Ex lieutenant general sentenced to 7.5 years for espionage attempt

Ex lieutenant general sentenced to 7.5 years for espionage attempt

2025-10-23

The highest-ranking military officer to be convicted of espionage in Taiwan’s history has been sentenced. The High Court on Thursday sentenced retired lieutenant-general Kao An-kuo, who is 81 years old, to seven years and six months in prison. It also ordered the confiscation of US$92,200 and 294,700 Chinese yuan. The ruling can be appealed.

Starting February 2023, Kao traveled to China multiple times to meet with party, government and military officials from the CCP. He accepted instructions and funding from them and recorded anti-government videos aligning with the CCP’s claims on Taiwan. He tried to start an espionage network with active and retired military officers in Taiwan, but none of them accepted.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#espionage #taiwan #高安國 #taiwan #china #ccp

最高層級共諜陸軍退役中將高安國判刑7年半

2025-10-23

台灣史上涉嫌共諜退役最高將領，陸軍退役中將高安國，週四遭高院依違反國安法為大陸地區發起組織未遂罪，判處7年半有期徒刑外，並沒收美金9萬2200元和人民幣29萬4700元犯罪所得，本案還可上訴。

高安國被控從2023年2月開始，多次前往中國和中共黨政軍人員見面，接受資助、指示，並錄製反政府影片，配合中共對台的主張，但他接觸的現役或退役軍人，都沒有回應，沒有成功發展組織。

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President honors Formosa Incident pro-democracy leaders’ families

President Lai Ching-te recently visited Formosa Boulevard Station in Kaohsiung to present honorary certificates to victims of the 1979 Formosa Incident, a massive crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations during Taiwan’s Martial Law period. Lai said that the nation must remember lessons of the past to continue to progress, and that safeguarding Taiwan’s sovereignty is essential to defending democracy and human rights.

With their pure voices, a children’s choir captures a longing for freedom and human rights in song.

President Lai Ching-te presents flowers to honor victims of the 1979 Formosa Incident, together with families of those who were persecuted in this crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations.

This ceremony commemorating victims of the incident took place at Formosa Boulevard Station in Kaohsiung, right where pro-democracy leaders were arrested over 45 years ago. Lai personally presented honorary certificates to the families of democracy advocates Wang Fu, Tang Te-chang, and Yu Teng-fa.

Yu Cheng-tao
Grandson of Yu Teng-fa
Freedom is never given to us by the oppressors. It is always fought for by the oppressed.

The Ministry of Justice has addressed over 7,100 cases of human rights violations by the state as part of efforts toward transitional justice. A foundation to restore victims’ rights was established in 2023, and has since provided victims’ families with compensation totaling over NT$6.8 billion, giving them the justice they are owed.

Lai Ching-te
President
We must continue to review and reflect on the government’s past wrongdoings. We must keep issuing honorary certificates to those affected, and most importantly, ensure that such unfortunate events never again occur in Taiwan.

The president emphasized that only by learning from the past can the nation continue to develop, protect democracy and human rights, and prevent such state violence from happening again.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#KaohsiungIncident #FormosaIncident #humanrightsviolations #humanrights #democracy #statewrongdoing #justice #transitionaljustice

2025-10-23

Luxury helix high rise in Xinyi sells first unit in 7 years for NT$1.2B

2025-10-23

Recovery efforts still underway in Guangfu one month after flooding

Thursday marks exactly a month since the flooding in Hualien’s Guangfu Township. But it’s only the beginning for locals to get back on track. Local small businesses have not had any income for a whole month, and many places still require cleanup. The central and local governments are still organizing efforts to help locals through this challenge.

It’s been a whole month since the flash flood in Guangfu Township. From a bird’s eye view, it can be seen that roads are now open, but there’s still a lot of cleanup to do.

Chao Yung-po
FTV reporter
This was once the liveliest place in all of Guangfu. Now, even though the government has announced that water and electricity have been restored to more than 90% of the area, many shops still cannot reopen.

Classes and work have been reinstated for more than two weeks now, but for many local residents, they’re still a long way from normalcy.

Ms. Wang
Fried chicken vendor
At the beginning, I couldn’t sleep for a week. Now I can sleep, and at least I don’t feel so much fear. I think we won’t be able to work as usual until after the Lunar New Year. But for us to return to complete normalcy, it might take three years.

Ms. Wang, a local shop owner, has been running this fried chicken place for more than 10 years. It took a single flood to destroy all her equipment. She hasn’t made any money since the flood. But the bills never stop coming. She breaks down in tears knowing that her child is well-aware of her hardship.

- My child said they’ll only eat one meal a day to help.

- Do you expect this to go on for more than a year?
- At least.

Bao’an Temple on the hard-hit Fozu Street was half-buried in mud immediately after the disaster. Now, worshippers are returning to pray for swift recovery.

Lan Yang
Guangfu Bao’an Temple
A dozen statues of deities were washed away. We managed to retrieve five. There are probably still four or five out there.

An artisan volunteers to repair the statues, removing mud from the cracks at the base. Once they’re ready, they’re put back on the altar to bless the town. Now that the red warning at the Matai’an barrier lake has been lifted, Guangfu is ready to move on.

Lee Kuan-ting
Hualien County Government
The Hualien County Government’s ten subsidiaries of tourism, social affairs, civil affairs, economic affairs and agriculture, environmental protection, health, Indigenous peoples affairs, land administration, and the local tax bureau, together with the central tax authorities, will continue to serve everyone at the arts and culture center.

Meanwhile, the command post for disaster recovery will also transition into a recovery service center to help people get back on their feet.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#guangfu #recovery #flood #disaster #disasterrelief #hualien

2025-10-23

Chinese Culture University students battered by wind and rain

2025-10-23

New Taipei City launches Taiwan’s first senior reality show

To promote healthy aging, the New Taipei Social Welfare Affairs Department has produced Taiwan’s first senior reality show, hosted by Golden Bell performer Alex Tung. FTV reporter Stephany Yang takes us to meet them!

The seniors take on adventurous challenges such as paddleboarding, fencing, river tracing, and curling, shattering stereotypes about aging.

Huang Chung-te
Senior
I can probably do around 300 push-ups, split into three sets of 100 each.

Chang Ya-xiu
Senior
It was my first time trying an air gun, and I even had to close one eye to aim.

Lin Yu-yen
Senior
I tried fencing, and it made me really focused and determined.

The seniors are joined by popular entertainers like Sam Wang and Golden Melody Award winner Chang Hsiu-ching.

Alex Tung
Host
Some of the seniors we’re working with are in their 70s and even into their 80s. Honestly, I’m worried about getting injured myself, let alone having to protect them. So throughout the filming process, it wasn’t just about how challenging the activities were, it was also a personal test for me.

Sam Wang
Entertainer
Next time I join this show, I’ll definitely check the list of seniors to see who’s on it. Just think about it, nowadays, not every young person can do 300 push-ups in a single day.

The New Taipei Social Welfare Affairs Department has launched its first reality program for seniors, aiming to promote active aging within local communities. In the future, it plans to expand senior clubs and community centers, while increasing the points on the Senior Citizen Card to encourage older adults to stay active.

New Taipei mayor
Hou You-ih
I’m truly delighted. New Taipei City has the largest senior population in Taiwan, with over 800,000 older adults. We’ve always worked hard to care for them, whether it’s supporting their health or providing long-term care. A reality show that involves rock climbing, river tracing, paddleboarding, and even carrying Alex Tung, that’s all incredibly challenging, you know? I definitely wouldn’t be able to lift him.

The six-episode series premieres Oct. 29th. The show hopes to encourage more seniors to live vibrant, fulfilling lives.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#aging #newtaipei #realityshow #elders #seniors #celebrities

2025-10-23

Yilan eyeing fines for hotel over late-night music

A homestay in Yilan’s Sanxing Township has been the target of complaints lately for playing electronic music well past 10 at night and disturbing the neighbors’ sleep. This type of homestay is common in the area, and they often play music or set off fireworks. The Yilan County Business and Tourism Department said that a fine of NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 could be issued if they are found to have disturbed the peace. Their license could also be revoked if they’re in a townhouse, but if it’s a standalone building, the only option is to keep issuing fines.

With electronic music blaring and its outdoor lights glaring, the vibes at this homestay are off the charts. But there’s nothing all around it, not even cars on the road. It’s already past 10pm, and the neighbors have had enough.

Neighbor
They sometimes play their music super loud. Sometimes they set off fireworks. I’m OK with it, but some people around here have told me it’s too noisy.

Neighbor
The sound will make my bed vibrate.

This homestay in Yilan’s Sanxing Township will often play loud music after 10. There are a number of these vexing establishments in the area that will play music or set off fireworks, even late into the night.

Lee Tung-ju
Yilan Business and Tourism Department director
If residents discover disturbing behavior from a homestay, they can report it to police or the environment bureau to investigate. If it’s found to be accurate, they could be fined NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 under law.

According to the Act for the Development of Tourism, if a hotel or homestay creates too much noise from 10pm to 8am the next day, they can be fined between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000. If they’re part of a townhouse structure and are penalized more than twice, the neighborhood could decide to revoke their license. But if they’re in a standalone building, the law only allows for continuous fines, and the county has no way to revoke their license.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#homestay #hotel #noisecomplaint #Yilan #Sanxing #noisy #badneighbor #electronicmusic

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China’s Taiwan Affairs Office launches Facebook page targeted at Taiwanese netizens

China blocks access to US-based social media websites for its citizens, but some government officials are well active on them. Earlier this month, the Taiwan Affairs Office launched its very Facebook page targeted at Taiwanese netizens, and even made sure to use traditional characters. It was confirmed on Wednesday that the Facebook page is indeed legitimate. Of course, Taiwanese netizens couldn’t resist leaving comments about sensitive topics in China, and for now it seems that the Chinese have given up moderating the comments. Let’s hear more.

Zhu Fenglian (Oct. 22)
Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson
In order to promote our news outreach efforts to Taiwan, we’ve launched the Facebook page for the Spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. The first post was made on Oct. 21.

Lai Jui-lung
Lawmaker (DPP)
On the one hand, they suppress people’s freedom of speech, but on the other hand, they’re crossing the Great Firewall themselves and setting up a Facebook page for Taiwan for their united front purposes. But they can’t seem to handle it when confronted with netizens’ comments.

Rosalia Wu
Lawmaker (DPP)
Of course, this is to promote their propaganda, but it seems to be counterproductive. I think it’s a great opportunity for the Taiwan Affairs Office to experience for themselves Taiwan’s culture of freedom and democracy. I believe it’s also a kind of cross-strait democratic exchange for Chinese officials to experience what freedom of speech really is.

It’s not the first time China’s Taiwan Affairs Office tried to set up a Facebook page specifically for a Taiwanese audience. The previous version was launched in 2016 after former President Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in. However, it only had some 3,000 followers and has not been updated since 2020. Now, it seems that they’re trying the Facebook thing again. This time, Taiwan was more receptive, but maybe not in the way China had wished.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#taiwan #china #crossstrait #propaganda #funny

2025-10-23

Taichung Shopping Festival returns for the year-end holiday season

The Taichung Shopping Festival is back! It’s starting on Friday Oct. 24 all the way until Christmas Day. This year, there’s the usual prizes, which include a NT$10 million apartment. But now there’s even designated cash prizes for foreigners. Get ready for the annual holiday season bonanza.

The Taichung Shopping Festival is about to kick off, on Oct. 24. This year the number of participating businesses has grown to 260,000, of which more than 20,000 are offering great deals and discounts. Now in its seventh edition, the shopping festival has turned bigger revenue every year since its launch.

Lu Shiow-yen
Taichung Mayor
We have the best cash prizes and the biggest grand prize. Since the first edition, our grand prize has always been an apartment worth NT$10 million. We’re giving out the seventh apartment this year. Everyone hopes to get a cash prize, so we have plenty. The smallest is NT$3,000, but they go up to NT$100,000 and NT$1 million.

The cash prizes promise a chance for the average consumer to benefit from the economic boost. Over the past three editions, it’s also the most talked-about event organized by one of Taiwan’s six special municipalities with more than 100,000 hits. This year, in order to boost international participation, a larger number of international spokespersons were recruited and there’s even a designated cash prize for foreigners.

Lu Shiow-yen
Taichung Mayor
We want more foreigners to come to Taichung to shop and get to know the city better. To encourage them to come, we added a special prize category just for them. Any foreigner who participates in the Taichung Shopping Festival stands a chance to win a cash prize: US$10,000.

Local and small businesses will also be given more exposure this year, so that international cash flow can more easily benefit them. The city has set the goal for the shopping festival app to reach more than 10,000 downloads from more than 50 countries. It’s also projected that the total revenue will exceed NT$30 billion over this event, which lasts all the way until Dec. 25.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#taichungshoppingfestival bestdeals #shopping #luckydraw #taiwan

2025-10-23