countries: 香港 希臘 台灣 馬來西亞 新加坡 美國

taiwan-subdivisions: 臺北 和美

title: 「一代女皇」潘迎紫回娘家 睽違多年為金鐘60盛典登台

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墨新聞｜記者梁偉華／台北報導

凍齡代表潘迎紫睽違多年再度回來台灣、台灣是我娘家、當然要回來 照片提供：三立電視

第60屆節目類及戲劇類金鐘獎頒獎典禮將於10月17日與10月18日兩晚在臺北流行音樂中心盛大登場。典禮將於下午5時舉行星光大道、晚間7時正式揭開序幕，邀請全台觀眾共同見證年度影視盛事。

第60屆金鐘獎典禮的頒獎嘉賓陣容橫跨不同世代與類型，集結最華麗星光。其中，18日登場的戲劇類典禮特別邀請大家心目中永遠的「一代女皇」—潘迎紫，擔任重量級頒獎嘉賓。潘迎紫1984年主演中視古裝劇《神鵰俠侶》中的小龍女，一舉打開在台灣的知名度，隔年更憑藉《一代女皇》中飾演武則天的經典詮釋，奠定「永遠的女皇」地位，之後也陸續演出不少膾炙人口劇集，她細膩的演技與絕美的螢幕形象，至今仍是台灣觀眾心中無可取代的傳奇。潘迎紫的出席象徵戲劇世代的連結與傳承，也讓第60屆金鐘獎更添榮耀與溫度，成為今年典禮最受矚目的亮點之一。

60金鐘獎頒獎嘉賓潘迎紫 照片提供：三立電視

重量級嘉賓潘迎紫睽違多年再度現身媒體，凍齡模樣驚艷全場，笑說：「台灣是我娘家，金鐘邀請我，當然要回來！」潘迎紫堪稱演藝圈「凍齡代表」，多年未公開露面，這次現身引起現場媒體一陣驚呼。1985年，她憑藉中視古裝劇《一代女皇》飾演武則天成為家喻戶曉的傳奇，該劇至今仍是台灣電視史上的經典。她笑說：「《一代女皇》剛好滿40年，金鐘也滿60年，娘家生日，我一定要回來祝賀。」潘迎紫近年潛心修佛，原本規劃金鐘週期間進行為期一週的閉關。「我本來那段時間要閉關，但跟金鐘時間撞期，我問上師怎麼辦，上師說：『你自己決定。』我就說，那我等金鐘結束三天後再閉關。」她笑著說：「閉關很嚴格，要戒食、戒水和禁語但金鐘邀我回娘家，我怎麼能不回來！」

凍齡代表潘迎紫睽違多年再度回來台灣、台灣是我娘家、當然要回來 照片提供：三立電視

她透露自己在拍《一代女皇》前就皈依佛門。「疫情那三年大家都被關在家，佛堂也不能去，我就每天坐在電腦前，跟上師上課，反而修得比以前更多。」她說，修行讓她保持赤子之心，也讓她懂得「相由心生」的重要，「如果心裡老是想報復、算計別人，臉上就會顯現出來。」當年拍《一代女皇》很辛苦，潘迎紫笑說：「導演說我坐上龍椅不夠威風，結果我就狂吃巧克力增肥，吃到腰圍30吋！導播還開玩笑說我像相撲選手。」她透露那段時間「巧克力吃到想吐還硬吞」，但成果驚人，「鏡頭上真的變得威風凜凜，觀眾都很喜歡！」之後為演出《一代公主》，她又在十天內瘦回苗條體態，「那是我演藝生涯最值得的一段。」

凍齡代表潘迎紫睽違多年再度回來台灣、台灣是我娘家、當然要回來 照片提供：三立電視

潘迎紫保養得宜，現場更大秀二頭肌與腿部線條，笑說：「我做運動不是為了漂亮，是為了骨質不疏鬆！」她透露在香港和美國健身房還曾被搭訕：「但我都面無表情假裝沒聽到。」談起飲食，她說自己幾年前看見一段屠宰影片後，決定不再吃牛肉：「以前我最愛牛肉麵，特別是加酸菜，現在一口都不敢吃。」她平常喜歡希臘優格、堅果，也嚴格控制糖分，「以前吃巧克力像戒毒一樣難，現在放我面前都無動於衷。」

潘迎紫睽違多年再度現身與媒體見面 照片提供：三立電視

雖然修行多年，但潘迎紫仍對表演充滿熱情，坦言仍有戲劇邀約。「我很想演反派，但是那種外表看起來很正派、內心很壞的角色。」她笑說：「大陸粉絲都在催我，台灣劇本比較少適合我的角色，但我還是期待有新的挑戰。」談到金鐘當天造型，她笑著說：「我堅持要走星光大道。」她透露戰袍是特地回香港訂製，「今晚十點還要再來定裝，我一定要漂漂亮亮見大家！」潘迎紫以雍容優雅的氣勢回歸金鐘舞台，不僅象徵台灣戲劇的世代傳承，也再度印證她「永遠的女皇」的魅力與風采。

潘迎紫保養得宜、現場更大秀二頭肌與腿部線條 照片提供：三立電視

「第60屆金鐘獎」於臺北流行音樂中心舉行， 10/17為「節目類金鐘獎頒獎典禮」，10/18則是「戲劇類金鐘獎頒獎典禮」，將同步於三立都會台、三立MOD綜合台(節目類)、三立MOD戲劇台(戲劇類)、公視直播；海外觀眾則可透過三立國際台、新加坡STARHUB、馬來西亞UNIFI TV同步收看，亦可透過金鐘獎官方網站、金鐘獎官方YouTube、文化部FB、Vidol YouTube、三立電視YouTube、三立新聞網YouTube、公視點點愛YouTube(手語版)、三立新聞網直播室、中華電信Hami Video、LINE TODAY、LINE TV、公視+等新媒體平台同步收看，還可透過好事989全程收聽頒獎典禮。典禮及金鐘60系列活動詳情請上金鐘獎官方網站查詢（https://gba.tavis.tw/60th）。

此篇文章最開始出處為: 「一代女皇」潘迎紫回娘家 睽違多年為金鐘60盛典登台


countries: 台灣 英國 韓國

title: 地表最強童顏許路兒50歲驚人近照 英韓媒搶報「不老女神」真面目 根本逆生長

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墨新聞｜記者梁偉華／台北報導

地表最強童顏許路兒 50 歲了、體態依舊凍齡到不科學 照片提供：Farcent 法頌

「地表最強童顏」許路兒 50 歲了！但臉蛋、膚質、體態依舊凍齡到不科學，讓網友直呼：「根本逆生長！」她的驚人狀態不只引爆台灣網路，連英國《每日郵報》、韓國版《VOGUE》都專文報導她的保養祕訣，封她為「地表最強不老女神」。

被問到如何維持零瑕疵狀態，她笑著透露：「湯其實很可怕，不易飽又熱量高，所以我晚餐一定不喝湯！」為了維持完美線條，她連無糖茶都不碰，只喝白開水，唯一例外就是每天早晨的一杯黑咖啡，「那是我唯一的儀式感。」

地表最強童顏許路兒 50 歲了、體態依舊凍齡到不科學 照片提供：Farcent 法頌

運動則是她每天的「續命公式」，一定做 50 下仰臥起坐與伏地挺身，不靠健身房也能在家練出緊實線條。「入門的女孩不用一次做完，分兩三輪比較不會受傷。」她強調運動時間也很關鍵：「我真的不建議睡前運動，會影響睡眠！我都是在晚餐前做完，吃東西前動一動，瘦身效果最好！」

她的原則其實早有科學根據～先運動再吃飯，能更快啟動脂肪燃燒機制，也能讓胰島素更靈敏、熱量不容易囤積。許路兒笑說：「這是我維持體態最有效的小祕密，比花錢買保養品還實在！」

地表最強童顏許路兒 50 歲了、體態依舊凍齡到不科學 照片提供：Farcent 法頌

近來她受邀為 Farcent 法頌拍攝全新「髮肌SPA精油洗髮系列」廣告，以自然狀態現身鏡頭，完美詮釋「連頭皮都要逆齡」的理念。她坦言：「細節決定成敗！洗髮不只是例行公事，而是一種讓自己回到中心的儀式。」

法頌這次推出的「髮肌SPA精油洗髮系列」，以專業頭皮養護為核心，讓洗頭變成一場療癒時光。許路兒最愛的款式主打蓬鬆控油效果，蘊含深海藻與天然因子，洗完後頭皮清爽、髮根輕盈不塌，「那種淡淡香氣超療癒，洗頭的時候就像在做精油SPA，一下子就進入自己的MeTime。」若遇上染後或髮尾偏乾時，她則會改用含有平衡酵母與賦活胜肽的修護款，「能讓髮絲柔順卻不會太滋潤，頭頂依舊有空氣感。」而含珍稀復活草的強健配方，更能從髮根強化結構，讓頭皮長時間維持健康狀態。

地表最強童顏許路兒 50 歲了、體態依舊凍齡到不科學 照片提供：Farcent 法頌

「連洗頭都變成自我對話的一部分，散發的不只是光澤，還是一種來自內在的自信。」她最後也提醒粉絲：「洗完頭一定要吹乾頭皮，不要讓它悶著；飲食要均衡，也要定期清潔梳子，這些小細節，和好的洗髮產品一樣重要。」對許路兒來說，美不是表面，而是一種生活哲學。

Farcent 法頌「髮肌SPA精油洗髮系列」即日起於各大美妝通路上市，讓每一次洗頭都能成為一場自信、療癒、專屬於自己的時尚SPA時光。

此篇文章最開始出處為: 地表最強童顏許路兒50歲驚人近照 英韓媒搶報「不老女神」真面目 根本逆生長


title: 「鼓舞青春、榮光再現」　高雄榮家勇奪全國競賽冠軍

taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄 獅子 板橋

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▼高雄榮家「榮光快樂非洲鼓團隊」從全國600多個參賽隊伍中一路過關斬將脫穎而出，勇奪大賽冠軍。（圖／高雄榮譽國民之家）

【記者何勁陞／高雄報導】 高雄榮家「榮光快樂非洲鼓團隊」參加2025年衛福部國民健康署主辦的活躍老化競賽-阿公阿嬤活力SHOW，團員們帶著滿滿的活力與自信登上舞台，展現不凡的生命力及熱情，在10月15日板樹體育館的全國競賽中，從全國600多個參賽隊伍中一路過關斬將脫穎而出，勇奪大賽冠軍。這場賽事不僅彰顯了高雄榮家長輩半年多來的辛勤努力，更深刻反映出銀髮族群的無限魅力。

本次活躍老化競賽，旨在展現長者的活力、體力與腦力，並鼓勵長輩們透過舞蹈、音樂、體適能等多元表演，展現健康自信。高雄榮家憑藉堅強的實力，從地方到全國激烈的競爭中勇奪金牌，也為長輩們帶來無比的榮耀。

更值得一提的是，國軍退除役官兵輔導委員會嚴德發主任委員親自率領業務主管、板橋榮家團隊、北部地區首長及高雄榮家長輩們組成號稱地表最強加油團，為參賽團員加油打氣；這股支持的力量，為高雄榮家帶來了無比的鼓舞，並激發了長者們的無限熱情和活力，帶動了現場歡樂、振奮人心的氣氛。每一聲呐喊、每一個加油動作，都讓榮家長輩們信心滿滿，更激勵團隊士氣，活力四射撼動全場。

高雄榮家主任郭豫臨表示「榮光快樂非洲鼓隊」自3月開始便緊鑼密鼓的進行練習，除了結合了榮家兩大樂齡社團《快樂非洲鼓》和《活力廣場舞》，並為比賽特別增添了充滿青春活力的旗舞隊和展現健康體適能的隊伍，創造出一個多元且充滿朝氣的表演隊伍。值得一提的是，編曲由卓著音樂教育的韓韓老師負責，動感十足的《獅子王》、氣勢磅礡的《旗開得勝》以及節奏感十足的《台灣尚勇》都讓舞台上的長輩們更加閃耀。再加上詹麗雲老師設計的體適能動作，將健康與活力完美融合，讓整場演出充滿了動感與樂趣。

比賽中令人為之動容的是高齡長輩們的燦爛笑容，90歲優雅動人的非洲鼓團長仲媽媽，還有本次榮獲敬老獎的2位長輩，823戰役的老英雄96歲蘇阿伯，海軍健兒98歲的祖爺爺則以矯健的身姿展示高齡健康的指標。他們的參與也是團隊凝聚力量的精神象徵；透過這次活動更提供了長者們展現健康、熱情與夢想的舞台。更鼓舞長者在生活中持續的運動、學習與社會參與，促進長者們持續保持身心健康，實踐自我價值；平時團練在過程中團員們建立起深厚的友情與支持。正如高雄榮家所秉持的理念「在地老化、活躍老化」，透過家庭般溫馨的環境和無微不至的關懷，讓每一位長者都能夠活出自信、舞出精彩。

高雄榮家將持續攜手社會資源，強化長者的社會參與，為實現幸福榮家、友善樂齡的目標不斷向前挺進。每一次的努力，都是一個更美好的開始，讓我們共同期待更多的“榮光”與“快樂”，在每一位長者的生命中閃耀光芒。


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墨新聞｜記者鄭富鈺／綜合報導

臺北市「金輪獎」頒獎典禮今年邁入第30屆，北市交通局說，這個里程碑不僅別具意義，更是向30年來所有為臺北交通默默付出的無名英雄們致敬。每一個堅守崗位、無私奉獻的身影，因為有您們，臺北交通才能有序、安全又友善。

交通局說，今年共有177位個人與團體榮獲金輪獎殊榮，由李四川副市長親自頒獎表揚，向這些默默付出的英雄們，致上最高的感謝。獲獎者包含：7位資深典範職業汽車駕駛人、82位優良職業汽車駕駛人、14位績優導護志工、15位績優導護教師、19所績優學校、20位績優義交，以及4位今年首度納入表揚的交通安全宣講人員。此外，還有4組優良交通安全團體與12家優良計程車團體，透過公私協力的合作，共同守護市民的交通安全。

副市長李四川親自頒獎表揚，向這些默默付出的英雄們，致上最高的感謝。李四川表示，公車與計程車駕駛的工作時間長，每天面對高強度的複雜交通環境，這是一份高風險且勞心勞力的工作，容不得一絲鬆懈。臺北市與新北市今年首度攜手推出公車AI-「阿明站長」服務，將民眾經常詢問的問題交由AI來協助處理，除了提升搭乘公車的便利性，讓駕駛長能夠全心全意地專注於行車安全上，不僅提升了公車的服務品質，也保障了所有用路人的安全。

李四川表示，公車與計程車駕駛的工作時間長，每天面對高強度的複雜交通環境，這是一份高風險且勞心勞力的工作，容不得一絲鬆懈。臺北市今年以「我看得見您 您看得見我 See & Be Seen」作為交通安全宣導主軸。這句話不僅是提醒，更是一種人與人之間互相尊重的溫度。呼籲所有駕駛與行人，在道路上多一份「看見彼此」的意識與尊重，讓「停讓」成為臺北街頭最動人的風景，共同創造一個「人本共好」的城市。

副市長李四川再次向所有交安英雄們，致上最深的感謝。他說，因為有他們，每一位市民朋友才能安心出門，並在他們的守護下，踏上平安回家的路。未來，大家持續攜手並進，共同打造一個更美好、更友善的宜居臺北！

此篇文章最開始出處為: 177人獲殊榮！北市金輪獎表彰交通貢獻者

taiwan-subdivisions: 新北市 臺北市

title: 177人獲殊榮！北市金輪獎表彰交通貢獻者


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墨新聞｜記者梁偉華／台北報導

吳克群生日當天甜蜜上線、用音樂為自己獻上一份最真摯的生日禮物 照片提供：六度空間

吳克群推出全新個人專輯首波浪漫主打〈沒了命愛你〉，將於 10 月 18 日生日當天甜蜜上線，用音樂為自己獻上一份最真摯的生日禮物，歌曲以動人旋律與深情歌詞，唱出他對「愛」的浪漫信仰，也為粉絲帶來滿滿愛意的音樂驚喜。

在歌曲正式發布前，〈沒了命愛你〉已於多場素人婚禮中「驚喜首唱」。吳克群不僅不收演出費，還親自隨禮 999 元，寓意「長長久久」，為新人送上祝福。期間，他更為 26 歲胃癌晚期女子「大福」籌辦婚禮，坦言：「希望婚禮成為她的止痛劑。」這份對愛的真誠與炙熱，也成為新歌創作的靈感來源。

吳克群生日當天甜蜜上線、用音樂為自己獻上一份最真摯的生日禮物 也照片提供：六度空間新歌由吳克群親自包辦詞曲，核心圍繞「當世界被數字與速度佔據時，人類仍堅守真摯情感」，傳遞「即便生命短暫，也要熱烈去愛」的信念。歌詞中巧妙嵌入 24 個「愛」字，呼應一天 24 小時與一年 24 節氣，象徵愛在時光中循環不息，讓整首歌成為屬於愛的浪漫宣言。

〈沒了命愛你〉作為全新專輯首彈主打，延續〈相信愛情的笨蛋〉與〈愛盡餘生〉，構成吳克群「相信愛情」三部曲的終章。歌曲融合 Indie Pop 與迷幻英倫搖滾元素，以電吉他為主線、復古合成器點綴，層次豐富。從編曲、人聲到混音處理皆極具細節，用音樂描繪生命的四季流轉與情感的無常與恆久。

吳克群生日當天甜蜜上線、用音樂為自己獻上一份最真摯的生日禮物 照片提供：六度空間在創作上，主歌與 pre-chorus 融入「被冰凍萬年後的蜉蝣一日」意象，象徵「朝生暮死卻仍悠游」的溫柔宿命。人聲混響於多處語句設計不同延遲與空間層次，時而如耳邊呢喃，時而似深夜仰望星空的嘆息，傳遞生命短暫如「一呼一吸之間」的消散感。副歌鼓聲如春雷炸響，帶出強烈搖滾能量，宣洩「哪怕生命短暫如蜉蝣，也要像燈蛾撲火那樣去愛」的熱烈情緒。最後兩小節中，所有樂器逐漸消散，僅餘鼓聲殘響，與開場首尾呼應——象徵「愛不會隨生命的消散而終結」。

吳克群生日當天甜蜜上線、用音樂為自己獻上一份最真摯的生日禮物 照片提供：六度空間

吳克群以〈沒了命愛你〉為「相信愛情」三部曲畫下句點，也以一場關於愛與真心的音樂旅程，完成他一生的浪漫信仰。〈沒了命愛你〉將於 10 月 18 日甜蜜上線，全新專輯其他九首作品也將陸續發布，持續延伸屬於吳克群的音樂告白—願人類重新相信愛情。

此篇文章最開始出處為: 吳克群選擇生日當天甜蜜上線 唱出愛的浪漫信仰 願人類重新相信愛情

title: 吳克群選擇生日當天甜蜜上線 唱出愛的浪漫信仰 願人類重新相信愛情


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墨新聞｜記者鄭富鈺／綜合報導

沒有家屬可繼承照顧的橘貓芬達，經北市動保處於9月2日開放認養，在收容所生活約一個月後，牠已成功找到新主人，開啟牠溫暖的新生活，實踐「浪愛延續」。動保處同時藉此呼籲，飼主應及早安排接手照護人，若寵物登記飼主不幸離世，家屬應盡快攜帶相關文件至本市寵物登記站辦理飼主資訊變更，避免毛孩無依無靠被迫進入動物之家，讓愛不因生離而中斷。

芬達已成功找到新主人，開啟牠溫暖的新生活。［圖片動保處提供］北市動保處說，民眾在今年8月15日發現臺北市內湖區民權東路上有隻帶項圈的橘貓，疑似走失，通報臺北市動物保護處救援，並送到臺北市動物之家收容安置。經動保處調查結果發現寵物登記飼主已經過世，也沒有家屬可繼承照顧橘貓。動保處於是暫時收養，在收容所生活約一個月後，芬達除已成功找到新主人，更開啟牠溫暖的新生活。

北市動保處表示，臺北市動物之家收容的貓隻已高達360隻待認養，其中大約有20隻是很多民眾喜歡的橘貓，但不是每隻橘貓都適合馬上帶回家。透過動保處志工向有意認養之民眾推薦意外成為街貓的芬達，讓在少數橘貓中，親人活潑性格的「芬達」可以找到屬於牠第2個家，其過程體現了志工的努力與認養人的愛心。

愛臺北市動物之家收容的貓隻已高達360隻待認養，其中大約有20隻是很多民眾喜歡的橘貓，但不是每隻橘貓都適合馬上帶回家。［圖片動保處提供］該處指出，這隻重達6公斤、年約7歲的橘貓，初到動物之家時曾因陌生環境而緊張蜷縮；但在志工們的耐心陪伴與引導下，牠很快敞開心房，展現出親人又活潑的本性。芬達在送養前已完成絕育、驅蟲與疫苗接種，且貓愛滋與貓白血檢查均為陰性，是個健康的親人寶寶。動保處樂見芬達找到幸福，並持續為動物之家內其他等待認養的貓咪尋覓新家。

動保處誠摯邀請市民前往臺北市動物之家（內湖區安美街191號），將愛延續給更多等待中的毛孩，實踐「浪愛延續」。為鼓勵市民接棒守護，成功認養者可享有終身免費狂犬病疫苗接種、寵物保險及健康檢查等福利。

此篇文章最開始出處為: 橘貓「芬達」因主人身故流落街頭 北市動保處助牠延續浪愛

title: 橘貓「芬達」因主人身故流落街頭　北市動保處助牠延續浪愛

taiwan-subdivisions: 成功 臺北市 內湖區


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墨新聞｜記者鄭富鈺／綜合報導

「2025臺北國際滑水公開賽」將於10月17至19日社子島迎星碼頭盛大展開。本賽事由「運動部」及「臺北市政府」指導，並由「中華民國滑水總會」、「臺北市政府體育局」及「臺北市滑水協會」共同主辦，吸引來自13個國家地區，114位滑水好手蒞臨臺北、同場獻技，賽事期間將會有各國好手展現滑水精湛技術。

美國六次世界冠軍知名選手Sean Silveira。［圖片北市滑水協會提供］作為臺灣規模最大的國際滑水賽事，今年將迎來第十屆賽事，賽項包括寬板滑水和快艇衝浪等多項競技，賽事總獎金禮品高達百萬元，除了有來自臺灣被稱為「快艇衝浪女神」且於2023 CWSA WORLD TOUR世界巡迴賽日本站Master Woman Surf獲得冠軍的陳美彤、美國六次世界冠軍知名選手Sean Silveira、世界運動會SKIM銅牌選手HIN、還有來自日本Kenta Nakayama等頂尖好手，賽事更串聯不同年齡層的滑水愛好者，參賽年齡層範圍廣，其中最年長的參賽選手高達81歲，最年幼的僅有8歲。

來自日本的選手Kenta Nakayama。［圖片北市滑水協會提供］本次賽事期間同時結合「2025臺北河岸攝影比賽」，邀請數百位攝影師前來參與，捕捉臺灣水岸的獨特魅力和力量，讓滑水的熱情與攝影的藝術完美結合，宣傳臺北河岸風光。10月18日至19日週末兩日，於石牌捷運站1號出口安排接駁車，歡迎市民一同來社子島迎星碼頭觀賽，為選手加油打氣。

臺灣選手王百毫。［圖片北市滑水協會提供］臺北市水域活動蓬勃發展，在貫穿首都的基隆河、淡水河上，都有許多適宜發展水上活動的區域，如全國最大規模夏季盛事「臺北國際龍舟錦標賽」於迎風碼頭舉辦，便年年吸引眾多好手參賽。

特別感謝企業一同成為選手們的最佳夢想推手及投入賽事贊助，包含嘻嘻哈哈國際滑水學校、havaianas、雀客藏居、OOH!EAU!、臺北陽明扶輪社、OPI、RF萊法耶、綠舞國際觀光飯店、RedBull、Muiiswim、Bolong、蔓朵、天璣生技科技股份有限公司、鼎鼎集團、鍋寶、華夏書院、SISIWAKE、蓮潭滑水主題樂園、吉田開發建設機構、NAMUA那木瓦香氛、德州美墨炸雞、大成益活雞、All Good Gene’s好菌好俊康普茶、Orion、永慶房屋、SUZUKI、碩隆精密、MALIBU、Axis、堺整骨院及德立斯科技股份有限公司及MIC聯榮投資股份有限公司。

活動官網：https://2025-taipei-wake-open-xldr79r.gamma.site

活動接駁：2025年10月18日至10月19日石牌捷運站1號出口

此篇文章最開始出處為: 13國滑水好手齊聚社子島 8歲小將到81歲長者同場較勁

countries: 日本 中華民國 臺灣 美國

taiwan-subdivisions: 基隆 臺北市 臺北 水上 淡水

title: 13國滑水好手齊聚社子島　8歲小將到81歲長者同場較勁


countries: 德國 美國 台灣 歐盟

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墨新聞｜記者梁偉華／台北報導

「kokozi」這個名字，源自韓文「從前從前」的意思。（圖：kokozi ）

在這個充斥著平板、手機與電視螢幕的 3C 時代，許多父母正面臨同一個難題：如何在數位洪流中，為孩子保留一片純淨的成長空間？兒童智慧故事屋品牌 kokozi，以「聲音」為媒介，為現代家庭帶來溫柔而有力的解答。即日起至 11 月，kokozi 首度在台灣南部設立快閃店，地點選在台南南紡購物中心，邀請南台灣的家庭一起體驗這場「聲音陪伴」的親子革命。

「kokozi」這個名字，源自韓文「從前從前」的意思。品牌創辦人 Angela Jihee Park 回憶起童年時光，每當她不想睡覺，就會偷偷溜進爺爺奶奶的房間，聽爺爺即興編織的神奇故事。那些充滿智慧與愛的聲音，不僅伴隨她進入夢鄉，也在她心中種下想像力的種子。

「從前從前」的聲音魔法、智慧互動故事屋 kokozi 首度進駐台南。（圖：kokozi ）

疫情期間，身為母親的 Angela 開始關注全球兒童螢幕時間過長的問題。她注意到歐美家庭逐漸轉向有聲內容作為更健康的替代方案，而研究也證實，聽覺刺激對孩子的認知、情緒與社交發展都有深遠影響。擁有豐富新創經驗的她，決定將對聲音的熱愛與專業結合，創立了 kokozi。

kokozi 的核心產品「kokozi 智慧互動故事屋」，由 kokozi house(智慧播放器)、arti(有聲角色)、app(聲音內容平台)三大元素組成，就像一座「聲音博物館」，讓孩子透過聆聽快樂探索世界，啟發無限想像力。這項創新設計獲得國際與在地雙重肯定，榮獲德國紅點設計獎，以及台灣「2025 親子安心好玩具大賞」最佳人氣獎，深受亞洲超過數十萬家庭的信賴。

kokozi 於台南南紡購物中心設立快閃店，希望讓更多家庭親身體驗聲音的魔力。（圖：kokozi ）

每個 arti 就像一把魔法鑰匙，當孩子將它放到 kokozi house 上，就會解鎖專屬的故事、歌曲或學習內容。父母也可以透過 app 錄製自己的聲音，讓聆聽體驗充滿情感溫度。「我們相信，孩子需要的不只是被動接收資訊，更需要獨立選擇的能力，」Angela 強調。當孩子自己挑選 arti、播放想聽的內容時，那份小小的自主感，正是建立自信的重要開始。而有聲內容不需要盯著螢幕，孩子能在聆聽的同時和家人互動、自由玩耍，或安靜地想像，這種自由而豐富的體驗，正是情感與創造力成長的養分。

kokozi 兒童智慧故事屋以「聲音」為媒介、為現代家庭帶來溫柔而有力的解答「聲音陪伴」的親子革命。(圖： kokozi)

身為父母，Angela 深知家長對兒童產品的重視。因此 kokozi 從設計之初就將安全性列為首要考量。所有產品均採用通過認證的兒童安全材質，並符合台灣及國際標準（包括歐盟 CE、RoHS 與美國 FCC 等）。arti 及播放器皆採用圓角設計，無尖銳邊角或可拆卸小零件；智慧播放器也設有音量限制，保護孩童聽力健康。每一個 arti 在正式推出前，都經過團隊多輪安全審查。

內容方面，kokozi 台灣與超過 20 家在地頂尖幼教品牌合作，包括康軒、牛頓、格林文化、金格音樂、MOMO 親子台等，並攜手知名創作者如叮噹媽咪的《聽說有故事》、台灣吧的《小黑啤母語故事》、廣播金鐘獎得主《欖仁媽媽說故事》等，提供高品質有聲內容。此外，所有 kokozi 原創內容皆由台灣專業配音員與一流製作團隊打造，確保每一段聲音都經得起孩子反覆聆聽。

孩子被各種視覺、數位刺激包圍、但他們真正缺乏的是想像、思考與認真聆聽的空間。（圖：kokozi ）

台灣是 kokozi 重要的市場，進入至今約一年。Angela 觀察到，台灣家庭對孩子的教育與成長投入許多心力，不只父母參與，祖父母、姑姑叔叔也常一起為孩子挑選學習內容。她也發現，這裡的家長對英語內容有很高的需求，許多家庭希望在日常生活中自然融入英文學習。而父母更傾向鼓勵孩子自己選擇 arti，藉此培養獨立性與自信心，這與 kokozi 的品牌理念不謀而合。

「我們希望將台灣打造成華語內容的創作中心，」Angela 說，「這裡擁有豐富的文化底蘊與優秀的創作人才，我們期待未來能讓更多台灣的高品質兒童內容，透過 kokozi 傳遞到全世界。」

此篇文章最開始出處為: 榮獲德國紅點設計獎 kokozi 智慧互動故事屋 首度進駐台南打造無螢幕的親子時光


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▼所幸員警及時尋獲及安置，才避免婦人流浪街頭，婦人丈夫趕抵時，對員警的積極與熱心表達萬分感謝。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局枋寮分局）

【記者何勁陞／潮州報導】 屏東縣政府警察局枋寮分局枋寮派出所副所長陳京宗、警員方致舜日前執行巡邏勤務，發現一名年約60歲婦人於超商外徘徊，且面容憔悴疲憊，員警立即主動上前關懷。

婦人自述在等待親友，但言談間無法明確表達親友姓名及聯繫方式，且身上手機、證件等均未攜帶。員警研判婦人顯有智能障礙情形，便以警政資訊系統進行查詢，赫然發現她不僅領有身心障礙證明，更被通報為緊急協尋失蹤人口。經瞭解該婦人在清晨即趁家人不備時獨自離家，從屏東縣新埤鄉住家徒步遊蕩至枋寮，路途長達11公里。所幸員警及時尋獲及安置，才避免婦人流浪街頭，婦人丈夫趕抵時，對員警的積極與熱心表達萬分感謝。

枋寮分局長盧恒隆表示，同仁發揮服務熱忱，積極主動，充分展現警察積極助人的形象，殊值嘉勉。另提醒家中如有年長或精神狀況不佳者，應避免讓其單獨外出，或佩戴附有聯絡方式的配件，以利警方迅速辨識身分及聯繫家屬。

taiwan-subdivisions: 潮州 屏東縣 新埤 枋寮

title: 身障婦獨自離家迷途　枋警即刻救援照亮歸途


references: 網友 臉書

taiwan-subdivisions: 里港 屏東縣 高雄

title: Black pink旋風襲台　里港警提醒小心購票詐騙

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▼臉書購買Black pink演唱會門票遭詐騙，損失新台幣7600元，分局特別提醒民眾網路購票要謹慎小心。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局里港分局）

【記者何勁陞／里港報導】 里港警分局大平派出所近日受理吳姓民眾報案，於臉書購買Black pink演唱會門票遭詐騙，損失新台幣7600元，分局特別提醒民眾網路購票要謹慎小心，避免遭詐。

這起詐騙爲被害人在自己臉書貼文要找高雄場black pink的演唱會門票，遂有不認識的網友私訊被害人，稱手中有搶到二張演唱會預售票，被害人於是轉帳7600元至歹徒提供的銀行帳戶，並約定一同至機台領取實體門票時交付，後又稱已將實體演唱會門票取出，約定於里港公園前交付，惟一直未出現並將FB帳號刪除，被害人才驚覺受騙並報案。

里港警分局提醒，熱門演唱會門票相當搶手，轉讓商機甚大，也因此有歹徒藉機詐騙，臉書有許多利用民眾急需購買熱門演唱會門票的求票、讓票、換票、代購社團，遭詐騙的風險性相當高，建議選擇具有審核機制的網站購買，善用第三方支付，匯款前仔細確認交易對象及商品，以免受詐。


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「我們的研究發現，在現今世代，大眾不但未能對獲取潔淨食水感到安穩，反而對有毒污染物和乾旱、水災等天氣災害的憂慮正與日俱增。許多人同時質疑地方政府及公用事業機構有否採取足夠措施，保護社區免受水相關問題的影響，」Kemira 執行副總裁，Tuija Pohjolainen-Hiltunen 表示，「對水務業界而言，《Kemira 水資源指數》印證了社區對保育本地水資源的公眾教育、針對水利基建的關鍵投資，以及由政府牽頭為未來作準備的行動，均有迫切需求。」

主要研究重點

食水供應與其脆弱性：由於極端天氣事件和水源中人為污染物的水平因地區而異，《Kemira 水資源指數》調查點明了哪些與水相關的問題最令公眾擔憂。

綜合調查結果顯示，大多數人 (91%) 對其所在地區與氣候變化相關的問題感到擔憂，而全球氣溫上升是美國 (54%) 和歐洲 (59%) 受訪者的首要關注點。隨著氣候憂慮加劇，超過一半 (53%) 的受訪者認為他們所在的地區尚未就氣候相關挑戰作好準備。超過一半的受訪者 (62%) 曾親身經歷與水相關的問題，例如水災 (20%)、乾旱 (16%) 或供水服務完全中斷 (12%)。許多受訪者 (85%) 期望當局投放更多資源為其社區應對水災作準備，並有 (84%) 受訪者認為他們所在的地區應改善對未來乾旱和缺水問題的規劃。在水污染方面，細菌或病毒是美國和歐洲最多受訪者的首要憂慮（分別為 40% 和 39%）。相比藥物或藥品殘留（分別為 19% 和 21%），更多美國和歐洲的受訪者憂慮 PFAS 或「永久化學物」（分別為 22% 和 27%）。

用水與管理：各地區的用水行為和偏好因應當地文化及主要行業而大相逕庭。家庭正努力以顯而易見的方式節約用水，但結果反映出公眾明顯缺乏關於有效監察如何幫助人們更可持續地管理用水方面的教育。

只有 26% 的美國受訪者信賴並以自來水為主要飲用水源——這與歐洲形成鮮明對比，在10個國家的受訪者中，有 70% 的人更喜歡飲用自來水。絕大多數受訪者 (91%) 表示在家中採取了一項或多項節水措施——然而，超過三分之一 (36%) 的人並無監察其家居用水量。歐洲和美國受訪者的主要節水習慣包括刷牙時關掉水龍頭（分別為 65% 和 49%）、集齊一機衣物或碗碟才使用洗衣機及洗碗機（分別為 54% 和 42%）以及縮短淋浴時間（分別為 52% 和 41%）。在使用自來水方面，更多歐洲受訪者用它來煮食 (86%) 和清潔家居 (77%)，多於美國受訪者（分別為 68% 和 58%）；數據亦顯示，更多美國受訪者使用自來水照顧寵物 (39%) 和澆灌花園或草坪 (35%)，多於歐洲受訪者（分別為 29% 和 27%）。

風險、政策與觀感：政府在水資源抗逆力方面扮演著關鍵角色。從執行法規、制定有效規劃以至推行公眾教育，其政策最終決定了水資源風險會否演變成危機。

儘管對水風險有重大擔憂，但各地的家居應急準備程度卻出乎意料地低——只有 7% 的美國受訪者和僅 4% 的歐洲受訪者表示他們已制定周詳的水資源應急計劃，並有大量的後備食水或替代水源。 近半數的歐美受訪者共同認為，政府主導的措施在應對水災 (47%) 和規劃乾旱 (46%) 方面有待改善。兩大洲的大多數受訪者 (77%) 支持對工業實施更嚴格的用水規定。然而，雖然 69% 的歐洲受訪者贊成強制規定家用電器的用水效益標準，但 66% 的美國受訪者表示反對。

能力與投資：《Kemira 2025 年水資源指數》顯示，像挪威及其北歐鄰國這樣以其具前瞻性的規劃及投資而聞名的國家，在水資源抗逆力方面表現出色。反之，當供水系統和基建被忽視時，社區將面臨更大的風險。

無論在管道、水庫和水處理等基建的實際投資如何，只有 17% 的歐洲國家受訪者和 27% 的美國受訪者對其所在地區給予高度評價，反映出相關工作仍需加強。消費者本身未必願意透過繳交更高水費來作出貢獻，只有 11% 的歐洲受訪者和 22% 的美國受訪者表示願意為優質食水支付更高費用。然而，超過一半的美國 (58%) 和歐洲 (54%) 受訪者表示，他們的消費決定有機會受到產品「水足跡」資訊的影響。大部分歐美受訪者 (72%) 共同支持其政府立法規定所有新住宅和建築物必須安裝節水裝置。

「公用事業機構一直致力在遵從決策者制定的動態規則及要求的同時，投資於技術改良，並維持相宜的用戶成本，當中困難重重，」Pohjolainen-Hiltunen 補充說，「單靠他們並不足夠。因此，政府和公用事業機構必須合作，在氣候危機惡化前，制定監管標準以保障食水安全並升級系統。企業和消費者也必須盡一己之責，在家庭和社區中培養『惜水』習慣，以守護我們最珍貴的資源。」

如欲了解更多關於《Kemira 2025 年水資源指數》的資訊或下載報告，請瀏覽 kemira.com/water-index-2025。

編輯垂注

該調查由 Kemira 委託，並由 Ipsos 於 2025 年 7 月進行。研究樣本包括來自丹麥、芬蘭、法國、德國、意大利、挪威、西班牙、瑞典、荷蘭、英國，以及美國亞利桑那州、加州、佛羅里達州、喬治亞州、伊利諾伊州、密歇根州、明尼蘇達州、紐約州、南卡羅萊納州和德州的14,000名消費者。

Kemira 是為水密集型產業提供可持續化學解決方案的全球領導者。我們提供量身定制的產品和服務，以改善我們多元化客戶的產品質量、流程和資源效率。我們的重點是水處理，以及纖維和可再生解決方案——為我們的客戶實現可持續轉型。2024年，Kemira 公布的年收入為 29 億歐元，全球團隊約有 4,700 名同事。Kemira 於赫爾辛基納斯達克上市 www.kemira.com。

如需更多資訊，請聯絡：

Kemira OyjGreg Morrison傳訊總監電話：+31 621 628 423[email protected]

Jennifer Blackburn傳訊經理（美洲）電話：+1 404 434 6592[email protected]

Jenni Vuorela傳訊經理（歐洲）電話：+358 40 186 4094[email protected]

title: 最新研究：Kemira 2025 年水資源指數揭示水資源抗逆力存嚴重弱點，消費者應急準備不足情況令人憂慮

countries: 荷蘭 美國 德國 丹麥 喬治亞 挪威 芬蘭 英國 瑞典 法國 西班牙


taiwan-subdivisions: 潮州 屏東縣 成功 中山

title: 潮州警感謝陳宗廷議員熱心轉介　促成企業愛心捐贈民力團隊

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▼自局長甘炎民上任以來，積極推動科技偵查的應用，期能強化警察執勤效能，提升整體治安維護能量。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局潮州分局）

【記者何勁陞／潮州報導】 潮州警察分局表示，感謝陳宗廷議員熱心協助，促成牛頭牌工廠捐贈健康拖鞋予本分局民防、義警、義交、志工及潮州警友辦事處等民力團隊，讓長期投入基層治安及交通工作的民力夥伴們倍感溫馨。

潮州分局指出，民力團隊平日積極協助警方執行治安、交通與防災等各項勤務，為地方安全默默奉獻。此次牛頭牌工廠在陳宗廷議員的轉介下，以實際行動支持警政工作，不僅展現企業的社會責任，也傳遞出濃厚的地方關懷與支持。

分局長林俊雄特別代表全體員警與民力團隊，向陳宗廷議員及牛頭牌工廠表達誠摯感謝，並表示這份愛心捐贈不僅是物資上的鼓勵，更是對基層警政工作最大的肯定與鼓舞。

潮州警運用科技協尋輕生男子 獲警政署肯定頒奬勵金

▼運用科技偵查方式，於潮州鎮民治路與萬年路口一帶，成功尋獲通報欲輕生之50歲男子，及時挽救一條寶貴生命。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局潮州分局）

屏東縣政府警察局潮州分局中山路派出所警員謝松霖、林屏雯及潘盈如，於114年9月份執行巡邏勤務期間，運用科技偵查方式，於潮州鎮民治路與萬年路口一帶，成功尋獲通報欲輕生之50歲男子，及時挽救一條寶貴生命。該起事件不僅深受家屬感激，更獲得媒體廣泛報導與社會肯定。

為表彰三位員警積極執勤、熱心助人的優異表現，警政署特派駐區潘志成督察於昨（13）日至潮州分局，代表署長親自頒發奬勵金，以資鼓勵，肯定基層員警在第一線的奉獻與努力。

自局長甘炎民上任以來，積極推動科技偵查的應用，期能強化警察執勤效能，提升整體治安維護能量。潮州分局長林俊雄表示，員警能靈活運用科技偵查工具，迅速掌握線索、及時挽救生命，充分展現警察維護治安與守護民眾安全的專業精神。

熱心民眾拾金不昧 潮警協助失主17萬元物歸原主

▼警方隨即陪同吳男返所確認，經清點後皮夾內新台幣17萬元現金均未短少。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局潮州分局）

潮州分局四林派出所所長莊賜文及警員陳佾宬日前執行巡邏勤務時，發現兩名男子騎乘機車雙載行經路段時左顧右盼、神情緊張，警方直覺可疑遂上前攔查。

經盤查了解，當事人57歲的吳姓男子表示，當日下午16時30分許於潮州鎮一間萊爾富超商提領現金約新台幣17萬元，準備支付汽車維修款項，未料抵達現場準備付款時，才發現找不到皮夾。吳男心急如焚，遂沿路騎車尋找，並向警方說明情形，希望能協助調閱監視器尋回遺失錢包。

警方聽聞後立即協助調閱沿線監視器畫面，過程中發現疑似有民眾拾獲皮夾。正當警方持續追查拾獲者行蹤時，派出所內傳來好消息—有熱心民眾將撿到的錢包親送至派出所招領。警方隨即陪同吳男返所確認，經清點後皮夾內新台幣17萬元現金均未短少。

吳男對警方的積極協助與陳姓民眾的誠信拾金不昧深表感謝，並表示相當感動。潮州分局表示，警方除持續維護治安與交通外，也將秉持為民服務的精神，隨時提供民眾協助，共同營造安全、友善的生活環境。

小小警察出任務 潮幼園童參訪潮州警分局歡笑滿滿

▼潮州鎮立幼兒園小班生共三班、約100位可愛學童，於日前上午在老師與家長的陪同下開心參訪潮州分局。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局潮州分局）

潮州鎮立幼兒園小班生共三班、約100位可愛學童，於日前上午在老師與家長的陪同下開心參訪潮州分局。平均年齡僅3至4歲的小朋友們，在參訪過程中充滿驚奇與歡笑，讓整個警局洋溢著童言童語與溫馨氣氛。

活動共分三個體驗站：第一站由員警介紹巡邏汽車，小朋友們還能親自上車試乘，化身「小小警察」；第二站參觀人犯拘留室，讓孩子們了解警察執勤環境；第三站則展示防彈衣、頭盔及反光背心等警用裝備，孩子們看得目不轉睛，不時驚呼「哇～好酷喔！」

在各站參觀同時，員警也向學童宣導交通安全、反毒及婦幼安全等觀念，以活潑互動的方式讓孩子們在玩樂中學習安全知識。活動結束時，許多學童興奮地表示：「我長大也要當警察，抓壞人、幫助大家！」

潮州分局表示，希望透過這樣的參訪活動，讓孩子們從小建立正確法治觀念與安全意識，同時也增進社區民眾對警察工作的了解與信任，共同打造更安全友善的生活環境。


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▼警方先將老翁帶至派出所內休息及提供飲用水，並通知家屬到所辦理撤尋程序。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局內埔分局）

【記者何勁陞／內埔報導】 屏東縣政府警察局內埔分內埔所警員利志中、黃麒睿，日前中午11點多，執行巡邏勤務中，巡經屏東縣內埔鄉台一線與四維路口的加油站巡簽時，有加油員反映有人在加油站內駐足許久，請警方予以協助。

經員警關心、查詢，該民為年約76歲的郭姓老翁，為屏東分局崇蘭派出所受理之失蹤人口，警方先將老翁帶至派出所內休息及提供飲用水，並通知家屬到所辦理撤尋程序，郭姓老翁與家屬，對於警方協助不斷道謝。

內埔分局長江世宏表示，家中年長長輩可讓其配戴愛心手環，上面顯示長輩姓名及家人電話號碼，或在衣物標示聯絡資訊，以利員警能迅速辨識身分並聯繫家屬，如遇緊急事故需要警方協助，可立刻撥打110或尋求鄰近派出所協助。

迷途老翁找不到回家路 暖心內埔警協助返家

▼警方隨後聯繫其胞弟前來派出所接回林姓老翁，老翁及家屬對警方熱心協助、主動關懷，深表感謝。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局內埔分局）

屏東縣政府警察局內埔分局龍泉派出所警員陳俊諺、許喬宇，日前中午12點多，巡邏行經內埔鄉黎東路段時，發現一名老翁獨自在路旁徘徊、神情恍惚，疑似迷路，員警立即上前關心。

經警方查明，該名年約74歲的林姓老翁，住屏東縣鹽埔鄉，自稱外出散步後，不知不覺就失去方向，一路就走到內埔鄉龍泉村。員警發現老翁神情疲憊，於是先將他載回派出所內，提供茶飲讓其稍作休息。警方隨後聯繫其胞弟前來派出所接回林姓老翁，老翁及家屬對警方熱心協助、主動關懷，深表感謝。

內埔分局長江世宏表示，家中年長長輩可讓其配戴愛心手環，上面顯示長輩名字及家人電話號碼，或在衣物標示聯絡資訊，以利員警能迅速辨識身分並聯繫家屬，如遇緊急事故需要警方協助，可立刻撥打110或尋求鄰近派出所協助。

暖心佳佐警 入戶扶助跌倒長者

▼巡邏中接獲一位李姓民眾報案，他父親在家中不慎跌倒，拜託警方到場協助。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局內埔分局）

屏東縣政府警察局內埔分局萬巒佳佐所警員邱翊嘉、張朔寧，日前巡邏中接獲一位李姓民眾報案，他父親在家中不慎跌倒，拜託警方到場協助。

員警趕赴報案地點，萬巒鄉褒忠路段某戶住宅後發現，一位年逾8旬的李姓阿公，疑似跨越門檻時，因雙腳無力而不慎跌坐在地，但其配偶亦無氣力將他攙扶起身，員警見狀立即將阿公扶到床沿坐好，經詢阿公幸未受傷，亦無須送醫。另經警方瞭解，報案人李先生是阿公兒子，他並未在家，但經由家中裝設之遠端監視器發現此此一狀況，才會撥打電話向警方救助。

內埔警分局長江世宏表示，民眾要多關心家中長輩，也能藉由科技器材，即時瞭解家中長輩生活起居狀況。員警能即時入宅扶助民眾，呈現警察為民服務的溫馨情誼，讓鄉親感受到「警民一家親」。

迷途老翁深夜坐在安全島 暖心內埔警護送安全返家

▼員警隨即載送老翁返家，轉交給親屬照顧。（圖／屏東縣政府警察局內埔分局）

屏東縣政府警察局內埔分局萬巒分駐所警員林莉瑄、林俞均，日前深夜1點多備勤時，接獲110報案，在台一線三多路段，有位老翁獨自坐在中央分隔島上，請警方到場幫忙。

員警立即趕赴現場，並先將老翁帶離車道，以避免發生危險，接續再以警用電腦查知，該名年逾七旬的李姓老翁，住在萬巒鄉鹿寮村。警方通知家屬後得知，近期老翁有記憶力不佳、認知下降情形，所以半夜才會跑出門。員警隨即載送老翁返家，轉交給親屬照顧。

內埔分局長江世宏表示，家中年長長輩可讓其配戴愛心手環，上面顯示長輩名字及家人電話號碼，或在衣物標示聯絡資訊，以利員警能迅速辨識身分並聯繫家屬，如遇緊急事故需要警方協助，可立刻撥打110或尋求鄰近派出所協助。

title: 迷途老翁駐足加油站　溫馨內埔警協助撤尋

taiwan-subdivisions: 內埔 鹽埔 員林 萬巒 褒忠 屏東縣


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通過北方生產基地的投產，大行將充分利用區域成本優勢，加大入門級產品線的產能，讓業務團隊有更多產品去拓展廣闊市場，滿足不同層次消費者的需求。

在現場，來自行業內的嘉賓、合作伙伴及媒體朋友齊聚一堂，共同見證這一歷史性的時刻。

大行創始人韓博士發表了熱情洋溢的講話。他表示：大行上市，大金開業，可謂雙喜臨門。今天，我們共同見證金輪與大行強強合作的工廠正式啟航，這是大行「技術共享、生態共贏」戰略的重要裡程碑。

此次與金輪攜手，將依托天津制造業集群優勢，深化「快車道」技術賦能，打造性價比更高，更輕、更快、更智能的出行解決方案，推出更多質優價廉的產品，為綠色出行產業做出更大貢獻。

產品創新，市場拓展

大金工廠擁有國際先進的生產設備設施，現擁有多名自行車、電動車大廠的高端人才，同時組建了一支中高級電動車團隊，確保產品的創新與品質。其主營業務是承接大行與金輪的訂單生產。除生產折疊車、公路車等產品外， 將專注於電動車及自行車的研發、生產與銷售，全力推出包括電摩/輕摩、休閒三輪車、電動助力車、電動折疊車、電動自行車在內的五大系列產品。

共享多贏，智啟新程

近二年，大行通過推行「快車道」技術，使全品類自行車增速，大幅提升騎行效率，部分大行的折疊車已經快過市場上一些名牌的碳纖公路車，大行品牌倍受關注；而伴隨大行香港成功上市，帶著上市企業的嚴苛標准，其生產品質更受信賴，這也吸引了多家企業的合作意向。

公司持續實施「共享360」品牌戰略，現有16家企業獲得品牌授權，18家同業采用大行專利部件，實現了資源共享與雙贏。

潛力可期，共創輝煌

隨著開業慶典的圓滿落幕，大金工廠正式踏上了發展的快車道。大行以實際行動詮釋了上市後謀求新發展的決心與行動力，通過產能擴展、研發升級和品牌建設，不斷提升自身競爭力，為投資者創造更大價值。展望未來，大行將繼續秉承創新、合作、共贏的理念，攜手各界伙伴，共創更加輝煌的明天。

title: 大行上市啟新程：大金生產線盛大啟動，共繪發展新藍圖


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SUPPLY CHAIN: Taiwan’s advantages in the drone industry include rapid production capacity that is independent of Chinese-made parts, the economic ministry said

The Executive Yuan yesterday approved plans to invest NT$44.2 billion (US$1.44 billion) into domestic production of uncrewed aerial vehicles over the next six years, bringing Taiwan’s output value to more than NT$40 billion by 2030 and making the nation Asia’s democratic hub for the drone supply chain.

The proposed budget has NT$33.8 billion in new allocations and NT$10.43 billion in existing funds, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.

Under the new development program, the public sector would purchase nearly 100,000 drones, of which 50,898 would be for civil and government use, while 48,750 would be for national defense, it said.

A Taiwan-made drone hovers inside the Asia UAV Al Innovation Application R&D Center in Chiayi on Dec. 25 last year. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE

The Ministry of National Defense would fund its procurement through the special resilience budget, the proposal showed.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet would direct the economic ministry to establish an expert panel to provide policy guidance, with quarterly progress reports required.

Taiwan’s competitive advantages in the drone industry include a complete supply chain for information and communications technology drones, rapid and flexible production capacity, and a proven record of producing drones independent of Chinese-manufactured components, the economic ministry said.

The nation has about 250 drone manufacturers, whose combined output value was NT$5.05 billion last year, it said.

Taiwan has also signed eight memorandums of understanding to enter supply chains with other countries, including the US, Japan, the Czech Republic and Poland, it added.

However, key gaps in Taiwan’s supply chain include thermal cameras, laser rangefinders, GPS chips, ground control software, flight controller chips, and communications modules and chips, it said.

The industry still relies on imports for core components, while the small domestic market drives up costs, has insufficient testing sites, as well as a lack of industry standards and regulations, it said.

The economic ministry proposed four key policy directions for the government to boost domestic production:

First, it would expand domestic and overseas demand by using the local market as a testing ground, supporting firms through strategic investment and pursuing global opportunities via a “national team” alliance, it said.

Second, it would boost indigenous research and development, and international cooperation to improve supply chain autonomy, with plans under way for 50 domestic projects and 10 international joint projects, it said.

The government would subsidize research-and-development costs for flight controller chips, communication modules and artificial intelligence-powered flight control software, it said.

Third, it would create a cluster ecosystem, including an innovation and research center, and 18 testing sites, while the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Minsyong campus would host 100 drone production firms, it said.

The institute would establish labs in Tainan’s Shalun (沙崙) and Lioujia (六甲) districts to develop 26 drone models, the economic ministry said.

Fourth, it would amend regulations governing drones and uncrewed vessels, revise inspection standards, and establish procurement and certification systems, it added.

title: Ministry pushes NT$44.2 billion drone development


title: US bills aimed at deepening ties vital: AmCham

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‘CONFIDENCE BOOSTER’:  The combined effect of the proposed bills would improve Taiwan’s defense posture and give it additional diplomatic space, the chamber said

A series of US government actions aimed at deepening ties with Taipei and expanding its participation in international organizations are important for regional stability and investor confidence, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham) said yesterday in a statement published on its Web site.

The business group said it supports a hearing scheduled for Wednesday next week by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which would review several pieces of Taiwan-related legislation designed to boost its security, economic links and its role in the global community amid rising tensions with China.

“The bipartisan initiatives reflect a growing recognition in Washington of Taiwan’s strategic and economic importance,” AmCham said, adding that their passage would help reinforce stability in the Indo-Pacific region and bolster confidence in the rules-based international order.

The chamber also welcomed US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy’s comments urging Taiwan’s participation in the technical work of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Duffy’s remarks align with its long-standing advocacy for Taipei’s inclusion in international aviation forums, it said, adding that safety and technical collaboration “should transcend politics.”

“Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration manages one of the busiest flight information regions in Asia, overseeing more than a million flights annually,” AmCham said. “Its expertise and responsible oversight are integral to the safety and efficiency of global aviation.”

AmCham, which represents more than 500 international and local member companies, said that it also backs the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026, which reaffirms US support for Taiwan’s self-defense and participation in multilateral institutions.

Next week’s hearing would consider four major bills, including the Providing Our Regional Companions Upgraded Protection in Nefarious Environments Act, which would accelerate US arms sales to Taiwan by granting it “NATO Plus” treatment, and the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which says that Taiwan’s international status cannot be changed without the consent of its people.

In addition, the Deter PRC Aggression Against Taiwan Act would establish a framework for coordinated economic and financial responses to Chinese coercion, while the US-Taiwan Partnership in the Americas Act aims to expand Taipei’s diplomatic and trade ties across Latin America and the Caribbean.

AmCham said the combined effect of the proposed legislation would improve Taiwan’s defense posture, broaden its diplomatic space and deepen economic cooperation — outcomes it described as “essential to maintaining investor confidence and regional prosperity.”

The chamber urged the US Congress and the White House to ensure the timely and effective implementation of the legislation, adding that it is ready to work with policymakers in Taipei and Washington to advance the objectives, and ensure that Taiwan remains a “strong and trusted partner in the international community.”


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The Ministry of National Defense has proposed a budget of NT$8.1 billion (US$264.14 million) to procure T112 rifles as the army’s new standard infantry weapon from next year through 2029, Legislative Yuan documents showed.

Lawmakers today are scheduled to begin reviewing the budget request for 86,114 of the new rifles, as well as laser illuminators and other accessories, the legislature said in a report.

The T112, built on the AR-15 design and chambered for the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, features superior precision, a high firing rate and laser illumination capabilities to enhance the lethality of the infantry, the ministry said.

A T112 rifle is pictured on April 5 last year. Photo: Wu Che-yu, Taipei Times

The new rifles, which entered mass production last year, would replace the T91 rifles that have been in service for 20 years, it said.

The army plans to buy 14,248 rifles this year and 24,534 rifles next year, it said, adding that regular army units, the Military Police Command and the Armed Forces Reserve would also receive them.

The phased-out T91 rifles would be used to equip reserve units as substitutes for the T65K2 rifles first produced in 1976, providing an upgrade in capabilities without changing the military’s standard-issue cartridge, the ministry said.

Developed by the Armament Bureau’s 205 Arsenal, the T112 bears external resemblance to the T91, but has a heavier-profile barrel with polygonal rifling that boosts accuracy by 30 percent, the ministry said.

The improved barrel extends the component’s service life to 10,000 rounds, up from the 6,000 rounds of the T91, it said.

The 205th Arsenal previously said that the T112 has a selection switch for single shot, two-shot bursts and full-automatic fire, as well an ambidextrous design.

An army public relations video released on Sept. 3 showed that the Army Infantry Training Command was using T112 rifles equipped with optical sights, laser illuminators and foregrips in training of new recruits.

Infrared laser illuminators assist with shooting while using night-vision optics.

title: Military proposes budget for new T112 rifles


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At least one man was killed in violence at a rally in Peru’s capital on Wednesday, said Peruvian President Jose Jeri, whose accession days ago has failed to stamp out angry protests against the political class in the South American nation.

The Peruvian Ombudsman’s Office said that 102 people were injured — 24 civilians and 78 police — updating earlier tolls.

Demonstrations led by young people brought thousands of Peruvians, frustrated by the authorities’ failure to resolve a worsening crime crisis, onto the streets in Lima and several other cities.

Police officers stand guard during a protest near the Peruvian Congress in Lima on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

Some protesters tried to breach the security barrier around the Peruvian Congress as night fell, a correspondent said.

Others in the crowd also hurled stones and lit fireworks.

Police in riot gear responded with tear gas.

“I regret the death of 32-year-old citizen Eduardo Ruiz Sanz,” Jeri said on X, without elaborating on the circumstances.

Non-governmental organization the National Human Rights Coordinator said that the man might have been shot by a plainclothes police officer.

Images showed the blood-covered face of a police officer who had been hit by a stone.

Jeri also said the “peaceful demonstration” had been infiltrated by criminals seeking to “cause chaos.”

The South American country has been rocked by protests for weeks. Lawmakers on Friday last week voted to impeach then-Peruvian president Dina Boluarte for “permanent moral incapacity,” who critics blamed for a surge in crime and accused of corruption.

“I think there is general discontent because nothing has been done,” 49-year-old freelancer Amanda Meza told reporters while marching toward Congress.

“There’s no security from the state,” she said, adding that cases of extortion and contract killings “have grown massively in Peru.”

title: One man dies amid protests in Peru against politicians


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A ceasefire along the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan was holding yesterday, officials on both sides said, after dozens of troops and civilians were killed in cross-border clashes.

In Spin Boldak, a focal point of clashes on the Afghan side, a journalist saw shops reopening and residents returning to homes they had fled during the fighting.

The 48-hour ceasefire was aimed at allowing time to “find a positive solution ... through constructive dialogue,” Islamabad said.

People attend a funeral for those killed in cross-border shelling between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, yesterday. Photo: EPA

Pakistan is facing a resurgence of attacks against its security forces on its western border with Afghanistan, led by the Pakistani Taliban and its affiliates.

About 20 civilians were killed and nearly 170 wounded on Wednesday, said Mohammad Haqmal, spokesman for Spin Boldak’s information department.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported at least 18 civilians killed and more than 350 wounded in the violence.

“Our houses were bombed, a child was wounded. I heard the plane myself,” said Abdul Zahir, a 46-year-old resident. “It’s terrifying.”

Residents and Taliban officials attended the funeral of seven members of the same family in Spin Boldak, a journalist saw.

Islamabad has accused Kabul of offering safe haven to militants who plan assaults from Afghan soil — a charge the Taliban government denies.

Pakistani officials on the northern and southern border with Afghanistan yesterday told reporters that “no violence was reported overnight and the ceasefire remains in effect.”

“Additional paramilitary troops have been deployed to counter potential ... militant activity that could jeopardize the ceasefire,” a senior security official in Peshawar said.

Shortly before the truce was announced, blasts were reported in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and the southern province of Kandahar.

title: Afghanistan-Pakistan ceasefire stops fighting


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COUNTERMEASURE: Taiwan was to implement controls for 47 tech products bound for South Africa after the latter downgraded and renamed Taipei’s ‘de facto’ offices

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still reviewing a new agreement proposed by the South African government last month to regulate the status of reciprocal representative offices, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.

Asked about the latest developments in a year-long controversy over Taiwan’s de facto representative office in South Africa, Lin during a legislative session said that the ministry was consulting with legal experts on the proposed new agreement.

While the new proposal offers Taiwan greater flexibility, the ministry does not find it acceptable, Lin said without elaborating.

The name plaque of the Taipei Liaison Office in Pretoria is pictured on Sept. 25. Photo: Bloomberg

The ministry is still open to resuming retaliatory measures against South Africa, including controls on chip exports, pending bilateral talks on the proposed agreement, he said.

He was referring to a decision made last month by the Ministry of Economic Affairs to require government approval for the export of 47 tech products, including integrated circuits, to South Africa, which was later halted.

The planned restrictions were meant as a countermeasure to South Africa’s repeated downgrading and renaming of Taiwan’s two de facto representative offices there, with the government saying Pretoria was yielding to Beijing’s efforts to belittle the nation’s sovereignty.

Two days after the measures were announced, the foreign ministry said it had asked the economic ministry to suspend implementation of the controls, pending discussions with South Africa.

The problem began in October last year, when the South African government began a unilateral push to categorize the Taipei Liaison Office in South Africa as a “trade office” and move it from the administrative capital, Pretoria, to the commercial capital, Johannesburg.

South Africa first wanted the office to relocate almost immediately, but later extended the deadline to the end of March this year.

The foreign ministry protested the proposed relocation, citing a bilateral agreement that allowed the Taipei office to operate in Pretoria after diplomatic ties between the two countries were severed in 1998.

It also called for talks to come up with a new agreement regarding the operations of the office, but no such discussions were held and office was renamed in early March on South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Web site to the Taipei Commercial Office.

DIRCO on July 21 announced the renaming and downgrading of Taiwan’s main representative office in Pretoria and its branch office in Cape Town.

Taiwan’s representative office in Pretoria continues to provide services to Taiwanese in South Africa and maintains normal operations, the ministry said.

The South Africa representative office in Taiwan, called the Liaison Office of South Africa in Taipei, also continues to operate normally, officials said.

title: Ministry still reviewing S Africa office proposal


title: US investing in Guam to counter ‘gray zone’ activities

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The US is bolstering deployment across the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in countries along the Pacific island chains, in response to China’s expanding “gray zone” activities in the region, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.

Lin made the comment in response to a Wall Street Journal report regarding the Pentagon’s military investment in Guam to protect Taiwan.

Added US presence in the region would also protect other nations in the first island chain, not only Taiwan, he said, adding that Taiwan would take measures and continue to work with like-minded countries to ensure regional peace and stability.

US military planes are parked on the tarmac of Andersen Air Force base on Guam on Aug. 15, 2017. Photo: Reuters

The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday published an article titled “Fortifying America’s Pacific Front Line Is Getting Expensive and Difficult,” where it detailed the US’ multibillion dollar investment to “strengthen Guam’s role as an anchor of US military strategy,” the goal of which is “to deter China’s increasingly powerful military from using force to take over Taiwan.”

Developments on Guam include the new Camp Blaz marine base, a navy maintenance facility for submarines and upgrades to Anderson Air Force Base, from which the US could send long-range bombers into a Taiwan conflict, it said.

The US plans to increase troops on Guam by 10,000 by 2037, bringing the total number to about 34,000, the article said, with US$6.2 billion to be spent from 2019 to 2028 to establish “force-posture projects.”

As China’s missile capabilities have rapidly improved over the past few years, the US has reinforced its military capabilities on Guam, which is closer to Beijing than Hawaii, it said.

However, there is still debate about the strategic value and cost-effectiveness of that investment, it added.

The project is costly and logistically difficult, and might not bring the desired security advantages, as Guam is more than 2,400km from Taiwan and the South China Sea, it said, adding that the US must also contend with China’s “Guam killer,” an upgraded version of the DF-26 missile.

However, as a US territory, Guam allows US forces to forgo foreign approval, it said.

Moreover, China has set the second island chain territory as a key target, the report said, citing Chinese hackers infiltrating multiple networks on Guam and Chinese People’s Liberation Army military activity moving beyond the first island chain and into the second.

“Some people feel that Guam is critical, because of its location and that we need to make sure that we can operate from Guam effectively,” former US defense official Zack Cooper said. “Others believe that Guam is impossible to defend at an acceptable cost and that we should focus more on diversification.”

Marine Corps Commandant General Eric Smith in January said that with the US partially withdrawing forces from Okinawa, Japan, moving operations to Guam “puts us going the wrong way,” adding that the US still needs a deterrent force in the first island chain.

US Indo-Pacific Command Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo last month said that Guam anchors the US’ ability to defend, to project power, sustain alliances and partnerships, and deter aggression, while US Navy Rear Admiral Brett Mietus said: “Guam is just more developed than the other islands, so it makes sense to do the bulk of our investment here.”


title: Council issues warnings ahead of holiday

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Civil servants are prohibited from joining activities organized by Beijing celebrating the retrocession of Taiwan, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday.

Party officials, teachers and people in the private sector should also observe cross-strait regulations by not attending Chinese “united front” activities, MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said.

The council issued the warning as the nation is to commemorate Retrocession Day on Saturday next week.

Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times

“This year is the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and 76th anniversary of the Battle [of Guningtou]. It has come to our attention that China has planned celebratory activities for the two historic events,” Liang said.

“We can have freedom and democracy today, because people and the military stood united during the Battle of Guningtou to withstand the invasion of the Chinese People Liberation Army,” Liang said. “The true meaning of observing the holiday is to remember how people in Taiwan defied the invader’s ambition to annex the nation.”

The Ministry of National Defense also plans to hold events celebrating the battle.

In other news, Liang said that tourists from Hong Kong and Macau can contact the MAC in case of emergencies, following reports that a Hong Konger was sexually assaulted by a Taiwanese man in the lobby of a Taiwan railway station.

The council was only informed about the incident after the tourist had left Taiwan, Liang said, adding that they hoped that she would receive justice.

Taiwan’s crime rate remains low, he said, adding that the country ranked fourth on Numbeo’s Safety Index this year.

The incident should not prevent Hong Kong tourists from visiting Taiwan, Liang said.

Tourists from Hong Kong and Macau could contact the MAC for emergency assistance, as the territories’ offices in Taipei have ceased to function, he said, adding that the council is experienced in assisting tourists.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance and the Financial Supervisory Commission said they are investigating whether a member of the military was denied a state bank loan due to being on China’s “wanted list,” Liang said.

“From the council’s perspective, it would be absolutely unacceptable if a state-funded bank indeed rejected a bank loan request from a military serviceperson on such grounds,” he said.

China’s issuance of “bounty notices” for what it called 18 members of Taiwan’s “psychological warfare unit” along with threats of the death penalty is another example of Beijing threatening Taiwanese with frivolous lawsuits and arrests, much like the “22 guidelines to punish Taiwanese independence separatists” it announced last year, Liang said.

“We urge people not to collude with China to collect the small bounties it promised. Those who do so could be sentenced to more than seven years in prison,” he added.


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‘MINISCULE’: The proposal is small compared with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ budget this year of 64.5 billion yuan, foreign minister Lin Chia-lung said

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday said that the proposed NT$10 billion (US$326.1 million) increase in the ministry’s budget for next year is necessary to counter China’s growing aggression.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed a budget of NT$41.5 billion for next fiscal year, which has been sent to the legislature, seeking approval for a significant hike from this year’s NT$30.6 billion budget.

In a report to lawmakers, Lin said the proposed NT$10.9 billion increase is necessary to deal with China’s increasing aggression against Taiwan on the global stage.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, right, exits an elevator at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA

Over the past 25 years, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has increased its budget 11 times, using the funds to lure Taiwan’s diplomatic allies away and isolate the nation, Lin said in his report to the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

“If our diplomatic resources are not given a major boost, it would be extremely difficult for us to compete with China’s strong offense and tremendous resources,” he said.

Lin was responding to questions by lawmakers from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party about the reasons for the significant hike in his ministry’s proposed budget.

The proposal for the next fiscal year is 1.37 percent of the government’s projected total expenditure for that year, compared with 1.05 percent of the total this year, an official source said on condition of anonymity.

However, that amount is miniscule compared with China’s foreign affairs budget of 64.5 billion yuan (US$9.05 billion), which has jumped from 5.7 billion yuan 25 years ago, the source added.

Lin said that over the past few months, he visited nine countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Those democratic countries, including Japan and the Philippines, welcomed his visit despite China’s protests, he said.

Lin also applauded the Czech Republic for standing up to pressure from China last month, when he was invited to speak at the Warsaw Security Forum.

China tried to force Prague to withdraw his invitation, because Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) was also scheduled to visit the Czech Republic at about the same time, Lin said.

While Taiwan’s exchanges with non-allied countries might be limited, there is plenty of room for parliamentary, think tank, technological and cultural exchanges, he added.

title: Proposed NT$10bn budget rise must to fight China: minister


title: Urgent care center pilot to commence next month

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REDUCING OVERCROWDING: The six special municipalities have applied to open 14 centers, which are geared to care for people in need or urgent, but non-critical care

The nation’s urgent care center program to reduce crowding at big hospitals is to start trial operations next month, with up to 14 centers taking part, National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) Medical Affairs Department Director Liu Lin-i (劉林義) said yesterday.

The six special municipalities have applied to open 14 centers: three each in Taipei and New Taipei City, four in Taoyuan, two in Taichung, and one each in Tainan and Kaohsiung, Liu said.

The NHIA is in the process of inspecting the equipment and staffing levels of the applicants to gauge their readiness to take part in the trial, Liu said, adding that a decision would be announced at a later date.

The urgent care center program is designed to relieve overcrowding in the emergency rooms of the nation’s major hospitals due to personnel shortages at smaller healthcare providers, especially during holidays, he said.

The centers, geared to care for people in need of urgent, but non-critical care, would be established in locations near large hospitals and charge fees at the same rate as district and regional emergency rooms, he said.

Medical appointment fees at the centers are tentatively set at NT$150 per visit, to be adjusted by county or special municipality health agencies, Liu said.

He also confirmed Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang’s (石崇良) earlier statement that the planned urgent care centers in Taipei have completed their rosters for doctors and nurses, saying that city officials showed initiative in making preparations for the trial.

Regional hospitals are expected to run the bulk of the urgent care centers, with national-level medical centers picking up the slack, including one that has offered to open a center close to several hospitals with heavily congested emergency rooms in Taipei, he said.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare is to publish a map to make it easier for people to find urgent care centers near them and is mulling a proposal to establish a hotline, Liu said.

In addition, the ministry, in collaboration with the Taiwan Medical Association and Taiwan Association of Emergency Medicine, would create guidebooks to help people match their symptoms with the appropriate medical service at urgent care centers, he said.

The soon-to-be published guidebooks would include diagrams and sample dialogues to make them easier to understand, Liu said.

The centers will be open from 8am to midnight on Sundays for the duration of the pilot program, staffed by two teams of resident doctors working eight-hour shifts, he said.

Work at the centers would be limited to nurses and resident doctors to avoid competition with hospitals, as the former is obliged to offer overtime, Liu said, adding that personnel are also barred from working consecutive shifts.

Tentative rosters are being planned covering nine Sundays and one national holiday in the next two months, but no plans have been made for the spring vacation yet, he said.


title: CEOC unveils three-phase evacuation plan

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The Central Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) has made a three-phased compulsory evacuation plan for Hualien County’s Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) disaster zone ahead of the potential formation of a typhoon.

The plan includes mandatory vertical evacuation using air-raid-style alarms if needed, CEOC chief coordinator Chi Lien-cheng (季連成) told a news conference in the county yesterday.

Volunteers would be prohibited from entering the disaster area starting tomorrow, the retired general said.

Volunteers prepare sandbags in Hualien County’s Guangfu Township yesterday in preparation for a potential typhoon at the weekend. Photo: CNA

The first phase would be relocating vulnerable residents, including elderly people, disabled people, pregnant women and dialysis patients, in shelters and hospitals, he said.

The second phase would be mandatory evacuation of residents living in single-story houses, he said.

The third phase would be vertical evacuation, which means seeking shelter in an upper floor, he said.

The first two phases of evacuations are to begin when 24-hour cumulative rainfall hits 200mm, he said.

The third phase would be implemented when water levels in the Mataian River’s barrier lake reach 1m, he said, adding that air-raid-style alarms would be used to inform residents to vertically evacuate.

Chi urged all residents to prepare emergency kits with medications and personal essentials for survival.

Residents would be warned four hours before the mandatory evacuation begins, and those who refuse to leave after being advised to do so would face penalties, he said.

To ensure compliance, five-member oversight teams — comprising village heads, Hualien County officials, central government observers, police and firefighters — would travel by motorcycles to conduct door-to-door checks and advise every household during each phase of the evacuation, Chi said.

The total number of people to be evacuated is still being finalized by the local household registration office, he said.

Starting yesterday, the oversight teams have been assisting village leaders in confirming the actual number of residents and their planned method of evacuation, he said.

For the Mataian River, he said embankments on both sides have been raised to 5m, with sandbags deployed at potential overflow points.

Downstream dredging has been intensified to channel water and prevent flooding in low-lying areas, he added.


title: NPA shutting down videos of Taipei sexual assault

people: 張宏陸 劉世芳

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By Lin Che-yuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, and staff writer

Authorities are working on taking down videos of an alleged sexual assault at Taipei Railway Station that have been circulating on the Internet or at least stopping them from being viewed, National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said yesterday at a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) asked the police chief if the agency was doing anything to limit the dissemination of videos of the incident, which occurred on Thursday last week.

A man allegedly raped an intoxicated woman at the east side of Taipei Railway Station’s main concourse.

The man was later identified as a convicted fugitive surnamed Chiu (邱).

Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said that she had instructed the agency to handle the matter as soon as she was alerted to the incident, as circulation of the videos would not benefit either the woman or the public.

Chang said the NPA is looking into measures to take down videos of the incident or to block them, as it continues its investigation.

The videos had not been distributed by public networks, so they were most likely recorded by people at the scene, he said.

Taiwan Railway Corp and the Railway Police Bureau have launched internal reviews of operational protocols to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents, Chang added.

The bureau has stepped up patrols and guard points throughout the station, he said, urging the public not to worry.

Chang added the station is not a place where anyone should drink alcohol, as such behavior is prohibited.

DPP Legislator Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) asked if there was anything the NPA could have done to prevent the incident.

The police chief said that aside from intensifying patrols, the NPA is working with Taiwan Railway and private security firms to reduce blind spots and increase law enforcement presence.

The problem of homeless people congregating at the station has to be resolved, he added.

Chang Hung-lu said that the rising number of homeless people at the station is an ongoing issue and police should own up to their oversight instead of blaming homeless people.

Initial media reports about the incident said the suspect was a homeless person. The Taipei Department of Social Welfare on Wednesday said the suspect was not a homeless person, and urged the public to refrain from labeling and stigmatizing homeless people.

Chang Hung-lu suggested increasing hazard-duty payouts for police officers and creating a special unit to oversee all policing duties across the nation’s railways.

Chang Jung-hsing said the NPA would discuss the feasibility of the proposal, which is more applicable to railways operated by Taiwan Railway and Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp, but less so for transit systems across the nation.


title: High-speed rail fine-tuning ‘quiet carriage’ policy

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GENTLE GUIDANCE:  About 90% of passengers support the campaign, and people are willing to comply when asked by onboard staff, THSRC said

Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) yesterday said that the company would enforce its “quiet carriage” policy through verbal reminders and gentle guidance, after drawing backlash from parents with young children in the past three weeks.

THSRC chairman Shih Che (史哲) said at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee that the policy is designed to address issues caused by passengers who do not wear headphones while watching videos or speaking loudly on the phone.

It was never intended to make it difficult for parents to travel with infants and young children, he said.

A notification about the high-speed rail’s “quiet carriage” policy is pictured on a train in an undated photograph.

Photo courtesy of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp

“All parents traveling with young children are welcome to board the high-speed rail system,” Shih said.

Since the company implemented the “quiet carriage” policy on Sept. 22, 17,146 verbal advisories had been issued to passengers as of Monday, THSRC data showed.

On average, about five passengers per train service were advised to wear headsets or move to the foyer to speak on the phone, it said.

Of the passengers who were given the advisory, 49 percent were speaking on the phone in the train carriage, 24 percent were watching videos without wearing headphones and 27 percent were speaking too loudly inside the carriage.

A survey conducted by THSRC also showed that nearly 90 percent of the passengers supported the campaign for “quiet carriage” culture, the company said.

Most passengers were willing to comply with the policy after being reminded by onboard staff, Shih said, adding that the policy is expected to gain broad public acceptance within six months as its enforcement approach is fine-tuned.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) asked if the train could have a family carriage.

Shih said the parent-child carriage is generally available on long-distance train services in other countries.

“High-speed rail passengers in Taiwan spend on average an hour on the train. The trains are built using the model of Japan’s shinkansen system, which does not offer a family car, either,” Shih said.

“Given the significant increase in passengers, we do not have additional capacity to provide family cars, as Taiwan Railway Corp does,” Shih said, adding that the company is finding ways to make the “quiet carriage” policy more family friendly.

Apart from infants and young children, train crew would not caution passengers whose self-control ability was hindered by mental and physical illnesses, the company said.

Following complaints from the public, THSRC said that it would redesign signs about the policy.

Onboard staff, including security guards and train service personnel, would be trained to advise passengers about the policy through verbal reminders and gentle guidance, and to interact with passengers as naturally as possible, the company said.

The training would also help them improve communications skills and deepen their empathy toward passengers, it said.


title: MOENV launches unit to boost AI applications

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The Ministry of Environment (MOENV) yesterday unveiled the plaque for its new Department of Environmental Information Technology, with the goal of stepping up artificial intelligence (AI) applications in environmental governance.

The department was redesigned from the Department of Monitoring and Information — which had been operating for 38 years — to focus resources on developing data governance and AI applications, Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said at the ceremony.

Also known as the “AI department,” its setup is expected to offer the ministry’s information technology personnel a more fulfilling career path, thereby bolstering talent retention, he said.

Ministry of Environment officials pose with a sign for the renamed Department of Environmental Information Technology in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Huang Yi-ching, Taipei Times

The ministry has been using AI extensively to detect and investigate environmental crimes, including number-plate recognition, as well as to summarize environmental impact assessment (EIA) review meetings, Peng said.

With further development in the future, an AI-powered query system would also be employed to help the public understand lengthy EIA reports and allow developers to compare their EIA reports with qualified counterparts prior to submitting their reports to the EIA committee for review, he said.

That would help spot missing information in EIA documents and simplify communication processes, he added.

The ministry has digitally compiled about 15,000 environmental project achievement reports, which would be incorporated into the national environmental database, Department of Environmental Information Technology Director Chang Shun-chin (張順欽) said.

The department is to introduce more AI techniques to enhance the ministry’s public services, including a generative AI system that is expected to provide 24-hour service, he said.

In other news, the Taiwan Innotech Expo commenced yesterday and is to run through tomorrow at the World Trade Center in Taipei.

Launched in 2005, the expo this year has invited 10 global vendors based in the US, Japan, Germany and other countries to showcase their advanced techniques in smart technology and circular economy, said Lee Hung-hsi (李紅曦), director of agricultural science and technology at the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Sustainability Pavilion was co-organized by the agriculture ministry, the MOENV, the National Development Council, and the ministries of national defense, labor and digital affairs, to showcase 97 recently developed techniques, with the goal of promoting their commercialization, she said.

The pavilion features applications of AI in agricultural management and environmental protection..

For example, the Livestock Research Institute developed a manure-cleaning robot tailored to local barn layouts with replaceable brush modules, offering a more cost-effective solution to purchasing imported robots.

Aireco Co developed an AI-powered smart recycling system based on more than 5 million images of local recycled waste, which can process up to 30,000 tonnes of waste annually and could reduce manual labor by 70 percent.

The system can recognize more than 30 recyclable items ranging from plastics, iron and aluminum to paper and paper containers, as well as identify their product brands and whether they have residues at a precision rate of up to 90 percent.


title: Frankfurt detained publisher mistaken for Chinese fugitive

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it is looking into an incident in which a Taiwanese woman was accused of being a Chinese fugitive and held by police for four hours at Germany’s Frankfurt Airport.

Book publisher Cheng Ting (鄭莛) said that she arrived at Frankfurt Airport early on Monday to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair, but was stopped at passport control after she failed an automated face identification check.

Officials asked for additional identification and asked if she was the person in the passport photo, to which she said that her face might have changed due to braces and dental surgeries.

Book publisher Cheng Ting is pictured in Frankfurt, Germany, on Wednesday. Photo: CNA

She was then taken by police to a room for questioning, where they denied her request to contact diplomatic missions and compared her face to that of a wanted Chinese fugitive.

One officer accused her of being Chinese and claimed her passport was fake, because the number could not be found, despite her repeated explanation that she was Taiwanese, she said.

“They started shouting at me [in English]. ‘Who are you really? What’s your purpose here? I was left shaking. It was like a Netflix crime show,” Cheng said.

While inspecting her phone, police found she had posted an Instagram story on her way to the questioning room, behavior they deemed unlikely for a fugitive, and also discovered a membership card with an English signature matching her passport, confirming her identity.

After four hours, Cheng was released and told by police that the incident would be treated “as if it never happened” with no negative record.

However, she said she was also asked to sign “consent to restriction of freedom” waiver forms in German, English and simplified Chinese without a clear explanation of her rights.

“I don’t know why it took so long — all they had to do was pick up the phone and call the Taiwanese representative office,” Cheng said.

At a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said that Taiwan’s representative office in Frankfurt is seeking clarification from German authorities about the incident.

Department of European Affairs Director-General Eric Huang (黃鈞耀) said that the representative office had reached out to Cheng to provide assistance.


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Taipei, Shanghai zoos to do penguin, red panda trade

An exchange of a pair of African penguins from the Taipei Zoo for a pair of red pandas from the Shanghai Zoo would be finalized in the first half of next year, an official said yesterday.

The pandas are currently waiting to take the second of two rabies vaccination jabs before they can come to Taiwan, Taipei Zoo director Ju Shiau-fen (朱孝芬) told the Taipei City Council.

As for Taipei’s penguins, the zoo is still confirming which avian flu vaccine is approved by the Shanghai Zoo.

After quarantine procedures are complete on both sides, the two zoos would plan the exchange procedures for the beginning of next year, as weather conditions would be more suitable for transporting the animals, she said.

The exchange was based on a memorandum of understanding signed by the two cities at the Taipei-Shanghai City Forum held in Taipei in December last year.

In the wake of this year’s forum — originally slated for last month — being postponed, Taipei City Councilor Chen You-cheng (陳宥丞) of the Taiwan People’s Party asked whether the exchange may be disrupted.

He also urged the zoo to be cautious when naming the red pandas to avoid sparking negative political sentiment among the public.

Ju said the zoo would take appropriate measures during the naming discussions.


title: Taiwan to launch marine navigation app Nov. 1

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The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) will roll out a "Taiwan Marine Chart App" on Nov. 1 to enhance maritime safety for small vessels, offering features such as navigation positioning, port searches and real-time weather and ocean condition updates.

Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) told a press conference Thursday that small boats, yachts and fishing vessels not covered under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) are often not equipped with Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), putting them at higher risk of maritime accidents.

To address this, the MOI began developing the app early last year, using internationally issued electronic navigation chart data but tailoring it for non-SOLAS vessels, Liu said.

MOI Land Administration Department Director-General Lin Chia-cheng speaks at a news conference Thursday. Photo: CNA

Available on both the App Store and Google Play, the app will feature navigation tools, quick searches for ports and landmarks, route plotting, chart management and marine and meteorological information, she added.

Land Administration Department Director-General Lin Chia-cheng (林家正) said the app integrates GPS with digital marine charts and real-time data such as tides and currents.

Users can access live updates online or download maps for offline use, helping reduce risks from reliance on captains’ experience or unofficial charts, he said.

Lin added that the app covers waters around Taiwan and can also be used by divers, as it includes markers to help them avoid fishing routes and pinpoint their location. In emergencies, coast guard personnel can also use the data for search and rescue operations.

The app will be free for the first six months, after which the ministry may decide to introduce subscription fees, Lin said.

It will also support public- and private-sector applications such as vessel monitoring, maritime accident investigations, disaster prevention, ecological conservation, coastal management and marine recreation, Lin added.


title: Winning grins

content_text: President William Lai, back center, poses for a selfie with members of the Taipei Municipal Beitou Junior High School girls’ softball team at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday. The team won the Babe Ruth Softball 16U World Series in Florence, Alabama, beating Puerto Rico in the final on Aug. 9 to complete an undefeated run at the tournament.


title: Moo-Ch appreciated

content_text: Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, left, feeds a cow at a farm in Tainan’s Jiali District yesterday.


title: TSMC raises full-year growth outlook

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‘DRAMATIC AND POSITIVE’: AI growth would be better than it previously forecast and would stay robust even if the Chinese market became inaccessible for customers, it said

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday raised its full-year revenue growth outlook after posting record profit for last quarter, despite growing market concern about an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble.

The company said it expects revenue to expand about 35 percent year-on-year, driven mainly by faster-than-expected demand for leading-edge chips for AI applications.

The world’s biggest contract chipmaker in July projected that revenue this year would expand about 30 percent in US dollar terms.

People walk outside a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co fab in Hsinchu County on Thursday last week. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA

The company also slightly hiked its capital expenditure for this year to US$40 billion to US$42 billion, compared with US$38 billion to US$42 billion it set previously.

“AI demand actually continues to be very strong. It is stronger than we thought three months ago,” TSMC chairman and CEO C.C. Wei (魏哲家) said in an earnings call.

The company expects the growth of AI accelerators to slightly surpass its previous estimate of 45 percent annually during the 2024-2029 period, Wei said.

The growth would remain “dramatic and positive,” even if the Chinese market became inaccessible for customers, he said.

Nvidia Corp, a major TSMC customer, is facing challenges in exporting AI chips to China due to an escalating rivalry between the US and China.

“Everything related to [AI] like front-end and back-end capacity is very tight. We are working very hard to make sure that the [demand-supply] gap will be narrowed,” Wei said. “We are still working hard to increase the capacity in 2026.”

TSMC is preparing to speed up deployment of its 2-nanometer and more advanced technologies in Arizona, aiming to catch up with robust demand for leading-edge chips for smartphones, AI and high-performance computing applications, he said.

The company is close to securing more land in Arizona for capacity expansions, he said.

TSMC had planned to utilize 2-nanometer process technology to produce advanced chips at its third factory in Arizona, which is under construction, but it yesterday said it might start using 2-nanometer technology to produce advanced chips at its second fab in the US, or adopt both 3-nanometer and 2-nanometer technologies.

It is part of TSMC’s US$165 billion US investment plan, after which the chipmaker expects about 30 percent of its advanced chips to come from overseas fabs, it said.

TSMC yesterday posted record net profit of NT$452.3 billion (US$14.75 billion) for the third quarter, up 13.6 percent sequentially and surging 39.1 percent from a year earlier. Earnings per share rose to NT$17.44, from NT$15.36 in the second quarter and NT$12.54 percent the previous year.

The company expects revenue for this quarter to be US$32.2 billion to US$33.4 billion, fueled by robust demand for 3-nanometer and 5-nanometer chips.

That forecast indicated that revenue this quarter would edge up 0.91 percent sequentially, or 24.26 percent year-on-year, in the best-case scenario. At the worst, revenue would drop 2.72 percent quarterly, or grow 19.79 percent annually.

“Recent developments in the AI market continue to be very positive. The explosive growth in token volume demonstrates increasing consumer AI model adoption, which means more and more computation is needed, leading to more leading-edge silicon demand,” Wei said.

Gross margin is expected to rise to 59 percent to 61 percent this quarter, from 59.5 percent in the previous quarter, under a less volatile foreign exchange environment, the company said.


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Taipei to join Japan, US response to rare earth ban

RECYCLE: Taiwan would aid manufacturers in refining rare earths from discarded appliances, which would fit the nation’s circular economy goals, minister Kung said

Taiwan would work with the US and Japan on a proposed cooperation initiative in response to Beijing’s newly announced rare earth export curbs, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday.

China last week announced new restrictions requiring companies to obtain export licenses if their products contain more than 0.1 percent of Chinese-origin rare earths by value.

US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent on Wednesday responded by saying that Beijing was “unreliable” in its rare earths exports, adding that the US would “neither be commanded, nor controlled” by China, several media outlets reported.

A person holds a vial of rare earths extracted from electronic waste at the Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres in Orleans, France, on June 22, 2021. Photo: AFP

Japanese Minister of Finance Katsunobu Kato yesterday also voiced concern over the latest export controls, emphasizing the importance of coordinated action among G7 nations, Bloomberg News reported.

Beijing’s restrictions would have only an indirect impact on Taiwan, as it neither mines nor refines the materials itself, but imports most rare earths from Japan and most equipment from the US or Europe, Kung said.

As the US and Japan have proposed cooperation initiatives to address the situation, Taiwan would work with them if needed to ensure the stability of the local supply chain, he said.

Taiwan would also assist manufacturers in refining the material from discarded electric appliances, he added.

Before the curbs were announced, the government had already been planning to promote a circular economy program with the Ministry of Environment, Kung said.

While the ministries had originally scheduled the initiative for 2028, they have decided to move it up to next year, he said.

The ministry had expected the plan to meet one-third of domestic demand — about 1.5 tonnes per year — by 2031, but as the situation has become more urgent, it has decided to move that target to 2030, he said.

As the Industrial Technology Research Institute already has related technology and can refine at a kilogram level in laboratories, the ministry plans to scale up capacity and transfer the technology to corporations and manufacturers, Kung said.

Some manufacturers have already expressed interest in the project, he said, without naming them.

Regarding an initiative proposed by the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association and other industry groups in establishing high-tech parks overseas, Kung said the government is evaluating potential sites.

Kung inspected a site in Clark in the Philippines’ Northern Luzon region, with officials from the association and the Chinese National Federation of Industries, both of which expressed a willingness to set up a park there, citing the Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan and a favorable investment environment, he said.

The association earlier announced plans to set up parks in Mexico, a proposal that has moved into the implementation phase, with many manufacturers already establishing plants in the country, he said.

The association and the government are still considering where to set up a park in the US, as Arizona would be suitable solely for chip manufacturing, but more options are available for leading contract manufacturers, he said.


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Taiwan’s top-tier wealth management market, DBS Bank Taiwan (星展台灣) announced the launch of DBS Treasures Private Client (星展頂級私人客戶), marking the completion of its ultimate wealth management blueprint.

Tailored for ultra-high-net-worth clients with assets of NT$100 million (US$3.26 million) or more, the new segment provides comprehensive services from asset allocation, wealth succession planning and exclusive privileges, empowering clients to enjoy premium services and expand their global wealth horizons.

Shee Tse Koon (許志坤), head of consumer banking and wealth management at DBS Group Holdings Ltd, said the bank has benefited from the sustained growth in Asia’s wealth management sector.

From left, DBS Bank Taiwan consumer banking managing director Seraph Sun, DBS Group Holdings Ltd consumer banking and wealth management head Shee Tse Koon, and DBS Bank Taiwan general manager and chief executive Ng Sier Han pose for a photograph in Taipei yesterday. Photo courtesy of DBS Bank Taiwan

Since 2015, DBS has pursued a series of strategic mergers and integrations, while broadening its wealth management offerings and regional presence. As a result, assets under management have tripled, rising from S$142 billion to S$424 billion (US$109.56 billion to US$327.14 billion), elevating DBS Private Bank to the third-largest in Asia (excluding China) and reinforcing its leadership across the region.

Despite global uncertainty and market volatility, DBS remains optimistic about the future of its wealth management business, with ambitions to exceed S$500 billion in assets under management by next year, Shee said.

To address the diverse wealth management needs of its clients, DBS continuously leverages “Wealth Continuum” and “One Bank one-stop service.”

THE WEALTH CONTINUUM

DBS Group is committed to delivering bespoke and comprehensive wealth management solutions that accompany clients through every stage of their financial journey, from wealth accumulation and growth to succession. In addition, DBS has found that approximately 70 percent of its wealth management clients are also business owners, Shee said.

Beyond personal wealth planning, these high-net-worth clients also seek holistic support for their business and corporate financing needs. Therefore, DBS has developed its distinctive “One Bank” strategy, built on deep industry insights, an extensive Asian network and cutting-edge digital innovation.

The approach offers a seamless cross-border experience. For example, clients can apply to extend their DBS wealth management privileges to other markets where they already maintain DBS accounts, enjoying local benefits and account management fee waivers.

“PHYGITAL” WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Facing global market transformation and structural changes in high-net-worth client segments, DBS integrates cross-market resources and introduces artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. Through AI-driven market insights, dynamic portfolio optimization and personalized recommendations, DBS empowers its frontline teams to accurately analyze clients’ investment portfolios and risk management.

Last year, the group completed more than 1.2 billion AI-driven personalized nudges, helping more than 13 million clients improve their decisionmaking efficiency and make more precise and forward-looking financial and investment plans.

TAIWAN’S WEALTH MANAGEMENT POTENTIAL

Taiwan’s wealth management market is entering a pivotal phase, DBS Taiwan general manager and CEO Ng Sier Han (黃思翰) said.

Supported by the Asia Asset Management Hub and Wealth Management 2.0, the Financial Supervisory Commission estimates that Taiwan’s assets under management would strive to double to NT$60 trillion by 2030.

Wealth management has always been one of the key strategic priorities for DBS Taiwan. The launch of “DBS Treasures Private Client,” designed for clients with assets exceeding NT$100 million, marks the completion of DBS’ ultimate wealth management blueprint in Taiwan.

“DBS Treasures Private Client” plans to establish top-tier private wealth management centers across major metropolitan areas in northern, central and southern Taiwan, creating a service environment that offers privacy and exclusivity.

“‘DBS Treasures Private Client’ offers tailor-made wealth management plans from a professional team, who deeply understands clients’ asset size, risk preferences and family needs, and are committed to supporting clients’ long-term wealth growth and legacy planning objectives,” DBS Taiwan consumer banking managing director Seraph Sun (孫可基) said.

MEETING DIVERSE NEEDS

To enhance the financial resilience of high-net-worth clients, DBS plans to launch several advanced wealth management products, exclusive privileges and limited-time projects:

First, the Diversified Investment Portfolio offers diversified financial products, such as private asset funds, initial public offerings and non-investment rated bonds, and direct access trading for structured notes. Clients who enroll as Kaohsiung Asset Management Zone clients can enjoy more advanced and diversified financial services, including trust lending, premium/insurance finance, Lombard lending, and procedure for purchase of non-approved products.

Second, Exclusive Privileges include benefits such as waivers on personal financial service fees and fee exemptions for interbank transfers through domestic automated channels. Additionally, top-tier lifestyle privileges are provided, including up to eight free airport transfers annually at 12 major international airports in Asia, fast-track immigration, high-end medical examinations, private art tours and platinum concierge services.

Third, effective from today until Dec. 17, “DBS Treasures Private Clients” exclusively enjoy a six-month, 2 percent New Taiwan dollar high-rate time deposit (maximum placement amount of NT$30 million per client), while wealth management clients enjoy a three-month, 1.75 percent NT dollar high-rate time deposit (maximum placement amount of NT$500 million per client).

title: DBS Taiwan launches DBS Treasures Private Client


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Tech giant ASML posts stable profit, warns on China

Dutch tech giant ASML Holding NV on Wednesday warned of a steep fall in its China business next year, as it booked flat net profit in the third quarter compared with the same period last year.

“We expect China customer demand, and therefore our China total net sales in 2026, to decline significantly compared to our very strong business there in 2024 and 2025,” ASML chief executive officer Christophe Fouquet said in a statement.

The firm announced net profits of 2.13 billion euros (US$2.5 billion), after 2.08 billion euros in the third quarter of last year. Net sales in the third quarter came in at 7.5 billion euros. ASML had forecast a figure between 7.4 billion and 7.9 billion euros.

The logo of ASML Holding NV, a leading maker of semiconductor production equipment, hangs on its head office in Veldhoven, Netherlands, on Jan. 30, 2023. Photo: AP

“Our third-quarter total net sales ... were in line with guidance, reflecting a good quarter for ASML,” Fouquet said.

“We do not expect 2026 total net sales to be below 2025,” he said, adding that the firm would give more details on next year’s outlook in January.

“I think we have seen a flow of positive news in the last few months that has helped to reduce some of the uncertainties we discussed last quarter,” Fouquet said.

The CEO said he expected sales in the fourth quarter to come in between 9.2 billion and 9.8 billion euros, while for this year, the firm predicts a 15 percent increase in total net sales.

Net bookings, the figure most closely watched in the markets as a predictor of performance, reached 5.4 billion euros, compared with 5.5 billion in the second quarter.

According to a presentation posted on the firm’s Web site, sales to China represented 42 percent of ASML’s overall business in the third quarter, up from 27 percent in the second quarter.

“We have been experiencing a very high cycle in China, especially through ... the last couple of years,” ASML chief financial officer Roger Dassen said in a call with investors.

“Our expectation and the visibility we have right now is that next year we go back to more reasonable business,” he added.

Longer term, ASML said that the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence (AI) market would push up its annual sales to between 44 billion and 60 billion euros by 2030. It posted 28.3 billion euros in net sales last year.

ASML has faced growing pressure from US and Dutch export curbs for its most advanced chipmaking tools to China, as Beijing and Western nations are locked in a battle for the key sector.

Last week, a US Congressional committee report said that five companies, including ASML, had sold US$38 billion of critical tech to China last year, including to firms flagged as US national security threats.

“China is striving with all its might to build a domestic, self-sufficient semiconductor manufacturing industry,” the report said.


content_text:
Bicycle maker Giant Manufacturing Co (巨大) said yesterday it has begun reimbursing migrant workers for expenses they paid to secure their jobs and pledged not to deduct future broker fees from their wages.

The move comes after the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) covering bicycles, parts and accessories made by Giant in Taiwan, due to allegations of forced labor.

The CBP said an investigation into Giant identified indicators including “abuse of vulnerability, abusive working and living conditions, debt bondage, withholding of wages, and excessive overtime.”

People visit a booth of Giant Manufacturing Co at the Taipei Cycle Show on March 26. Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE

The CBP order does not apply to products made by Giant’s factories outside Taiwan. The company also has manufacturing facilities in China, Vietnam, Hungary and the Netherlands.

In a news release issued on Wednesday, Giant announced that it had expanded its “Zero Recruitment Fee Policy” to all current migrant workers and began reimbursing past fees to them this week.

Previously applicable only to migrant workers newly recruited since Jan. 1 this year, the policy requires the company to “bear all recruitment fees, service charges and related government costs,” the release read.

In a reply to CNA yesterday, Giant said “partial reimbursements” had been issued to migrant workers recruited before Jan. 1, beginning on Tuesday.

However, the company did not respond to CNA’s inquiries about the amount to be reimbursed in the first phase or how many phases there will be.

It said the reimbursement covers fees paid by migrant workers in both their home countries and Taiwan during hiring, including broker fees, service charges, visa and document processing fees, medical examination costs and transportation expenses.

Before the policy was rolled out and expanded, migrant workers typically paid those fees either upfront with loans before being hired or through salary deductions after starting work, and brokers collected most of them.

Giant told CNA that starting on Wednesday, it will “no longer deduct any related fees from wages.”

“Salaries will be paid by the company, in accordance with the law, directly into each migrant worker’s personal account, with no deductions for any recruitment-related items,” the company added.

The Chinese-language Commercial Times on Wednesday last week, citing industry estimates, reported that if employers cover migrant workers’ agency and processing fees in both their home countries and in Taiwan, the average cost would be about NT$150,000 to NT$200,000 (US$4,893 to US$6,525) per worker.

Asked by CNA about the figure, Giant said it was “the media’s own estimate based on general market rates, which we cannot confirm.”

According to Giant, a third-party adviser it has commissioned “to identify, assess and develop a comprehensive compensation plan” for migrant workers hired before Jan. 1 this year, will determine the final amount.

As of this month, Giant employs 545 migrant workers, 406 from Thailand and 139 from Vietnam.

The company said it would continue using licensed agencies while also considering direct hiring.

“Regardless of the hiring channel, all fees will be fully borne by the company and not by employees,” Giant said, adding that it has begun evaluating and updating contracts with partner brokers to ensure they meet “ethical recruitment” and “worker-pays-zero” standards.

In the Wednesday statement, the company said it has also completed the relocation of all migrant worker dormitories, with over 400 workers having moved into two newly built facilities “designed and upgraded in line with international labor and human rights standards.”

Giant told CNA those standards draw on the “spirit” of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) “Fair Recruitment Initiative” and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

“All dormitories have passed fire, building and public-safety inspections and provide reasonable living space, private bathrooms, and dining and leisure facilities,” it added.

Jason Lee (李正新), a social worker at the Rerum Novarum Center, said that Giant’s approach does not address the root cause and could prompt brokers in workers’ home countries to invent new charges and additional fees.

Having worked with migrant workers in Taiwan for years, Lee noted that they face many expenses even before leaving their home countries — including training, lodging, food, airfare and processing fees — and that brokers could tack on other fees at that stage.

“Giant’s approach will disrupt the entire ecosystem,” he said, suggesting that the brokerage system “should be directly abolished.”

Lee said migrant workers’ loan repayments are deducted from their monthly wages, but their loan situations differ, with some borrowing from banks or other institutions, and home-country broker fees also vary, and urged Giant to specify exactly how much it will cover.

title: Giant begins reimbursing migrant workers for broker fees


content_text: A man touches a gold ingot at the Gold Museum in New Taipei City’s Rueifang District yesterday. As gold prices continue hitting record highs, the 220kg gold brick’s market value has exceeded NT$900 million (US$29.35 million), making it the museum’s top exhibit and a key draw for visitors.

title: Heavy metal


content_text:
Two short videos have been circulating on social media, one an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated video depicting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chair candidate Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) on stage kissing KMT Taipei City Councilor Liu Tsai-wei (柳采葳), and the other a viral Douyin remix of various clips of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Shih-chien (王世堅).

Despite the fact that both videos clearly contain politically sensitive content, they have been allowed to spread freely — and even trend — within China’s tightly controlled online environment. This suggests that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is conducting a public opinion experiment aimed at Taiwan — testing which kinds of content can influence opinion and shape the political atmosphere without triggering official censorship. What is most intriguing is why the CCP would target figures from two of Taiwan’s major political parties, the KMT and the DPP.

Beijing’s motives for the KMT are relatively clear. During his campaign for KMT party chair, Hau’s policy was “peaceful toward China, but not sucking up to the CCP” and “pro-US, but not kneeling to the US.”

Although his wording was moderate, it effectively crossed a line that Beijing found unacceptable. China hopes that the KMT’s future leader would be someone who can engage in direct dialogue — or even cooperate — with its “united front” agenda. Hau demonstrated a degree of autonomy, removing him from Beijing’s list of potential partners.

Media personality Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), who backs Hau, is seen as a figure with major influence over media and financial resources. This plutocratic image clashes with the “anti-corruption” touted by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).

Beijing’s approach toward Wang, on the other hand, is completely different. Wang, known for his outspoken nature, is regarded as a maverick within the DPP — yet he unexpectedly went viral. This sudden surge in attention has boosted his popularity among young people, but has also made some DPP supporters uneasy. By allowing such content to spread freely, the CCP is effectively sowing seeds of competition and internal conflict within the DPP. This kind of provocation is more effective than outright verbal attacks, because it exploits the diverse opinions and disagreements inherent in democratic society, and prompts the DPP to spend its energy on infighting.

These seemingly humorous online creations are, in fact, a cognitive warfare tactic. Some politicians and media outlets deliberately downplay them, saying that they are just part of Internet culture and even accusing others of conspiratorial thinking. However, any awareness of the factors at work would lead one to realize something far stranger than AI-generated videos or parody songs is happening: The fact that Beijing is allowing them.

Specific clips of Hau and Wang have been allowed to circulate freely on Chinese platforms. This indicates that the content of these videos is regarded as “safe” discourse, something useful for achieving political objectives. That they are a means of observing Taiwanese society’s reactions and even testing the boundaries of influence over public opinion.

Taiwanese society values freedom of speech. We are not afraid of diverse voices, nor do we impose limits on creative expression. When an authoritarian regime exploits Taiwan’s free environment to deliberately disseminate specific messages, we must identify its motives. Only with transparency and public scrutiny can a democratic society possess the resilience to withstand external interference. That way, perhaps it would not be the free society that ultimately collapses, but the regime that relies on manipulation and censorship.

Wang Hung-jen is a professor in National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Political Science.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: Memes as CCP cognitive warfare

people: 郝龍斌 王世堅 習近平


content_text:
Ahead of this year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, Brazil, the question of climate action once again becomes closely aligned with emissions reductions and the encouragement of renewable energy.

However, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN-published goals for all UN member states, highlight that climate action (SDG 13) should not be viewed as a separate issue, but together with consumption and production practices (SDG 12).

India and Taiwan, despite the differences in size and economics, represent arguments for a pragmatic approach to addressing both of these goals — and why this approach can yield useful lessons applicable elsewhere.

Taiwan’s economy is integrated with supply chains globally. Its high-tech components are necessary to build smartphones and electric cars.

India offers a different scenario. Domestic demand for goods is rising fast due to rising incomes, increasing demand for energy, cement, steel and plastics. This development poses risk of resource-intensive growth at a time when there is a requirement for a transition toward efficiency and sustainability.

Actions to slow climate change are not viable if consumption and production patterns are not made green. The climate crisis is also a crisis of materials, waste and consumption. India and Taiwan stand at different points on this spectrum but complement each other. Taiwan has the best-in-class advanced waste minimization technology, advanced systems of recycling and sophisticated industries, but struggles to reduce consumption of energy-intensive commodities. India has pioneered low-cost, large-scale deployments of clean energy and community-level restraint, but has weaknesses in waste management, pollution and supply chain inefficiencies. Combining their strengths would help both nations stay resilient in a carbon-constrained world.

Another opportunity for partnership lies in circular manufacturing. Taiwanese enterprises have placed initial bets on recycling electronics and recovering industrial heat, but it requires large markets. India’s rising demand and urban growth make it a natural partner in designing circular supply chains that prevent waste before it begins. India’s innovations in inexpensive solar appliances and modular homes might find a test case in Taiwan’s counties seeking to cut emissions without lowering the standards of living.

Food systems are a second convergence of SDG 12 and SDG 13. Both nations regard dietary changes and city lifestyles as factors that increase food waste, and can share solutions to address it.

The Asia-Pacific Forum and Exposition for Sustainability was a good platform to showcase such synergies. Instead of treating climate action and responsible consumption and production as two separate pathways, India and Taiwan have an opportunity to increase efficiencies by launching connected projects.

The exclusion of Taiwan from official UN processes obliges it to find credible means to express its international influence. The link between SDG 12 and SDG 13 allows Taiwan to participate not just as a member of climate processes, but also as a leader in responsible production, a sphere in which its technological strengths are obvious. India’s partnership with Taiwan on sustainable consumption shows its climate plan is about practical solutions, not just lofty goals.

Both countries cannot afford to wait. In Taiwan, dense cities and aging populations make waste and energy inaction costly; in India, resource-heavy growth threatens its demographic promise. Both societies desire wealth without ecological meltdown. Working SDG 13 and SDG 12 in parallel is the only credible means of getting there.

A century ago, global trade was measured mostly in grain and coal. Today, trade has broadened to semiconductors and smartphones, but the fundamental question never varies: Can consumption and production pay off for societies without overdrawing the planet’s resources?

Collaborative action on India’s and Taiwan’s part to transform societal habits can demonstrate to the world that a positive solution is attainable. This would bring them closer to SDG 13 while showing that responsible consumption and production are essential for any credible climate plan.

Sutandra Singha is an independent researcher with a doctorate in international studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India, specializing in climate change.

title: An India-Taiwan climate change plan