The city’s government has said it will sell iron manhole covers to members of the public for the first time, according to the Mainichi Shimbun. According to media reports, new manhole covers cost around ￥60,000 each. In 2018, it came up with the idea of commercializing the items when it invited firms to advertise on manhole covers in an attempt to finance its heavily indebted sewage management system. Japan’s artistic manhole covers are embellished with thousands of colorful illustrations of everything from local landmarks, famous natives, festivals and flora and fauna. According to Kyoto’s water supply and sewerage bureau, the city is home to about 160,000 manhole covers.

Rohit hits record century as India beat AfghanistanAFP, NEW DELHICaptain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday surpassed compatriot Sachin Tendulkar with a record seventh World Cup century to lead India to a crushing eight-wicket win over Afghanistan. India’s Rohit Sharma hits a four against Afghanistan in their ICC Cricket World Cup match at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters“Special to get a World Cup hundred. Rohit hit the ball to all parts of the ground as he reached 1,000 World Cup runs and then went past Chris Gayle’s record of 553 sixes across all international formats. Jasprit Bumrah posted his best World Cup bowling figures of 4-39.

The average number of hospitalized moderate-to-severe COVID-19 cases last week was 39 per day, slightly higher than the average of 35 per day the previous week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳) said. One of the severe flu cases reported last week was a four-month-old boy, marking the youngest severe case of this flu season, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said. There were 2,537 new local dengue cases reported last week, with 2,248 cases in Tainan, 168 in Kaohsiung, 50 in Yunlin County, 21 in Chiayi County, 15 in Pingtung County and cases in eight other administrative regions, Lee said. One of the severe cases is a 17-year-old girl who had no underlying health issues, Lin said. The CDC reported 12,643 hospital visits for enterovirus infections last week, higher than the epidemic threshold of 11,000 visits per week.

KMT, TPP to hold talks, Hou saysBy Shih Hsiao-kuang and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) have agreed to hold talks on cooperation ahead of next year’s presidential election, the KMT’s presidential candidate New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, adding that his campaign keeps an “open mind on all issues.”Speaking on the sidelines of a campaign event in Taipei, Hou told reporters that his office and KMT leaders spoke yesterday morning with representatives of TPP Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi, center, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei TimesSeparately yesterday, Ko’s campaign spokesman Tai Yu-wen (戴于文) told reporters that the two sides are stuck on whether to publicize their talks. The KMT has already sent some of its top leaders for negotiations, “what more do you want?” he asked, urging the TPP leader to drop his preconditions. The KMT has many vice chairs, so his effect in that role would be limited, Jaw said.

Protecting the important industriesBy Chang Meng-jen 張孟仁Amid increasing concerns over China’s global rise, the EU has demonstrated its resolution to bolster economic security with the European Commission’s Chips Act, a list of 10 critical technologies crucial to economic security and an investigation into subsidies for imports of battery electric vehicles from China. Like the US, Japan and other like-minded areas, the EU is wary of China’s advanced technological development and has implemented de-risking strategies. They have prevented advanced technologies from military and civilian use in China, and have been pouring resources into the digital and green industries, as well as identifying flaws in their own systems and diversifying. Similarly, the EU’s risk assessment report could lower the risk of an outflow of its advanced semiconductor, AI, quantum and biological technologies to rival countries. The EU has also moved to partner with allies to form closer collaborative ties and de-risk value chains.

The Liberty Times Editorial: Taiwan joining the UN a vital taskOn Sept. 22, the UN General Assembly wound up its 78th annual General Debate in New York City, again excluding Taiwan. For this, the US House of Representatives in July passed the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which states that Resolution 2758 does not apply to Taiwan. Taiwan’s participation has never been more crucial, especially in regard to geopolitical trends in the global community. On behalf of the G7 foreign ministers, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa underscored their collective support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s (王毅) absence caused murmurs, with speculation that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still in disarray after former minister Qin Gang’s (秦剛) sudden departure.

In-form Malan belted five sixes and 16 fours to rack up a career-best one-day international (ODI) score and Topley took 4-43 as the defending champions won by 137 runs after piling up 364-9 in Dharamsala. England’s Dawid Malan, left, celebrates his century with Joe Root during their Cricket World Cup match against Bangladesh in Dharamsala, India, yesterday. Bangladesh, who beat Afghanistan in their opening match in India, finally got the breakthrough they desperately needed when Mahedi bowled Malan. Wickets kept tumbling — Shoriful finished with figures of 3-75 and Mahedi took 4-71 — but the total proved well beyond Bangladesh. The 10 teams at the World Cup play every other side once in a single round-robin format, with the top four teams progressing to the semi-finals.

Ministry apologizes for ‘offensive’ childcare adINAPPROPRIATE: The education ministry promised to self-reflect after a video promoting its childcare policy was accused of mocking figure collectors and anime fansBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Education yesterday apologized for a video it released last month promoting the government’s childcare policy amid criticism from anime and manga fans that it disrespected people’s hobbies and preferences. Called the “National Childcare Policy for Ages 0-6,” it includes increasing affordable education and care services, reducing tuition costs, boosting childrearing allowances, and raising salaries for childcare and education personnel to ease the burden of raising a child. The entrance to the Ministry of Education is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph. Apologizing for the incident, the ministry said that it welcomed public scrutiny and supervision. He added that the ministry would reflect on its actions and continue to emphasize public communication when it makes videos to convey its ideals and values.

Bureau urges cautions as fraud on Marketplace risesBy Yao Yueh-hung, Wang Meng-lun and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writerBuyers and sellers on Facebook Marketplace should exercise caution as reports of fraudsters targeting users of the platform increase, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said on Sunday. In related news, data from the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) and the National Credit Card Center showed that credit card fraud related to leaked personal information has been on the rise since 2021.Credit card fraud reached NT$2.24 billion last year, up 14.2 percent from NT$1.96 billion in 2021, the data showed. “In the past, people would use physical means to steal credit card numbers along with the three-digit verification codes on the backs of the cards. The manager said that one bank customer’s information was stolen by a phishing site claiming to offer discounts on fast food. People should also be on the lookout for fraudulent text messages that appear to come from their banks, the bureau said.

If you think you have been scammed, call your bank or card provider to report it immediately. “You can also report a stolen card on most banking apps,” says Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert at the consumer group Which?. It is harder to report fraud itself via a banking app, so you may still have to call a number. He adds that this is not very common but, when it does happen, it can be “devastating.”To avoid this, you should be careful with personal details, especially anything sent over e-mail. If you suspect you may have had personal details stolen, you should keep an eye on your credit file using a credit reference agency.

A tale of two National Day eventsBy Chen Yung-chang 陳永昌A few days ago the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US hosted its annual Double Ten National Day banquet at Twin Oaks estate in Washington. A week earlier, the Chinese embassy in the US also hosted a national day reception. The Double Ten National Day banquet at Twin Oaks showcased Washington’s support for Taiwan. However, some more significant occasions, such as Double Ten National Day celebrations, are still restricted to maintain the appearance of the US’ “one China” policy. In 2019, the celebration of China’s national day in Washington marked a turning point.

Ko favors elevating Cabinet’s role if elected presidentStaff writer, with CNATaiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said he would elevate the Cabinet’s role in government, enshrine a parliamentary system into the Constitution and create the position of prime minister if elected. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Next year’s election is a good opportunity to end the autocratic presidential system and return the power to the people, Ko said. If elected, he said he would abolish what he calls the “elective monarchy system” and replace it with a Cabinet-run government. Democratic Progressive Party spokesman Chang Chih-hao (張志豪) said Ko was contradicting himself, because while he is ostensibly pushing to elevate the Cabinet’s role, he is a monarchist at heart.

Based on Planck’s hypothesis, the theory of quantum mechanics was developed, laying the foundation for further theoretical development. including German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg’s matrix mechanics and Austrian physicist Erwin Schrodinger’s wave mechanics. Schrodinger proposed that in an equation, the wave functions of an electron are also matter waves, just like particles of light are also matter waves. At the time, everyone was perplexed by one question: Given that the wave functions are in plural form, what exactly would their physical significance be? Nobel’s great spirit has carried on to our time, inspiring us to do things for the greater good.

The agency attributed the increase in disposable income to the nation’s economic growth, with GDP expanding 2.35 percent last year from the previous year despite the impact of the pandemic. In other words, the wealth gap has not improved despite increases in people’s average disposable income and GDP. Former US president Barack Obama once said income inequality is the “defining challenge of our times,” while Pope Francis tweeted that “Inequality is the root of social evil.” Many experts believe income inequality inevitably leads to social instability and disorder, and even political turmoil. Wu’s analysis also found that perceived unfairness in wealth distribution reduces non-rich citizens’ willingness to fight for their country by dampening their national pride, a key element in psychological attachment to national identity. Wu’s research highlights the importance of an equitable distribution of wealth and resources, and, more importantly, it suggests that unfairness in wealth distribution threatens national security.

A submarine’s acoustic signature, or sound profile, has important implications for its combat operations. The acoustic signature is the sound its machinery and propeller make during operation. Just like humans, each submarine has a unique “voice.” Each submarine’s acoustic signature is different, even for different submarines of the same class. In underwater combat conditions, a vessel can only be detected by sonar, so underwater combat could be called acoustic warfare. Consequently, a submarine’s acoustic signature is an important way of identifying it.