Prosecutors to appeal after High Court acquits Ann Kao of corruption

Prosecutors to appeal after High Court acquits Ann Kao of corruption

2025-12-16

And a new twist in the case of suspended Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao after the Taiwan High Court overturned her conviction on corruption. The court instead has found her guilty of causing public servants to record false information. She’s been sentenced to six months in prison, which can be converted into a fine of NT$180,000. She had initially been sentenced to seven years and four months in prison and a four-year deprivation of her civil rights, which suspended her from her position of mayor. Let’s hear more.

Chou Yu-hsiu
TPP Secretary-General
Since the start of the case, it must have been such a harrowing process for Ann Kao, being targeted so relentlessly.

Puma Shen
Lawmaker (DPP)
The High Court’s reasoning is that, they consulted the Legislative Yuan, which said that the fees for aides inherently belong to lawmakers. Chen Yu-chen had even proposed an amendment to make that official, to legalize corruption for lawmakers via their aides.

Huang Te-ying
Lawyer not involved in case
The High Court’s acquittal was based on an interpretation by the Legislative Yuan, which said that assistant fees belong to lawmakers. If the prosecution appeals, it is unlikely that the Supreme Court upholds this not guilty verdict.

The Ministry of the Interior says that Kao may apply to be reinstated as Hsinchu mayor according to the relevant regulations. Meanwhile, the Supreme Prosecutors Office says it will review the verdict and file an appeal.

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

#legal #annkao #hsinchu #corruption

逆轉! 高虹安二審貪污無罪高檢署:上訴

2025-12-16

高虹安涉貪的案件大逆轉！高虹安在立委期間，涉嫌浮報助理費及加班費，涉嫌貪汙，一審重判7年4個月，褫奪公權4年，高虹安也因此停止新竹市長職務，但高院法官認為，高虹安沒有詐財的不法意圖，改以偽造文書，使公務員登載不實，判6個月，得易科罰金18萬。

[[民眾黨祕書長周榆修]]
“從這個案子開始，用這樣追殺的方式對虹安，那對她來講一定是一個煎熬”

[[立委(民) 沈伯洋]]
“高院給出來的理由是，因為他們問了立法院，而立法院這邊回覆說，助理費本來就是立法委員的，陳玉珍之前還特別提出修法，要把助理費變成是立法委員的，想讓立法委員的貪污，就地合法”

[[非本案律師黃帝穎]]
“高院對高虹安無罪的判斷，卻引用的是立法院的函釋，而去解釋說這個立委的助理費，是屬於立委的補助款，因此案件經檢察官上訴之後，可能很難被最高法院維持無罪的這樣的一個意見”

內政部表示，高虹安將可依照地方制度法的規定"申請復職"，而內政部將在收到復職申請書後，"依法辦理"。高等檢察署則表示，將到判決書後進行研議，並針對此判決提起上訴。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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Taipei 101 sets up Disney Christmas wonderland

Taipei 101 gone all-out with its Christmas decorations this year, truly bringing the Christmas spirit to downtown. With Santa Claus on the observation deck, a Christmas wonderland inside, and Disney-themed Christmas lights outside, there are tons of great places to take photos and get in the holiday spirit.

Santa Claus is at the Taipei 101 observation deck this year, giving visitors a pleasant surprise.

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Every corner is decorated with Christmas trees, ornaments, and lights, making the whole viewing deck festive and great for photos.

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We actually didn’t expect to see that decorated Christmas and we didn’t know that you celebrate Christmas this way, but it’s very nice.

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Merry Christmas! The holiday is almost here, and it’s not Christmas without beautiful photos. Here in Taipei 101, they set up a whole decorated area, complete with colorful Christmas trees, adorable teddy bears, and even a carousel, ideal for taking festive photos.

Every spot of this Christmas wonderland is great for photos, and people just can’t get enough. Kids pose for groups pics, couples get romantic shots, and even dogs join the fun.

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Outside, the entrance to Taipei 101 is also decked out in colorful Christmas lights. They even partnered with Disney this year to create light installations themed around “Toy Story” and other characters. With such lavish decorations, the Christmas spirit is alive and well right here in Taipei.

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

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Artist Yoshitomo Nara’s traveling exhibition makes fifth stop in Chiayi

Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara’s exhibition “Traveling with Hazy Humid Day,” which is touring around Taiwan for 10 years, is making its fifth stop at the Hsin Kang Culture Center’s Warehouse No. 25 in Chiayi. Running until May next year, it includes a reinterpretation of the artist’s classic 1994 work “Dead Flower,” displayed in Taiwan for the first time. Chiayi County Commissioner Weng Chang-liang said that even his wife, who usually lives in Taipei, came to Chiayi especially to experience the magic of Nara’s work.

Musicians play drums and gongs to welcome Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara to Chiayi. The artist’s decade-long traveling exhibition “Traveling with Hazy Human Day” is making its fifth stop in Chiayi, where Nara’s famous painting “Dead Flower,” which depicts a young girl holding a knife next to a felled flower, is being displayed in Taiwan for the first time.

Lee Hou-ching
Culture association secretary-general
One of his works from 2020 is being displayed in Taiwan for the first time, which I think is a very moving gesture. An exhibit like this is not only art. It’s also an exchange between Japan and Taiwan.

The exhibition features 72 works, including paintings, sketches, photographs, and ceramics. Nara himself chose the location, selecting Warehouse No. 25 at the historical Hsin Kang Culture Center.

Weng Chang-liang
Chiayi County Commissioner
My wife mostly lives in Taipei, but she came back last night because of Yoshitomo Nara. For me, I not only feel deeply happy, but also moved. I’m moved that my wife is back!

The exhibition continues until May 17 next year and people can reserve a visiting time for free online. Holidays in December filled up just five minutes after reservations opened, and weekday slots were gone after only half an hour. Chiayi is sure to be packed with people coming to see Nara’s exhibition next year.

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

#exhibit #art #YoshitomoNara #DeadFlower #Chiayi #HsinKangCultureCenter #Japan #painting #artexhibit #奈良美智

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Orange scallop revealed to be rare ‘red jade’ variety

Most scallops served are milky white. But if you end up with an orange one, don’t throw it away! One person thought they had bought some spoiled seafood. But the vendor said that orange ones are actually the rare “red jade” variety. Only about one in 1,000 have this coloration. The vendor waved the fee for this lucky customer, letting them fully enjoy the uncommon treat.

Plump and juicy scallops sizzle on a skillet, looking mouthwateringly delicious. But have you had an orange one before?

- The orange one seems sweeter.
- The orange one is sweeter?
- Yeah.

- I think there’s no difference. They taste the same.

An online post showed a box of seven scallops with one orange one among them. The customer thought it was strange, suspecting it had gone bad. So they quickly snapped a photo and reached out to the vendor.

Ku Yu-cheng
Seafood vendor
The customer thought it had gone bad. I told them there’s no problem, it’s safe to eat. I waived their bill, gave it to them free of charge. They ate it happily without returning it. Said it was pretty good.

Orange scallops actually only come about once in every 1,000.

- The sweetness is more pronounced. The more pronounced, the tastier it is.

- I’ve never seen it before. I thought it was strange at first.

The vendor opened up a bunch of boxes looking for another, but to no avail. So the reporter went to another shop and searched through more boxes until they finally found one.

Liu Chien-hsien
Other seafood vendor
Scallops feed on plankton. If the plankton contains chitin, it will turn the scallop orange-red.

This kind of scallop is called “red jade” in Japan. It has a richer taste than ordinary scallops, and due to its appealing color, it’s regarded as auspicious during the Lunar New Year in Japan, commanding a higher price than ordinary ones.

Liu Chien-hsien
Other seafood vendor
This white one in Taiwan would cost around NT$100 to NT$120. The red jade one would be NT$120 to $140, a difference of about 10%.

The customer thought they’d gotten unlucky, but actually stumbled into a one-in-1,000 treasure. The vender generously let them try the rare delicacy free of charge. Turned out to be a lucky day after all!

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

#scallop #seafood #rare #orangescallop #redjadescallop #lucky

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Taiwan’s Soupy Rice Showdown winners

"Taiwan’s Soupy Rice Showdown" is a culinary competition celebrating creative rice stew dishes made with locally grown rice. It highlights Taiwan’s agricultural pride and culinary innovation, with categories for frozen and fresh meals. Winners are supported to bring their dishes to convenience stores. In the latest edition, over 70 restaurants competed with more than 120 rice stew creations. FTV reporter Stephany Yang met the winners.

Creative rice stew dishes are presented on the table, featuring peeled chili peppers, minced pork with seafood, and even chocolate-flavored rice stew. Contestants used locally produced rice, paired with flavorful sauces.

The winners of the 2nd Taiwan Soupy Rice Showdown have been announced. The competition, themed "Hometown Flavors," was divided into two categories: Frozen and Fresh. For the Frozen category, the winner combined cabbage stew with xilu pork to create a double-layered sauce aroma, highlighting the nostalgic banquet style. Xilu pork is a traditional Taiwanese home-style dish using tender pork belly braised in a rich, savory broth. In the Fresh category, the champion was also inspired by xilu pork, paired with fried Taiwanese tilapia chunks and topped with sakura shrimp and onions for the finishing touch. Both champions chose domestically produced "Taiken No. 2" rice.

Wei Lian
Fresh category champion
This dish is based on the xilu pork my mother taught me. Taiken No. 2 really brings out its texture.

Huang Teng-Wei
Frozen category champion
Every time you eat xilu pork, it tastes different. I wanted to capture a middle ground flavor that represents the whole essence.

This year’s Taiwan Soupy Rice Showdown competition attracted 71 restaurants across Taiwan, with 123 rice stew dishes.

Huang Chao-Hsing
Agriculture and Food Agency deputy director
We expect the champion rice stews to hit the market next March, available through major channels. Sales are projected at about 350,000 portions, using roughly 33 tons of traceable rice, which will help boost consumption.

The agency will assist both winners in developing frozen meal packs and chilled microwave-ready dishes, making them available in convenience stores nationwide.

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

#SoupyRice #Food #Contest

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Last-minute cancelation of budget flight turned out to be an error

South Korean budget airline Eastar Jet has announced that it’s canceling all returning flights on Wednesdays and all departing flights on Thursdays, between Taipei and Busan, up until the end of March next year. The only exceptions are New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. However, some travelers that booked a ticket with them via Trip.com outside of these dates still got their flights canceled. Turns out it was an error on Trip.com’s behalf, but some travelers have already shelled out several thousands more to cancel and book another flight.

South Korean budget airline Eastar Jet is a popular choice among price sensitive travelers in Taiwan. Recently, it slashed two regular flights between Taipei and Busan.

According to the notice, up until the last week of March next year, all returning flights on Wednesdays and all departing flights on Thursdays will be cancelled, save for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. That said, one traveler still had their flight on a Friday canceled by the third-party booking website.

Voice of Ms. Chen
Flight canceled then restored
In order not to delay our trip, we booked another flight. It’s too soon, so we didn’t have many options left. So we booked tickets for the day before, on Thursday with another airline company. We’ve arranged for time off at work already, and now we have to take another day off. Later Eastar Jet confirmed that our flight wasn’t cancelled.

Ms. Chen said she was notified on Monday by Trip.com of the cancellation, and that she’d spent at least NT$5,000 more to get new tickets, only to have Eastar Jet say the flight was still on. She said it felt like being taken for a ride on April Fool’s Day.

Jesse Lin
Travel content creator
When it comes to budget airlines, their flights are more tightly scheduled, leaving them with less room for contingency. Therefore, when their aircraft requires maintenance or repair works, they may not be able to offer alternatives. If it’s the travel agency’s error that resulted in the cancelation, that makes it a case of consumer dispute, which would call for negotiation with the travel agency.

Ms. Lin
Taiwanese in South Korea
My family back home is waiting for me to join the family reunion, and so seeing news of an abrupt cancellation makes me really worried about whether there will be too many travelers, leading to errors, and whether my flight would be cancelled.

According to Eastar Jet, passengers on three of their fights who booked tickets with Trip.com were affected. In response, Trip.com said a system error made the cancelation notifications go out, which they’ve since corrected. The company also said it will compensate those affected.

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

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Lai voices support of premier’s decision to not countersign bill

On the evening of Monday, President Lai Ching-te released a prerecorded video in support of the premier’s decision not to countersign a controversial bill. The bill contains amendments so that local governments get a bigger share of central government revenue. Lai urged the opposition-controlled legislature to immediately withdraw all controversial bills. However, the opposition quickly pounced on the president’s wording of “opposition dictatorship” and insisted that they will not yield an inch.

In a pre-recorded video, President Lai Ching-te reiterated his support for the Premier’s decision not to countersign a controversial bill.

Lai Ching-te
President
This is not the expression of democracy, but its erosion. It is steering Taiwan toward the brink of legislative abuse and opposition dictatorship. In this new constitutional situation, I want to reiterate that I am willing to deliver a state of the nation address to the Legislative Yuan in accordance with the constitutional method stipulated by the Constitutional Court.

For the first time since taking office, Lai expresses willingness to deliver a state of the nation address at the legislature. The opposition still refused to step back.

Lo Chih-chiang
KMT caucus
Only the executive power can possibly implement dictatorship. Since when is “opposition dictatorship” a thing? The Legislative Yuan will definitely not back down by even an inch, facing President Lai Ching-te’s actions that violate the Constitution.

Kuo Kuo-wen
Lawmaker (DPP)
The KMT and TPP have always rammed through bills while stoking division, so the Executive Yuan could only resort to refusing to countersign these amendments, in order to prevent constitutional chaos. This is the Executive Yuan’s bottom line, as well as its last resort. I believe it’s only inevitable for the executive branch to exercise its right to resist.

A KMT lawmaker says that since leaders of the executive power aren’t implementing passed laws, they do not deserve their pay packages.

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They’re not ruling by law, and not doing anything. And so we must review their salaries and related operational fees. They’re now basically getting paid to do nothing. I think that’s really, really foul.

Chung Chia-pin
DPP caucus
If they believe the premier is incapable or unfit, they can proceed with a motion of no-confidence vote against the Premier, in accordance with Additional Articles of the Constitution. The gridlock between the ruling and opposition parties was caused not only by the KMT and the TPP’s forcefulness, but also due to crippling of the Constitutional Court. As long as the Constitutional Court can resume operations, the so-called gridlock will no longer be.

Since the Constitutional Court cannot hold hearings at present, the opposition could pass a vote of no-confidence, but at risk of their seats at the legislature. It seems that the political gridlock has long turned into a game of chicken.

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

#constitution #legal #politics #government #taiwan

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Gas blast blows up Tainan home, knocks over scooter rider outside

A gas explosion rocked a calm neighborhood in Tainan on Monday night. The blast blew up a home, sending debris all over Wenhua Street in Xinying District, and knocking over a scooter rider that was passing by. Neighbors quickly rushed to the scene to help out. It is thought that the explosion was caused by a gas leak that ignited while a local man was cooking dinner. Officials estimate he’s sustained second-degree burns on almost half his body.

A scooter zips by. But then…

The home blows up. The metal awnings come down, and wooden boards are torn off. The motorist struggles to get up, as people rush from nearby homes and shops.

- It’s terrifying!
- I thought it was a quake. So scary.
- The car got blasted!

Neighbors called the police, and ventured inside the home with a fire extinguisher to pull out residents.

Voice of witness
Saw aftermath
He’s in shock. He doesn’t react when you ask questions, and he’s not talking.

Voice of neighbor
Heard explosion
I heard a boom! It was terrifying. I didn’t know what it was. It was so loud, like an earthquake.

A gas explosion wreaked havoc on Wenhua Street in Tainan at 8 on Monday evening. The scene looked like a bomb site. The windows of two cars were shattered, metal grates were blown open and signboards came crashing down. Fortunately a fire didn’t break out. The resident inside the home and motorcyclist were sent to hospital.

Chiu Kuo-chen
Fire fighter
There is the resident and a passerby. He’s suffered burns. From what we know, the resident was cooking when the explosion happened. We estimate he’s got second-degree burns on 49% of his body.

Fire fighters pulled two small gas canisters from the house, and it is thought a gas leak caused the blast. The male resident was alone at home. His wife and four children were at his father-in-law’s and only return home to sleep at night. His parents immediately rushed to the area after they found out about the explosion.

Mother
Mother of victim
He cooks by himself here. There’s a gas tank and a stove.

Officials continued the investigation on Tuesday morning.

Tu Chan-jung
Official
It was a gas explosion, but we can only confirm the cause after the site has been cleared.

Neighboring buildings were also affected by the blast. For now, they’ve made temporary repairs.

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

#blast #gas #gasexplosion #tainan

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200th temple anniversary goat escapee causes road chaos

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