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Global headlines have been dominated by the US kidnapping of deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on Saturday. While debates continue regarding its compliance under international law, it is worth taking a closer look at the motive behind the operation and what it means for Taiwan.

Parallels have been drawn with 1989’s Operation Just Cause, in which then-US president George H.W. Bush ordered the capture of then-Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. One reason Bush cited for the operation was drug trafficking, used as a pretext in Maduro’s seizure. However, many argue that Just Cause was carried out on realpolitik motives, as Noriega increasingly received military aid from the Soviet Union and its allies. Maduro was also aligned with Cuba and China.

Oil is another stark common factor. Panama is critical to global oil shipping, while Venezuela is home to one of the world’s largest crude oil reserves. China has been by far its largest buyer since former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez forged an alliance with the country.

As Venezuela’s largest oil export destination, China is put in a tailspin, as control of that supply would now be US hands. What complicates this even further is the positive market response. Global equity indices from New York and London to Tokyo hit an all-time high on Monday with the S&P Energy Index rising to its highest since March last year alongside rallying major banks and defense manufacturers, all in light of investments and opportunities that come from potential US involvement upon the ouster of a pro-China and pro-Russia dictator. This was not the outcome Chinese leaders had hoped for as economic and energy security are top of their priority list.

Last month alone, Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA exported a daily average of 975,000 barrels of US-sanctioned oil, with more than 600,000 barrels going to China, which stockpiles approximately 1 million barrels a day. Reports last month estimated that Venezuela accounts for 4 to 7 percent of China’s overall oil supply.

Beijing is even more reliant on Tehran, with Iran accounting for more than 13 to 15 percent of its total oil supply. Recent reports have revealed that Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has drawn up a “Plan B” to flee in the case its security forces succumb to the rising mass protests amid the dire economic conditions built upon decades of autocratic rule and sanctions.

Any attack on Taiwan, whether direct military invasion or a prolonged blockade, would require a massive oil supply. Maduro’s capture in the context of Taiwan would only further complicate Beijing’s plans to annex the country. Countries cozying up to Beijing and Moscow would think twice before continuing to side with Beijing. It goes beyond explanation that Taiwan is a core US interest, with the nation producing more than 90 percent of the world’s advanced chips, and its central location in the first island chain important to protect Washington’s Pacific interests.

This presents an opportunity for Taipei to address energy security, and boost regional deterrence that aligns US and Taiwanese interests. If China’s oil imports from Venezuela and Iran are reduced, it would significantly hamper Chinese ambitions against Taiwan.

Rath Wang is a senior policy fellow at Safe Spaces, a consulting firm based in Taipei and Washington focusing on Taiwan’s politics, media, civil society and key issues influencing its future. He is a producer and host of political talk shows and podcasts, and has worked on political campaigns and advocacies in Taiwan, Japan and the US.

title: Venezuela is about oil for other reasons


title: EDITORIAL CARTOON

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Donovan’s Deep Dives: Taiwan’s basic services could begin to crumble this year

We are used to hearing that whenever something happens, it means Taiwan is about to fall to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) cannot change the color of his socks without China experts claiming it means an invasion is imminent. So, it is no surprise that what happened in Venezuela over the weekend triggered the knee-jerk reaction of saying that Taiwan is next.That is not an opinion on whether US President Donald Trump was right to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro the way he did or if it is good for Venezuela and the world. There are other, more qualified

By JulienOeuillet 曾樂昂

China’s recent aggressive military posture around Taiwan simply reflects the truth that China is a millennium behind, as Kobe City Councilor Norihiro Uehata has commented.While democratic countries work for peace, prosperity and progress, authoritarian countries such as Russia and China only care about territorial expansion, superpower status and world dominance, while their people suffer.Two millennia ago, the ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius (孟子) would have advised Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) that “people are the most important, state is lesser, and the ruler is the least important.” In fact, the reverse order is causing the great depression in China right now,

By James J. Y. Hsu 許正餘


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The framers of the US constitution designed a system, wagering that requiring justifications would discipline power and prevent its arbitrary exercise. Trump has called that bet and won

In the early hours of Saturday last week, US forces bombed Caracas, blacking out the capital, and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his compound at Fort Tiuna. By dawn, US Delta Force operators had helicoptered Maduro — blindfolded, handcuffed, dressed in a Nike tracksuit — to the USS Iwo Jima, bound for arraignment in New York on an assortment of federal narcotics-trafficking and terrorism-related charges.

US President Donald Trump announced his own version of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine on Truth Social before most Americans were awake. At a subsequent news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, he declared that the US would “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”

Once again, the Trump administration has undertaken a military operation in support of a political objective that it has failed to explain coherently and convincingly. This dramatic first step, while effectively executed, was obviously taken without preparing any subsequent steps in advance.

It is not as though the administration lacked time to plan ahead. The operation culminated months of escalation: a naval blockade, the seizure of oil tankers on the high seas, more than 100 people killed in strikes on alleged drug boats, and a CIA drone attack on a Venezuelan dockyard.

“Operation Absolute Resolve” succeeded brilliantly, but toward what end? What did it resolve?

The administration cannot decide whether the operation’s purpose was law enforcement or regime change. US Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, defending the absence of congressional notification, argued that “Congress doesn’t need to be notified every time the executive branch is making an arrest.”

The operation, on this account, was simply the US Department of Justice taking into custody a drug dealer who happened to be the president of Venezuela. However, Trump spoke at Mar-a-Lago as if regime change had already occurred. The US would “run” the country, US oil companies would move in to “fix the badly broken infrastructure” and “start making money.”

These cannot both be true. Arresting a criminal is not the same as assuming control of his country.

However, the administration sees no need to reconcile the contradiction and has offered a familiar grab bag of justifications. The military operation would bring justice and prosperity to Venezuelans; interdict fentanyl (although Venezuela does not produce any), stop illegal immigration into the US, fight “narco-terrorism” (although Maduro does not control the Tren de Aragua gang), gain compensation for oil assets Venezuela supposedly “stole” from US companies, bar Iran and China from the Western hemisphere, throttle Cuba’s subsidized oil supplies and threaten its leaders with the Maduro treatment, and win praise and support from Venezuelan exiles in Florida.

To this miscellany of publicly announced reasons can be added Trump’s undisguised desire to demonstrate that he has “superseded” all previous US presidents. However, the sheer profusion of explanation and excuses mocks the very idea of justification. The administration’s rationales function as chaff, designed to overwhelm rather than persuade. The Washington Office on Latin America calls it “theater.” Showcasing the US’ irresistible power was itself an aim, not just collateral spectacle.

The operation’s flagrant violation of international law — including, as legal academics note, Trump’s constitutional duty to execute treaty obligations faithfully — is not a problem for this administration. It is a selling point. Flouting the UN Charter demonstrates that Trump answers to no one, least of all to a multilateral order that constrains lesser powers. His supporters celebrate the lawlessness, but lawlessness is not a strategy.

The drug rationale is particularly implausible. Last month, Trump pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who had been extradited to the US and convicted in 2024 on drug-trafficking charges. The case against Hernandez was compelling: He had turned Honduras into a narco-state, encouraged by bribes from Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel.

Hernandez was serving a 45-year sentence, but he belonged to a Trump-friendly right-wing party. So, the US captures Maduro for alleged drug trafficking while releasing a convicted drug trafficker whose guilt was proven in court.

“Narco-terrorism” is a ruse deployed against enemies and discarded for friends.

Analysts who argue that oil is “the real reason” or that regime change was “always the plan” credit the Trump administration with more coherence than it deserves. As one analyst observes, they mistake “chaos” for “improvisation” and “restraint” for mere “selectivity.” The truth is messier: Oil is one motive among several and never reconciled with the others. Trump wants Venezuela’s hydrocarbons. He wants to look tough on drugs. He wants to please Florida voters. He wants to humiliate a leftist adversary. He wants to send a message to Cuba and China.

These objectives pull in different directions, and no one in the administration has done the work of asking how they fit together or how to prioritize. The result is policy as bricolage — rationales stapled to whatever power is available.

When US forces took then-Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega into custody on Jan. 3, 1990, and flew him to Miami to face drug charges, the Latin American country’s opposition leader, Guillermo Endara, who had won an election Noriega annulled, was available to assume the presidency. The transition was relatively straightforward, and then-US president George H.W. Bush received bipartisan congressional support.

Similar conditions do not hold in Venezuela today. There is no opposition figure ready to take power. Trump claims that Maria Corina Machado, recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, lacks “support or respect” within Venezuela, and her colleague Edmundo Gonzalez, who won the 2024 presidential election that Maduro rigged (Machado was banned from running), is in exile. Most importantly, the regime has not collapsed. Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has now been sworn in as acting president.

Trump claims Rodriguez is “essentially willing to do what we think is necessary,” yet she has oscillated between defiance (“Venezuela will not be anyone’s colony”), loyalty (insisting Maduro remains president) and conciliation (inviting “cooperation” with the US). So, whether she is willing to do what the US dictates remains unclear.

However, even if she were, Rodriguez’s capacity to deliver is highly doubtful. Rodriguez is not an omnipotent autocrat who can flip a switch and bend the country to the US’ will. Venezuelan Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino Lopez has ordered full mobilization and vowed that Venezuela “will not surrender.” If the Trump administration’s sense that she is easily manipulated is correct, that weakness cuts against them: Far from delivering her country on a platter to Trump, she would find herself under immense pressure from rival armed factions who sense her vulnerability and have no intention of surrendering power to Trump.

Half aware that things might not work out, Trump warned of a possible “second wave” of intervention, “much larger” than the first. So, the plan, if there is one, is to threaten more bombing if the regime does not hand over control of the country.

If strategic action means taking account of how your adversaries might react, then Trump has thrown strategy to the wind. If US oil companies are to “move in” and exploit Venezuelan reserves, US forces would need to protect them.

However, what happens when those forces are attacked? What happens when colectivos or remnants of the old Venezuelan military launch an insurgency against foreign-controlled oil fields? What happens when the country fragments, the army splits, and no amount of US firepower can impose order? How might a Venezuelan civil war destabilize the region, including by sparking a new wave of emigration?

Trump’s answer to these questions is silence, because he has not taken the trouble to ask them. He wanted Maduro gone. He had the power to act. Contemplating consequences would have spoiled the moment.

US Congress, no surprise, was not consulted. Not even the “Gang of Eight” — the bipartisan leadership of the intelligence committees of the US Senate and House of Representatives — received advance notification. When asked why, Trump said: “Congress has a tendency to leak.”

Just weeks earlier, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had assured congressional committees that the administration was not pursuing regime change and lacked the authority to conduct land strikes without authorization. US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that “the administration has assured me three separate times that it was not pursuing regime change or taking military action in Venezuela.”

A US Congress that has long since surrendered its war powers to the president need not even be lied to — it can simply be ignored.

The framers of the US constitution designed a system to compel the executive to explain its actions. Former US secretary of the treasury Alexander Hamilton warned against the US president’s capacity “to fabricate pretenses of approaching danger.” Former US president James Madison cautioned against “artificial dangers” designed to mislead the public. John Jay said that “there are pretended as well as just causes of war.”

The solution the framers enacted required that emergency powers be justified — not because justifications are inherently trustworthy, but because requiring them creates a structure for testing claims before Congress and the public. Under the system they created, the executive would act, the legislature would interrogate, and citizens would judge. The system’s genius lay not in preventing lies, but in making lies costly and detectable.

Trump has hollowed out this system. His cascading emergency declarations, compounded by incoherent and shifting rationales, have overwhelmed the constitutional machinery the framers built to lay bare “artificial dangers” designed to mislead the public. Previous administrations offered bogus justifications — former US president George W. Bush’s administration fabricated threats about weapons of mass destruction — but those fabrications were calibrated to the powers being claimed. The lie was designed to be believed — which made it vulnerable to exposure.

There is a difference between a lie meant to persuade and a flood of half-truths designed to overwhelm. The first can be exposed; the second escapes scrutiny through the sheer volume and shifting nature of the grounds alleged.

The George W. Bush administration had to sustain a single fabrication long enough to take the country to war, which meant the lie could eventually be caught. Trump’s cascading rationales work differently: Their muzzle velocity is the point. By the time one justification might be examined — drugs, democracy, oil, the Monroe Doctrine — two more have displaced it. The sheer rate of fire forecloses the possibility of effective rebuttal.

By offering as rationales drugs today, democracy tomorrow, oil compensation next week, and the narcissistically rebranded Monroe Doctrine whenever convenient, the Trump administration does not merely lie within the system; it destroys the system’s capacity to self-correct. No single justification can be tested against evidence, because no single justification is ever truly operative.

The collapse of internal review mechanisms has compounded the effects of system failure. The US National Security Council (NSC) staff was gutted during the first months of Trump’s second term, which meant that no interagency process ever tested the coherence of the administration’s Venezuela policy.

The US NSC exists to force administrations to ask hard questions: How do our objectives fit together? What are we trying to achieve? If we want the oil, what is the plan for securing it against an insurgency? If we want to stop drugs, how does regime change accomplish that when we just pardoned a convicted drug trafficker? If we want a democratic transition, why did we not coordinate with the opposition?

That machinery for working through problems in advance has been dismantled. The policy was never stress-tested internally. We can only infer its incoherence from the wreckage it leaves in its wake.

True, “Project 2025,” the comprehensive policy blueprint that the Heritage Foundation designed for Trump’s second term, was a coherent plan of action. However, its animating idea was to increase the US president’s unilateral power to act without having to explain his actions or revise his plans in light of criticism or opposition.

The freedom the administration has gained from not having to explain itself comes at a very high cost: A half-baked policy whose unintended consequences are almost certain to spin out of control. The spewing of flimsy, mutually inconsistent and insincere rationales for the use of force reflects a deeper pattern: The systematic evasion of the sanity checks and self-corrective mechanisms central to the US’ constitutional order.

Congressional authorization, interagency deliberation, legal review, public justification — these are not bureaucratic obstacles, but safeguards against catastrophic misjudgement. Trump treats them as nuisances to be circumvented. He behaves like someone who expects to vanish before the consequences arrive — before US soldiers guarding oil fields start coming home in coffins, before Venezuela fragments into civil war, before the constitutional order he is hollowing out faces a crisis it can no longer successfully meet.

What was striking about Trump’s news conference was his confidence that the hard questions about the future have already been answered when they clearly have not. Who governs Venezuela now? “A group.” How long will the US be involved? Until there is a “safe transition.” What if the regime fights back? A “second wave.” What if that fails? Silence. The administration has no answer, because it has not thought ahead. Freedom from justification, in Trump’s hands, means renunciation of foresight.

By declaring one sham “emergency” after another, Trump has abandoned any effort to prepare for the real emergencies that are bound to come. He resembles the boy who cried wolf, shredding US credibility and making future allied support less likely. He does not care — perhaps because he believes he can always get his way through bullying, extortion and threats of force.

However, such unilateral gambits cannot rally the voluntary support needed in a genuine emergency. The problem extends beyond lost credibility abroad. More precisely, the US’ loss of credibility reflects the collapse of critical thinking among its gutted and MAGA [make America great again]-colonized national security establishment. Having demonstrated the impotence of truth in US partisan politics, Trump has gone one step further: He has dissolved the institutions designed to compel the executive to justify its actions with plausible reasons, correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, and calculate the downstream consequences and opportunity costs of deploying lethal force abroad.

The framers wagered that requiring justifications would discipline power and prevent its arbitrary exercise. Trump has called that bet and won. What happens when the machinery built to expose pretexts and avoid preventable disasters has been stripped for parts?

Stephen Holmes, professor of law at New York University School of Law and Berlin Prize fellow at the American Academy in Berlin, is the coauthor (with Ivan Krastev) of The Light that Failed: A Reckoning.Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2026

title: Trump’s special military operation in Venezuela


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GAME PLAN:  Forty-one-year-old James, who missed 14 games this season to sciatica, said Doncic is the Laker’s premier player and that the team should build around him

LeBron James and Luka Doncic on Tuesday combined for 60 points as the Los Angeles Lakers went on a late scoring spree to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 111-103.

The Lakers extended their winning streak to three games after James and Doncic scored 30 points apiece in the Big Easy to keep up the pressure on Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Pelicans, who are bottom of the West with an 8-30 record, had threatened to spring an upset after opening up an 86-79 lead at the end of the third quarter, but James nailed a pair of three-pointers in a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter before Doncic added eight more points to see the Lakers home safely.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James makes a basket as the New Orleans Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III looks on during their NBA game in Louisiana on Tuesday. Photo: AP

James, 41, finished with 30 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block in a commanding all-round display. Doncic had 10 assists and two rebounds in his 30-point haul.

Trey Murphy led the Pelicans scoring with a masterful 42-point performance in a losing effort. Zion Williamson (15 points) and Derik Queen (10) were the only two other Pelicans players to make double figures.

It was the second time in three games that James had scored at least 30, having poured in 31 in a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday last week.

Lakers coach J.J. Redick said he would necessarily expect that kind of production from James on a regular basis, but he does not want to put limits on the prolific, 23rd-year NBA superstar, either.

“I know LeBron. I know how much he puts into this. It’s just recognizing, game to game, what he has,” Redick said, comparing James to Hall of Fame MLB pitcher Greg Maddux during the final years of his career.

“Every night, he doesn’t have his best stuff, but he has enough to win,” he said. “I’m his catcher and I’ve got to figure it out.”

James said he considers Doncic to be the Lakers’ premier player now, and that it is up to him and the rest of his teammates “to bend our game around him and figure it out.”

James said his goal after the victory in New Orleans was to get a good night’s sleep, before deciding if he can play their next game, after he missed this season’s first 14 games with sciatica.

“I’m hoping my body recovers. That’s most important,” James said. “See how I feel in the morning, try to get some more rest and see how I feel when I get up from my nap... We’ll go from there.”

The Lakers remain in third place in the standings on 23-11, behind leaders Oklahoma City (30-7) and second-placed San Antonio, who fell to 25-11 after a nail-biting 106-105 loss to the Grizzlies.

In other games on Tuesday, Anthony Edwards’ 26 points helped the Minnesota Timberwolves cruise to a 122-94 win over the Miami Heat, while Darius Garland’s 29-point haul was the cornerstone of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 120-116 defeat of the Indiana Pacers.

The Washington Wizards outplayed the Orlando Magic 120-112 and the Dallas Mavericks survived the Sacramento Kings 100-98.

Additional reporting by AP

title: James, Doncic carry LA past Pelicans


title: Ko Pin-yi claims Pro Tour Grand Finals title

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Taiwanese pool legend Ko Pin-yi on Tuesday captured the CTPBA Pro Tour Grand Finals title, rallying for a 13-12 comeback victory over 18-year-old Filipino Albert James Manas.

Facing an opponent half his age, 36-year-old Ko put together a decisive 5-0 run to close out the match after trailing 8-12. Ko outlasted 23 other competitors in the two-day invitational in Taipei, earning the top prize of NT$200,000.

“Fortune was on my side,” Ko said after the match.

Taiwanese pool player Ko Pin-yi celebrates after winning the CTPBA Pro Tour Grand Finals in Taipei on Tuesday. Photo: CNA

He made history in 2015 as the first player to win the World 10-Ball Championship, the World 9-Ball Championship and the World Cup of Pool titles in a single calendar year.

In 2023, he further cemented his legacy as the first Taiwanese player to win the World Pool Masters.

Tuesday’s final was a grueling uphill battle for Ko, who trailed for most of the match. He dropped the first three racks before leveling the score, only to fall behind again at 4-8 and later 8-12.

“It was definitely a bit lucky to win today because I was a little restless in the early racks,” he said.

He was full of praise for Manas, who, like Ko, reached the final following an 11-3 semi-final victory.

“He has a great mindset and remained relaxed, making the game look easy. He reminds me of the top European players,” Ko said.

The CTPBA Pro Tour Grand Finals featured 17 Taiwanese players and seven international competitors. The field was divided into four groups of six, with the top two from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

Hsieh Chia-chen and Ko Ping-han — Ko Pin-yi’s younger brother — finished joint third.


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Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Latvian partner Jelena Ostapenko yesterday overpowered Australia’s Priscilla Hon and Czech Karolina Muchova to advance to the women’s doubles semi-finals of the Brisbane International as last year’s Australian Open runners-up prepare for another run in Melbourne.

Top seeds Hsieh, who turned 40 on Sunday, and Ostapenko, 28, handily won the first set 6-1, before giving up the second 1-6 and surviving the third 10-6.

Hsieh and Ostapenko, who were also runners-up at Wimbledon last year, are to play the winners of today’s match between fourth seeds Irina Khromacheva and Alexandra Panova of Russia and Ukrainian twin sisters Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok.

Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei, right, and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko fist-bump during their women’s doubles final against Taylor Townsend of the US and the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Jan. 26 last year. Photo: Reuters

The Taiwanese-Latvian duo on Monday dominated Australia’s Olivia Gadecki and Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova 6-1, 6-4.

World No. 9 Hsieh, who has won seven Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles, is the only WTA player in her 40s ranked in the top 100. She reached a career-high No. 1 in May 2014.

In the men’s singles, former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev extended his impressive start to the season ahead of the Australian Open, which starts on Jan. 18, with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Frances Tiafoe.

In the women’s singles, fourth seed Jessica Pegula of the US beat Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in a nearly two-hour match.

Meanwhile, Coco Gauff pulled off double duty to drag defending champions the US into the United Cup semi-finals, while world No. 2 Iga Swiatek did her bit for Poland.

Fourth-ranked Gauff, who suffered a surprise defeat last time out, put the US on their way in their quarter-final against Greece with a 6-3, 6-2 win over former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari in Perth.

Stefanos Tsitsipas brought Greece level by defeating struggling Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-5.

In the deciding mixed doubles, Gauff teamed up with Christian Harrison to battle past Tsitsipas and Sakkari 4-6, 6-4, 10-8.

“Definitely a much better match today,” Gauff said after making light work of Sakkari. “Last match, I just tried to erase it. That’s the beauty of this tournament. So definitely happy to give my team the lead today.”

Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek beat 97th-ranked Suzan Lamens 6-3, 6-2 in the tie against the Netherlands in Sydney.

Hubert Hurkacz, on his way back after being out for seven months following knee surgery, defeated Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) as Poland sealed their last-eight spot.

Poland are tomorrow to play hosts Australia, with the winners facing the US for a place in Sunday’s final.

Additional reporting by AFP

title: Hsieh advances in Australian Open warm-up


title: DR Congo’s human statue becomes AFCON star fan

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His team were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in agonizing fashion on Tuesday, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DR Congo) human statue Michel Kuka Mboladinga would be remembered as the tournament’s most remarkable supporter.

The colorfully dressed Kuka has earned fame as the fan who stands completely immobile throughout his team’s games, looking toward the sky with his right arm raised and palm open.

He has become a media star and on Tuesday was accompanied by a delegation of several hundred Congolese supporters whose trip to Morocco was paid for by the country’s government.

Democratic Republic of the Congo fan Michel Kuka Mboladinga, center, standing, poses as a statue of the country’s independence hero Patrice Lumumba during their match against Algeria in Rabat on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

They took their place in the stands in Rabat for the last-16 tie against Algeria, which the Leopards lost 1-0 to a goal late in extra-time.

Kuka’s pose is inspired by that of a statue of Congolese independence leader and former prime minister Patrice Lumumba, which stands in Kinshasa.

Lumumba briefly served as the country’s first prime minister in 1960 and was assassinated the following year by a combination of separatists from the region of Katanga and Belgian mercenaries.

His body was dissolved in acid and never found, although it was discovered decades later that remains, including a tooth, had been kept in Belgium.

The killing is one of the darkest moments in the history of relations between Belgium and its former colony.

Congolese fans at AFCON expressed pride at seeing Kuka’s tribute to Lumumba.

Kuka is “our brother,” said 30-year-old Laetitia Malula during a gathering of supporters in Casablanca on the eve of the Algeria game.

“He has chosen to imitate Lumumba ... our hero. That is we why we chant his name,” she said.

DR Congo’s participation in the Cup of Nations has come amid an ongoing conflict in the east of the country along its border with Rwanda, where conflict has flared since 2021 with the resurgence of the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.

Thirty-five-year-old Jered Bitobo, head of communication of the supporters group to which Kuka belongs, described his compatriot’s pose as “a sign of peace.”

“He is sending out a strong message, both at local and international level. The open palm is a sign of peace and we need peace in our country,” Bitobo said.

It is understood that Kuka first performed the pose several years ago during matches of leading Congolese side AS Vita Club.


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Jacob Bethell yesterday fulfilled his rich potential with a chanceless maiden Test century as England built a fragile 119-run second-innings lead with two wickets remaining to give themselves a glimmer of hope in the final Ashes Test.

At the end of day four at the Sydney Cricket Ground, England had reached 302-8 with Bethell imperious on 142 not out and No. 10 Matthew Potts yet to score.

England are desperate for another morale-boosting win after victory in the previous Test at Melbourne. Australia lead 3-1 and have already retained the Ashes.

England’s Jacob Bethell bats during the final Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. Photo: Reuters

It was the 22-year-old Bethell who kept their faint hopes alive after Zak Crawley fell early and first-innings centurion Joe Root departed cheaply.

He powered to his hundred off 162 balls by smashing a lofted drive over midwicket for four.

“It’s pretty special, it’s not really sunk in yet. I haven’t really had time to kind of reflect on it,” Bethell told reporters.

Bethell had his parents in the stands and raised his bat towards them as he passed the milestone.

“To do that and have the family there was very special,” the left-hander said. “My dad was a cricketer so he knows how it feels to be out there batting, but I don’t think that stops him from getting any less nervous.”

It was not just Bethell’s maiden Test ton, but the only one he has scored in red-ball cricket, with his previous best 96 against New Zealand.

Over the past 50 years only Alastair Cook, David Gower and Ollie Pope were younger when they scored their first Test century for England.

Bethell was recalled for Melbourne to replace the underperforming Pope, scoring a gritty 40 in difficult batting conditions.

With England having already lost the series and looking to reset after the Ashes, Bethell was quickly hailed as a player for the future.

“This was a coming of age,” former England captain Cook said on TNT Sports. “Bethell affirmed what we already knew about his talent. He delivered on the big stage on a tough wicket, with the game on the line. I think it was right that he had to wait for his chance, but he has taken his chance and shown the future of England cricket batting after Joe Root.”

Another former England captain, Michael Vaughan, echoed Cook’s sentiments.

“Seeing how Jacob Bethell has played — his technique is incredible. To play at this level for long periods of time, you have to have that,” he said.

“He has played the ball straight, right under his eyeline,” he said. “Jacob Bethell has played in a way that Test match cricket has been played for many generations. It was a masterclass in technique and composure.”

title: Bethell slams maiden century in final Ashes Test


title: Chou Tien-chen rocks Lin Chun-yi in season opener

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Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen on Tuesday opened the season with a 2-0 victory over compatriot Lin Chun-yi to advance to the last 16 of the men’s singles at the Malaysia Open.

World No. 6 Chou swept the world No. 12 Lin 21-14, 21-12 in 40 minutes to secure his first win of the year and his third straight victory over Lin. Chou now holds a 5-2 head-to-head advantage against Lin.

The two traded the lead in the first game before tying at 14, when the 35-year-old Chou pulled off a decisive 7-0 run — his longest scoring streak of the match — to secure a 1-0 lead.

Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen returns to China’s Shi Yuqi during their men’s singles match at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, on Dec. 18 last year. Photo: AFP

Chou appeared to take control of the match, never trailing Lin in Game 2. Last tied at five, he remained ahead and rattled off another seven straight points after taking a 14-12 lead to close out the match.

The last time Lin defeated Chou was in the final of the Super 300-level Swiss Open in late March 2024.

Chou did not celebrate Tuesday’s win, saying it was just one match.

“I still have a lot of room to improve,” he said.

It was the second consecutive edition of the Super 1000 tournament in which Chou faced off against a Taiwanese player in the opening round. He was eliminated in the quarter-finals of last year’s edition by China’s world No. 1 Shi Yuqi.

Chou, who is seeking his first-ever semi-final appearance at the Malaysia Open, is today to face world No. 14 Kenta Nishimoto of Japan, against whom he holds a 10-6 career head-to-head advantage.

In other Tuesday matches, Chen Cheng-kuan and Hsu Yin-hui bested Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch 21-19, 19-21, 21-17 in the mixed doubles opener, while seventh seeds Hsieh Pei-shan and Hung En-tzu beat compatriots Lin Xiao-min and Wang Yu-qiao 21-15, 21-17.

Yesterday, Hsu and Lin Jhin-yun defeated Canada’s Jackie Dent and Crystal Lai 23-21, 23-21 in women’s doubles, while Chen Zhi-ray and Lin Yu-chieh topped French brothers Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov 19-21, 21-17, 21-13.


title: Israel cleared to start West Bank work

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HOUSING TACTICS:  Critics say the E1 project, which would run deep into the West Bank, would prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state there

Israel has cleared the final hurdle before starting construction on a settlement project near Jerusalem that would effectively cut the West Bank in two, according to an Israeli government tender.

The tender, which seeks bids from developers, would clear the way to begin construction of the E1 project.

Peace Now, a group opposed to such settlements, first reported the tender.

An area near Maale Adumim in the West Bank where Israel says housing units are to be built as part of the E1 settlement project is pictured on Aug. 14 last year. Photo: AP

Yoni Mizrahi, who runs the group’s settlement watch division, said that initial work could begin within the month.

Settlement development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to US pressure.

The E1 project runs from the outskirts of Jerusalem deep into the occupied West Bank.

Critics say it would prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state in the territory.

Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees settlement policy, has long pushed for the plan to become a reality.

“The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans, but with actions,” Smotrich said in August last year, when Israel gave final approval to the plan. “Every settlement, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea.”

The tender, publicly accessible on the Web site of the Israeli Land Authority, calls for proposals to develop 3,401 housing units.

Peace Now said that the publication of the tender “reflects an accelerated effort to advance construction in E1.”

On Tuesday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that 11 people were injured during an Israeli raid at a university in the West Bank.

A group of about 20 Israeli military vehicles stormed the gate and entered the campus, Birzeit University president Talal Shahwan told a news conference.

Video obtained by The Associated Press confirmed the presence of troops on campus.

“Unfortunately, targeting the university is a recurring event,” Shahwan said, adding that the forces displayed “clear brutality.”

Israeli officials said military and border troops were sent to break up an anticipated gathering and soon found themselves facing a crowd of hundreds of people, some allegedly throwing rocks at them from rooftops.

They said they used targeted fire toward the “main violent individuals.”

In matters related to Gaza, a group representing major international media organizations on Tuesday criticized the Israeli government’s latest refusal to allow foreign journalists into Gaza, despite a three-month ceasefire.

Israel has barred foreign media from entering Gaza since the war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Foreign Press Association has asked the Israeli Supreme Court to end the ban.

The Israeli government this week told the court that it remains opposed to allowing international journalists into Gaza, citing security reasons.

The association, which represents dozens of major media organizations expressed “its profound disappointment” with the government’s position and said it hoped judges would soon end the ban.

The UN said that aid groups have enough food on hand to sustain people in Gaza for the first time since the war began more than two years ago.

“The January round is the first since October 2023 in which partners had sufficient stock to meet 100 percent of the minimum caloric standard,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.

More aid has been reaching Gaza since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10 last year.

However, the flow of humanitarian aid remains challenging amid Israel’s decision to revoke the licenses of more than three dozen organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Oxfam.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on Tuesday called on Israel to lift the restrictions to avert deaths from exposure, hunger and a lack of medicine.

“To deliver aid rapidly, safely and at the scale required, international NGOs [non-governmental organizations] must be able to operate in a sustained and predictable way,” Kallas said in a statement from the 27-nation bloc.

Meanwhile, Syrian and Israeli officials met on Tuesday in Paris for US-mediated talks intended to broker a security agreement to defuse tensions between the two countries.

A joint statement issued after the meeting said that it “centered on respect for Syria’s sovereignty and stability, Israel’s security, and prosperity for both countries.”

The two sides have agreed to establish a joint communication cell “to facilitate immediate and ongoing coordination on their intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement and commercial opportunities under the supervision of the United States,” the statement said.

The cell would serve as a platform to address disputes and “prevent misunderstandings,” it added.

In December 2024, insurgents led by Syria’s now-Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa ousted former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive.

Al-Sharaa said that he has no desire for a conflict with Israel.


title: Trump weighs Greenland options

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‘PRIORITY’: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US president’s preferred option is to buy Greenland from Denmark and there are no imminent invasion plans

US President Donald Trump is discussing options to take control of Greenland, the White House said on Tuesday, upping tensions that Denmark warns could destroy NATO.

Trump has stepped up his designs on the mineral-rich, self-governing Danish territory in the arctic since the US military seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last weekend.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “acquiring Greenland is a national security priority” for Trump to deter US adversaries such as Russia and China.

“The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander in chief’s disposal,” she said in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that Trump’s preferred option is to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding that there are no plans for an imminent invasion.

Denmark has warned that any move to take Greenland by force would mean “everything would stop,” including NATO and 80 years of transatlantic security links.

Any US military action against Greenland would effectively collapse NATO, as the alliance’s Article 5 pledges that member states would defend any of their number that come under attack.

Greenland Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Motzfeldt wrote on social media that a meeting had been sought with Rubio throughout last year, but “it has so far not been possible.”

Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that meeting with Rubio should “clear up certain misunderstandings.”

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said that the island is not for sale and only its 57,000 people should decide its future.

Allies have rallied around Denmark and Greenland.

The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain joined Denmark in a statement on Tuesday saying they would defend the “universal principles” of “sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.”

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer both sought to play down the row as they attended Ukraine peace talks in Paris alongside Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

“I cannot imagine a scenario in which the United States of America would be placed in a position to violate Danish sovereignty,” Macron said.

The US has 150 military personnel stationed at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland.

Greenland residents have rejected Trump’s threats.

“This is not something we appreciate,” Christian Keldsen, director of the Greenland Business Assocation, told reporters in the capital, Nuuk. “It is not acceptable in the civilized world.”

Trump has been floating the idea of annexing Greenland since his first term.


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A Craigslist advertisement later revealed to be a prank said that a daycare center in Minneapolis’ Ventura Village neighborhood was hiring 20 child actors for three days to pose as attendees while US authorities investigate a series of alleged fraud schemes at Minnesota daycare centers run by Somalian residents.

The ad, which is no longer live, said that the actors would be paid US$1,500 per day.

The ad, which was posted on Jan. 1 in Craigslist’s Hennepin County, Minnesota, section for general labor jobs, was bait for an online prank show, its cohost Joey LaFleur told reporters.

A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is pictured in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

“The show’s called Goofcon1 and it is a funny show,” LaFleur said. “We do pranks and stuff like that.”

The show received a “ton of responses” to the ad and said he and his two cohosts would be doing a live show on Saturday during which they would call people who expressed interest.

Screenshots of the ad were used in social media posts on multiple platforms, cited as evidence of fraud at Minnesota daycare centers.

“BREAKING — A Craigslist ad seeking child actors for a daycare in Minneapolis’ Hennepin County has been discovered, with the poster requesting 20 children to act as clients while the state observes them to determine whether it’s a legitimate daycare,” a post on X that shared the ad said.

A man in a TikTok video called the ad “100 percent serious.”

LaFleur said that in addition to being a prank show, Goofcon1 wants to protect against predators and call out conservatives who “don’t care about fact checking.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ended his bid for a third term on Monday amid the fraud investigations.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday said that it launched what it described as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out by the agency — with 2,000 federal agents and officers expected in the Minneapolis area for a crackdown tied in part to the daycare center allegations.

“The largest DHS operation ever is happening right now in Minnesota,” it wrote on X.

The government planned to send about 2,000 US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and officers to Minnesota, a US official and a person briefed on the matter said.

The agents were expected to be dispatched in the Minneapolis-St Paul area, said the sources, who were not authorized to publicly discuss operational details and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Immigrant rights groups and elected officials in the cities reported a sharp increase in sightings of federal agents, notably around St Paul.

Agents’ vehicles were reported making traffic stops outside area businesses and apartment buildings.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was also present and accompanied immigration officers during at least one arrest.

A video posted on X showed Noem wearing a tactical vest and knit cap as agents arrested a man in St Paul.

In the video, she tells the handcuffed man: “You will be held accountable for your crimes.”

DHS in a statement said that the man was from Ecuador and was wanted in his homeland and Connecticut on charges including murder and sexual assault.

It said agents arrested 150 people on Monday in enforcement actions in Minneapolis.

Walz called the federal enforcement surge “a war that’s being waged against Minnesota.”

“You’re seeing that we have a ridiculous surge of apparently 2,000 people not coordinating with us, that are for a show of cameras,” Walz told reporters in Minneapolis on Tuesday, a day after announcing he was ending his campaign for a third term.

Walz made the announcement following reports of rampant fraud at daycare centers operated by Somalian residents in Minneapolis, although he did not explicitly acknowledge the reports.

However, Nick Shirley, an independent reporter who posted a video of daycare centers where there were apparently no attendees took credit for the governor’s decision.

“I ENDED TIM WALZ,” Shirley wrote on social media on Monday.

title: Joke ad seeks child actors for Minnesota daycare center


title: Pilot’s suit says Boeing blamed him for incident

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The Alaska Airlines pilot who has been universally praised as a hero for safely landing a jet after a door plug panel flew off shortly after takeoff is suing Boeing because he believes the plane maker wrongly tried to blame him and the rest of the crew.

Captain Brandon Fisher was commended by the heads of the US National Transportation Safety Board, the US Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing executives for helping ensure that none of the 177 people aboard Flight 1282 were killed when the blowout happened in January 2024.

However, Fisher’s lawyers said that Boeing’s attempts to deflect liability in past lawsuits, despite what the board’s investigation, found, led to the pilot being sued by some passengers and caused him great distress.

A section of a Boeing 737 Max where a door plug fell while Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was in flight is pictured on Jan. 7, 2024. Photo: AP

Four flight attendants previously sued Boeing over the incident last summer.

Fisher’s lawsuit says that Boeing suggested it was not responsible because the plane was “improperly maintained or misused” by others.

“It was clear Boeing’s words were directed at Captain Fisher in attempt to paint him as the scapegoat for Boeing’s numerous failures,” Fisher’s lawyers, William Walsh and Richard Mummolo, wrote in the lawsuit filed in an Oregon court on Tuesday.

The investigation of the blowout found that four bolts securing what is known as the door plug panel were removed and never replaced during a repair as the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft was being assembled.

Boeing and key supplier Spirit Aerosystems, which has since been acquired by Boeing, were both implicated.

The bolts are hidden behind interior panels in the plane, so they are not something that could have been easily checked in a preflight inspection by the pilot or anyone else from the airline.

Investigators said that the door plug was gradually moving upward over the 154 flights prior to the incident before it ultimately flew off.

“Boeing’s lie infuriated Captain Fisher as well, as he was being castigated for his actions as opposed to being lauded,” Fisher’s lawyers wrote. “Because he had flown Boeing aircraft for the entirety of his employment with Alaska Airlines, Boeing’s attempts to blame him felt like a deep, personal betrayal by a company that claimed to hold pilots in the highest regard.”

The board said that the incident was caused by a manufacturing issue and the crew’s actions were exemplary.

John Cox, who is chief executive officer of the Safety Operating Systems aviation safety consulting firm, said the crew did a remarkable job considering what they were dealing with and no one has faulted the crew.

“I think the Boeing lawyers were kind of grasping at straws,” Cox said.

The blowout occurred minutes after the flight took off from Portland, Oregon, and created a roaring air vacuum.

Seven passengers and one flight attendant sustained minor injuries, but the plane landed safely.

The 61cm-by-122cm piece of fuselage covering an unused emergency exit behind the left wing had blown out. Only seven seats on the flight were unoccupied, including the two seats closest to the opening.

Boeing factory workers told investigators they felt pressured to work too fast and were asked to perform jobs they were not qualified for.

Fisher’s lawsuit describes how he and the first officer acted quickly after losing cabin pressure when the panel blew out to fly the plane safely back to Portland while decreasing altitude and working with air traffic controllers to avoid any other planes in the area.

The airline did not answer a question about whether Fisher is still flying for it, and the lawsuit described him as a citizen and well-respected member of the aviation community.

It was not clear on Tuesday whether he is still working as a pilot.

The head of the commercial airplane unit at Boeing at the time, Stan Deal, commended the Alaska Airlines crew for safely landing the plane in a memo to employees after the incident.

Boeing did not comment directly on the new lawsuit.

However, Kelly Ortberg, the company’s chief executive officer, has made improving safety a top priority ever since he took over the top job at Boeing in August 2024.


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SOUTH KOREA

Diplomatic backing sought

President Lee Jae-myung in Shanghai yesterday said that he had urged Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to help him curb Pyongyang’s nuclear program and suggested a freeze in exchange for “compensation” was possible. Lee on Monday met with Xi in Beijing. “I would like China to play a mediating role on issues related to the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea’s nuclear program. All our channels are completely blocked,” Lee said he told Xi. “We hope China can serve as a mediator — a mediator for peace,” he added. The Chinese leader in response urged Seoul to show “patience” with Pyongyang given how frayed ties between the two Koreas have become, Lee added. “And they’re right. For quite a long period, we carried out military actions that North Korea would have perceived as threatening,” he said. Lee also laid out a plan whereby Pyongyang would freeze its nuclear program in exchange for compensation. “Just stopping at the current level — no additional production of nuclear weapons, no transfer of nuclear materials abroad, and no further development of ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles] — would already be a gain,” he said, adding that he had asked Beijing to convey this message to Pyongyang and that “there was consensus on these points from the Chinese.”

NEPAL

Curfew imposed on Birgunj

A curfew was imposed on Birgunj, a key southern border city, after Hindu and Muslim groups began protesting against each other following the vandalism of a mosque over the weekend, officials said on Tuesday. The curfew orders issued by the Parsa District Administration said that no one would be allowed in the streets, and all gatherings and demonstrations are banned. The notice also warned that violators could be shot by security forces. Armed soldiers and police officers were patrolling the streets of Birgunj, 130km south of the capital, Kathmandu. Birgunj is the key border point for importing much of the oil, goods and supplies from India. Muslim groups began protesting in the streets of Birgunj on Sunday against the vandalism of a mosque in a nearby town, which was followed by a separate demonstration by Hindu followers on the same day. Protests have continued since. There have been no major clashes between the two groups and no major injuries reported, although there were scuffles with riot police.

UNITED STATES

CIA spy dies in prison

Aldrich Ames, a CIA spy who was sentenced to life in prison for selling secrets to Moscow, costing the lives of a dozen double agents, died on Monday in custody, authorities said. He was 84, the Bureau of Prisons said. Ames worked as a counterintelligence analyst for the CIA for 31 years and, along with his wife, Rosario, was convicted of selling information to the Soviet Union between 1985 and 1993 in exchange for more than US$2.5 million. Aldrich Ames had been head of the Soviet branch in the CIA’s counterintelligence group and gave the Kremlin the names of dozens of Russians who were spying for Washington. The couple’s luxurious lifestyle at the time — including Swiss bank accounts, a Jaguar vehicle and annual credit card bills of US$50,000 — drew suspicion. Federal prosecutors said that Aldrich Ames spied for the Soviet Union and kept selling Russia information after its collapse until he was exposed in 1994.

title: World News Quick Take


content_text: A float moves down a street in Pasto, Colombia, on Tuesday amid the Black and White Carnival, which is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

title: Pasto carnival


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Notes from Central Taiwan: Envisioning a Taiwan under PRC ruleSocial freedom, especially religious freedom, will cease to exist if the PRC occupies Taiwan, while much public and private land will be confiscated

In the 2010s, the Communist Party of China (CCP) began cracking down on Christian churches. Media reports said at the time that various versions of Protestant Christianity were likely the fastest growing religions in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The crackdown was part of a campaign that in turn was part of a larger movement to bring religion under party control. For the Protestant churches, “the government’s aim has been to force all churches into the state-controlled organization,” according to a 2023 article in Christianity Today.

That piece was centered on Wang Yi (王怡), the fiery, charismatic pastor of the Early Rain Reformed Church in Chengdu. In 2018 he was arrested and sentenced to 9 years. The CCP is terrified of religious organizations, which hosted libraries, seminaries and other forms of association, a form of civil society that exists independent of government control.

Other forms of religion face the same restrictions. The officially atheist CCP appoints bishops for the Catholic Church with little regard for Vatican approval. In October last year, for example, the party appointed a new Bishop of Shanghai, Joseph Wu Jianlin, on behalf of the state-controlled Catholic Church. The CCP is also struggling to appoint the successor to the Dalai Lama. The Party’s repression of Islam in Xinjiang and elsewhere is well known. The Mormon Church is officially banned in China as of last year.

Although good survey data is lacking, in my experience the public seems to be quite complacent about a future when Taiwan is occupied by the PRC, viewing it as a period of likely inconvenience followed by the restoration of normalcy. Yet civil and social organizations like religion are a massive part of the social landscape. How will they function under PRC occupation? The PRC has already signaled this.

It’s not just religion. Taiwan has large numbers of environmental organizations. Local history associations. Various “Self-help Associations” and similar that work on local issues, many of them opposed to corporate resource extraction and government “development” programs. Taiwan hosts numerous national-level foundations working on political social issues, from public health to child abuse to education and migrant workers. NGOs abound. All of those will be bent to the will of the CCP or outright hollowed out and destroyed, should Taiwan be occupied.

When discussing the occupation of Taiwan we often stress its history of revolt and rebellion. Armed revolt makes exciting reading and interesting fantasies (arm a million Taiwanese!), but Taiwan also has a long and deep history of organized agitation for social change and autonomy. In that light, armed revolt is merely the violent manifestation of deeper local social organization.

A-chin Hsaiu (蕭阿勤), in an excellent paper on how Taiwan independence activists constructed the modern narrative of Taiwaneseness and Taiwanese history, instanced a presentation by then-dangwai (黨外, “outside the party”) legislator Kang Ning-hsiang (康寧祥) in an interpellation in March of 1975. Kang listed “the history of the Petition Movement for the Establishment of the Taiwan Council (1921–1934), the Taiwan Cultural Association (1921–1931), the Taiwan People’s Party (1927–1931) and the Taiwan Local Self-Government League (1930–1937)” as organizations that had resisted Japanese rule.

A classic article by Edgar Wickberg chronicles peasant movements during the 1920s and early 1930s. Wickberg observes that the spasmodic revolts and rebellions in early years of Japanese rule soon gave way to “a relatively well organized political movement, led by Taiwanese professionals (physicians, lawyers and teachers) and by intellectuals, some of whom had been to Japan, and supported by sympathetic Japanese in Japan and Taiwan.”

The peasant movement, he writes, arose in response to land tenure and tenancy issues, the marketing of produce and sales of lands — opened by Taiwanese farmers who had no title but tradition — to retiring government officials, who were Japanese.

Many of the concrete problems that drove Taiwanese resistance to the Japanese will reappear under PRC occupation. For example, Wickberg describes how in 1910 the colonial government began selling (or renting) thousands of acres of bamboo forest in Taichung and Tainan to Mitsubishi for making paper. Those lands had long been used by locals, who did not have clear title to them. Local opposition appeared instantly, and blew up again in the 1920s.

Again, in 1924 the colonial government decided to sell off government lands to Japanese officials. Some 9,500 acres were involved, all of which were occupied by “squatters,” largely in Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung. Years of conflict followed. In each of those cases a Taiwan-wide farmers’ association became involved, in addition to local organizations.

The PRC will likely reorganize land titles and land ownership in an occupation. Fixed assets such as lands and buildings belonging to social and religious organizations will likely be confiscated or destroyed, except for a handful that have maintained good relations with the CCP.

“Government land” — think about indigenous land, which is often classified as “public land” — will be taken by the CCP. In Tibet the PRC government confiscated lands belonging to monasteries, and PRC land reforms and collectivization of land and property helped provoke the 1956 revolt that led the Dalai Lama to flee Tibet in 1959. The Tibetan government in exile later argued that the PRC had deliberately provoked a revolt so that it could suppress it and reorder society. Shades of the violent 228 Incident in Taiwan?

Similarly, in East Turkestan — Xinjiang as the PRC calls it — thousands of mosques have been destroyed and religious organizations tightly controlled. Oppression there, along with the state policy to flood the region with Chinese, has triggered violent revolts against PRC rule. To suppress it, the CCP has continued its policy of moving Han into the region, after 2014, flooding it with over 200,000 cadres, and after 2016, flooding it with police. The area’s population is over 25 million, comparable to Taiwan. Like Taiwan, its history of violent opposition to imperial rule extends back into the Manchu (Qing) era.

It’s not just armed revolt that the PRC fears in occupying Taiwan, but this long history of resistance through organization. Taiwan’s ability to organize itself is likely a major deterrent to PRC occupation, and will be a major drag on its ability to disengage its military from Taiwan. Both Tibet and East Turkestan have required large investments of police, troops and cadres, as well as official attention.

The flip side of this observation is a potent talking point for the pro-Taiwan side: social freedom, especially religious freedom, will cease to exist if the PRC occupies Taiwan. Land titles — think of all the elderly in Taiwan who are property owners — will be threatened by various “reforms.” Religious lands will be confiscated, religious structures rendered hollow or destroyed completely.

It’s time for us to talk more about what kind of future Taiwan can envision under PRC rule.

Notes from Central Taiwan is a column written by long-term resident Michael Turton, who provides incisive commentary informed by three decades of living in and writing about his adoptive country. The views expressed here are his own.


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Donovan’s Deep Dives: The TPP enters the year strong, but faces headwinds

Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang’s (黃國昌) New Year’s resolution was to get healthy and fit. On New Year’s Eve, he released a video detailing his journey and released photos showing off not only his progress but also his newly buff physique.

Regardless of what one thinks of his politics, he looks great and earned it. There has not been this much beefcake in Taiwan politics since Freddy Lim (林昶佐) decided not to run for re-election.

Like Huang, recently the TPP has been showing signs of health, discipline and fitness. This should make their pan-blue coalition partners, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), nervous, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) very concerned.

Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chair Ko Wen-je, left, and current Chair Huang Kuo-chang share a moment of comraderie at Huang’s campaign launch for New Taipei City mayor. Photo taken from Huang Kuo-chang’s Instagram

As a smaller third party, they still face significant uphill challenges. Their legal problems and scandals have also not disappeared.

Yet so far, for all their trials and tribulations, the party appears to be becoming harder, smarter and stronger.

STAVING OFF DISASTER

In August 2024, the TPP was in serious trouble. It came to light that the party had submitted seriously flawed financial reports, which put it into damage control mode. It also came out that party founder and then chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) had used government election subsidies to purchase property for himself, which is not illegal, but is a very bad look. Then it got worse: Ko was detained incommunicado for a year on corruption charges.

Huang took control of the party and likely saved it from disaster. Their polling numbers had plunged, but under Huang, they stabilized, maintaining the party as a viable, though weakened, force.

Following the DPP’s disastrous official backing of the recall campaigns last summer, their popularity plunged while the KMT’s and TPP’s rose. This put the TPP’s popularity back to where it was before Ko’s detention.

Then, last September, Ko was released on bail. This could have led to a power struggle in the party, but it did not.

Under Huang, the party’s Ko-era ideology was not touched, but the tone and behavior of the party shifted. Huang excels at selective outrage, standing on stage with fist raised, railing at his enemies, the DPP’s “authoritarian regime” of the “dictator” President William Lai (賴清德).

This strategy was successful at staunching the bleeding and keeping the party viable among their core supporters, but it lacked vision. It left open a lot of questions as to what to support the party for, rather than just supporting them for what they are against.

Huang had also further blurred the identity of the party by effectively turning the party into a subsidiary of the KMT. Though the party had successes in the legislature they could point to, they did little to communicate them. Huang preferred to stick to hyperbolic outrage.

Recently, the party has done a far better job of highlighting their own legislative achievements and goals. The emerging image is of a party that is allied with the KMT, but still maintaining something of a distinct agenda and identity.

The TPP is again talking about issues and policy proposals. Huang has resurrected common usage of the “scientific, rational and pragmatic” language that defined the party in the Ko era.

While frequently speaking of his “sincerity” in working with the KMT in this year’s elections and his confidence in their partnership, Huang has been setting some boundaries. He has made it clear he will not be rushed, nor has he backed away from his run for New Taipei City mayor despite KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) insistence that the KMT must run a candidate there.

Huang is also implementing the party’s two-year pledge for lawmakers, a strategic move conceived by Ko. The party’s lawmakers were all voted in on the party list, so by stepping down, the next ones on the list move up to take their place. This doubles the opportunities to build name recognition to develop budding political talent for the smaller party. Huang has already signed the resignation paperwork, and on Feb. 1, he will lose the powerful platform as legislator and party caucus convener — though he will continue to join the biweekly party caucus morning meetings.

A FORGED BOND

While it is theoretically possible these changes are all Huang’s ideas, that is unlikely. Many of these moves have Ko’s fingerprints all over them.

Meanwhile, Ko has been carefully avoiding stealing the spotlight from Huang and has credited Huang with saving the party. Huang is carefully respectful of Ko as his elder.

This is remarkable. Both men are notoriously stubborn and strong-willed, and have reputations for a “my way or the highway” mentality. Yet, clearly, they are working as a team and by all appearances respect each other.

Both are showing a maturity and deference they were previously not known for possessing. The likely explanation is that they have grown and learned from their mistakes, and their common trials and tribulations — and common interests — have forged a bond between them.

They are also divvying up tasks. Huang will help the party campaign in the north from his base in New Taipei City, while Ko will be heading up the campaign team of their Chiayi City candidate and will concentrate on the south.

I suspect the reason the TPP has held their post-recall popularity bump, unlike the KMT, is this partnership.

Ko is the cerebral, strategic thinker of the two. Huang is a dramatic, effective communicator. This is a powerful combination.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

Another potential opportunity has opened up in Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao’s (高虹安) acquittal on corruption charges on appeal. This cleared the way for her reinstatement as mayor.

After her initial conviction, Kao resigned from the TPP. Last summer, despite the conviction and being suspended from her post, she survived a recall attempt.

This puts Kao in a fairly strong position to run for re-election, and the KMT has made clear they do not plan to challenge her.

They will now need to convince her to rejoin the party. She joined a meeting held by the Hsinchu TPP that was attended by Huang, but so far, she has not officially rejoined. If she does, that will be a big win for the TPP.

There are some serious risks for the party going forward. The verdict in Ko’s corruption trial is due on March 26, and he potentially faces significant jail time — though if found guilty, he can appeal.

Investigators are questioning people close to Huang related to the alleged “paparazzi” scandal. Huang has not been questioned so far, and at this point, he faces no criminal charges. But the possibility of both Huang and Ko facing jail time can not be discounted. KMT Vice Chairman Shawn Hsiao (蕭旭岑) has fretted about this and what it might mean for their cooperation.

The party also lacks the talent pipeline of the two big parties, so growing is a challenge. Headlines in the local press talk of a “tide of defections” from the party, but these are overblown.

The TPP has lost four low-to-mid-level people in the last two months. That is painful for such a small party, and will make their goal of being able to form city and county caucuses in some places harder, but this sort of churn is typical of third parties and by no means exceptional, much less a “tide.”

Overall, the party is likely in the strongest position it has ever been in, though pending legal issues could derail it, and the likeliest successors to these two — Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) and Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) — have been sidelined in the Huang era.

If the party survives these challenges, they could begin to take support from the KMT and challenge the DPP in places they had not anticipated.

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

people: 蔡壁如 高虹安 林昶佐 柯文哲 黃國昌 賴清德 黃珊珊 鄭麗文


content_text:
This page-turner suffers from inconsistencies and an unsubtle approach in places, but plays to the author’s strengths as a seasoned security correspondent

With Taiwan getting unprecedented levels of press over the past few years, it’s hard not to feel that there has been a fair amount of bandwagon-jumping amid the slew of books that has appeared.

At first glance, this novel by veteran BBC journalist Frank Gardner could certainly appear opportunistic — the stark one word title emblazoned uppercase across a cover designed to resemble the flag of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), fighter jets swirling around the points of the huge central star, a shadowy (presumably Taiwanese) mountain range in the background and the ominous silhouette of an aircraft carrier below communicate shallow sensationalism.

Yet, Gardner has paid his dues. As the BBC’s security correspondent since 2002, he has reported from all corners of the world. In 2003, he was paralysed from the waist down after being shot multiple times by terrorists while filming in Saudi Arabia. His cameraman was killed during the attack.

A fluent Arabic speaker, his area of expertise is the Middle East, but he has spent enough time reporting on China, particularly on its military buildup and — most recently — Beijing’s race to upgrade its Dongfeng (DF) hypersonic missiles.

Those weapons feature prominently in this latest instalment from a series of thrillers featuring former ex-commando Luke Carlton as protagonist and, while this may be bestselling fiction, the ominous capabilities of the DF projectiles and the fact that Beijing (and Moscow) have pulled ahead of the US in the development of this technology are attested to in Gardner’s journalism.

This, alone, makes the passages of this novel that deal with China’s deployment of weapons and miliary equipment ahead of an invasion of Taiwan scarily plausible.

As one would expect, given his background, Gardner has the essentials locked down: the focus is the DF-26, which — at time of writing was the most advanced of China’s intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), though it has since been superseded by the DF-27, which appears to break with its predecessors by offering twin land-attack and anti-ship roles, and the relatively unknown DF-61, which was unveiled at the China Victory Day Parade in September last year.

As Gardner notes, the DF-26 was considered a gamechanger when unveiled in 2016 due to its range of up to 4,000km, which would allow it to strike the US island territory of Guam.

SUPERHUMAN SOLDIERS

However, occasionally key details appear to be fudged: The DF-26s are depicted as being stationed at the Jilantai Missile Testing Site in Inner Mongolia, where they are launched across the Gobi Desert “like flying needles, white contrails streaking across the sky behind them …”

The target is a mock-up of Zuoying Naval Base (海軍左營基地) in Kaohsiung and, as People’s Liberation Army Colonel General Li Wei Chen reports to party headquarters in Beijing on the success of the test strike in obliterating the facsimile, “[h]is chest swelled with pride.”

In fact, while DF-26 launches have been observed at the Jilantai site through satellite imagery, most sources cite the Taklamakan Desert as the main test site for this series of missiles.

Quibbles aside, these details are rooted in reality, providing a credible foundation for the fiction that follows. Pushing the boundaries of believability is “the ultra-secretive program to develop ongoing generations of genetically enhanced service men and women.”

For this fictive initiative Gardner comes up with the codename Project 49, presumably in reference to the goal of restoring glory to China by that year — the centennial of the PRC’s founding. The year has been earmarked by Xi Jinping in conjunction with another of his pet slogan, the “Chinese Dream.”

SUNMANNED OUTPOST

An outstanding product of Project 49 is Private First Class Jian Zhang, a member of the elite Jiaolong Commandos (Sea Dragons, 蛟龍突擊隊), the frogmen who are tasked with leading the first incursion into Taiwanese territory with a nighttime attack on Kinmen County’s Lieyu Island.

This outpost, which was heavily bombarded during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, is portrayed as woefully undefended in terms of manpower, which given the reduction of forces there to bare bones levels over the decades, is not inaccurate. Defence analysts may well argue that this does not account for its considerable defensive infrastructure.

Shot up with respirocytes — artificial blood cells that, as far as we know, are purely hypothetical — Zhang and his ilk gain superhuman powers, including the ability to hold their breathe under water for up to four hours and to recover, as Zhang does, from what would normally be grievous injuries in a matter of days,

Against the geopolitical backdrop of a Chinese warship firing missiles across the bows of a British destroyer off Taiwan’s coast and the response of the trilateral AUKUS submarine partnership to the Chinese threat, is the kidnapping in Hong Kong of English environmental scientist Dr Hannah Slade working as a “clean skin” collector for the UK’s MI6.

STATING THE OBVIOUS

Squished with a piece of gum to gap between her teeth is a tiny hard drive supplied by a top British asset with access to the upper echelons of the CCP’s security apparatus. The prevention of the invasion and, with it, World War III may hinge on her rescue.

Eventually the trail leads to Macau, then Taipei, where Carlton and his partner have a fateful run in with mobsters from the Celestial Alliance (天道盟), eventually taking them to a remote temple retreat in Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range.

There are a fair few inconsistencies in Gardner’s text: shortly after the missile test overseen by Colonel General Chen, we are introduced to Taiwanese Master Sergeant Wu Chi-ming at Hsiaohsuehshan radar station. He is from then on referred to as Master Sergeant Chi-ming. Basic stuff like this could have been sorted by any editor with a basic understanding of Chinese nomenclature.

The constant spelling out of geopolitical issues that would surely be clear to everyone in the room also grates: the topic of “microchips” being introduced to Cabinet members as the reason why Taiwan is important, for example. This might be hard to avoid in a book that targets a general readership but could surely have been done more subtly.

By and large, Invasion does what it says on the tin, creating an engaging thriller from a scenario that is currently prominent in both political and public discourse.

title: Book review: Anatomy of an invasion


content_text:
Overseas scholars drawn to China’s scientific clout, fundingState-backed initiatives like the Thousand Talents Plan have dangled fast-tracked hiring and bountiful grants to lure overseas experts in strategically important fields

China’s government has long made efforts to tempt top scientists from abroad, but researchers say its institutions themselves are increasingly attracting talent thanks to their generous funding and growing prestige.

State-backed initiatives like the Thousand Talents Plan have dangled fast-tracked hiring and bountiful grants to lure overseas experts in strategically important fields, as China and the US vie for technological supremacy.

But academics said the country is becoming a popular destination even among those not targeted by Beijing, especially at the start of their careers.

“You hear about these amazing advanced labs and the government providing money for things like AI and quantum research,” said Mejed Jebali, an artificial intelligence PhD candidate from Tunisia at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

“The scale of the research and how fast things get built is really amazing.”

China’s official enticements have typically targeted eminent researchers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields that could help Beijing achieve its goal of becoming the global leader in technology and innovation.


content_text:
SPEAK UP: Golden Disc Awards, Billboard and Spotify wrap up 2025 (1/2) 金唱片、《告示牌》、Spotify 年終榜揭曉（上）

A: South Korea’s Golden Disc Awards ceremony is taking place at the Taipei Dome on Saturday. Eighteen acts are taking to the stage, including Blackpink’s Jennie.

B: The hottest boy group CORTIS is also performing. I can’t wait to see James, the Taiwanese member of the band, perform.

A: Who else are playing at the K-pop show?

B: This year’s lineup is stacked, including: Allday Project, ARrC, Ateez, Boynextdoor, Close Your Eyes, Enhypen, IVE, Izna, KiiiKiii, Le Sserafim, Monsta X, NCT Wish, Stray Kids, TWS, Zerobaseone and Zozazz.

A: SKZ, Enhypen and Ateez dominated Billboard’s 2025 Year-End World Albums Chart. It would be amazing to see them all perform.

A: 南韓「金唱片獎」本週六將在台北大巨蛋登場，Blackpink 的Jennie 等18組藝人將熱情燃燒舞台。

B: 超人氣男團CORTIS這次也將登台演出唷，真等不及想看台灣成員趙雨凡的精彩表演！

A: 本屆韓流盛典，其他演出藝人還有誰？

B: 華麗陣容包括︰Allday Project、ARrC、Ateez、Boynextdoor、Close Your Eyes、Enhypen、IVE、Izna、KiiiKiii、Le Sserafim、Monsta X、NCT Wish、Stray Kids、TWS、Zerobaseone 和Zozazz。

A: SKZ、Enhypen、Ateez稱霸《告示牌》2025年世界專輯榜，能看到他們同台飆唱真是太驚人了。

（By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）

For your information LANGUAGE TIP 語文小提示 Golden Disc Awards 金唱片獎（南韓）Launched in 1986, the Golden Disc Awards is an annual South Korean major music awards ceremony that honors achievements in the local music industry.www.goldendisc.co.kr/en


taiwan-subdivisions: 竹田 屏東 長治

title: 國3傍晚驚魂！小貨車追撞再推撞　3車連環事故1人送醫

content_text:
▲國道3號北向401.5公里長治路段發生車禍。（圖／第五公路警察大隊提供）

記者陳崑福／屏東報導

國道3號北向401.5公里長治路段，於1月7日17時58分發生三車追撞事故；28歲池姓男子駕駛自小貨車疑未保持安全距離，追撞前方27歲王姓男子小貨車，再推撞41歲陳姓男子自小客車。池男胸部、臉部及雙腿挫傷，意識清醒送屏東榮總治療，事故於18時48分排除。

第五公路警察大隊於1月7日17時58分獲報在國道3號北向401.5公里處（長治路段）發生交通事故，派員處理。

到場了解，發現28歲池姓男子駕駛自小貨車於上述時地行駛該路段內側車道，疑因未保持安全距離追撞27歲王姓男子所駕自小貨車再推撞41歲陳姓男子所駕自小客車而肇事，本案造成池男胸部、臉部、雙腿均挫傷，意識清醒送屏東榮總醫院診治；現場於18時48分排除，全案由竹田分隊依規定處理。

第五公路警察大隊呼籲駕駛人開車務必要注意前方動態並保持安全距離，以免一時疏忽或分心，造成自身及其他用路人之危害。


content_text:
記者蔡宜芳／綜合報導

馬筱梅（Mandy）在2024年與汪小菲完成結婚登記，目前已經進入孕期後半段。她日前在直播中曬孕肚，表示自己的肚子上沒有什麼紋路，6日更上傳孕期vlog，分享保養撇步。

▲馬筱梅汪小菲結婚1年半，即將升格當媽。（圖／翻攝自Instagram／hsiaomei0718mandy）

馬筱梅在最新的vlog中前往拍攝孕婦寫真，她也提到，自己早晨起床後，第一件事除了刷牙洗臉，還會在肚子上塗抹護膚油，減少妊娠紋產生。早餐則以清淡的蛋白質、水果和蔬菜為主，保持健康的飲食習慣。

▲▼馬筱梅分享孕期vlog。（圖／翻攝自微博）

此前，馬筱梅對於孩子未來的出生地及戶口會落在哪，鬆口表示自己會選在台灣生產，是因為汪小菲經常出差，無法在自己坐月子時一直陪在身邊，「所以就是我這邊的話，我的朋友或者是我的家人都在這，可以幫忙。」她也會在做完月子就回北京，「戶口啊什麼的都可以，因為畢竟我老公是北京人嘛。」

title: 汪小菲妻「選在台生產」鬆口談落戶　1撇步孕肚零妊娠紋


title: realme確定回歸OPPO體系「三品牌合體」　官方回應證實了

content_text:
記者蘇晟彥／台北報導

realme在日前傳出大批裁員，近日再傳出將回歸OPPO體系，從原本的獨立品牌變成OPPO旗下子品牌。對此，OPPO官方回應，為進一步整合資源，realme將回歸OPPO，成為旗下子品牌。未來，OPPO與 realme、OnePlus（一加）將共同為全球用戶提供更具創新力和差異化的產品，以及更便捷周到的服務。

▼realme確定回歸OPPO體系，將再一步壯大OPPO手機市場陣容。（資料照／記者蘇晟彥攝）

realme 於2018年由OPPO海外部負責人李炳忠創立，初期主要主攻印度等市場，2018年正式從OPPO脫離獨立，以realme（真我）的名稱成為獨立品牌。realme初期以CP值之王著稱，2021年就在全球銷量達到1億，並含括包括60多個市場販售。

但在近期傳出realme開始大量裁員，在去年年底（11、12月）啟動兩波裁員，包含硬體、軟體，且裁員比例高達50%以上，退出市場的傳聞一度喧囂塵上，但在1月確定回歸OPPO旗下，再度成為OPPO旗下品牌，加上先前OnePlus的回歸，將形成各品牌主攻不同面向市場的策略。

對此，OPPO台灣也回應證實，OPPO官方回應，為進一步協同、整合資源，realme將回歸OPPO，成為旗下子品牌。未來，OPPO與 realme、OnePlus（一加）將共同為全球用戶提供更具創新力和差異化的產品，以及更便捷周到的服務。

countries: 台灣 印度


content_text:
Ubyx 致力提供代幣化存款及穩定幣的全球結算系統。

倫敦和紐約2026年1月7日 /美通社/ — Barclays 宣佈對 Ubyx Inc. 進行策略性投資。Ubyx 是一家總部位於美國的數碼貨幣結算系統供應商，業務涵蓋代幣化存款及受監管的穩定幣。

「互通性對於釋放數碼資產的全部潛力至關重要。隨著代幣、區塊鏈及錢包的生態不斷演變，專門技術將在提供連接和基建方面發揮關鍵作用，讓受監管的金融機構能夠實現無縫互動。我們很高興能加入 Ubyx 的發展旅程，共同推動我們的共同願景，加速並重塑整個行業的創新。」Barclays 數碼資產及策略投資主管 Ryan Hayward 表示。

Ubyx 行政總裁 Tony McLaughlin 表示：「我們的使命是為受監管的數碼貨幣（包括代幣化存款及受監管穩定幣）建立一個通用的全球受理網絡。銀行的參與對於確保透過受監管渠道進行面值贖回至關重要。我們正邁向一個新時代，每家受監管機構除了提供傳統銀行賬戶外，亦將提供數碼錢包。」

這項投資正值市場對基於公共區塊鏈基建交易的新型代幣化數碼貨幣興趣日濃。多個司法管轄區的監管框架正日趨明朗，加密貨幣應用場景以外的採用率亦見增長跡象。Barclays 與 Ubyx 致力於在合規監管範圍內，負責任地推動代幣化貨幣的發展。

Barclays 簡介：

我們的願景是成為以英國為核心的全球金融領導者。我們是一家多元化銀行，業務涵蓋全面的英國消費者、企業、財富及私人銀行服務，並擁有領先的投資銀行業務及強大的美國消費者銀行專營業務。透過這五大業務板塊，我們攜手合作，為我們的顧客、客戶及社區共創更美好的金融未來。

如欲了解更多關於 Barclays 的資訊，請瀏覽我們的網站 home.barclays

Ubyx 簡介：

Ubyx 的成立旨在促進代幣化貨幣的普及，透過一個通用的結算環境連接多個發行方與接收機構，支援數碼貨幣按面值贖回，從而維護貨幣的單一性。

如欲了解更多資訊，請瀏覽 https://ubyx.xyz

title: Barclays 注資 Ubyx，推進數碼貨幣互通

countries: 美國 英國


title: 別剉～赤馬年5大煞氣！   12生肖「雙陽並耀」暢旺流年開新局

content_text:
命理師提醒，2026的煞氣本質為快、急、耗、亂，懂得風險管理，便能開創2026「雙陽並耀」新局。

〔娛樂頻道／綜合報導〕距離農曆年節到來僅剩1個多月，今年逢丙午「赤馬年」，天干丙火熾烈，地支午火旺盛，運勢波動較大。研究幸運命理多年的菲菲老師示警，今年的火，不僅照亮，也可能灼人，「2026 的煞氣本質聚焦：快、急、耗、亂，多與急速消耗、言語火光、血氣上湧相關。」菲菲老師將其區分為「沖破耗損」、「是非官非」、「健康安全」、「疾病破財」、「虛花情劫」5大類型煞氣，並提供12生肖應對＆化解之道。

菲菲老師提醒，提早洞悉流年煞氣，就像颱風來之前，氣象局會先提醒你「哪裡可能淹水」，看懂煞氣，就是給自己一份風險管理地圖，甚至提早一步了解如何「把煞氣變成起飛的助力」。換句話說，若懂得「知煞化煞」善用丙午火馬年這股強大而光明的能量，並在不斷變化的環境中找到最有利的行動路徑，開創2026「雙陽並耀」新局，水到渠成。

【１.「沖破耗損」型煞氣】

◎主要影響生肖：鼠、馬（相關生肖：龍、狗）

◎最大危機：計畫失靈、錢財意外流失。

這類煞氣主導 「計畫趕不上變化」與「財富的非常規流失」。對於鼠、馬而言，這可能意味著職場環境突然改組、重要合作破局，或出現大筆意外支出（如稅金、罰單、維修費）。龍、狗則需特別注意合夥財務的糾紛，或為面子、人情而產生的衝動消費。

◎生活中可能出現

•合作破局、合約中止

•費用暴增（罰單、修車、醫療支出）

•同事或夥伴臨時抽腿

•家電、手機突然壞掉

◎生活應對

✔ 所有重要決策都要準備 B 計畫

✔ 預留應急金至少一個月生活費

✔ 寄發票、保固卡集中管理，避免損失擴大

【２.「是非官非」型煞氣】

◎主要生肖：虎、兔、雞

◎最大危機：一句話得罪人、文件出包、被誤會。

此煞氣環繞 「人際暗箭」與「規則邊界」。虎容易在職場因鋒芒太露而引來妒忌與暗中破壞，甚至捲入與官方的文書糾紛。兔需小心被朋友或合作方拖累，陷入複雜的責任歸屬問題。雞則要留意因桃花或過度直言而引發的口舌風波，影響名譽。

◎生活中可能出現

•LINE 群組裡因語氣引發誤會

•工作簡報或文件內容被挑錯

•無心一句話變成八卦素材

•社群貼文被截圖討論

◎生活應對

✔ 謹言慎行，三思而後傳

✔ 所有協議都留下文字紀錄

✔ 避免「帶情緒的留言」

【３.「健康安全」型煞氣】

◎主要生肖：龍、狗、馬、猴

◎最大危機：小病拖大、運動與交通意外。

這是最需落實 「預防醫學」與「安全意識」 的提醒。龍、狗需格外關注自身與家人的健康，避免探病問喪，並注意家中長輩的照護。馬因「劍鋒」、「伏屍」影響，要謹防運動傷害或交通意外。猴遇「天狗」、「弔客」，外出旅行或夜歸時需提高警覺。

◎生活中可能呈現

•家人反覆生病

•自己疲勞累積、免疫下降

•運動時扭傷、拉傷

•駕車急躁導致小擦撞

◎生活對應

✔ 安排一次全身健康檢查

✔ 避免夜間疲勞駕駛

✔ 更新保險內容

✔ 不做逞強運動

【４.「疾病破財」型煞氣】

◎主要生肖：羊、猪、牛

◎最大危機：身體拖累財運、花小錢補大洞。

此煞關聯 「免疫力下降」與「因故破財」。羊、猪今年抵抗力較弱，小病小痛不斷，可能因頻繁就醫或購買保健食品而開銷增加，也需提防投資上的突然虧損。牛則容易因疏忽而遺失財物，或為滿足情感需求產生計劃外消費。

◎生活中可能呈現

•體力下降、小病纏身

•就醫、保健品開銷暴增

•投資失利、錢財意外流出

◎生活對應

✔ 規律作息、補維他命

✔ 投資保守，避免衝動

✔ 貴重物品集中管理

【５.「虛花情劫」型煞氣】

◎主要生肖：蛇、牛、雞、兔

◎最大危機：迷戀錯的人、做錯的夢、走錯的路

這是一種關於 「理想與現實落差」及「情感誘惑」 的考驗。此煞代表：「看起來很美、實際很傷。」蛇今年點子多但執行力弱，易有好高騖遠的傾向。牛、雞桃花雖多，但多為露水姻緣，易陷入複雜的感情關係而耗神傷財，尤其不利已婚者。兔則需分辨社交場合中的酒肉朋友與真誠夥伴。生活對應：設定務實可行的階段性目標，避免空想。

◎生活中可能呈現

•桃花多但品質差

•沒頭沒尾的曖昧拖累情緒

•投入時間金錢卻沒有成果

•理想過高、現實落差巨大

◎生活對應

✔ 設定「界線」與「底線」

✔ 不在情緒下做決策

✔ 社交場合保持清醒

✔ 感情已穩定者注意第三者能量

「晴天備傘，飽時存糧。」所謂「流年煞氣」，在當代生活中，可以理解為一種「高機率發生的負面情境模式」或「系統性風險」。（菲菲老師提供）

【菲菲老師 專家小檔案】

．專長：觀元辰、獨門八字、民俗科儀、解夢解籤、道法開符．經歷：節目《命運好好玩》專任命理老師、禾郁國際有限公司 創業顧問、幸運命理社團創辦人、曜鑽國際有限公司 命理顧問、1111創業加盟網 創業顧問

．命運好好玩官網：看這裡．命運好好玩FB：看這裡

☆民俗說法僅供參考☆


taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄 阿蓮 高雄市 田寮 燕巢

title: 高雄蜜棗上市 今年產量比去年增3成

content_text:
高雄蜜棗品質好，是全國評鑑比賽常勝軍，今年產量比去年增加3成，進入產期陸續上市，批發均價每公斤達百元；農業局推出限量「高雄首選」蜜棗禮盒，今年比去年調降百元，上架高雄首選電商平台，方便民眾上網預購，品嘗產地直送美味。

高雄市是全國最大蜜棗產區，去年因氣候異常造成減產，今年氣候適宜，產量恢復正常，生產面積710公頃，以燕巢282公頃、阿蓮140公頃、田寮81公頃最多，預估總產量1.2萬多公噸，較去年產期增產3成。

尤其蜜棗主要產區鄰近「月世界」惡地形，特殊土質富含鉀、鎂等礦物質和微量元素，育孕高雄蜜棗風味甘甜獨特，加上果型大、口感佳、翠綠外觀，令人垂涎欲滴，被譽為「台灣青蘋果」。

高雄蜜棗汁多味美、季節限定，目前陸續採收上市，適逢強烈冷氣團來襲，蜜棗天冷長得慢，養分累積多，皮薄甜度更高，加上早晚溫差更大，品嘗口感更甜美，果菜批發市場平均每公斤100元，隨著農曆過年將至，民眾送禮需求高，蜜棗買氣增溫，可望帶動價格更好。

農業局集結在地多個農會，推出「高雄首選」蜜棗禮盒，今年比去年調降100元，特級蜜棗禮盒888元、限量999盒，頂級蜜棗禮盒1088元、限量499盒，民眾可上高雄首選電商平台預購，將自1月12日起開始出貨，前999名下單，加贈紅包袋2入組，即日起至2月6日售完為止。


countries: 芬蘭 台灣

title: 健康網》抵台寒流特別「陰柔」 醫曝這時段急速失溫、救援不及

content_text:
家庭醫科醫師姜封豪指出，台灣的寒流特別「陰柔」─不是凍得刺骨，而是濕氣讓熱更快被抽走。（記者張聰秋攝）

〔健康頻道／綜合報導〕中央氣象署預報，這波強烈大陸冷氣團發威，特別是清晨要注意，局部地區有持續10度左右或以下氣溫，家庭醫科醫師姜封豪指出，在寒風、濕氣與冰冷地面三方交錯的環境裡，人體失溫的速度往往比救援還快。

姜封豪在「上醫預防醫學發展協會」衛教資料表示，台灣的冬天看似溫和，但濕冷比零下更擅長偷走熱。研究顯示，只要氣溫下降，血管迅速收縮、血壓拉升、心臟負荷增加、心律變得不穩，這些變化在沒有雪的地方同樣發生。

姜封豪指出，真正讓人意外的是，許多人仍以為：「會發抖表示身體還撐得住」、「穿外套就夠了」、「台灣不會冷到危險吧？」然而現實是，發抖停止，才是危險開始；濕冷環境，比乾冷更快奪走體溫；即使不是低於零度，核心體溫仍可能在短時間內下降到35°C以下。

他指出，台灣的寒流特別「陰柔」─不是凍得刺骨，而是濕氣讓熱更快被抽走。當核心體溫稍微下降，代謝速度減慢，心臟的電流傳遞也受影響。芬蘭一項長達20年的資料顯示，每多一個寒冷日，醫療院所外心跳停止的發生率就上升。這也解釋了為什麼台灣人在清晨外出時特別容易出事：夜裡體溫本來就較低，一開門遇到寒風，心臟承受的壓力就像突然被拉滿音量的音響。

姜封豪提醒，別忽略這些細微的身體暗號─清晨胸悶、喘、頭暈、手腳冰冷、說不上來的疲倦，都可能是低溫讓心臟「叫苦」。寒冬不是只有冷，它是一種會悄悄干擾心臟節奏的力量。

☆健康新聞不漏接，按讚追蹤粉絲頁。

☆更多重要醫藥新聞訊息，請上自由健康網。


content_text:
花蓮空軍基地F-16V單座戰機（機號6700）6日晚間7時29分執行夜航訓練時於花蓮縣豐濱鄉東面10浬失聯，上尉飛官辛柏毅雖呼叫「跳傘、跳傘、跳傘」，但沒有得到信標機的訊號。如今根據機器判讀及系統推測可能往南漂流，海巡艦艇今晚也不停施放照明彈，一路找到台東北方近海，希望能有好消息。

台東縣長濱鄉到成功鎮、東河鄉的小馬部落，今晚從6時到8時許都能看到海面天際陸續亮起閃光彈，其時，海巡艦艇、空勤直昇機也不停於海空作業，台東市區民眾也發文「怎麼直昇機從昨晚就一直飛」。

就空軍今記者會所言，失事當時辛柏毅也有呼叫：「高度下掉」，但在僅僅12秒後，戰機的光點就消失於花蓮基地南面31浬，還沒有事證可以證明飛行員確實有執行跳傘的動作。

事發後，海巡署第九（花蓮）巡防區和第十（台東）巡防區，派遣線上艦艇前往救援，蘇澳海巡隊、花蓮海巡隊及台東海巡隊，也增派100噸艇前往救援。當下也派遣黑鷹直升機於豐濱海面搜救，C-130投放照明彈。但今晚則是搜索區域南移。

相關人員表示，目前都以國防部、花蓮為主，台東則是支援搜尋，在沒有信標機訊號狀況下，只能據儀器判讀海流有往南趨勢，因此海空搜索搭配照明彈才會在台東北方持續作業。

title: 搶救辛柏毅！F-16V失事向南搜尋 連環照明彈亮遍海面

taiwan-subdivisions: 蘇澳 成功 花蓮縣 東河 豐濱 長濱 花蓮


taiwan-subdivisions: 彰化縣 員林

title: 好吵！彰化縣「噪音王」誕生 紅牌重機「催落去」飆到104.4分貝

content_text:
罰不怕！彰化縣環保局公布2025年「噪音冠軍路段」為員林山腳路，在固定聲音照相科技執法設備取締下，一整年開罰179輛次，加上通知到檢70輛次，總計取締達249輛次，其中，「噪音王」為紅牌重機，油門飆速讓分貝飆到104.4分貝，比標準86分貝還多了18.4分貝！

環保局指出，針對噪音取締，主要依賴聲音照相科技執法設備，目前共有15套，其中12處是固定式，還有3套是移動式。預計今年會再增加3套移動式，針對噪音熱點來加強取締，讓噪音車輛無所遁形，光是去年固定式就取締達1043輛次，移動式取締187輛次。

而去年最熱門的固定式取締地點為員林山腳路，推測與年輕族群有關，在機器測到音量超標的開罰就有179輛次，其中將近8成是機車，其餘2成為汽車。

環保局指出，噪音取締標準與道路速限有關，道路時速50公里，開罰門檻為86分貝，而道路速限70公里，開罰門檻為90分貝，一旦測到分貝超標，就會直接開罰，裁處1800元到3600元罰款，也會通知到環保局進行檢測，如使用未認證的排氣管，再進行開罰。


content_text:
近年來，電解質飲料已從專業運動員的專用飲品，搖身一變，成為男女老少最愛的「補水聖品」。無論是運動飲料還是價格高昂的營養粉劑產品，市面上的品牌總是不斷強調與宣傳其提高表現與加速恢復的功效，讓業餘健身愛好者也願意重金購買。但有運動營養師指出，對大多數人而言，經常飲用電解質飲料，其實並不會對多數人的身體有顯著的幫助。

根據《BBC》（英國廣播公司）報導，利物浦約翰摩爾斯大學（Liverpool John Moores University）的運動營養師兼教授克洛斯（Graeme Close）指出，人體天生就能自行維持並調節電解質的穩定。對大多數人來說，只要維持規律且均衡的飲食，我們就能從食物中的鹽分（鈉）以及蔬果（鉀、鎂）中攝取充足的電解質，他也舉例，「早晨好好享用一份煎蛋捲，所獲得的電解質都會遠比一包電解質泡粉還要多。」

他也提醒，雖然日常不需要，但在如「進行持續超過約70到90分鐘長時間劇烈運動」、「因天氣炎熱而大量出汗」、「為了多飲水而刻意增加的口渴感（有糖電解飲料會讓身體感到更缺水，進而想要補充更多水分）」的特定情況下，補充電解質飲料還是會對身體有益處，但對於一般去健身房短跑5公里的民眾，他表示，「喝水就相當足夠了，把辛苦賺來的錢好好存下來吧。」

克洛斯還建議，除了購買昂貴的市售產品或單純地飲用水，也可以選擇DIY自製飲料，「2/3的水與1/3的果汁（如鳳梨汁）再加一小撮鹽，比例可以依喜好調整」，光這些簡單的食材，其實就能提供約6%的碳水化合物溶液與必要的電解質。

title: 運動必備電解質？ 專家揭行銷迷思「喝水就夠了」


countries: 美國 委內瑞拉

title: 全力重振委內瑞拉石油業 美能源部長：美國控制售油與營收

content_text:
美國喊話會全力振興委內瑞拉石油業。（路透）

〔編譯魏國金／台北報導〕路透報導，美國能源部長萊特（Chris Wright）7日指出，美國必須控制委內瑞拉的石油銷售與相關金流，才能推動希望在委內瑞拉看到的改變。

萊特說，「我們不會像現在這樣封鎖石油，我們將讓石油流動」，他補充，美國政府將向美國與全球買家銷售委內瑞拉的石油。相關銷售將由美國政府控制，而營收將「存入美國控制的帳戶」。

他說，「如果我們控制石油的流向、石油的銷售，以及來自相關銷售的金流，我們將握有巨大的影響力，沒有巨大的影響力，你不能改變現狀」。

萊特說，他正與美國石油公司洽談，以了解讓他們進入委內瑞拉的條件，他補充說，他希望委內瑞拉的石油出售美國煉油廠。

報導說，提高委內瑞拉原油產量是美國總統川普的首要目標。委內瑞拉在1970年代的日產量高達350萬桶。但由於管理不善和外商投資有限，年產量大幅下降，去年平均約日產110萬桶。

萊特說，「如果條件允許，只需少量資本投入，我們就能在中短期內增加數十萬桶的日產量」。

上週末，川普說，在美國軍隊推翻委內瑞拉總統馬杜羅後，美國將「接管」這個南美洲國家。

路透6日報導，美國石油公司高層預計本週前往白宮，以討論如何重振委內瑞拉疲軟的石油產業。

一手掌握經濟脈動 點我訂閱自由財經Youtube頻道


title: 別剉～赤馬年5大煞氣！   12生肖「雙陽並耀」暢旺流年開新局


title: 高雄蜜棗上市 今年產量比去年增3成

taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄 田寮 高雄市 燕巢 阿蓮


title: 高雄蜜棗上市 今年產量比去年增3成

taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄 燕巢 高雄市 田寮 阿蓮


title: 搶救辛柏毅！F-16V失事向南搜尋 連環照明彈亮遍海面

taiwan-subdivisions: 豐濱 東河 花蓮 長濱 成功 蘇澳 花蓮縣


people: 鄭麗文 蔡正元 柯文哲

content_text:
前立委蔡正元在國民黨「三中（中視、中廣、中影）案」遭控違反業務侵占等罪，二審維持一審原判，判刑3年6月，不得上訴，確定入獄。不料藍營主席鄭麗文7日在中常會上頒發國民黨中央最高榮譽「實踐一等獎章」給蔡正元，還企圖營造是賴政府迫害導致蔡正元鋃鐺入獄，高喊「蔡正元同志是帶著勳章入獄的！」大批網友看到這一幕直呼傻眼，痛批整個黨都在敗壞社會風氣！

一審北院認定，蔡正元以國民黨立法委員身分仲介中影股權交易案，利用身為阿波羅負責人機會侵占阿波羅股票出售後款項，掏空阿波羅高達2億8032萬7983元，最終被認定犯罪所得達2.8億元，依業務侵占罪判蔡3年6月徒刑，商業會計法部分判6月徒刑，得易科罰金。全案上訴進入二審，高院上週三（2025/12/31）仍判蔡正元有罪，只是犯罪所得原沒收2億8032萬元，改沒收2億3919萬元。

沒想到部分藍白人士又在流傳賴政府迫害，前民眾黨主席柯文哲還親自打電話給他，稱「你被判刑，百分之五十是因為我，你整天幫我講話，當然要找你」。鄭麗文7日還在中常會上頒發「實踐一等獎章」及證書給蔡正元，宣稱自己非常感謝蔡正元對國家與對國民黨的奉獻，並表達欽佩蔡正元堅守道德理念價值，不畏強權、不退縮、不畏懼，堅持到底的決心與勇氣，期望透過頒發實踐一等獎章，讓大家永遠知道並記得，國民黨永遠支持蔡正元，永遠堅持對的事情，一定會堅定地走下去，「蔡正元同志是帶著勳章入獄的！」

大批網友直呼傻眼，「罪犯也在褒揚，真是可恥」、「我都不知道要怎麼教小孩了」、「這年頭罪犯都這麼高調嗎……」、「無恥當有趣、無恥無下限，敗壞社會風氣」、「不斷秀下限的政黨」、「被判刑是很光榮的事嗎？我的腦子好混亂」、「果然是蛇鼠一窩」、「整黨沒幾個正常的」、「違法亂紀做姦犯科還表揚，難怪會說從政沒背個幾條罪不會大尾，向下沉淪，拖垮台灣進步發展」。

title: 鄭麗文高喊「蔡正元是帶著勳章入獄的」 網傻眼：敗壞社會風氣！


taiwan-subdivisions: 長濱 花蓮 豐濱 東河 花蓮縣 蘇澳 成功

title: 搶救辛柏毅！F-16V失事向南搜尋 連環照明彈亮遍海面


title: 越南牡蠣充台灣產賣千包　高雄盤商涉詐判4月

content_text:
高雄某間牡蠣盤商涉將越南進口假冒為台灣產牡蠣，賣上千包給下游食材行。盤商高姓業者接受偵查時坦承犯行，高雄地院依詐欺、違反食安法等罪判 4 月徒刑，可易科罰金。

高雄地方法院判決指出，前鎮漁港一間牡蠣盤商自 2024 年 10 月 13 日至同年 12 月 22 日止，向其上游黃姓供貨商訂購進口的越南牡蠣後，假冒成台灣產牡蠣，以每包新台幣 60 元至 70 元不等價格，販售 1034 包給下游食材行，藉此賺得 6 萬 7940 元。

下游食材行員工收貨後，在牡蠣商品上張貼「台灣本產」、「東石去殼蚵」、「產地：嘉義東石」等標籤上架販售給不知情消費者，直到衛福部承辦人員購買多包牡蠣送至農業部水產試驗所，鑑別確認為境外牡蠣，全案因此曝光。

高雄地檢署偵查時，食材行業者喊冤進貨時有要求要訂購的是台灣產牡蠣，若是越南牡蠣不會買，自己也是受害者；上游供貨商則稱台灣每年 9 月至 12 月，市面上牡蠣大多為越南牡蠣，販售時也有告知高女這些是越南牡蠣。

高雄地院審酌高女坦承犯行，且已與下游受害商家和解，據此依詐欺、違反食安法等罪判處有期徒刑 4 個月，可易科罰金。全案可上訴。

（新聞資料來源 : 中央社）

countries: 台灣 越南

taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄 嘉義 東石 前鎮


title: 中國再列台獨頑固分子　藍：兩岸針鋒相對風險難降

content_text:
中國國台辦將內政部長劉世芳等人列入「台獨頑固分子」，國民黨文傳會主委吳宗憲今天說，針鋒相對將喪失互信與善意基礎，讓兩岸關係很難降低風險，不管是民進黨政府或陸方，溝通才是降低衝突最有效方式。

中國國台辦將劉世芳、教育部長鄭英耀列為「台獨頑固分子」，並將高等檢察署檢察官陳舒怡列為「台獨打手幫凶」。

吳宗憲下午在國民黨中常會後受訪表示，兩岸不需要如此強力針對對方，無助於兩岸和諧，不管是民進黨政府或陸方，最好的方式是好好溝通，才是降低衝突最有效方式。

吳宗憲強調，互信與善意都會在這些針鋒相對的情況下喪失，讓彼此沒有互信、善意基礎，兩岸關係很難降低風險，呼籲雙方能夠和緩一點。

對於空軍 F-16V 飛官辛柏毅疑似在花蓮豐濱鄉東面 10 浬跳傘，各單位正持續搜救。吳宗憲表示，全世界的軍隊在訓練時都有可能發生狀況，因此不存在台灣的訓練是否有問題，能培養出一位飛行員，都是大家的驕傲與心中英雄。

吳宗憲說，現在就是誠心、衷心期盼辛柏毅能夠平安歸來，全國一起集氣，希望辛柏毅平安無事。

吳宗憲表示，也不要拿訓練意外與國防預算扯上關聯性，國民黨百分百支持國防、痛恨叛國者，嚴審國防預算是要避免浮濫軍購，畢竟預算都是人民血汗錢。

（新聞資料來源 : 中央社）

taiwan-subdivisions: 花蓮 豐濱

people: 吳宗憲 劉世芳

countries: 中國 台灣


title: 台南山區露營觀星　市府推楠西「住進山林」嘗美食

content_text:
台南山區秋後涼爽乾燥，市府今天力推楠西區山林地貌、露營過夜及夜空觀星等，在安全合規前提下「住進山林」，感受台南自然美景，留宿品嘗美食。

台南觀光旅遊局今天發布新聞稿表示，台南山區秋後氣候涼爽乾燥，夜間空氣清新潔淨，適合露營過夜、觀星及親近大自然；楠西區則擁有完整山林地貌與良好夜間環境條件，是台南少數兼具觀星、賞花與戶外活動潛力區域，其中多處合法露營場更發展出不同風格。

觀旅局表示，楠西區露營場位於梅嶺及曾文水庫，白天可在梅嶺登山步道健行、賞梅、賞景吃梅子餐，夜晚享受透徹靜謐星空，適合規劃 2 天 1 夜以上慢遊行程。

觀旅局說明，梅嶺「神秘氣場露營場」，是楠西露營場中最具代表性山林型營區，核心位置因地形與環境條件特殊，長年流傳多項有趣體感現象，包括站立其中聲音彷彿自然放大、身體感覺溫熱，甚至出現輕微前後或環繞式搖晃感。

楠西區「曾文青年活動中心露營區」，因腹地寬廣、交通動線清楚、鄰近曾文水庫，營區規劃完善露營空間與公共設施，白天結合曾文水庫周邊景觀進行戶外教學、生態觀察及休閒活動，夜間則體驗露營過夜，成為親子或團體露營入門選擇。

此外，遊客還可順遊曾文水庫，欣賞湖岸景色，或串聯玄空法寺、永興吊橋等周邊景點，梅嶺的梅子雞、薑黃雞等料理更是不能錯過，或選購脆梅、梅子酒等農特產，讓露營行程不僅停留於住宿體驗，更延伸結合自然景觀與沉浸在地風味的深度旅遊。

（新聞資料來源 : 中央社）

taiwan-subdivisions: 楠西 楠西區


content_text:
南投縣水里鄉縣道 147 線拓寬改善工程今天開工，縣長許淑華說， 147 線是國姓鄉、水里鄉聯絡要道，拓寬道路有助於烏溪線與濁水溪線鄉鎮路網串聯，健全南投縣南北向道路系統。

南投縣政府上午在水里鄉新興村，舉辦 147 線 13 公里至 14 公里處道路拓寬改善工程開工典禮，許淑華、投縣府工務處長張弘岳、公路局中區養護工程分局副分局長張誌中等人出席。

許淑華致詞時說，南投幅員遼闊，從國姓到水里，地方鄉親一直期待有條安全、便利的道路。縣府之前已完成 147 線 0 到 7 公里部分路段拓寬，這是第 2 階段工程，未來全線打通後，不僅可讓甲類大客車通行，更能串聯鄉鎮觀光路線，對農作物運輸、學生通學及地方發展都帶來助益。

縣府工務處發布新聞說明，拓寬工程總經費新台幣 1 億 2130 萬元，工程全長 577 公尺，工項包括懸臂式擋土牆、集水井及箱涵等，預定今年 10 月 2 日完工，完工後路段將拓寬為淨寬 9 公尺雙向車道，大幅改善會車困難及通行安全問題。

（新聞資料來源 : 中央社）

title: 縣道147線拓寬開工　許淑華：健全南投南北向道路

taiwan-subdivisions: 南投 新興 水里 中區 南投縣 國姓


countries: 巴基斯坦 中國

title: 王小洪：願同巴方一起嚴厲打擊恐怖主義和電信網絡詐騙犯罪

content_text:
國務委員、公安部部長王小洪在北京與巴基斯坦內政與禁毒部部長納克維會面。

王小洪表示，中方願同巴方一起深入落實兩國領導人重要共識，密切各層級交流，嚴厲打擊恐怖主義和電信網絡詐騙犯罪，深化人員、項目、機構安保和執法能力建設合作，有效應對各類風險挑戰，共同維護兩國國家安全和社會穩定，助力構建新時代更加緊密的中巴命運共同體。

新華社報道，納克維表示，願同中方深化執法安全合作，進一步採取措施保護在巴中國人員、項目、機構安全。


title: 王小洪：願同巴方一起嚴厲打擊恐怖主義和電信網絡詐騙犯罪

countries: 中國 巴基斯坦


countries: 日本 美國 韓國 委內瑞拉 烏克蘭 俄羅斯 台灣 英國

title: 標普創新高  道瓊衝破4萬9千點

content_text:
2026年1月6日，交易員在紐約證券交易所交易大廳進行早盤交易。（Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/AFP）【記者林燕／綜合報導】美國股市週二（6日）創新高，道瓊工業指數更首次突破4萬9千點。

週二下午4時，道瓊工業指數上漲485點、0.99%，收於49462.08點，創下歷史新高。標普500指數上漲0.62%，同樣創下歷史新高。以科技股為主的那斯達克綜合指數上漲0.65%。

華爾街並未受到美國逮捕委內瑞拉總統馬杜洛所造成的不確定性影響，而是聚焦於市場基本面，如對企業獲利的強勁成長的預期，以及對美國聯準會（Fed）可能降息的樂觀情緒。

道瓊工業指數已連續兩個交易日創歷史新高，只要再上漲約1.09%，就能收在5萬點上方，若再次打破這一里程碑，將突顯近期股市反彈的強勁趨勢。

美國銀行資產管理公司資深投資策略總監霍沃斯（Rob Haworth）表示，「道瓊指數創下歷史新高，反映美國股市整體表現的積極拓展。」根據CNN的「恐懼與貪婪指數」，週二市場情緒為「中性」。

瑞銀全球財富管理美國股票主管萊夫科維茨（David Lefkowitz）指出，「儘管過去三年（股市）表現穩健，我們仍押注這輪牛市還有上漲空間。」

全球市場以強勁勢頭開啟2026年：韓國、台灣、日本和英國股市週二均收於歷史新高。

具體來講，「七巨頭」之一的亞馬遜提振美國三大指數，漲幅超過3%，其他人工智慧相關股票也支撐了大盤，包括美光科技和帕蘭泰爾技術公司（Palantir Technologies）。美光上漲約10%，帕蘭泰爾上漲超過3%。

美國金融公司貝雅（Baird）投資策略師梅菲爾德（Ross Mayfield）表示，市場沒有對美國逮捕馬杜洛，出現像俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭時的反應。「地緣政治事件一旦影響到市場或消費市場，往往首先波及石油市場，而這次並沒有出現這種情況。」◇


title: 川普政府討論收購格陵蘭方案

content_text:
白宮1月6日表示，川普政府正在討論收購格陵蘭的方案，包括軍事選項。圖為格陵蘭首府努克。（記者John Fredricks／攝影）【記者夏雨／綜合報導】白宮週二（1月6日）表示，美國總統川普及其團隊正在討論收購格陵蘭島的方案，且不排除動用美國軍隊來實現目標。

白宮在一份聲明中表示：「川普總統已明確表示，收購格陵蘭島是美國國家安全優先事項，對於威懾我們在北極地區的對手至關重要。總統及其團隊正在討論一系列方案，以實現這個重要的外交政策目標，當然，動用美國軍隊始終是三軍總司令——總統的選項之一。」

多家媒體報導，一位美國高級官員透露，川普政府正在考慮幾種方案，包括從丹麥手中購買該領土，或與該島建立自由聯合協定（COFA）；川普的目標是在其本屆任期內完成收購。

「外交始終是總統處理任何事情的首選，他喜歡做交易。」這位官員說：「因此，如果能夠達成收購格陵蘭島的好交易，那肯定是他首先會考慮的。」

這名官員補充，雖然北約領導人表示反對，但這個問題「不會就此消失」。白宮強調，確保格陵蘭島的安全被視為美國的「國家安全優先事項」，突顯政府對北極地區戰略重要性的重視。

丹麥要求與盧比歐會晤

《華爾街日報》報導，國務卿盧比歐（Marco Rubio）在週一（1月5日）與國會議員的簡報會上，淡化軍事行動的可能性，說明目標是從丹麥手中購買格陵蘭島。

週一，丹麥外交大臣拉斯穆森（Lokke Rasmussen）表示，丹麥和格陵蘭島政府已請求與盧比奧舉行會晤。他在議會會議後告訴記者：「我們認為，與美方同行安排一次會晤，以消除可能存在的誤解，是明智之舉。」

在逮捕委內瑞拉總統馬杜洛之後，川普表示，在俄羅斯和中共活動日益增多的情況下，「從國家安全的角度來看，我們需要格陵蘭島」，「歐盟也需要我們擁有格陵蘭島，他們也知道這一點」。

《華日》報導，專家們表示，中共在北極的行動可能是為其海軍提供數據，用於潛艇導航與反潛作戰訓練。若中共海軍經北極從太平洋進入大西洋，將改變全球海上力量平衡，使太平洋威脅延伸至北約地區。

北大西洋公約組織（NATO）最高軍事領導人、美國空軍上將格林克維奇（Alexus Grynkewich）告訴《華日》：「北京在整個『高北』地區越來越激進。」◇

countries: 格陵蘭 歐盟 丹麥 俄羅斯 委內瑞拉 美國


things: 經濟 和平協議

countries: 烏克蘭 德國 澳洲 加拿大 美國 英國 法國 俄羅斯

content_text:
2026年1月6日，美國特使魏科夫（左）與川普的女婿庫許納（右），在巴黎舉行記者會。（Ludovic Marin/POOL/AFP）【記者張婷／綜合報導】週二（1月6日），美國代表和英國、法國、德國、烏克蘭等國的領導人在巴黎參加「志願者聯盟」（Coalition of the Willing）峰會。美國特使魏科夫（Steve Witkoff）在峰會後的記者會上說，對烏克蘭的安全保障協議基本完成。

《華爾街日報》報導，峰會討論和平談判的兩個核心問題：一是為烏克蘭提供安全保障，確保烏克蘭末來免受俄羅斯襲擊；二是美國主導的經濟計畫，幫助烏克蘭從戰爭中恢復過來。除了魏科夫外，參加峰會的美國代表包括川普的女婿庫許納（Jared Kushner）等人。

法國總統馬克宏、德國總理梅爾茨、英國首相施凱爾和烏克蘭總統澤倫斯基都出席了記者會。魏科夫說，「我們認為，我們基本上已完成安全協議，這非常重要，因為這樣才能讓烏克蘭人民知道，當這場衝突結束，就永遠結束了。」

魏科夫還表示，「（川普）總統堅定的支持這些安全協議」，協議的目的是雙重的：首先，嚇阻任何對烏克蘭的攻擊或進一步攻擊；其次，如果真的發生攻擊，安保協議將被用於防禦。

庫許納說，這是通往最終和平協議的極其重要的基石。

施凱爾週二表示，如果烏克蘭和俄羅斯達成停火協議，英國和法國將在烏克蘭各地設立軍事中心，並建造受保護的設施，為烏克蘭生產武器和軍事裝備。

魏科夫表示，烏克蘭、美國等夥伴「非常非常接近完成」戰後對烏克蘭的強有力經濟支持。歐洲領導人及其在加拿大、澳洲的盟友，承諾參與美國主導的停火監督和查核機制。◇

title: 烏克蘭安保協議 川普特使：基本完成


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北約戰術失靈？烏克蘭F-16飛官自創「貼地死鬥」打法抗俄 2026/01/07 17:12 烏俄空戰出現重大戰術轉折！據軍事媒體《Defence Blog》報導，烏克蘭空軍F-16飛行員在實戰中發現，北約（NATO）盟國傳授的空戰戰術在烏克蘭前線「水土不服」，無法完全因應俄軍密集的防空火網。為求生存與勝利，烏軍飛官被迫自行修訂交戰守則，改採「低空貼地」與「誘敵」戰術，更創下單機一次出擊擊落

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countries: 烏克蘭 俄羅斯

title: 俄軍防空系統 - 標籤頁


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countries: 台灣 中國 新加坡 美國 馬來西亞

title: 資料中心 - 標籤頁


content_text: 北約戰術失靈？烏克蘭F-16飛官自創「貼地死鬥」打法抗俄 2026/01/07 17:12 烏俄空戰出現重大戰術轉折！據軍事媒體《Defence Blog》報導，烏克蘭空軍F-16飛行員在實戰中發現，北約（NATO）盟國傳授的空戰戰術在烏克蘭前線「水土不服」，無法完全因應俄軍密集的防空火網。為求生存與勝利，烏軍飛官被迫自行修訂交戰守則，改採「低空貼地」與「誘敵」戰術，更創下單機一次出擊擊落

title: 巡弋飛彈攔截 - 標籤頁