Golden Melody Festival Buzz: Brittany Whyte, music supervisor for The Hunger Games and Riverdale, told Taiwan’s Golden Melody Festival that great supervision is about making music serve story. Mandopop Behind the Scenes: British producer Richard Craker said Jolin Tsai’s Pleasure came together through trust and creative patience—then Tsai walked away with major wins. Kawaii Goes Global: Nakagawa Yusuke and Kimura Misa argued Japan’s “kawaii” spread worldwide by staying true to its own identity, not chasing Western tastes. Taiwan Music Spotlight: DJ Swallow shared how she’s breaking nightclub stereotypes for women DJs in southern Taiwan. Sports & Culture: The Maccabiah Games opened in Jerusalem with thousands of athletes, after Australia reversed course and sent a smaller delegation. Local Law & Sports Betting: Taiwan police seized over US$300M in World Cup bets, arresting eight in a ring allegedly taking nearly NT$10B. Entertainment Tour News: Spirited Away’s stage play announced an international tour with stops including Taipei. Pop Star Update: F4’s Vanness Wu revealed his second marriage to Japanese singer Emi Aramaki.