content_text:
The Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) yesterday unveiled high-resolution images of the newly opened Danjiang Bridge (淡江大橋) and the Port of Taipei (台北港) captured by one of Formosat-8’s satellites.

The photograph was shown during briefings presented by TASA and the National Science and Technology Council after a weekly Cabinet meeting.

Formosat-8 is Taiwan’s first domestically developed submeter resolution remote sensing satellite constellation, with the first satellite — named after the late Taiwanese documentarian Chi Po-lin (齊柏林) — launched into space in November last year.

The Danjiang Bridge connecting New Taipei City’s Tamsui and Bali districts is pictured in a photograph taken by the Formosat-8 “Chi Po-lin” satellite and released yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Space Agency

The image quality of the sensor strictly complies with US military standards, with a signal-to-noise ratio that is far better than expected, TASA Director-General Wu Jong-shinn (吳宗信) said.

The agency has confirmed that 16 domestically developed components in the satellite have passed in-orbit verification and met their mission requirements, he said.

Once data collection is completed, the satellite would obtain flight heritage certification, demonstrating that domestic manufacturers can produce low-cost, high-performance, and internationally competitive satellite platforms and components, Wu said.

Satellite imaging is highly sensitive to chlorophyll content and the physiological condition of vegetation, he said.

“As such, it can be used in precision agriculture projects, enhancing the surveillance capabilities for forests, biodiversity and aquatic environments. It can also be used to observe the impact of sediment erosion on the Shihmen Reservoir [石門水庫], and is also being tested for net zero and carbon inventory applications,” he said.

The remaining satellites in the Formosat-8 constellation would be launched over the next few years, with the final satellite featuring a primary mirror with a diameter of 0.8m to 0.9m and aiming for an image quality of 30cm resolution, Wu said.

Taiwan would become one of the top 10 countries with indigenous optical satellite capabilities if the final satellite is launched in 2031, he said.

The raw image resolution has been verified as meeting the 1m specification since the satellite began capturing images in January, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said, adding that the resolution could be further enhanced to 0.7m through post-processing.

In addition to capturing images in color, and black and white, the satellite is also capable of highest-resolution red-edge band imagery, enhancing environmental monitoring capabilities, he said.

The satellite, which is expected to officially begin operations in July, would be used for national security, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, and disaster prevention and relief, Cho said.

taiwan-subdivisions: 北港 石門

title: TASA unveils high-resolution images from Formosat-8


content_text:
The Summer Lily Festival in Penghu County has begun, featuring more than 57,000 blooming longflower lilies across nearly 3,000m3 of parkland.

The longflower lily — also known as trumpet lilies for their shape — is a plant species endemic to Taiwan that blooms in summer, Penghu County Deputy Commissioner Lin Chieh-hsing (林皆興) said yesterday.

A total of 57,730 longflower lilies of two cultivars had been planted across the county, including at Guanyin Temple (觀音亭), the Penghu Recreation Park and the Penghu Third Fishing Port International Plaza, he said.

The plants are expected to produce about 350,000 flowers, he added.

Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station Director Lo Cheng-tsung (羅正宗) said longflower lilies are suitable for cultivation in the county, as the species can withstand droughts, strong winds and high salinity on the outlying islands, particularly the northeasterly winds and salt spray during winter.

More longflower lilies have been planted in households and in the wild across Penghu County over the past few years, Lo said.

The flowers are an iconic part of the local landscape, staying green through winters and blooming with large white flowers during springs, he said.

The station’s Penghu branch said longflower lilies are mostly grown with the ratooning technique in garden landscaping.

However, the plant can be more healthily propagated via bulb scaling, it added.

The county’s low rainfall and humidity are favorable conditions for cultivating longflower lilies, as they not only reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases, but also provide natural protection of the plant’s bulbs, it said.

Field trials showed that longflower lilies’ bulbs significantly grew in circumference and weight after being cultivated in Penghu County for several months, it said, adding that it reflected the county’s potential to become a bulb cultivation base in developing a domestic bulb supply chain.

The best planting time for longflower lilies is near November, when the summer heat fades, allowing the plant to grow in winter and flower in spring in the following year, the branch said.

The county’s Forestry and Park Management Center said the longflower lily season is expected to continue into next month.

To promote home greening, the center has given away 11,724 longflower lily bulbs to citizens since December last year, it added.

Additional reporting by Liu Yu-ching and CNA

title: Penghu festival shows off blooming longflower lilies


content_text:
By Yang Mien-chieh and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Although 91.1 percent of parents said they were aware of infant safe sleep practices, 84 percent said they were unable to put their babies in a separate bed, the Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation said in its Infants’ Sleeping Conditions Safety Index Report released yesterday.

According the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s 2022-2023 Cause of Death for Children under the Age of Six Retrospective Analysis Report, 43 of 84 infant deaths during sleep were “highly preventable,” foundation executive officer Hsu Ya-jen (許雅荏) said, adding that it showed there was still room for improvement in infant sleep safety.

The poll found that many parents found it difficult to let infants sleep in a separate bed due to convenience and ease of access factors, Hsu said.

Members of the Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation present the results of a survey at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation

About 80 percent of parents said they seldom received, or were almost entirely ignorant of, information regarding sleep safety for infants, and the same number of respondents said they did not know infants should sleep on their backs nor that it is better to have a hard mattress, the poll found.

Mattress hardness was the least covered topic in infant sleep safety, with only 57.56 percent of polled parents saying they were aware of it, the survey found.

MacKay Children’s Hospital pediatrician Peng Chun-chih (彭純芝) cited a few myths that increase the risk of infants suffocating while sleeping, such as allowing infants to lay on their bellies make it easier to sleep, side sleeping helps prevent vomiting and using “head shaping” pillows.

The risk of infants suffocating increases by two to three times when sleeping on the same bed with parents or siblings, Peng added.

Hsu said the foundation is stepping up efforts to conduct family visits — prioritizing high-risk families — and making infant products safer.

Parents should not only know, but also implement sleep safety concepts such as that infants should not sleep on their bellies, use pillows, sleep in soft mattresses, suffer from heat, nor sleep on the same bed as other people, Hsu added.

Sleeping mattresses and other sleep products should be subject to inspection standards, and the government should have systems in place to issue warnings to daycare centers, family childcare services and other child-friendly locations, Hsu said.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) said the government should establish systems to warn parents about high-risk infant products and promptly shelve them.

The poll, conducted between February and March, surveyed parents of children younger than one in all six special municipalities, and yielded 406 valid samples.

title: Safe sleep not practiced by 84% of parents: poll


content_text:
The Tainan District Court yesterday sentenced an after-school teacher to 10 years and six months in prison after finding him guilty of 37 sexual offenses involving minors.

The man, surnamed Chang (張), was found guilty of eight counts of forcible indecency against girls younger than 14, three counts of opportunistic indecency against children, one count of indecency against a girl younger than 14 and 25 counts of filming sexually explicit material involving minors, the court said.

The ruling can be appealed.

The Tainan District Court is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Wang Chun-chung, Taipei Times

Chang committed the offenses at an after-school facility between June 2019 and June last year, the court said, adding that he knew the victims were younger than 12 and unable to fully understand the nature of the acts.

His actions harmed the children’s development and seriously violated their sexual autonomy and privacy, it added.

The court said that during sentencing, it took into account Chang’s confession and that he had reached settlements with the parents of some of the victims.

The case came to light after one of the victims wrote about the abuse on a gender equality worksheet, prompting the school to report the matter to police.

Chang’s confession matched witness testimonies, and was sup ported by documents and other evidence, the court said.

title: Man sentenced to jail for offenses against minors


content_text: Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko Ju-chun, center, throws a paper printed with President William Lai’s campaign policies on the floor, accusing him of breaking his promises, during an impeachment hearing at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday.

title: Laundry list?


title: Hon Hai profits hit NT$49.92bn

content_text:
AI OPTIMISM: Cloud and networking products, such as AI servers, were the largest contributors to Hon Hai’s profit in the first quarter, demonstrating strong AI demand

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) yesterday reported a stronger-than-expected increase in quarterly profit, highlighting sustained spending on hardware essential for artificial intelligence (AI).

Net profit for the first quarter of this year rose 19 percent year-on-year to NT$49.92 billion (US$1.58 billion), while analysts on average expected NT$48.4 billion.

Operating profit was NT$75.6 billion, surging 63 percent from a year earlier, the company said.

The Foxconn logo is pictured at this year’s AutoTronics Taipei at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center on April 15. Photo: Cheng I-Hwa, AFP

Earnings per share reached NT$3.56, up from NT$3.03 last year, while gross margin hit 6.18 percent and operating margin stood at 3.57 percent, it said.

Net profit and operating profit were record highs for the first quarter, Hon Hai rotating chief executive officer Michael Chiang (蔣集恆) told an earnings conference.

Revenue in the first quarter rose 29 percent year-on-year to NT$2.12 trillion, the highest for the same period, company data showed.

“AI demand continues to grow at a rapid pace,” and for the second quarter “year-on-year growth is expected to be strong,” Chiang said.

Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), has established itself as a key AI hardware player by assembling servers that house Nvidia Corp accelerators. The company also derives a significant chunk of sales from assembling Apple Inc’s iPhones and MacBooks, and is in position to benefit from any positive reception for the latest iPhone 17 product family.

Cloud and networking products — including AI servers — remained the company’s largest revenue contributor in the first quarter, accounting for 48 percent of its revenue, while smart consumer electronics contributed 33 percent, Hon Hai said.

Computing products, and components and other products, made of 14 percent and 5 percent of the revenue respectively, it said.

Copackaged optic switches are scheduled to enter mass production in the third quarter, with annual shipments expected to reach tens of thousands of units, Chang said.

Based on current visibility, shipments are projected to grow multifold next year, he said.

In addition to switch design and assembly, the company said it would continue to improve its capabilities in key components such as optical modules, optoelectronic integration, cables, connectors, high-speed transmission and power management.

For AI rack shipments, the company expects to maintain high double-digit growth in the second quarter, it said.

For the full year, AI rack shipments are projected to more than double, with quarterly volumes increasing sequentially as customer projects progress, it added.

In robotics, the company’s humanoid robots and collaborative robots have already been introduced at US manufacturing sites in the second quarter, adding that operational data would be collected to support subsequent model optimization and large-scale deployment.

The company expects capital expenditure this year to rise more than 30 percent from last year’s NT$174 billion, with investments primarily focused on regional manufacturing deployment, automation implementation and the upgrading of core capacity, it said.

However, Chiang cautioned that “the international political and economic landscape [is] still evolving rapidly,” with factors such as raw material costs and supply chain adjustments potentially impacting the industry.

“We remain cautiously optimistic about this year,” thanks to the company’s “relatively solid operational resilience,” he said.


title: EVA Air reports record high quarterly profit

content_text:
EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) on Wednesday reported its highest-ever net profit for the first quarter, citing strong demand during the Lunar New Year holiday and the winter vacation period.

The company in a statement said it posted NT$8.27 billion (US$262.46 million) in net profit during the January-to-March period, up from NT$5.93 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share stood at NT$1.53, compared with NT$1.10 a year earlier, it said.

The profit was a record for the first quarter and its second-highest quarterly figure, EVA Airways said.

An EVA Airways Corp plane is pictured at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on April 9. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times

Consolidated sales in the first quarter rose 10.1 percent from a year earlier to NT$60.52 billion, with revenue generated from passenger flight operations rising 10.7 percent year-on-year to NT$40.30 billion, it said.

The peak season effects in the first quarter boosted the average load factor — an industry metric that measures percentage of passenger capacity used — to 84.1 percent, while the number of passengers the airline handled rose 10.1 percent from a year earlier, it added.

Revenue generated from cargo service operations rose 4.1 percent from a year earlier to NT$13.24 billion in the first quarter, EVA Airways said, citing global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers and semiconductors amid the AI boom.

Last week, China Airlines Ltd (中華航空) reported earnings per share of NT$0.85 for the January-to-March period, up from NT$0.69 a year earlier, while its consolidated sales rose to NT$56.997 billion from NT$52.772 billion a year earlier.

China Airlines said first-quarter earnings per share hit the second highest in the company’s history.


people: 習近平 黃仁

content_text:
Nvidia looks for breakthrough in China on chip deal after US buying clearance

The US has cleared about 10 Chinese firms to buy Nvidia Corp’s second-most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) chip, the H200, but not a single delivery has been made so far, three people familiar with the matter said, leaving a major technology deal in limbo as chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) seeks a breakthrough in China this week.

Huang, who was not initially listed in a White House delegation to Beijing, joined the trip after an invitation from US President Donald Trump, a source said.

Trump picked him up in Alaska en route to a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), raising hopes that the trip could finally unlock stalled efforts to sell the H200 chips in China.

Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang speaks to media at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. Photo: AP

The stakes are significant, highlighting how the US-China tech rivalry is now snarling even approved trade, leaving the world’s most valuable company and dominant chipmaker caught between dueling national priorities.

The US Department of Commerce has approved about 10 Chinese companies including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (阿里巴巴), Tencent Holdings Ltd (騰訊), ByteDance Ltd (字節跳動) and JD.com Inc (京東) to purchase Nvidia’s H200 chips, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

A handful of distributors including Lenovo Group Ltd (聯想) and Foxconn Technology Group (富士康) have also been approved, they said.

Buyers are permitted to purchase either directly from Nvidia or through those intermediaries, and each approved customer can purchase up to 75,000 chips under the US licensing terms, two of them said.

The identities of the approved buyers, and the nature of their relationships with Nvidia and the authorized distributors involving the coveted AI chip, have not been previously reported.

Despite US approval, deals have stalled, as Chinese firms pulled back after guidance from Beijing, one source said.

The shift in China was partly triggered by changes on the US side, though exactly what changed remains unclear, the person added.

In Beijing, pressure is mounting to block or tightly vet the orders, a separate fourth source said. This reflects a strategic calculation, as Beijing fears imports could weaken a push to develop homegrown AI chips.

While China’s AI chips still lag behind Nvidia, firms like DeepSeek (深度求索) increasingly tout their reliance on domestic chips including those developed by Huawei Technologies Co (華為).

Their pivot to Huawei underscores Nvidia’s precarious position in China. Huang has warned that US export controls are eroding the company’s foothold in the market, saying its share of AI accelerators in China has effectively fallen to zero.


content_text:
LITTLE APPETITE: Weak demand and rising unsold inventory has caused developers to step back from large-scale projects with amplified risk, an expert said

Taiwan’s cooling housing market is diverging sharply from the buoyant stock market, as tighter mortgage restrictions and government measures aimed at curbing speculation weigh on buyer confidence and prompt developers to scale back new projects in the greater Taipei area, My Housing Monthly (住展雜誌) said yesterday.

New residential project launches in Taipei and New Taipei City totaled NT$108.1 billion (US$3.43 billion) in the first four months of this year, down 53.7 percent from a year earlier, a survey by the publication showed.

The number of new projects unveiled fell to 40 from 90 a year earlier, with both cities seeing supply and projected sales values about halved.

The weakness stands in stark contrast to Taiwan’s equity market, where the benchmark TAIEX surged past the 40,000-point mark during the same period, generating abundant liquidity that in previous cycles often spilled into property markets, the publication said.

“Historically, strong gains in equities tended to fuel housing demand,” My Housing Monthly research director and spokesman Chen Ping-chen (陳炳辰) said.

He cited 2019, when Taiwan stocks reclaimed the 10,000-point level and helped ignite a housing boom, particularly in Hsinchu City, where buyers lined up for presale projects.

A similar pattern re-emerged in 2024 after the TAIEX climbed above 20,000 points, with some residential developments selling out shortly after launch, Chen said.

However, this time, the property market has moved in the opposite direction.

Strict mortgage lending standards adopted by banks, coupled with the central bank’s ongoing effort to rein in speculative activity, have significantly dampened sentiment in the housing market, Chen said.

Weak buyer demand and rising unsold inventory have further discouraged developers from bringing new projects to market, he said.

Although Taiwan’s stock market repeatedly hit record highs over the past two years, developers have maintained a cautious stance as financing conditions remain tight.

Developers have shown particularly little appetite for large-scale launches in Taipei, where elevated housing prices have amplified market risks.

In New Taipei City, several projects were brought to market after repeated delays, underscoring the pressure facing builders, Chen said.

One exception emerged in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖), where a small-scale project sold out quickly, largely due to its limited supply of just 14 units and a shortage of competing new developments in the area.

The isolated case should not be interpreted as evidence of a broader market recovery, Chen said.

Still, several large-scale projects are expected to enter the market later this year in central districts of Taipei and New Taipei City. While those developments benefit from prime locations and established developer brands, their sizable scale could add to inventory pressure in an already sluggish market, Chen said.

title: Property market slumps despite new stock highs


content_text: People shop for Namasia-grown peaches at a special sale in Kaohsiung yesterday. The sale, organized by a local village chief’s office, aims to pay for post-disaster reconstruction work in the city’s Namasia District, which suffered great damage by Typhoon Morakot in August 2009.

title: An unmissable sale


content_text:
The inter-Korean relationship, long defined by national division, offers the clearest mirror within East Asia for cross-strait relations.

Yet even there, reunification language is breaking down.

The South Korean government disclosed on Wednesday last week that North Korea’s constitutional revision in March had deleted references to reunification and added a territorial clause defining its border with South Korea.

South Korea is also seriously debating whether national reunification with North Korea is still necessary.

On April 27, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung marked the eighth anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration, the 2018 inter-Korean agreement in which the two Koreas pledged to improve relations, reduce military tensions and build a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

Lee acknowledged the reality of “two hostile states,” in which Pyongyang has abandoned the old language of one Korean nation and now treats the South as a separate belligerent country.

However, his answer was not to return to emotional slogans about national reunification.

If Pyongyang has insisted on “two hostile states” since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un introduced the buzzword in December 2023, South Korea cannot pretend that “one Korea” still exists in practice.

The opposite of “two hostile states” does not have to be one state. It can be “two peaceful states.”

Lee added that his government would continue pursuing a policy of “peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula,” which Seoul officially released on Feb. 3.

The policy outlines three guiding principles: Seoul respects North Korea’s system, rejects unification by absorption and would not engage in hostile acts.

South Korea currently responds with a framework of peaceful coexistence with North Korea.

Last year, the Korea Institute for National Unification found that more South Koreans said reunification was unnecessary than necessary, and 63.2 percent said reunification would not be required if the two Koreas could coexist peacefully.

A Gallup Korea survey conducted in December last year found that 64.6 percent of South Koreans viewed North Korea as an independent state, while 79.4 percent said peaceful coexistence mattered more than reunification.

Seoul increasingly reflects this “two Koreas” reality in official language.

Just as Kim has referred to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea, Lee’s unification minister Chung Dong-young has referred to North Korea as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

On April 29, Chung said that talking about reunification is, in one sense, “violent.” Under today’s conditions, making reunification the immediate language of policy can sound less like reconciliation and more like a hostile merger.

South Korea has already seen how easily reunification language can become a language of confrontation and elimination.

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol, Lee’s immediate predecessor, framed reunification as the expansion of the value of freedom to the North, as outlined in his Aug. 15, 2024, unification doctrine.

Critics saw this as a freedom-led vision of northward expansion, one that risked turning reunification into pressure, provocation and even a military contingency with Pyongyang, which could have justified Yoon’s imposition of martial law.

Based on evidence and testimony presented in Yoon’s ongoing trials, the South Korean military under the Yoon administration provoked North Korea by sending drones over Pyongyang in October 2024.

This prompted severe reactions from Pyongyang two months before Yoon declared martial law.

Similarly, China has never renounced the use of force in pursuit of reunification. It continues to conduct military drills around Taiwan.

China’s Anti-Secession Law authorizes non-peaceful means if Taiwan is deemed to have seceded or if the possibilities for peaceful reunification are completely exhausted.

Hardline reunification politics could therefore slide into dangerous provocation and even military crisis.

During the Korean War, control of the Korean Peninsula shifted repeatedly and violently.

The capital cities of Seoul and Pyongyang changed hands a total of six times, resulting in millions of casualties.

By August 1950, North Korea had nearly overrun the entire peninsula.

Two months later, South Korea, backed by UN forces, came close to reunifying the peninsula under Seoul’s control until communist China entered the war.

Today, however, leaders of both Koreas increasingly speak in terms of a “two-state” reality.

This reality gives Taiwan, with its clear territorial status, more room to reject Beijing’s claim that political separation must end in unification.

Taiwan’s government says Beijing has no right to represent it because the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has never ruled Taiwan.

No territory currently administered by the Republic of China has ever been governed by the PRC.

Within East Asia, if North and South Koreans are questioning reunification language, even though reunification nearly happened several times in 1950, Taiwanese have reason to ask why unification with a state that has never ruled them should be treated as destiny.

If the two Koreas can move toward peaceful coexistence, do the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait not deserve the same?

Alan Jeong is a writer on politics, policy and foreign affairs based in South Korea.

title: Hope for Taiwan in two Koreas


content_text:
From Monday to Saturday next week, delegates will convene in Geneva, Switzerland, for the World Health Assembly (WHA), one year after member states reached a landmark Pandemic Agreement. However, the agreement remains stalled on its most difficult component: the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex, where a clear agreement has yet to be reached.

This is not a technical add-on. PABS is the agreement’s political core, where rapid sharing of pathogen samples and associated data is meant to be matched by credible benefit sharing — vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, and other countermeasures. With negotiations over PABS likely to extend into another year, the impasse says less about diplomatic quibbles over verbs than about a deeper structural problem: In a world of scarce trust, high stakes and unequal bargaining power, solidarity is easy to praise and hard to operationalize.

What the WHA is really negotiating is not simply a pathogen-sharing mechanism, but the credibility of a global health system — at a moment of strategic rivalry and unequal leverage.

Put plainly, the contest over PABS is the contest over the world we now live in — more polarized, more transactional and increasingly driven by countries’ capacity for self-reliance. One sign is how global health strategy is increasingly framed through security — through supply chains, stockpiles and strategic autonomy: solidarity, in other words, often alongside a national backup plan.

All of this lands on an institution already under permanent cross-examination. The WHO is an aging organization and the question of whether it remains fit for purpose never really goes away. Yet it is expected to keep pace with 21st-century mandates — pandemic bargaining over PABS, governance of artificial intelligence (AI) in health and intensifying geopolitical rivalry — without the very things that would make delivery possible: predictable financing, real authority and political unity when it matters most.

Recent hantavirus outbreaks are a reminder that the International Health Regulations (IHR) can work when countries share information rapidly and transparently, and when cooperation is sustained. However, outbreak governance is only as strong as the cooperation network that carries it. The WHO’s ability to deliver on that promise is weakened when capable public health jurisdictions are kept outside its formal channels, including Taiwan. Pathogens do not read agendas, check badges or bargain for a seat at the table. Cooperation should not either.

And even as attention fixates on PABS, two other developments at the WHA deserve scrutiny, each revealing how power politics are reshaping health cooperation.

The first is China’s move to take a seat on the Executive Board. Membership rotates, but the stakes are anything but routine. The board screens director-general candidates and narrows the field before the WHA makes the final decision. With China poised to join the board, procedural influence becomes strategic influence. The selection process is already underway, with the next appointment due next year. In a fragmented world, the power to shape agendas, alliances and nominations can matter as much as the power to fund programs. This is not inherently illegitimate — China is a major actor in global health — but it highlights, particularly amid US retrenchment from multilateral health leadership, what the WHA has become: It is not simply a venue for technical coordination, but a political arena where the WHO’s institutional direction is contested.

The second is the renewal of the WHO’s Global Strategy on Digital Health, with member states pressing to place AI explicitly on the agenda. Yes, the strategy is “soft law,” but in global health, soft law is often where hard consequences begin: It sets expectations, shapes donor priorities, legitimizes certain technical pathways and quietly disciplines what counts as “modern” policy. National digital health road maps — especially in resource-constrained settings — tend to follow the paths the WHO and its partners pave.

This is why global health law and diplomacy matter.

When an outbreak spreads, law determines who must notify whom, what gets shared and who gets access — quickly or too late. The WHA is not only where agreements are celebrated or annexes are negotiated. It is where the global health order is reshaped — and by extension, health outcomes — sometimes by headline, sometimes by footnote. Legal expertise in global health is scarce, and that gap costs time, clarity and access.

Navigating this shifting landscape takes more than technical competence. It would require the capacity to read the politics clearly, negotiate credible bargains and insist that modernization — whether through PABS or AI — does not come at the expense of equity, accountability, participation and human rights. Health is political whether it is acknowledged or not. Law can make power answerable before failure is counted in lives.

Lee Tsung-ling is a professor of law at Taipei Medical University’s Graduate Institute of Health and Biotechnology Law.

title: A world health deal is trapped in limbo


content_text:
The Legislative Yuan last week passed the third reading of an amendment to the Medical Care Act (醫療法), which would mandate nurse-to-patient ratio targets across three shifts, in response to calls from nurses to address excessive workloads and staffing shortages.

On the surface, this appears to be a positive reform.

Nursing organizations had advocated for nurses to occupy half of the seats on the advisory committee that would determine the ratios, but that was ultimately not achieved.

That failure has reduced the nurse-to-patient ratio to an empty shell.

The nurse-to-patient ratio is a clinical safety standard that determines how many patients each nurse is responsible for.

It reflects workload, severity of illness, night shift risks, handover demands, and the likelihood of medical errors.

Since it directly concerns patient safety and nursing conditions, the ratio’s standards should be led by nursing professionals rather than hospital management. If this does not happen, ratios risk becoming a reflection of what hospitals can afford rather than what patients require.

Hospital administrators focus on costs, staffing expenses and bed utilization, while frontline nurses face workload pressure, fatigue and clinical risk. These interests are not fully aligned.

If management dominates ratio-setting committees, regulations are likely to prioritize affordability over safety and workload realities.

This pattern is already visible in other areas of healthcare governance, where hospital associations and administrative bodies have long shaped negotiations on insurance and payment systems.

As a result, discussions on staffing and working hours often remain at the level of principle without effective implementation, partly due to limited frontline representation.

What nurses seek is not full control, but minimum safeguards ensuring their voices are not outweighed by managerial interests. Without this, nurse-to-patient ratios risk being diluted from the outset.

Ultimately, the key issue is not just legislation, but who defines the standards.

Cost-driven decisionmaking makes it difficult to address chronic overwork in nursing.

Yeh Yu-cheng is a secretary at the Pingtung County Public Health Bureau.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

title: The voices of nurses are being ignored


people: 習近平 鄭麗文

content_text:
After Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing, most headlines referred to her as the leader of the opposition in Taiwan. Is she really, though? Being the chairwoman of the KMT does not automatically translate into being the leader of the opposition in the sense that most foreign readers would understand it. “Leader of the opposition” is a very British term. It applies to the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy, and to some extent, to other democracies. If you look at the UK right now, Conservative Party head Kemi Badenoch is

By JulienOeuillet 曾樂昂

From the Iran war and nuclear weapons to tariffs and artificial intelligence, the agenda for this week’s Beijing summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is packed. Xi would almost certainly bring up Taiwan, if only to demonstrate his inflexibility on the matter. However, no one needs to meet with Xi face-to-face to understand his stance. A visit to the National Museum of China in Beijing — in particular, the “Road to Rejuvenation” exhibition, which chronicles the rise and rule of the Chinese Communist Party — might be even more revealing. Xi took the members

By Eyck Freymann

A Pale View of Hills, a movie released last year, follows the story of a Japanese woman from Nagasaki who moved to Britain in the 1950s with her British husband and daughter from a previous marriage. The daughter was born at a time when memories of the US atomic bombing of Nagasaki during World War II and anxiety over the effects of nuclear radiation still haunted the community. It is a reflection on the legacy of the local and national trauma of the bombing that ended the period of Japanese militarism.A central theme of the movie is the need, at

title: EDITORIAL CARTOON


title: The Iran war made the North Korea problem worse

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Kim Jong-un emerges stronger as US military focus shifts from Asia to another Middle East conflict

Forget about the US$25 billion. That is the estimate the Pentagon has tentatively picked for the direct cost of the Iran conflict, a sum that analysts consider laughably lowballed. The true expense of this US-Israeli war of choice is much higher. It must include not just the global economic and humanitarian fallout, but the strategic opportunity costs of other and more urgent problems not dealt with, and perhaps now made impossible to deal with. One example: North Korea.

For decades, during which US presidents have sloppily lumped its dictatorship with other bogeys in the Middle East as part of woolly “axes of evil” and such, North Korea has arguably been the greatest threat to the US and its treaty allies South Korea and Japan.

Each time the US threw its military might against those other targets — Iraq, Afghanistan and now Iran — Pyongyang, under successive generations of the Kim dynasty, became more convinced that the only way to forestall a US attack would be to have its own nuclear weapons, and not just a few, but enough to overwhelm US missile defenses.

I still remember watching television in December 2002, when my news channel had this split screen: The main panel showed the US preparations for the invasion of Iraq, while the inset ran live footage of nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency being expelled from North Korea. Pyongyang quit the Non-Proliferation Treaty the following month and tested its first nuclear weapon five years later.

Today, after another 20 years of failed US attempts to “denuclearize” the Korean Peninsula, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has an arsenal that is impressive in the most diabolical way. He has an estimated 50 atomic warheads and enough enriched uranium to build 50 more. North Korea also produces enough fissile material to keep adding about 20 warheads a year indefinitely. It appears to aim at minimum for parity with nuclear powers such as France or the UK, which each have more than 200.

Kim’s weapons range from relatively “small” tactical nukes (equivalent to the Hiroshima blast, say) that he could use in battle against South Korea to huge thermonuclear bombs that could take out entire US cities. North Korea has also developed, or is testing, about 20 delivery systems, which include intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the US and submarines that can float undetected and launch their hellfire even after a pre-emptive US attack on North Korea’s ground-based launch silos.

Knowing that North Korea is militarily too weak to put up much of a conventional fight against the US and South Korea, Kim has clearly concluded that this “survivable” atomic arsenal is what it would take to deter his enemies, allowing him to throw his weight around in the region in other ways. He has also changed North Korea’s doctrine to allow for the first (meaning offensive) use of nukes if things go badly for him.

By contrast, Iran had no nukes when the US attacked it, either in June last year or this February. Nor was Tehran actively seeking to build any, according to US intelligence assessments.

These contrasting outcomes yet again affirm Kim’s assumptions. North Korea, he determined long ago, would not be a Ukraine (which in the 1990s gave up its nuclear weapons in return for security guarantees from the US, UK and Russia). Nor would it be an Iraq or Libya, which once had dictators who gave up their nuclear programs and later paid with their lives. Nor would his regime be an Iran. What the Strait of Hormuz is to Tehran, nukes are to Pyongyang.

Kim is “probably happy” as he watches events unfold in the Middle East, Joel Wit told me. He is a veteran of the US Department of State who helped negotiate one of the nuclear deals between the US and North Korea that later fell apart, a saga he chronicles in a book.

For a start, the Pentagon had to move troops and munitions from South Korea and other parts of Asia to the Iranian theater. That ammo included valuable missile-defense interceptors such as the THAAD systems that are now about half-depleted. Even if the Iran war ends this year and the US regroups, it is unlikely to devote as many resources to defending its East Asian allies as its official strategy documents promised only a few months ago.

Washington is now also distracted more generally, with the Iran war pushing aside other diplomatic and political objectives, as could become evident when US President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing this week.

Like Kim, both Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin see the Iran quagmire as confirmation that the US is in decline as a superpower and hegemon, leaving a power vacuum into which Russia, China and even North Korea can expand. Kim, Xi and Putin have their own problems and eye one another warily. For now, though, they have decided that they can be stronger by sticking together against the US.

Since his failed summitry with Trump in 2018 and 2019, Kim has ended his country’s isolation, and cultivated an emerging triple entente with Russia and China.

He signed a mutual-defense pact with Russia in 2024 and has sent North Korean soldiers to fight against the Ukrainians, picking up experience in modern drone warfare as a by-product. Moscow has reciprocated with commerce and technological know-how for all that whizz-bang weaponry, including the ICBMs.

China has also boosted its trade with North Korea. Both China and Russia, as veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council, have started shielding North Korea from UN sanctions enforcement. In the past, they had cooperated with the US in striving to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Now they accept Pyongyang as belonging to the atomic club.

Xi communicated this quasi-alliance visually by hosting both Putin and Kim at a big military parade in Beijing in September last year. Jung Pak, who dealt with East Asia in the US state department during the administration of former president Joe Biden, thinks that Kim has “transformed himself from a global pariah into a global power player.”

All three leaders cannot have failed to notice the lethally efficient and almost casual way in which the US has been “decapitating” foreign regimes, first by kidnapping Venezuela’s dictator and then by killing Iran’s supreme leader and many commanders.

Kim has been obsessed with such scenarios for years, Wit told me. The Russians have long had “dead-hand” systems in place that could launch retaliatory strikes against the US even after Moscow’s leadership is taken out. Kim has done something similar, delegating the authority to launch nukes far and wide depending on the scenario. The ill-advised US war against Iran thus appears to have made the problem of North Korea worse.

A dictator who already felt stronger than he was in Trump’s first term now wields more diplomatic clout and military power, even as he has reason to be even more paranoid about the potentially lethal unpredictability of his counterpart in the White House. Kim is more dangerous than he has ever been, and the US appears unable to do anything about it.

Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US diplomacy, national security and geopolitics. Previously, he was editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for The Economist. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.


title: Fubon erupt for 13 runs in 1st inning

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UNWELCOME LANDMARK: The Brothers set a franchise record in a game that was just the fourth time in league history a team has given up at least 13 runs in a frame

CTBC Brothers starter Cheng Hao-chun on Wednesday night endured another early meltdown, exiting after recording just one out in a 17-2 home loss to the Fubon Guardians that echoed his rough outing against Japan at the World Baseball Classic in March.

At Tokyo Dome on March 6, the right-hander allowed eight runs in 1-2/3 innings against Samurai Japan, with all the damage coming in the second inning.

On Wednesday, he lasted only one-third of an inning after giving up nine runs at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium.

The Fubon Guardians’ Wang Nian-hao bats during their CPBL game against the CTBC Brothers at Taichung International Baseball Stadium on Wednesday night. Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times

The Brothers surrendered 13 runs in the opening inning, setting a franchise record for most runs allowed in a frame and marking the fourth time in CPBL history that a team has given up at least 13 runs in an inning.

The CPBL record is 14 runs allowed in one inning, set by the Jungo Bears against the Wei Chuan Dragons on March 28, 1994.

Cheng opened the game by allowing four consecutive singles and one run before striking out Dai Pei-feng for the first out.

CTBC Brothers starting pitcher Cheng Hao-chun, left, consults with pitching coach Wang Chieh-min, center, and catcher Kao Yu-chieh during their CPBL game against the Fubon Guardians at Taichung International Baseball Stadium on Wednesday night. Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times

However, with the bases still loaded, Cheng failed to retire any of the next five batters he faced, issuing three walks and allowing two more singles as the Guardians built a seven-run lead.

The offensive outburst continued after the Brothers replaced Cheng with Yu Chien, who gave up another walk and four straight hits, including a triple by Wang Nian-hao, before finally recording the third out of the inning.

The Brothers answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, but failed to score again for the rest of the night.

After the game, Wang, who went 3-for-4 with a walk, said the Guardians fed off their early offensive rhythm and that he tried not to overthink their at-bats.

“Seeing everyone keep getting hits, I just thought the team was really locked in tonight,” Wang said. “Once I got up there, I didn’t want to think too much. If I saw a pitch I liked, I just swung.”

Cheng, the 2023 CPBL Rookie of the Year, took his second loss of the season after allowing nine earned runs. His ERA rose to 6.17.

The defeat was the Brothers’ third straight and left them last in the six-team league at 9-21-1, the only CPBL club still below 10 wins after 31 games. They trailed the fifth-place Rakuten Monkeys by five games.

The Guardians extended their winning streak to three games and improved to 16-13, trailing the first-placed Dragons by one game and the second-placed Uni-President Lions by half a game.

Also on Wednesday, the Lions edged the Dragons 2-1 and the Monkeys defeated the TSG Hawks 3-1.

Last night at Kaohsiung’s Chengcing Lake Baseball Stadium, the Hawks beat the Monkeys 3-2 with a walk-off single from Wu Nien-ting in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded.


title: Quarter of World Cup games risk searing heat

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One in four games at this year’s FIFA World Cup could take place in dangerous heat, researchers said yesterday.

Concerns about heat have already prompted FIFA to mandate a cooling break during each half of the World Cup matches that are to take place between June 11 and July 19 in 16 stadiums across the US, Mexico and Canada.

“Players and fans face a much higher risk of grueling heat and humidity at the 2026 World Cup compared to the 1994 tournament on the same continent,” World Weather Attribution (WWA), a network of climate scientists, said in a statement.

The sun shines over MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Thursday last week. Photo: AFP

WWA’s scientific analysis estimates that 26 of the 104 matches could be played in conditions reaching at least 26°C on the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index, which measures how effectively the human body can cool itself under heat, humidity, sun exposure and wind.

At 26°C WBGT, the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) recommends cooling breaks as heat strain becomes a risk for players.

Of those 26 matches, 17 are to be played in stadiums with cooling systems, reducing risks for players and fans.

During the 1994 World Cup hosted by the US, 21 games would have been expected to reach a similar heat threshold, WWA said.

Five games are expected to be played in conditions of 28°C WBGT or higher, a level that FIFPRO said should lead to the delay or postponement of matches until conditions are safer for players and fans.

That risk has nearly doubled compared with the 1994 World Cup.

“It’s dangerous for players, but of course there are also the fans who might gather outdoors and they are at even more risk because they will not be taken care of by a lot of medical doctors,” said WWA cofounder Friederike Otto, a climate science professor at Imperial College London.

Three of the 16 stadiums — AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas; and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia — have air-conditioning.

However, more than one-third of the games with a one in 10 chance of exceeding 26°C would take place in venues without air-conditioning.

The final, which is to be played on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, has a one in eight chance of seeing 26°C WBGT conditions and a 2.7 percent risk of 28°C, WWA said.

“That the World Cup Final itself — one of the biggest sporting occasions on the planet — faces a non-insignificant risk of being played in ‘cancelation-level’ heat should be a wake-up call for FIFA and fans,” Otto said.


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Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday night allowed just four hits over seven shutout innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers backed the four-time Most Valuable Player with his most run support of the season in a 4-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

The Dodgers snapped their season-high skid at four games on a night when Ohtani only pitched and was not in the lineup as the designated hitter for the fourth time this season.

Ohtani (3-2) struck out eight and walked two in his second consecutive seven-inning start — his first as a Dodger and first since May 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. He lowered his ERA to 0.82 pitching with a picture of his beloved dog Decoy on the tongue of his right cleat.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, center, celebrates after striking out the San Francisco Giants’ Rafael Devers, left, during their MLB game in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Photo: AP

The Dodgers have scored more than four runs in Ohtani’s seven starts just once and the team is 3-4 in his starts overall. They had six hits or less in five of their previous seven games.

In Arlington, Texas, Danny Jansen had a game-ending single with two outs as the Texas Rangers rallied for a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in a frantic ninth inning that included three-run rallies by both teams.

After the game, Jansen joked that he did not really want to have to catch another inning in what had already been an active game behind the plate.

“I feel like the game had everything. Like passed balls, a couple of wild pitches, I mean, stolen bases, threw somebody out,” said Jansen, who also blocked a few pitches with runners on base. “A bit of everything, it was kind of a wild one... Definitely a crazy finish.”

The Rangers had just tied the game and chased Paul Sewald (0-4), who had converted his first nine save chances, when No. 9 batter Jansen grounded a RBI single down the line into the left-field corner on the only pitch thrown by Juan Morillo.

That came after a frustrating top of the ninth for the Rangers, when Jacob Latz — their main closer since halfway through a stretch of 10 consecutive scoreless outings — failed to retire any of the four batters he faced.

Elsewhere, the Baltimore Orioles dominated the New York Yankees 7-0, the San Diego Padres beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1, the Toronto Blue Jays survived the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 in 10 innings, the New York Mets edged the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in 10 innings, the Washington Nationals outlasted the Cincinnati Reds 8-7 in 10 innings, the Cleveland Guardians took down the Angels 4-2 and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-1 for the 30th win of the season.

The Colorado Rockies sank the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-4, the Boston Red Sox overcame the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1, the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5, the Miami Marlins stunned the Minnesota Twins 9-5, the Houston Astros outplayed the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in 10 innings and the Athletics downed the St Louis Cardinals 6-4.

Additional reporting by staff writer

title: Ohtani pitches 7 scoreless innings


title: Cleveland rally past Pistons 117-113 for 3-2 series lead

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James Harden on Wednesday night scored a playoff-best 30 points and Donovan Mitchell had 21, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers come back from a nine-point deficit late in regulation and beat the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime to take a 3-2 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series.

The Pistons led by 15 points in the first half and 103-94 with two-plus minutes left. The Cavs rallied and pulled into a 103-103 tie on Evan Mobley’s free throws with 45.2 seconds left.

“That stretch right there says a lot about our progress — mental performance progress and mental toughness progress,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ James Harden goes to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during Game 5 of their second-round NBA playoffs series in Detroit, Michigan, on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Just before the buzzer, Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen and Detroit’s Ausar Thompson got tangled up and no call was made.

“He fouled Ausar — clearly,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He tripped him when he was going for a loose ball.”

Cleveland went on a 13-0 run and held Detroit scoreless for five minutes from late in fourth quarter to midway through overtime. The Cavs went ahead by seven with just under three minutes remaining in OT on Mitchell’s three-pointer.

Cade Cunningham, who had 39 points and nine assists, made a jumper to pull the Pistons within two points with 25 seconds left.

Harden made one free throw on the ensuing possession and rebounded his missed second attempt. He made another free throw to help seal the win.

“It wasn’t our best night offensively, but I think that’s what speaks volumes to getting this win was we found a way” Max Strus said.

Game 6 is tonight in Cleveland, where the fourth-seeded Cavs would get the first of two chances to advance to face the New York Knicks in the East finals.


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DELA ROSA CASE: The whereabouts of the senator, who is wanted by the ICC, was unclear, while President Marcos faces a political test over the senate situation

Philippine authorities yesterday were seeking confirmation of reports that a top politician wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) had fled, a day after gunfire rang out at the Philippine Senate where he had taken refuge fearing his arrest.

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the former national police chief and top enforcer of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs,” has been under Senate protection and is wanted for crimes against humanity, the same charges Duterte is accused of.

“Several sources confirmed that the senator, Senator Bato, is no longer in the Senate premises, but we are still getting confirmation,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro told a news conference.

Security personnel react after gunfire was heard at the Philippine Senate in Pasay, Metro Manila, on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Gunshots were heard late on Wednesday inside the Senate and people there scrambled for cover, hours after Dela Rosa, 64, appealed on social media for supporters to mobilize, saying that law enforcement agents were going to arrest him.

The incident sparked chaos, with a heavy presence of police and armed guards at the Senate, protests outside and more than a dozen shots fired just moments after Marines were called in to bolster security.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr met with security chiefs yesterday and police said one person had been detained, with investigations under way to identify individuals who tried to enter the Senate, and bullet casings and rifle magazines recovered.

“The person has provided names, but these still need confirmation,” police spokesperson Randulf Tuano told DZBB radio.

It was unclear who fired the shots, or if Dela Rosa was still in the Senate yesterday, with speculation that he had slipped away overnight.

The Hague, Netherlands-based ICC unsealed a warrant on Monday for his arrest, dated November last year, while he has filed an emergency appeal at the Philippine Supreme Court, arguing that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the Philippines after its 2019 withdrawal from the international institution.

Earlier yesterday, while entering the heavily guarded Senate, Dela Rosa’s lawyer Jimmy Bondoc said he spoke to him during the night and believed he was inside.

“I asked him if you have plans to leave, he said none,” Bondoc told reporters.

Marcos has sought to distance his government from the Senate drama and said that no order was given to apprehend Dela Rosa, who on Tuesday appealed to the president not to arrest him.

Philippine National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said that intelligence officers from the agency were at a building near the Senate on Wednesday, but were unarmed.

The possibility that the incident could have been staged was also part of the investigation, Matibag said.

In an interview with DZBB aired early yesterday, Dela Rosa said he would “exhaust all available remedies” to block his ICC transfer and having learned about conditions Duterte was being held under, he was no longer willing to fight his case in The Hague.

It was unclear when the interview was conducted.

Dela Rosa has denied involvement in illegal killings.

The Senate standoff is a major challenge to the authority of Marcos, who relied on support of the Duterte family to win a 2022 election before an acrimonious fallout that led to him handing over Duterte to the ICC.

Duterte, 81, is set to become the first former Asian head of state to go on trial at the ICC.

He denies inciting police to commit murder.

Political tension has mounted in the past few days over Dela Rosa and Monday’s impeachment of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, Marcos’ former ally and running mate, and Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter.

Sara Duterte, who is in The Hague visiting her father, is fighting for her political survival, facing an impeachment trial in the Senate that could derail her run for the next presidency in 2028.

title: Philippines seeks senator after clash


title: Marco Rubio says Cuba leaders must go

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HELP DENIED? The US Department of State said that the Cuban leadership refuses to allow the US to provide aid to Cubans, ‘who are in desperate need of assistance’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said that Cuba’s leadership must change, as Washington renewed an offer of US$100 million in aid if the communist nation agrees to cooperate.

Cuba has been suffering severe economic tumult led by an energy shortage that plunged 65 percent of the country into darkness on Tuesday.

Cuba’s leaders have blamed US sanctions, but Rubio, a Cuban American and critic of the government established by Fidel Castro, said the system was to blame, including corruption by the military.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, front, and Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang attend a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. Photo: AP

“It’s a broken, nonfunctional economy, and it’s impossible to change it. I wish it were different,” he told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Air Force One as he traveled with US President Donald Trump to China.

“We’ll give them a chance, but I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Rubio said. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to change the trajectory of Cuba as long as these people are in charge in that regime.”

Trump has said that the US could take over the nation 145km off Florida.

Rubio last week said after talks at the Vatican that Cuba had rejected a US offer of US$100 million in assistance, an assertion denied by Havana.

The US Department of State publicly renewed the proposal on Wednesday, a week after new US sanctions targeted key actors in Cuba’s state-controlled economy and their foreign partners.

“The regime refuses to allow the United States to provide this assistance to the Cuban people, who are in desperate need of assistance due to the failures of Cuba’s corrupt regime,” the state department said in a statement.

“The decision rests with the Cuban regime to accept our offer of assistance or deny critical [life]-saving aid and ultimately be accountable to the Cuban people for standing in the way of critical assistance,” it said.

The support would include direct humanitarian assistance, and funding for “fast and free” Internet access, it said.

Cuba has seen a series of rare protests as economic misery grips the nation of 9.6 million people.

On Wednesday, several dozen people, some banging pots and pans, protested against power outages in the San Miguel del Padron neighborhood on Havana’s outskirts, a resident said.

Several other neighborhoods saw similar protests by evening, with residents in Playa shouting: “Turn on the lights,” witnesses said.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel acknowledged the “particularly tense” situation, but pinned the blame squarely on the US.

“This dramatic worsening has a single cause: The genocidal energy blockade to which the United States subjects our country, threatening irrational tariffs against any nation that supplies us with fuel,” he wrote on X on Wednesday.

Cuba lost the source for about half its fuel needs when US forces snatched then-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a raid in January, with his successor complying with US pressure not to aid Cuba.

Since then, only one oil tanker, from Russia, has reached Cuba.


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Kouri Richins, a Utah mother who published a children’s book about grief after the death of her husband is to serve a life sentence for his murder without the possibility of parole, a judge ruled on Wednesday.

Richins was convicted in March of aggravated murder for lacing a cocktail given to her husband, Eric Richins, with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl at their home near Park City in 2022.

A jury also found her guilty of four other felonies, including insurance fraud, forgery and attempted murder for trying to poison her husband weeks earlier on Feb. 14, 2022, with a fentanyl-laced sandwich.

Kouri Richins reacts during her sentencing in a court in Park City, Utah, on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Judge Richard Mrazik said that Kouri Richins is “simply too dangerous to ever be free” when handing down the sentence on the day that her husband would have turned 44.

Her attorneys said they would appeal the conviction and sentence.

Kouri Richins has said that she is innocent.

The verdict was “an absolute lie,” she said on Wednesday.

She stood at the podium in a lime-green jail uniform as she asked her sons, who were not in court: “Please just don’t give up on me.”

She encouraged them to always “be like your dad.”

Prosecutors said that Kouri Richins, a 36-year-old real-estate agent with a house-flipping business, was millions in debt and planning a future with another man.

She had opened numerous life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge and falsely believed she would inherit his estate worth more than US$4 million after he died.

Eric Richins’ father, Eugene Richins, had urged the judge to impose a life sentence without parole to protect his grandsons, who were aged 9, 7 and 5 when their father died.

“This sentence is important so Eric’s three sons never have to live with the fear that the person responsible for taking their father could ever harm them again,” he said.

Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.

Kouri Richins also faces more than two dozen money-related criminal charges in a separate case that has not yet gone to trial.

title: Kouri Richins handed life sentence for murder


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Female UN head ‘historical justice,’ a contender says

The appointment of a woman to the UN’s top job is a question of “historical justice,” said former Ecuadoran minister of foreign affairs and minister of national defense Maria Fernanda Espinosa, who is seeking to become the organization’s first female leader.

Espinosa professed her “deep love” for the UN as she unveiled her bid to lead it from next year, joining a field of four other contenders: former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi of Argentina, former Costa Rican second vice president Rebeca Grynspan and former Senegalese president Macky Sall.

“Some people say it is time” that a woman leads the UN “and I believe it is a matter of historical justice, but I think it’s also an issue of merit, of having the full pool of merit, experience and knowledge to the service of the United Nations,” she told reporters.

Former Ecuadoran minister of foreign affairs and defense Maria Fernanda Espinosa, a candidate for the position of UN secretary-general, speaks during an interview outside UN headquarters in New York City on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

“We cannot leave half of the world’s population outside of that possibility, and I think if we really want change and transformation why not to have, after 80 years, a woman and the right woman leading the organization,” she added, pointing to a need for “different perspectives” in dangerous times.

While the world is experiencing a surge of wars in the post-World War II era, the current selection process is playing out against a backdrop of political and financial crisis, and accusations of inaction.

Espinosa said that in that context “the UN has to adapt to the times we live in right now.”

“It’s not the other way around,” she said, calling for more ambitious reforms than those announced by outgoing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“What we need is a leader that is hands-on, that has a lot of energy, that knows the system, that can be the first to arrive to prevent a conflict,” Espinosa said.

She proposed the creation of an “early warning” system to detect and flag signals of impending conflicts, and intervene before they erupt, which she laid out in her “vision” document, submitted with the backing of Antigua and Barbuda.

While she is pushing for a new approach, she is careful not to malign previous secretaries-general.

“We should be respectful and careful to say ‘the past doesn’t work and now ... I’m a magician,’” she said. “It’s a difficult job, but when you know how to do the job, if you are confident about your leadership style, I think the UN can ... look at the 21st century with more hope and with this sense of possibility.”

She is adamant that transformation must not be the job of just one individual, but the result of “political momentum” under “assertive leadership.”

Despite mounting attacks on multilateralism, Espinosa says “the UN is the one and only universal platform to address the shared challenges of humanity.”


title: World News Quick Take

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SOUTH AFRICA

Party backs Ramaphosa

A meeting of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress party on Wednesday resolved to close ranks around President Cyril Ramaphosa over his “Farmgate” scandal, public broadcaster SABC reported. The meeting supported Ramaphosa’s decision to launch a legal challenge against an independent panel report that found evidence he committed misconduct, SABC politics reporter Samkele Maseko wrote on X. Ramaphosa earlier this week faced down calls to resign over the scandal, in which thieves stole bundles of cash stuffed in a sofa on Ramaphosa’s ranch in 2020.

UNITED STATES

Knight Rider ticketed

A traffic law violator with unpaid fines is driving a black Pontiac Trans Am that looks like the car from the 1980s TV series Knight Rider and even has the same license plate, leading to trouble for an Illinois museum. The Volo Museum near Chicago, which has a replica of the show’s Trans Am that has not moved from its exhibit in years, received a US$50 traffic ticket from New York, alleging that its car was doing 36mph (58kph) in a 25mph zone in Brooklyn on April 22. The ticket came complete with traffic camera photos showing a black Trans Am with the California license plate KNIGHT. The license plate is also connected to five other unpaid traffic violations in New York City since late 2024, city records show. “The fact that we’re legally tied to a movie prop is interesting,” said Jim Wojdyla, the museum’s marketing director. “We’re known for having our Hollywood cars from TV and movies, but I have no idea how we got registered from a ticket in New York to the plates in California to the Volo Museum in Illinois. We’re still trying to figure it out.” The museum has requested a hearing challenging the ticket.

This image provided by the New York Department of Finance shows a black Pontiac Trans Am with the same license plate as the Pontiac Trans Am from the 1980s TV series, Knight Rider,” speeding in a school zone, April 22, 2026, in New York. Photo: AP

PAKISTAN

Soldiers, militants clash

At least five soldiers and seven militants were killed in clashes in Balochistan Province, officials said yesterday. An improvised explosive device detonated near a convoy of paramilitary Frontier Corps troops and was followed by a clash with militants, the officials said. “Five soldiers were killed and another was critically wounded,” a senior official told reporters. “During the operation, a group of terrorists was located and engaged by troops,” with seven terrorists killed, the army’s media wing said in a statement. The Baloch Liberation Army separatist group claimed responsibility for the attack.

JAPAN

Retrials face overhaul

Policymakers on Wednesday approved a proposal to reduce the power of prosecutors to thwart a process for exonerating potential victims of wrongful convictions. The retrial process shaped a century ago is often so lengthy that decades can slip by before someone is granted a shot at a legal do-over. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers approved a Ministry of Justice reform plan that included the limitation of prosecutorial appeals against court decisions to retry those who might have been wrongfully incarcerated. While in principle prohibiting prosecutors from challenging retrial orders, the ministry’s plan still leaves room for appeals if “sufficient grounds” exist. The LDP spent weeks wrangling with the ministry to push for prosecutors to be stripped outright of their power to appeal. It was a “gut-wrenching” decision for the party to settle for this compromise, but it was still better than no progress at all, LDP lawmaker Masahiko Shibayama told reporters.


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A demanding North Second Section loop links four of Taiwan’s 100 Peaks, testing hikers with washed-out roads, scarce water and rope-assisted climbs through astonishing beautiful alpine terrain

The Wuming Cliffs (無明) in Taroko National Park have such a bad reputation that many hikers opt to make two separate trips to summit all the nearby peaks, approaching from either side of the cliffs but never actually going through them. Before the open mountain policy was enacted in 2019, the Park actually forbade entry to this area altogether.

By far the most efficient way of summiting these peaks, however, is to suck it up and just follow the Central Mountain Range’s spine right through the difficult terrain, completing a loop and bagging four of Taiwan’s 100 Peaks — or baiyue (百岳) — in only three or four days. In March, another seasoned hiker joined me for a journey through the North Second Section, as this stretch of trail is known.

The night before our hike, we stayed at the Wang Xiaoming Hiking Services homestay along Highway 7, which caters specifically to hikers with cheap, bunk-bed accommodations and hot showers. Bookings can be made by phone (Chinese only) at 0968-050-329.

The next morning, a shuttle van (also booked through Xiaoming’s) took us on a memorable 45-minute ride up Forest Road 730 to the trailhead. For those planning to self-drive for this trip, don’t. This old logging road requires a very-high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle, or a healthy dose of reckless disregard for one’s property if attempting it by scooter.

TO THE END OF THE ROAD AND BEYOND

The shuttle took us up about 12km to a spot where an old landslide has washed out the road, but beyond this obstacle, the old logging road is in remarkably good shape. It’s a comfortable, shady walk up a gradual incline for another 13km. Along the way, we did the side trail on the right up to Shuan Mountain (閂山).

For those who aren’t interested in collecting as many of the baiyue as possible, it can be skipped; but as far as baiyue go, this one is one of the easiest. The entrance is well marked with ribbons, and the two-hour round trip alternates between forest and open bamboo meadows with sweeping vistas of the surrounding mountains.

Back on the forest road, we pushed on to the water source, a hose set up by other hikers that offers a trickle of clean water. Having used this source on three previous trips, I was surprised to find it bone dry. With no other good options for water ahead, I decided to trace the hose uphill to try to find the source. About 100 meters higher up, I finally came upon a bit of flowing water, and discovered that a hose connection had been dislodged by rockfall. Luckily, this was an easy fix and we were able to fill up and carry on.

About 15 minutes further up the road is the 25K workstation, left over from Taiwan’s logging days and still in decent shape, i.e., the roof and windows are still mostly intact. The interior is generally kept clean and dry by the various porters who provide meal service here (NT$1,300, contact A-Kai at 0920-719-724) and there is space for about 20 people to sleep. For those who prefer privacy or quiet, there is room to set up tents near the workstation and on the road back in the direction of the water source.

Beyond the workstation, hikers have the option of a higher trail along the ridge or a lower trail that stays on the forest road much longer before cutting straight up to the ridge. The former is more tiring, while the latter is overall easier, except for one extreme washout that requires a rope ascent up loose dirt at an 80-degree angle, so pick your poison. Eventually, both trails converge on the ridge and continue to the summit of Lingming Mountain (鈴鳴), another baiyue that boasts an incredible 360-degree view. This is the turnaround point for those not wanting to walk the Wuming Cliffs.

THE WUMING CLIFFS

After the peak, the trail turns east and drops down to a campsite in the next saddle. A water source is also available here in the steep gully to the north, but the round trip takes an hour and the flow is so low that it can be nearly impossible to collect without some creative use of sticks, leaves or drinking straws. However, there is no more clean flowing water available for the next day and a half, so it’s best to fill up here.

title: Four ‘baiyue’ the hard way


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The KMT heavyweight said that he brokered the NT$780 billion defense package so neither Beijing nor Washington could use delayed arms purchases as leverage at the summit

In a sudden move last week, opposition lawmakers of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) passed a NT$780 billion special defense budget as a preemptive measure to stop either Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) or US President Donald Trump from blocking US arms sales to Taiwan at their summit in Beijing, said KMT heavyweight Jaw Shau-kong (趙少康), speaking to the Taipei Foreign Correspondents Club on Wednesday night in Taipei.

The 76-year-old Jaw, a political talk show host who ran as the KMT’s vice presidential candidate in 2024, says that he personally brokered the deal to resolve the long-debated budget impasse at a May 6 meeting of the KMT’s Central Standing Committee, just two days before the KMT-led legislature passed the controversial budget.

“The proposal that passed was my suggestion,” said Jaw, who spoke mainly in English.

Chinese Nationalist Party heavyweight Jaw Shau-kong says that he was responsible for the Chinese Nationalist Party agreeing to a NT$780 billion defense budget. Photo: TT file photo

Jaw’s press conference came just hours before Trump landed in Beijing, where the president is scheduled to conduct two days of talks with China’s Xi from May 13 to 15.

Ahead of the Xi-Trump summit, Chinese state media argued vehemently and at length against the US selling weapons to Taiwan, prompting international speculation that Trump would use the arms sales as a bargaining chip in the talks.

To do so would be a major reversal in longstanding US policy, but has been nevertheless feared by numerous observers owing to Trump’s unpredictable nature.

The US is obligated by law to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons, and, according to a 1982 commitment known as the “Six Assurances to Taiwan,” has further promised not to discuss such arms sales with Beijing. Trump has however been vague when asked about leaving discussions of arms sales to Taiwan off the table with China’s Xi.

’MONEY IS MONEY

Anticipating this, the KMT wanted to give neither Trump nor Xi a chance to stop the arms sales, said Jaw. Though China is strongly opposed to the sales, Xi will not be able to argue: “Taiwan, they cut their own budget. Why do you want to sell them?” he said.

In regards to the US, Jaw continued, Taiwan can now say: “We already carried out our own responsibility.”

Trump can thus be reasonably assured of Taiwan’s commitment to defend itself and, in line with his transactional style, will be happy to have a check for US$25 billion now in his back pocket — a check he’ll be loath to give up, Jaw argued.

“For Trump, money is money,” he said.

To persuade Trump against selling arms to Taiwan, Jaw said, Xi would need an incredibly attractive offer. But what Xi is likely offering — purchases of Boeing aircraft, soybeans and beef — are merely measures to “give face” to the US president on the current visit.

“I don’t think Xi Jinping will give [Trump] the benefits justified to sacrifice Taiwan,” he said.

Coming just five days ahead of the Xi-Trump summit, the sudden passage of Taiwan’s arms procurement budget came to many as a surprise. For months, the the KMT had firmly opposed a larger NT$1.25 trillion version of the defense budget originally proposed by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in November last year. For most of the last half year, Lai’s defense budget appeared to be dead in the water.

KMT’S BUDGET CONSENSUS

As a result of both US and domestic pressure, KMT leaders in recent months came up with various counter-proposals to Lai’s budget. The most prominent came from Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), former KMT Eric Chu (朱立倫) and current chair Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文). Their proposed budgets ranged from NT$350 to NT$900 billion.

These various plans finally came up for a sort of battle royale style debate at a KMT Central Standing Committee meeting on May 6 –– just over a week ago.

At the meeting, Jaw told the others, “I can cover all these kinds of different opinions, and put them together,” he said.

But when he offered a compromise plan, he met strong resistance, at least initially.

“They attacked me, all kinds [of ways]. Very tough attacks,” he said.

Claiming that “everyone’s suggestions” were covered in his proposal, he added, “I really don’t understand why.”

Under the urgency of the moment, the KMT committee did finally come to a consensus. The version of the budget that passed was “almost my proposal,” Jaw said.

Two days later in the legislature, the KMT and their opposition coalition partner TPP, who control a majority between them, voted unanimously to pass the measure. All 48 Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators present at the session abstained from the vote.

The budget that was passed differed significantly from the originally DPP version. Not only was it 40 percent lower in value, it exclusively approved weapons purchases from the US while eliminating the DPP’s plan for domestic development of a drone industry. Critics of the KMT plan say drones and other asymmetric capabilities are vital to Taiwan’s defense.

One powerful factor that moved the KMT to action was the influence of US lawmakers. Two US congressional delegations visited Taiwan in March and last month. These included an all-Republican delegation led by Zach Nunn, leader of a congressional national security task force, from April 5 to 11, and a bipartisan group of US senators including Jeanne Shaheen, John Curtis, Thom Tillis and Jacky Rosen on March 30 and 31.

Jaw confirmed that these US delegations met with KMT legislators in efforts to “persuade” them to pass an arms package. Jaw, however, resisted the characterization of the US as “pressuring” the KMT into passing the budget. He further denied that the US set down a bottom line for the minimum amount of the arms procurement.

Jaw also made several remarks hinting that current KMT chair Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) influence within the party is perhaps more limited than her oversized media presence would suggest.

HUANGFUXING FACTION

Cheng’s NT$380 billion arms budget proposal was the smallest of the various KMT proposals. Though Jaw did not describe her plan as rejected in favor of the larger NT$780 billion plan, he did however insinuate that Cheng has become beholden to a deep blue faction of military veterans known as the Huangfuxing (黃復興).

Jaw described Huangfuxing as the KMT’s “backbone” and said it provided “most of the votes” for Cheng in the party chair election. But when it comes to national elections, the backing of one faction is not enough, he said.

“I don’t deny Huangfuxing’s contribution. I think it’s important,” Jaw said. “But [it’s] not enough. The KMT cannot become Huangfuxing’s party.”

If that were to happen, the KMT’s support base would become “smaller and smaller,” he added.

Jaw also noted that the 65,000 votes Cheng garnered to become KMT party chair is less than the 100,000 or more votes needed to become a legislator. His implication is that Cheng has less popular support than other top KMT figures.

On Taiwan’s development of drones, Jaw said he’s not opposed. With the domestically focused NT$400 billion portion of President Lai’s defense budget that the KMT cut, the opposition’s main point of resistance is the perception of “DPP corruption,” Jaw said.

Essentially, the fear is that the DPP will award contracts to party-aligned companies, use those connections to build political strength and at the same time freeze out the opposition.

Jaw also spoke about his views on cross-strait diplomacy. Jaw believes in the eventual unification of Taiwan and China, but not under current conditions.

At present, “I think we [Taiwan] can be a lighthouse of democracy for China,” Jaw said.

He further compared China to a suitor that’s attempting to woo Taiwan, an unwilling bride.

“Taiwan should say to China, you are not qualified to marry me now, but I will not get married with another guy.”

What Taiwan should say to China is, “You think your system is good, but we feel our system is better. So for now, we rule Taiwan with our system. But in China’s history, 100 or 200 years is a very short time. So don’t be rushed,” Jaw said.

people: 鄭麗文 習近平 盧秀燕 賴清德 朱立倫

title: Jaw says KMT rushed arms budget to preempt Trump-Xi deal


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Gemini season brings shifting perspectives, unexpected connections and the quiet wisdom of returning to ordinary life

Among the Dioscuri, the mortal Castor fell upon the battlefield. His twin brother, Pollux, was overcome with grief. After avenging him, Pollux turned to Zeus with a single plea: he would surrender his divine immortality, if only he might remain beside his brother. Moved by the depth of such love, Zeus lifted them both into the heavens, where they became the eternal twin stars — forever shining side by side.

As we look upon Gemini glimmering in the night sky, perhaps we are invited into a more expansive understanding of ascension. In this myth, the brothers who stand between divinity and mortality reflect the “divine” and “human” within each of us. True spiritual ascension has never asked us to reject or condemn the mortal self — the part of us that aches, falters and wrestles with the weight of ordinary life — in the name of something sacred. Rather, it is the divine within us that steps gently toward our humanity, choosing to sit beside it, to walk with it, through the tender intricacies of daily existence.

Gemini whispers this truth to us: when we dare to embrace our human selves with pure and unwavering love, the boundary between heaven and earth begins to dissolve. And within that dissolution, the most sacred union quietly takes place.

From May 21 to June 20, as Gemini season unfolds, change becomes inevitable. This is more than the turning of late spring into early summer; it is a season of quickened thought, shifting insight and restless inspiration. During this time, waves of new perspectives and information may wash over us, shaking the foundations of what we thought we understood. Again and again, we may find ourselves called to reconsider, to revise, to choose anew.

To those looking on from the outside, this may seem like inconsistency — the infamous changeability of Gemini. But from within the experience, something deeper is revealed: this is not aimless wavering, but the sacred refinement of choice. With every shift, every reconsideration, we move one step closer to the truest shape of what we are becoming.

So this month, allow yourself to open wide to the storm of thought and inspiration. Welcome the questions, the contrasts, the sudden flashes of understanding. Let them test the integrity of your current path, and grant yourself permission to recalibrate — to alter course, or even begin again.

And sometimes, the gift of Gemini’s shifting winds is this: after exploring countless possibilities, we return to discover that our very first knowing was already true. That what we chose in the beginning was, all along, exquisitely aligned.

Yet such intensity of thought can leave the mind weary. When that happens, remember Gemini’s deeper wisdom — the grace of holding opposites. Allow yourself the freedom to empty out completely. Sometimes the most profound response is not to choose again, nor to seek another answer, but simply to let experience settle, and to return quietly to the rhythm of ordinary life.

For if we cannot dwell peacefully within the simplicity of our human days, we cannot fully receive the inspirations gifted by the divine. This is the soft, persistent message Gemini offers us.

As for some signs this month:

Scorpio, through perspectives radically different from your own, you will uncover the truths you most need to see. Whether it is finally recognizing someone’s true nature, or discerning the hidden potential within an opportunity, this month offers a clarity that cuts cleanly through illusion, leaving you richer in wisdom.

Capricorn, your season is blooming with connection. Affection, kindness and sincere interest may arrive from unexpected places, while relationships no longer aligned with your path gently drift away. Relax into this unfolding. Let yourself receive the abundance that wishes to meet you through others.

Holding In-between is a column about the zodiac published on the third Friday of every month. As a Projector in Human Design, Morin K.Y. is intrigued by the interplay between the tangible and the intangible. She enjoys perceiving life as a vast experiment of the soul, where everyday life simply unfolds as a series of different experiences. For collaborations please reach out to: aramaeaky@gmail.com.

title: The Gemini recalibration


content_text:
SPEAK UP: Rocking May packed with concerts & major music awards (2/2) 五月實體／網路演唱會、音樂獎大爆發（下）

A: Also in May, CTBC Brothers’ Channel B Music Festival will feature K-pop icon Psy, while K-Spark Concert will feature G-Dragon, Tae-yeon and FTIsland.

B: In addition to multiple live concerts, Japan’s supergroup Arashi will put on a farewell concert on May 31, while offering a paid online livestream for the show.

A: And the 2026 Hito Music Awards are coming soon. This year’s top 10 award-winning Chinese songs include: A-Lin’s “Happiness is Singing,” Icyball’s “Don’t Care,” and Jolin Tsai’s “Pleasure.”

B: Wow, I like all these hits.

A: Hopefully, Mando-pop can also conquer the world, just like J-pop and K-pop.

A: 5月底中信兄弟的「Channel B棒球音樂祭」邀來江南大叔Psy等人，K-Spark演唱會則邀來G-Dragon、泰妍、FTIsland等人。

B: 除了多場實體演唱會，日本天團嵐5月31日的告別演唱會，將開放付費網路直播。

A: 此外「2026 Hito流行音樂獎」將登場，今年得獎的10大華語歌曲有：A-Lin《幸福在歌唱》、冰球樂團《不在乎》、蔡依林《Pleasure》……等。

B: 這幾首歌我都很喜歡。

A: 希望華語歌曲也能像日流、韓流征服全世界！

（By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）


content_text:
▲美中罕見同調，反對在荷莫茲徵收通行費。（圖／路透）

記者許力方／綜合報導

伊朗法斯通訊社（Fars News Agency）14日引述知情人士報導，伊朗前一晚起已允許部分中國船隻通過荷莫茲海峽（Hormuz），並稱中伊雙方已就該水道的管理與通行操作規範達成共識。與此同時，美國總統川普正在中國訪問，並與中國國家主席習近平同意維持荷莫茲海峽開放，確保全球能源運輸穩定。

伊朗放寬中國船隻通行

路透社報導，知情人士透露，德黑蘭基於與中國的戰略夥伴關係，同意協助部分中國船隻順利通行荷莫茲海峽。目前仍難判斷伊朗此舉在實際通行情況上會帶來多大改變。事實上，伊朗先前已表明，只要事先與伊朗武裝部隊協調，中立船隻尤其與中國相關的船隻，仍可通行荷莫茲海峽。

根據船舶追蹤資料，一艘載運約200萬桶伊拉克原油的中國超級油輪，已於14日順利穿越荷莫茲海峽。該船因美伊衝突影響，先前在波斯灣滯留超過2個月。

countries: 伊朗 中國 伊拉克 美國

people: 川普 習近平

title: 伊朗：放行中國船隻通過荷莫茲　川習罕見同調維持航道開放


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〔中央社〕在土耳其舉行的WTT伊斯坦堡支線賽，台灣女將李昱諄今天在冠軍戰以3比1擊敗韓國小將朴架泫，生涯首奪WTT支線賽女單冠軍，而且還攜手簡彤娟拿到女雙亞軍。

總獎金3萬美金（約95萬新台幣）的世界桌球職業大聯盟（WTT）伊斯坦堡支線賽，現年28歲、世界排名61名的台灣女將李昱諄，名列女單第2種子，今天在冠軍戰與18歲韓國小將朴架泫正面交鋒，雙方曾在2024年WTT支線賽的女單冠軍戰交手，不過當時李昱諄遭到逆轉吞敗。

此役首局開打後，李昱諄與對手上演激戰，不過隨即把握機會，連得5分擺脫僵局，不僅佔據領先位置，接著更率先逼出局點，就算遭到對手化解，李昱諄仍以12比10先馳得點，只是第2局未能延續絕佳手感，幾乎整局都被壓制情況下，以9比11讓出。

進入關鍵第3局，處於落後的李昱諄並未自亂陣腳，兩波連續得分攻勢幫助她逆轉比分，同時穩住領先地位，順利以11比9取得聽牌，加上第4局李昱諄繳出宰制級表現，在2比2平手時連拿9分直取比賽勝利，終場再以11比2如願稱霸WTT伊斯坦堡支線賽的女單賽場。

另外，李昱諄還與巴黎奧運國手簡彤娟搭檔女雙，兩人榮膺頭號種子，並順利挺進冠軍戰，可惜面對第4種子「印度組合」S.穆克吉（Sutirtha Mukherjee）、A.穆克吉（Ayhika Mukherjee），李昱諄、簡彤娟發揮不如預期，尤其第2局錯失開局5比0領先優勢，終場以1比3吞敗拿到亞軍。（編輯：楊昭彥）1150515

countries: 韓國 土耳其 印度 台灣

title: 李昱諄復仇擊敗韓國新星　首奪WTT支線賽女單冠軍


title: 川普稱習近平願助開放荷莫茲海峽　承諾不武裝伊朗

content_text:
美國總統川普今天表示，中國國家主席習近平已提議由中國協助開放荷莫茲海峽（Strait of Hormuz），並承諾不會運送軍事裝備援助伊朗對抗美國與以色列的戰爭。

法新社報導，美中領袖於北京會面後，川普在福斯新聞（Fox News）的「漢尼提秀」（Hannity）節目中表示：「他（習近平）說他不會提供軍事裝備…他非常堅定地這麼說。」

川普還說：「他希望能看到荷莫茲海峽開放。」

川普在接受主持人漢尼提（Sean Hannity）專訪時表示，由於美國與伊朗迄今尚未達成結束戰爭的明確協議，中國領導人習近平提議協助確保通過荷莫茲海峽的航行。

川普告訴漢尼提：「任何購買那麼多石油的人顯然都與他們有某種關係，但習主席希望能達成協議，而且他確實提議說，『如果我能幫上任何忙，我很樂意幫忙』。」

不過，據美國有線電視新聞網（CNN）報導，國務卿盧比歐（Marco Rubio）今天另外接受美國國家廣播公司新聞網（NBC News）訪問時指出，美國並未尋求中國的幫助，而且「我們不需要他們的幫助」。

盧比歐告訴美國國家廣播公司新聞網：「我們提出這個問題是為了表明我們的立場，並讓他們清楚了解，畢竟考量到這項議題的關鍵程度，我們會談論此事是理所當然的。」（編譯：李佩珊）1150515

countries: 伊朗 以色列 美國 中國


countries: 伊朗 阿曼 英國

content_text:
據查證，遭伊朗劫持的船是懸掛洪都拉斯國旗的「Hui Chuan」號。（擷取自MarineTraffic網站）

英國海事貿易行動中心（UKMTO）說，一艘船在阿曼灣遭劫持，「正駛往伊朗領海」。英國海事安全公司Vanguard則指出，這艘船是「海上軍火庫」，被伊朗軍方扣走。

Vanguard確認，遭伊朗的船是懸掛洪都拉斯國旗的「Hui Chuan」號。BBC Verify查閱MarineTraffic船舶追蹤數據，它最後一次通報位置是在週三，地點位於阿拉伯聯合大公國富查伊拉（Fujairah）東北方向70公里（40英里）處。

「Hui Chuan」號營運方告訴Vanguard公司，這艘船是「海上軍火庫」，為保護海上船隻免受海盜襲擊的保全公司儲存武器。BBC先前曾報道，這些船駐紮在紅海、亞丁灣和阿曼灣，以便保全人員收發軍火彈藥。

title: 在阿曼灣遭伊朗劫持船隻身分曝 是艘「海上軍火庫」


content_text:
副總統蕭美琴週四（14日）在社群分享一張齊柏林衛星（福爾摩沙衛星8號，福衛8號）拍攝到的淡江大橋清晰空拍，讚許這份成果展現台灣在國際太空產業鏈中具備頂尖的技術競爭力。

蕭美琴14日透過IG分享我國第一個自製次米級遙測衛星星系——福衛8號，在距離地表500多公里的太空拍下超清晰的淡江大橋影像，並引用國家太空中心（TASA）主任吳宗信的評價，大讚影像畫質極佳，呈現「crystal-clear」（清澈透明）的視覺效果。

蕭美琴表示，「這證明了台灣在國際太空產業鏈擁有頂尖的競爭力。未來福衛8號將應用在國土安全、環境監測、精準農業及防災勘災等領域，持續照看台灣，也為世界付出貢獻。」

title: 距地表500多公里！齊柏林衛星太空中拍下超清晰淡江大橋


title: 商務部：冀英方遵循公平非歧視原則　切實保障中國企業合法權益

countries: 中國 英國

content_text:
在北京，商務部回應英國政府據報將通過相關立法，將中國敬業集團旗下的英國鋼鐵公司國有化，發言人表示，注意到相關報道，希望英國政府遵循公平公正非歧視的原則，審慎決策，切實保障中國企業的合法權益，維護好中英經貿關係來之不易的良好氛圍。

發言人說，英國政府從中國企業手中接管英國鋼鐵公司已有一年多時間，中方的立場和態度始終明確及一貫，英國政府無論採取甚麼行動，都應充分考慮中方企業對英國鋼鐵公司的巨大投入和對英國經濟社會做出的貢獻，尊重企業意願和市場原則，不濫用行政強制手段，與中方企業積極尋找公允正當、雙方都能接受的解決方案。中方將密切關注事件進展，採取有力措施維護中國企業合法權益。

編輯：鄭皓璟


title: 商務部：冀英方遵循公平非歧視原則　切實保障中國企業合法權益


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發布 2026.05.14 21:32

習近平以300童揮旗、禮炮迎川普 顏擇雅對照歐巴馬待遇揭背後訊息

people: 習近平 川普

title: 新聞分類總覽 - 2026-05-15 | Newtalk新聞


content_text:
台灣職業籃球大聯盟（TPBL）福爾摩沙夢想家隊14日作客交手新竹御嵿攻城獅隊，靠著蔣淯安（中）攻下23分，外帶4籃板、6助攻、4抄截，助夢想家以114比106取勝。（TPBL提供）中央社記者陳容琛傳真 115年5月14日

（中央社記者陳容琛台北14日電）台灣職業籃球大聯盟TPBL福爾摩沙夢想家今天靠著蔣淯安演出關鍵上籃，搭配洋將班提爾繳出全能數據，終場以114比106擊敗新竹御嵿攻城獅，率先取得系列賽聽牌。

TPBL聯盟季後賽首輪採5戰3勝制，尋求隊史首冠的夢想家與攻城獅正面交鋒，雙方前兩場打完戰成平手，沒想到夢想家今天作客攻城獅，在主要輪替戰力林俊吉因傷缺陣情況下，另名本土球星蔣淯安挺身而出扛起責任，率領夢想家拿下重要勝利，再1勝就能前進總冠軍賽。

全站首選：最新水況一圖看！南北水情一刀切：北台補滿、南化水庫首破3成

此役首節開打後，夢想家無法有效限制對手洋將馬力（Marin Maric），處於落後局面，然而第2節靠著團隊戰力多點開花，夢想家單節灌進37分，手握雙位數領先進入中場休息，就算第4節一度被追平，但蔣淯安、班提爾（Benjamin Bentil）在關鍵時刻接管戰局，幫助夢想家穩住局面。

此役蔣淯安上場超過41分鐘，雖然三分球命中率不理想，不過仍拿下本土最高23分，外帶4籃板、6助攻、4抄截，而班提爾則豪取全場最高33分，另有9籃板、8助攻，繳出接近「大三元」的全能數據。

蔣淯安賽後接受主辦單位採訪時指出，獲勝關鍵是全隊執行防守策略到位，尤其是第4節後段相當有耐心，即使比分被追近也沒有做出不好選擇，而自己在知道林俊吉無法上陣後，帶著扛下得分重任的決心，從一開始就展現侵略性，「很開心拿下勝利，接著好好準備下一場比賽。」（編輯：黃名璽）1150514

journalist: 中央社記者陳容琛台北14日電

taiwan-subdivisions: 南化 新竹

title: TPBL蔣淯安關鍵上籃 夢想家險勝攻城獅率先聽牌 | 體育 | Newtalk新聞


content_text:
能源署「太陽光電單一服務窗口」點擊驚變色情平台，現已緊急關閉解析。 圖：翻攝自能源署網站（新頭殼合成）

經濟部能源署的「太陽能光電單一服務窗口」今（14）早被PTT網友發現變成提供性服務的網站，引起熱議。對此，台灣綠黨共同召集人甘崇緯發文批評，「這件事真的太扯，政府的資安到底在做什麼？」

甘崇緯以曾任軟體工程師的身分表示，「必須要說，我們的政府許多部會的資訊安全都做得非常非常差。」竟然沒有定期續約維護一個國家級單位的網域名稱（Domain Name），連網域被別人買走了都渾然不知。直到網友爆料，才緊急透過「停止解析」該網域來擋住國內瀏覽。他指出，實際上這個惡意網站依然存在，透過國外網路或 VPN一樣連得上去。

全站首選：最新水況一圖看！南北水情一刀切：北台補滿、南化水庫首破3成

甘崇緯表示，更嚴重的問題在於橫向聯繫的脫節。在其發文的當下，南投縣政府綠能屋頂入口網、臺東縣政府再生能源資訊網、屏東縣政府綠能推動辦公室的網站上，連向「太陽能光電單一服務窗口」的仍是舊的網址，完全沒有修改，隱患依然存在。

同時他也向民眾提醒，這種特別會去盜用政府網域的網站，通常暗藏大量惡意程式或病毒，千萬不要因為好奇而點擊。

甘崇緯強調，此次事件除了是行政疏失，更是對 CRC（兒童權利公約）跟CEDAW（消除對婦女一切形式之歧視公約）的漠視，因為政府有義務確保數位空間的的安全，讓兒少不被無預警的非適齡內容侵擾。然而當官網連結淪為非法業者搶註的溫床，代表政府在推動數位轉型時，也完全缺乏性別平等與兒少人權的風險評估意識。他指出，如果有意識的話，就會更加知道事情的嚴重性，不會如此輕易讓人買走網域名稱。

references: 網友 PTT

taiwan-subdivisions: 南投縣 屏東縣 南化 臺東縣

things: 經濟 人權 資安

title: 能源署光電服務窗口驚變色情平台 甘崇緯批：連網域被買走都不知道 | 政治 | Newtalk新聞


content_text:
美國總統川普（Donald Trump）與中國國家主席習近平14日在北京人民大會堂舉行雙邊會晤。 圖：達志影像/美聯社

被稱爲「川習會」之美國總統川普（Donald Trump）與中國國家主席習近平雙邊會晤在今（14）日正式在北京人民大會堂登場。而中國官媒《新華社》所發之通稿僅公布習近平對台論述，但卻沒提及川普對台論述。對此，美國聖湯瑪斯大學國際研究講座教授葉耀元認為，之所以只提習近平對台論述，可能是因為美國說了北京不喜歡聽的話，所以不能讓此見報。

關於川習會上談及台灣問題，根據《新華社》報導，習近平表示，台灣問題是中美關係中最重要的議題。處理好了，兩國關係就能維持整體穩定。處理不好，兩國就會碰撞甚至衝突，將整個中美關係推向十分危險的境地。 他表示，「台獨」與台海和平水火不容。維護台海和平穩定是中美雙方最大公約數。而《新華社》雖有提及川普論述，但隻字未提有關川普在雙邊會晤上對台論述及表態。

現正最夯：最新水況一圖看！南北水情一刀切：北台補滿、南化水庫首破3成

對此，葉耀元分析此次川習會。他表示，這次中國給的排場很高，幫川普做足面子。然後在開場的致詞上面，川普也給習近平做足面子，一直給他戴高帽。「不過請大家記得，面子做足了不代表裡子就談好了。」

他認為，這次的雙邊會晤可能談的非常的差，因為一般在這樣的高峰會之後，都會有一個會後的發言，讓記者有一些結論可以報導。不過等了幾個小時，什麼都等不到，然後他們現在一行人直接去天壇參觀了。「這是一個非常不尋常的訊號，因為這表示雙方談了老半天都沒有共識，所以根本沒辦法做結尾發言。」

葉耀元指出， 一般這種高峰會，雙邊的外交人員都會在會晤前把所有要討論的議題談出一個結果，但依照雙邊現在這麼僵的關係，他臆測會前什麼共識都沒有談出來。而這其實也是川普預期到的結果，或說是他想去做的事情。他表示，川普是一個談判型的領導者，也就是他很喜歡自己去談判，因為他認為作為一個成功的商人，沒有人比他更會談判。

現正最夯：京華城案2被告圖利有罪定讞 柯文哲換律師拚逆轉 二審若未翻盤就要入獄

「這就為什麼他帶著一票美國的科技企業領袖去見習近平。」葉耀元表示，這些科技業的大老們當然也希望跟中國做生意，但川普要給習近平的訊號是，想跟他們做生意就要跟我當朋友，維護美國的國家利益。但美國的國家利益就是中國想要破壞的東西啊，不管是第一島鏈的安全、美國的霸權、以及美國的科技領先。所以可想而知，談了老半天一定什麼結果都談不出來，更不要提國務卿盧比歐這樣的反共第一線工作者還會拉著，中國就算給川普排場做滿，也是得不到什麼好處。

關於台灣問題，《新華社》僅提及習近平論述，未提及川普論述。葉耀元認為，表示美方的反應中國官媒不能寫，大概跟過去一樣，重申台海以及第一島鏈的安全是美國的國家利益，然後不說明美國會做什麼或不會做什麼，但這都不是中方想聽到的話。

葉耀元也給此次川習會下了一個「開高走低」評語，他指出，看起來好像很多東西可以談，但如果你懂國際政治，了解美國跟中國處於霸權競爭的狀態，就知道美中關係是不會發生任何質變的，就如同冷戰中的美國與蘇聯，只有在蘇聯瓦解之後關係才改變。「對了，我看到他們會後去天壇的畫面，我個人感覺川普並不怎麼開心喔。」

countries: 美國 中國 台灣

people: 習近平 柯文哲 川普

taiwan-subdivisions: 南化 成功 和平

title: 為何中國官媒只提習近平對台論述？ 學者推測：美國說了北京不喜歡的話 | 政治 | Newtalk新聞


content_text: 最新遊戲 NEW   《攻殼機動隊 SAC_2045》日本人氣動漫強勢登場！跟著草薙素子，2步重溫不敗神作    最新消息

title: 休閒娛樂首選


content_text:
全球矚目的「川習會」14日在北京登場，美國總統川普與中國國家主席習近平會談議題涵蓋科技、貿易與台灣等，若處理不當，這些議題都有可能引發全球連鎖效應。圖為台北市萬華區1間電器行播放即時新聞。中央社記者裴禛攝 115年5月14日 圖：中央社提供

美中對於「川習會」摘要內容出現落差，國安官員今天表示，美方在會前已清楚表達任何脅迫性改變都不符合各方利益，美方在過去這幾天，也一直公開表達對台灣的堅定支持；台灣不應過度陷入「被交易」焦慮，或悲觀看待自身處境。

美國總統川普（Donald Trump）上午與中國國家主席習近平在北京人民大會堂舉行會談。根據新華社報導，習近平在會談中談及台灣議題，他說，台灣議題是中美關係中最重要的問題，處理不好，兩國就會碰撞甚至衝突。不過，白宮發布「川習會」摘要並未提及台灣。

當前熱搜：最新水況一圖看！南北水情一刀切：北台補滿、南化水庫首破3成

美中對川習會釋出摘要不同調，國安官員表示，台灣跟美方有持續緊密聯繫，美國在過去這幾天，也一直公開表達對於台灣的堅定支持。

官員說，對於川習會，中國透過新華社發了2次新聞，第一次是簡要的內容，單獨把台灣抽出來，強調習近平「警告」川普，若處理不好台灣議題，中美關係會十分危險；第二次是發完整的內容，中間把台灣的段落塞進去。

國安官員表示，過去這麼多年以來，每次中美元首會面，中國會經常性塞進一段實際上根本沒有發生的內容，或是中國方面自己的詮釋跟解釋的內容，好比美方講「一中政策」，中國就講「一中原則」；對照美國白宮傍晚釋出的摘要內容，確實沒有提及台灣。

現正最夯：京華城案2被告圖利有罪定讞 柯文哲換律師拚逆轉 二審若未翻盤就要入獄

國安官員表示，美國國務卿盧比歐（Marco Rubio）在下飛機前已明確定調：在印太地區、台海或台灣，任何脅迫性的改變都不符合各方利益。這顯示美方雖然沒有在會後逐一反駁中方的說法，但已經很清楚傳達不要試圖破壞或變更現狀，因為任何現狀的更動對各方而言都是不利的。

該人士說，每次美中對話，中方一定會談及台灣，目的在降低對台軍事施壓成本，加速政治目標達成；但美方從安全戰略角度出發，同樣將台灣視為印太區域穩定的重要一環。因此台灣不應過度陷入「被交易」焦慮，應從共同利益角度看待與美方及印太夥伴的合作關係。台灣應持續深化與自由民主國家的合作，而非陷入自我矮化或過度悲觀看待自身處境。

官員也說，中國對台軍事騷擾規模與平常差不多，並未因舉辦大型外交活動而停止，顯示中方採取「和戰兩手」策略，一方面在國際展現和平負責任的形象，另一方面未減少實質軍事部署，北京當局仍是區域唯一的風險來源。

談到備戰「川習會」，該人士說，這是長期性的工作，台灣與美方、民主友盟密切聯繫溝通，總統完全掌握狀況。

countries: 中國 美國 台灣

taiwan-subdivisions: 南化 和平 萬華區

title: 川習會摘要不同調 國安官員：美方未改挺台立場 | 政治 | Newtalk新聞


content_text:
TLPGA和日本次巡共同認證的2026中國信託女子公開賽，14日在東方高爾夫俱樂部進行首回合賽事，地主好手石澄璇（圖）抓4博蒂、吞1柏忌繳出69桿，並列領先。（TLPGA提供）中央社記者黎建忠傳真 115年5月14日

（中央社記者黎建忠台北14日電）TLPGA和日本次巡共同認證的中國信託女子高爾夫公開賽，今天在東方高爾夫俱樂部進行首回合，地主好手石澄璇抓4博蒂、吞1柏忌繳出69桿，和其餘3人並列領先。

台灣女子職業高爾夫協會（TLPGA）及日本次級巡迴賽共同認證的中國信託女子公開賽，總獎金高達5000萬日圓（約新台幣1000萬元），冠軍可獨得900萬日圓；奪冠球員也可以獲得明年日本正巡賽上半年的參賽權。

當前熱搜：森崴能源下市倒數今跌停、集團股也一片倒 傳郭台強找金主救火

今天首回合賽事，因為球場上午大雨，因此延後了2小時才開球，不過在宜蘭長大的石澄璇自小就培養出無懼風雨的本領，首回合能打出佳績主要來自於對球場設定與狀態的掌握。

她在賽後接受訪問時提到：「今天因為下雨的緣故，果嶺硬度沒那麼硬，球道上碼數也比較好計算，所以標準桿上果嶺的機會比較多，今天普遍表現都很好，開球木桿也都能停在球道上，我想明天如果天氣好一些，我的推桿也會再積極一點。」

中國球員石昱莉同樣繳出69桿並列領先，她的姊姊石昱婷正好也在日本女子職業高爾夫協會（JLPGA）打拚。

journalist: 中央社記者黎建忠台北14日電

countries: 中國 日本 台灣

title: 中國信託女子高球賽首日 地主石澄璇69桿並列領先 | 體育 | Newtalk新聞


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（中央社倫敦14日綜合外電報導）歐洲主要股市今天均收漲。數據顯示英國今年初經濟表現穩健，倫敦股市隨之走揚；法蘭克福與巴黎股市也在科技股帶動下收高。

法新社報導，英國國家統計局（ONS）表示，英國國內生產毛額（GDP）在1至3月期間成長0.6%，符合市場預期；此外，3月GDP成長0.3%，超越分析師預期，顯示在中東戰爭爆發初期，經濟仍保持穩健。

倫敦FTSE 100指數上漲47.58點或0.46%，收報10372.93點。

title: 英國經濟數據與科技股助攻 歐股收高 | 證券


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（中央社記者陳容琛台北15日電）在土耳其舉行的WTT伊斯坦堡支線賽，台灣女將李昱諄今天在冠軍戰以3比1擊敗韓國小將朴架泫，生涯首奪WTT支線賽女單冠軍，而且還攜手簡彤娟拿到女雙亞軍。

總獎金3萬美金（約95萬新台幣）的世界桌球職業大聯盟（WTT）伊斯坦堡支線賽，現年28歲、世界排名61名的台灣女將李昱諄，名列女單第2種子，今天在冠軍戰與18歲韓國小將朴架泫正面交鋒，雙方曾在2024年WTT支線賽的女單冠軍戰交手，不過當時李昱諄遭到逆轉吞敗。

此役首局開打後，李昱諄與對手上演激戰，不過隨即把握機會，連得5分擺脫僵局，不僅佔據領先位置，接著更率先逼出局點，就算遭到對手化解，李昱諄仍以12比10先馳得點，只是第2局未能延續絕佳手感，幾乎整局都被壓制情況下，以9比11讓出。

進入關鍵第3局，處於落後的李昱諄並未自亂陣腳，兩波連續得分攻勢幫助她逆轉比分，同時穩住領先地位，順利以11比9取得聽牌，加上第4局李昱諄繳出宰制級表現，在2比2平手時連拿9分直取比賽勝利，終場再以11比2如願稱霸WTT伊斯坦堡支線賽的女單賽場。

另外，李昱諄還與巴黎奧運國手簡彤娟搭檔女雙，兩人榮膺頭號種子，並順利挺進冠軍戰，可惜面對第4種子「印度組合」S.穆克吉（Sutirtha Mukherjee）、A.穆克吉（Ayhika Mukherjee），李昱諄、簡彤娟發揮不如預期，尤其第2局錯失開局5比0領先優勢，終場以1比3吞敗拿到亞軍。（編輯：楊昭彥）1150515

journalist: 中央社記者陳容琛台北15日電

countries: 韓國 台灣 印度 土耳其

title: 李昱諄復仇擊敗韓國新星 首奪WTT支線賽女單冠軍 | 運動