title: Challenges in higher education system

content_text:
Taiwan’s higher-education system — in following the US model — is experiencing two crises:

Some universities have shortened their semesters from 18 weeks to 16, following US colleges whose semesters are typically that length. However, many US universities operate on a three-semester system or a four-quarter system. Three years ago, National Taiwan University (NTU) — the first Taiwanese institution to propose adopting the 16-week semester — said that the change would help Taiwan keep pace with international standards, including allowing foreign faculty and students to return home for Christmas and enabling Taiwanese students to better match the academic calendars of partner schools when going abroad for exchange programs or internships.

However, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, part of the NTU system, said that shortened semesters presented challenges for practice-based programs such as architecture and design.

Meanwhile, technical universities said that the technical-vocational system fundamentally differed from academic higher education and should not be subject to the same regulations.

Reform inevitably generates disagreement. Those who believe that 18 weeks is too long say that the change has helped trim fat, while those who see 16 weeks as too short say the policy is “cutting one’s own foot to fit the shoe.” Nothing in this world is perfect — as an old saying goes: “Those with the mind to accuse will never lack a pretext.”

The 16-week semester has also resulted in a long winter break — 65 days this year. In the US, the long summer vacation allows for summer school. As Taiwan has adopted shorter semesters, it should also shorten the winter break so that summer vacation could be extended to introduce summer school programs. This would allow students to make up credits or take more classes, and those seeking internships or overseas learning experiences could better utilize their summer break.

Furthermore, higher education has been decoupled from compulsory education, including amendments to two regulations. The Enforcement Rules of the University Act (大學法施行細則) stipulate that the calculation of credits for universities “shall follow the principle that 18 teaching hours shall be equal to 1 credit.” However, current regulations on the academic year, semesters and holidays for students at all levels mandate that the first semester run from Aug. 1 to Jan. 31 the following year, and the second semester from Feb. 1 to July 31.

In the US higher-education admissions system, recommendation letters carry weight that has already produced notable side effects in Taiwan’s education system. High-school seniors might neglect regular coursework, because they are focused on preparing recommendation materials, which has resulted in a decline in grades of first-year university students.

Universities such as NTU have been forced to offer preparatory summer courses. Does this not seem contradictory to NTU’s push for shortened semesters?

Another issue is the learning portfolio — preparing it is time-consuming and stressful, often turning into an arms race that puts students from rural areas or disadvantaged backgrounds behind from the start.

With declining birthrates and the wave of artificial intelligence, education experts must urgently evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of Taiwan’s shift from a unified college entrance examination system to a diverse admissions system.

Have we truly learned from the essential aspects of the US system, or merely the superficial?

Lin Ji-shing is a university professor.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen


title: [ LETTER ]

content_text:
Let Taiwan be bold

Earlier this year, the South African government downgraded Taiwan’s representative office in Pretoria and has repeatedly requested that the office relocate outside the administrative capital. South Africa’s actions are clearly in line with Chinese pressure aimed at isolating Taiwan diplomatically. Instead of silently acquiescing, Taiwan has hit back with semiconductor export controls on South Africa, detailing a list of 47 products, including chips, transistors and memory devices, that would now require prior approval.

The move is a clear signal: Taiwan plays a critical role in the global supply chain and is certainly not without options.

This was the right move. Taiwan has kept a low profile for a long time, with hopes that humility might earn it respect. Instead, we have been stepped on. This time, let us be bold and tell the world that Taiwan is not a tiny country — it has strength and guts. From technology to democracy and resilience, Taiwan has already proven itself across the board.

Enforcing export controls is certainly playing hardball, and there might be risks involved. However, in a critical moment such as this, not doing so would mean being overlooked. I would rather see Taiwan stand up than swallow its pride. Respect is not something that is bestowed; it must be earned and defended.

Those who try to beat Taiwan down should know that isolation and threats would not make us bow our heads and retreat. What we ask for is a very basic level of respect. If strength is what earns respect in this world, then Taiwan is ready.

Shih Li

Tainan


title: EDITORIAL CARTOON

content_text: George Santayana wrote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”This article will help readers avoid repeating mistakes by examining four examples from the civil war between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forces and the Republic of China (ROC) forces that involved two city sieges and two island invasions. The city sieges compared are Changchun (May to October 1948) and Beiping (November 1948 to January 1949, renamed Beijing after its capture), and attempts to invade Kinmen (October 1949) and Hainan (April 1950). Comparing and contrasting these examples, we can learn how Taiwan may prevent a war with


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Disaffected youths are rising in numbers in Asia, Africa and South America, as leaders are hopelessly ill-equipped to resolve problems

Arrogant and unresponsive political leadership runs like a thread through nations affected by the so-called Gen Z riots that have spread through Africa, Asia and now South America. For this reason, and others, they might return. In some countries, they might even sweep regimes away.

In Nepal, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned soon after protests flared early last month. In Madagascar, President Andry Rajoelina dissolved his government and is fighting for political survival after protests led to the deaths of at least 22 people.

In Kenya, President William Ruto seems unable to learn from experience. For three years, the East African country has faced disaffected youths deploying social media to organize protests against tax increases, police brutality and a cost-of-living crisis. Ruto has responded with violent police crackdowns, media blackouts, Internet shut downs and half-hearted Cabinet reshuffles — but few systemic solutions. And so the riots have recurred, each deadlier than the last.

In 2023, Ruto — who won elections in 2022 on a pro-poor ticket and promises to end rampant police brutality — hiked taxes despite youth opposition. At least 23 people died in the resulting protests. Last year, after the country’s “7 Days of Rage” youth protests in which at least 50 people died, Ruto fired a handful of Cabinet members, but did not stop abductions and beatings of activists. Like clockwork, protests erupted again earlier this year. This time, Ruto instructed police to shoot protesters in the legs and banned live coverage of demonstrations, repeating a tactic from last year when he shut down the Internet. At least 65 people have died in this year’s Gen Z protests in Kenya.

Leaders need to realize that the protesters will not just go away. That is because young people, key players in these demonstrations, are dominant in many countries. In Madagascar, 68 percent of the population is younger than 30. Nepal’s under-30s make up 56 percent of the population; in Peru, the number is 47.8 percent. The median age in Morocco is 29.8 years. Unlike their parents, these young people are not prepared to tolerate corruption and unresponsive leadership.

In Mozambique, where 250 mostly young people died in December last year disputing election results, half the population is younger than 17. They feel ill-served by the governing party, Frelimo, which has been in charge since 1975 while the mineral-rich country has remained one of the 10 poorest nations in the world.

Angola, where 300 people died in youth protests this year, has a median age of just 16.2 — and the governing People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola party, despite being tainted by numerous corruption scandals over the decades, has clung to power since 1975 as well.

Half of the Philippines, where more than 200 people were arrested last month after tens of thousands of anti-corruption protesters took to the streets over the alleged disappearance of billions in taxpayer dollars for flood relief projects, is younger than 25.

Incumbent leaders have shown themselves to be hopelessly ill-equipped to resolve the problems. Many have reached for old playbooks; riot gear, teargas, media clampdowns, shootings and arrests. Ruto’s order for riot police to shoot youth protesters in the legs is perhaps the most callous and incendiary, but similar tactics have been deployed elsewhere.

The same attitude among Togo’s leaders has led to the deaths of an unknown number of young people in mass protests that have roiled the West African nation for weeks. In Angola, 30 people died in a police crackdown in July.

The signs of disaffected youth inspired by others through TikTok and other platforms are everywhere. In Ghana, youths staged numerous protests against state corruption following the Kenyan riots. Nigeria’s youth-led “#EndBadGovernance” protests, triggered by rising living costs and economic hardship, resulted in at least 22 deaths and more than 1,200 protesters detained.

In Mozambique, more than 300 people were killed in youth-led protests against alleged vote-rigging in the elections on Thursday last week. Leaders of these countries should be working to avert future flare-ups, because resentment and bitterness from previous crackdowns lingers.

Most of the protests have been organized through social media, and some leaders might be tempted to throttle the Internet. They should not. Ruto’s Internet bans last year and this year did not work; Nepal’s ban ignited chaos and anger. These methods have repeatedly been shown not to work

Such heavy-handed responses illustrate that leaders are failing to grasp that the African continent and the world’s young people are changing, and will continue to change the world in profound ways in the next few decades. The future prosperity of African nations lies not just in its abundant mineral wealth, but in its youthful population, as demographic shifts in many of the world’s richest nations tilt unfavorably.

The youngsters are starting to become more mindful of their power, and are coming for unresponsive governments everywhere. A hopeful signal in how to avoid inflaming the situation is available in Morocco. Although that government’s initial response to its riots was “swift and brutal,” officials have since toned down their rhetoric; Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch now says dialogue is the only path forward.

It is a tactic Ruto and many other leaders should adopt. If they continue to ignore the lessons before them, it seems inevitable that the uprisings will flare up again — and that they will spread to other similarly economically and political stressed countries.

Justice Malala is a political commentator and former editor of South Africa’s This Day. He is the author of The Plot to Save South Africa: The Week Mandela Averted Civil War and Forged a New Nation. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

title: Gen Z protesters are tired of leaders failing them


content_text:
Putin’s canceled Arab summit signals Russia’s waning influence

When Russian President Vladimir Putin first announced he would host a “Russia-Arab world” summit, the Kremlin imagined the region’s leaders flying to Moscow to discuss regional security and energy relations, with the Russian leader presiding.

Announced in April and prepared for months, the summit had been scheduled for Wednesday, intended as a showcase of Moscow’s enduring influence in the Middle East and proof it remains far from isolated, despite Western sanctions.

However, Putin was forced to shelve the gathering after only a handful of leaders, including Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, confirmed their attendance.

Instead, on Monday, global attention turned to Egypt, where world leaders gathered for a Gaza “peace summit” — with Russia notably absent.

At Sharm el-Sheikh, US President Donald Trump joined Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in welcoming heads of states from across the Middle East and Europe, as they signed a long-awaited Gaza treaty, with leaders jostling to be photographed beside the US president.

While analysts say Moscow was never expected to play a major role in the Gaza peace process, its absence in Egypt underscored a reality the Kremlin is reluctant to admit: As the war in Ukraine grinds on, its influence in the Middle East — long touted as a counterweight to that of the West — is waning.

“Russia’s diplomatic role in the Middle East has declined as a result of the Ukraine war,” said Hanna Notte, a Berlin-based expert on Russian foreign policy. “When it comes to all the big developments, the major players in the region don’t look towards Moscow any more.”

The summit in Egypt also highlighted a shift in the region, where many leaders are now focused on strengthening relations with Trump, as Washington’s frustration grows over Putin’s refusal to end the war in Ukraine.

For nearly a decade, the Middle East served as the stage for Putin’s long-sought return to global prominence.

Russia’s 2015 military intervention in Syria’s civil war saved Bashar al-Assad’s regime from collapse, secured permanent naval and airbases on the Mediterranean, and revived Moscow’s image as a power capable of projecting force far beyond its borders.

With its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow was forced to divert much of its military, economic and diplomatic capacity, leaving it unable to prop up al-Assad as his regime crumbled. It has also watched its other key ally, Iran, see parts of its military and economic infrastructure repeatedly battered by Israeli strikes.

Despite years of cultivating ties with the Palestinian Authority and hosting Hamas delegations for talks in Moscow, Russia played no tangible role in the negotiations that produced the Gaza ceasefire.

By largely siding with the Palestinians and moving closer to Iran, Putin has strained his once warm relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last month said that Israel had transferred a Patriot missile system to Kyiv.

In public Russia’s elites have praised Trump’s efforts to end the war in Gaza, part of a broader charm offensive aimed at currying favour with the US leader.

Putin on Friday last week said that he had offered to postpone his own Russia-Arab world summit “so as not to interfere” with Trump’s initiative, and lauded the US-led push to end the war in Gaza.

“If Trump succeeds in accomplishing everything he set out to do, it would be a truly historic event,” he told reporters during a visit to Tajikistan.

Still, frustration has seeped through among senior Russian officials at being sidelined.

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov on Monday said that while Russia “would not refuse to take part in Middle East settlement efforts if invited,” the Kremlin was not going to “impose its services.”

There was also open criticism of Trump’s deal.

Dmitry Medvedev, the hawkish former Russian president and now deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, dismissed it as meaningless.

“Releasing Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners is a good thing, of course, but it will not solve anything,” he said. “Until a full-fledged Palestinian state is established in line with the well-known UN resolutions, nothing will change. The war will continue. Everyone understands this.”

Russia’s retreat from global influence reaches beyond the Middle East.

Across Central Asia and the Caucasus, states once seen as loyal satellites — including Kazakhstan, Armenia and Azerbaijan — are steadily drifting out of Moscow’s orbit, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced them to reassess the potential risks to their own security.

In August, Trump hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House after mediating a peace deal between them.

The agreement granted Washington exclusive rights to develop the so-called Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, a corridor cutting through Armenia to link Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave on the Turkish border.

Tellingly, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev traveled to Egypt on Monday.

Putin will have another opportunity to host leaders from the Arab world, with the Kremlin indicating that the summit is likely to be rescheduled for next month.

“A summit serves to reinforces Russia’s message that it is not isolated outside the west,” Notte said. “It matters symbolically for Moscow, but it doesn’t restore Russia’s role as a major player in the region.”


title: Emmanuel Macron plays Russian roulette with his legacy

content_text:
French President Emmanuel Macron’s latest political gamble is bordering on insanity: Trying the same thing, but expecting different results. Sebastien Lecornu, the prime minister whose government broke records on Monday last week after collapsing within 14 hours, has been reappointed sans some of the more controversial ministerial picks from last time.

As before, the aim is to court the center-left with policy concessions, avert snap elections and pass a budget that would achieve stability on the road to the presidential elections in 2027. What has changed is Macron’s apparent willingness to put his reform legacy on the line to get there. It might not be enough.

Survival for 39-year-old Lecornu’s Cabinet of political exiles and technocrats boils down to 25 votes, or about one-third of the center-left Socialists’ parliamentary seats. That is all it would take in theory to topple the government, assuming they are added to no-confidence votes from Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally; the rump of center-right Gaullists that are allied with her; the far-left France Unbowed; the communists; and the Greens. Hence why a lot depends on Lecornu’s freedom of action in tacking left — he supposedly has a “blank check” from Macron to nip, tuck or scrap his reformist legacy.

The very Socialist party that Macron quit to form his own movement has become kingmaker, and the concessions could be remarkable.

POLICY U-TURNS

Lecornu has already pledged to give up using the right to push through legislation by decree. He has given the nod to more taxation of high earners, and he could this week freeze Macron’s divisive 2023 pension reform, effectively kicking it out to whoever succeeds the president to relitigate in 2027.

The cost is high, with such a freeze equating to 0.3 percent of GDP in 2026-2027, according to Bloomberg Economics. Not to mention the risk that deficit and debt reduction goes in the wrong direction. What is old is new, and reforms that were essential have suddenly become optional.

This is an incredibly precarious path to survival, let alone a new government contract. Macron’s machinations are putting tactics and politics first, essentially betting that, deep down, both the center-left and the center-right want to avoid snap elections and distance themselves from the extremes. That remains a hope and not a strategy.

The number of policy U-turns being proffered might also only increase the nihilism and revulsion voters feel toward the current political class, storing up trouble down the line. They might also amount to little if a parliamentary coalition of convenience fails to toe the line, as it has done several times over the past year.

Investors have started to tune out a lot of this mess, and the impact on markets and the economy has been fairly contained. Fair enough — but that is related to factors outside Macron’s control. The artificial intelligence boom — or bubble — is spreading its magic to blue-chip companies such as Legrand SA, which is benefiting from data-center spending and attracting takeover interest from ABB Ltd.

The private sector has also been quick to adapt to changing geopolitical shifts like US tariffs. Moreover, there is implicit trust that the European Central Bank and the European Commission will have France’s back if ever the volatility becomes a meltdown. Some or all of these factors might not last much longer, not least if France rings in the New Year without a budget.

‘WARRIOR MONK’

The main revelation of this drama has been Lecornu himself. The loyal, self-styled “warrior monk” has seen his approval ratings tick up with every twist and turn of a governmental mission he insists is for the good of the country. In another time and place, he might be cast as the “providential man” the French so often look for in times of crisis.

Other establishment pretenders to the throne, from Edouard Philippe to Gabriel Attal, are slowly, but surely losing ground against Le Pen in the first-round polls. Still, for the time being, Lecornu looks caught on the political equivalent of a life raft without a paddle — and the sharks are circling.

Lionel Laurent is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist writing about the future of money and the future of Europe. Previously, he was a reporter for Reuters and Forbes. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.


content_text:
HIT AND RUN: Toronto manager John Schneider got his wish that his team ‘find some slug in the air out here,’ as the Blue Jays combined to total 611m of homers

Tired in Toronto, the Blue Jays slugged in Seattle. Vladimir Guerrero Jr and George Springer on Wednesday woke up the Jays, as Toronto hit five home runs to rebound from an early deficit, routing the Mariners 13-4 and closing to 2-1 in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).

Toronto had 18 hits — all within the first three pitches of each at-bat.

“If they give us a first pitch, the pitch that we’re looking for, we’re going to attack and we’re going to be aggressive,” Guerrero said.

Fans catch a three-run home run ball hit by the Toronto Blue Jays’ Alejandro Kirk, as the Seattle Mariners’ Victor Robles hangs on the wall below during Game 3 of the MLB’s American League Championship Series in Seattle on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Seattle starter George Kirby gave up eight of the hits.

“I wasn’t really executing when they got the guys on base,” Kirby said. “And they’re really aggressive when that happens. They made some good swings.”

Julio Rodriguez’s two-run, first-inning homer off former Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber put Seattle ahead, and stirred thoughts of a possible sweep in the best-of-seven matchup by a team who are seeking their first World Series appearance.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners in Game 3 of the MLB’s American League Championship Series in Seattle on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Andres Gimenez then sparked the comeback with a tying, two-run homer in a five-run third against Kirby.

Springer, Guerrero, Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger also went deep as the Blue Jays totaled 2,004 feet (611m) of homers.

Guerrero had four hits, falling a triple short of the cycle, after going 0 for 7 as the Blue Jays lost the first two games at home.

“No one expected us to win the division, no one expected us to be here, and I think the guys take that to heart,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “I said it when we left Toronto: I hope we find some slug in the air out here. Maybe we did.”

In the 2-3-2 format, teams that lost the first two games at home and won Game 3 on the road have captured the series three of 11 times.

A crowd of 46,471 at T-Mobile Park for Seattle’s first home ALCS game since 2001 saw the teams combine to match the post-season record of eight combined home runs, set by the Chicago Cubs and the St Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the 2015 National League Division Series and matched by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros in Game 2 of the 2017 World Series.

Gimenez had not homered since Aug. 27 before his drive off a Kirby fastball.

“Definitely something changed for our offense,” he said. “We come tonight with a mentality to attack.”

Kirby allowed eight runs, eight hits and two walks, taking the loss.

“The first couple innings I thought he was dynamite,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “This is a team that’s going to hurt you if you make mistakes on the plate. It looked like there were a couple that they were able to get to.”

Mariners reliever Caleb Ferguson said Seattle knew how to take losses in stride.

“If there’s one thing we’ve done since I’ve been here, we bounce back together well as a team,” Ferguson said. “We respond well when we kind of get smacked in the face a little bit.”

title: Jays slug back into series with 13-4 win


content_text:
Japan’s elite sumo wrestlers slapped, thrust and flipped their way through the first evening of their five-day exhibition tournament at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday, to the delight of a full house of spectators.

After a ceremony-heavy start and some lively explanations for first-time watchers from Japanese broadcaster NHK’s veteran English-language announcer Hiro Morita, the audience watched the first few bouts in an atmosphere of near-reverence.

By the time the small-but-powerful young wrestler Asakoryu, who like all “rikishi” goes by a single ring name, charged furiously into Sadanoumi in the fifth bout, the crowd had the gist of things. Fans cheered wildly as the elder man locked his opponent in a belt grip before slowly, but surely marching him backward out of the ring.

Sumo wrestlers prepare for their bout during the Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Wednesday. Photo: AP

The event, the first such sumo match in the UK in 34 years, was aimed at promoting ties between the two countries, Japan Sumo Association chairman Hakkaku Nobuyoshi said.

Spectators reveled in the sight of Midorifuji, the lightest wrestler in London at a mere 114kg going toe-to-toe with towering Kazakh fighter Kinbozan — who is 64kg heavier — before being lifted in the air and dumped outside the ring.

In the second half, the audience began to let rip.

Sumo wrestlers celebrate the opening on ring during the Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Wednesday. Photo: AP

A shout of “I love you Takayasu” from high up in the arena might not have been the kind of encouragement the former champion wrestler was expecting, but it did the trick and he duly sent his opponent Abi crashing to the dirt.

The most skillful performance of the evening came from the young Ukrainian wrestler Aonishiki, who flipped his much heavier opponent Atamifuji over with a rarely seen technique, thrusting one of his legs outward from inside the knee while twisting him downward by the opposite shoulder.

The two grand champions, Hoshoryu and Onosato, each won their bouts in stately fashion to bring the evening to a close.

title: Sumo’s elite slap, flip and thrust in London


content_text:
The Ministry of Sports on Wednesday night called for the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) to address issues in Taiwanese soccer after national manager Huang Che-ming on Tuesday resigned following Taiwan’s elimination in AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

Taiwan on Tuesday were thrashed 6-1 by Thailand in their final Group D tie at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Taiwan finished with no points, after losing all four of their matches, eliminating them from qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Huang made his surprise resignation at a post-match news conference, following three losses since he took over the team from English coach Gary White in August.

Taiwan coach Huang Che-ming looks on during their AFC Asian Cup Group D qualifying match against Thailand in Taipei on Tuesday. Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times

Huang — a former national team player and head coach for Taiwan Football Premier League club Taipower in Kaohsiung — said that despite the squad’s efforts, the CTFA did not provide them the support, resources and training facilities they needed to succeed.

“This is difficult for me to accept, so I decided to resign, hoping for a good coach to take over and improve our national squad,” he said.

In a follow-up interview, Huang said the CTFA would not add the players he wanted to his roster, and failed to perform due diligence on squad members, citing a naturalized player training for the team who was recovering from a leg injury preventing him from playing in the Thailand match.

He also had difficulty calling on Taiwanese playing in other countries, he added.

“It pained me that we represent Taiwan, but could not train on a proper pitch,” he said, adding that in the past few days they were forced to train at Taipei’s Yingfeng Riverside Park, a recreational pitch.

“Why could we not train at a professional-level pitch, like this one, Taipei Municipal Stadium, or at a university, while Thailand trained on the pitch at National Chengchi University?” he said.

Taiwan captain Chen Po-liang said he was shocked to hear of Huang’s resignation.

“He did not get the respect he deserves,” Chen said. “As players, we also do not feel good that we worked so hard to prepare for matches, but ... did not receive the support [from the CTFA] that we needed as the squad representing Taiwan.”

While he admitted that the team did not perform at the level they had hoped, he said he felt like they were being bullied.

“We did not receive the proper respect and support we needed... It is like we are being bullied, and neglected, even when playing for the national squad,” he said.

Huang had told players that the resources he was promised by the CTFA were not delivered, he added.

Pundits and fans lashed out at the CTFA for the perceived disarray in the governing body, while the Ministry of Sports demanded that the CTFA submit a report within three days explaining the issues and how it would improve the situation.

The ministry said it would monitor the CTFA’s progress on the matter and implement a mechanism for better scrutiny and review of problems as needed, urging the CTFA to work to regain the trust of players and fans.

title: Taiwan manager resigns after Asia qualifier defeat


title: Australian star Titmus announces shock retirement

content_text:
Australian four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus yesterday retired from competitive swimming at the age of 25, ending a stellar career that featured one of the sport’s great rivalries with American Katie Ledecky.

Titmus bowed out as one of Australia’s most decorated athletes with eight Olympic medals and four world titles.

The decision came as a shock to her nation, and the swimming world in general, as she had long planned a return to the pool to chase more Olympic glory at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

Paris Olympics women’s 800m silver medalist Ariarne Titmus of Australia poses with her medal at Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre on Aug. 3 last year. Photo: Reuters

“A tough one, a really tough one, but one that I’m really happy with,” she said of her decision in a video on social media.

“I love swimming, I’ve always loved swimming. It’s been my passion since I was a little girl, but I guess I’ve taken this time away from the pool and realized some things in my life that have always been important to me are just a little bit more important to me,” she said.

Titmus won her third individual Olympic gold medal in a 400m freestyle final dubbed “the race of the century” at the Paris Games, beating Ledecky and Canada’s Summer McIntosh to defend her title.

After Paris, she resolved to take a year off from competing and training to recharge, electing to skip the world championships in Singapore and instead cover the meet as a TV commentator.

However, the return to the pool never materialized.

Titmus had undergone surgery to remove benign tumors from her ovaries eight months before Paris, and she said the health issue had reminded her about having a life outside swimming.

“Delving more into those health challenges, I’ve had to think about what’s most important to me,” said Titmus, who retires as the 200 freestyle world record holder.

“I always intended to return,” she said. “I never thought that Paris would be my last Olympic Games, and knowing now what I know, I wish I had of maybe enjoyed that last race a little bit more.”

The face of Australian swimming at the past two Olympics, Titmus’ retirement robs the national team of an inspirational leader who did much to restore the country to superpower status in the sport after a lean decade.

Additional reporting by AFP


title: Boston mayor dismisses Trump World Cup threat

content_text:
Boston mayor Michelle Wu on Wednesday implied the city is ready for a faceoff with US President Donald Trump over his claim he could order FIFA to remove World Cup games scheduled to be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough next summer.

Wu appeared on the online talk show Java with Jimmy to respond to Tuesday’s criticism from the White House, which labeled the Democrat as “radical left” and said he would make a call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino if Boston does not “clean up its act.”

“Much of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even if they live in the White House currently, can undo it,” the Taiwanese-American mayor said. “We’re in a world where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are issued to individuals and communities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a hateful agenda.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, center, addresses a crowd during a Labor Day “Workers Over Billionaires” rally at Government Center in Boston on Sept. 1. Photo: AFP

“We are going to continue to be who we are and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation in a way that is targeting Boston’s values. Ten toes down for Boston,” she said.

Infantino was a guest of Trump at a news conference announcing the accord between Israel and Hamas earlier this week.

Trump on Tuesday was asked about violence in South Boston that included a police vehicle being set ablaze.

“If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni — the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal — and I would say: ‘Let’s move into another location,’ and they would do that. He wouldn’t love to do it, but he would do it very easily.”

FIFA later on Wednesday shied away from a confrontation with Trump, with a spokesperson saying that the “government” would decide whether World Cup host cities are safe enough to remain hosts as scheduled.

The US, Mexico and Canada are joint North American hosts of next year’s FIFA World Cup.


title: SPORTS BRIEFS

content_text:
TENNIS

Hsieh beats Chan in Ningbo

Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Czech partner Katerina Siniakova on Wednesday defeated Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and China’s Jiang Xinyu in straight sets to advance to the women’s doubles quarter-finals at the Ningbo Open. Hsieh and Siniakova, the No. 1 seeds, dominated their opponents 6-3, 6-1 in an hour of play on a hard court. They are today to face the Chinese pairing of Wang Xinyu and Zheng Saisai, who beat Emily Appleton of the UK and Isabelle Haverlag of the Netherlands 6-4, 6-3.

BASEBALL

Koo seeks to keep WBSC seat

Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) president Jeffrey Koo Jr is to seek re-election as executive vice president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) tomorrow, aiming to raise Asian baseball’s global profile and expand grassroots development, the federation said on Wednesday. Since taking office in 2022, Koo has spearheaded initiatives to grow the sport across Asia, including establishing the Southeast Asia Baseball Development and Training Center in Thailand and the Asian Women’s Baseball Training Base in Hangzhou, China. He also visited the United Arab Emirates to explore opportunities to develop baseball in West Asia as part of his “Asian Major League” initiative, the BFA said.

BASKETBALL

UK federation suspended

The British Basketball Federation (BBF) has been suspended by the sport’s world governing body and its men’s team barred from international competition because of governance issues, FIBA announced on Wednesday. FIBA in August set up a task force to investigate “regulatory noncompliance” within British basketball after a power struggle between the federation and Super League Basketball. The BBF in April awarded a 15-year licence to run a new professional men’s competition to a consortium led by American businessman Marshall Glickman. However, the nine clubs who last year set up Super League Basketball, after the collapse of the British Basketball League, refused to join, claiming the tender process run by the national governing body was an abuse of its dominant position. “These measures aim to restore regulatory integrity and promote sustainable governance of men’s basketball in Great Britain as soon as possible,” FIBA said in a statement. Under the terms of the suspension the BBF would not be permitted to license or recognize national men’s competitions, or field a men’s national team in FIBA senior competitions.

CHESS

FIDE approves new Tour

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has approved a new global competition set up by Norway Chess that would crown a “World Combined Champion” across three time formats — Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz, organizers said on Wednesday. The tournament series, called the Total Chess World Championship Tour, would feature four events a year in cities around the world, with the overall winner taking the FIDE title. A one-off pilot event is scheduled for late next year before the full championship season begins in 2027. “We are looking for the total chess player — a versatile, tactically intelligent and technically skilled athlete who adapts to multiple time controls,” Norway Chess CEO Kjell Madland said. “It will be a game changer, both for the players and the fans.”


title: Trump backs action against Venezuela

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‘UNDER CONTROL’: The US president said he was weighing up whether to expand US military action against alleged Venezuelan drug cartels to include land operations

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he had authorized covert CIA action against Venezuela and was considering strikes against alleged drug cartels on land in the South American country.

Trump’s comments prompted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to decry “coups d’etat orchestrated by the CIA” and ordered military exercises following a fresh US strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean.

Under Maduro’s direction, exercises have been conducted across the Atlantic Caribbean coast of Venezuela.

Trump declined to comment in detail about a New York Times report that he had secretly approved the CIA to conduct covert action in Venezuela against Maduro.

“But I authorized for two reasons really,” he said, accusing Maduro of leading a “narco-terrorist” regime, and of releasing prisoners from jails and sending them to the US.

Asked if he had given the CIA authority to “take out” Maduro, Trump replied: “That’s a ridiculous question for me to be given. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn’t it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?”

Trump added that he was weighing up whether to expand US military actions against alleged Venezuelan drug cartels to the land after a series of deadly naval strikes on boats.

“We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” Trump told reporters at the White House in Washington.

At least 27 people have been killed in US attacks on boats in the Caribbean.

Trinidad and Tobago, which is off Venezuela, is investigating whether two of those killed were its citizens, officials said on Wednesday.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called on the UN to open a “criminal process” against Trump for the strikes, which he believes have also killed Colombians.

Trump’s comments came amid a major US naval buildup in the Caribbean that Washington says is part of an anti-drug operation.


title: Hostage attends fellow Israeli soldier’s funeral

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‘OBLIGATION’: Itay Chen, Matan Angrest and Daniel Peretz were on a tank crew when they were taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. Only Angrest returned alive

Two hostages released by Hamas were reunited on Wednesday in a Jerusalem cemetery for a final goodbye.

Surrounded by hundreds of mourners, Matan Angrest, who had returned to Israel just two days earlier, stood before the freshly dug grave cradling his 22-year-old commander, Captain Daniel Peretz, and paid his respects.

He prayed for more to make it home, including Sergeant Itay Chen — another member of their unit whose body is still held in Gaza.

Israeli soldier Matan Angrest, center, attends the funeral of Captain Daniel Peretz at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

“It’s the least I can do for Daniel and the team that fought with me,” said Angrest, 22, his voice strong despite his pallor and evident weakness. “I’m sure that they are still guarding me from heaven.”

Angrest, Peretz and Chen were serving on a tank crew when they were taken during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Militants killed 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 captives that day.

“I wish he could come back. I’m ready to go to Gaza to bring him back,” Angrest said of Chen.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas is supposed to return all 28 of the deceased hostages’ bodies held in Gaza, but only 10 bodies had been released as of early yesterday.

One was determined not to be a hostage’s.

That left some families in the devastating limbo they have endured for more than two years, unable to give their loved ones the proper burial that in Judaism is an essential covenant with God, the deceased and the survivors.

“This is our obligation to God, we take the body and return it to the land,” said Rabbi Benny Lau, a friend of the Peretz family. “The soul belongs to God and returns to God, but the body is our responsibility.”

The three largest monotheistic religions — Christianity, Islam and Judaism — teach that a person’s soul continues to exist after being separated from the body by death.

In Judaism there are also specific teachings that the body needs to be left as intact as possible and buried as quickly as possible, with ritual cleansing and prayers.

“The idea of respecting the dead is intrinsic to the Jewish life cycle,” said Sharon Laufer, who has volunteered as part of Jewish burial societies, and is a reserve soldier in a special unit that identifies and prepares bodies of fallen soldiers for burial. “Until the body is put in the ground, the soul is not complete, and that’s why it’s so important to us.”

In normal circumstances, that means funerals are held within a day.

In the case of the Jewish hostages, it translates into the ongoing struggle — involving government negotiators and family prayers — to bring everyone’s remains back.

“We cannot close that chapter of these two years without returning all of them,” Lau said.


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A missing fingertip offers a clue to Mako Nishimura’s criminal past as one of Japan’s few female yakuza, but after clawing her way out of the underworld, she now spends her days helping other retired gangsters reintegrate into society.

The multibillion-dollar yakuza organized crime network has long ruled over Japan’s drug rings, illicit gambling dens and sex trade. In the past few years, the empire has started to crumble as members have dwindled and laws targeting mafia are tightened.

An intensifying police crackdown has shrunk yakuza forces nationwide, with their numbers dipping below 20,000 last year for the first time since records began in 1958.

Mako Nishimura, center, walks in a mall in Gifu, Japan, on Sept. 28 during a street-cleaning operation alongside others with a criminal past. Photo: AFP

Heavily inked with dragon and tiger tattoos, 58-year-old Nishimura navigated the yakuza’s patriarchal hierarchy — where brute force and authoritarian leadership reign — on and off for three decades.

Rival gangsters “looked down on me just because I was a woman, which I hated,” she told reporters at her cramped apartment in central Japan’s Gifu Prefecture.

“I wanted to be acknowledged as a yakuza,” she said. “So I learned to speak, look and fight like a man.”

Nishimura said that she was officially recognized by authorities as the first female yakuza after she was jailed for drug possession when she was 22.

While no official police data verify that, experts say that female members are extremely rare.

Retired anti-mob detective Yuichi Sakurai said he had never seen a female yakuza in his 40-year career, but “it was possible a few are included” in the annual numbers tracked by police, which do not give a breakdown by sex.

Nishimura, skinny with dyed-blonde hair, finally put the syndicate behind her about five years ago. She now ekes out a living at demolition sites — one of the few jobs that tolerates her full-sleeve tattoos.

She also supports other mafia retirees, taking huge pride in leading the Gifu branch of Gojinkai, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with a criminal past.

Yuji Moriyama is among the posse of middle-aged tough guys — one has a prominent knife scar across his belly — that Nishimura takes out for monthly litter-picking trips.

“She’s like a big sister. She scolds us when we deserve it,” 55-year-old Moriyama said, recalling a time he skipped the trash collection and she made him kneel on the ground to apologize.

“She scared the hell out of me,” he said, laughing.

For Nishimura, “the idea I’m doing something good for other people gives me confidence,” she said about the cleanup program.

“I’m slowly returning to a normal human being,” she added.

Nishimura grew up in a strict family, with a civil servant father who heavily pressured her academically. As a teen, she ran away from home and fell into crime, joining a major yakuza clan by the age of 20.

Brawls, extortions and selling illegal drugs soon became routine. She even cut off her own finger tip as part of the yakuza’s ritualistic self-punishment for blunders.

However, in her late 20s, Nishimura absconded from the syndicate and was “excommunicated,” putting gangsterism behind her to marry and raise her son.

“For the first time, I felt a gush of maternal instinct. He was so cute, I thought I could die for him,” she said.

The determined new mother studied her way into the care and medical industries, only to be fired over her tattoos.

Unsure where else to turn, she relapsed into selling stimulants.

In her late 40s, she rejoined her old yakuza organization, but found it poor and bereft of “dignity.”

The yakuza had thrived in the post-World War II bedlam of Japan, when it was at times seen as a necessary evil to bring order to the streets. It still exists in a semi-legal gray area, but harsher laws have left fewer people willing to do business with mobsters.

“Yakuza used to be the king of villains,” she said, but seeing her old boss struggling to scrape money together disillusioned her to the extent that she quit the underworld shortly after her 50th birthday.

Today, Nishimura has found a new mentor — Gojinkai chairman and prominent former gangster Satoru Takegaki — with proceeds from her recently published autobiography helping her make ends meet.

“I think yakuza will keep shrinking,” she said. “I hope they will become extinct.”

title: Ex-yakuza seeks new life


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Bears have killed a record seven people in Japan so far this year, the highest since 2006, when the survey started, a Japanese Ministry of the Environment official said yesterday.

Sightings of wild bears have increased in Japan in the past few years, even in residential areas.

“This is the largest toll since 2006 when statistics started,” surpassing five victims recorded in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

An image taken from video shows a bear walking in a supermarket in Numata, Japan, on Oct. 7. Photo: AFP / Gunma Prefectural Police via Jiji Press

The statement followed confirmation that a man found dead last week in the northern region of Iwate Prefecture was killed by a bear.

Including the fatal cases, at least 108 people have been injured since April when the fiscal year started. That is up from 85 incidents of injury including three fatal cases the previous fiscal year and compares with 219 in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, a ministry survey showed.

Last week, a 1.4m adult bear entered a supermarket in Gunma Prefecture’s Numata.

The animal lightly injured a man in his 70s and another in his 60s, regional police and fire officials said.

The store is close to mountainous areas, but has never had bears come near before, said Hiroshi Horikawa, a management planning official at the grocery store chain.

“It entered from the main entrance and stayed inside for roughly four minutes,” he said. “It almost climbed onto the fish case and damaged glass. In the fruits section, it knocked over a pile of avocados and stamped on them.”

The store’s manager told local media that about 30 to 40 customers were inside at the time and that the bear became agitated as it struggled to find the exit.

The same day, a farmer in Iwate was scratched and bitten by a bear, accompanied by a cub, just outside his house.

Earlier this month, a Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear at a bus stop in the village of Shirakawa-go in central Japan.

Japan has two types of bears: Asian black bears — also known as moon bears — and the bigger brown bears, which live on the main northern island of Hokkaido.

Thousands of the animals are shot every year.

title: Fatal bear attacks hit record in Japan


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Madagascar’s new military ruler, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, on Wednesday said that he would be sworn in as president today, after the African Union suspended the membership of the nation following a coup to oust Andry Rajoelina as president.

Rajoelina, whom lawmakers impeached after he fled abroad at the weekend, has condemned the takeover and refused to step down despite protests asking him to quit and widespread defections in the security forces.

Randrianirina said in a statement that the Madagascan High Constitutional Court would perform the ceremony.

“Colonel Michael Randrianirina will be sworn in as the president for the refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar during a formal hearing,” he said.

The African Union on Wednesday announced that the bloc had suspended Madagascar with immediate effect following the coup and called for the restoration of civilian-led governance as well as elections.

Suspension by the 55-member bloc carries political weight and could isolate the new leadership.

Randrianirina said earlier that the military had taken power and dissolved all institutions except the Madagascan National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

He said that a committee led by the military would rule for up to two years alongside a transitional government before a new elections.

Meanwhile, Rajoelina in a separate statement on Wednesday said that “explicit and extremely serious threats were made against the life of the head of state,” prompting his departure.

The threats had come when he was due to travel abroad for a mission, it said.

Media reports indicated that the 51-year-old leader was evacuated on Sunday aboard a French military plane.

On Monday, he said he had taken refuge in a “safe place” without giving further details.

title: New leader of Madagascar Randrianirina to take office


title: World News Quick Take

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SPAIN

Black cat adoptions paused

Long stigmatized for bringing bad luck or for links with the occult, black cats have found salvation in a town that has temporarily banned their adoption to ward off potentially sinister Halloween “rituals.” Any adoption or fostering request for the felines would be denied until Nov. 10 to prevent “possible risk ... derived from superstitions, rituals or irresponsible uses,” the animal welfare service of Terrassa, a town north of Barcelona, announced on Monday last week. The decision was taken “due to the arrival of the Halloween period and following the prudence criteria applied by various animal protection entities,” it added. Local newspaper Diari de Terrassa quoted animal welfare councilor Noel Duque as saying last week that adoption requests for black cats increase close to Halloween “for ritual purposes” or “as decoration because ‘it’s cool.’” The town hall “could not look the other way” when faced with “a grim topic,” Duque said. Animal welfare groups warn that cats can be hurt, killed or used as props during Halloween rituals. Exceptions to the ban would be “duly justified and assessed by the technical team of the center, where there is a full safety guarantee and a reliable history of the applicant,” the animal welfare service said.

CHINA

Customs seizes maps

Customs officials seized 60,000 maps it deemed “problematic” over their labelling of Taiwan and omission of territory Beijing claims in the South China Sea, authorities said. The maps were seized during an inspection of a batch of export goods in Shandong Province, customs authorities said in a statement on the messaging app WeChat. The statement did not specify when the maps were confiscated or where they had been printed. It said some of the maps “mislabeled” Taiwan and omitted “important” islands as well as the “nine-dash line,” which China uses to justify its maritime claims in the South China Sea. Other maps seized did not contain the boundary line between the maritime islands of China and Japan. These maps “endanger national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” and are prohibited from being imported or exported, customs authorities said.

INDIA

New crash probe sought

The 91-year-old father of the Air India pilot in a June crash that killed 260 has asked the Supreme Court to order an independent investigation that takes into account causes other than pilot action, sources familiar with the matter said. The lawsuit represents a major escalation of protests by the father and a pilots’ union against the government’s handling of the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade, which came soon after takeoff in the western city of Ahmedabad. The plea by the father, Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, for an investigation by a panel of aviation experts headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, comes weeks after he criticized the government investigation. He said two officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau who visited him had implied that his son, Sumeet Sabharwal, cut the fuel to the plane’s engine after takeoff. The government has denied such accusations, calling the investigation “very clean” and “very thorough.” He asked in a court filing for the government investigation to be closed and handed to a new panel headed by a retired Supreme Court judge that includes aviation experts, said the two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.


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Come for the lively fish auctions, stay for the tempura and other sea-based delicacies

Taiwan is one of the world’s greatest per-capita consumers of seafood. Whereas the average human is thought to eat around 20kg of seafood per year, each Taiwanese gets through 27kg to 35kg of ocean delicacies annually, depending on which source you find most credible. Given the ubiquity of dishes like oyster omelet (蚵仔煎) and milkfish soup (虱目魚湯), the higher estimate may well be correct.

By global standards, let alone local consumption patterns, I’m not much of a seafood fan. It’s not just a matter of taste, although that’s part of it. What I’ve read about the environmental impact of the seafood industry suppresses my appetite.

Intensive shrimp and prawn farming has destroyed mangrove habitats in Southeast Asia, India and Ecuador. A fifth of what we take from the oceans isn’t even eaten by humans, but converted to feed for fish and livestock farms. Taiwan’s fishing fleet isn’t exactly synonymous with labor rights, to boot.

Nonetheless, I’ve always been curious about what people eat and how they obtain their food. So when I heard how interesting Keelung’s Kanziding Fish Market (崁仔頂漁市) is, even if you don’t buy anything, I decided to plan a recent visit to the northern port city around it. This meant booking a hotel within walking distance — and bracing myself for less than a full night’s sleep, because the market’s official operating hours are 1am to 7am Tuesday to Sunday.

DECIPHERING THE NAME

Guessing that the fish market is named for the neighborhood in which it’s held, but noticing that Kanziding (崁仔頂) doesn’t seem to appear as a toponym in any other context, I did some online sleuthing. This is the explanation I found: In Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), kanzi (崁仔) refers to waterside stone steps where fishing boats used to unload, while ding (頂) means “at the top of.” In the old days, the catch would be brought ashore and sold right there.

The steps are long gone, and the market now occupies Xiao 1st Road (孝一路), 400m from the railway station. Apart from a few prewar exceptions — and temples, of course — every building in that part of Keelung is a damp-stained walkup encrusted with burglar bars and business signs. The only greenery is mold. Even when the market is closed there’s hardly anywhere to park a motorcycle, let alone a car. I’m glad I don’t live there, yet I find the unrelenting character of central Keelung quite engrossing.

It can be a bit sketchy, too. I hardly ever worry about criminality in Taiwan, but, as I walked the 750m from my hotel to the market at a quarter past one in the morning, I made a point of avoiding the darkest shadows.

En route, I saw a parked squad car, near which two officers were assisting (or maybe arresting) an older man. Soon enough I was on the edge of the market, where young men were hauling tubs of crushed ice and arranging styrofoam boxes of fish. It was already crowded, and over the next hour even more people arrived.

I’d read that most of the selling is done by Dutch auction, but given the speed at which vendors rattled through transactions, and the fact that almost everyone was speaking Hoklo, it was impossible for me to understand in which direction the asking price moved. But I did notice that, rather than quote by Taiwanese pound (jin, 斤; 600g) or kg, bidding sessions were for particular lots — typically a shallow basket, held by the auctioneer or his assistant, on which several fish were arrayed.

And when I say fish, I mean fish. Kanziding isn’t a general seafood market like Budai (布袋) in Chiayi County (see “There’s something fishy about Budai” in the Oct. 18, 2019 Taipei Times). I saw some crustaceans and shellfish, one vendor who was selling seaweed and a truck from which three women hawked fish cakes, tempura and other processed delights. But that was about it when it came to non-fish options.

And when I say “his assistant,” not “their assistant,” it’s because there’s a very obvious gendered division of labor. Men do the selling and laboring. Women count money and use pen and paper to keep track.

title: Shopping while the city sleeps: Kanziding Fish Market


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Officer’s diary sheds light on the participation of Chinese officers in Battle of Normandy

The captain of the giant Royal Navy battleship called his officers together to give them a first morsel of one of World War II’s most closely guarded secrets: Prepare yourselves, he said, for “an extremely important task.”

“Speculations abound,” one of the officers wrote in his diary that day — June 2, 1944. “Some say a second front, some say we are to escort the Soviets, or doing something else around Iceland. No one is allowed ashore.”

The secret was D-Day — the June 6, 1944, invasion of Nazi-occupied France with the world’s largest-ever sea, land and air armada. It punctured Adolf Hitler’s fearsome “Atlantic Wall” defenses and sped the dictator’s downfall 11 months later.

This photograph is believed to show E Company, 16th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, participating in the first wave of assaults during D-Day in Normandy, France, June 6, 1944. Photo: Chief Photographer’s Mate Robert M. Sargent, U.S. Coast Guard via AP, File

The diary writer was Lam Ping-yu — a Chinese officer who crossed the world with two dozen comrades-in-arms from China to train and serve with Allied forces in Europe.

For 32-year-old Lam, watching the landings in Normandy, France, unfold from aboard the battleship HMS Ramillies proved to be momentous.

His meticulously detailed but long-forgotten diary was rescued by urban explorers from a Hong Kong tenement block which was about to be demolished. It is bringing his story back to life and shedding light on the participation of Chinese officers in the multinational invasion.

As survivors of the Battle of Normandy disappear, Lam’s compelling firsthand account adds another vivid voice to the huge library of recollections that the World War II generation is leaving behind, ensuring that its sacrifices for freedom and the international cooperation that defeated Nazism aren’t forgotten.

“Saw the army’s landing craft, as numerous as ants, scattered and wriggling all over the sea, moving southward,” Lam wrote on the evening of June 5, as the invasion fleet steamed across the English Channel.

“Everyone at action stations. We should be able to reach our designated location around 4-5am tomorrow and initiate bombardment of the French coast,” he wrote.

BREAKTHROUGHS

Sleuthing by history enthusiasts Angus Hui and John Mak in Hong Kong pieced together the story of how Lam found himself aboard HMS Ramillies and proved vital in verifying the authenticity of his 80-page diary, written in 13,000 wispy, delicate Chinese characters.

Hui and Mak have curated and are touring an exhibition about Lam, his diary and the other Chinese officers — now on display in the Normandy town of Ouistreham.

One breakthrough was their discovery, confirmed in Hong Kong land records, that the abandoned 9th-floor flat where the diary was found had belonged to one of Lam’s brothers.

Another was Hui’s unearthing in British archives of a 1944 ship’s log from HMS Ramillies. A May 29 entry recorded that two Chinese officers had come aboard. Misspelling Lam’s surname, it reads: “Junior Lieut Le Ping Yu Chinese Navy joined ship.”

LOST, FOUND AND LOST AGAIN

Lam’s leather-bound black notebook has had a dramatic life, too.

Lost and then found, it has now gone missing again. Hui and Mak say it appears to have been squirreled away somewhere — possibly taken to the US or the UK by people who emigrated from Hong Kong — after the explorers riffled through the apartment, salvaging the diary, other papers, a suitcase, and other curios, before the building was demolished.

But Hui, who lived close by, got to photograph the diary’s pages before it disappeared, preserving Lam’s account.

“I knew, ‘Okay, this is a fascinating story that we need to know more about,’” he says.

“Such a remarkable piece of history ... could have remained buried forever,” Mak says.

They shared Lam’s account with his daughter, Sau Ying Lam, who lives in Pittsburgh. She previously knew very little about her father’s wartime experiences. He died in 2000.

“I was flabbergasted,” she says. “It’s a gift of me learning who he was as a young person and understanding him better now, because I didn’t have that opportunity when he was still alive.”

A LUCKY ESCAPE

Lam was part of a group of more than 20 Chinese naval officers sent during World War II for training in the UK by Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石). Chiang led the government in China from 1928 to 1949, fighting invasion by Japan and then Mao Zedong’s (毛澤東) communists, before fleeing to Taiwan with the remnants of his forces when Mao’s insurgents took power.

On their long journey from China, the officers passed through Egypt — a photo shows them posing in front of the pyramids in their white uniforms — before joining up with British forces.

In his diary, Lam wrote of a narrow brush with death on D-Day aboard HMS Ramillies, as the battleship’s mighty guns were pounding German fortifications with massive 880-kilogram shells before Allied troops hit the five invasion beaches.

“Three torpedoes were fired at us,” Lam wrote. “We managed to dodge them.”

His daughter marvels at the lucky escape.

“If that torpedo had hit the ship, I wouldn’t be alive,” she says.

Through ships’ logs, Hui and Mak say they’ve confirmed that at least 14 Chinese officers participated in Operation Neptune, the naval component of the invasion which was code-named Operation Overlord. Some 7,000 vessels took part. The Chinese were deployed in pairs, on seven ships, Hui and Mak say.

OPERATION DRAGOON

Some of the officers, including Lam, also saw action in the Allied invasion of southern France that followed, in August 1944.

“Action stations at 4 a.m., traces of the moon still visible, although the horizon is unusually dark,” Lam wrote on Aug. 15. “Bombardment of the French coast started at 6, Ramillies didn’t open fire until 7.

“The Germans put up such a feeble resistance, one can call it nonexistent.”

France awarded its highest honor, the Legion d’honneur, to the Chinese contingent’s last survivor in 2006. Huang Tingxin, then 88, dedicated the award to all those who traveled with him from China to Europe, saying “it was a great honor to join the anti-Nazi war,” China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported at the time.

Lam’s daughter says their story remains inspirational.

“It talks about unity, talks about hard work, about doing good,” she says. “World War II, I think it shows us that we can work together for common good.”


title: MOVIE REVIEW: Romantic creature

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Guillermo del Toro builds a handsome, grand ‘Frankenstein’ that is all his own

Guillermo del Toro has been telling monster stories for as long as he’s been making films. A romantic with keen appreciation for the macabre, his creations are things of strange beauty, haunting, poetic and unforgettable. It’s no wonder his earliest love was Frankenstein, first the Boris Karloff film, then the novel, which set him on a path to becoming a filmmaker.

Don’t expect a by-the-letter adaptation of Mary Shelley’s immortal story, however. This Frankenstein, streaming on Netflix on Nov. 7, is an interpretation, a reading of that tale of the brilliant scientist and his creation, from one of our most visionary filmmakers who has made it very much his own. Is it his best? No, but it overcomes the handicap of the dreaded passion project that has befuddled more than a few greats before him.

It is a story about stories, about fathers and sons, innocents and monsters, and the madness of creation. And while del Toro lets both Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) and the creation (Jacob Elordi) tell their sides of the tale, this is not exactly neutral. Del Toro has always loved the “monster” and, perhaps because of that love, has stripped him of the complexities that made Shelley’s character so fascinating. Here, the creation is an innocent, subject to the same impulses of rage as a toddler. But, thankfully for parents everywhere, toddlers can, generally, be contained. This creature’s strength is superhuman, which is unfortunate for anyone who happens to provoke him. He doesn’t just kill — he skins, he tears jaws off, he tosses grown men with a velocity that suggests they weigh little more than a baseball. It’s all quite grisly.

But neither he nor Victor is without reason — all men are products and victims of their own fathers, whose mothers and mother figures (in both cases, Mia Goth, a metaphor that is perhaps a little too on the nose) cannot protect them, del Toro tells us, and these two are particularly doomed.

Isaac is delightful as Victor, brilliant, egotistical and with a flair for the theatrical, a defiant outsider consumed with the idea of making life from death. He’s obsessed with surpassing his father (a menacing Charles Dance), intellectually and scientifically, and the idea that he might have been able to save his late mother. He’s relegated himself to being a mad loner, a proud exile who has softness only for his brother William (Felix Kammerer) and William’s fiancee, Elizabeth (Goth), an excellent foil for Victor’s hubris. While Elizabeth might embody something of a feminine cliche whose instinct is to nurture and protect the creation, rather than mold and control him, Goth imbues her with sharp wit and wisdom. She’s the kind who might even be able to save Victor from himself (or at least that’s what he thinks), if only she weren’t marrying his brother.

And then, of course, there is the creature. There are no bolts in this head: Victor’s design is that of an artist attempting to make a marble Adonis, but whose stitches never quite disappear and whose scraggly hair suggests the eerie undead. In Elordi’s hands, the creature is a sensitive soul tortured by his own existence. His default is gentleness, but his survival instincts are very real, and very violent. Victor quickly comes to hate his creation because he believes it dumb and he leaves it to fend for itself.

If the first half the film is a symphony of crazed creation, the second is one of discovery, a coming-of-age story for a monster who just wants a companion but who is only met with hatred, disgust and violence — save for an old, blind man (David Bradley) who, like Elizabeth, sees a gentle soul. The creature is also quick to learn under a kinder tutor, which proves to be a double-edged sword as he comes to understand the nature of his being and the curse of eternal life. It’s all very spelled out on our behalf.

The gothic grandeur on display is familiar territory for del Toro, though he’s often had to stay within certain confines. Working with many of his regular collaborators on Frankenstein, it seems no expense was spared in this elaborate, maximalist world-building (production designer Tamara Deverell), from Victor’s lavish childhood estate to the abandoned irrigation plant that will become his laboratory. The romantic, beautiful, utterly impractical costumes, too, (overseen by Kate Hawley) could fill a museum, not to mention all the severed limbs. It all comes to electrifying life with Alexandre Desplat’s appropriately epic score.

Everything about Frankenstein is larger than life, from the runtime to the emotions on display: The empathy, the anguish, the rage, the regret. And it can be a bit exhausting, too, a lifetime of dreaming jam packed into 149 minutes. Hopefully del Toro is at peace with his creation: It might not be masterpiece material, but it has a soul and is an undeniably beautiful, worthwhile addition to the canon.


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Foundations want to curb AI developers’ influence with US$500 million aimed at centering human needs

Artificial intelligence is a matter of design — not destiny.

That’s the message from 10 philanthropic foundations aiming to loosen the grip that the technology’s moneyed developers, fueled by an investing frenzy, hold over its evolution. Launched Tuesday under the name Humanity AI, the coalition is committing US$500 million across the next five years to place human interests at the forefront of the technology’s rapid integration into daily life.

“The future belongs to those who actively create it, and that shan’t be a few leaders in Silicon Valley. It’s all of us,” Mozilla Foundation Executive Director Nabiha Syed said in an e-mailed statement. “The systems shaping our lives must be powered by people, open by design, and fueled by imagination.”

Artificial intelligence has been embraced as a productivity booster in fields such as software engineering or medicine. It could help students with a range of visual, speech, language and hearing impairments to execute tasks that come easily to others. Humanitarian groups are testing its ability to translate important documents for refugees. And some farmers find it useful for detecting pests in their hard-to-survey fields.

But others question whether its deployment is actually improving their quality of life. Some point out that real harms exist for children turning to AI chatbots for companionship. AI-generated deepfake videos contribute to the online spread of misinformation and disinformation. The electricity-hungry systems’ reliance on energy generated by fossil fuels contributes to climate change. And economists fear AI is taking jobs from young or entry-level workers.

The problem, according to Omidyar Network President Michele Jawando, is that tech giants aren’t investing en masse in the first set of use cases. They’re focused on products that may or may not help humans thrive.

Jawando pointed to OpenAI ‘s recent entrance into the online marketplace as an example. At its DevDay last week, the company touted ChatGPT’s new capabilities as a virtual merchant that can sell goods directly for Etsy sellers or deliver food from Uber Eats.

The coalition recognizes the private sector’s desire to maximize profits and governments’ interest in spurring innovation, according to Jawando. But between tech companies’ great influence and the Trump administration’s regulatory rollbacks to speed up AI technology construction, she said philanthropic leaders recognized the need for more capital and more collaboration to amplify the voice of civil society.

Jawando said Humanity AI’s role is identifying what “flourishing” looks like in a world with artificial intelligence.

“Most of what we’re offered right now is efficiency. But that’s not flourishing,” she said. “I don’t want my life to be efficient. I want my life to flourish. I want it to feel rich and robust and healthy and safe.”

Led by the MacArthur Foundation and Omidyar Network, Humanity AI seeks to take back agency by supporting technology and advocates centering people and the planet. Members must make grants in at least one of five priority areas identified by the coalition: advancing democracy, strengthening education, protecting artists, enhancing work or defending personal security.

MacArthur Foundation President John Palfrey said he is particularly focused on creating opportunity for early career professionals, regardless of their education levels.

He acknowledged that some young job seekers are questioning the ideal of the “American Dream,” that one can make a better life for themselves than the previous generation. But that wouldn’t be the case, he suggested, if decisions about artificial intelligence began with the question: how do we ensure a brighter future for individuals and their families?

“That’s a very different orientation than ‘How do we invest to make the LLMs be the biggest and fastest,’ right?” Palfrey said, referring to a form of AI known as a large language model that trains on massive bodies of text. “It’s an orientation that centers opportunity and young people.”

The alliance of a broad range of philanthropies underscores the widespread concern. Its ranks represent humanities funders such as the Mellon Foundation, tacklers of inequality in the Ford Foundation, an open internet grantmaker in the Mozilla Foundation, education funders such as Lumina Foundation, charitable behemoths such as the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, racial equity supporters such as the Kapor Foundation and groups like the Siegel Family Endowment that have long explored technology’s societal impacts.

They’re not the first philanthropic coalition to emerge this year with the goal of ensuring everyday people don’t get left behind. The Gates Foundation and Ballmer Group were among the funders who announced in July that they’d spend US$1 billion over 15 years to help create AI tools for public defenders, parole officers, social workers and others who help Americans in precarious situations. Other efforts seek to improve AI literacy and expand access for entrepreneurs in low-income countries.

Humanity AI hopes to expand its coalition. Partners began coordinating grants this fall and will pool new money next year in a collaborative fund managed by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Grantees include the National Black Tech Ecosystem Association, which builds diverse leadership pipelines in STEM; AI Now, a research institute at New York University studying AI’s social implications; and a Howard Law School initiative dedicated to developing AI solutions that advance civil rights. Palfrey said the MacArthur Foundation is increasing its grant to the Pulitzer Center as part of the effort.


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SPEAK UP: Blackpink & more K-pop stars to hit Taiwan (2/2) Blackpink等多組韓團將襲台（下）

A: Is K-pop still popular now?

B: Sure! The 110,000 tickets for supergroup Blackpink’s two shows to be held this weekend were all snatched up within three minutes.

A: Apart from Blackpink, what other K-pop stars are visiting?

B: I-dle’s Taiwanese member Yeh Shu-hua, King of K-pop G-Dragon, and Super Junior are all coming soon next month.

A: Super Junior’s 2009 hit “Sorry, Sorry” boosted this Korean “Hallyu” to a peak. Let’s go experience SJ’s magic again.

A: 韓國流行音樂還是很受歡迎嗎？

B: 當然啦，光是天團Blackpink本週末兩場演唱會，11萬張門票3分鐘內就被秒殺！

A: 除了Blackpink，還有哪些韓國歌手最近會來台？

B: I-dle的台灣成員葉舒華、韓流天王G-Dragon權志龍、Super Junior下月也都將來台。

A: Super Junior 2009年金曲《Sorry, Sorry》曾將「韓流」推上高峰，我們再去重溫一下SJ的魔力吧。

（By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）

For your information Language Tip 語文小提示 snatch 搶奪、奪取、抓住（機會...等）Transitive verb:1: to take or grasp abruptly or hastily, e.g. snatch up a pen, snatch the first opportunity2: to seize or take suddenly without permission, ceremony, or right e.g. to snatch a kissIntransitive verb: To attempt to seize something suddenly

countries: 台灣 韓國


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▲早點睡覺才能讓腦細胞好好休息。（圖／Unsplash）

記者曾怡嘉／台北報導

你多久沒有好好照鏡子？有時候某個時刻突然發現自己突然變老了，其實老化每天都在發生，營養師高敏敏分享，有研究發現有3個關鍵時間點會讓你像斷崖一樣突然加速老化，雖然老化無法避免，但卻可以靠飲食和生活習慣來延緩，只要做好準備，就能幫助大腦清晰、青春久一點。

斷崖式衰老3大階段

#第一階段：34歲 膠原流失

細胞外基質蛋白開始大量減少，膠原蛋白不足讓臉部肌膚失去彈性與光澤，外表開始出現初步的衰老痕跡。

#第二階段：60歲 蛋白流失

與激素活性、血液通路有關的蛋白大幅下降，造成大腦與身體機能快速退化

#第三階段：78歲 訊號受阻

血液與骨骼相關的蛋白訊號嚴重受損，導致大腦與器官加速衰老，甚至與失智、心血管疾病高度相關。

營養師高敏敏分享，雖然老化不可逆，但其實只要從日常飲食和生活習慣著手，還是有機會延緩大腦老化的速度，聽聽她教你這樣吃延緩衰老。

▲（圖／翻攝自FB/高敏敏營養師）

#補充Omega-3好油脂

可吃：鮭魚、鯖魚、亞麻仁籽、核桃幫助保護神經細胞、降低發炎。

#多吃深色蔬果

可吃：番茄、菠菜、花椰菜，豐富抗氧化營養素、促進血液循環。

#攝取優質蛋白質

可吃：豆類、雞蛋、低脂乳製品，提供神經傳導所需養分、維持思緒清晰。

#補足B群與葉酸

可吃：全穀類、深綠色蔬菜、黃豆，改善腦部代謝、減緩認知退化。

#避免精製糖與加工品

少喝含糖飲料、少吃炸物，幫助穩定血糖、降低腦霧。

但如果只靠吃，生活作息沒調整，大腦還是會加速退化，營養師教你這樣做，延緩大腦衰老。

#控制三高

血糖、血壓、血脂穩定，才能保護血管不老化。

#戒除菸癮

避免氧化壓力與血栓形成，減少腦中風與失智風險。

#堅持運動

規律活動能促進循環，增加大腦供氧量，改善專注與記憶。

#終身學習

培養新興趣、新知識，能刺激神經連結，保持大腦靈活。

#參與社交

建立人際互動，減少孤獨感，保護腦部白質纖維束健康。

#飲食健康

以植物性飲食為基礎，避免過量熱量與加工食品。

#定期體檢

提早發現疾病、追蹤大腦與血管狀態。

#充足睡眠

每天7–9小時，讓腦細胞好好休息，才能鞏固記憶與修復功能。.

title: 營養師曝「3個時間點」斷崖式衰老　提早預防勝於治療


title: 台積電最大客戶換人當？蘋果有望被取代　業界曝原因

companies: 蘋果 台積電

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▲外界預估，輝達有望取代蘋果成為台積電最大客戶。（圖／路透社）

記者許力方／綜合報導

隨著AI與高效能運算（HPC）需求暴增，外界分析，台積電客戶版圖正在出現重大變化。過去台積電憑藉大客戶蘋果的訂單，營收亮眼，如今根據多家產業報告，輝達（NVIDIA）有望在2025年取代蘋果，成為台積電最大的客戶，象徵全球科技重心正從智慧型手機轉向AI運算時代。

2024年，蘋果仍是台積電最大客戶，貢獻營收約24%，不過智慧型手機晶片需求逐漸下滑，而AI伺服器與HPC產品訂單持續飆升。統計顯示，2025年第二季HPC相關營收已占台積電總營收六成，遠超手機晶片業務，加上輝達因晶片需求龐大，預估將貢獻台積電營收的19%至21%，首次挑戰蘋果多年來的龍頭地位。

科技媒體分析，輝達目前已鎖定台積電超過一半的CoWoS先進封裝產能，是AI晶片效能的關鍵。相比蘋果依產品周期下單，輝達的需求受AI應用快速擴張帶動，規模增長更為強勁，使得台積電的營運焦點逐步轉向AI。

台積電在台灣2座2奈米廠在2025年底全面投產，蘋果仍可能在2026年重奪最大客戶寶座，不過，供應鏈業界普遍仍認為，「輝達時代」的來臨已不可逆。


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▲台灣網友表示，去韓國旅遊要戴「我是台灣人」徽章。（圖／翻攝蝦皮賣場）

記者鄒鎮宇／綜合報導

南韓近期反中抗議活動愈演愈烈，有台灣網友為避免受到波及，決定配戴「我是台灣人」徽章赴韓旅遊。而該照片也在韓國社群媒體引起討論，部分韓國網友感到羞愧及丟臉，「除了極少數人外，韓國人不支持仇恨，非常抱歉。」。

據南韓《每日經濟新聞》報導，隨著韓國境內反中情緒升高，有台灣旅客在社群平台分享，近日到韓國旅遊時會佩戴「我是台灣人」徽章，以便向當地民眾表明自身身分、避免被誤認為中國旅客，減少可能遭遇的負面對待。一名台灣網友於10日貼文詢問，「韓國最近對中國人反感，應該戴這種徽章嗎？」並附上徽章照片，引起網友熱議。

對於「我是台灣人」徽章的討論，部分網友表示擔憂，認為佩戴此類標誌可能反而引發中國人的敵意，甚至有韓國網友直言這是「國家尊嚴的下降」或感到「羞愧與抱歉」。也有一名自稱中國籍的網友表示「我是中國人，如果我戴這個徽章能避免傷害嗎？」展現出中籍旅客對當前氛圍的焦慮。

另一方面，也有韓國網友出面緩頰，強調絕大多數韓國民眾反對仇恨行為，並向外國旅客致歉，「除了極少數人外，韓國人不支持仇恨，非常抱歉。」

隨著反中示威與仇恨事件增加，韓國政府也開始加強應對。總統李在明2日公開表示，「不應忽視損害國家尊嚴的行為」。10日，行政安全部下令國家警察委員會加強執法，嚴防仇恨犯罪，並表示「近來仇恨集會與抗議升溫，不僅特定國家人士，連外籍社群也感到高度焦慮。若現狀持續，恐影響社會安全與國際關係。」

為促進經濟復甦，韓國政府自上月29日起開放中國旅客免簽入境，預計措施將延續至明年6月30日。根據法務部統計，5月入境中國旅客達52萬5396人，較去年同期成長逾16%。然而，隨著中國旅客人數攀升，社會上反中抗議、仇恨行為也更為頻繁，凸顯韓國社會在經濟利益與社會和諧之間的矛盾。

title: 韓國旅遊要戴「我是台灣人」徽章　韓網嘆丟人：羞愧又抱歉

countries: 韓國 台灣 中國


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▲2025長庚醫學週於林口長庚醫院展開。（圖／林口長庚提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

2025長庚醫學週16日起於林口長庚醫院展開，為期4天，首日在「公共議題論壇」癌症防治上，聚焦精準篩檢（AI輔助）、健保給付優化與跨科整合照護三大亮點，匯集產官學研跨界觀點，共同勾勒健康台灣願景。

林口長庚指出，該院在近年五癌篩檢（腸癌、乳癌、肺癌、子宮頸癌、口腔癌）的陽性追蹤率（追蹤異常結果的完成率）幾乎全面突破九成。其中發生人數與死亡率居全台首位的肺癌，更達到接近100%。顯示長庚透過嚴謹追蹤機制，有效確保癌前病變與早期癌症不被忽略，實踐「篩得出、追得到、治得好」，避免篩檢淪為形式，真正守護全民健康。

林口長庚醫院院長陳建宗表示，長庚積極投入人工智慧在癌症防治的應用，與 MIT（美國麻省理工學院） 團隊合作開發的『Sybil』AI 系統，結合臨床醫學、人工智慧與公共衛生，建構國內首份兼具臨床準確度、AI模型校正性與篩檢政策效益的架構，透過單次低劑量電腦斷層（LDCT），就能預測未來 1 至 6 年的肺癌發生風險。

▲2025長庚醫學週聚焦癌症防治。（圖／林口長庚提供）

這在臨床與公共衛生上都極具突破性，此成果可作為醫院智慧影像篩檢品質監測，與AI輔助診斷系統驗證的標準依據，亦展現長庚在智慧醫療與癌症防治整合研究的領先地位。

同時，長庚也參與全球乳癌 AI 的大型驗證研究，涵蓋 5 個國家、7 個醫學中心、超過 6 萬 2 千名病人與 12 萬 8 千張影像。這些成果證明人工智慧的風險模型能在不同族群發揮穩健效益，幫助早期檢測，避免過度篩檢，也讓長庚在國際智慧醫療的研究舞台上，占有一席之地。

林口長庚癌症中心主任王弘銘強調，該中心集結國內最完整的癌別團隊，涵蓋肝癌、肺癌、乳癌、大腸直腸癌、胃癌、食道癌、造血系統、頭頸癌、泌尿道癌、兒癌、婦癌等，橫跨內科、外科、放射線科與病理學等多重專業，打造全人全程的癌症照護。

而林口長庚血液腫瘤科系主任張文震則補充，免疫治療讓許多病人重獲一線生機，長庚更是早在2016年率先成立「免疫腫瘤學卓越中心」，是全台最早、經驗最豐富的免疫治療基地。透過 CAR-T 細胞治療、質子治療與新型免疫標靶藥物的應用，長庚成為癌症病友在免疫治療過程中最堅強的後盾。包括：立法委員王正旭、健保署署長陳亮妤等人士出席論壇。

countries: 美國 台灣

taiwan-subdivisions: 林口 桃園

title: 長庚醫院領航癌症防治　AI精準篩檢等三大亮點守護全民健康


title: 台南第三行政中心充電站啟用　黃偉哲：打造低碳永續城市

taiwan-subdivisions: 安平區 官田 鹽水 麻豆區 東山 新營區

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▲台南市長黃偉哲主持第三行政中心曾文市政願景園區電動車充電站啟用典禮，象徵偏鄉綠能建設再升級。（記者林東良翻攝，下同）

記者林東良／台南報導

台南市政府持續推動低碳永續政策，積極建置電動車充電設施，16日上午由市長黃偉哲在第三行政中心「曾文市政願景園區」主持電動車充電站啟用典禮，象徵偏鄉地區綠能基礎建設再升級，也呼應市府「縮減城鄉差距、打造均衡發展」的施政目標。

黃偉哲表示，台南市配合中央2050淨零排放政策，爭取中央環境部補助2.5億元經費，規劃設置180席200kW快充格位（含4席350kW超快充格位）及266席11kW慢充格位，分布於全市37行政區共202處公共停車場域，達成「區區有充電站、區區有快充」的政策目標。

目前，安平區永華市政中心2席350kW超快充格位已於5月啟用，新營區民治市政中心2席200kW快充格位也已完成設置，待送電後即可啟用。麻豆區曾文市政願景園區則為第三行政中心所在地，鄰近台84線快速道路，地理位置重要，此次啟用不僅便利民眾洽公與旅遊時充電，也象徵偏鄉地區與市區享有同等公共服務水準。

交通局局長王銘德指出，環境部補助計畫分三批推動，目前已啟用22處充電站，共設有8席快充與31席慢充格位；最新一批再新增5處快充場域，共10席快充與3席慢充格位，分布於麻豆、東山、官田及鹽水等行政區。包括麻豆曾文市政願景園區、東山運動公園、東山路外停車場、官田衛生所及鹽水機車考照練習場等，全面升級偏鄉地區電動車服務網。

為讓充電設施深耕在地服務，交通局規劃「充電專用格位」制度，提醒駕駛勿占用電動車專用停車位，否則將依《停車場法》裁罰1,200元。另充電收費採尖離峰定價，目前啟用初期優惠價格為快充每度8元、慢充每度5元，未來將不定期推出行銷優惠活動。民眾可透過「電小二APP」或「台南好停APP」即時查詢充電樁資訊與活動內容，提升整體使用體驗。

黃偉哲強調，推動綠能交通不僅是環境永續的重要一環，更是打造智慧城市的關鍵步驟。台南將持續拓展公共充電網絡，讓民眾在城鄉各地都能便利使用，邁向低碳永續的新生活。


title: 南投今年共136名百歲人瑞　許淑華親送漆藝人間國寶王清霜重陽賀禮

taiwan-subdivisions: 南投 國姓 埔里 集集 水里 竹山 草屯 名間 仁愛 南投縣 鹿谷 信義 中寮

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▲南投縣長許淑華親自致贈萬元禮金及金鎖片給王清霜。（圖／南投縣政府提供，下同）

記者高堂堯／南投報導

重陽節將屆，南投縣政府統計114年該縣百歲人瑞計有136人，包括104歲的「人間國寶」漆藝大師王清霜，每人都可獲贈縣府頒發的1萬元重陽節敬老禮金，衛福部象徵長壽與福氣的純金鎖片1枚，剛滿百歲人瑞則將頒發總統之敬老狀1幀。

縣長許淑華今日由縣府社會及勞動局長林志忠陪同，前往探視住在草屯鎮的王清霜，以及南投市105歲人瑞暨榮民趙明森，除致贈相關禮品，也與老人家閒話家常、請益長壽之道；南投市長張嘉哲、南投縣榮民服務處長王怡文也一同探視趙明森，分別致贈1萬元敬老禮金和賀禮一份。

許淑華表示，人瑞長輩在家人照顧陪伴下，身體都非常硬朗，並保持運動的好習慣、神彩奕奕，令人欣慰，如王清霜致力傳承漆藝、名揚國內外，迄今仍勤勉不懈地從事漆藝創作，提及漆藝傳承更是侃侃而談、滔滔不絕，對藝術文化傳承的用心堪為各界楷模。

▲南投市人瑞趙明森。

社會及勞動局指出，114年南投縣百歲人瑞中滿百者有55人、逾百者81人，最高齡的是名間鄉蔡親金（107歲），女性最高齡的是信義鄉陳招、竹山鎮邱徐滾妹女士（106歲〉，除居住外縣市的11人（滿百3人，逾百8人〉外，即起至10月29日重陽節前夕將安排逐一造訪；依性別區分：男性56人、女性80人；各鄉鎮市以南投市35人最多，次為埔里鎮15人、竹山鎮12人；草屯鎮、名間鄉各11人；鹿谷鄉9人；國姓鄉鄉7人；中寮鄉、信義鄉各6人；水里鄉5人；水里鄉4人；集集鎮、仁愛鄉各2人。


title: 營養師曝「3個時間點」斷崖式衰老　提早預防勝於治療


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記者蘇晟彥／台北報導

HUAWEI 16日舉辦新品上市記者會，正式發表多款功能創新進化、卓越性能升級的穿戴新品，包括全新 HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 Pro、WATCH GT 6，以「Ride the Wind」詮釋嶄新時尚與運動態度；同時另有降噪再進化的HUAWEI FreeBuds SE 4 ANC，全面升級消費者的智慧生活體驗。

HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 Pro | HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 HUAWEI WATCH GT 6系列，延續HUAWEI一貫高規格工藝設計，融合長效續航與健康科技，全面升級智慧穿戴體驗。HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 為日常與戶外運動愛好者打造，支援百餘種運動模式，跑騎功能全面提升，業界首發支援「騎行模擬功率」功能，無需專業設備即可掌握每次騎行表現，提供更豐富的騎行體驗。全方位升級的HUAWEI TruSense玄璣感知系統，可更精準、更全面、更快速的解析情緒、偵測心率、壓力與睡眠分析等多項指標，提供全天候智慧健康守護，超強續航力最長可達21天，日常與運動生活皆能隨心所欲。

HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 Pro在設計與功能上，更是卓越非凡，錶體採用航太級鈦合金和奈米微晶陶瓷精心打造，8角錶體的立式計時錶圈設計，視覺更顯張力，AMOLED與藍寶石玻璃鏡面，晶瑩通透，閃耀自信風采；並支援40米自由潛水，滿足更複雜環境下的探索與數據偵測；全面升級高爾夫球場功能，首發向量地圖、定位更準確且快速掌握距離，制定最佳擊球策略；一鍵掌握ECG心電圖分析，使健康管理更加專業*。

HUAWEI FreeBuds SE 4 ANCHUAWEI FreeBuds SE 4 ANC延續HUAWEI在音頻領域的技術創新，結合輕盈舒適的配戴體驗與強大降噪實力。單支耳機重量僅約4.3克，搭配三種尺寸矽膠耳塞，提供輕盈又貼合的配戴感受，具備強勁續航表現，長效續航可達50小時，開啟降噪可使用約7小時。全新升級的多模式主動降噪技術，全頻段平均降噪深度可達24dB，無論戶外通勤、室內或日常使用皆能沉浸於音樂饗宴中；耳機亦配備三麥克風通話降噪技術，即便在捷運或公車等嘈雜環境中，也能確保通話清晰。FreeBuds SE4 ANC採入耳式設計，提供陶瓷白和曜石黑兩種配色，售價NTD$1,990，即日起正式開賣。

體驗互動再升級 HUAWEI新品體驗館限定活動驚喜連連 「HUAWEI新品體驗館」即日起至 10/26（日）於台北統一時代百貨忠孝東路正門口盛大登場，現場規劃多項互動體驗與限時好禮，邀請民眾感受智慧穿戴科技的嶄新魅力。完成「闖關送好禮」指定任務，即可兌換品牌小禮及 WATCH GT 6 系列限量 NTD$500 折扣；拍照打卡並上傳 IG 限時動態，還可參加 WATCH GT 6 新品抽獎。

title: HUAWEI 3穿戴新品上市　全面升級智慧穿戴體驗


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▲《康熙來了》於2015年宣布停播。（圖／資料照／中天提供）

記者曾羿翔／綜合報導

金鐘獎頒獎典禮前夕，蔡康永16日深夜突在社群發文，「原來，是10年前的今天，我說了再見。」據了解，這句話回顧的是2015年他宣布告別《康熙來了》的那一刻。貼文勾起許多粉絲回憶，留言「康熙來了是否會回歸」、「我們還是一直重看康熙影片」、「一起回來吧」。

▲蔡康永Tag小S，在金鐘典禮前夕發文。（圖／翻攝自蔡康永臉書）

蔡康永16日深夜在臉書PO出10年前的貼文畫面，當時內容寫道，我要和《康熙來了》道別啦！我第一個當然是告訴小S，我說我想做些改變。這段奇妙旅程，「我會永誌於心」。如今10年已過，蔡康永發的新文還特別Tag了小S，引起許多粉絲熱烈討論。

《康熙來了》在2015年宣布停播，當時蔡康永率先發表告別貼文，小S隨後回應「康熙沒有康永哥就不完整」，十足展現了兩人深厚情誼。如今十年過去，兩人將在17日金鐘獎節目類頒獎典禮再次牽手登台，格外受到外界關注。而這也是大S逝世後，小S首次公開亮相。

title: 快訊／蔡康永與小S深夜突發文！「10年前的今天，我說了再見」


companies: 台積電 蘋果

title: 台積電最大客戶換人當？蘋果有望被取代　業界曝原因


title: 「6飯店線上旅展」最低2折！坐擁陽明山景　尋路民宿2499起含早餐

taiwan-subdivisions: 林園區 南港 淡水 士林 北投

countries: 日本 台灣

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▲薰衣草森林集團尋路精選包棟住宿券16,000元起。（圖／業者提供）

記者彭懷玉／綜合報導

2025 ITF台北國際旅展將於11月7日至10日在南港展覽館登場，在此之前，6家飯店搶先祭出線上旅展優惠，住宿最低下殺2折起，從奢華溫泉、城市景觀旅宿到包棟民宿通通有，供讀者度假參考。

▲薰衣草森林線上旅展今（17日）早9點登場，旗下「尋路」、「緩慢」及森林園區同步開跑。（圖／業者提供）

薰衣草森林集團薰衣草森林線上旅展今（17日）早9點登場，旗下「尋路」、「緩慢」及森林園區同步開跑，三大亮點包含：包棟民宿最低16,000元可住22人、雙人體驗券平日3,499元含早餐與香草課程、北海道美瑛三天兩夜住宿券只要5,888元。

▲尋路精選聯合雙人房住宿券2,499元起。（圖／業者提供） 另有「尋路精選」民宿平日雙人房含早餐最低2,499元、台灣「緩慢」推出的平日雙人房含早餐3,999元，超值限定組合雙人一泊三食4,599元，以及三天兩夜住宿7,999元。

▲台北士林萬麗酒店「尊貴山景客房平日雙人住宿券」含自助早餐只要5,599元（原價28,586元）。（圖／業者提供） 台北士林萬麗酒店台北士林萬麗酒店即日起至11月17日開賣線上旅展，本次主打「尊貴山景客房平日雙人住宿券」，含自助早餐只要5,599元（原價28,586元），等於2折入住即可坐擁陽明山景，徜徉如畫般風景，享受城市邊界的寧靜度假感。

▲淡水蘊泉庄祭出年度最低價，「土舍套房」套券組合買五送一最低2.5折。（圖／業者提供） 淡水蘊泉庄淡水蘊泉庄祭出年度最低價，「土舍套房」套券組合買五送一最低2.5折，每張一泊一食僅6,250元；升級一泊二食平均每張8,750元，可選海陸鍋物或套餐，另提供3,760元餐飲抵用金選項，23坪房型含獨立湯池，適合安排秋冬泡湯之旅。

▲北投麗禧溫泉酒店每房皆有獨立溫泉池。（圖／記者彭懷玉攝） 北投麗禧溫泉酒店北投麗禧溫泉酒店於官網推出年度最強優惠，「雅緻山景客房一泊一食」每張9,999元（原價24,000元），含早餐兩客、迷你吧與鳳梨酥點心，還可暢玩露天風呂與SPA設施。另有2,580元午餐券及多款泡湯票同步開賣。

▲台北美福大飯店「行政客房」住宿券6,299元起含早餐。（圖／業者提供） 台北美福大飯店台北美福大飯店推出「行政客房」住宿券6,299元起含早餐，一泊二食也可選；四人適用的「菁英客房」兩張合購下殺43折，平均每張9,499元。雙11再推「行政客房」平日雙人住宿券限時5,888元（原價16,170元）。此外，首次開賣30天「健身會籍體驗券」，含泳池、三溫暖等設施，線上限定56折。

▲JR東日本大飯店台北「行政尊榮客房」6,999元享行政酒廊禮遇。（圖／業者提供） JR東日本大飯店台北JR東日本大飯店台北即日起開賣線上旅展券，「都會客房純住房券」4,999元、「一泊一食」5,999元可再買8送1；「行政尊榮客房」6,999元享行政酒廊禮遇。企業與團購也可享買10送1，再加碼送日本「GALA湯澤滑雪場」折扣券。


title: 報到第2天就出事！樹林警涉助詐團查165帳戶　遭屏東地院裁定收押

taiwan-subdivisions: 屏東 樹林 新北市 新北 三重 屏東縣 中和

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▲樹林警分局傳出警員涉貪瀆遭搜索。（圖／翻攝Google Maps）

記者陳以昇、閔文昱／新北報導

新北警紀連環爆！繼三重、中和分局有員警涉洩密遭搜索後，樹林警分局也爆出醜聞。40歲劉姓警備隊警員疑勾結詐騙集團，協助查詢165專線警示帳戶，涉嫌《貪污治罪條例》等罪。屏東地檢署15日上午指揮警政署政風室、新北市警局、屏東縣調查站及樹林分局兵分多路搜索，隨即將劉員帶回屏東縣調查站偵訊，經複訊後，16日晚間遭屏東地院裁定收押。

據了解，檢方在偵辦詐團案件時，意外發現劉員疑似以警職權限協助詐團過濾警示帳戶，用以挑選可用人頭帳戶。劉員本月13日才從海山警分局調回樹林分局，報到第2天就遭檢調約談帶走，震撼警界。

樹林警分局指出，已全力配合檢調調查，並強調秉持「警紀警辦、毋枉毋縱」原則，決不掩飾、不庇縱、不護短。內部並擬依規定對劉員記二大過免職，以示懲處決心，展現淨化警隊、維護警譽的態度。

事實上，新北警方近兩日接連爆出洩密風波。除樹林案外，三重分局陸姓小隊長與中和分局張姓偵查佐今（16）日亦遭檢調搜索，疑涉及向線民洩漏車籍及個資。短短兩天內三名員警接連被帶走偵訊，警界風紀再亮紅燈，也凸顯資訊安全與內控管理問題亟待檢討。


countries: 美國 以色列 烏克蘭 俄羅斯 印度

title: 見澤倫斯基前「川普先打給普丁」　關鍵戰斧飛彈成談判籌碼

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▲俄羅斯總統普丁、美國總統川普。（圖／路透）

記者鄒鎮宇／綜合報導

美國總統川普（Donald Trump）16日與俄羅斯總統普丁（Vladimir Putin）通話。目前美國有意向烏克蘭總統澤倫斯基（Volodymyr Zelenskyy）出售長程「戰斧」（Tomahawk）巡弋飛彈，被媒體推測此為川普與普丁的談判籌碼。

川普在Truth Social發文表示，將於通話結束後公布詳情。這次通話發生在川普即將於白宮會見澤倫斯基之際，澤倫斯基希望藉由獲得美國飛彈，讓烏軍能深入攻擊俄羅斯境內目標，並促使普丁正視美方對俄烏和平談判的呼籲。

據《美聯社》報導，川普日前在以色列受訪時曾透露，打算與普丁討論「戰斧」飛彈議題，以此施壓俄方結束戰爭。川普表示，「他們希望戰斧飛彈往俄羅斯方向飛嗎？我不認為如此。我可能會跟俄羅斯談談這事。」隨著以色列與哈馬斯的停火、人質協議暫時穩定，川普將外交重心轉向如何終結烏克蘭戰事，並考慮提供基輔長程武器，促使莫斯科重返談判桌。

結束烏克蘭與加薩戰爭是川普2024年選舉主軸之一，他持續批評拜登（Joe Biden）處理國際衝突的方式，強調自己有能力推動和平。過去川普多次嘗試讓普丁與澤倫斯基直接對話，但成效有限，俄烏戰爭已接近第4年。近期加薩停火後，川普展現更大信心，認為中東進展有助於推動俄烏和談，也表明若普丁不願談判，將加大壓力。

在軍事援助方面，川普預計於17日與澤倫斯基進行今年第4次會談，討論美國是否出售「戰斧」飛彈。普丁明確警告，向烏克蘭提供「戰斧」將觸犯紅線，嚴重損害美俄關係，但川普態度強硬，表示美國擁有大量「戰斧」飛彈，不會因俄方反對而退縮。

美國防禦民主基金會分析師馬克（Mark Montgomery）認為，出售「戰斧」不僅是軍事決策，更具高度政治意涵，然而供應與訓練可能需時數年。他建議短期內烏克蘭更適合使用美國已批准的ERAM（射程約460公里）和ATACMS（射程約300公里）等武器，能有效支援前線作戰。「戰斧」飛彈射程達1600公里，可大幅提升烏軍對俄境內目標的打擊能力。

經濟制裁方面，澤倫斯基預計再次敦促美方加強對俄羅斯經濟施壓。美國國會正研議對購買俄羅斯石油、天然氣、鈾等出口的國家徵收高額關稅，意圖削弱俄方戰爭資金來源。川普目前態度較保留，主要聚焦敦促北約及其他盟國停止購買俄羅斯能源。川普日前宣布，印度已同意停止購買俄國石油，被視為打擊俄羅斯經濟的重要進展。

雖然川普尚未正式支持國會提出的制裁法案，白宮近期對法案細節展現高度興趣，並與國會密切協調，外界解讀為川普政府正考慮加重對俄羅斯制裁。白宮官員表示，任何制裁方案必須保留總統彈性，以配合外交政策目標。財政部長貝森特（Scott Bessent）則強調，美國希望歐洲國家能更積極參與制裁，因為歐洲面臨俄羅斯威脅更甚於美國。

澤倫斯基則表示，只有持續加強軍事與經濟壓力，才能讓俄方認真考慮結束戰爭。普丁則堅持俄羅斯利益與安全不可妥協，警告美方勿跨越紅線。美國未來是否正式提供長程飛彈、加重俄羅斯制裁，將直接影響東歐局勢，也成為國際社會高度關注的焦點。


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圖文／7Car 小七車觀點

Mercedes-Benz 正在針對電動車普及的最後一道障礙展開攻勢，讓充電時間與加油一樣快速便利。為此，原廠打造出名為「Experimental-Lade-Fahrzeug（簡稱 ELF）」的實驗性原型車，成為品牌探索極速充電技術的移動實驗室。這輛以 V-Class 為基礎開發的原型車，配備多達五組充電介面，可同時進行導電、感應、太陽能及雙向電能流等多種實驗，成為 Mercedes-Benz 電能研發戰略的核心。

Mercedes-Benz 認為電動車的續航焦慮已逐步消除，旗下最新電動房車如 CLA EQ 續航里程已逼近 500 英里，接近柴油車水準。品牌充電技術部門主管 Malte Sievers 表示：「下一場戰爭在於便利性，我們的目標是讓充電過程如同加油一樣快速、流暢且不費力，ELF 正是為此而生。」

ELF 配備兩種先進的有線充電系統：位於前保桿兩側的雙孔 CCS（Combined Charging System）與嵌於水箱罩中央三芒星徽後方的 MCS（Megawatt Charging System）。前者可輸出高達 900 kW 的功率，在約 10 分鐘內補充 100 kWh 電量，電流可達 1000 安培；後者則源自電動卡車技術，可突破 1000 kW 閾值，用於測試電池在極端快充下的熱管理極限。

這些技術成果已開始影響 Mercedes-Benz 量產車開發。AMG GT XX 原型車便採用了 ELF 測試所得的充電架構，並在義大利 Nardò 測試場創下 1041 kW 峰值充電紀錄。原廠與義大利充電設備商 Alpitronic 合作開發的 3000 kW 超高功率原型充電機，將為下一代量產快速充電網絡鋪路。

除了追求極速充電外，Mercedes-Benz 也積極推進雙向充電技術。ELF 可支援交流與直流雙向輸電，能讓車輛為家庭供電（Vehicle-to-Home）、回饋電力至電網（Vehicle-to-Grid）或為戶外設備供電（Vehicle-to-Load）。品牌預計自 2026 年起在英國推出名為「MB Charge Home」的家用能源管理系統，讓車主將電動車電池作為家庭儲能裝置，一般家庭可因此每年節省約 435 英鎊（約新台幣 17,500 元）的電費支出。

更長遠的構想則是建立虛擬能源帳戶，讓車主透過回饋電網獲得能量積分，未來可抵扣充電費用，並協助穩定高峰時段電網。Mercedes-Benz 正研發專屬軟體，能協調成千上萬輛車共同運作成「虛擬電廠」。

ELF 還搭載多項未來充電方式，包括能以 11 kW 無線傳輸的感應式充電系統、可自動升降連接頭的地面導電充電座，甚至正在測試可自動插拔的機械手臂式高功率充電裝置。此外，車頂設有太陽能板，採用單晶矽電池，在理想日照下每日可額外補充約 19 英里續航，足以抵銷電池靜置損耗。

Mercedes-Benz 表示，ELF 所累積的技術成果，將直接應用於品牌全球快速充電網絡的建構。根據原廠預估，五分鐘完成「加電」並補充約 500 英里續航（每分鐘 100 英里）的量產電動車，有望在本世代末實現。

title: 賓士最新電動車「挑戰5分鐘充滿」！比肩加油速度便利性大升級

countries: 英國 義大利


title: 獨家／負債千萬⭢年銷6億成銷售王　男星卻慘遭欠200萬不還：不好講名字

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記者蔡琛儀／專訪

本週六「三冠王說唱SHOW」即將在台中中興大學惠蓀堂舉行，金曲歌王荒山亮、銷售天王劉家榮、恆溫歌王李明洋三人齊聚。而劉家榮過去曾創業失敗、負債數千萬元，回到老家賣豬肉，後來進到地方電視台當歌手兼產品銷售，如今更是中南部地區知名的購物台「大立電視台」總經理，他透露，當年創辦電視台不被看好，但靠著堅持與膽識，一步步做出成績。

▲劉家榮如今除了是電視台總經理，還是「銷售天王」。（圖／記者徐文彬攝）

劉家榮貴為銷售天王和總經理，自爆心很軟，常借錢給人，「但我只借給熟的人、確定拿得回來的，像員工要買車或有困難，我會讓他分期還。」唯一一個向他借了1、200萬不還錢的人，是當時電視台裡的人，「我認為他對公司還是有貢獻，我跟董事會說他個人欠我，公司應該要幫他還，董監事同意，公司直接拿一筆錢還我。」由於對方還在圈子裡，他不願透露姓名。

他在購物台說學逗唱，曾靠個人廣告帶創下年銷六億元驚人成績，不過談到主持圈的生態，他無奈地笑說：「有些人根本沒見過我，就聽我前同事講我壞話跟著說，後來那人來我們台應徵，變成我員工，才知道那些謠言是假的。也有人會來告訴我誰誰誰講我壞話，但我都不放在心上。」

▲劉家榮過去也飽嚐人情冷暖。（圖／記者徐文彬攝）

他也見識過人情冷暖，「有些前輩不鳥我、私下中傷我，或怕我超過他就壓著我，但我不能左右所有人，只能選擇正向。」笑說有許多人仍活躍線上，但劉家榮毫不在意，認為做人不要存害人之心，「我不會想看到別人有報應，只要我過得比你好，就是最好的報應。」

這份正向的信念也延伸到劉家榮的家庭，並成為他一生難忘的奇蹟。原來十幾年前劉家榮媽媽因感染演變成蜂窩性組織炎，從60幾公斤瘦到只剩38公斤，用了抗生素卻完全不見效。眼見媽媽狀況越來越差，醫生一度建議家屬考慮氣切，但劉爸爸堅持不要，後來大姊提議去拜城隍爺，當時他們全家到斗南代天宮裡，意外發現供桌下的椅子刻著父母名字，原來是父母當年捐贈。

▲劉家榮坦言自己心中一直存有正念，對於過去不看好他的人也沒有報復心。（圖／記者徐文彬攝）

拜完後，母親神奇好轉、順利出院，他笑說：「不知道是抗生素起效，還是城隍爺顯靈，但她後來恢復得很好，現在87歲還健健康康。」從那之後他每年大年初一都會帶母親去拜拜，一拜就是十幾年。「醫生也說不知道為什麼會突然好轉，但我覺得，『人在做，天在看』。」

劉家榮說自己不是迷信的人，只是尊重天地，「心中要有尊重，不管信不信，不要到處都心裡都充滿鬼、詭計、裝神弄鬼，真誠待人，把快樂跟愛都散播出去。」這次三冠王演唱會也秉持著散播歡樂散播愛的心情，與好友荒山亮、李明洋準備帶給觀眾更多正能量。購票洽年代售票系統。

▲劉家榮本週六將和好友荒山亮、李明洋合體開唱。（圖／記者徐文彬攝）


taiwan-subdivisions: 桃園 林口

countries: 台灣 美國

title: 長庚醫院領航癌症防治　AI精準篩檢等三大亮點守護全民健康


taiwan-subdivisions: 南投 竹山 水里 集集 埔里 國姓 中寮 信義 鹿谷 南投縣 仁愛 草屯 名間

title: 南投今年共136名百歲人瑞　許淑華親送漆藝人間國寶王清霜重陽賀禮


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▲運動部長李洋（左）與文化部長李遠（右）今（16）日會見洽談合作。（圖／運動部提供）

記者杜奕君／綜合報導

運動部長李洋與文化部長李遠今（16）日舉行座談，兩部針對青春動滋券、文化幣、運動漫畫、運動電影及運動博物館等議題展開深入討論。雙方希望藉由跨領域合作，強化運動文化內涵，並促進運動文化創意產業的成長。後續將整合資源，提升相關政策的推動效益。

李洋表示，運動部發行青春動滋券，目的是培育運動參與與消費人口；文化部則以文化幣鼓勵藝文消費，兩者同為政府推動青年參與及促進內需的重要政策。運動部提出，未來可考慮結合領券系統、推廣運動與文化跨界體驗，並共同分析領用數據作為政策設計參考，還會研議聯合加碼或行銷方式，以強化政策執行效果。

運動漫畫與運動電影也成為合作重點，李洋指出，這些文化內容與運動部推動運動文化加值應用與商業發展的方向一致，期待跨部會合作能讓台灣原生運動故事多元應用，打造運動文化品牌並推動商業創新。李遠則認為，文化既具抽象又具體的特質，唯有跨部會及地方共同努力，才能讓文化存在感與藝文產業更為強大。

針對保存運動記憶及建設運動博物館的計畫，運動部表示將全面評估博物館的定位、組織、選址及營運等細節，文化部則承諾提供專業諮詢與協助。

此外，運動部與國立臺灣歷史博物館將於明（115）年4月21日至10月18日合作舉辦亞運主題展覽，從台灣歷史角度切入，探索亞運在台灣社會中的角色與意義，並共同推動行銷，期盼吸引更多民眾參與。

運動在台灣不僅承載深厚文化底蘊，也是國家多元實力的展現。每當回顧運動員在競技場上的高光時刻，都是全體國民共同的珍貴記憶。運動部表示，未來將持續與文化部深化合作，積極推動運動記憶保存及運動文化加值應用，為台灣運動發展注入新動能。

▲運動部與文化部就合作方向進行討論，盼共同壯大運動及文化。（圖／運動部提供）

title: 李洋、李遠相見歡　運動部、文化部跨界合作打造運動文化新產業

countries: 臺灣 台灣


title: 韓國旅遊要戴「我是台灣人」徽章　韓網嘆丟人：羞愧又抱歉

countries: 台灣 韓國 中國


taiwan-subdivisions: 樹林 屏東 屏東縣 中和 新北 新北市 三重

title: 報到第2天就出事！樹林警涉助詐團查165帳戶　遭屏東地院裁定收押


countries: 義大利 英國

title: 賓士最新電動車「挑戰5分鐘充滿」！比肩加油速度便利性大升級


title: 林書豪之後台籃第一人！　夢想家球星林俊吉個人簽名鞋款將問世

countries: 中國 台灣

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▲夢想家明星控衛林俊吉，將成為林書豪之後台籃第二位擁有個人簽名鞋款的本土球星。（圖／取自夢想家IG）

記者杜奕君／台北報導

TPBL職籃福爾摩沙夢想家當家明星控衛林俊吉，將有個人專屬「簽名鞋款」問世！自2023-24賽季開始，夢想家球團就和知名運動品牌「Mizuno」展開合作關係，據了解，該品牌本賽季也即將為夢想家陣中球星林俊吉推出「阿吉1代」鞋款，且該鞋款的鞋盒以及林俊吉個人專屬識別Logo，16日也正式曝光。

現年27歲，身高175公分的林俊吉，是夢想家陣中主力明星控衛，他在上賽季2024年9月拍攝賽季定裝照時，就曾曝光一雙Mizuno鞋款，但隨後並未有更多資訊曝光。

不過16日林俊吉在個人IG社群限時動態中，曝光了一個Mizuno鞋盒照片，且鞋盒中央印有明顯的「吉」字Logo，隨後夢想家官方IG也轉發了此篇動態，也預告了這雙鞋款即將問世。

在夢想家與DAMAC、大囍聚集團的三方聯名記者會上，夢想家總經理韓駿鎧也向台灣知名球鞋媒體《Bounce》證實，該鞋款正是林俊吉個人專屬簽名鞋款「阿吉1代」。

根據韓駿鎧以及夢想家團隊說法，該鞋款是為林俊吉本人專屬打造，且設計過程經歷多次調整，目前定價可能會在新台幣3000元區間，且未來林俊吉將會穿著於正式比賽亮相，預計也將在夢想家主場進行限量首波販售。

韓駿鎧更透露，「該鞋款我們自己都已經穿過很多次，很好穿，希望球迷可以期待一下！」

以世界籃球最高殿堂NBA為例，過往要擁有個人專屬簽名鞋款，通常都是聯盟頂尖球星才有的專屬待遇，直到近代各家運動品牌百花齊放，球員專屬簽名鞋款的比例才稍稍增加，但仍是聯盟極少數球員才能享有的專屬尊榮。

至於台灣籃壇方面，從過往CBA中華職籃時期，再到具有超過20年歷史的SBL超級籃球聯賽，台灣籃球員通常僅有所謂「客製款」或是個人PE（Player Exclusive）鞋款提供給球員本人穿著，從未進行大量製作、販售。

進入近年的「雙職籃」時代，也僅有具有NBA光環的林書豪，簽約中國球鞋品牌，而發售個人簽名鞋款，而林俊吉作為台灣職籃本土產出的球星，如今更獲得知名運動品牌青睞，即將推出個人專屬簽名鞋款，在台灣籃球及籃球鞋史上，無疑將寫下頗具意義的重要一頁。


countries: 台灣 臺灣

title: 李洋、李遠相見歡　運動部、文化部跨界合作打造運動文化新產業


content_text:
滿地可2025年10月17日 /美通社/ — 首次發表國際人工智能安全報告的重要更新，及時提供先進人工智能能力與風險的更新。

該報告由圖靈獎得主兼電腦科學家 Yoshua Bengio 主導，超過 100 位國際專家參與，並得到超過 30 個國家/地區和國際組織（包括歐盟、經濟合作暨發展組織和聯合國）的支持。

由於認識到該領域太迅速發展而單一年度報告無法涵蓋，因此引入重要更新，提供更簡短兼更集中的關鍵發展報告。這將確保政策制定者得到最新文獻合編，而告知證據為本的政策制定。

首次重要更新涵蓋能力進步與風險影響：

人工智能模型不斷改善解決複雜問題的能力：例如，多個領先系統現可於一組現實世界軟體工程問題中，完成超過 60% 任務。到了 2025 年初，它們僅可完成當中約 40% 問題，而到了 2024 年初，它們無法解決任何問題。（事實上，自從最終確定本更新的文字後，效能已提升至超過 70%。）業界參與者已採取全新防範保障措施： 在無法明確排除最新模型可協助發展化學、生物、放射和核子風險的可能性後，大型人工智能開發商們便已主動推出具備額外安全措施的最新模型。人工智能模型接受評估過程期間，越來越多表現策略行為，而導致監督挑戰：人工智能模型越來越可能顯示它們正在接受評估的意識，並相應地改變自身輸出。這對開發人員和測試人員於新人工智能模型部署前準確評估人工智能模型功能的能力，提出重大質疑。

該報告主席、滿地可大學教授、LawZero 科學主任兼 Mila – Quebec AI Institute 科學顧問 Yoshua Bengio 表示：

「自九個月前發表首份國際人工智能安全報告後， Yoshua Bengio能力持續快速兼持續地發展。我們必須繼續集體理解Yoshua Bengio的風險，以及安全措施。本重要更新提供及時兼證據為本的簡介，給全球決策者獲得最新科學資料，從而確保主動兼明智的管治。它也為將於 2026 年初在印度舉行 AI Impact Summit 發表綜合報告前，充當期待橋樑。 」

簡介

國際人工智能安全報告是先進人工智能系統能力與風險證據的合編。它旨在透過為決策者提供證據基礎，而支援全球明智政策制定。該報告由超過 100 名獨立專家組成的多元化團隊撰寫，並得到來自超過 30 個國家/地區和國際組織（包括歐盟、經濟合作暨發展組織和聯合國）提名代表所組成之專家顧問小組的支持。儘管該報告承認人工智能的龐大潛在優勢，但該報告重點是識別風險和評估緩解策略，從而確保安全地發展和使用人工智能 ，造福人群。該報告由英國政府委託，而秘書處設於 UK AI Security Institute。

聯絡方法：Mila Medias，medias@mila.quebec；DSIT 傳媒查詢，press@dsit.gov.uk

title: 首次發表國際人工智能安全報告的重要更新

countries: 英國 歐盟 印度


content_text:
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


title: 投資人關注美中貿易戰及科技業財報　歐股收漲

content_text:
〔中央社〕全球股市今天多半走揚，歐洲3大股市都收紅，主因台積電等科技企業繳出亮眼財報，以及投資人認為美中最新貿易緊張局勢有望緩解。

倫敦FTSE 100指數小漲11.34點或0.12%，收報9436.09點。

法蘭克福DAX指數上漲90.82點或0.38%，收在24272.19點。

巴黎CAC 40指數勁揚111.59點或1.38%，收8188.59點。（編譯：楊昭彥）1141017

一手掌握經濟脈動 點我訂閱自由財經Youtube頻道

免費訂閱《自由體育》電子報熱門賽事、球星動態不漏接


content_text:
新光人壽（新壽）16日突然在北士科舉辦T17、T18動土典禮，北市建管處人員到場了解，證實「無實質開工情形」，民進黨市議員簡舒培晚間痛批新壽玩兩面手法，把台北市民當笨蛋；無論是向市府討要的107億「未來收益」，或是跟輝達簽署的百億MOU，新壽目的只有一個：靠養地皮無痛套利。

簡舒培晚間在臉書貼文指出，新壽選在輝達選落腳T17、T18的關鍵時刻，今天突襲辦了一個未申報的動土典禮，為的就是跟市府叫板、跟輝達勒索；建管處到場了解狀況後「無實質開工情形；新壽動土可能讓輝達進駐破局，卻還是找一群人到這場「動土典禮」，一邊還喊著「要把輝達留下來」，說的跟做的完全邏輯打架，更印證了新壽就是在玩兩面手法、上演勒索大戲。

簡舒培質疑，新壽勒索市府不成，乾脆讓輝達進駐破局；新壽有能力讓柯文哲降低租金、量身打造標案，拿到T17、T18地上權之後，卻沒能力、沒心思開發，讓一塊精華土地閒置3年。直到輝達宣布台灣總部將落腳北士科，一直養著地皮的新壽突然看到商機（肥羊），無論是向市府討要的107億「未來收益」，或是跟輝達簽署的百億MOU，目的只有一個：靠養地皮無痛套利。

她指出，新壽突襲這場假動工典禮，是因為台北市政府前幾天發函要合意解約，副市長李四川在議會備詢說，解約金估算約5到8億元，加上返還先前繳給市府的30幾億，與新壽先前提出的百億有好大一段距離。新壽貪心在先，逼得市府發函要求合意解約，才突襲搞了一齣假動土，把市府的顏面踩在腳下，更是大玩兩面手法給輝達、給市民看。

簡舒培解析說，台新新光金控高層在動土典禮上說了一堆自相矛盾的話，包括1、新壽與市府在此案上立場一致，都希望輝達能順利進駐。那為什麼要突襲動土？2、要把輝達留下來。那為什麼不接受市府提出的合意解約？3、補償金屬於新壽與輝達的商業契約，與台北市政府無關。想當二房東還嗆地主：不關你的事？4、從來沒有也不打算從市府那裡拿一毛錢。加上上一句，所以現在是勒索市府不成，改成勒索輝達？總不可能新壽是打算無償讓出T17、T18地上權吧？

簡舒培最後提到，蔣萬安在新壽讓台北市這麼難看的當下，跑去台南喝牛奶，對於新壽挑釁開工的作為，連一句重話也不敢說，喊話蔣萬安，「既然當了市長『無能、軟弱』都該有個限度吧！」

people: 柯文哲 蔣萬安

title: 新壽突辦動土典禮! 簡舒培揭4大矛盾 只想無痛套利


title: 台中23歲男持刀闖鄰居家砍2老人 中檢聲請羈押

taiwan-subdivisions: 中正 霧峰區 霧峰

content_text:
林姓男子（中）持刀刺傷施姓男子、陳姓婦人，檢察官認定觸犯傷害、殺人未遂罪嫌，昨晚向法院聲請羈押。（記者陳建志翻攝）

台中霧峰中正路一戶民宅，昨天下午驚傳持刀砍人案，一名精神狀況不穩定的23歲林姓男子，疑因不滿隔壁陳姓婦人電視太大聲，持水果刀進屋理論；鄰居施姓老翁接獲求救前來協助，沒想到兩人都被林男持水果刀砍傷，其中施男左胸中刀有生命危險，陳姓婦人則是後頸中刀，所幸治療後無大礙。林男行兇後還冷血淡定坐在門口血跡旁，遭趕來員警制伏，訊後將依傷害、殺人未遂移送法辦，台中地檢署檢察官昨天深夜11點多複訊後，認為有逃亡、反覆犯罪之虞，向法院聲請羈押。

台中市消防局昨天下午1點50分接獲民眾報案，指稱霧峰區中正路一戶民宅有民眾受傷，立刻派遣霧峰、溪湳及仁化等3個分隊，出動各式消防車4輛、消防人員11名到場搶救，抵達時將胸口中刀、意識模糊的施姓男子（70歲），以及後頸、額頭中4刀的陳姓婦人（70歲）送醫急救。

消防人員和員警到場時，發現行兇的林男，將水果刀丟在自家屋前鐵門旁，獨自淡定的坐在婦人門前血跡旁，立刻將滿手是血的陳男制伏帶回警局。

員警初步調查，林男平時和母親租屋在該處，疑因不滿鄰居陳姓婦人家中電視太大聲，昨天中午持水果刀登門理論，陳姓婦人見狀害怕向隔壁施姓老翁求助，沒想到好心前來協助的施男和陳女雙雙被林男持刀砍傷，兩人還打電話求救「我被殺了」，現場血跡斑斑。

林男昨晚移送台中地檢署，由潘曉琪檢察官訊問後，認定林男犯傷害、殺人未遂罪刑重大，因所犯殺人未遂是5年以上重罪，有逃亡之虞，加上2023年也曾持水果刀刺傷鄰居判決在案，有事實足認為有反覆實行傷害、殺人犯罪之虞，向法院聲請羈押。