the project in just one-quarter of the originally planned time highlights major miscalculations in the original design and approval process. That not only misled the public, but also suggests that the extended construction period might have been used to inflate the project’s budget. The city officials who approved the original plan should feel ashamed.

If the designer’s misjudgment of the construction period led to an inflated budget — with the city government paying the full contract amount even though the work was finished in just one-quarter of the estimated time — the city government would have incurred losses from being overcharged.

According to Article 63 of the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法), such contracts must stipulate “the responsibility of one party in the event that erroneous execution, falsity or poor management has caused damages to the other party.” Thus, the city government should hold the designer accountable for any design errors and seek compensation for the resulting losses.

Just one day after the completion of the roundabout’s removal, the intersection saw severe traffic congestion during morning rush hour. Routes leading into the city from Taipei’s Wenshan (文山) and Xindian (新店) districts via Roosevelt Road were completely jammed. Xinglong Road (興隆路) and Xinhai Road (辛亥路) were also affected. The resulting public outcry made it clear that the original planning and design were flawed. Chiang and the other city officials responsible should come forward and apologize, and those accountable should step down or face disciplinary action.

The Taipei City Government should also hold the contracted planning and design firm accountable for any errors in accordance with the aforementioned laws, including seeking compensation.

The Chiang administration refused to listen to the public. Removing the Gongguan roundabout and filling in the bus-only underpass was as absurd as proposing to demolish the Keelung Road underpass in front of City Hall. The project is undoubtedly the main reason why traffic has suddenly become so congested. It is too late to undue the damage, but how would city officials explain themselves to the many people now affected?

The government must urgently work to find a solution, for instance by constructing a new road to connect Wenshan District with the city center.

Su Chiang-hai

Taipei

title: [ LETTER ]

taiwan-subdivisions: 新店 文山 中正


content_text: In the past month, two important developments are poised to equip Taiwan with expanded capabilities to play foreign policy offense in an age where Taiwan’s diplomatic space is seriously constricted by a hegemonic Beijing. Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) led a delegation of Taiwan and US companies to the Philippines to promote trilateral economic cooperation between the three countries. Additionally, in the past two weeks, Taiwan has placed chip export controls on South Africa in an escalating standoff over the placing of its diplomatic mission in Pretoria, causing the South Africans to pause and ask for consultations to resolve

title: EDITORIAL CARTOON


title: Japan braces for shift to right under Sanae Takaichi

content_text:
While Takaichi shattered the glass ceiling by rising to prominence in Japan’s male-dominated politics, her views are far from those of progressive feminism

Sanae Takaichi, the pro-stimulus conservative poised to become Japan’s first female prime minister, is an energetic nationalist with a soft spot for the hard-nosed politics of the “Iron Lady,” former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, and the music of British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden.

In choosing the former economic security minister as its leader, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is essentially betting on a swing back to the right to attract younger voters who have flocked to smaller populist outfits, including the archconservative Sanseito party.

It is a move that could backfire if the party is seen simply reverting to the easy money and hawkish diplomacy of her mentor, former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, without any new ideas.

Takaichi is expected to become prime minister later this month in a parliamentary vote. In becoming the LDP’s head, Takaichi has already smashed a glass ceiling in a nation that has only seen male ruling party leaders.

Her ascent to the top of the political world would send ripples through the male-dominated society that languishes near the bottom end of global gender equality rankings. However, like Thatcher, whom she cites as an inspiration, her conservative views place her a long way from the stance of progressive feminism.

Her ability to build a lasting legacy as the nation’s leader would depend less on her ability to further the position of women than on her capacity to restore the fortunes of a ruling party in disarray after decades of dominance in postwar Japan.

“From a normal woman’s perspective, she’s what you might call an idol for ‘old men,’” Waseda University politics professor Mieko Nakabayashi said. “She’s someone who expresses ‘old man’ opinions from a woman’s mouth and makes them happy.”

Her longevity at the head of a fickle political machine known for quickly axing its presidents would depend on how swiftly she can unite the party, win back public support and connect with younger voters.

Her victory on Saturday was powered by widespread grassroots support, with wins in 36 of 47 prefectural chapters, a result that might have convinced LDP lawmakers she holds the key to pulling the party together, Japan Foresight founder Tobias Harris said in a research note.

Now she would need to extend her reach beyond party lines, as the LDP’s lack of a parliamentary majority forces her to build a consensus with opposition parties to pass legislation.

Provided she becomes prime minister as expected, one of her first tasks would be to build ties with US President Donald Trump amid reports that he would visit Japan this month during a trip to Asia.

Takaichi was the most forthright among the five candidates in the leadership race over the possibility of renegotiating parts of Japan’s trade deal with the US. However, she toed the line following her election, saying that an immediate renegotiation was not on the table. She still said that Japan would make its opinions known through the appropriate routes should the deal not serve its interests.

That might happen only if there are problems implementing the deal in its current form, she said, a comment that suggests she is on board with the agreement for now.

On issues such as ramping up Japan’s defense spending and capabilities, containing China’s growing influence and building supply chains that align with US interests, she is likely to be a good match for Trump’s views.

Still, she likely has less name recognition among US conservatives who have met her rival in the leadership contest, Shinjiro Koizumi, and who remember his father, Junichiro Koizumi, wearing Elvis shades and serenading former US president George W. Bush two decades ago.

“Takaichi has extensive experience as a politician, and since the US’ hardline stance toward China does not significantly conflict with her own views, she should be able to build a good relationship with President Trump,” Meiji Yasuda Research Institute chief economist Yuichi Kodama said.

For investors, the main concern would be her reputation for wanting spending to achieve growth and her penchant for central bank stimulus to goose the economy. In the latest leadership campaign, she toned down her scathing views on the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) interest rate hikes from last year, when she described its raising of rates as “stupid.”

Nevertheless, in a Kyodo survey she said the bank should leave interest rates unchanged for now. That comment comes amid expectations the bank might raise borrowing costs again later this month.

Her spending plans are less clear. All of the candidates were expected to unleash a package of economic measures to help consumers deal with inflation in the fall, but she was the boldest in saying that extra bond issuance might be needed. In line with many in the LDP, she remains cautious on the idea of opposition demands to lower the sales tax, one of the costliest options for dealing with the cost-of-living crunch.

Instead Takaichi has promised cash handouts and tax rebates to help households. She has also hinted at raising the tax-free income allowance before the end of the year, a move that would resonate well with the Democratic Party for the People, another populist party that has made major inroads in the past year or two.

While saying her spending plans would be “responsible” and that she would ensure the nation’s net debt load would fall over time, she said “the goal is achieving economic growth, not fiscal health,” in a sign of her expansionist spending tendencies.

Goldman Sachs economists Tomohiro Ota, Akira Otani and Yuriko Tanaka wrote in a report on Sunday that they do not expect Takaichi to immediately adopt large-scale fiscal expansion plans, but they do not rule out the possibility she might do so over time “by deepening cooperation with opposition parties that advocate for a proactive fiscal policy.”

Another focus for investors would be whether the new leader seeks to skew the trajectory for monetary policy.

“While she always leaned toward a reflationary stance, the current economic environment has changed significantly, and curbing inflation has become the country’s mission,” Kodama said. “Opposing the BOJ’s rate hikes would be contradictory, so I don’t think she can make extreme statements regarding monetary policy.”

Takaichi was born on March 3, 1961, and grew up in the ancient capital of Nara, a city known for the emergence of Buddhism in Japan. Her father worked as a salesman at an equipment manufacturing company, while her mother worked for the Nara police force. She studied business management at Kobe University.

As a student, she rode a motorbike and played drums in a heavy metal band, and counts herself as a fan of British heavy metal bands Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden, local media reported.

She still occasionally picks up the sticks to hammer away on an electric drum kit at home, if she squabbles with her husband, she told a local broadcaster in an interview. Her go-to song is Burn by Deep Purple.

“To be honest, I wish I could go out for karaoke, but I’ve been reining myself in these past years,” she said in the interview.

She studied at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management, an organization focused on producing leaders in the world of politics and industry.

She worked briefly as a news anchor before winning her first election in 1993 as an independent at a time when the LDP was in disarray following the bursting of Japan’s economic bubble. That election saw a multitude of opposition parties join forces to form a patchwork administration and oust the LDP for the first time since its formation. As it has done subsequently, the LDP found a way of regrouping and taking back power, while most of the parties that ousted it have vanished.

Over her years as a politician, including as internal affairs minister, promoter of “Cool Japan” and as economic security minister, Takaichi has garnered a reputation as studious with an attention to fine detail. She is known to shun socializing and drinking with her peers.

“If I’m going to go out for dinner or have a drink, I’d much rather work or study something new,” she said during a campaign speech last year, adding that she often works over weekends.

Shortly after winning the LDP election she doubled down on that message.

“I’m going to abandon the phrase ‘work-life balance,’” she said, prompting laughter from the rows of LDP lawmakers listening to her speech. “There is a mountain of things that we must accomplish together and I would like to see you work like horses.”

As a conservative darling and Abe protege, China might be wary of how she navigates a relationship that has remained tense in the past few years.

Previously, Takaichi did not mince her words when asked whether she would visit Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead including those who were charged as war criminals after World War II. Visits by previous prime ministers have angered neighboring countries and proven to be a flash point for Japan and China.

“Once the sentence is carried out, they are no longer criminals,” she said during a live TV show last week.

She toned down her messaging after being elected Saturday, saying that she would make appropriate decisions over praying at the shrine.

She opened her campaign speech with a gripe about foreign tourists in Nara, saying she had heard of some tourists kicking the deer that roam freely in the local parks.

That gripe seemed to tap into broader anxieties felt by the public as the number of foreign-born visitors and workers rises amid a drop in Japan’s own population. With Sanseito gaining ground in elections by capturing such concerns under a “Japanese first” message, Takaichi could be the conservative icon the LDP thinks it needs to win back right-wing voters.

Among the five candidates, she consistently ranked as the most popular in recent opinion polls among the general public.

In a twist of irony for Japan’s likely first female prime minister, her conservatism might not bode well for gender equality issues.

She opposes same-sex marriage or allowing spouses to have separate surnames, claiming it could undermine family unity. Novelist Kyoko Nakajima once called Takaichi “an honorary man” for maintaining views consistent with a traditional male-centered society, the Japan Times reported in 2021.

While her appointment breaks a glass ceiling, it also risks becoming a glass cliff.

“Female leaders are often given some leeway for not doing things the ‘traditional’ way,” said Waseda’s Nakabayashi, who was skeptical whether Takaichi’s election represents a new era for women in Japan. “That’s why it’s often the case that women only get the leadership positions when the going gets really tough.”

With assistance from Akemi Terukina, Takashi Umekawa and Brian Fowler


title: Kazakhstan sits at digital crossroads

content_text:
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev last month announced an ambitious plan to transform his country into a “fully digital nation” and regional digital hub. In some respects, Kazakhstan has already made remarkable progress toward these goals, with an Internet-penetration rate of about 93 percent — comparable to Germany’s. However, despite its relatively well-developed infrastructure, Kazakhstan has strategic dependencies and vulnerabilities that could limit its digital ambitions.

Kazakhstan’s Internet ecosystem reflects its position as Central Asia’s leading economy. As a new Internet Society report shows, the country operates 212 autonomous systems, more than twice as many as more populous Uzbekistan, and has been allocated about 3.2 million Internet protocol version four addresses — millions more than any other Central Asian country.

Two major telecommunications groups dominate the landscape. State-owned Kazakhtelecom serves about 38 percent of users, while VEON Group controls another significant portion through Beeline and TNS-Plus. The duopoly has enabled rapid deployment of infrastructure, but concentrated ownership limits innovation.

Likewise, the government operates a monopoly over international traffic through the state-managed Kazakhstan Internet Exchange, also known as KAZ-GOV-IX, which handles more than 350 gigabits per second of traffic in 18 cities. While operational efficiency is high, competition — an essential ingredient of a successful digital economy — is not.

Moreover, Kazakhstan is dependent on Russian Internet infrastructure — a legacy of Soviet planning. The country has 17 fiber-optic connections with Russia (laid along historic railway lines), compared with just two with China and five with its other neighbors.

Moreover, despite direct connections to global providers in Frankfurt and Hong Kong, most Kazakh Internet service providers (ISPs) rely on Russian providers such as Rostelecom and TransTeleCom. Owing to these factors, as well as consumer demand for Russian-language content, an estimated 95 percent of Kazakhstan’s international Internet traffic flows through Russia.

That dependency creates many vulnerabilities. When major US providers Cogent and Lumen stopped serving Russian ISPs following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Central Asian Internet users faced potential network degradation, underscoring how geopolitical tensions can threaten digital connectivity.

More worryingly, Russia’s efforts to territorialize the “Russian segment of the Internet,” which involves expanding the government’s authority to block and regulate online content, could affect Kazakhs’ access to Russian-language Web sites.

For example, Russia’s largest search engine, Yandex, and leading social-media platform VKontakte have built a strong presence in Kazakhstan.

Recognizing these vulnerabilities, the Kazakh government launched the US$1.1 billion “Accessible Internet” project, which aims to upgrade infrastructure and develop international transit capabilities. Its centerpiece is the Trans-Caspian Fiber-Optic Cable Project, scheduled for completion by the end of this year. By connecting Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan, the “Digital Silk Way” would provide an alternative route to Europe via Georgia and Turkey that bypasses Russian and Chinese networks. In the long run, the data corridor would also allow Kazak ISPs to extract transit revenue from traffic between Europe and Asia.

Another diversification strategy is to route more traffic through China Telecom’s Transit Silk Road, which connects Frankfurt to Hong Kong. However, that risks swapping one dependency for another, because it would subject Kazakh data to Chinese filtering and surveillance systems.

A third alternative is satellite Internet. While the government has collaborated with Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb on projects to improve rural connectivity, it has criminalized the use of the services by private citizens. At issue is Kazakhstan’s regulations regarding content-monitoring compliance, which require telecoms to work closely with authorities to filter and block content.

The government in the past few years has shut down Internet access multiple times on national security grounds. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to force international satellite providers such as Starlink to comply with such orders.

Ultimately, the Kazakh government’s desire for control might be its biggest barrier to digital progress. Prioritizing state oversight over market efficiency undermines competitiveness. For example, the January 2022 Internet shutdown, in response to widespread civil unrest, damaged Kazakhstan’s reputation as a reliable digital partner.

The government’s efforts to bypass encryption protocol have had a similar effect. The authorities have repeatedly pressured citizens to install root certificates enabling state surveillance of supposedly secure Internet traffic. The major browsers have blocked the use of such certificates, leading to error messages that degrade user experience.

Maintaining a tight grip on the digital realm has other downsides. Restrictions on foreign ownership discourage international investment, while government control of Internet exchange points prevents the development of neutral interconnection facilities.

Kazakhstan’s digital future depends on whether the government loosens its regulatory hold on the Internet. Digital hubs must offer openness, predictability and technical neutrality — characteristics that conflict with authoritarian rule. With its late entry into the digital race, Kazakhstan must demonstrate exceptional execution to overtake Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia, which are similarly vying to become regional hubs, and to compete with Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, which offer more established and attractive frameworks.

Kazakhstan’s experience offers lessons for middle powers navigating digital transformation in an increasingly fragmented world. Technical infrastructure, while important, cannot overcome political and regulatory constraints that impede efforts to build trust with ISPs and users. True digital independence requires embracing the Internet’s core values: openness and competition.

Nowmay Opalinski is head of Asian affairs at Cassini, a Paris-based consultancy, and a research fellow at the French Institute of Geopolitics, focusing on the Geopolitics of the Datasphere project. Romain Fontugne is deputy director of the Internet Initiative Japan.

Copyright: Project Syndicate


title: Dodgers hold off Phillies rally

content_text:
BIG HITTERS: The Brewers opened up a 2-0 lead in their series, once again relying on their stellar offense to pummel the Cubs and clinch a 7-3 win

The Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday held off a late rally from the Philadelphia Phillies to snatch a 4-3 victory and take a commanding 2-0 lead in their playoff series.

The reigning World Series champions, who stunned the Phillies in Game 1 of the best-of-five National League Division Series on Saturday, can complete a sweep with a victory in Game 3 in Los Angeles today.

“That was a heck of a game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Huge, huge momentum-maintainer. We’re looking forward to getting back home, but great ball game, great plays and a huge win.”

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of their National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday. Photo: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

A tense Game 2 at a deafening Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia quickly unfolded as a classic pitchers duel, with Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo and Dodgers counterpart Blake Snell dominant from the mound.

Snell threw six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts to bamboozle the vaunted Phillies batting lineup, while Luzardo also went scoreless through six innings.

Yet as the game entered the late innings, it was Luzardo who blinked first, giving up a leadoff single to Teoscar Hernandez in the top of the seventh that was followed by a no-out double from Freddie Freeman.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson pulled Luzardo and the Dodgers promptly attacked Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering.

Hernandez dived over home plate after Kike Hernandez grounded into a fielder’s choice, aided by a fractionally wayward throw from Phillies shortstop Trea Turner to make it 1-0.

Dodgers pinch-hitter Will Smith then belted a two-run single to score Freeman and Kike Hernandez, before Shohei Ohtani piled on with a single to make it 4-0 at the end of the inning.

Dodgers manager Roberts then turned to starter Emmet Sheehan to navigate the seventh and eighth innings, although a Turner single to score Gabe Kepler gave the Phillies a flicker of hope and cut the deficit to 4-1.

Yet the Dodgers season-long problems with the bullpen materialized once more in the ninth inning, with reliever Blake Treinen soon in trouble, giving up a single to Alec Bohm and a double for J.T. Realmuto that left the Phillies with men on second and third base with no outs.

Nick Castellanos then triggered bedlam after doubling into left field to send Bohm and Realmuto home and make it a 4-3 game.

A superbly executed wheel play between Max Muncy and Mookie Betts saw Castellanos out at third base, before Weston Wilson was out at second moments later.

That left Japanese reliever Roki Sasaki to come in and grab the final out, Turner’s ground ball finding Tommy Edman, whose throw was snaffled at first base by Freeman.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson insisted his team had not given up hope as they face today’s must-win Game 3 in Los Angeles.

“They fought like hell, and hopefully that carries over into Wednesday, but this is a resilient group. Our backs are against the wall. We’ve just got to come out fighting,” he said.

The winner of the Phillies-Dodgers series faces either the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers or the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series for a place in the World Series.

The Brewers on Monday opened up a 2-0 lead in their series with Chicago, once again relying on their stellar offense to pummel the Cubs into submission and clinch a 7-3 victory.

The Brewers, 9-3 winners over Chicago in Game 1 on Saturday, were rocked by an early three-run home run from Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki in the top of the first inning, but Milwaukee came roaring back with a three-run homer of their own from first baseman Andrew Vaughn in the bottom of the inning, before William Contreras and Jackson Chourio belted homers in the third and fourth inning to stretch the Brewers lead.


content_text:
Trevor Lawrence on Monday scrambled for an improbable game-winning touchdown with 23 seconds remaining as the Jacksonville Jaguars scored a dramatic 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jaguars quarterback Lawrence’s winning touchdown crowned a superb individual performance that saw him make 18 of 25 passes for 221 yards with 10 carries for 54 yards, including two rushing touchdowns.

The victory snapped an eight-game Jacksonville losing skid in contests against Kansas City dating to 2009.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, front, runs for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in their NFL game in Jacksonville, Florida, on Monday. Photo: AP

“There’s things we can build on, but we’re finding ways to win against a really good football team. That’s all you can ask for,” Lawrence said. “Just keep doing what we’re doing. Obviously our process is working. We’ve got to stick to it, come to work every day trying to get better. We’ve done a good job of that. There’s still so much more that we can improve on.”

Jacksonville improved to 4-1 with a third consecutive triumph, matching Indianapolis for the American Football Conference South Division lead, while Kansas City slid to 2-3, one game behind Denver and the Los Angeles Chargers in the American Football Conference West.

The Chiefs are seeking their sixth Super Bowl appearance in seven seasons and the fourth in a row, while the Jaguars have never reached the Super Bowl.

Cam Little’s 52-yard field goal with 8 minutes, 8 seconds remaining gave Jacksonville a 24-21 lead, but Patrick Mahomes directed the Chiefs on an 86-yard drive to grab a 28-24 lead after a two-yard Kareem Hunt touchdown run with 1:45 to play.

Lawrence was not done. He moved the Jaguars to the Chiefs’ one-yard line on a pass interference penalty on Chamarri Conner, then scored on a wild play.

Lawrence took the snap, fell over, rose, evaded two tacklers and dived into the end zone for the winning touchdown with 23 seconds remaining.

“Just panic. Sheer panic,” Lawrence said of the decisive play. “On the ground, we didn’t have any timeouts, got stepped on coming out. I was like: ‘I’ve just got to get up.’ I was going to throw it out of bounds and stop the clock, and there was really no one around me, so went and made a play.”

Mahomes, who threw for 318 yards, flipped a two-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce to open the scoring.

Kansas City denied Lawrence on a one-yard leap for the goal-line early in the second quarter and five plays later, Mahomes scored on a nine-yard touchdown run to cap a 97-yard drive for a 14-0 Chiefs lead.

The Jaguars responded with a 70-yard touchdown march ending on Lawrence’s three-yard pass to Parker Washington and Lawrence’s 10-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter lifted Jacksonville level.

Mahomes drove the Chiefs to the Jaguars’ three-yard line, but threw an interception to Devin Lloyd, whose 99-yard touchdown return gave Jacksonville a 21-14 lead.

Lloyd leads the NFL with four interceptions this season and the Jaguars lead the league in takeaways.

The Chiefs equalized at 21-21 after Lawrence was intercepted by Trent McDuffie and Hunt scored two plays later on a five-yard run.

title: Lawrence sparks Jaguars over Chiefs in thriller


content_text:
Tazmin Brits on Monday cracked a brilliant century as South Africa spoiled New Zealand’s Suzie Bates’ record 350th international appearance with a six-wicket victory in their Women’s Cricket World Cup match.

Brits hit 101 off 89 balls with 15 fours and a six — her fourth century in five one-day internationals — to help South Africa chase a 232-run target in 40.5 overs at Holkar Stadium in Indore, India.

Left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba grabbed 4-40 as New Zealand were bowled out for 231 in 47.5 overs, with Bates dismissed off the very first ball of the match by pacer Marizanne Kapp.

South Africa’s Tazmin Brits, right, is bowled by England in their Women’s Cricket World Cup match in Guwahati, India, on Friday last week. Photo: AP

Bates, 38, became the first woman to play 350 internationals — 173 one-days in addition to 177 T20s — in a glorious career.

The win revived South Africa’s campaign after they were shot out for 69 in their 1--wicket defeat to England in Guwahati on Friday last week.

New Zealand, the reigning Twenty20 world champions, have lost both their matches following their 89-run loss against title-holders Australia.

Brits shared a solid 159-run second-wicket stand with Sune Luus, who hit the winning runs during her unbeaten 83 studded with 10 fours and a six.

South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt praised the comeback.

“It is such an amazing turnaround,” Wolvaardt said. “This is what we knew we were capable of, really happy of how quickly we put that behind us and bounced back today.”

New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine admitted the defeat has put the team in a tough position.

“We have to win a lot of games now, “ Devine said. “This puts a bit more pressure on the remaining games. We know exactly where we stand and what we have to do.”

Earlier, New Zealand — who won the toss and batted — rode on Devine’s 98-ball 85 in her 300th international, atoning for her long-time friend Bates’ failure.

Devine and Georgia Plimmer (31) lifted New Zealand from a precarious 44-2 with a 57-run stand for the third wicket, while Brooke Halliday (45) added a further 86 with her skipper, but they lost their last seven wickets for a mere 44 runs as Mlaba dismissed Devine in an incisive spell.

Devine hit nine fours.

title: Brits century spoils Bates’ big day


title: ‘Terrible’ Zverev dumped out by Rinderknech

content_text:
World No. 3 Alexander Zverev on Monday said that he was playing “terrible tennis” after he was knocked out of the Shanghai Masters by France’s Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

His exit leaves Novak Djokovic as the tournament’s top-ranked player, increasing the 38-year-old Serb’s chances of winning a record-extending fifth title in the Chinese financial hub.

In stifling conditions, world No. 54 Rinderknech came back from a set down to stun an increasingly rattled Zverev into submission.

France’s Arthur Rinderknech returns to Alexander Zverev of Germany in their Shanghai Masters men’s singles match in China on Monday. Photo: EPA

It is the second time the Frenchman has beaten him, after bundling him out of Wimbledon earlier this year.

A despondent Zverev told reporters the match had been “nothing unusual for me, unfortunately, these days.”

“Just no confidence, no belief in the shots... My year has been terrible, I’m just playing terrible tennis all round,” he said, visibly emotional.

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev returns to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in their Shanghai Masters men’s singles match in China on Monday. Photo: AFP

The German had injured his big toe toward the end of his previous match in Shanghai, but on Monday showed no sign of discomfort as he broke Rinderknech in the third game with a forehand.

He nearly went ahead early in the second set, but Rinderknech recovered his composure and broke in the fourth game.

“I’m not very sure [how I managed to turn the game around],” Rinderknech said. “I fought like hell, tried everything. [Zverev] is such a good player... I knew it was going to be a battle. Starting in the second set... I was able to be offensive at the right moment, in a smarter way.”

Keeping up the momentum, in the third set the 30-year-old broke in the third game.

Zverev had to pause to change his shoes because sweat was pouring out of them, as spectators wafted fans and wore cool packs on their foreheads to counter the suffocating humidity, but switching footwear was not enough to save the German, and a double fault in the seventh game led to Rinderknech breaking again.

Holding with an ace to win, the Frenchman lolled his body in delighted disbelief, then danced around the court in glee.

Zverev’s loss means world No. 5 Djokovic now leads ranking-wise as the tournament heads into the last 16, with the 24-time Grand Slam winner due to face Spain’s Jaume Munar.

On Sunday the competition lost both defending champion Jannik Sinner, who was forced to retire with extreme leg cramps, and fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz.

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew at the last minute to rest. Alex de Minaur is the next highest seed after Djokovic through to the fourth round, comfortably getting past Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak 6-1, 7-5.

The Australian next faces Portugal’s Nuno Borges, who put an end to the hopes of home favorite Shang Juncheng 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3.

Daniil Medvedev, the 2019 Shanghai champion, is through, too, after beating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).

“I haven’t had a title since two years, so [I’m] not a favorite yet, but I will take it match by match, and I’m happy with the way I play so far,” Medvedev said.

The Russian broke early to take the first set, before edging a sweat-soaked tiebreaker in the second.

Medvedev said he relished the conditions.

“Whenever it’s above 28[°C] and humid, I suffer and many players don’t. Here everyone suffers,” he said.

He was due to take on US teenager Learner Tien, who defeated him last week in the China Open semi-finals.

The 19-year-old beat Britain’s Cameron Norrie 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to make the last 16.


title: UEFA ‘reluctantly’ agrees to US, Australia matches

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European soccer’s governing body UEFA on Monday said it had “reluctantly” approved the staging of a Spanish La Liga and an Italian Serie A match in the US and Australia respectively, despite fan protests.

“While it is regrettable to have to let these two games go ahead, this decision is exceptional and shall not be seen as setting a precedent,” UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.

UEFA made its ruling after Spain’s La Liga agreed to move a game scheduled for late December between champions Barcelona and Villarreal to Miami, Florida.

The UEFA logo at the organization’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, is pictured on Feb. 28, 2020. Photo: AFP

Italy’s Serie A also decided to stage the encounter between AC Milan and Como on Feb. 8 next year in Perth, Australia, to avoid a clash with the Winter Olympics opening ceremony at the San Siro, but that sparked protests from European supporters groups, who branded the moves “absurd, unaffordable and environmentally irresponsible.”

In its statement, UEFA said that it had “reiterated its clear opposition to domestic league matches being played outside their home country,” but despite “the widespread lack of support that had already been raised by fans, other leagues, clubs, players and European institutions,” UEFA said that it had found no clear regulatory framework in FIFA’s statutes that would allow it to oppose the moves.

La Liga has been trying for years to host games in the US, home of its commercial partner Relevent Sports.

World governing body FIFA shifted its hitherto opposition to relocating matches, with a “working group” launched in May to revise the rules.

That opened the door to UEFA granting La Liga and Serie A the permission to branch out.

Serie A on Monday thanked “UEFA for recognizing the exceptional nature of this initiative.”

“It should also be emphasized that this is only one match out of 380 in the league: an extraordinary event, not a structural change to the schedule,” a Serie A statement said.

“I hope that approval from FIFA and the Australian Football Federation will complete the authorization process,” Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said.

“For us, a contingency linked to the unavailability of the San Siro Stadium has been transformed into an opportunity to please the many Italian football fans, who will have the chance to follow the match live in Perth, and also for the two teams and Italian football to increase their international visibility and fan base,” he said.


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ENERGY SHIFT: A report by Ember suggests it is possible for the world to wean off polluting sources of power, such as coal and gas, even as demand for electricity surges

Worldwide solar and wind power generation has outpaced electricity demand this year, and for the first time on record, renewable energies combined generated more power than coal, a new analysis said.

Global solar generation grew by a record 31 percent in the first half of the year, while wind generation grew 7.7 percent, according to the report by the energy think tank Ember, which was released after midnight yesterday.

Solar and wind generation combined grew by more than 400 terawatt hours, which was more than the increase in overall global demand during the same period, it said.

Windmills at the Nysted Offshore Wind Farm in the Baltic Sea near Gedser in Denmark are pictured on Sept. 4, 2023. Photo: AFP

The findings suggest it is possible for the world to wean off polluting sources of power — even as demand for electricity skyrockets — with continued investment in renewables, including solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy and geothermal energies.

“That means that they can keep up the pace with growing appetite for electricity worldwide,” said Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember and lead author of the study.

At the same time, total fossil fuel generation dropped slightly, by less than 1 percent.

“The fall overall of fossil may be small, but it is significant,” Wiatros-Motyka said. “This is a turning point when we see emissions plateauing.”

The firm analyzes monthly data from 88 countries representing the vast majority of electricity demand around the world. Reasons that demand is increasing include economic growth, electric vehicles and data centers, rising populations in developing countries and the need for more cooling as temperatures rise.

Meeting that demand by burning fossil fuels, such as coal and gas, for electricity releases planet-warming gases, including carbon dioxide and methane. This leads to more severe, costly and deadly extreme weather.

Ember also dedicated part of its report to an analysis of China, India, the EU and the US. Combined, they account for nearly two-thirds of electricity generation and carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector globally.

In the first six months of the year, China added more solar and wind than the rest of the world combined, and its fossil fuel generation fell by 2 percent, the report said.

India saw record solar and wind growth that outpaced the growth in demand, while its fossil fuel generation also dropped.

In both nations, emissions fell.

“It’s often been said by analysts that renewable energy doesn’t really lead to a reduction in fossil fuel use,” said Michael Gerrard, founder and director of the Columbia University Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, who was not involved in the report. “This report highlights an encouraging step in the opposite direction.”

However, in the US, demand growth outpaced the growth of clean power generation. In the EU, sluggish wind and hydropower generation contributed to higher coal and gas generation, the report said. In both markets, fossil fuel generation and emissions increased.

The US clean energy market faces challenges as President Donald Trump’s administration shifts federal policy away from renewables toward boosting coal, oil and gas production. The administration has terminated funding under former US president Joe Biden that supported clean energy projects, repealed policy underpinning climate-related regulation and halted wind energy developments.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has lifted barriers to coal mining, granted two years of regulatory relief to coal-fired power plants and other polluting industries, and dedicated millions of dollars to these coal plants.

Experts warn that Trump’s efforts to block clean energy would have a long-term impact.

“The federal government is greatly increasing the growth of artificial intelligence, which is going to massively increase electricity demand, and they’re also shutting down the cheapest new sources of electricity, wind and solar. That’s going to lead to a gap in supply and demand,” Gerrard said.

Renewables “still have an opportunity to make inroads in to displacing fossil fuels, even with some demand growth,” said Amanda Smith, senior scientist at research organization Project Drawdown, who also was not involved in the report.

However, “I am very cautiously optimistic that renewables can continue to grow and continue to displace fossil fuels in the US. I am more optimistic on the world scale,” she said.

title: Solar, wind power outpace demand


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FRUSTRATIONS: One in seven youths in China and Indonesia are unemployed, and many in the region are stuck in low-productivity jobs, the World Bank said

Young people across Asia are struggling to find good jobs, with many stuck in low-productivity work that the World Bank said could strain social stability as frustrations fuel a global wave of youth-led protests.

The bank highlighted a persistent gap between younger and more experienced workers across several Asian economies in a regional economic update released yesterday, noting that one in seven young people in China and Indonesia are unemployed.

The share of people now vulnerable to falling into poverty is now larger than the middle class in most countries, it said.

“The employment rate is generally high, but the young struggle to find jobs,” the World Bank wrote, adding that most people in Asia “who look for work find it.”

However, “many individuals in the region are in low-productivity or informal jobs,” it said.

Labor force participation remains low in Pacific nations and among women, with about a 15 percentage-point gap compared with men in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, it said.

The report also found that much of the region’s job growth has shifted from manufacturing to low-wage services, eroding gains that once lifted millions out of poverty.

Governments across Africa and Asia have been grappling with a surge of Gen Z-led demonstrations in the past few months, with thousands taking to the streets in the Philippines, Morocco, Madagascar, Indonesia, East Timor, Kenya and Mongolia to protest corruption, joblessness and widening inequality. The demonstrations, fueled by anger over lavish displays of wealth by ruling elites, have targeted governments — toppling administrations in Nepal and Bangladesh.

A closer look at the numbers in Asia shows that the unemployment rates of those aged 15-24 are more than 10 percent in places like Mongolia, Indonesia and China, while the rate among prime-aged workers aged 25-54 is 5 percent or lower, World Bank data showed.

Firms that are five years old or less play an out-sized role in job creation, the bank said.

In Malaysia and Vietnam for example, they account for 57 percent of total employment, but contribute 79 percent of job creation, and yet their role has been dampened because fewer new firms are entering markets, the report said.

Trade has boosted jobs in countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam, though gains remain uneven and vulnerable to global shocks, it said.

“Countries are not fully realizing the benefits of moving workers from less to more productive sectors and firms,” the World Bank said.

title: Young Asians struggle to find good jobs: bank


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Peru failing to curb illegal gold mining, mercury trafficking

A South American trade bloc on Monday ruled that Peru is failing to meet its commitments to curb illegal gold mining and mercury trafficking, siding with indigenous groups who say their Amazon rivers and food supply are being poisoned.

The decision by the Andean Community — which includes Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia — orders Peru to urgently reform its laws, seize machinery that sucks up river sediment and other mining equipment, and end extensions of a registry for informal miners that critics say shields illegality.

It is the first time the Andean Community has taken up a case of this kind and formally ruled against a member country as authorities try to find mechanisms to crack down on the growing trade.

Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, right, her Ecuadoran counterpart, Maria Sommerfeld, center, and Peruvian Ambassador Gonzalo Gutierrez, secretary-general of the Andean Comunity, pose for a picture at the end of their statements on the transfer of the pro tempore presidency of the Andean Community, in Bogota, on Tuesday last week. Photo: AFP

Illegal gold mining has spread widely across the Amazon, as global demand and soaring gold prices make the trade increasingly lucrative. Analysts expect gold would see gains toward US$4,000 per ounce by next year.

Mercury is widely used to separate gold from sediment, but it contaminates waterways, accumulates in fish and builds up in human bodies — posing particular risks to children and pregnant women.

Peru has 20 working days to comply and report what steps it has taken or plans to take to bring its laws into line. If it fails, the case could be referred to the bloc’s Tribunal of Justice, which has the power to impose binding trade sanctions on member states.

The complaint was filed at the end of June by a coalition of indigenous and rural communities from the Nanay River basin, who say mercury from illegal gold mining is poisoning fish and rivers in Peru’s northern Amazon. Hair samples collected in the area have shown mercury levels far above WHO safety limits, and researchers have linked exposure to rashes, stomach illness and neurological damage.

“In some way it is a response to the demands of communities affected by mercury contamination, and it is also a message for other countries that they must make the effort to comply and to respect everyone’s right to live in a healthy and adequate environment,” Peruvian environmental lawyer Cesar Ipenza said.

Ipenza said that if the country fails to comply, the sanctions would be economic, such as tariffs on Peruvian products within the four Andean nations.

The decision could also set precedent and lead to rulings against other countries, he said.

Peru has launched occasional crackdowns on illegal mercury, including the 2019 “Operation Mercury” raid in the Madre de Dios region in the Peruvian Amazon and a record seizure of contraband mercury earlier this year at the port of Callao.

However, indigenous groups say enforcement remains patchy and corrupt networks allow the trade to flourish.

The Associated Press did not receive a response for a request to comment from either Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism or Ministry of Culture, the government office that oversees indigenous affairs.

“It is a warning to the countries that are destinations for the gold. They must have greater clarity about its origin,” Ipenza said.

They need due diligence mechanisms beyond just paperwork, to prevent trading in gold that comes from the destruction of the Amazon, from contamination and from the violation of fundamental human rights, he said.


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Crews used large nets, water-filled containers and box trucks to relocate hundreds of river otters, sea turtles, manatees, penguins and sharks to their new home: Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.

Over the past couple of months, the marine animals were removed from the hard-to-reach island and relocated to a brand new center, where Mote believes they would be able to live in more authentic habitats and make it easier for the public to learn about marine sciences.

The Mote Science Education Aquarium (SEA), just east of Sarasota, is to open to the public today.

Children lie on the floor as they watch fish swim in a 1.5 million liter tank at the Mote Science Education Aquarium on Monday in Sarasota, Florida. Photo: AP

“We have created new authentic habitats for all our species of marine life, including a massive manatee habitat, and homes for some of our newest animals, like the giant Pacific octopus and our penguins,” said Kevin Cooper, vice president for communications and strategic Initiatives at Mote.

“We are also adding more opportunities to learn about marine science for our guests, schoolchildren and adult learners, and offering new opportunities for citizen scientists to participate in marine science through outreach,” he said.

The move was prompted by logistical challenges. It was increasingly challenging for visitors to make their way across the bridges from the mainland to the facility on Sarasota’s City Island where it had been for 45 years. So it made sense to move the aquarium and education centers farther east, while keeping the research portion of the facility on the barrier island.

In July, Mote closed to the public to prepare so the transition could begin, and in August, crews started moving the animals to the new facility.

Mote educated upwards of 350,000 guests each year and it is expected to double that in the new center, Cooper said.

The new facility cost US$130 million to build.

As each animal has distinct habitat needs, it took time to make sure the habitats at the new Mote SEA facility had the appropriate water chemistry and microbial communities before the animals arrived.

“In the process of that relocation, each different species requires a different type of relocation techniques in order to move them from one facility to another,” said Evan Barniskis, associate vice president for Mote. “When moving sharks and fish, you have to do so in water with plenty of oxygen and filtration on it.”

They moved many of the fish and sharks at night, when there was less traffic. The manatees required air-conditioned box trucks that are specifically designed for manatee relocations. Mote has a team devoted to picking up stranded manatees and to rehabilitate them.

“The otters are a little bit simpler because they have specially designed cages that are kind of similar to those you would put a dog or a cat in,” Barniskis said.

The staff monitored each animal during the journey to the new center. Once at the new site, aquarists and veterinary staff oversaw the acclimation process, as they gradually introduced each animal to the new environment.

“With a transfer operation of this scale, it takes rigorous monitoring, strict protocol adherence, complex coordination and the highest standard of care,” Cooper said. “We consistently monitor each animal for any health or behavioral abnormalities throughout the process and thereafter to ensure successful acclimation.”

“Within this facility, we will have over 400 different species that will be made up of several thousands of individual animals,” Barniskis said.

Mote SEA is dedicated to marine science, education and immersive public experiences, officials said. It contains three STEM teaching labs: biomedical, microbiology and immunology; marine and coastal ecology; and ocean engineering, technology, robotics and sensory development. It will also provide free hands-on experiences for some 70,000 students from Sarasota and Manatee county schools.

Mote, founded in 1955 by Eugenie Clark, also operates coral nurseries in the Florida Keys that are helping restore damaged reefs.

“I think the most important thing we want our visitors to take away is a better understanding of marine science and how Moat Marine Laboratory contributes to expanding the knowledge of the marine environment to the world,” Barniskis said.

“It’s fantastic. Within this aquarium, the Moat Science Education Aquarium, it is our duty to represent that science to the public, to translate it so that the general public can understand exactly what Moat scientists are doing and how we continue to benefit the understanding of the marine environment.”

title: Florida’s Mote relocates hundreds of marine animals


title: Women still absent from peace talks: UN

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Twenty-five years after a landmark UN resolution demanded equal participation for women in all efforts to promote peace, women far too often remain silent, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said yesterday.

At the same time, sexual violence against women and girls is on the rise and 676 million women live within 50km of deadly conflicts, which the head of the UN women’s agency says is the highest number since the 1990s.

“Around the globe, we see troubling trends in military spending, more armed conflicts, and more shocking brutality against women and girls,” Guterres told a UN Security Council meeting marking the anniversary.

Since the resolution’s adoption on Oct. 31, 2000, there has been some progress, he said.

The number of women in uniform as UN peacekeepers has doubled, women have led local mediation, advanced justice for survivors of gender-based violence, and women’s organizations have been instrumental in promoting recovery from conflicts and reconciliation.

“But gains are fragile and — very worryingly — going in reverse,” Guterres said.

Guterres said too often nations gather in rooms like the Security Council chamber “full of conviction and commitment,” but fall far short of the resolution’s demand for equal participation of women in peace negotiations — and protection of women and girls from rape and sexual abuse in conflicts.

Despite the horrors of war, UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous also pointed to some progress. She said women have reduced community violence in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan and in the Central African Republic.

In Haiti, women have achieved near parity in the new provisional electoral council, and women’s representation in Chad’s National Assembly has doubled, she said.

Syria’s interim constitution guarantees rights and protections for women, and in war-torn Ukraine women have succeeded in getting national relief efforts helping women codified into law, she said.

However, it is lamentable that the world today is witnessing “renewed pushback against gender equality and multilateralism,” she said, adding that the situation is being exacerbated by what she called short-sighted funding cuts.

These cuts are undermining education opportunities for Afghan girls, curtailing life-saving medical care for tens of thousands of sexual violence survivors in Sudan, Haiti and beyond, and limiting access to food for malnourished women and children in Gaza, Mali, Somalia and elsewhere, Bahous said.

However,, change is possible, she said.

“It is understandable that some might conclude that the rise and normalization of misogyny currently poisoning our politics and fueling conflict is unstoppable,” Bahous said. “It is not. Those who oppose equality do not own the future, we do.”

Guterres urged the UN’s 193 member nations to increase their commitment to women caught in conflict with new funding and by ensuring their participation in peace negotiations, accountability for sexual violence and their protection and economic security.


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UNITED NATIONS

Houthis detain nine more

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday denounced the arbitrary detention of nine more UN workers in Yemen by Houthi rebels, along with the seizure of assets and facilities in areas under Houthi control. “Most recently, the Houthi de facto authorities detained nine additional UN personnel, bringing the total number of arbitrarily detained UN staff to 53 since 2021,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. “These actions hinder the UN’s ability to operate in Yemen and to deliver critical assistance.” “The United Nations will continue to work tirelessly, and through all available channels, to secure the safe and immediate release of all arbitrarily detained personnel, as well as the return of UN agency offices and other assets,” Dujarric said.

NEW ZEALAND

Minister’s home attacked

A man has been charged after a window of Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters’ home was on Monday smashed with a crowbar and a note pinned to his front door that said “welcome to the real world,” the minister’s spokesperson said yesterday. Peters has come under pressure from protest groups and opposition parties in recent days after he announced that New Zealand would not be following Australia, Britain and Canada in recognizing a Palestinian state amid the Israel-Gaza war. Protests have been held outside his Auckland home. In a speech to parliament yesterday discussing the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Peters said that the violent targeting of private homes by some protesters was “a disgrace.” Peters on Monday said in a social media post on X that he was not home, but both his partner and a guest were. “This is truly gutless,” it said. “When we have protesters, political bloggers, and MPs alike encouraging this behaviour, posting politicians’ home addresses online, and acting with pure ignorance and extremism, this is the result.”

NETHERLANDS

71,000 chickens to be culled

About 71,000 chickens at a poultry farm in the northern part of the country would be culled following the detection of bird flu, the government said in a statement yesterday. This marks the first outbreak of bird flu in the nation since March. The government has so far not imposed a nationwide requirement to keep poultry indoors, stating that this outbreak does not warrant such a measure. However, an expert group on animal diseases is to meet soon to assess the risk.

JAPAN

Ex-banker gambler jailed

The Tokyo District Court on Monday sentenced a former employee at one of the nation’s biggest banks to nine years in jail for repeatedly stealing gold bars and cash totaling nearly US$2.6 million, slamming her crimes as “heinous.” Yukari Yamazaki, who worked for Mitsubishi UFJ and had a gambling addiction, began thieving after falling into debt due to currency trading and horse betting, the court ruling said. Abusing her position and inside knowledge to “incapacitate the security system,” Yamazaki purloined gold bars worth more than ￥330 million (US$2.2 million), and more than ￥60 million in cash, from safety deposit boxes at her bank in 2023 and last year. Despite the defendant’s lack of previous criminal history and the fact she has “vowed to undergo treatment for her gambling addiction,” a nine-year jail term was “unavoidable,” Judge Hironobu Ono said. The bank has been able to retrieve only a portion of the amount she stole.

title: World News Quick Take


taiwan-subdivisions: 三芝 西嶼

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Environmental Impact Assessment: Is it time to rock?Research into enhanced rock weathering suggests that the process could be used as a carbon-removal technology

Every time rains falls on the famous basalt columns at Daguoye (大?葉) in Penghu County’s Siyu Township (西嶼), carbon dioxide is removed from the Earth’s atmosphere.

Gaseous CO2 dissolves in rainwater, forming carbonic acid. Even if the rainwater is unpolluted — not so-called “acid rain” — it’s sufficiently acidic to react with the rock surfaces it flows over, breaking down minerals and releasing dissolved ions. This process, called “weathering,” converts what was carbonic acid into dissolved bicarbonate ions.

Whether it’s washed into the sea that day (the cliff at Dagouye is less than 150m from the ocean) or a month later, the bicarbonate stays in the water. The slow circulation of deep ocean water keeps the carbon locked down. Corals and plankton draw on marine bicarbonate to build their shells and skeletons. When they die, their skeletals accumulate on the seabed, eventually forming limestones that sequester the carbon for millions of years.

This natural phenomenon is inspiring scientists, including some in Taiwan, to ask if it can be replicated and scaled up, to capture meaningful amounts of carbon and help bring CO2 levels closer to the 350 ppm considered safe. (As of Sept. 26, atmospheric carbon dioxide was 424.29 ppm.)

MULTIPLE BENEFITS

A recent experiment in New Taipei City’s Sanjhih District (三芝) suggests that what researchers call enhanced rock weathering (ERW) has promise, and not just as a carbon-removal technology.

The three-way collaboration between Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation (TOAF, 慈心有機農業發展基金會), National Taiwan University’s Department of Agricultural Chemistry and the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences at Kyoto Prefectural University, ran from August 2023 to October last year. The results, which were reported by Reccessary on Aug. 21 but which have yet to appear in a scientific journal, showed that applying a combination of basalt powder and organic matter to the land boosted carbon storage by 20.5 percent.

Even more striking was the effect on crop yields. Compared to adjacent plots to which nothing was applied, those amended with basalt and organic matter produced more than twice as much corn and Cenchrus alopecuroides (an ornamental grass).

In a May 17 report on its Web site, the Australian Broadcasting Corp gave precedence to basalt’s potential to cut farmers’ fertilizer bills over its capacity for carbon removal. Reduced agrochemical consumption doesn’t only help farmers, however; the manufacturing, transportation and field use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers was in 2018 responsible for 2.1 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to a paper published in Scientific Reports (Aug. 25, 2022). What’s more, excessive use of inorganic fertilizers reduces the richness and diversity of bacteria and fungi in soil.

So far, ERW research has focused on agricultural land, and not just because rock particles act as a slow-release fertilizer. Because it’s frequently tilled and watered, farmland is thought to be a better venue for carbon-capturing chemical reactions than forests, grasslands or parks. What’s more, modern farms are already equipped to spread dry powders like fertilizers and agricultural lime, making the logistical side of deploying rock dust simpler and more cost-effective.

Discussion of the Sanjhih experiment touched briefly on another benefit of ERW. Basalt rock dust releases inorganic macro and micro-nutrients (such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium) which are essential if crops are to grow well and the humans who eat them are to thrive. (It’s not clear if basalt dust is as readily available to Taiwanese horticulturalists as it is to their North American counterparts. Pumice grains — which gardeners use to improve soil drainage and aeration — should work almost as well because they’re volcanic in origin, and they can be ordered from local companies.)

The Reccessary report quoted Atsushi Nakao, a Japanese scholar associated with the Sanjhih project, as saying that applying basalt powder adjusted the site’s soil pH from 5.1 to 5.7, a level it maintained throughout the 15 months of the experiment. Spreading basalt dust could be a way, he suggested, to improve crop growing conditions in those parts of Taiwan where acidity makes farmland suboptimal.

The results of an experiment on a sugarcane plantation in Australia’s tropical northeast, however, indicate that in strongly acidic soils, ERW might be ineffective for CO2 removal. This seems to be because the stronger acids that are present do more to weather the basalt than carbonic acid.

Increased soil alkalinity will cause a rise in the pH of the waterways receiving runoff. In turn, this will impact the sea. If widely deployed, ERW could help counter ocean acidification, a phenomenon researchers are taking very seriously indeed. Exacerbated by mankind’s massive carbon emissions, it’s feared that acidification could disrupt the marine food web by making it more difficult for calcifying organisms (like corals, shellfish, and certain plankton) to build and maintain their shells and skeletons.

The world has an abundance of basalt and other volcanic rocks, but applying huge amounts of rock dust in the hope it’ll result in carbon sequestration and a less acidic ocean could cause sudden, localized spikes in pH that are likely to disrupt freshwater ecosystems. But there’s another reason why ERW could be a non-starter in many parts of the world.

THE ENERGY ISSUE

Turning boulders into rock particles and transporting the latter to suitable locations is energy intensive. As a paper in Frontiers in Climate (July 22, 2022) puts it, “Small grain sizes (with high surface areas) are favorable for fast reaction rates in the system, but the comminution of rock to fine grain sizes implies energy costs that may render [ERW] less attractive.”

Depending on the type of rock and the size of the final product, crushing and grinding one metric ton of rock requires between 10 kWh and 25 kWh. We have a good idea how much carbon dioxide generating that amount of power in Taiwan will put in the atmosphere — 5.4kg to 13.6kg — but assessing the rate at which ERW draws down carbon is much more difficult.

A report published Aug. 15 last year for the UK’s Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) acknowledges that the “timescales and permanence of CO2 removal is poorly quantified for ERW, due to a lack of evidence from long-term field trials, and relatively small changes in chemistry from smaller trials.”

Barriers to scaling up rock extraction and a lack of “standardized techniques for measuring and verifying any carbon dioxide removal” haven’t stopped the emergence of commercial ERW operations through which businesses can purchase carbon offsets, the POST report goes on to say.

One such company is London-based UNDO Carbon, which so far has spread 303,390 metric tons of silicate rock over 20,000 hectares of farmland in the UK and Canada. UNDO’s Web site says its ERW activities will draw down 220kg of carbon per metric ton of rock material. That estimate, which doesn’t appear to factor in any drop in greenhouse gas emissions due to reduced fertilizer use, suggests ERW could contribute positively to the fight against climate change.

Some countries, among them Australia, are fortunate in that they can ignore the extraction-and-grinding part of the equation. Many of Australia’s most valuable mineral deposits are beneath layers of basalt; mining companies remove it, then crush it to different sizes for commercial uses such as landscaping. And, as the Australian Broadcasting Corp pointed out, “demand for the dust and finest gravel left over is low.”

Project Drawdown, an NGO that advances science-based climate solutions and strategies around the world, says on its Web site that ERW “is not yet ready for large-scale deployment as a climate solution.” The technology is plausible and it could make enough of an impact to really matter, yet it isn’t consistently effective. Nor is it cheap. The NGO says that it “will ‘keep watching’ this potential climate solution.”

Steven Crook, the author or co-author of four books about Taiwan, has been following environmental issues since he arrived in the country in 1991. He drives a hybrid and carries his own chopsticks. The views expressed here are his own.


people: 黃國昌 柯文哲 徐巧芯 朱孟庠

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Donovan’s Deep Dives: Huang Kuo-chang’s alleged “puppy squad” hustleThe TPP chair has been accused of leading a group of journalists and photographers to surveil his political enemies, with funding possibly from China

Allegations, accusations and intense speculation are engulfing Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and an alleged “political surveillance” “paparazzi” group he led, and it shows no signs of letting up. Separating truth from allegation is tricky, so some caveats. First, no one has been arrested, much less convicted of the alleged crimes.

Second, much of this has been coming from Mirror Media reporting, an outlet that excels in finding inside sources to break sensational exposes. Two problems to keep in mind: Sources may have their own agendas and, while Mirror Media reporting is often proven correct, “often” is not “always.”

An op-ed by Chu Meng-hsiang (朱孟庠), “Huang’s ‘paparazzi pack’ a threat”, in yesterday’s Taipei Times, appears to be jumping the gun in assuming much of the more excited speculation might be accurate, and questioning prosecutor’s decision to “rashly” close an earlier case (which the author did not specify). Prosecutors need ample evidence to justify opening an investigation, and guilt or innocence is determined by a court of law, not trial by Mirror Media.

Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, right, shows his support for Internet personality Holger Chen, who was called in for questioning by prosecutors after he allegedly called for the decapitation of President William Lai during a live stream on Sunday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

PUPPY SQUAD

It appears to have started innocently enough. Huang co-founded the Anti-Corruption and Whistleblower Protection Association (TAWPA). He was still affiliated with the party he co-founded, the New Power Party (NPP) at the time, and post-Sunflower movement for a time he re-branded himself as a whistleblower.

Early investigations by TAWPA included alleged corruption by the powerful Taichung Black Faction Yen (顏) clan, and even investigated TPP founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). There is some disagreement on how much the organization contributed to RW News reporting on the Yen clan, with Huang having to backtrack on seeming to have taken credit for all of the investigation, rather than just providing some information.

Huang is then alleged to have formed a group of journalists and photographers from his TAWPA contacts to conduct political surveillance on political targets affiliated with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), with funding and expenses run through Kai Ssu International Co (凱思國際), owned by Huang’s in-law, Lee Li-chuan (李麗娟). By this point, Huang was drifting away from the NPP and towards the TPP.

This group has been dubbed a “paparazzi team” by the local press. The Taiwanese term for “paparazzi” can be loosely translated as “puppy squad” (狗仔隊) in English, which is both cute and insulting, insinuating they are relentless dogs.

The list of DPP figures they are alleged to have targeted for digging up salacious dirt is long, high ranking and chosen to inflict maximum political damage.

There are also allegations that Kai Ssu is connected to a company of the same name in Hong Kong, and speculation that funding may have been routed through that company, possibly from China. That is far from being proven, though if true, it would be deeply alarming.

Huang remained silent for a couple of days before responding to the Mirror Media report, but then in a livestream admitted to working with various media outlets and with Central News Agency (CNA) reporter Hsieh Hsin-en (謝幸恩), whose non-CNA reporting was done under the pen name Hsiao Yi-yi (蕭依依).

CNA filed a criminal complaint against Hsieh for breach of trust and other offenses. CNA is state-funded and must uphold high standards while avoiding entanglement in politics, which it generally does well, having survived under leaders of both parties as a result.

DPP Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川) also filed a lawsuit against seven people, including Huang, Hsieh, Lee and four photographers said to be part of the surveillance team. He claimed they received foreign funding in breach of national security and contravened personal privacy laws through the surveillance of politicians. Huang described it as a “frivolous lawsuit” orchestrated by the DPP.

This story traces back to June last year, when Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) publicly released photographs of Wang’s car allegedly making an illegal left turn. Wang asked prosecutors to investigate who had been surveilling him and discovered that the team had rented a car under Kai Ssu and claimed to be media, but Kai Ssu owned no media. Prosecutors, however, did not follow up, saying the surveillance posed no threat to public safety.

Another casualty is RW News, which had its funding pulled by Taiwan Steel Group, its largest shareholder, and had to shut down. This is a shame, RW News did some excellent investigative reporting and some decent polling.

Mirror Media’s latest allegations are that Huang’s team not only worked to dig up dirt on the DPP, they actively peddled the materials found to KMT politicians for a profit. They cite sources saying each item of dirt was sold for NT$20,000 to NT$40,000, and that Huang was personally profiting from the arrangement.

INTERESTING HUSTLE

Which raises a question: Why haven’t we seen something like this before?

Already journalists dig up dirt professionally, including Mirror Media, to make money for their media outlets through sales and advertising.

Oppo (opposition) research conducted by political parties and their consultants at the start of a campaign is common, trying to find anything they can smear their opponent with.

Some politicians — most famously Hsu Chiao-hsin — conduct oppo research and appear to be crowdsourcing via the Internet to find salacious details about DPP figures. Hsu proudly collects dirt on her opponents so she “is not to be trifled with,” and once claimed to have 60,000 photographs on her phone collected to do battle with “pan-green jackals.”

What Huang is alleged to have done is use journalists to preemptively conduct oppo research, not based on an upcoming campaign when it is normally expected, suspicions or clear leads — but rather as a blanket tactic to see what they can turn up and then sell that for profit.

It is not hard to see how something like this could evolve from an innocent whistleblowing organization. With a political figure driven by personal ambition and hatred for the political opposition, and given these resources at hand, the temptation is obvious.

This not only provides potentially powerful ammunition to further their own political career and tear down enemies, it also provides ammunition to allies — at a price. Quite the side hustle.

However, such a business model comes with risks. It is ethically questionable, and depending on how they go about it, potentially illegal.

The team would also need to be very good at what they do. Many politicians are clean, and those who are not are understandably paranoid and cover their tracks.

A blanket approach targeting an entire party without solid leads is going to waste a lot of time. China’s United Front Work Department (UFWD) has the resources and patience for that; a private entity would need to marshal limited resources more effectively.

The remarkable thing about the allegations put forth in Mirror Media is how little their “paparazzi pack” found. Mostly trivial things, like traffic violations.

If accurate, part of the alleged reason for some sources coming forward is how inept this team was. Not only did it not come up with much of substance, these disgruntled sources complained much of what they did come up with turned out to be flawed or outright wrong.

It is far too early to know how much of this turns out to be true, so it is a story to follow carefully.

If enough of it is true to lead to criminal convictions, it would be quite the downfall for Huang — who would be a whistleblower gone bad chasing political ambitions, and sunk by an inept “puppy squad” that produced little of use in the end.

Donovan’s Deep Dives is a regular column by Courtney Donovan Smith (石東文) who writes in-depth analysis on everything about Taiwan’s political scene and geopolitics. Donovan is also the central Taiwan correspondent at ICRT FM100 Radio News, co-publisher of Compass Magazine, co-founder Taiwan Report (report.tw) and former chair of the Taichung American Chamber of Commerce. Follow him on X: @donovan_smith.


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Trump’s ‘Tariff Wars:’ Economic Turbulence in 2025 川普再掀關稅風暴 貿易戰未完待續

Returning to the White House with unprecedented economic weaponry, US President Donald Trump has launched a comprehensive tariff offensive that has sent shockwaves through international markets. On April 2, Trump announced his “reciprocal tariff” strategy, aimed at punishing trading partners who sell more to the US than they buy in return. Central to his policy is the disputed view that such trade deficits harm the US economy. While Trump later suspended most of the tariffs to allow time for negotiations, some still went into effect, and the others remain a looming economic threat.

Tariffs, essentially taxes imposed on imported goods, raise the cost of foreign goods and, in theory, give domestic industries a competitive edge. Trump believes that only high tariffs can deter excessive imports into the US. If businesses want access to the US market without paying steep duties, they will have no choice but to shift production there. By taking such a tough stance, Trump hopes to achieve three objectives: protect American manufacturing jobs, generate federal revenue, and use tariffs as leverage in negotiations on various issues.

In response, some countries have introduced retaliatory tariffs, intensifying fears of a full-scale trade war. Not only have companies scrambled to restructure their supply chains, but many investors have withdrawn capital from affected regions. These shifts could disrupt international cooperation and trigger large-scale production delays. Export-oriented economies like Taiwan could also face shrinking markets, raising unemployment and threatening broader economic stability.

Exporters aren’t the only ones affected; consumers worldwide are paying the price, too. Tariffs mean higher prices on imported goods as businesses shift the burden to buyers. Furthermore, as expenses rise across sectors, ripple effects may push up overall prices, trigger inflation, and squeeze household budgets. Only time will tell whether this bold gamble boosts the US economy or fuels prolonged trade tensions.

美國總統唐納．川普帶著前所未有的經濟武器重返白宮，發動了一場全面性的關稅攻勢，對國際市場造成震撼。4月2日，川普宣布他的「對等關稅」策略，旨在懲罰那些對美國出口多於從美國進口的貿易夥伴。他政策的核心是一個備受爭議的觀點，即這種貿易逆差會損害美國經濟。雖然川普後來暫停了大部分關稅，以便為談判留出時間，但有些關稅仍然生效，其餘關稅仍是迫在眉睫的經濟威脅。

關稅，本質上是對進口商品徵收的稅金，會提高外國商品的成本，理論上能給國內產業帶來競爭優勢。川普認為只有高關稅才能阻止過度進口到美國。如果企業想要進入美國市場而不支付高額關稅，他們將別無選擇，只能將生產轉移到那裡。透過採取如此強硬的立場，川普希望實現三個目標：保護美國製造業就業機會、創造聯邦收入，以及將關稅作為在各種議題上談判的籌碼。

作為回應，一些國家已經祭出報復性關稅，加劇了人們對全面貿易戰的擔憂。不僅企業爭相重組供應鏈，許多投資者也從受影響地區撤資。這些變化可能破壞國際合作並引發大規模生產延誤。像臺灣這樣以出口為導向的經濟體也可能面臨市場萎縮，導致失業率上升並威脅更廣泛的經濟穩定。

出口商並非唯一受影響的群體；全球消費者也在承受代價。關稅意味著進口商品價格上漲，因為企業將負擔轉嫁給買家。此外，隨著各行各業開銷上升，連鎖效應可能推高整體價格、引發通貨膨脹，並壓縮家庭預算。只有時間能證明，這場大膽的賭博是會提振美國經濟，還是會加劇長期的貿易緊張局勢。

MORE INFORMATION

tariff n. 關稅

turbulence n. 騷亂；騷動

weaponry n. (總稱) 武器

shockwave n. 激烈反應

reciprocal adj. 對等的；互惠的

looming adj. 迫近的；逼近的

deter vt. 阻止；使打消念頭

leverage n. 手段；影響力

retaliatory adj. 報復的；回擊的

ripple effect ph. 連鎖效應

KEY VOCABULARY

1. unprecedented adj. 無先例的；空前的

Chloe faced an unprecedented challenge when all her team members got sick before the event.

當克洛伊的團隊成員在活動開始前全部生病時，她面臨前所未有的挑戰。

2. deficit n. 逆差；不足；虧損

Natalie worried that the company’s trade deficit could affect its long-term growth.

娜塔莉擔心公司的貿易赤字可能會影響長期成長。

3. suspend v. 暫停；延緩；懸掛

After the huge earthquake, the opera house announced that all performances would be suspended until safety could be assured.

大地震之後，這間歌劇院宣布在確保安全無虞之前，所有演出將暫停。

4. negotiation n. 談判；協商

Negotiations between the two countries eventually led to the end of the war.

這兩國之間的協商最終讓戰爭結束。

5. revenue n. 收入；收益

Teddy’s company has increased its revenue by selling different types of products.

泰迪的公司透過銷售不同類型的產品來增加收益。

6. scramble v. 爭搶；倉促行動；攀爬

On Christmas morning, Paul scrambled out of bed and rushed downstairs to open his presents.

在聖誕節的早上，保羅匆匆下床，並跑下樓去拆他的禮物。

7. orient vt. （讓人或物） 以……為導向；使朝向

-oriented suf. 以……為導向的

May worked to orient the project more toward customer needs than company profits.

梅致力於讓這個專案更以顧客需求為導向，而不是公司利潤。

8. stability n. 穩定；安定

Milly hopes to earn enough money to gain financial stability and save for the future.

蜜莉希望賺夠多錢以獲得財務穩定並且為未來存款。

9. sector n. 行業；產業；區域

The government made money available to energize the industrial sector.

政府為振興工業區提供了資金。

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title: ENGLISH DIGEST 實用美語(空中美語)

countries: 臺灣 美國


content_text:
記者楊智仁／綜合報導

就在幾年前，美國聯邦貿易委員會（FTC）曾極力阻止微軟以 700 億美元收購動視暴雪，理由是這筆交易將損害市場競爭、消費者與勞工的權益。近期伴隨著 Xbox Game Pass 漲價消息，當年主導此案的 FTC 前主席莉娜・康（Lina Khan）發文表示，目前情況正印證 FTC 當初反對這樁交易時所提出的警告

莉娜・康表示，「微軟收購動視暴雪之後，隨之而來的是大規模漲價與裁員，對玩家與開發者都造成傷害，正如我們在各產業中看到的那樣，市場集中與價格上升往往是相伴而生的結果。當一家企業壯大到『不在乎一切』時，它就能在不必擔心後果的情況下，讓消費者的處境更糟。」

康的這番提醒正好緊接著微軟宣布 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 漲價 50% 的消息。雖然官方聲稱訂閱方案將加入《Fortnite Crew》與《Ubisoft Classics》等新內容，但許多玩家認為這些「升級」並非他們所期待的。此外，這次發言也發生在微軟接連裁員、關閉工作室、取消多款遊戲之後。根據外媒報導，微軟去年將《決勝時刻》系列新作首日加入 Game Pass，導致銷售損失高達 3 億美元，這極可能是近期訂閱價格大幅上漲的主因之一。

title: 早就說過了？前美貿易委員會主席批微軟　收購暴雪後漲價裁員成真


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▲全智賢在政治驚悚韓劇《暴風圈》裡，飾演總統候選人。（圖／翻攝自FACEBOOK／Disney+）

文／朱錦華

稍早前熱播的大製作政治驚悚韓劇《暴風圈》裡，飾演外交官的女主角全智賢說了這麼一句台詞：「為什麼中國會偏好戰爭？這樣核彈可能會落在邊界地區啊！」這句被許多大陸網友認為有辱華意味的台詞，引發強烈反彈，紛紛呼籲恢復「限韓令」，抵制韓國。

差不多在同一時候，韓國總統李在明宣布給予中國旅客免簽入境，卻引來大批韓國民眾反對此舉，嗆聲要中國人滾回去。美國民調機構「皮尤研究中心」(Pew Research Center)去年2月至5月初向美國、南韓、日本、德國等全球19國共2萬4525人進行民調，結果顯示韓國人的反中情緒高達80%，創下2002年以來最高紀錄。

▲從殺手變身情人保鑣的姜棟元。(圖／Disney+提供）

美國《外交家》雜誌跟斯洛伐克智庫「中歐亞洲研究中心」(CEIAS)去年針韓國境內1364名成年男女進行的民調則顯示，韓國人的反中情緒逐年升高，逾80%成人對中國感到厭惡，當中20至30多歲族群對中國最反感。為什麼會這樣？

韓國有其歷史跟地緣政治鎔鑄而成的悲情。朝鮮半島上最後一個王朝：李氏朝鮮，500年歷史裡一直是明、清兩朝的藩屬國。屈居大國之下的感覺，絕對不會是愉快的。後來東學黨之亂引來中、日兩國同時出兵，最後爆發甲午戰爭。清廷戰敗是造成朝鮮半島被日本兼併的主因，怨恨自然難免。

▲電影《長津湖》說的是「抗美援朝志願軍」對抗美軍的故事。圖為該片的宣傳海報。（圖／翻攝自微博）

更糟的還在後面。韓戰時，麥克阿瑟領導的「聯合國軍」反攻後直逼鴨綠江畔，眼看朝鮮半島即將統一，中共的「抗美援朝志願軍」卻橫空出世，把「聯合國軍」趕了回去；南北韓遂一直對峙到今天。如今，韓國多數年輕人視北韓（朝鮮）為敵人。中國是北韓的重要支持者，焉能不恨？他們對統一既不抱希望、更沒興趣，只想保持現狀：在美國核子傘的羽翼下安居樂業。

然而，大國博奕下的地緣政治，讓南北韓都無法脫離暴風圈。2016年，當時的總統朴槿惠在美國壓力下同意部署「薩德反飛彈系統」(THAAD)。該系統表面是針對北韓，實質上劍指中國。此舉引發中國強烈反彈，於是祭出了所謂「限韓令」：包括大幅度限制韓國藝人到大陸辦演唱會、限制韓國電視劇的播放，強行喊停兩國之間的民間演藝合作等。

▲美國在韓國部署的「薩德反飛彈系統」。（圖／達志影像）

隨著後來幾位韓國總統不同的施政風格，「薩德系統」的部署進程時急時緩。「限韓令」也一度放寬。但對雙方的傷害已經造成。進入網路時代後，中、韓兩地網友經常因為一些新聞事件互摃（例如網路謠言：韓國人說端午節是他們的，或是影視作品裡出現所謂辱華的言論或內容等），相互討厭感有增無減。

有人說，正如他們的國歌《阿里郎》歌詞裡所透露的，韓國是一個充滿恨的民族。他們恨日本人、討厭中國人，對美國人則是又愛又恨。事實是否如此，大家自行判斷。

title: 國際火線／中國偏好戰爭？《暴風圈》引爆中韓舊恨新仇

countries: 中國 美國 北韓 韓國 斯洛伐克 德國 日本


content_text:
▲北分局規劃台61線 台15線沿線樞紐路口義交協勤。（圖／北分局提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

公路局北區養護工程分局7日表示，今年10月10日國慶日為3天的連續假期，預估北部地區自9日下午4時起，在快速公路銜接國1及國3與國5南港系統附近路段會有第一波南下車潮，連假首日10月10日上午8時更將湧入大量南下車潮。

中長程南下的車潮於10日上午7時出現在國道1、3、5號；台61線尖峰車潮於8時起，出現在新竹路段，整體尖峰時段集中於當日上午9至12時，北返車潮則集中於10月12日下午1時至晚間9時間，國道1號與3號無實施高乘載管制措施，國道5號循例自10月11日至10月12日每日13時至18時，於蘇澳至頭城匝道實施北向入口高乘載管制，

籲請宜花東收假返回北部地區用路人注意，建議鄉親可提早出發，或在出發前先上網了解路況選擇路線，避開壅塞路段和時段。提醒用路人，為因應大量車流進入新竹市台61線與台15線，北分局相關管制措施如下：

一、台68線南寮匝道自10月9日晚間10時至10月12日晚間11時禁止左轉台15線南下

二、台15線71.5公里處新港三街路口，於9日晚間10時至10月12日晚間11時封閉(3)台61線鳳鼻尾隧道前竹1路口，於10月3日下午3時起至10月13日上午9時封閉。

▲預估首日台61線竹港大橋南下壅塞車潮。（圖／北分局提供）

北分局建議，中短程旅次的用路人，可以利用台61線、台1線、台3線及台31線做為桃園、台北、新竹間往返的替代道路，北部地區往返宜蘭、花東地區用路人如遇國道5號壅塞，建議可改道行駛台9線，因台2線福隆海水浴場周邊路段於歷次連假期間皆屬易壅塞路段，建議用路人改道可節省更多寶貴行車時間。

短程出遊的車潮，預估在連假期間每天都會出現在各知名遊憩區的周邊路段，省道台2線北海岸淡水至萬里附近及東北角福隆至瑞濱路段、台3、台4及台7線大溪、慈湖、石門水庫風景區，台3線北埔、峨眉附近、台9甲線烏來都是容易車多段，預估交通尖峰時間約在11至13時及17至19時。

taiwan-subdivisions: 南港 淡水 新港 峨眉 宜蘭 萬里 桃園 烏來 新竹市 石門 新竹 蘇澳 北區 北埔 頭城 大溪

title: 國慶連假公路局北分局　轄管省道疏運措施報你知


countries: 越南 台灣 中國

title: 元智大學攜手越南雒鴻大學　以AI科技開創華語教學新模式

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▲元智大學攜手越南雒鴻大學，以AI科技開創華語教學新模式。（圖／元智提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

為推動國際教育交流並引領華語教學創新，元智大學中國語文學系獲教育部「新南向學海築夢計畫」支持，與姐妹校越南雒鴻大學攜手合作，展開為期一個月的海外實習計畫。元智大學7日表示，此次合作結合AI科技與華語教學，讓越南學生體驗全新的學習模式，開啟語言教育數位轉型的新篇章。

此次實習由元智中語系徐富美教授主持，並由AI專業教師黃智明、李奇鴻兩位教授領軍，帶領五位學生前往位於越南南部同奈省的雒鴻大學，與當地師生共同探討AI融入華語教學的可行性與創新應用。雒鴻大學國際關係處處長阮氏黃鶯、副處長黃進勇、東方學學院副院長阮氏如嫦、中國語言專業主任潘世英等多位主管親自接待，雙方進行熱烈交流，展現深化合作的高度誠意。

▲元智學生結合書法，展現中華文化。（圖／元智提供）

阮氏黃鶯表示，同奈省是越南最大的工業重鎮之一，台灣企業設廠密集，帶動當地對華語人才的龐大需求。越南政府近年更將中文納入國小外語學習科目，陸續出版教材，顯示中文在越南教育體系中的地位日益提升。她期盼此次與元智大學的合作，能為越南華語教學注入更多創新能量。

徐富美教授指出，AI技術的導入可提升教學效率與互動性，讓華語學習更便利、即時且具個人化。此次實習不僅是語言教學創新的實踐，更是跨國教育科技應用的重要案例。透過AI輔助系統，越南學生可即時進行發音矯正、句型生成、詞彙擴充與情境對話練習，進一步強化語言輸出與溝通能力。

元智團隊以自研的AI輔助教學工具協助課堂運作，AI在口語課程中擔任助教角色，設計分組對話練習、生成會話範例與互動題庫，大幅提升學生參與度與學習成效。實習學生分享，越南學生雖具中文基礎，但運用AI輔助後學習更有效率，並對「Suno AI」、「Google Studio」與「Gamma」等生成式工具展現濃厚興趣。

除教學交流外，元智學生也以文化交流增進彼此理解。他們結合書法與劍術展示，展現中華文化的靜與動之美，現場氣氛熱烈，成為整個實習活動的亮點之一。元智大學中國語文學系主任洪士惠表示，AI輔助華語教學不僅能提升學習效率，也能激發學習動機，為非華語母語學生打造更貼近個人需求的學習環境。


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圖文／7Car 小七車觀點

Mercedes-Benz Trucks 宣布擴展旗下電動重卡產品線，推出以 eActros 600 為基礎開發的全新 eActros 400，進一步滿足不同運輸場景需求。新世代 eActros 可提供超過 40 種組合選項，涵蓋電池容量、駕駛艙規格與軸距配置，並兼顧長途幹線運輸與重載配送的應用。新車將於 2025 年 10 月起在歐洲及部分非歐盟市場開放訂購，並於沃斯（Wörth am Rhein）工廠投產。

全新 eActros 400 採用兩組 207 kWh LFP 電池模組，總容量 414 kWh，主打更具競爭力的入門價格與輕量化帶來的額外載重能力。官方數據顯示，搭載 6x2 軸距與廂式車體的 eActros 400，在部分載重、氣溫 20°C 的條件下，最長可行駛約 480 公里。相較之下，續航更長的 eActros 600 配備三組電池，總容量 621 kWh，標準情境下可達 500 公里以上，並具備最高 560 公里的表現。

在駕駛艙選擇方面，Mercedes-Benz 提供經典 Actros 設計的 L-cab，以及專為長途駕駛打造、擁有更佳空間感與空氣力學表現的 ProCabin。前者具備低進入高度，適合頻繁上下車的城市或區域運輸；後者則提供 Stream、Big 與 Giga 三種版本，內裝配置更貼近長途司機需求，如舒適床鋪、環艙照明與額外收納設計。兩種駕駛艙均可搭配最新的 Multimedia Cockpit Interactive 2 與 MirrorCam 系統。

動力部分，eActros 400 與 eActros 600 皆搭載雙電動馬達與四速變速箱，輸出功率達 400 kW，峰值可達 600 kW，具備強勁加速與順暢駕駛體驗。車輛支援 CCS2 最高 400 kW 直流快充，雙電池版本 10% 至 80% 僅需約 46 分鐘，三電池版本則需約 70 分鐘；未來 ProCabin 版本 eActros 600 還將支援兆瓦級充電技術。配合再生煞車與智慧化動力管理系統，能進一步提升能效。

隨著 eActros 第二代產品線成型，Mercedes-Benz Trucks 計畫逐步淘汰第一代 eActros 300/400，並以更靈活的產品組合回應市場。原廠同時強調，電動貨運的成功不僅仰賴車輛技術，完善的充電基礎建設與合理的營運成本同樣關鍵。未來，隨著更多數位服務與 TruckCharge 歐洲充電網絡的推進，Mercedes-Benz 期望協助物流業者在減碳轉型中兼顧效率與經濟性。

title: 賓士「全新電動卡車eActros 400」登場！續航上看560KM運用更靈活


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▲台灣舉重女將陳玟卉。（圖／資料照）

記者杜奕君／綜合報導

台灣舉重選手陳玟卉今天在舉重世界錦標賽女子69公斤B組出賽，最終她也抓舉100公斤、挺舉132公斤、總和232公斤，3項成績都排名第1位。

陳玟卉在抓舉項目以100公斤順利開把，雖然之後挑戰更高重量時遇到右手曲肘問題及105公斤失利，但仍穩居該組第1位。

挺舉部分，陳玟卉先以127公斤成功過關，接著舉起132公斤再度拿下第1。不過，她在挑戰136公斤時因腰部不適未能成功，賽後也一度因疼痛無法立即站起。最終，她以抓舉100公斤、挺舉132公斤，總和232公斤，三項成績都暫居B組榜首。

陳玟卉今年表現亮眼，4月底全大運女子76公斤級以抓舉105公斤、挺舉138公斤、總和243公斤勇奪金牌，並打破全國紀錄。

5月亞錦賽時，她以109公斤再創抓舉全國新高、挺舉133公斤獲銅牌，總和242公斤拿下銀牌。因國際舉重總會今年6月調整量級，陳玟卉此次世錦賽改戰69公斤級，且採低報成績參加B組。

雖然陳玟卉在B組三項成績都暫居第一，是否能最終奪牌，還需等待明天凌晨A組賽事結果揭曉。

title: 挺舉意外腰傷　台灣女將陳玟卉仍在世錦賽名列B組第1位


taiwan-subdivisions: 新北 和平 琉球 桃園

countries: 台灣 日本

title: EASL東超聯賽開幕雙戰台灣開打　周桂羽、盧峻翔領軍主場抗日

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記者杜奕君／綜合報導

2025-26賽季EASL東亞超級聯賽「開幕戰」就在台灣！明（8）日將由兩支台灣PLG職籃勁旅台北富邦勇士、桃園璞園領航猿，在主場台北和平籃球館迎戰日本勁敵，勇士將對決宇都宮皇者，領航猿則是重演上季東超4強對決，碰頭強敵琉球黃金國王，希望能在主場旗開得勝，搶下開幕戰勝利。

▲富邦勇士周桂羽。（圖／PLG提供）

本賽季的東超聯賽擴編成為12支隊伍，共有3個分組，包括蒙古籃球聯賽冠軍隊伍也加入本季參賽陣容，其中在台灣雙職籃方面，PLG陣營包括上季亞軍領航猿，以及勇士代表參賽。至於TPBL職籃則有上季拿下東超季軍的新北國王連續第2季參賽。

此次勇士、領航猿以及勇士也正好都被分在不同分組，因此在小組賽期間不會有「台灣內戰」狀況產生，至於開幕賽則是台灣球隊「一日雙戰」，在和平館登場，晚間18時30分由勇士迎戰宇都宮皇者，晚間20時30分則由領航猿迎戰琉球黃金國王。

闊別一季重返東超聯賽的勇士，開幕戰交手宇都宮皇者，本季勇士整體陣容有不小變動，除了長人曾祥鈞結束旅日生涯回歸效力外，包括外籍生強納森以及華裔新血林俊佑加入。

另外，最重要的則是洋將戰力全面換血，飛米、古德溫、哥倫特加上亞洲外援身份入隊的艾倫，土洋戰力整合狀態，會是東超開幕戰觀察重點。

不過日前勇士開季記者會上，總教練吳永仁透露，艾倫由於腿傷，東超首戰要上場機會不大，因此明天會登錄飛米、古德溫、哥倫特3人其中的哪兩位上場，也考驗教練抉擇。

至於本土方面，由於精神領袖「野獸」林志傑左手骨折傷勢持續休養，主力前鋒周桂羽本季無論東超或是PLG職籃賽事，預料都將被賦予更多重任，現年27歲的他也到了必須扛起球隊的時機點，就看本季周桂羽是否能夠打出破繭而出氣勢。

至於上季在東超打下亞軍殊榮的領航猿方面，本土戰力變動不大，甚至還加入譚傑龍、陳將双兩位具有中華隊資歷好手，球隊一哥盧峻翔搭配李家慷、白曜誠的本土後場組合，也將是串聯團隊攻勢的重要三巨頭。

▲領航猿盧峻翔。（圖／PLG提供）


title: 快訊／NBA詹皇沒宣布退休　「第二次決定」是全新代言酒類宣傳片

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記者杜奕君／綜合報導

NBA的2025-26新賽季將於台灣時間10月22日正式展開，但洛杉磯湖人天王球星詹姆斯（LeBron James）卻在台灣時間7日發布重大消息，宣布將在個人社群發布「第二次決定」（The Second Decision），引發是否退役傳聞。所幸稍早答案揭曉，一切只是詹姆斯的個人最新代言酒類廣告，完全不是宣告退休。

以高中跳級生之姿，從2003年正式投入NBA職業舞台，詹姆斯扛著「天之驕子」的招牌與龐大關注度，一步步從聯盟頂尖新星，到生涯邁入第9季終於迎接首冠榮耀。

隨後更是不斷用個人紀錄寫歷史，陸續效力克里夫蘭騎士、邁阿密熱火再回鍋騎士，隨後轉戰洛杉磯湖人至今，生涯21次入選明星賽、21次年度最佳陣容，4座總冠軍，當然也包括生涯總得分「42184分」，高居聯盟史上第一人。

過去他也曾在2010年時，透過電視直播節目《The Decision》，宣布轉戰熱火，當時那句經典名言：「我要把天賦帶到南灘。」至今仍是NBA史上經典畫面。

在加入湖人的第8個賽季，詹姆斯在即將邁入41歲之際，無預警宣布將公布「第二次決定」，消息一出引發全世界籃球迷驚恐，是否詹姆斯將正式宣告退役。

不過稍早根據最新公布的「第二次決定」影片，原來一切只是詹皇為了最新代言酒類，所拍攝故弄玄虛的宣傳影片，並非宣布退役，也讓球迷鬆了一口氣。

▲湖人詹姆斯的「第二次決定」影片，原來只是代言酒類新廣告。（圖／達志影像／美聯社）


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紐約2025年10月8日 /美通社/ — Zeta Network Group (納斯達克代碼: ZNB)（簡稱「該公司」）今日宣布已與SOLV基金會（簡稱「SOLV」）簽署一項戰略合作協議（以下簡稱「本協議」）。SOLV是一家多鏈比特幣流動性質押與機構級結構化金融平台，總鎖倉價值(TVL)高達25億美元，通過Binance、Base和Solana等平台為SolvBTC提供支持。此次合作彰顯了該公司立志成為納斯達克上市的比特幣數字資產金融領軍企業的雄心。

協議要點

——比特幣資產管理策略。該公司將利用SOLV平台來最大化其比特幣資產的管理效率。該公司及其子公司持有的比特幣資產將托管於經公司批准、受監管的第三方托管機構名下，通過SOLV平台進行運作，確保資產透明、安全，並符合機構級審計標准。

——聯合指導委員會。該公司與SOLV的高級代表將成立聯合指導委員會，帶頭推動創新舉措，重新定義以比特幣為中心的去中心化金融。該委員會將推動SolvBTC在Solana、Base和Ton上的采用，促進市場擴張，並探索現實世界資產代幣化及結構化收益產品等創新金融模式。

——研究與創新合作。雙方計劃共同發布白皮書、市場洞察及研究報告，重點關注企業比特幣應用、質押策略、結構化金融產品及現實資產代幣化等議題。

該協議體現了雙方共同願景：將該公司打造為一家以比特幣為中心的金融企業，結合比特幣資產儲備與創新數字金融戰略。借助SOLV在比特幣流動性聚合與質押方面的專業能力，該公司旨在為股東提供機構級比特幣投資敞口，並在合規框架下實現更高資本效率。雙方一致強調，此次合作將秉持透明治理與合規原則，並遵守SEC和納斯達克的相關要求。

該公司首席執行官Samantha Huang表示：「此次合作是公司發展的關鍵一步，強化了我們的比特幣資產管理戰略，同時讓我們與業內最先進的比特幣流動性與質押平台之一實現了戰略協同。」

SOLV首席執行官Ryan Chow表示：「與Zeta Network Group的合作讓SOLV邁向國際舞台，成為機構進入鏈上金融的橋梁。憑借我們25億美元總鎖倉價值平台在多條鏈上為SolvBTC提供支持，我們正在通過優化收益和符合伊斯蘭教法的跨鏈流動性透明度來革新比特幣管理。這一合作解決了傳統交易所在合規與市場深度方面的痛點，為全球機構無縫擁抱數字資產金融鋪平了道路。」

前瞻性聲明

本新聞稿包含1995年《私人證券訴訟改革法案》定義的前瞻性聲明。這些聲明包括涉及公司的計劃、目標、戰略、未來事件或業績的陳述，以及與歷史事實陳述不同的潛在假設和其他陳述。當該公司使用如「可能」、「將」、「打算」、「應該」、「相信」、「預計」、「計劃」、「目標」、「估計」或類似表述，且這些表述不僅僅涉及歷史事實時,即表示該公司在作出前瞻性陳述。前瞻性聲明並不是對未來業績的保證，涉及風險和不確定性，可能導致實際結果與該公司在前瞻性聲明中討論的預期有重大不同。這些聲明受到不確定性和風險的影響，包括但不限於以下因素：公司戰略與目標的實現情況、未來業務發展、技術變革、經濟狀況、品牌聲譽、競爭與定價壓力、政府監管、Zeta Network Group能否符合納斯達克上市標准以完成其中所考慮的交易以及本文所述的其他風險和不確定性，以及Zeta Network Group不時在其他報告和向美國證券交易委員會提交的其他公開文件中討論的風險和不確定性。出於這些因素，投資者不應對本新聞稿中的前瞻性陳述過於依賴。更多風險因素詳見公司向美國證券交易委員會提交的文件，可於www.sec.gov查閱。除非適用法律、法規或規則要求，該公司無義務公開修訂這些前瞻性聲明，以反映本公告之後發生的事件或情況。

title: Zeta Network Group與SOLV基金會達成戰略合作，推動以比特幣為中心的金融發展


title: Datavault AI 更新 2025 年第四季度展望規劃

content_text:
公司整合四大創新獨立數據交易所，預計為 2025 年第四季度營收帶來貢獻此等交易所可望透過代幣經濟基礎專利強化優勢在頂尖知識產權 (IP) 機構引領下，啟動與頂級銀行聯手的執行計劃

比弗頓，俄勒岡州, Oct. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 在人工智能 (AI) 驅動代幣化及數據盈利化領域的先驅 Datavault AI Inc. (NASDAQ: DVLT)，今天更新其 2025 年第四季度展望及 2026 年營收指引。 公司 2025 年第四季度展望重點包括：

整合四大創新獨立數據交易所擴充專利組合，目前累計超過 70 項專利 / 申請，專注塑造代幣經濟產業更新 2026 年營收指引，全面反映營運與資本支出資金充足擬延攬美國知名高級商業領袖及行業領袖加入 Datavault AI 董事局及顧問委員會

整合四大創新獨立數據交易所

Datavault AI 很榮幸能夠宣佈於特拉華州註冊成立四間企業，將啟動下列破革的獨立數據交易所：International Elements Exchange Inc.、International NIL Exchange Inc.、Information Data Exchange Inc. 及 American Political Exchange Inc.。這些開創性的市場平台將徹底改變關鍵產業中資產代幣化的方式，讓企業、投資者及機構有能力在快速增長的市場中開啟嶄新的價值流。

International Elements Exchange Inc. – 現實世界資產：就未開採黃金、銅礦、其他礦產及碳權等現實世界資產提供代幣化及交易服務。 服務對象包括礦業公司、資源投資者、可持續發展機構及機構交易商。 分析師預測全球代幣化現實世界資產市場規模將在 2030 年或之前突破 16 萬億美元。International NIL Exchange Inc. – 運動與娛樂：透過安全數碼代幣，協助運動員、藝人及權利持有人實現姓名、肖像與形象 (NIL) 盈利化。 服務對象包括職業運動聯盟、大學運動員、經紀機構及支持者。 頂尖研究機構預測美國 NIL 市場將在 2025 年突破 11.4 億美元。Information Data Exchange Inc. – 企業數據盈利化：為金融、醫療保健、零售及科技等領域企業提供安全的數據資產盈利化平台。 分析師預測全球數據盈利化市場將在 2027 年或之前突破 70 億美元。American Political Exchange Inc. – 政治捐獻：運用區塊鏈技術提供公開透明且符合聯邦選舉委員會 (FEC) 規定的政治捐獻，服務對象包括競選活動、捐獻者、倡議團體及監管機構。 據專家計算，美國政治捐獻市場在 2020 年選舉週期總額已超越 140 億美元。

每個交易平台都將由 Houlihan Lokey 進行獨立監管審核，NYIAX 將提供其電子交易技術以及與 Nasdaq 共同擁有的知識產權資產。 隨著美國眾議院通過《數碼資產監管明確化法案》(Clarity Act) 及《指導與建立美國穩定幣國家創新法案》(Genius Act) 提供最新指引，管理層預期將提前於 2025 年底前啟動 International Elements Exchange 及 International NIL Exchange。 穩定幣及加密貨幣在跨境結算方面的應用進展，正為銀行及機構營造更友善的交易環境，公司預期此趨勢快將推展至消費者市場。

強化專利組合及 IP 防禦策略

Datavault AI 的基礎專利組合現已累積超過 70 項專利及多項商業秘密，不僅支撐各交易平台運作，更確立其在代幣經濟領域的領導優勢。 關鍵創新包括但不限於：安全資產代幣化方法 (專利編號： US10,123,456) 、NIL 協議智能合約系統 (專利編號： US10,234,567)、數據估值演算法 (專利編號： US10,345,678) 及區塊鏈政治捐獻系統 (專利編號： US10,456,789)。 此等專利可實現防篡改溯源、自動合規、透明估值及可審計交易。

公司的專利防禦策略聚焦於已啟動或計劃推出代幣交易所的頂級銀行，Datavault AI 認定此等機構侵犯其 IP 和 / 或需要取得技術授權。 為推動此策略，公司已聘請頂尖知識產權律師行保護其 IP，並積極尋求實際可行的專利授權商機。 面對市場不同層面的迅速變化，Datavault AI 已授權 IP 執法行動，在確保資金充足的情況下，亦將評估第三方投資人參與訴訟融資的方案，公司預估相關行動將於 2025 年第四季度展開。

此外，Datavault AI 的技術優勢源自其 Datavalue®、DataScore® 及 Data Vault Bank™ AI 引擎，這些系統引擎均與 IBM 合作開發，而該公司為其白金級合作夥伴。 此等 AI 代理程式規劃售予營運代幣交易所或參與買賣的《財富》100 大企業（例如頂尖銀行或機構），提升代幣化生態系統中的數據評分、價值評估及安全銀行服務。

2025 年第三季度目標及高效能運算策略進度報告

Datavault AI 的加速增長部分，有賴於下列 2025 年第三季度的進展里程碑：

交易市場：四大交易所已註冊成立，監管審查程序亦已啟動。高效運算與 AI：獲得 1.5 億美元比特幣種子輪投資，以簽約日估值計算，將用於開發超級運算能力，包括 IBM 軟件授權。 選址與開發計劃接近最後定案，將為教育、科學、工業及政府領域實現量子級 3D 數碼雙生模擬。收購計劃：基於 AI 投資優先權及股權稀釋疑慮，延遲執行 2025 年關鍵收購項目。 管理層預期於 2025 年第四季度以現金條款完成此交易，以加快整合業務。

更新 2025 年第四季度及 2026 財政年度的營收指引

隨著 Scilex 1.5 億美元策略投資全面到位，多位美國知名商界行政人員及領袖亦計劃於第四季度加入公司董事局及顧問委員會，Datavault 預期將達成或超越 2025 下半年 1,200 萬至 1,500 萬美元的營收指引。

公司對 2026 年營收表現感到樂觀，估計數字將突破原來 4,000 萬至 5,000 萬美元的預期目標。 營收增長推動因素包括產業快速朝向代幣化發展、Datavault AI IP、ADIO® 授權協議，以及與 IBM 白金級合作夥伴關係的影響力。

此指引前提為上述監管審批如期獲批，透過企業量子 Web 3.0 策略、非稀釋性增值收購及跨領域價值驅動合作夥伴關係，強化資產代幣化、數據盈利化及具透明度交易所的發展動力。 公司將於 2026 年隨著營運能見度提升，進一步更新其 2026 年營收指引。

如欲了解更多資訊，請瀏覽 www.dvlt.ai

關於 Datavault AI Inc.

Datavault AI Inc. (NASDAQ: DVLT) 是 AI 驅動區塊鏈解決方案的頂尖機構，專注於數據盈利化、資產代幣化與安全數碼市場。

Datavault AI™ 正引領 AI 驅動的數據體驗、估值及盈利化發展。 該公司的雲端平台提供全方位解決方案，強調整合聲學科學與數據科學部門的合作優勢。 Datavault AI 聲學科學部門擁有 Wisam®、ADIO® 及 Sumerian® 專利技術，以及業內頂尖的空間多通道無線高清 (HD) 音訊傳輸技術，包括音訊時序、同步及多通道干擾消除知識產權 (IP)。 數據科學部門發揮高效能運算技術，提供體驗數據感知、估值及安全盈利化解決方案。 Datavault AI 雲端平台提供滿足多元行業，包括運動與娛樂、活動與場地、生物科技、教育、金融科技、房地產、醫療保健及能源等領域的高效能運算 (HPC) 軟件授權。 Information Data Exchange® (IDE) 實現數碼分身，透過將實體物件安全連結至不可更改的元數據，授權姓名、形象及肖像 (NIL) 使用，促進秉持道德且負責任的 AI 發展。 Datavault AI 技術套件可完全度身打造，提供 AI 及機器學習 (ML) 自動化、第三方整合、詳細分析、市場推廣自動化及廣告監測功能。 公司總部位於俄勒岡州比弗頓。 詳情請瀏覽 www.dvlt.ai。

前瞻性陳述的警示聲明

本新聞稿載有《1995 年私人證券訴訟改革法案》（經修訂）及其他證券法律中所界定的「前瞻性陳述」。 「預期」、「將會」、「預計」、「持續」等詞彙及其變化形式與類似未來或條件性表述，均用於識別前瞻性陳述。 此類前瞻性陳述，包括本文中有關我方業務機會與前景、策略、未來收入預期、未來收購策略與時間表、授權與數據交換計劃、顧問委員會及董事局的擬定變更、專利計劃、專利侵權與專利防禦策略以及專利技術成功實施的陳述，均必然基於估計及假設，儘管本公司及管理層認為合理，但本質上仍存在不確定性。 謹此提醒讀者不應過度依賴這些前瞻性陳述。 實際結果可能因以下各項風險及不確定性（包括但不限於以下因素）而與前瞻性陳述所示存在重大出入： 我們成功運用所有已發出並取得允許通知的知識產權的能力；關於我們能否利用收購所得資產來成功擴大市場份額的風險；我們能夠藉本新聞稿所提及各項專利開闢新收益來源的風險；數據交換獲得監管批准的情況，以及實施此類交易涉及的其他風險； 我們目前的流動性狀況，以及為支援持續營運而獲取額外資金的需要，和 / 或我們將已收購的比特幣變現以及完成最終輪比特幣投資的能力； 整體市場、經濟及其他狀況；我們持續經營的能力；我們維持普通股於 Nasdaq 上市的能力；我們控制成本和實行營運及預算計劃的能力；我們達成財務目標的能力；獲授權方將我方技術應用於其產品的程度（如有）；任何此類實施的時間表；技術創新及知識產權的相關風險，以及我們提交予美國證券交易委員會的文件中更詳盡說明的其他風險。 本新聞稿資訊僅截至發佈當日，除法律規定外，我們概無義務基於新資訊、未來事件或其他情況而更新本文所載的前瞻性陳述。

資料來源：Datavault AI Inc.

媒體查詢marketing@dvlt.ai

投資者聯絡方式800.491.9665datavaultinvestors@allianceadvisors.com


people: 王鴻薇 黃國昌 賴清德 潘孟安

title: 「金屋藏潘」真相曝！胡采蘋3大質問 怒轟王鴻薇和某報長官太噁心

content_text:
意外捲入民眾黨主席黃國昌「養狗仔」風波的前《聯合報》記者侯俐安，7日晚間在臉書發文，還原王鴻薇指控時任總統候選人賴清德競選總幹事潘孟安接受綠能廠商「供養」住豪宅，還丟出偷拍照片抹黑的真相，引發熱議。記者出身的財經網紅胡采蘋看完侯俐安貼文後，提出3大質問，痛批王鴻薇和侯俐安過去的長官「真的太噁心」！

胡采蘋7日深夜在臉書PO文，「剛剛看了聯合報前記者侯俐安的臉書，她說潘孟安『金屋藏潘』的事件始末，看起來這整件事情是這樣的：侯俐安採訪了潘孟安住綠能廠商建案的新聞，寫成報導，但第一時間她已經寫明潘有付租金（每月6.8萬），結果她的主管要求她把這個新聞丟給王鴻薇立委去爆料。到了王鴻薇那邊，王的前助理張凱維去偷拍了很多照片，依照目前線索看起來，應該是拿給黃國昌狗仔隊去偷拍的（謝幸恩），然後王鴻薇看圖說故事，指控潘孟安被廠商供養。」

「問題是一開始侯俐安就有在Line上跟王鴻薇說，潘孟安每個月有付6.8萬租金，結果王鴻薇還硬要說潘孟安被廠商供養，法院判決書有舉證Line對話紀錄，因此王鴻薇才被判賠50萬給潘孟安。而侯俐安不堪獨家被丟給王鴻薇爆料，自己的獨家新聞最後變成跟新聞，平衡報導（付租金）的段落也被放進付費會員區，根本沒有平衡報導。」

胡采蘋接著質問，「第一，王鴻薇這個人真的非常可怕，她還是以前經濟日報的主管，明知消息而隱匿，惡意毀壞別人名聲，你的新聞都是這樣處理的嗎？你以前爆過的料，還糟蹋過多少人？不是每個人都有能力跟大立委對抗的，你就是這樣做事情的嗎？第二，那所以黃國昌集團到底哪裡來的爆料消息呢？是用這種串通報社主管、串通菱傳媒高層，欺壓一線記者，叫別人不准寫，拿別人的獨家過來加工，再跟拍製造成所謂的爆料嗎？這難道就是謝幸恩口口聲聲說的她是公平，她是正義，她是第四權嗎？難道你們是打壓一線記者才拿到的狗仔跟監線索嗎？你們好意思出來發那種聲明？」

「第三，聯合報的這位主管到底是誰，真的應該立刻開除了，以前我在一線時，誰敢奪我獨家，一定是拚生死到底。把一線記者辛苦工作得來的線索，當作送給王鴻薇的禮物，請問聯合報可以這樣坐視自己的獨家報導被主管們流失掉嗎？這個主管做過多少這種事情，他手底下欺負過多少小記者呢？」

最後胡采蘋表示，「我就是從一線小記者一條一條新聞熬出來的，每一個署名、每一個標題、每一塊版面，我老闆有沒有把我的文章亂改，有沒有保護我的獨家，就是這麼一點一滴累積自己的信譽和成就，這是要熬多少年，多少個日子小心翼翼、日夜用功才能出頭，你們這些人做這些事情真的太噁心了，沒有查證流程，沒有機構信用，欺負一線基層，都是一些社會上有名聲的人，結果私底下就是這麼爛。」