The unauthorized hacking of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp’s (THSRC) radio communications system last month, which forced four trains to make emergency stops and caused delays of almost an hour, has raised serious alarm bells.

On the surface, the incident could appear to be simply a misstep by the student in question. In reality, however, it exposed the structural weaknesses of the cybersecurity defenses that protect our critical infrastructure.

Focusing only on individual culpability obscures the deeper systemic failure. THSRC’s system was compromised, not by chance, but because of institutional complacency.

More than just a public transport service, high-speed rail is a core component of Taiwan’s national critical infrastructure.

The incident involved the interception of the high-speed rail’s (HSR) radio communications signals, replicating system parameters, impersonating legitimate signals and triggering emergency alerts.

It was no simple cybersecurity issue; it has direct implications for operational safety and could escalate into a public safety or national security risk. For the communication systems tied to the safety of millions of passengers to be interfered with by external devices is not a random slip-up — it is the product of long-term systemic deterioration.

The important issue is not the suspect’s background or whether the interference was “accidental,” but rather: Why was the system accessible in the first place? Have authentication mechanisms become merely symbolic? When were encryption methods and passwords last changed? Can abnormal signals be identified and blocked in real time?

If a system as high-profile as the HSR can face risks of duplication and impersonation, what this means for the security of other public transportation systems and critical infrastructure is even more concerning.

Most seriously, the incident reveals the government’s long-standing neglect of cybersecurity at the communications level.

Discussions have largely focused on Web site attacks and personal data leaks, while overlooking the fact that communication systems are the core of physical operations. Once communications are compromised, it is not just data at risk, but train operations, signaling systems, disaster response coordination and even medical and energy dispatch systems.

This is no longer a hypothetical risk; it is already happening.

The HSR incident should not end with a criminal investigation alone. Simply prosecuting individuals or patching a single vulnerability would be to treat the symptoms rather than the disease.

Authorities must recognize that the cybersecurity design and critical communication systems’ management have fallen behind the evolving threat environment.

Aging equipment, rigid authentication systems, insufficient updates and the absence of cross-system monitoring are all long-term structural problems.

The immediate priority should be a comprehensive national-level review. First, the government should establish an inter-agency audit mechanism for critical communications cybersecurity. This would involve conducting regular stress tests and simulated hacking exercises on systems such as the HSR, Taiwan Railway and metro networks, airports, ports, power grids and healthcare infrastructure, rather than relying on superficial paperwork inspections.

Second, critical communication systems should be brought under national security-level management, with unified standards for encryption, identity verification and update frequencies to avoid fragmented oversight.

Third, public procurement policies should be reformed so that cybersecurity maintenance, vulnerability reporting and real-time update capabilities become mandatory requirements, rather than secondary considerations behind price and early-stage functionality.

At the same time, real-time monitoring and anomaly-blocking mechanisms should be established so that unauthorized signals can be identified and isolated before entering the system, rather than only reacting once alarms are triggered. Otherwise, even if multiple layers of authentication exist, the entire defense structure remains effectively meaningless while key parameters can still be reproduced.

The HSR incident also serves as a reminder that technological capability, when lacking legal and ethical boundaries, can quickly become a source of risk. For technology and communications enthusiasts, stronger education in technological ethics and legal responsibility is needed to make it clear what can and cannot be done. More fundamentally, institutional safeguards must come first. The state cannot entrust public safety to individual self-restraint alone.

Fortunately, the emergency stop of the HSR system did not result in casualties. However, this was not evidence of a robust system — it was luck.

If governance continues to rely on reactive patchwork solutions, it would never keep pace with evolving risks. The key question of whether similar vulnerabilities remain hidden throughout other critical systems remains.

The HSR cybersecurity breach is not merely an isolated incident, but a national security warning. The question is not whether trains could be stopped again, but whether the country is prepared to withstand the next major breach.

When that moment comes, the damage could extend far beyond rail services, undermining public safety and trust in governance as a whole.

Chen Ching-yun is a former director of the Legislative Yuan’s Bureau of Legal Affairs.

Translated by Gilda Knox Streader

Taiwan’s cyberdefenses flawed


President William Lai (賴清德) on Tuesday announced that amendments to the Medical Care Act (醫療法) stipulating nurse-to-patient ratios would be implemented in phases ahead of schedule, starting on May 20 next year.

The amendments are not merely a revision of healthcare policy, nor simply a technical achievement after years of struggle by the nursing community; they show that the nation is finally acknowledging that caregivers themselves need care.

In the past, Taiwanese society often used gentle and noble terms such as “angels in white” when describing nurses. Yet hidden beneath such language is a danger. When a profession is excessively sanctified, people easily overlook that those in that profession are also workers — they, too, become exhausted and have physical limits. The lack of awareness leads to overtime being expected, staff shortages becoming routine and emotional strain being treated as simply part of the job.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media were flooded with posts thanking healthcare workers, but as the pandemic faded, many left the clinical frontline, and the collapse of the nursing system continued unabated.

The issue has never been that nurses lack a sense of duty, but that the system has long relied on their sense of duty to make up for its institutional shortcomings.

The importance of enacting nurse-to-patient ratios lies in the fact that, for the first time, it elevates the principle that nurses can no longer be expected to burn themselves out indefinitely from a moral appeal to a legal standard.

Nurse-to-patient ratios have never been solely an issue of labor rights, but also a matter of patient safety. When a single nurse is responsible for too many patients at once, what is ultimately sacrificed is the nurse’s sleep and emotional well-being, as well as the patient’s opportunity to be properly monitored, responded to and treated in time.

Many Taiwanese still view the healthcare system through a convenience store mentality — late-night emergency-room visits, quick access to hospital beds, high-density medical services and low costs. However, the myth of high efficiency hides the long-term overwork of healthcare staff. As society has become accustomed to cheap and fast healthcare, the youth, families and health of some workers is being silently sacrificed.

Codifying a nurse-to-patient ratio is not the end of Taiwan’s healthcare challenges. The nation still faces problems such as regional disparities in healthcare, an overconcentration of talent and resources in major hospitals, and a disconnect between nursing education and clinical practice. Staffing shortages in rural areas and critical care departments would not disappear overnight simply because of a new law. It is even possible that some hospitals would face mounting costs and reduced bed capacity, and wait times might grow longer.

A truly civilized nation is not one that pushes healthcare workers until they collapse, but one that enables them to remain in the profession long-term.

Lai said that “investing in nursing is investing in life.” The importance of the remark lies in how it redefines the essence of public healthcare. It is not merely market competition, nor is it a matter of cost calculation — it is an ethical reflection of how society treats its most vulnerable people.

Anyone could one day end up in a hospital bed. If that time comes, more than just medicine and machines, people would hope to be treated by a nurse who has not been destroyed by overwork and who still has the strength to recognize suffering.

Liu Che-ting is a writer.

Translated by Kyra Gustavsen

Have we forgotten to take care of our carers?


EDITORIAL CARTOON

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

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on Friday used their legislative majority to push their version of a special defense budget bill to fund the purchase of US military equipment, with the combined spending capped at NT$780 billion (US$24.78 billion). The bill, which fell short of the Executive Yuan’s NT$1.25 trillion request, was passed by a 59-0 margin with 48 abstentions in the 113-seat legislature.KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), who reportedly met with TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) for a private meeting before holding a joint post-vote news conference, was said to have mobilized her


Keir Starmer’s most likely usurpers are deeply flawed

Starmer’s collapsing authority leaves Labour facing a dangerous leadership vacuum with no obvious consensus successor in sight

As British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s unhappy reign enters its endgame, he makes one point that is worth hearing: Britain cannot return to the constant psychodrama of previous Tory governments that landed us with former British prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss as prime ministers. Whoever replaces No. 10’s current inhabitant must be a credible figure capable of navigating the violent economic and political seas buffeting the country. That means the contest which now looks inevitable cannot be rushed, and should not be a narrow one.

After last week’s disastrous local and regional election results, Starmer’s authority looks shot. With his lawmakers, ministers and even cabinet against him, he is unlikely to survive long. However, the chaos of the last few days and the dark judgment of the bond market would not be resolved by the hasty coronation of another candidate who is not up to the job.

Much would depend on how exactly Starmer exits, and the timetable that emerges for choosing a successor. If he keeps clinging on grimly, daring his ministers to force him out — as with Johnson four years ago — the starting gun could be fired quickly. That would favor Wes Streeting, the ambitious Secretary of State for Health, and to a lesser extent, the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner. A contest featuring only this flawed pair would be a disaster.

Streeting has the charisma and communication skills that Starmer so unfortunately lacks, but coming from the Blairite right of the party, he is unpopular with many in Labour’s tax-and-spend factions. The party’s left-leaning membership has the final say over the choice of leader, except in the event that only one candidate stands, and it is resistant to Streeting’s charms.

As my Bloomberg News colleague Alex Wickham has reported, were Labour to blunder into putting Streeting into Downing Street by default, some colleagues would try to unseat him even before he has had time to unpack his crates.

The health secretary — who was due to hold talks with Starmer on Wednesday — would probably tick the bond-trader’s box because of his avowed fiscal rigor, but what does he offer in policy terms that is substantially different from Starmer?

The current prime minister is blessed with a hefty parliamentary majority and has failed to get his reforms past his large cohort of mutinous soft-left lawmakers. Streeting was also close to Peter Mandelson, the disgraced former UK ambassador to the US, whose foolhardy appointment pushed Starmer to the precipice.

Rayner’s qualifications are severely undermined by a scandal of her own. It is only eight months since she resigned in disgrace after failing to pay full property taxes (an official investigation into her tax affairs has yet to conclude). Though popular in Labour circles, Rayner is a devotee of worker rights and wealth taxes. She is perhaps the candidate markets fear most. The sharp rise in UK borrowing costs that accompanies any dip in Starmer’s fortunes is often driven by the specter of Rayner or her ilk having power.

So Labour needs to broaden the contest. That could well mean keeping Starmer in situ until the popular Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is able to return to the House of Commons — likely to be a torturous process — or by encouraging any brave hearts in the cabinet to step up.

Burnham would hardly ease investor jitters, largely thanks to an imprudent comment last year that the government should resist “being in hock to the bond markets.” But he’s by far the most popular senior UK politician amongst voters, comfortably ahead of the hard-right upstart Nigel Farage. A longer contest would give the Manchester mayor time to mend relations with the City of London, perhaps by teaming up with a potential chancellor considered fiscally sound.

Rayner has called for Labour’s leadership to allow Burnham’s return to the Commons. Still, his route back is not without peril. His party’s stock has fallen so far that any by-election to secure him a parliamentary seat might not be a sure thing despite his popularity.

For months now, the dynamic keeping Starmer in office has been the flaws — or unavailability — of his potential replacements. That has not changed since last Thursday’s electoral drubbing. One disappointment has been the failure of cabinet big beasts to offer to make a fight of any contest, even though several are eagerly urging Starmer to set a date for his departure.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper might not want a repeat of her bruising loss to the hard-left socialist Jeremy Corbyn in 2015. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is a solid performer, but many Labourites hate her hardline immigration policies. Pat McFadden, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and Secretary of State for Defence John Healey are two of the last remaining Starmer loyalists. Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, already had a less-than-dazzling spell as leader.

Their reasons for holding back are understandable enough. And yet, this is a time of national need. The least Britain can ask for is a more heavyweight bout than Streeting versus Rayner.

Rosa Prince is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering UK politics and policy. She was formerly an editor and writer at Politico and the Daily Telegraph, and is the author of Comrade Corbyn and Theresa May: The Enigmatic Prime Minister. 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.


Hantavirus: the disease you wish you had never heard of, as visions of the COVID-19 pandemic flash through your head. I have seen lots of breathless coverage and some bizarre takes on social media, so I imagine many people are confused as to what is going on.

Let me start by saying that this is not the COVID-19 pandemic — only COVID was COVID. Previous hantavirus outbreaks have been contained (although none were on a cruise ship). For now, the risk to the public is low — colleagues and I are still carrying on as normal and watching to see whether new infections arise outside the original cruise ship group. Those new infections would be the key step-change determining whether we see further spread and higher-risk public health alerts — or whether we are at the end of this outbreak.

The first thing to know is that hantavirus cases happen all the time across the world. You just do not hear about them. In fact, you probably did not hear about the Andes strain of hantavirus outbreak in 2018 in Argentina, with 34 confirmed cases and 11 deaths.

Part of what makes the current outbreak unique — and newsworthy — is it being on a cruise ship with about 150 people of 23 nationalities. Cruise ships are notorious for making outbreak control difficult, given the close living conditions, the frequent stops in various ports, the globetrotting nature of passengers and the difficulty in managing a public health response on the ship once a virus is detected.

Do you keep everyone on the ship, with the risk that more people are infected and become unwell? Or do you take people off the ship and risk spreading in each of their home nations? In this instance, quite a few passengers disembarked before the outbreak was detected and took commercial flights back home, meaning there is already wider potential exposure to the virus. We would only know for sure in the weeks to come.

When hantavirus was first mentioned, public health experts hoped it was not the Andes strain, which can transmit from human to human and has previously caused super-spreading events. Add to that the fact that it has an incubation period of one to eight weeks, which means that just because someone tests negative today, it does not mean they are not infected. They could still become symptomatic and infectious later.

We also do not have an approved vaccine, specific therapeutic or rapid diagnostic test that could be deployed against this strain. This means having to rely on traditional public health measures of isolation and quarantine, N95 masks and stopping chains of infection.

We would know how many others were infected on the cruise ship in a matter of days, so expect more positive cases. We would also know within a few weeks if secondary contacts on flights and elsewhere were infected by passengers who disembarked before the outbreak was identified. None have been identified so far, which is good news. However, it is still early.

Those returning to their home countries must be supported logistically, medically and emotionally to quarantine for the full WHO-recommended 42 days so they do not infect their close contacts, such as family and friends they might want to see. With the long incubation period, this could mean cases emerging one to two months in the future and more chains of infection to shut down. We are also in a unique situation of relying on 23 different governments to successfully manage their nationals returning home.

Finally, this has all been made more difficult by the fact that the US has traditionally been the leader in outbreak investigation and response through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, it recently quit the WHO and fired all the CDC’s cruise inspectors.

To its credit, the WHO has taken the lead on the response, working with the staff on the ship and multiple governments to coordinate a coherent and integrated response. All of these different countries are welcoming their nationals back, and should all be following a similar containment protocol.

Here, the UK Health Security Agency (headed by professor Susan Hopkins) has been leading this — and to its credit, it has taken a sensible, scientific and proactive response to managing the outbreak. For instance, using self-contained flats at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, to house all those coming off the ship and ensuring they have a supported isolation arrangement with regular testing and medical assessments. They managed the Kent meningitis outbreak well, too.

Even if more cases arise, scientists are already looking for solutions: Vaccine studies are being expedited, existing drugs that might work against hantavirus are being studied and diagnostics are being tested. Knowing some of the brightest minds in the world are looking for solutions would hopefully help you sleep better at night, too.

Professor Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh.

Dangerous days lie ahead after the outbreak of hantavirus


Critics blame cost disease, weak funding models and heavy tuition discounting for the worsening higher education crisis

Step within the stone gates of a liberal arts college and it is easy to see the appeal: small classes and sprawling lawns, neo-Gothic architecture and modern amenities. When such institutions were established, many hoped they would foster an intellectual “awakening” among students. A string of recent closures suggests this mission has gone astray — and it is college administrators who need the wake-up call.

The recent decision to close Hampshire College in Massachusetts is one such warning. Despite multiyear efforts to fundraise and refinance debts, the school struggled to overcome a precipitous decline in enrollment, which had halved since the early 2000s. Hampshire is hardly alone. According to one estimate, more than a quarter of the nation’s 1,700 private nonprofit four-year colleges and universities, serving some 670,000 students, are at risk of closing or merging within the next decade.

Simply put, graduates want jobs. Despite recent improvements, unemployment among young adults with a bachelor’s degree remains high and uncertainty prevails about the effect of artificial intelligence on entry-level work. Yet far from seeking college as a pathway to employment, teens now question whether a degree is worth the trouble. Enrollment among recent high school graduates has fallen 8 percentage points since 2016.

For liberal arts colleges this crisis of confidence could not have come at a worse time. Starting last year the population of 18-year-olds began to shrink, thanks to declining birth rates after the global financial crisis. Immigration restrictions sought by the White House, meanwhile, have sharply limited the pool of international applicants, who often pay full price.

Demographics aside the challenge facing colleges is largely self-inflicted. Sliding academic standards and lenient grading — meant to placate students — have cheapened degrees at all but the most elite schools. That students increasingly doubt the value of a product they once demanded should put faculty and administrators on notice.

Small liberal arts colleges tend to fall into two economic traps. One is cost disease: A highly skilled labor force (professors) demands wage increases, yet colleges remain stubbornly resistant to changes — such as expanded enrollment — that might increase productivity. Most schools, meanwhile, have small endowments and limited public funding, making them reliant on tuition. Recruitment, however, often requires heavy discounting. As a result, almost 90 percent of students do not pay full price, and net tuition has been falling.

All of this is to say that the closures are likely to continue. Policymakers should work with administrators to ensure they occur in an orderly manner. Students at colleges that shutter abruptly are less likely to complete their degrees than their counterparts at schools with a transition plan in place — by a margin of 10 percentage points. Any such program should help students transfer to public institutions, honor credits earned and provide financial aid counseling. State officials likewise should improve data collection and financial monitoring to better anticipate when closures would occur.

Schools should use this reckoning to rethink how to prepare their students for a future shaped by AI and other new technologies. The White House is rightly focused on expanding apprenticeship programs and vocational schools. Liberal arts colleges would need to demonstrate that the skills they were founded to impart — critical thinking, civic literacy, empathy and curiosity — are compatible with the jobs of tomorrow. Some public schools are already moving in this direction.

The closure of small colleges should be an opportunity for those that remain. A liberal arts education, properly priced and designed, might just be one worth saving.

The Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs.

A liberal arts education is still worth saving


Vegas advance to the conference finals

DUCKS DEPART:  Mitch Marner played a role in all three of Vegas’ first-period goals, with the win handing them a vastly greater challenge against the Avalanche

Mitch Marner on Thursday scored a tremendous goal 62 seconds after the opening faceoff, while Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice in the third period as the Vegas Golden Knights cruised into the NHL Western Conference finals with a 5-1 victory over Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of their second round series.

Brett Howden scored his third short-handed goal of the playoffs and Shea Theodore got a power-play goal during a 3-0 first period for the Golden Knights, who reached the third round of the NHL post-season for the first time since they won their lone Stanley Cup championship in 2023 — and for the fifth time in this charmed expansion franchise’s nine seasons of existence.

“You go into it and you want to score first, especially being on the road,” said Theodore, an original member of the Knights after Anaheim traded him to Vegas in 2017. “I thought we responded well. We played great the first 15 minutes, and that’s what we had to do... Just a veteran group. We had the right mindset coming in, and it was good to see the results.”

The Vegas Golden Knights’ Mitch Marner, right, lines up a shot as Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal defends during Game 6 of their second-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff series at T-Mobile Arena in Anaheim, California, on Thursday. Photo: AP

Marner played a role in all three of Vegas’ first-period goals while raising his NHL-leading playoff point total to 18, and Game 5 overtime goal-scorer Dorofeyev put the game away with a huge third period. Carter Hart made 31 saves as the veteran-laden Golden Knights ended the upstart Ducks’ first playoff appearance since 2018.

“It obviously feels great,” said Marner, who got labeled a playoff underachiever while his Toronto Maple Leafs never reached a conference final. “We worked extremely hard for all these little goals that we set throughout the year, and another one [is] achieved, but obviously the work just keeps getting harder and harder.”

Vegas face an exponentially bigger challenge in the Colorado Avalanche, who won the Presidents’ Trophy and improved to 8-1 in the post-season on Wednesday by ousting the Minnesota Wild in five games.

The Montreal Canadiens’ Nick Suzuki, left, and Ivan Demidov celebrate a goal during Game 5 of their second-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, on Thursday. Photo: AP

Mikael Granlund scored a power-play goal for the Ducks, whose return from a seven-year playoff drought ended when their young roster was unable to match the veteran Knights’ playoff poise in three losses over the final four games.

Lukas Dostal stopped 16 shots for Anaheim, who could not overcome another poor first period in Game 6, ending their encouraging first season under coach Joel Quenneville.

“Vegas got better every single game,” Quenneville said. “They played well. They checked well. They deserved to win. Tonight was kind of what happened too many times this year, where we give up a couple of quick ones early, and it’s a tough comeback against a team that knows how to play hockey.”

In Buffalo, New York, Captain Nick Suzuki and the Montreal Canadiens’ top line brought the offense to put them one win from advancing to the NHL Eastern Conference finals.

Suzuki and Jake Evans capped a three-goal second period surge by scoring 68 seconds apart in their 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres, giving the Canadiens a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Montreal did not lead until Evans swept a loose puck over the goal line behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to put the Canadiens up 4-3 with 3 minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the second period.

Suzuki scored 10 seconds into a power-play opportunity by converting Juraj Slafkovsky’s one-handed pass from the end boards and beating Luukkonen through the legs with a shot from the lower right circle.

“The power-play goal was huge, felt like it gave us a little bit of breathing room,” Suzuki said. “Just kept trying to put the foot on the gas a little bit, too.”

Demidov, Cole Caufield, Josh Anderson and Alexandre Texier also scored for Montreal, who are to host Game 6 today.


Dodgers regain sole NL West lead

Will Smith on Thursday hit his first career leadoff home run, while pinch-hitter Alex Call had a tiebreaking two-run single in the sixth inning, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants night in their series finale.

Smith was in the leadoff spot that usually belongs to Shohei Ohtani, who was given a second straight night off as designated hitter amid an offensive slump.

Smith went deep to right-center off Landen Roupp (5-4) in the bottom of the first.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during their MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday. Photo: AP

The win moved the Dodgers back into sole possession of first in the National League West after the San Diego Padres lost earlier in the day, going down 7-1 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Los Angeles salvaged a split in the four-game series to avoid losing their first series to the Giants at home since June 16 to 18, 2023.

With two outs, Call singled to right off reliever Matt Gage, scoring Max Muncy, who grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Teoscar Hernandez, who singled.

The Chicago White Sox’s Randal Grichuk hits a two-run home run during their MLB game against the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on Thursday. Photo: AP

Miguel Rojas followed with an RBI single that gave the Dodgers a 5-2 lead.

The Giants tied it at 2-2 on Lee Jung-hoo’s inside-the-park, two-run homer off Emmet Sheehan (3-1) with two outs in the fifth.

Kim Hye-seong’s RBI single extended the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0 in the second.

Sheehan allowed two runs and two hits while striking out six over six innings. Tanner Scott retired the side in the ninth to earn his fourth save.

Roupp gave up four runs and six hits in 5-1/3 innings, while striking out seven batters.

In Chicago, Randal Grichuk drove in four runs to lift the White Sox to a 6-2 win over the visiting Kansas City Royals, moving Chicago above .500 for the first time since they won their opening game of 2023.

Grichuk hit a two-run home run in the first inning and then drove in two more with a single in third as Chicago won their fifth straight game.

The White Sox swept three games from the Royals to officially be the hottest team in the MLB.

The White Sox at 22-21 are above .500 after April for the first time since October 2022.

Elsewhere on Thursday, it was:

‧ Astros 3, Mariners 8

‧ Athletics 4, Cardinals 5

‧ Braves 0, Cubs 2

‧ Mets 9, Tigers 4

‧ Pirates 7, Rockies 2

‧ Red Sox 1, Phillies 3

‧ Reds 15, Nationals 1

‧ Twins 9, Marlins 1


The penultimate round of the Serie A campaign promises an intriguing fight for places in next season’s UEFA Champions League, but a fixture scheduling stand-off between the league and local authorities left clubs and supporters in limbo until an agreement was reached.

Serie A rules require teams competing for the same objective to play simultaneously on the final two match days. On Monday, the organizers scheduled the five decisive fixtures for 12:30pm tomorrow.

The Rome derby was among them, and with the Italian Tennis Open men’s final taking place tomorrow at the Foro Italico, next door to the Stadio Olimpico, the early kick-off was chosen to avoid security complications.

Inter’s Lautaro Martinez holds the trophy after their win in the Coppa Italia final against SS Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

The Italian Open was interrupted on Wednesday when smoke from fireworks at the neighboring Stadio Olimpico drifted across the Foro Italico as Inter beat SS Lazio 2-0 in the Coppa Italia final.

However, Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini disagreed. On Tuesday he ordered the AS Roma-Lazio game in Serie A to be moved to Monday night.

The Lega Serie A governing body appealed to the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio, but it declined to rule, instead inviting the parties to come to an agreement.

A decision was made late on Thursday to schedule the games for 12pm tomorrow, with a unified security coordination put in place to cover the Rome derby and the tennis.

Five points divide five clubs, with three spots available in Europe’s top club competition — champions Inter (85 points) are the only side assured of their place — with those who miss out heading for the UEFA Europa League.

SSC Napoli are second on 70 points, two ahead of Juventus, with AC Milan and Roma a further point back. Como, sixth on 65 points, have already secured European qualification for the first time and remain in contention for a top-four finish. They face Parma Calcio 1913 (42 points, 13th)

Last season’s champions Napoli know that a win against already-relegated Pisa (18 points, 20th and last) would secure a spot in Europe.

Milan are to play Genoa (41 points, 14th).

Juventus, on a 10-game unbeaten run, are expected to take all three points against ACF Fiorentina (38 points, 15th).

Double winners Inter host Serie B-bound Hellas Verona (20 points, 19th).

The relegation fight provides the weekend’s other drama, with three teams battling to avoid the final drop spot.

US Cremonese are third from bottom on 31 points and are away to Udinese (50 points, 10th). US Lecce, one point ahead of Cremonese in 17th, face US Sassuolo Calcio (49 points, 11th), while Cagliari (37 points, 16th) need a draw at home against Torino (44 points, 12th) to confirm safety.

On Monday, Atalanta BC (58 points, seventh) are to play Bologna (52 points, eighth).

Additional reporting by staff writer

Serie A solves scheduling chaos as teams chase spots


Saudi Arabia signs soccer deal as it prioritizes sports

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund on Thursday became an “official tournament supporter” of the FIFA World Cup and reaffirmed its commitment to invest heavily in sports, despite notable retreats from other ventures in the past few months.

In announcing the partnership, the kingdom’s public investment fund (PIF) said that sports was a “priority sector” and soccer was crucial to the “ongoing transformation of Saudi Arabia.”

The PIF this month announced that it was pulling the plug on future funding for LIV Golf, the breakaway tour that it has poured billions of dollars into, raising questions about its long-term plans for other sports after its enormous spending in the past few years.

A replica of the official FIFA World Cup Trionda match ball is displayed ahead of a news conference in Tokyo yesterday. Photo: Reuters

While the value of the World Cup deal, which covers North America and Asia, was not disclosed, it bolsters ties between Saudi Arabia and FIFA.

The oil-rich kingdom has won the rights to host the 2034 edition of the World Cup and PIF was a commercial partner for last year’s FIFA Club World Cup.

According to FIFA accounts, television broadcasting rights had contributed “the lion’s share” of its annual revenue last year, worth more than US$1 billion.

Investment in other sports includes hosting a number of world championship boxing matches, Formula One racing and tennis.

While there has been a slowdown of top soccer players heading to the Saudi Pro League after its earlier aggressive recruitment drive, PIF outlined its ongoing commitment to the world’s most popular sport.

“PIF continues to expand its global footprint in sport, with football at the heart of this growth,” head of corporate brand Mohamed al-Sayyad said.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is to stage its first professional Twenty20 cricket league in October, organizers said on Thursday.

The six-team league is to begin in the second week of October featuring “legends of the international game” alongside emerging talent, organizers said.

Additional reporting by Reuters


SOCCER

Mbappe down on return

France captain Kylian Mbappe on Thursday said that he is now the fourth-choice forward at Real Madrid after manager Alvaro Arbeloa left him out of the starting line-up for their 2-0 win over Real Oviedo in La Liga. The Frenchman, who missed Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Barcelona and was booed by his own fans on his return from a hamstring injury, came off the bench in the 68th minute after Arbeloa opted to play Vinicius Jr and Gonzalo Garcia in attack. Mbappe told reporters that fitness was not an issue. “I’m 100 percent fine. I haven’t played because for the coach I’ve been the fourth striker in the squad behind [Franco] Mastantuono, Vini and Gonzalo,” he said. “I was ready to start, it’s his decision and it always has to be respected. I have no problem at all with Arbeloa. You have to accept the coach’s philosophy and I have to do better to play ahead of Vini, Gonzalo and Mastantuono.” Mbappe has faced criticism from fans for traveling to Sardinia while recovering from his injury, although he said the club had authorized the trip. Arbeloa said there was no way he could start Mbappe after he missed the Barcelona match, but would start Real’s next match against Sevilla tomorrow. Elsewhere on Thursday, Girona moved out of the drop zone after a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad, while Rayo Vallecano, sitting in 11th place, drew 1-1 against 13th-placed Valencia.

SOCCER

Mitoma misses out

Injured Premier League winger Kaoru Mitoma yesterday was left out of Japan’s FIFA World Cup squad when coach Hajime Moriyasu named his 26 players for the tournament starting next month in North America. Captain and Liverpool defensive midfielder Wataru Endo and veteran fullback Yuto Nagatomo were included. The 28-year-old Mitoma sustained a hamstring injury during Brighton & Hove Albion’s 3-0 win over Wolverhampton wanderers in the Premier League last weekend. “The medical team assessed that it would be difficult for him to get back to fitness during the tournament,” Moriyasu said. Japan are on a five-match winning streak heading into their final pre-World Cup friendly against Iceland in Tokyo on May 31. The streak started in October last year with a 3-2 win over Brazil in Tokyo, which was the last time Japan conceded a goal.

BASEBALL

Stuck ball scores HR

Austin Overn, who plays for the Tampa Bay Rays’ Double-A affiliate, on Wednesday hit a home run that rolled into the outfield grass and needed to be dug out of the turf. The Montgomery Biscuits outfielder sent a pitch down the right field line in the seventh inning of their 11-3 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers. Right fielder Damon Keith chased the ball, went into an awkward slide to keep it from rolling to the wall and his body pushed it into the grass of Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium. Keith, who was injured on the play, but stayed in the game, fell to the ground and could not pull the embedded ball out of the grass while Overn scored with ease for his second homer of the game. After Overn scored, an umpire and representatives from both teams went to right field to examine the ball. Biloxi first baseman Blake Burke was finally able to pull the mud-covered ball out of the grass, putting an end to a wacky sequence.

SPORTS BRIEFS


PRISONER EXCHANGE: The two countries exchanged 205 POWs each as part of a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap US President Donald Trump announced last week

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy yesterday called for Moscow to be punished after laying red roses at the rubble of a Kyiv apartment building where a Russian missile strike killed 24 people, including three children.

Rescue workers ended search operations at the devastated building, which was struck this week during Russia’s heaviest air attack on the Ukrainian capital this year.

“Our first responders ... worked non-stop for more than a day,” Zelenskiy said on the Telegram app after visiting the site of the attack in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi District, on the left bank of the Dnipro River, placing flowers and talking to rescue workers.

Released Ukrainian prisoners of war wrapped with Ukrainian national flags react following a prisoner exchange at an undisclosed location in Chernihiv yesterday. Photo: AFPWarning: Smoking can damage your health.

“The Russians practically leveled an entire section of the building with their missile,” he said.

Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, launched more than 1,500 drones and dozens of missiles in attacks across Ukraine this week over two consecutive days, Ukrainian officials said.

Six people were killed in the attacks on Wednesday in western Ukraine, far from the front line.

A video grab taken from a handout footage released by the Russian Ministry of Defense yesterday shows Russian prisoners of war posing with flags in front of a bus following an exchange of prisoners at an undisclosed location in Belarus. Photo: AFP

“A Russia like this can never be normalized — a Russia that deliberately destroys lives and hopes to remain unpunished. Pressure is needed,” Zelenskiy said, reiterating appeals to allies to help Ukraine strengthen its air defences.

Kyiv yesterday held a day of mourning to honor the victims, with national flags at half-mast across the city of 3 million people. All entertainment events were canceled or postponed.

The Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior said the search-and-rescue operation at the apartment building lasted more than 28 hours and hundreds of rescuers sifted through 3,000m3 of rubble.

Kyiv condemns Russia strike killing 24


‘DEATH TO ARABS’: Far-right Jewish marchers called for Palestinian villages to burn, while 400 volunteers showed up to protect Palestinian residents from political violence

Israeli nationalists chanted “death to the Arabs,” “may your villages burn” and “Gaza is a graveyard” in a state-sponsored march through Jerusalem to mark the anniversary of the city’s capture and annexation.

The annual assertion of Jewish control over Palestinian East Jerusalem has grown more extreme in recent years, and Thursday’s event culminated with Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir unfurling an Israeli flag in front of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the holiest Islamic site in the city.

Most Palestinians in the Muslim quarter of the Old City had shuttered their shops and gone home before the march began, but members of far-right radical Jewish groups who had entered scuffled with Palestinian residents still there, with both sides throwing chairs at each other, until separated by police who entered the city that afternoon in force.

Israelis wave a giant national flag during a march marking Jerusalem Day, next to the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on Thursday. Photo: AP

“I’ve come to show all the world that this is our city. This is the Holy Land. God gave us this country and this city,” 19-year-old marcher Ariel Amichai said.

Asked what the intended message of the march was to Palestinians in Jerusalem, he replied: “That they must leave. This is our country. And they can’t just be here and try to stab us or kill us.”

Amichai, who is from Modi’in, 43km from Jerusalem, said he believed that Jerusalem Day, marking the capture of the east side of the city in 1967, was the only day when Jews could enter the Muslim quarter through the Damascus Gate, though Israeli Jews and Palestinians use the gate on a daily basis.

People wave Israeli flags as they gather at the Western Wall Plaza, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, during the annual Jerusalem Day in Jerusalem’s Old City on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Marchers were bused in from around Israel and from settlements in the occupied West Bank in a vast operation funded by the Jerusalem municipality and government ministries. Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich also took part in the march.

Once Palestinians had left the Old City, much of the tension was between government-backed marchers and members of a Jewish group, Standing Together, which had come to protect Palestinian residents from political violence.

Suf Patishi, a Standing Together organizer, said a record 400 volunteers had turned up in hi-vis vests in the organization’s trademark purple, on a day fraught with risks.

“We wanted to really cover each and every corner of the city to make sure that we prevent attacks against Palestinians,” Patishi said. “Yes, it is dangerous to us, but nothing like the danger to the Palestinians that are living here.”

There were a few religious Jews among the protective cordon of counter-protesters.

An orthodox man with a long gray beard and gold coat said he had come from northern Israel and gave his name only as David.

“I’ve become appalled by the violent behavior of people in my community,” David said. “I’m a man of faith, religious, and they’re doing this in our name, and I felt I should do something to contrast that. This is a desecration of God’s name, so the only way to remedy that is to do the opposite, a Kiddush Hashem, a sanctification of God’s name.”

On the Al-Aqsa compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, Ben-Gvir danced with supporters singing “the Temple Mount is in our hands,” as he unfurled an Israeli flag.

The minister has led a campaign to erode the 59-year status quo, dating back to the Israeli capture of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, under which non-Muslims are forbidden from praying in the sacred area.

On Thursday evening, Ben-Gvir wrote on his Telegram social media account: “59 years after the liberation of Jerusalem, I raised the Israeli flag on the Temple Mount and we can proudly say: We have returned governance to the Temple Mount.”

Israelis chant threats at Jerusalem Day march


Ship seized, another sunk near Hormuz

A ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was seized and taken toward Iran and another — a cargo ship near Oman — sank after being attacked, authorities said on Thursday, as tensions escalated near the Strait of Hormuz.

It was not immediately clear who was behind these incidents, but they happened as a senior Iranian official reiterated his country’s claim of control over the waterway and another said it had a right to seize oil tankers connected to the US.

The turmoil in the strait has been a sticking point for weeks in talks between the US and Iran to end the conflict. Iran’s grip on the vital waterway has jolted the world economy and spiked fuel prices far beyond the Middle East.

A coast guard boat approaches an Indian liquefied petroleum gas carrier as it arrives at Mundra Port via the Strait of Hormuz in Gujarat, India, on March 16. Photo: Reuters

The ongoing instability in the region came as US President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing. The White House said both sides had agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open.

Just last week, tensions flared in the strait when US forces fired on and disabled Iranian oil tankers that they said were trying to breach its blockade of Iran’s ports.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations center said it received reports that the ship seized on Thursday was taken by unauthorized personnel while anchored 38 nautical miles (70km) northeast of the UAE port of Fujairah, an important oil export terminal that has been repeatedly attacked during the war with Iran.

The UK maritime center did not name the ship and said it is investigating. The British military said the vessel is heading toward Iranian waters.

Indian authorities on Thursday said that an Indian-flagged cargo ship sank off the coast of Oman after an attack sparked a fire aboard the vessel while it was en route from Somalia to Sharjah, another UAE port. They did not say who attacked the ship.

The attack on the Indian-flagged cargo ship Haji Ali occurred on Wednesday, said Mukesh Mangal, a senior official in India’s shipping ministry, adding that all 14 Indian crew members were rescued by Oman’s coast guard and were safe.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs called the incident “unacceptable” and condemned continued attacks on commercial shipping and civilian mariners. It did not identify who carried out the attack.

Iranian semiofficial news agencies reported that Chinese ships began passing through the strait on Wednesday night under new Iranian protocols.

Reports said Tehran agreed to facilitate the passage of several Chinese vessels after requests from China’s foreign minister and Beijing’s ambassador to Iran. The ships began their passage as Trump arrived in China.

The seizure of a ship off the coast of the UAE happened hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had quietly visited the country during the Israeli-US war with Iran, though the UAE swiftly denied it.

The Gulf nation normalized relations with Israel in 2020. Iran has criticized that agreement and has repeatedly suggested over the years that Israel maintained a military and intelligence presence in the UAE.

Netanyahu’s decision to go public with the sensitive meeting was likely an effort to drum up support for his flagging party ahead of Israeli elections, said Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Institute of National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

“It’s amazing, it’s the deepest cooperation we’ve ever had … that during a war, Israel is defending an Arab state against Iran. It shows how complicated the Middle East is,” he said.

The UAE is trying to highlight its cooperation with Israel, but not with Netanyahu and his government, Guzansky said, because many in the UAE are against Israel’s policies in Gaza.

“They’re trying to differentiate between security cooperation and cooperating with this government,” said Guzansky, who previously worked for the national security council within the Israeli prime minister’s office.


Campaigners urge review of Japanese business visa rules

Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for a review of newly tightened Japanese business visa requirements, as a video of an emotional speech by an Indian restaurant owner spread widely online.

The rule was revised late last year, requiring applicants to have ￥30 million (US$190,000) in capital, up from ￥5 million, due to concerns that the system was being abused. However, campaigners say the new rule could force out long-time residents, and the petition highlighted the plight of foreign restaurant owners in particular.

“My children only speak Japanese... and we’re told to go back to India,” Manish Kumar, who has lived in Japan for 30 years, said at a gathering about the visa issue on Wednesday.

His business manager visa was not renewed last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported.

“I’ve worked hard to get this far thanks to the support” from fellow chefs and customers, Kumar said.

“I’ve done nothing wrong. It’s cruel to tell people to return to their home country just because the rules have suddenly changed,” he said.

It was unclear whether Kumar’s curry restaurant in Saitama, near Tokyo, is still operating. The clip showing his tearful speech was viewed millions of times.

As of yesterday, the number of signatures on the Change.org petition calling for the government to scrap the ￥30 million requirement had reached nearly 60,000.

It was submitted to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan this week.

The number of applications for business manager visas has dropped 96 percent since the tightening of the rule, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

Japanese Minister in Charge of Economic Security Kimi Onoda welcomed the change, telling a news conference on Tuesday that “concerns that [the requirement] might be misused for the purpose of migration have been largely allayed.”

Concerns about the system had grown in the past few years, with Chinese social media posts claiming it was easy to get a visa in Japan.

The number of business manager visa holders jumped to 45,000 by June last year, half of them Chinese and 2.7 times the number a decade ago, public broadcaster NHK said.

Investigations by regional immigration services bureaus have also revealed numerous shell companies.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has promised to tighten immigration rules, even though Asia’s second-largest economy is struggling with labor shortages and a falling population.


For nearly three decades, performances by Cuba’s Danza Voluminosa regularly filled prestigious venues like the 2,000-seat National Theater. Directed by Juan Miguel Mas, the troupe pioneered a new movement by working exclusively with larger-bodied dancers — a creative process that was captured in a Canadian documentary.

Today, the 60-year-old dancer and choreographer from Havana is far from the big stages where he once thrived and rehearsed alongside professional artists. Instead, he spends his days conducting dance workshops and classes for children and coordinating performances within his community.

Like many Cubans navigating one of the island’s worst economic crises in decades, Mas’ daily life has been upended by persistent blackouts, water outages, soaring costs and a lack of transportation.

Choreographer Juan Miguel Mas, back center, leads an outdoor performance by his young dancers in a neighborhood of Havana on Saturday last week. Photo: AP

However, for artists like him, the situation is a little worse, compounded by the cancellation of shows, a lack of production budgets and a mass exodus from the cultural sector. In fact, he was recently notified that his teaching contract with the National Theater of Cuba has been suspended.

“The outlook for the arts is complex and bleak,” essayist and arts journalist Michel Hernandez said.

He added that Cuba’s cultural spaces — once affordable and state-run — have deteriorated significantly, leaving artists with few venues beyond a handful of expensive private spaces.

A young dancer dances during an outdoor performance led by choreographer Juan Miguel Mas, not pictured, in a neighborhood of Havana on Saturday last week. Photo: AP

Yet, Mas will not give up.

“I am very interested in staying in Cuba,” he said on a recent Saturday as he prepared for a rehearsal with children from a nearby community. “Were I to emigrate, I would lose contact with that ‘Cubanness’ that exists here, with the audience, the people, the folks next door.”

Born in Havana in 1965, Mas trained as a dancer and choreographer under the tutelage of Laura Alonso, a renowned ballerina, and Ramiro Guerra, the father of contemporary dance on the island.

He also studied with the Cuban-American dancer and choreographer Lorna Burdsall, who encouraged him to persevere despite the discrimination he faced from dance schools because he weighed 160kg.

He made his debut in 1996 with his own company, Danza Voluminosa (or Voluminous Dance), which remained active until 2024 and provided a home for dancers whose bodies diverged significantly from the industry’s prevailing aesthetic norms. He also worked as an actor and last year, he starred in Cherri a fictional film based on his own life experiences.

These days, to supplement the modest income he makes working with children, Mas leases a small area of his home for business use and hosts weekend garage sales featuring curated recycled clothing, tableware and household goods.

Since his sister and teenage nephew relocated to Spain last year, he has lived alone and managed his expenses by shopping at a local farmers’ market just two blocks away. Conveniently, he also accesses subsidized medications at a state-run pharmacy directly across the street.

On a recent morning, water bottle in hand to ward off the heat, Mas walked six blocks to the lively Marianao district, where a crowd of 30 children and their mothers awaited his arrival.

The group suddenly transformed a street corner into a stage and for a full 90 minutes, the air filled with music as the little ones performed their songs and showed off their dance moves dressed as bees and other colorful characters.

Against all odds, Mas highlighted the importance of staying connected to his community.

“It’s about bringing the knowledge of art to these children and lifting them out of a reality defined by conflict,” he said.

Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets


FINLAND

Drone scare disrupts flights

The government early yesterday warned the public of drones possibly entering its airspace for the first time near Helsinki. Flights were disrupted at the country’s biggest airport, Helsinki-Vantaa, and about 1.8 million residents in the south were told to remain indoors after overnight Ukrainian strikes on Russia near Finland prompted concern that uncrewed aircraft had strayed into the country. The emergency warning was issued at 3:49am and authorities said a drone was expected to be heading toward an area between Helsinki and Porvoo, home to assets including Neste Oyj’s oil refinery on the south coast. The alert was lifted at 7:06am. The Finnish Defense Forces raised their readiness level and scrambled fighter jets, and air traffic at Helsinki-Vantaa airport and shipping traffic in the Gulf of Finland were rerouted. Some flights arriving from Asia were diverted to airports in the northern town of Rovaniemi and Stockholm. The Ministry of the Interior said one drone entered Finnish territory, but its location remains unknown and no damage or casualties have been reported.

PAKISTAN

Militant attack kills nine

Militants attacked a security compound in the northwest with an explosives-laden truck and gunfire, killing at least nine paramilitary officers, officials said yesterday. The violence on Thursday in Bajaur follows a deadly car bomb and mortar attack in the past week that left 21 people dead in the same restive region bordering Afghanistan. “In the attack, nine paramilitary officers and 10 militants were killed,” a senior security official in Peshawar said, adding that the attackers drove the explosives-loaded vehicle into the compound’s gate. The attackers fled after a prolonged exchange of fire with security personnel, at least 35 of whom were wounded in the assault, the official added. The militant group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, very active in the region, claimed responsibility for the attack.

PHILIPPINES

Power cuts hit millions

Widespread power cuts yesterday struck the nation, leaving millions without electricity in the tropical nation’s hottest month of the year. The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said rolling one-hour power outages hit parts of Metro Manila and the rest of the main island of Luzon from mid-afternoon. These were due to “major grid disruptions” that affected transmission lines, as well as a maintenance shutdown of several major power plants, the NGCP and the Department of Energy said. The disruptions are scheduled to spread to the central islands, leading to seven-hour power cuts, NGCP said.

DR CONGO

New Ebola outbreak: CDC

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the continent’s top public health body, yesterday confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in the remote Ituri province, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded. The deaths and suspected cases have been recorded mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, the CDC said in a statement. Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation,” the agency said. The latest outbreak comes around five months after the nation’s last Ebola outbreak was declared over after 43 deaths. The new outbreak is the country’s 17th since the disease first emerged in the Congo in 1976.

World News Quick Take


趙天麟 柯文哲 黃國昌 鄭麗文 蔡英文

Donovan’s Deep Dives: How and why the TPP and KMT help BeijingSome lawmakers are acting out of legitimate policy differences, some out of hatred for the DPP, and some perhaps out of deeper loyalty or coercion — but together they are advancing goals the CCP could hardly improve on

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), alongside their smaller allies the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), are often accused of acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Some go so far as to call them “traitors.”

It is not hard to see why. They regularly pass legislation to stymie the normal functioning of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) administration, and they have yet to pass this year’s annual budget.

They slashed key elements of the government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special military budget, and in the smaller NT$780 billion package they did pass, it is riddled with provisions that threaten to tie the proposed weapons systems purchases in bureaucratic and legal knots, leaving doubts that the full amount will ever be spent.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chair Cheng Li-wun on April 14 meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. Cheng regularly recite CCP talking points on issues ranging from Vladimir Putin’s legitimacy to Taiwanese culture, identity and legal status. Photo courtesy of the KMT

From the Constitutional Court to several key regulatory agencies, nominees presented by the government to fill those roles are routinely rejected, often paralyzing those bodies by making them unable to form a legally mandated quorum.

KMT political figures, especially people like party Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), regularly recite CCP talking points on issues ranging from Vladimir Putin’s legitimacy to Taiwanese culture, identity and legal status.

All of this clearly benefits the CCP. They actively work to undermine democracies worldwide to delegitimize their political systems, sow discord and sharpen political divides to break down societal and governmental unity.

The CCP is engaged in “unlimited warfare” with any and all countries they believe to be enemies, to destroy them from within without having to fire a shot, or at very least weaken their resolve if it ever comes to actual combat.

Their prize target is Taiwan, and these strategies are employed here in full force.

In practice, the KMT’s legislative caucus of 53 members and one independent, plus their eight TPP allies, are helping the CCP achieve their aims in many ways via their legislative majority.

But why? Are all 62 opposition lawmakers “traitors?”

That is highly unlikely. There are multiple layers and motivations behind these lawmakers’ actions.

In examining these motivations, it is important to note that they are not mutually exclusive, and several could be true of some individuals. This is a diverse group of people.

For example, the most important leader of the opposition is KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁), and I suspect he has multiple motivations driving his hardline stances.

LEGITIMATE OPPOSITION

Not everything is a conspiracy, and not everything is about China.

Like opposition parties everywhere, some of this is legitimate policy and ideological differences between the opposition and the ruling party.

After eight years of DPP rule under Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) — when they held both the executive and legislative branches — many in the opposition felt the party had ruled without proper oversight, and are now in a position to provide it. Voters seem to agree, having given them a legislative majority, and turned out en masse to defend their majority in defeating last year’s recall campaigns against KMT lawmakers.

During the Tsai years, they accused the DPP administration of corruption and using their power to benefit their political allies. In some cases, they were right.

BAD BLOOD

Often it goes deeper than that. Many hold a deep enmity towards the DPP.

Prior to the current administration, the TPP caucus dealt with issues on a case-by-case basis and did not always side with the KMT.

That changed under the leadership of former TPP caucus whip and current TPP party chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌). He hates the DPP with a passion and is determined to bring them down.

During the Tsai administration, he grew increasingly frustrated and disgusted with the DPP over broken campaign promises, especially in the sphere of judicial reform, which he cares about deeply. He left the largely DPP-aligned New Power Party he cofounded and joined the TPP to battle the DPP more effectively.

With the arrest of TPP party founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on corruption charges in 2024, Huang accused the president and his administration of being “authoritarian” and “weaponizing the judiciary” to “destroy the TPP.” Ko has since been convicted and is out on appeal in what appears to be a strong case against him. Prosecutors regularly target politicians of all parties, but Huang insists this is a vendetta against the political opposition.

Meanwhile, the KMT and DPP also hate each other. The DPP was founded to overthrow the KMT’s authoritarian regime during the martial law era, and some in the party would love to see the KMT destroyed — especially those whose family members or even themselves were jailed as political dissidents.

For their part, the KMT ruled Taiwan for over 50 years, and hate and resent the DPP and their fairly successful promotion of their pro-Taiwan ideology. Many in the party still view themselves as the natural rulers of the nation, and will do anything they can to bring down the DPP to restore what they view as their natural right to oppose the DPP’s efforts to “de-sinify” Taiwan.

ACTIVE TRAITORS

While the above reasons have nothing to do with China, are there active traitors who are knowingly acting on behalf of the CCP?

Unfortunately, it is very likely.

The CCP will use any leverage they can get to turn a victim: money, sex, compromising material — whatever works.

There has been a string of espionage scandals involving DPP figures, including a former presidential aide and a staff member in the foreign minister’s office — both convicted of espionage.

A former legislative assistant who won a DPP primary for a Taipei city council seat, was indicted last month on charges of spying for China.

Former DPP lawmaker and previous frontrunner to run for Kaohsiung mayor this year, Chao Tian-lin (趙天麟), had a Chinese mistress. Though it was never proven the mistress was an agent, the CCP could have used that to their advantage regardless.

If the DPP can be infiltrated by the CCP, it is almost certain that the KMT has been infiltrated. They are far more likely to have family and business ties with China.

The party officially and privately sends a steady stream of delegations to China, and of the political parties, KMT members are far more likely to make personal trips there.

The opportunities this presents to turn them into agents for the CCP is high. Lucrative contracts for the businesses of relatives, sex or blackmailing them using compromising material has almost certainly been tried many times, though we do not know if — or how often — they have been successful.

Almost certainly, they have targeted KMT caucus whip Fu. He makes frequent trips to China, is known to have had business ties there, and has been in and out of jail on financial crimes. There is no definitive proof he has been turned, but you can bet they have tried.

‘TRUE PATRIOTS’

There is another group within the KMT that actively works with the CCP, and do so openly. These are the true believers in the “one China” cause.

Officially, the KMT believes Taiwan is a province of China, but many — or even most — view “reunification” as a remote, far-off dream when conditions are right rather than a goal to be pursued in the near term.

Some, however, are working to make it a reality in the short term and actively want to lay the groundwork to smooth the path forward. KMT Chair Cheng appears to be in this camp.

These are not agents who have been turned. Rather, their agenda, aims and ideology share much in common with the CCP’s. They are not working for the CCP, they are working with the CCP — and the distinction matters.

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


Too blue for Monday? Time to ‘brew!’ (1/2) 星期一不再Blue！你需要Brew一下（上）

Since 2005, the third Monday in January has come to be known as “Blue Monday.” In other words, that day is believed to be the most depressing day of the year. This concept seems logical at first. After all, Monday marks the start of the school or workweek after two days of rest and fun. Also, blue is a color that is often associated with sadness. Furthermore, in many parts of the world, January is a time when the weather is cold, rainy, and gloomy.

But is there any scientific proof that this January day is truly sadder than any of the other 364 days of the year? The short answer is “no,” even though the term was thought up by a British psychologist, Cliff Arnall. To prove his “Blue Monday” idea, Arnall developed an interesting theory. In the formula he came up with, he included several factors, such as the weather, possible debts from Christmas shopping, monthly salary, and failed attempts at New Year’s resolutions. The result is a complex-looking equation that looks like something Albert Einstein might have used. Yet, despite the impressive-looking formula, experts say it lacks objective proof.

There’s another reason to doubt Arnall’s decision to name the third Monday in January Blue Monday. It was actually part of a marketing campaign by a travel company called Sky Travel. Sky Travel paid Arnall to develop the concept in an effort to convince the public to take a holiday to a warm, sunny place to escape the winter blues.

自 2005年起，一月的第三個星期一便被稱為「憂鬱星期一」。換句話說，那一天被認為是一年之中最令人沮喪的日子。一開始，這個概念似乎很合理。畢竟，星期一象徵在兩天休息與玩樂之後，學校或工作週的開始。藍色也通常是與悲傷聯想在一起的顏色。此外，在世界許多地區，一月是天氣寒冷、多雨、陰沉的一個月分。

但是否有任何科學證據能證明一月的這一天真的比一年中其他三百六十四天更令人難過呢？簡短的答案是「沒有」，儘管這個詞是由英國心理學家克利夫．阿諾爾所提出的。為了驗證他的「憂鬱星期一」概念，阿諾爾設計了一套有趣的理論。在他提出的公式中，他納入了數個因素，例如天氣、聖誕節購物可能產生的債務、月薪，以及未能實現的新年新希望。結果便成了一個看起來相當複雜的方程式，看起來像是阿爾伯特．愛因斯坦使用過的那種公式。然而，儘管這個公式看起來相當令人印象深刻，但專家指出它缺乏客觀證據。

還有另一個理由讓人質疑阿諾爾將一月的第三個星期一定名憂鬱星期一的決定。這其實是一家名為Sky Travel的旅遊公司所策劃之行銷活動的一部分。Sky Travel付錢請阿諾爾發展這個概念，目的是要說服大眾前往溫暖、陽光充足的地方度假，好擺脫冬季的憂鬱情緒。

What Did You Learn?

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason people believe the third Monday of January is the saddest day?

(A) Cold, rainy weather in January can affect people’s moods.

(B) Many feel financial pressure after the holiday season.

(C) Scientific proof shows it is the year’s unhappiest day.

(D) Monday signals a return to daily responsibilities after the weekend.

2. A company posts an online ad claiming: “Feeling sad today? It’s Blue Monday! Book a vacation now to feel better instantly!”

According to the Day 1 passage, how should people respond to this ad?

(A) People shouldn’t take it too seriously since it’s just a joke.

(B) It could be a marketing strategy, so people should think critically.

(C) It must be true because many people feel down at the start of the week.

(D) People should avoid traveling on that day because people’s emotions are unstable.

答案：1. C 2. B

Words in Use

1. concept n. 概念

The concept of work-life balance is becoming more important to Daniel as pressure at his job increases.

隨著工作壓力增加，丹尼爾越來越重視工作與生活平衡這個概念。

2. logical a. 合乎邏輯的

Clara explained her decision step by step, and everyone agreed that her reasoning was logical.

克萊拉一步一步說明了自己的決定，大家都認同她的推理相當合乎邏輯。

3. psychologist n. 心理學家，心理師

Howard decided to see a psychologist to better understand the source of his emotional strain.

霍華決定去看心理師，以更了解自己的情緒壓力來源。

4. formula n. （數學、科學等的）公式

The wrong use of formulas on the test will result in incorrect answers.

在考試中使用錯誤的公式會導致答案不正確。

5. resolution n. 決心

New Year’s resolution(s) 新年新希望

Nancy made a resolution to exercise regularly after realizing the impact of stress on health.

南希在意識到壓力對健康的影響後，下定決心要規律運動。

Practical Phrases

1. be associated with. . . 與……聯想在一起

associate vt. 把……聯想在一起

High stress levels are often associated with long working hours.

高壓力程度通常與長時間工作有關。

2. think up. . . 提出∕想出……

= come up with. . .

Kevin stayed late to think up a creative solution to the problem.

凱文為了想出一個有創意的方法來解決該問題而待到很晚。

Melissa came up with a practical suggestion that everyone supported.

梅莉莎提出了一個大家都支持的實用建議。

To be continued tomorrow（明日待續）

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang

聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu

本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw

ANALYTICAL ENGLISH 解析英語(常春藤)


▲全球債券價格暴跌、示意圖。（圖／路透）

記者陳瑩欣／綜合報導

由於越來越多的證據表明伊朗戰爭對經濟造成了損害，投資者預計利率上升速度將超過預期，經濟成長將受到影響，全球債券價格本周暴跌。

根據《路透社》報導，由於交易員預期聯準會（Fed）可能需要升息以抑制伊朗戰爭引發的能源衝擊造成的通膨壓力，美國公債殖利率觸及近一年來的最高水準。

在歐洲早盤交易中，德國、義大利和法國公債遭到拋售，而日本公債殖利率則創下歷史新高。

義大利 10 年期公債殖利率飆升近 9 個基本點 至 3.87% 左右，本周累計漲幅接近 14 個基本點，而基準德國公債殖利率上漲近 6 個基本點至 3.11% 左右。

本周的通膨數據顯示，由於戰爭的影響，消費者和企業開始感受到物價壓力大幅上升，原油價格上漲超過 50%。

對通膨和利率預期變化最為敏感的兩年期公債殖利率本周漲幅最大，但長期債券殖利率也開始上升，反映出投資人對價格衝擊的長期影響的擔憂。

Jefferies 策略師Mohit Kumar表示，「我們不僅應該關注通貨膨脹，還應該關注不斷上升的赤字。」、「我們可能會在未來幾個月看到一系列燃油補貼支持措施出台。」

Kumar表示，他預期政府債券殖利率曲線將出現陡峭化趨勢，他指的是一種市場動態，即長期債券殖利率的上升速度比短期債券殖利率更快。

基準 10 年期美國公債最新收益率為 4.53%，當日上漲 7.3 個基點，接近去年 6 月以來的最高水準。本周英國國債殖利率經歷了過山車般的波動，達到了數十年來的最高水準。

通膨飆升令投資人恐慌　全球債券價格暴跌

法國 英國 美國 日本 德國 伊朗 義大利


Gmail新帳號重大改變！免費空間恐大砍10GB　Google親曝解方

▲Google已證實，正在部分地區針對新建立帳號測試新的儲存政策。（圖／記者吳立言攝）

記者曾羿翔／綜合外電

外界日前傳出，Google正在調整Gmail免費儲存空間政策，部分新用戶建立帳號後，免費容量可能不再直接享有過去的15GB，而是先提供5GB，若用戶新增並驗證手機號碼，才可取得原本的15GB 容量，引發使用者關注。

新帳號免費容量傳縮水 Google證實部分地區測試綜合外媒報導，Google已向外媒證實，確實正在部分地區針對新建立帳號測試新的儲存政策。Google表示，這項測試是為了持續提供高品質的儲存服務，同時鼓勵用戶完善帳號安全設定，提升帳號保護與資料復原能力。

雖然Google並未說明實際受影響的地區，但外媒指出，近期相關用戶回報多來自非洲國家。這也意味著，若測試結果符合Google預期，未來不排除成為更多地區新用戶註冊Gmail時的常態做法。

既有15GB帳號暫不受影響外界推測，Google可能正在嘗試透過手機號碼驗證等方式，降低部分用戶大量建立多個Gmail帳號、藉此取得免費雲端儲存空間的情況。不過，若用戶已擁有享有15GB免費儲存空間的Gmail或Google帳號，目前並不會受到這項測試政策影響。

這項測試雖尚未擴及全球，但由於Gmail15GB免費空間長期被視為Google帳號的基本服務之一，若未來正式推行，將可能成為Gmail免費儲存政策的一項重大調整。


習近平直球問「是否捍衛台灣」　川普：我不談這個

▲美國總統川普（Donald Trump）表示，習近平問他，中國攻擊台灣，美國是否將捍衛台灣，他拒絕回答。（圖／路透）

記者趙蔡州／綜合報導

美國總統川普（Donald Trump）15日結束訪華行程，他在乘坐空軍一號回國途中告訴媒體，中國國家主席習近平在會談中曾問他，如果中國攻擊台灣，美國是否將捍衛台灣，他拒絕回答這個問題，「我說，我不談這個」。

習近平當面提問保台 川普稱自己拒絕回答

根據美媒CNBC報導，川普15日在空軍一號上接受媒體訪問時，被詢問到若中國對台灣發動攻擊，美國是否會保衛台灣，他說，「今天有人問了我這個問題，習近平主席今天問了我這個問題，我說，我不談這個」。

川普還說，「我不想這麼說，但只有一個人知道這個問題的答案，你知道是誰嗎？就是我，我就是那個唯一的人」。

習近平警告台灣問題 稱處理失當恐爆衝突

習近平在川習會上曾向川普表示，台灣問題是中美關係中最重要的問題，若處理得當，雙邊關係就能維持穩定，若處理失當，兩國就會發生碰撞甚至衝突，將把整個中美關係推向危險境地。


小孩燒到39度衝急診？醫揭「4大警訊」是關鍵：寧願多看也不要賭

▲每當孩子發燒，家長總是心急如焚，猶豫要不要帶去看醫生。（示意圖／免費圖庫pakuraso）

記者李佳蓉／綜合報導

近期流感、黴漿菌雙重夾擊，許多孩子反覆高燒，讓家長心急如焚，半夜衝不衝急診常陷入兩難。小兒過敏專科醫師陳怡潔指出，面對孩子發燒，比起體溫計上的數字，「整體狀況」才是判斷關鍵。她點出一旦孩子出現活力很差、呼吸急促、高燒不退、脫水現象等4大警訊，應儘速就醫，並直言：「不確定的時候，寧願多看一次，也不要賭。」

常有家長焦急詢問：「醫師，我小孩半夜燒到39°C，到底要不要衝急診？」陳怡潔醫師在粉專透露，「其實這種猶豫很正常。」醫師感同身受地表示，同樣身為媽媽，自己孩子發燒時也會焦慮，甚至因為腦中會浮現各種鑑別診斷，反而更緊張。她回憶孩子小時，自己曾設鬧鐘每小時起床量體溫，甚至熬夜觀察，「其實到現在小孩一發燒，我一樣會覺得很焦慮。」

重點不是幾度！請觀察「這4件事」

許多家長常糾結在38.5°C或40°C的數字，但陳怡潔醫師強調，最重要的其實是觀察孩子的「整體狀況」。

✓精神狀況：有沒有互動、還會不會想玩

✓喝水／進食狀況

✓呼吸狀況

✓退燒後的反應

何時可以先在家觀察？陳怡潔醫師解釋，如果孩子即使燒到39°C，但精神不錯、退燒後會玩、願意喝水進食，且沒有呼吸困難，家長可以先給予退燒藥並觀察，「通常可以等白天再到診所就醫」。

出現「4大警訊」請儘快就醫

若孩子出現以下情況，陳怡潔醫師建議應儘速就醫，若是半夜則直接前往有兒科急診的醫院。

1. 活力很差：叫不太動、反應變慢。

2. 呼吸異常：呼吸急促、胸口凹陷。

3. 持續高燒：退燒藥效果不好。

4. 脫水現象：幾乎不喝水，或有明顯脫水症狀。

陳怡潔醫師暖心提醒，每個孩子都是爸媽的心頭肉，如果真的很難判斷、心裡極度不安心，「那就去急診，沒有關係的。」她強調照顧孩子的原則：「不確定的時候，寧願多看一次，也不要賭。」


桃園 大城 蘆竹 大安 中正

推動桃園大發展　凌濤提出捷運綠線周邊打造科博館、國際動物園…

▲推動桃園大發展，凌濤提出捷運綠線周邊打造科博館等國際級地標。（圖／擷取自市議會網站）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

桃園市議員凌濤15日於市政總質詢中，針對桃園未來發展提出具前瞻性的「三大願景」，主張結合「TOD（大眾運輸導向型發展）站站有公設」政策，於捷運綠線 G12、G14 站周邊打造科博館、桃園版大安森林公園、國際動物園屬於桃園的國際級地標。

凌濤說，以桃園區為例，桃園發展的軸線，從老城一路延伸到重劃區，從南崁溪沿線的虎頭山園區、小檜溪重劃區、藝文特區、經國特區，到未來的 G12站（蘆興埤站）、G13、G14 的蘆竹跟南崁開發的特別區劃。我們最關心的就是 G12，在桃園區裡面蘆興埤站的一個發展的潛力。

G12 站周邊擁有 5 公頃機關用地，桃園身為科技大城，家長與學子對科學教育極具期盼。他正式提案爭取設立「桃園市立科博館」，讓孩子不必遠赴台北或台中。市長張善政對此表達高度肯定，認為該建議具備企圖心雖然要有相當經費，但值得投入，並承諾會後立即啟動規劃案，逐年編列預算落實。

針對 G14站(蘆竹中正北站)周邊多達42公頃的綠地，凌濤建議打造「桃園版大安森林公園」，規模更勝台北大安森林公園的26公頃，並引進如新加坡或雪梨等級的「國際級野生動物園」，結合室內與戶外展區，成為桃園觀光新亮點。市長張善政表示將盤點需求，並將這些具備國際視野的建議納入規劃思慮。

在交通議題上，凌濤關心電動公車汰換與司機缺工問題，具體建議將公車駕駛薪資目標定為7萬元，以優質福利留住人才。民生政策方面，凌濤大力爭取將深受好評的「生生喝鮮乳」政策擴大實施至國中端，以強化青少年的鈣質吸收。張善政市長正面回應，若國小端制度運行順暢，擴大至國中是「順水推舟」，市府將研議推動。

凌濤亦於質詢中持續追蹤桃園煉油廠污染防治進度，要求經發局緊盯中油遷廠轉型，並建議市府與中央協調，在大潭電廠旁市有地設立 AI 算力中心，直接利用電廠電力突破供電限制，厚植桃園 AI 產業鏈競爭力。


促產業升級　市議員楊家俍提打造桃園半導體產業特色園區

▲促產業升級，市議員楊家俍提打造桃園半導體產業特色園區。（圖／市議會民進黨團提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

桃園市議員楊家俍15日於市政總質詢提出，打造桃園半導體產業特色園區、桃科二期招商進度及計畫開發新產業園區、推動桃園成為無菸城市、擴大設置地面步行信號燈等議題，提出質詢。經發局長張誠說明，市府推動民間開發產業園區，市長張善政任內已有15處報編產業園區審查通過，目前已10處完成核定設置。

針對打造桃園半導體產業特色園區，經發局長張誠表示，半導體產業鏈涵蓋材料、設備、封裝及高速傳輸等關鍵環節，桃園已具備重要供應鏈基礎。針對經濟部轄管工業區，市府將透過每季工業區會報建請中央協助；市府轄管園區則將持續優化環境，促進半導體產業聚落發展。

有關桃科二期招商進度及計畫開發新產業園區，市長張善政表示，市府已將桃園產業園區整體需求提報中央，並請國家發展委員會關注桃園產業用地需求。考量中央及地方財力有限，未來除由市府規劃推動，也將鼓勵民間運用資金與地主協商彈性，加速開發適合產業進駐的園區用地。地政局長蔡金鐘提到，桃科二期招商因受關稅政策及周邊地價行情等因素影響，市府正重新調查並研擬相關計畫，預計今（115）年6月提出，後續將以出售方式辦理。

有關推動桃園成為無菸城市，張善政表示，韓國較臺北更早推動吸菸室設置，但整體成效並不理想，因此市府不會貿然推動相關政策；至於吸菸場域設置所需經費等問題，贊同楊議員建議，未來將視情況適時向中央反映並爭取相關補助。衛生局長賈蔚則表示，市府目前正規畫戶外吸菸區，相關方案仍處於評估階段。

針對擴大設置地面步行信號燈，交通局長張新福表示，市府將參考各縣市試辦經驗，並持續透過交通部補助之AI路口防護計畫推動改善。近期也將與養工處合作，以強化行穿線照明與亮度為基礎，研發新式燈具，提升行人通行安全。工務局長汪在宙補充，市府也嘗試運用投射燈等方式，並將於桃林鐵道相關場域導入試辦，以提升行人通行安全。


▲中央大學111週年校慶，表揚12位傑出校友。（圖／中央大學提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

中央大學5月15日歡慶111週年校慶暨在台復校64週年，今年以「全力以赴、All In 中大」為主題，強調在每一個關鍵時刻，教職員生戮力以赴，累積共同榮耀。校慶大會表揚12位傑出校友，為歷年來人數之最，肯定他們在各行各業發光發熱的卓越成就。

今年選出的第23屆傑出校友，包括樺欣機械工業董事長莊嘉郁、美超微電腦副總裁陳加偉、唯晶科技創辦人暨執行長詹承翰、中鼎工程總經理室主管暨中鼎大學教務長李民立、國立臺北科技大學校長任貽均、友達光電創新研發總部副總經理林雨潔、中華資安國際公司總經理洪進福、國立東華大學華文文學系教授吳明益、新北美國學校創辦人兼董事長梁顥曦、台灣電力公司環境保護處處長吳政宏、台灣大學名譽教授張鎮華和施忠賢結構技師事務所負責人施忠賢等12位。

▲中央大學111週年校慶，以「全力以赴、All In 中大」為主題。（圖／中央大學提供）

校長蕭述三表示，中大過去一年在許多面向都有令人振奮的成果，2025年CWUR世界大學排名，中大連續五年名列臺灣綜合大學前五名，並榮獲教育部「藝術教育貢獻獎」績優學校獎，展現科技與人文並重的辦學特色。

中央大學最大的力量在於「人」，因為大家願意全力以赴，才能一次又一次突破挑戰，今年順利完成全國大專校院運動會重責大任，並以「無懼、永續」體現面對氣候變遷、AI衝擊與全球變局的積極態度，呼籲中大人以「All In中大」精神，攜手邁向更國際、更創新、更永續的未來！

中大學術基金會蔣偉寧董事長則聚焦協助中央大學的外部資源合作，包括與慈濟四大事業的合作。他期許中大從全校AI素養、跨領域應用到專業人才培育三管齊下，以提升國際排名的能見度。中大校友總會古鴻坤理事長鼓勵學弟妹，以本屆全大運「無懼」精神持續突破。

中央大學111週年校慶　表揚樺欣機械董事長莊嘉郁等12位傑出校友


從物流行政到五星飯店三廚　她靠職訓翻轉職涯

▲桃竹苗分署持續開辦多元職業訓練課程，協助婦女及失待業民眾培養專業技能。（圖／桃竹苗分署提供）

記者楊淑媛／桃園報導

面對職場變動，女性的韌性往往成為職涯轉機的關鍵動力！原任職物流公司的顏如琪，因公司併購與遷址被迫面臨職涯轉折，在勞動部勞動力發展署桃竹苗分署職業訓練資源協助下，從餐飲零基礎出發，成功轉職為五星級飯店西餐助廚，翻轉職涯。

大學企管系畢業的顏如琪，原於物流業從事行政文書工作，因公司併購被迫面臨失業，原有的生活節奏也隨之中斷；為尋求新的職涯出路，她開始思索轉職方向，雖然家中經營早餐店，對餐飲環境並不陌生，但多以經驗傳承為主，缺乏系統化專業訓練，於是她抱持協助家中、同時學習一技之長的想法報名勞動部桃竹苗分署「西餐烹調專業班」，希望提升專業並考取西餐證照。

▲顏如琪經歷西餐烹調專業班後，成功轉職為飯店廚師。（圖／桃竹苗分署提供）

歷經為期三個月的訓練課程，顏如琪形容是「紮實如魔鬼訓練營」，課程以就業即戰力為導向，透過系統化且密集的實作訓練，讓她從基礎刀工、醬汁製作、食品衛生觀念到各國經典料理，逐步建立完整的西餐專業能力。

顏如琪表示，自己原本從一開始連基本刀工都不熟練，經過反覆不斷地練習，來培養穩定度與精準度，到最後她已能在限定時間內，獨立完成標準化出餐流程，並逐步養成符合業界需求的專業技術；她感謝老師的耐心指導，讓她在短時間內有顯著的進步。

憑藉訓練期間所累積的實力與表現，她在結訓後不僅順利取得西餐丙級證照，更獲老師推薦進入五星級的美福飯店GMT義大利餐廳擔任內場三廚，負責冷檯備料及相關作業，顏如琪表示，職訓真的很棒！不僅讓她從零基礎開始到取得專業技術，更讓她順利銜接實際工作環境，快速在職場站穩腳步。

桃竹苗分署長賴家仁表示，隨著少子化與高齡化，女性勞動力是填補製造業與服務業人力短缺的重要來源，桃竹苗分署也會持續提供多元職業訓練課程，協助婦女及失待業民眾培養專業技能、順利銜接就業。


伊朗 義大利 日本 美國 德國 英國 法國

通膨飆升令投資人恐慌　全球債券價格暴跌


飯店推「美樂蒂、雙星仙子」主題房！7大互動空間免費玩

▲台北遠東香格里拉首度攜手三麗鷗，推出「美樂蒂＆雙星仙子」主題房。（圖／業者提供）

記者彭懷玉／綜合報導

搶攻親子、自由行與暑假旅遊商機，飯店紛紛祭出主題聯名與會員優惠。台北遠東香格里拉首度攜手三麗鷗，推出「美樂蒂＆雙星仙子」主題房與7大互動空間；而桃禧集團旗下台北車站智選假日酒店與桃園機場假日酒店，則推出IHG會員「每晚5K積分包價優惠」。

▲客房空間巧妙妝點美樂蒂元素，從窗戶上的窗貼到沙發上的造型抱枕，洋溢粉嫩氣息。（圖／業者提供）

台北遠東香格里拉將於7月1日至8月30日限時推出「美樂蒂＆雙星仙子」主題住房專案，打造5款風格主題房型，包含雙床、特大床與家庭房配置，結合宋代美學與三麗鷗角色元素，營造夢幻度假氛圍。

▲客房內的沙發區，牆面上以美樂蒂&雙星仙子主題畫作妝點，在典雅氛圍中注入萌趣元素。（圖／業者提供）

此次聯名同步規畫「美樂蒂＆雙星仙子夏日星夢樂園」7大互動空間，入住旅客可享2位大人與2位12歲以下孩童無限暢玩，現場設有夢幻拍照區、Switch2遊戲區、夾娃娃機、角色扮演廚房與童書閱讀區等設施，還可參加2堂創意史萊姆、水晶凍飲及療癒捏捏樂等手作課程。

▲豐富的娛樂設施，包含Switch2主機、趣味夾娃娃機及釣魚機。（圖／業者提供）

入住專案還包含自助早餐、主廚特製迎賓甜點，以及價值超過千元的「夏日夢隨行」限定周邊組，內含小行李箱、杯墊、鑰匙圈、文件夾與證件套等5款商品。專案每晚1萬元起，另加收10%服務費及5%稅金。不過，業者指出，美樂蒂&雙星仙子主題房型均為固定配置，恕不提供指定特定角色主題房。

▲桃園機場假日酒店座落於桃園國際機場周邊樞紐地段，適合轉機、商務出差及MICE會展旅客入住。（圖／業者提供）

另外，桃禧集團旗下台北車站智選假日酒店與桃園機場假日酒店，則歡慶加入洲際酒店集團（IHG）滿1周年，自5月18日至24日限時推出「每晚5K積分包價優惠」。

▲台北車站智選假日酒店大廳。（圖／業者提供）

旅客透過IHG官網預訂指定方案，加價88元即可額外獲得5,000點IHG優悅會積分，入住期間為6月1日至8月30日。台北車站智選假日酒店最低每晚2,280元起，含免費中西式自助早餐；桃園機場假日酒店最低每晚2,356元起，前200名入住再加贈7-ELEVEN商品卡，以上價格皆另加收15.5%稅金與服務費。

▲▼上圖：台北車站智選假日酒店最低每晚2,280元起；下圖：桃園機場假日酒店最低每晚2,356元起。（圖／業者提供）

桃禧集團表示，雙館加入IHG後，住房率較過往同期成長約7成，透過國際品牌效益，吸引更多國內外旅客認識台北與桃園。此次周年優惠也希望結合會員積分與暑期旅遊需求，提供旅客更具彈性的住宿選擇。


Gmail新帳號重大改變！免費空間恐大砍10GB　Google親曝解方


新莊男晚間街頭「揮舞刀械」！被警方壓制在地

▲新莊男街頭揮舞刀械。（圖／記者陳以昇翻攝）

記者陳以昇、柯振中／新北報導

新北市新莊區15日晚間發生持刀驚魂，一名45歲陳姓男子疑似因情緒失控，在住家外持刀械鐵器揮舞徘徊，引發鄰居恐慌報警。警方到場後，陳男躲回屋內拒絕配合，警方隨後會同消防人員破門壓制逮人，訊後依恐嚇公眾罪嫌移送偵辦，並評估是否強制送醫。

男子持刀屋外揮舞 鄰居嚇壞報警

新北市政府警察局新莊分局表示，15日20時31分接獲110報案，指新莊區民本街27巷4號1樓有男子持長刀在門口揮舞，疑似欲砍人，警方獲報後立即派遣光華派出所員警到場處理。

警方初步調查，持械男子為45歲陳姓男子，當時情緒激動，手持疑似刀械及鐵器在住處外徘徊揮舞，過程遭附近居民目擊後報警求助。

▲▼新莊男街頭揮舞刀械。（圖／記者陳以昇翻攝）

警方調監視器確認 破門壓制逮捕

警方到場時，陳男隨即躲回屋內並關閉鐵門，拒絕配合警方處置。警方隨後調閱監視器畫面，確認陳男確實有持疑似刀械鐵器於屋外揮舞行為，已造成周邊居民恐慌。

由於符合準現行犯要件，警方為防止危害擴大，立即聯繫消防人員協助破壞門鎖，順利進入住處內將陳男壓制逮捕。

依恐嚇公眾罪送辦 評估強制送醫

警方訊後，依涉嫌恐嚇公眾罪嫌，將陳男移送臺灣新北地方檢察署偵辦，後續也將評估是否有強制送醫必要。

警方呼籲，民眾遇有糾紛應保持理性，切勿以暴力或危險方式處理爭端，以免觸法。對於任何危害公共安全行為，警方都將依法迅速嚴正究辦。

▲▼新莊男街頭揮舞刀械。（圖／記者陳以昇翻攝）

新莊 新莊區 新北市 新北


推動桃園大發展　凌濤提出捷運綠線周邊打造科博館、國際動物園…

桃園 大城 蘆竹 中正 大安


促產業升級　市議員楊家俍提打造桃園半導體產業特色園區


中央大學111週年校慶　表揚樺欣機械董事長莊嘉郁等12位傑出校友


從物流行政到五星飯店三廚　她靠職訓翻轉職涯


習近平直球問「是否捍衛台灣」　川普：我不談這個


曾奪2冠卻回不了NBA　高喊愛台灣的射手庫克批經紀人無能

▲庫克離開NBA後，曾來台參戰TAT聯賽。（圖／記者林敬旻攝）

記者杜奕君／綜合報導

曾在金州勇士、洛杉磯湖人兩大豪門球隊寫下奪冠壯舉，現年33歲的射手後衛庫克（Quinn Cook）近日在社群平台 Threads 投下震撼彈！庫克有感而發地揭露自己 NBA 生涯在巔峰期後迅速崩潰的內幕，更直言不諱地痛批當時的經紀人「真的爛透了」，才導致他空有冠軍戒卻拿不到保障合約，最終只能淪落海外，甚至遠赴台灣TAT聯賽討生活。

身為NBA著名的「奪冠福星」，庫克在貼文中細數過往輝煌戰績，強調自己曾連續3年隨隊闖入總決賽。2018年效力勇士期間，他是球隊衛冕路上不可或缺的板凳火藥庫，場均貢獻度高居全隊第4位；2019年賽季，他更是勇士替補席上的頭號得分箭頭。

然而，職業賽場的現實卻讓庫克措手不及。2019年夏天，勇士因杜蘭特（Kevin Durant）離隊及湯普森（Klay Thompson）重傷進入重建期，為了清出薪資空間撤回對庫克的資質報價。儘管隨後他轉投湖人並於2020年與詹姆斯（LeBron James）一同奪下個人第2枚冠軍戒，但卻因陣容深度問題苦無上場時間，這也成了他職業生涯的轉捩點。

最讓庫克感到憤憤不平的是，在手握兩座總冠軍頭銜後，他竟再也沒有獲得任何一支 NBA 球隊的保障合約，僅在騎士隊拿過短暫的10天短約。庫克在Threads上辛辣寫道：「我連續3年打進總決賽，在勇士兩年是板凳得分王，貢獻度有目共睹。雖然在湖人沒什麼上場，但3年內拿了2冠，結果在那之後，我再也沒拿過一份保障合約，我的經紀人真的爛透了，笑死。」

美媒分析指出，庫克的控訴並非空穴來風。在競爭激烈的NBA中，許多表現遠遜於庫克的球員，往往能透過經紀人的強力運作獲得重返聯盟的機會，但庫克卻在27歲的黃金年齡就此淡出最高殿堂，開始在各國聯賽間流浪。

在NBA體系失去舞台後，庫克轉戰國際賽場，其中最令台灣球迷印象深刻的一站，便是加盟TAT聯賽的「台北野馬隊」（Taipei Mustangs）。當時他與「魔獸」霍華德（Dwight Howard）、「表弟」卡森斯（DeMarcus Cousins）組成夢幻的前 NBA 球星陣線，在庫克上場時，依然能看見他那冠軍等級的精準外線與組織能力。

回憶起在台灣打球的時光，庫克曾感性表示，這裡是他職業生涯中極為溫暖的一站，「我太愛台灣了，這裡的球迷極度熱情，我的手機每半小時就有上百條訊息，甚至還有人穿著我高中的球衣來加油。」即便當時被外界視為「淪落」海外，庫克仍展現高度職業風度，不僅對台灣美食讚不絕口，更曾直言希望那趟寶島旅程永遠不要結束。

▲3年內2度奪下NBA總冠軍，庫克卻在當打之年離開NBA舞台。（圖／記者林敬旻攝）


小孩燒到39度衝急診？醫揭「4大警訊」是關鍵：寧願多看也不要賭


▲陳玟卉舉重亞錦賽橫掃3銀，挺舉、總和雙破全國紀錄。（圖／黃達德教練提供，下圖同）

記者杜奕君／綜合報導

台灣舉重好手、東京奧運銅牌得主陳玟卉，今日在舉重亞錦賽女子69公斤級傳來捷報！陳玟卉全場展現強大心理素質，最終以抓舉104公斤、挺舉135公斤、總和239公斤的優異成績，強勢包辦3面銀牌。其中挺舉與總和雙雙改寫全國紀錄，展現「降量級」後的驚人進化，恩師教練黃達德賽後也為愛徒打出90分的高分肯定。

曾在東京奧運摘下女子64公斤級銅牌，陳玟卉在去年巴黎奧運因應量級調整，轉戰71公斤級並取得第6名佳績。今年為了應對國際賽量級再次更迭，陳玟卉選擇挑戰全新的69公斤級。日前她才在全大運摘金並刷新全國紀錄，顯示狀態正值巔峰，今日在亞錦賽舞台再度證明實力。

今日抓舉開局，陳玟卉在開把103公斤意外失手，但她隨即調整呼吸，第2把順利撐起104公斤鎖定銀牌，可惜第3把挑戰109公斤未能成功。進入陳玟卉最擅長的挺舉項目，她展現「挺舉女王」霸氣，接連在128公斤、135公斤過關，不僅成功改寫全國紀錄，也以總和239公斤再創新猷，一人帶回3面銀牌。

對於愛徒今日的表現，教練黃達德給予高度評價，打出90分的高分。黃達德指出，「雖然抓舉第一把因為準備不夠充分未能成功，但整體表現非常出色。」

黃達德特別強調，陳玟卉在體重降至69公斤級後，訓練成效反而更上一層樓，「現在她的體重降下來，無論是反應速度還是身體協調性，都比過去在71公斤級時更加出色，整體狀態非常火燙。」這次亞錦賽的亮眼表現，也為陳玟卉接下來備戰名古屋亞運注入一劑強心針。

陳玟卉舉重亞錦賽橫掃3銀　挺舉、總和雙破全國紀錄


▲勇士傳出不願意付出首輪第11順位選秀籤，可能在「字母哥」爭奪戰提前出局。（圖／達志影像／美聯社）

記者杜奕君／綜合報導

金州勇士在過去數月以來，一直被視為爭奪密爾瓦基公鹿超級球星「字母哥」安戴托昆波（Giannis Antetokounmpo）的最有力競爭者，外界無不期待這對「咖哩大神＋字母哥」的夢幻組合能成真，讓柯瑞（Stephen Curry）獲得強有力的爭冠幫手。然而，這筆備受矚目的驚天交易近日卻傳出重大變數！根據聯盟資深內部人士爆料，勇士球團傾向保留手中的2026年首輪第11順位選秀籤，這項關鍵決定，恐怕將讓灣區大軍在字母哥爭奪戰中提前出局。

為了幫當家球星柯瑞尋求頂級幫手，好讓他在職業生涯最後階段再度衝擊總冠軍，勇士高層先前動作頻頻。但根據《Andscape》資深記者史皮爾斯（Marc Spears）在節目《NBA Today》中透露，勇士球團的建隊思維似乎正在悄然改變。

史皮爾斯指出，「勇士手握第11順位選秀籤，很多人都在問：『嘿，他們能進入字母哥的交易討論嗎？』但根據我今天從幾位消息人士聽到的說法，勇士隊目前傾向保留這個選秀權。」他進一步分析，勇士高層似乎已開始為「後柯瑞、格林（Draymond Green）與總教練柯爾（Steve Kerr）」的時代做準備，而非將珍貴的首輪中段籤作為交易籌碼送走。

針對勇士的交易籌碼，ESPN專家馬克斯（Bobby Marks）分析，雖然勇士理論上能動用2026、2028、2030及2032年共4枚首輪籤來匹配字母哥的合約，但一旦發動這種「梭哈」式交易，勇士陣中的年輕天賦將被掏空，屆時能否維持長期的奪冠競爭力，仍得打上大大的問號。

事實上，ESPN名記查拉尼亞（Shams Charania）曾多次點名勇士會站在交易最前線，但他同樣強調，所有的交易藍圖幾乎都環繞著這枚2026年的11號籤。若勇士拒絕將其放入交易包裹，恐怕難以打動正在考慮重建或重組的公鹿球團。

先前《Bleacher Report》分析師貝利（Andy Bailey）曾提出大膽假設，建議勇士送出剛換來的巴特勒（Jimmy Butler）、11號籤及多枚未來首輪籤來交換字母哥；另一位專家平庫斯（Eric Pincus）也認為，勇士必須犧牲潛力新秀波傑姆斯基（Brandin Podziemski）加上11號籤才有機會一搏。

然而，若史皮爾斯的消息屬實，勇士選擇在選秀會上「按兵不動」，幾乎意味著在字母哥的爭奪戰中徹底失去競爭力。這也代表這支灣區豪門在「當下爭冠」與「未來重建」的十字路口上，似乎已選擇將目光投向更遙遠的接班願景。

▲勇士柯瑞能否與安戴托昆波聯手，外界都在關注期待。（圖／達志影像／美聯社）

驚天交易生變？勇士傳「拒出11順位籤」　字母哥爭奪戰恐出局


▲高錦瑋喊話季後賽首輪G4將用最積極的態度贏得比賽。（圖／TPBL職籃提供）

記者杜奕君／綜合報導

例行賽勢如破竹封王，也以頭號種子晉級季後賽首輪，桃園台啤永豐雲豹卻在面對新北國王系列賽面臨苦戰，15日以兩分之差飲恨輸球後，在5戰3勝制陷入1比2淘汰危機，若本周日在國王主場的G4無法贏球就將出局賽季提前告終。雲豹主控高錦瑋強調，「下一戰我們會準備好，用最積極的態度去贏得比賽！」

全場最多落後達16分，雲豹在下半場靠著克羅馬領軍出擊，決勝期順利扳平戰局，但終場前17.6秒雲豹從後場發球，在落後兩分情況下執行最後一擊，但克羅馬出現要命失誤，斷送球隊贏球機會。

雲豹輸球後，系列賽1比2遭對手國王率先「聽牌」，例行賽無往不利的雲豹面臨季後賽淘汰危機，賽後總教練羅德爾強調，「當下的情況，17秒應該是很足夠，球也到了克羅馬手上，足夠能發動戰術。」

羅德爾也強調，「這是很精彩的一戰，一整季以來很棒的比賽，沒辦法怪任何人，兩隊都打得很認真，應該是整季以來最高強度的一戰，接下來就是休息，再回到第4戰。」

砍下全隊本土最高12分外帶4籃板、4助攻、1抄截的雲豹主控高錦瑋則認為，「很膠著的比賽，很可惜我們輸掉了，下一場比賽我們會準備好，用最積極的態度去贏得比賽。」

▲雲豹主帥羅德爾認為此戰是本季強度最高的一場比賽。（圖／TPBL職籃提供）

例行賽王者雲豹陷入淘汰危機！　高錦瑋：G4用最積極態度面對


記者胡冠辰／新北報導

中華職棒富邦悍將15日坐鎮主場交手台鋼雄鷹，最終3比1獲勝，順利締造4連勝佳績；不過終結者曾峻岳在第9局登板時，一度面臨無人出局且一、二壘有人的緊張局面，這也是他本週第2度讓球迷心驚膽跳的「開劇場」。

▲富邦悍將總教練後藤光尊。（圖／記者胡冠辰攝）

對此主帥後藤光尊賽後仍給予高度肯定，強調投手在場上遇到亂流實屬正常，對自家守護神完全不擔心。

回顧9局上的驚險時刻，曾峻岳上陣把守最後一關，一開始就遭到陳文杰、曾昱磬連續安打狙擊；但他隨即展現王牌終結者之風，不僅連續三振強打吳念庭與魔鷹，隨後面對王柏融更只花費1顆球就製造滾地球刺殺，成功瓦解對手反撲氣焰。

談及曾峻岳的臨危不亂，後藤光尊透露，當時的策略就是期盼他能穩扎穩打，依序解決打者，「結果有守下來，真的很好，」他也強調，每位投手難免都會面臨狀況，「他們都是我非常信任、交付後援重任的投手們，包含狀態調整在內，我相信他們都會好好處理。」

另一方面，悍將重砲范國宸此戰手感火燙，前2次打擊皆敲出安打，並為球隊貢獻打破鴨蛋的第1分；然而他在6局上卻突然被換下場，引起球迷關注。

富邦球團賽中說明，范國宸是因為在先前的守備過程中，不慎造成右手指挫傷，因此安排他提前退場接受治療。

賽後後藤光尊也進一步更新了子弟兵的最新傷情：「就是守備的時候稍微戳到手指了，不過我想應該沒什麼大礙。」

曾峻岳遇亂流無礙！   後藤光尊力挺自家守護神：完全不擔心


勇士今夏幹大事？　前明星控衛提格：換來恩比德很適合

▲前NBA明星控衛提格認為，恩比德非常適合現在的勇士。（圖／達志影像／美聯社）

記者杜奕君／綜合報導

金州勇士本賽季止步西區附加賽，休賽季傳出勇士正積極尋找第二位超級球星與柯瑞（Stephen Curry）搭檔，目標在明年賽季重返爭冠行列。前 NBA全明星後衛提格（Jeff Teague）在Podcast節目《Club 520》中大膽預測，費城七六人的當家中鋒恩比德（Joel Embiid）可能會是勇士隊的最佳解答。

提格在節目中表示，他預測勇士會交易掉格林（Draymond Green）並搭配其他籌碼去爭取換回恩比德，「勇士將會交易掉格林（Draymond Green）這只是我的個人想法。他們會交易格林加上其他籌碼，去爭取恩比德。兄弟，你必須製造一點大動靜！」

先前傳出勇士有意爭取雷納德（Kawhi Leonard）或是「字母哥」安戴托昆波（Giannis Antetokounmpo）但提格指出，勇士要爭取這兩位巨星加盟有一定難度，勇士必須找一個對柯瑞真正有效的人，而最有可能進入自由市場的頂級巨星就是恩比德。

提格認為，如果恩比德能保持健康，與柯瑞聯手將會讓他動力十足。有趣的是，恩比德本人近期在76人隊的賽季結束訪談中，也為離開費城留下了伏筆，「我不知道誰會留在這，我甚至不知道我自己會不會留在這。無論發生什麼事，就隨它發生吧。」

恩比德本賽季受傷病困擾，例行賽僅出賽 38 場，平均能繳出26.9分、7.7籃板、3.9助攻、1.2阻攻，而在季後賽的7場比賽中，場均則可貢獻24分與7.3籃板、5.4助攻。


▲新北國王林彥廷此戰進攻端表現亮眼，成為球隊系列賽聽牌關鍵功臣。（圖／TPBL職籃提供）

記者杜奕君／綜合報導

賽前5分鐘，新北國王球團宣布主力後衛李愷諺因為賽前熱身感到腳部不適，因此臨時無法在關鍵G3上陣。但國王本土戰力仍群起發揮，林彥廷替補砍下19分、3籃板、3助攻、4抄截，林金榜先發出賽扛起防守克羅馬重任，全場正負值來到「+10」，也幫助國王以104比102在高張力拉鋸戰奪勝，系列賽取得2勝1敗聽牌優勢。

前兩戰雙方戰成1比1平手局面下，國王此戰回到主場，卻在比賽開打前5分鐘公告，主力後衛李愷諺因為賽前熱身腳部不適，將臨時缺席此戰。

▲新北國王防守大鎖林金榜，此戰繳出全隊次佳正負值表現。（圖／TPBL職籃提供）

少了系列賽場均10.5分、5籃板的主力後衛李愷諺，國王攻守兩端戰力都面臨極大考驗，但國王主帥洪志善選擇讓防守大鎖林金榜扛起先發，林彥廷則在板凳伺機替補，兩人成功補上李愷諺缺陣戰力，也幫助國王贏得最終勝利。

賽後國王主帥洪志善表示，「在李愷諺受傷情況下，本土球員站了出來，林金榜把克羅馬限制的很好了。從這季開始，從我當球員到接任代理總教練，很多人認為我就是高中等級的教練，但我們就是為了一個目標，就是總冠軍。」

林金榜則認為，「上場就是把應該做的工作做好，球隊如果需要我上去防守，但今天還是沒有守住克羅馬，這也是我們球隊還能進步的，可以讓試著讓他打得更不舒服。」林彥廷也說，「李愷諺今天不能上場，今天就是要把他的份給補齊。」

▲新北國王主帥洪志善喊話目標仍是總冠軍。（圖／TPBL職籃提供）

把李愷諺缺陣的份給補齊　林彥廷、林金榜成國王聽牌奇兵


林智勝提點受用！劉俊緯一棒救龍　葉總讚：讓球隊活起來

記者王真魚／台北報導

味全龍15日靠著代打劉俊緯8局下關鍵清壘二壘安打，以3比1擊敗樂天桃猿、終止3連敗。從兩度更換代打、對方再換投的鬥智過程中脫穎而出，劉俊緯不僅成為勝利英雄，也讓總教練葉君璋大讚是能替球隊「咬住」戰局、帶動全隊氣氛的關鍵型球員。

▲劉俊緯不僅成為勝利英雄，也讓總教練葉君璋大讚是能替球隊「咬住」戰局、帶動全隊氣氛的關鍵型球員。 （圖／味全龍提供）

8局下兩出局後，味全龍展開攻勢，先靠郭天信安打與劉基鴻幸運內野安打攻佔一、三壘。桃猿換上王志煊救火後，又對朱育賢投出四壞球形成滿壘。

龍隊原本先換上李展毅準備打擊，但桃猿隨後再度換投，由賴胤豪接手，味全龍立刻改由劉俊緯代打應戰，最終敲出左外野二壘安打，一棒打回超前2分，成為勝利英雄。

談到這次代打建功，劉俊緯表示，自己的想法其實很簡單，「就是積極進攻，不用多做什麼等球。」他坦言，代打其實比先發更不容易，但因為只有一個打席，反而會更加專注。

「代打上去基本上就是要打，不太會等球。」他指出，代打前其實有很多準備時間，會先預想可能碰到什麼投手、什麼球路，再設定自己的攻擊帶。

劉俊緯透露，過去學生時期其實很少有代打機會，真正學習如何當代打，是進入職棒後慢慢累積經驗，「也有很多教練、學長教我。」

其中對他影響最深的，就是林智勝。他分享，林智勝曾告訴他，「代打很難，但上去那一顆球就要掌握，沒有時間讓你擦棒、放掉球去選。」

「代打就只有那一個打席，所以你會非常非常專注。」劉俊緯說，相較於先發球員可能有4、5次打席，代打更需要在短時間內把專注力拉到最高。

這次上場前，味全龍打者原本面對左投，桃猿隨後又換上右投賴胤豪，劉俊緯坦言，現在已經很習慣這類調度，「最近其實很常遇到這種事情，所以自己也會調適。」他表示，自己鎖定攻擊帶後，只要球進來就會果斷出棒，「那球算是設定中的球，不然我也不會打。」

除了關鍵安打外，劉俊緯賽後MVP舞蹈再次成為焦點。對於隊友與球迷喜歡看他「搞怪」，他笑說，「我只是在耍寶。」

不過他認為，想帶動球隊氣氛，前提還是要有實際表現，「如果有打點、有長打，帶動氣氛就會比較有效率。」他直言，如果今天只打一支一壘安打，要帶動氣氛就會打折一點。

談到劉俊緯的代打安排，葉君璋透露，其實早在比賽中段就已經有讓他上場的想法，「前面幾局就準備讓他代打了。」他表示，劉俊緯近期狀態其實慢慢回升，加上對戰特定投手效果不錯，因此教練團一直很相信他能在關鍵時刻發揮。

葉總認為，劉俊緯最大的特質在於企圖心與專注力，「這種選手其實沒有很多，但他從進來到現在，我發現他身上確實有某些特質。」雖然不可能每次代打都成功，但他強調，劉俊緯是那種會替球隊「咬住」戰局的球員。

葉君璋也大讚，劉俊緯身上有一種能感染隊友的特質，「不管是上壘、打擊還是守備，他都會讓球隊有種活起來的感覺。」他坦言，這並不只是成績，而是一種很強烈「想幫球隊贏球」的態度，「我感覺得到，他是那種很拚的選手。」


新莊男晚間街頭「揮舞刀械」！被警方壓制在地

新莊 新莊區 新北 新北市


曾奪2冠卻回不了NBA　高喊愛台灣的射手庫克批經紀人無能


陳玟卉舉重亞錦賽橫掃3銀　挺舉、總和雙破全國紀錄


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自明天起，接下來30天這5個生肖「前有伯引路，後有推手鼎力相助」！（本報製圖）

〔娛樂頻道／綜合報導〕農曆4月份「生肖運勢榜」出爐！知名命理專家謝沅瑾點名，自國曆5月17日（星期日）起，有「5大生肖」喜迎強勁貴人運，不但在職場上大有突破，財運合作也格外順暢。不過也有「3生肖」面臨壓力延長賽，謝沅瑾提醒，身心俱疲時千萬別硬撐，適度調整步調、補眠放空，才能平穩圓滿過關、逆風翻盤！

➤ TOP 1：馬

．好運亮點：恭喜！貴人神助攻！遇到的「無形助力」非常多，先前讓你覺得卡關、不順遂的事情，接下來30天都有機會迎刃而解。

．開運指南：大方善用身邊的朋友、人脈與同事資源，多交流討論能讓計畫推動得更完美。健康方面略為留心，記得放緩步調、看清細節，體力別過度透支，一切都會非常順利。

➤ TOP 2：雞

．好運亮點：雖然工作壓力稍大，所幸遇「貴人運」大開，適合推動重大計劃，或是高難度的談判，有益於水到渠成。

．開運指南：男性朋友，事業進展順利；女的朋友則易遇上感情工作兩頭忙的情況。只須多加注意身體健康警訊與日常保養，將是收穫滿滿的一個月。

➤ TOP 3：羊

．好運亮點：貴人相助，有勞有成，工作細節有望迎來重大突破！屬於「付出必有收穫」的黃金耕耘期。本月男性的發展機會與觸角，會比往常多更多。

．開運指南：機會變多時，要做好時間分配、避免過勞，留意小人從中做梗。女性朋友則要在社交應對進退中多保護自己，只要願意努力付出，就能交出一張漂亮的成績單。

➤ TOP 4：牛

．好運亮點：貴人相助，財運合作雙管齊下！雖然偶會感到壓力稍大，但都有望突破盲點和困境。

．開運指南：拚事業、賺大錢之餘，務必留意身心健康，微小的不適或感冒千萬不要拖延。及時照料身體，自然能順風順水、大發利市。

➤ TOP 5：猴

．好運亮點：合作防衝突，幸有貴人在關鍵時刻會適時出手，幫助你解決問題，整體來說還算蠻好的。

．開運指南：雖有貴人相護，但在商業合作或人際配合上仍需格外謹慎，容易因價值觀不同爆發矛盾。切記，遇到疑慮時請放慢腳步、耐心溝通。另外，儘量減少出入喪葬或探病場合，就能有效避開對健康影響。

付出必有成果！謝沅瑾曝農曆4月「好運頂流」生肖：衝刺就趁現在！（本報製圖）

【放慢步調．蓄電待發7生肖】

➤鼠

．運勢關鍵：職場與家務的雙重財務壓力來襲，容易讓人心力交瘁、身心俱疲。

．轉運契機：凡事量力而為、千萬別硬撐！當心過度勞累導致心態崩潰或免疫力下降。感到疲憊時請立刻補眠或短暫放空，適度休息才能走更遠的路。

➤虎

．運勢關鍵：農曆4月起，身邊小人突然變多，容易遇上「你真誠相待、對方卻不感激」的窘境，感情上也容易產生誤會。

．轉運契機：只要抱持「轉念」心態，抱持助人為快樂之本的心態，情緒就不會受影響。注意金錢觀的溝通，適度調整自己，便能化解危機、不被內耗。

➤兔

．運勢關鍵：健康運勢面臨考驗，生活細節與壓力容易直接反映在身體與睡眠品質上。

．轉運契機：工作上保持「盡力就好」的佛系心態，若急著想要看到成果，反而欲速則不達。謹記，當身體發出疲勞訊號時，就要適度休息放鬆，一切狀況都會得到最好的安排。

➤龍

．運勢關鍵：得失心放淡，多一分留心就能平安。無論付出多少努力，可能會因無法看到對等的成果，而出現事倍功半的無力感。

．轉運契機：建議把要求和標準降低，事情反而會出乎意料地順利進行。另外，農曆4月出入、行車須格外提高警覺，別讓突發事件影響既定計劃。

➤蛇

．運勢關鍵：本月壓力的延長賽持續，疲憊感較重。如果不主動調整，身體的小毛病容易接二連三地冒出來。

．轉運契機：抓緊時間讓自己多休息，另外針對長輩的身體健康也要多加留意與關心，才能平穩度過。

➤狗

．運勢關鍵：遇上「撞牆停滯期」，宜「以退為進找轉機。」尤其是工作或生活上可能會面臨無法掌控、難以突破的困境感，讓你失去積極動力。

．轉運契機：遇到困境時不妨強迫自己停下腳步、舒緩情緒。有時候放慢步調、適度放空，反而能讓你看清問題核心，並在調整中找到改變的契機。

➤豬

．運勢關鍵：容易因為價值觀落差與身邊的人產生摩擦，過度的壓力也容易引發心理上的倦怠感。

．轉運契機：意見不合時請先「冷處理」，以傾聽代替爭辯。如果感到壓力大到心態有些陰暗，不妨適時尋求專業醫生協助。只要調適好心情，這個月一樣可以平平順順、圓圓滿滿。

☆民俗說法僅供參考☆

「頂流5生肖」農曆4月好運爆棚！  謝沅瑾示警：3生肖別硬撐


高雄市 仁武區 鳳山區 三民區

高雄市無照駕駛今年已破1.5萬人次 65歲以上長輩最多

高雄市今年無照駕駛1萬5410人次，以65歲以上長輩3300人次最多；無照駕駛事故發生1159件，造成8死、1072人傷，長輩肇事307件，造成3死、343人傷。今年道安講習新制納入無照駕駛行為，未依規定上課加罰1800元，逾期半年禁止考照半年，提醒民眾留意。

高雄今年無照駕駛1萬5410人次，比去年同期減少1547人次，前三名年齡層以65歲以上長輩3300人次最多，其次為41至50歲2756人次、51至60歲2497人次，未滿18歲以下888人次、18至24歲1759人次；凸顯無照駕駛以年長者居多，扭轉刻板印象學生非大宗。

無照駕駛前三名行政區與人口數成正比，以最大行政區鳳山區2521人次最多、占總人數16.36％，其次為三民區1653人次占總人數10.73％、仁武區1372人次占總人數8.90％；警方研判長輩大多僥倖心態、嫌麻煩不考照、貪圖方便違規。

此外，今年無照駕駛事故發生1159件，造成8人死亡、1072人傷，其中65歲以上長輩肇事307件，造成3死、343人傷；警方說，無照駕駛違反道路交通管理處罰條例，機車駕駛人開罰1.8萬至3.6萬元、汽車駕駛人開罰3.6萬至6萬元，並當場扣車及扣繳牌照，吊扣駕照1至2年及汽機車牌照3個月。

值得一提的是，今年道路安全講習新制擴大納入無照駕駛行為，除原有罰鍰外，違規人須完成系統化課程，重新建立正確路權觀念與法規責任；未依規定參加者將依法加重處分。高雄區監理所說，違規人未依規定期限內上課，將依道路交通管理處罰條例加罰1800元，逾期6個月以上仍不參加者，再禁止考領駕照6個月，也將寄送關懷通知書，建議改搭大眾運輸。


彰化縣環保局年度最受歡迎「舊衣回收換好康」活動又要登場了，今年維持20件舊衣可換肥皂1個規則不變，但要兌換超人氣的洗碗精，必須要有120件舊衣，讓民眾大喊「太難了」。環保局表示，「換好禮」這是鼓勵民眾養成回收習慣，但不希望民眾為了兌換品，反而變成囤積，就失去斷捨離與回收的環保精神！

環保局表示，2024年首辦「舊衣回收換好禮」活動，當年只要10件舊衣，就可以兌換洗碗精，加上兌換地點就選在彰化市、員林市大賣場，一推出就造成轟動，還出現大排長龍等著兌換的情況。2025年把兌換門檻提高到20件，兌換品改成1顆肥皂，每人每場最多2顆，數量有限還要發放號碼牌。

今年「舊衣回收換好康」活動即將在5月22日起跑，兌換最低門檻20件不變，可兌換1顆肥皂，每人每場最多可兌換6顆；40件舊衣可兌換涼感巾一條，最多可換3條 ；120件舊衣可兌換洗碗精1瓶，每場每人最多可換1瓶，每場次每人最多只可用120件舊衣來兌換宣導品。

環保局強調，今年新增民眾最愛的洗碗精兌換品，但兌換標準也提高了，主要是因為「回收換好禮」是為了培養回收習慣，從宣導活動發現民眾已建立舊衣回收的觀念，平日也可交由清潔隊回收。但就是怕民眾為了換宣導品，反而是應該平日就要斷捨離的衣物卻囤積起來，這樣就失去宣導活動的用意與精神了。

今年「舊衣回收換好禮」共有3場，員林大全聯場次，時間為5月22日、6月5日；彰化市家樂福為5月29日，3場的回收兌換時間為下午3點到6點。

好難！彰化縣今年「舊衣回收換好禮」 120件才能換洗碗精 原因曝光了！


印度首都紅堡汽車炸彈恐攻奪11命 國家調查局起訴10人

印度德里（Delhi）知名景點紅堡（Red Fort）外去年11月發生爆炸，11人因此喪命，國家調查局（NIA）起訴10人。

紅堡外汽車炸彈案2025年11月10日發生，造成11人死亡、多人受傷，並釀成大規模財損，印度當局將該案定調為恐怖攻擊事件。印度國家調查局14日提出多達7500頁的起訴書，上面列出10名與恐怖組織「印度聖戰者組織」（Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, AGuH）有關的被告。

起訴書附有588份口供、395份文件、200多份物證，詳細說明了那些被告如何透過各種管道，獲得策動爆炸的物資、設備。

印度時報（Times of India）今天報導，起訴書提到的被告中，有1人已在爆炸案中身亡，其身分已透過DNA、指紋鑑定確認，針對他的指控擬予撤銷，針對另外幾人的訴訟程序，目前仍在持續。

印度國家調查局偵察的區域範圍，涵蓋查摩與克什米爾（Jammu ＆Kashmir）、哈雅納邦（Haryana）、北方邦（Uttar Pradesh）、馬哈拉什特拉（Maharashtra）、古茶拉底邦（Gujarat）、德里國家首都區（Delhi NCR）等地，經過相關單位的調查，發現多名被煽動的醫療專業人員參與其中。

印度國家調查局發現，那群人早在2022年就組織了「印度聖戰者組織」，並密謀打倒印度政府、推行伊斯蘭教義，該集團用市面上能夠取得的化學藥品製作炸藥，並透過實驗讓炸藥更具破壞力。

印度國家調查局提到，證據顯示，該組織除了製作炸藥，還取得可裝載爆裂物的無人機，並試圖攻擊印度各地的維安機構。

除此之外，印度國家調查局在搜查數個地點後，還發現被告非法持有包括AK-47步槍、大量子彈在內的違禁品。

印度國家調查局表示，雖然目前已因此案逮捕、起訴多人，但仍有犯嫌在逃，相關單位全力緝捕中。


日本兒童政策擔當大臣黃川田仁志今日出席在上海召開的亞太經濟合作會議（APEC）部長級會議，為中日關係惡化以來首次有日本閣員訪中，但未與其他與會國官員單獨會談，僅出席第1日會議。

據日本共同社報導，黃川田仁志今日出席在上海召開的APEC部長級會議「婦女與經濟論壇」。這是日本首相高市早苗去年11月發表「台灣有事」說後，日本閣員首次訪中。

這是APEC「中國年」首場部長級會議，由中國全國婦聯與上海市人民政府合辦。據微信公眾號「上海發布」，中國國務委員、全國婦聯主席諶貽琴出席會議並致開幕辭；上海市長龔正致歡迎辭。

日本放送協會（NHK）報導，黃川田仁志在會議上發表演說表示，去年10月以來，日本女性活躍於社會的景象出現巨大變化。如今，日本正在女性首相的帶領下，朝實現「強勁經濟」的目標邁進。

他並表示，為了進一步加速科技發展，必須打造讓女性研究人員與技術人才能最大限度發揮能力的環境。日本政府將為擴大女性參與科技領域，推動具實效性的措施。

據報導，黃川田仁志在會前對日本媒體表示，這次並未安排與包含中國在內的與會國家閣員召開場邊會談。

此次會議會期為15至16日，黃川田仁志僅出席了15日上午的會議。

高市早苗去年11月在眾議院接受質詢時表示，若「台灣有事」（台灣發生緊急事態）伴隨對方使用武力的情況，有可能構成日本能行使集體自衛權的「存亡危機事態」。北京當局認為，這是在暗示可能以武力介入台灣海峽，提出強烈抗議並要求撤回言論，中日關係因此惡化。

高市早苗「台灣有事」後首次 日閣員出席上海APEC部長會議


「頂流5生肖」農曆4月好運爆棚！  謝沅瑾示警：3生肖別硬撐


高雄市 內門區 玉井區 南化區 花蓮 竹田 屏東縣 大樹區 琉球 內埔 旗山區

中央氣象署深夜發布大雨特報提醒，對流雲系發展旺盛，易有短延時強降雨，花蓮、台東地區有局部大雨發生機率，注意雷擊及強陣風，山區慎防坍方、落石及溪水暴漲，低窪地區慎防積水。國中教育會考週六登場，也提醒考生及家長留意天氣變化

氣象署也發布高溫資訊提醒，天氣高溫炎熱，台南市、高雄市、屏東縣今天是黃色燈號，有36度以上高溫發生機率，請注意防曬、多補充水分、慎防熱傷害。高溫示警區域台南市玉井區、南化區；高雄市大樹區、旗山區、內門區；屏東縣內埔鄉、竹田鄉、琉球鄉。

花東雨彈還在炸 南高屏白天熱爆恐飆破36度


好難！彰化縣今年「舊衣回收換好禮」 120件才能換洗碗精 原因曝光了！


竹縣府環保局今天會同明新科技大學總務處及新豐鄉公所現勘查明新街髒亂點，並立即建置AI環境污染辨識監視系統，防制亂丟行為。（新竹縣政府提供）

新竹縣新豐鄉明新街24巷長期遭外籍人士亂丟垃圾，造成惱人的環境衛生及髒亂問題，縣府環保局今天會同明新科技大學總務處及新豐鄉公所現勘查，立即建置AI環境污染辨識監視系統，請民眾切勿心存僥倖，違者將依《廢棄物清理法》最高處6000元罰鍰。

環保局說，明新街24巷髒亂點長期影響周邊居民生活品質，經派員不定期稽查發現，違規行為人大多為鄰近的明新科技大學外籍學生，因不清楚法令規範，誤以為該處為垃圾集中地點，而隨手丟棄；為此，已請校方協助向校內學生及外籍生宣導垃圾不落地，以及正確的丟垃圾時間與地點。

環保局指出，已在髒亂點的監視系統導入AI監控環境污染辨識，利用模型訓練進行物件偵測與模式識別，可分辨正常狀態與污染行為，透過無線傳輸方式即時回傳影像，明確辨識車牌，蒐集違規行為事證，據以對污染行為人裁罰。

新豐鄉公所已清理該處棄置的廢棄物並辦理清消作業，也針對明新街周邊規劃垃圾收運方式，請居民與學生配合每週一、二、四、五、六（每週三、日停收）下午1時至2時及晚間7時至8時的固定時段收運，請大家發揮公德心將垃圾投至垃圾車，遵循「垃圾不落地」政策。

此外，公所也安排定時定點停留服務，分別於每日上午11時在鳳蓮宮市場、每日中午12時在新庄子公有零售市場側門；每周二、五的晚間8時30分在黃媽媽包子店旁空地，以及除周三外之平日，晚間9時在明新街24巷口、康福街87號對面福陽社區及忠孝國中大門口提供夜間定點20分鐘收垃圾服務。

終結新豐明新街垃圾亂象 縣府祭科技執法+重罰


銀河系藏著上億顆中子星，羅曼太空望遠鏡要用重力找出它們

天文學家早已知道，中子星、也就是大質量恆星爆炸後留下的緻密核心，應該散布於整個銀河系中，但其中大多數幾乎無法直接觀測。最新研究指出，NASA 即將發射的羅曼太空望遠鏡（Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope），可能透過「重力微透鏡效應」，發現並分析數十顆孤立中子星。研究團隊認為，羅曼太空望遠鏡不僅有機會找到這些原本難以發現的天體，還可能直接測量其質量，進一步了解中子星與黑洞之間的界線，以及中子星在銀河系中的運動特性。

中子星能將比太陽更大的質量壓縮進一個僅有城市大小的球體中。除非它們是會發射電波脈衝的脈衝星，或在 X 射線波段發光，否則通常難以被觀測。羅曼太空望遠鏡則能利用重力微透鏡效應搜尋它們：當中子星從背景恆星前方經過時，其重力會使背景星光偏折，導致背景恆星短暫增亮，並在天空中的位置產生微小偏移。這種因重力造成星光偏折與增亮的現象，被稱為「重力微透鏡效應」（microlensing）。許多望遠鏡都能觀測到這種短暫增亮現象，但羅曼太空望遠鏡還能高精度量測恆星的位置偏移。由於中子星質量較大，其造成的位置偏移訊號也更明顯，因此研究人員有機會直接估算其質量，而不只是知道有天體經過。

▲ 重力微透鏡效應發現中子星過程示意圖。黃色天體為背景恆星（Background Star），藍白色天體為前景的中子星（Neutron Star）。當中子星從背景恆星前方經過時，其重力會使背景星光彎曲，形成多條不同路徑傳向望遠鏡，因此望遠鏡接收到的星光會在短時間內變亮，且位置較背景恆星原本位置產生微小偏移。依序顯示透鏡效應發生前（Before Lensing）、發生期間（During Lensing）與結束後（After Lensing）的變化過程，下方則為望遠鏡實際觀測到的影像（Image Captured by Telescope）。雖然這些變形影像通常無法被直接分辨，但隨著中子星與背景恆星的相對位置持續改變，這種視位置偏移會在天空中形成小型軌跡。軌跡大小取決於重力彎曲星光的程度，因此質量越大的天體，造成的位置偏移也越明顯，使天文學家有機會直接測量原本難以觀測的中子星質量。（Source：STScI）

這類觀測也有助於了解中子星在超新星爆炸誕生時所獲得的「踢擊」效應。由於爆炸過程可能並不完全對稱，中子星會像被踢出去一樣高速飛離原地，部分中子星的速度甚至可達每秒數百公里。未來研究團隊將利用羅曼太空望遠鏡的「銀河核球時域巡天計畫」（Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey），以高頻率持續監測數百萬顆恆星。目前雖然已發現數千顆中子星，但科學家估計銀河系中實際可能存在數千萬到上億顆，而多數仍未被發現。研究團隊認為，即使只新增少量孤立中子星的質量測量資料，也有助於改善目前對恆星爆炸與極端物質狀態的理解。

NASA’s Roman Poised to Transform Hunt for Elusive Neutron Stars

（本文由 台北天文館 授權轉載；首圖為藝術家描繪的孤立中子星，來源：STScI）

延伸閱讀：

又有新望遠鏡發射！觀測資料激增使天文學界也加入搶 GPU 大混戰


科學家找到粒線體如何維持自身健康的關鍵：珍珠化

最近科學家發現名為「粒線體珍珠化」現象，可能是細胞維持 DNA 及健康平衡的關鍵。粒線體被譽為細胞的發電廠，因負責產生細胞活動能量，並攜帶名為粒線體 DNA（mtDNA）的遺傳指令。

每個細胞內有數百到數千份mtDNA的拷貝，會組成緊湊的結構，稱為核苷酸。研究員長期觀察，核小體在粒線體以規則間隔排列，有序模式有助確保mtDNA細胞分裂時正確遺傳，並使基因均勻表達。

然而，粒線體或DNA功能不正常時，就會造成影響，與代謝和神經系統疾病（如肝衰竭和腦病）及年齡相關疾病（如阿茲海默症和帕金森病）有關。由於mtDNA非常重要，科學家一直試圖了解細胞如何維持核苷酸精確間距，此問題至今未解決。

瑞士洛桑聯邦理工學院（EPFL）實驗生物物理學實驗室的教授曼利（Suliana Manley）表示：「與粒線體融合、分裂或分子連接相關的機制無法解釋此現象，因即使過程遭干擾，核苷酸間距仍保持不變。」

曼利教授與博士後研究員蘭多尼（Juan Landoni）共同確定分配mtDNA的機制，並指出「粒線體珍珠化」扮演了重要角色。暫時轉變使粒線體呈現類似串珠狀，幫助打散mtDNA聚集，並使核苷酸分布更均勻，保持間距相同。團隊使用先進顯微技術觀察活細胞粒線體及DNA，包括超解析度成像和相關光學與電子顯微鏡，還有相對溫和的相位對比顯微鏡。

儀器幫助之下，研究員追蹤單個核苷酸，捕捉粒線體形狀快速變化，理解結構組織。活細胞成像顯示，珍珠化事件每分鐘可發生幾次，粒線體會暫時形成一系列均勻間隔的收縮，珠狀部分的距離與核苷酸的正常間距相符。

多數「珍珠」中心附近包含一個核苷酸，儘管這些結構也可在沒有mtDNA下形成。較大核苷酸聚集通常會分裂成較小組，並沉降到相鄰珠狀結構。一旦粒線體恢復成正常管狀，核苷酸就能保持分開並規則分布。

研究員還確定了調節機制。以基因和藥理學實驗，進入粒線體的鈣可觸發珍珠化。膜結構也有助維持核苷酸分離，但任一元素遭干擾，核苷酸就會聚在一起，不會保持相等間距。

蘭多尼表示：「自從1915年瑪格麗特·里德·路易斯首次描繪粒線體珍珠化，很大程度視為與細胞壓力相關的異常現象。百年後，卻逐漸顯現出粒線體生物學核心的優雅保守機制。此生物物理過程非常簡單且高效能分配粒線體基因組。」

新發現突顯細胞如何依賴物理過程和分子系統維持秩序。理解粒線體珍珠化運作及控制機制，可能為mtDNA相關疾病提供重要見解，並幫助粒線體功能障礙的治療策略。

Scientists Just Discovered the Hidden Trick That Keeps Your Cells AliveHow mitochondria organize our “second genome”Pearling drives mitochondrial DNA nucleoid distribution

（首圖來源：EPFL）


古巴 美國 俄羅斯 印度

俄羅斯外長拉夫羅夫表示，俄方願向古巴提供適當的政治外交與物質支持。

拉夫羅夫當地星期五在印度新德里出席金磚國家外長會議期間，與古巴外長羅德里格斯會面。俄羅斯外交部通報，俄方表示，在局勢空前升級的背景下，願意向哈瓦那提供適當的政治外交與物質支持，願意協助古巴滿足公正的要求，即是立即停止美國對古巴的貿易、經濟和金融封鎖，並將古巴從美國認定的支持恐怖主義國家名單中移除。

古巴政府早前確認美國中央情報局局長拉特克利夫到訪哈瓦那，與內務部官員會晤。路透社引述中情局官員報道，拉特克利夫說，如果古巴作出根本性改變，美方準備在經濟安全問題上與古巴展開對話。

編輯：鄭皓璟

拉夫羅夫：俄方願意向古巴提供適當政治外交與物質支持


翼菲科技超額認購逾1.48萬倍　成為歷來新股超購王

工業機械人開發商翼菲科技公布，香港公開認購超額認購逾1.48萬倍，成來歷來新股超購王。

認購一手100股中籤率3%；要到乙組「頂頭槌飛」認購61.5萬股，亦即6150手，才穩獲一手，最多獲分配兩手。

翼菲科技下星期一主板掛牌，編號6871，每股H股招股價30.5元，集資淨額約6.73億元。

編輯：方嘉莉


第5作戰區指揮官邵中將主持災防整備啟始會議，針對防汛期災害防救整備工作、兵力部署及救災資源整合等事項實施研討。（第5作戰區提供）記者葉軒瑜／綜合報導

第5作戰區指揮官邵中將昨日主持災防整備啟始會議，召集所屬單位重要幹部與會，針對防汛期災害防救整備工作、兵力部署及救災資源整合等事項實施研討，要求各級先期完成各項災防整備與人員編組作業，確保面對突發災情時，能即時投入應處，降低災害可能造成之影響與損失。

邵指揮官表示，災害防救工作須秉持「超前部署、預置兵力」原則，各單位平時應落實救災裝備及機具檢整，確保裝備妥善，同時加強營區環境維護與樹木修剪等工作，降低強風豪雨可能造成之災損風險；此外，亦應持恆宣導教育官兵，建立如遇突發災害緊急任務召回與應處觀念，藉由平時整備與訓練累積應處能力，全面提升整體防救災能量。

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第5作戰區指揮官主持災防整備啟始會議 提升應處能量