Black-faced spoonbill appears in Taitung after 1,700km journey

Black-faced spoonbill appears in Taitung after 1,700km journey

2025-12-22

A rare white-feathered visitor has been spotted at the Taiping River estuary in Taitung. It was a black-faced spoonbill, a protected species, and it was marked with a red ring on its left leg, with the number 12E. The migratory bird is the first of its species to arrive in the area with a tracker.

The bird was tagged in June 2023 in South Korea, at the Namdong Reservoir Protected Area in Incheon. Back then, it was just a juvenile bird that had just learned to fly. There were two previous sightings of the bird in Chiayi’s Budai Township, in October 2025. This time around, it flew more than 1,700km from its birthplace, to make it all the way to Taitung, not an easy journey to make.

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#nature #bird #migratorybird #blackfacedspoonbill

飛越1700公里! 黑面琵鷺現蹤台東出海口

2025-12-22

台東太平溪出海口，最近出現一隻罕見的白色嬌客，一隻左腳紅色環編號12E的保育類黑面琵鷺，成了今年第一隻來到當地，背有發報器的黑面琵鷺。

牠是2023年6月在韓國仁川南洞水庫保護區所繫放，當時還只是剛學會飛行的幼鳥。去年10月的兩筆紀錄，都出現在嘉義布袋，這次從出生地一路飛超過1700公里，抵達台東，飛行能力相當驚人。

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Taipei Police defends officers amid criticisms in wake of attacks

Taipei police were criticized for being slow to respond to last Friday’s attacks. Tthe aggressor had carried out two attacks within 75 minutes, and committed arson three times earlier in the afternoon before the stabbings. On Monday, the director of the Taipei City Police Department explained that given the circumstances and how meticulously the attacks were planned, the officers did done all they possibly could have.

Taipei police are under fire for being “slow” in responding to last Friday’s mass attacks and identifying the instigator. It’s alleged that their handheld transceivers weren’t functioning at the time of the crime.

Huang Jie
Lawmaker (DPP)
The walkie-takie wasn’t connected. That’s really serious.

Chang Jung-hsing
National Police Agency director
It’s simply impossible. They had to verify first that the arsonist was the same person. I believe the police were racing with time when they arrived at the scene.

Looking at security footage from the day, the attacker appeared quite confident while he carried a gas tank to the back of a hotpot restaurant on Chang’an East Road and set the vehicles parked there on fire. At 3:48 p.m. on the 19th, he first committed arson at two locations on Linsen North Road, and then at Chang’an East Road. Critics are wondering why the police did not react there and then.

Chang Yao-jen
Zhongshan Precinct
The leadership at the local police station was notified in the group chat by borough wardens of the arsons on separate occasions. At 5:41 p.m., we identified the instigator as the man surnamed Chang.

After the three arson attacks, Chang returned to his rented residence and set it on fire. A great number of canisters were found on the site. Within an hour, he committed arson at three different locations, and it took just as long to track him down.

Chen Jui-chi
Zhongcheng First Precinct director
After his facial features were captured more clearly on camera, and corroborated with the intel from Zhongshan Precinct, we interviewed the landlord of his residence on Gongyuan Road to confirm his identity. The entire process took 73 minutes. Immediately afterwards, we began our mission to capture him.

By then, the aggressor had begun to set off smoke bombs at Taipei Main Station. The chief of the local police station and his team arrived on scene just nine minutes later, when the attacker had already gone to his hotel room to change and pick up more weapons for the knife attacks at Zhongshan. Within 75 minutes, he’d committed homicide in two locations. Why wasn’t he stopped?

Chen Jui-chi
Zhongcheng First Precinct director
He set off 17 smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails to induce chaos at the scene. It was clearly planned in advance to divert the police. But our team still managed to identify him despite his efforts to distract us.

Amid criticism, the Taipei City police hopes that the public could be more understanding and offer encouragement to officers.

Lee Hsi-ho
Taipei City Police Department director
We humbly accept all criticisms and feedback, but I believe our colleagues can all do with simple words of encouragement.

According to the police, the aggressor had planned the whole attack so well that officers did all they could. They say they will continue to remain vigilant, as always.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#breaking #breakingnews #taipeiattacks #publicsafety #taipeimetro

2025-12-22

Police on high alert after MRT bomb threat

2025-12-22

Japanese celebrity Otani Mondo defends Taiwan amid China spat

Japanese celebrity Otani Mondo has come to Taiwan many times over the years. Now as relations between Japan and China sour over the prime minister’s comments about Taiwan, the film star has been hitting back on comments by Chinese netizens. Taiwanese are praising him, saying that foreigners love Taiwan even more than Taiwanese do. Otani just said that he was voicing what the majority of Japanese think.

A commenter online tells President Lai Ching-te to get out of Taiwan, and claims that Taiwan is China’s. Japanese film star Otani Mondo won’t stand for it. In a response, he asks if they need to get their head checked. Another says that Taiwan is a part of China. Otani replied: “You have to listen to us, because we have a president.” The ever-outspoken Otani has recently taken it upon himself to hit back on Chinese commenters in defense of Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Voice of Otani Mondo
Japanese celebrity
I don’t represent the views of all Japanese people, but what I say is what most Japanese think.

After Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae last month said that an attack on Taiwan may constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, Chinese people have been lashing out online. Otani isn’t taking it sitting down, even praising Takaichi for doing a great job as premier.

Voice of Otani Mondo
Japanese celebrity
Taiwan and Japan have great relations. Our prime minister is also doing a great job. It’s that simple. Ever since I first brought the taekwondo team to Taiwan, everyone was so nice to me. So Taiwan is my second home, my second country.

At 45, Otani has been developing his entertainment and fitness careers in Taiwan for 20 years now. Calling himself a Japanese fitness icon, Otani works as an actor, model, and even an agent. At a time of tense cross-strait relations, he’s standing up for his second home.

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#MondoOtani #celebrity #TaiwanJapan #JapanChina #Takaichi #Taiwancontingency #internationalsupport #netizen #sovereignty

2025-12-22

Taipei Philharmonic to celebrate 40 years with grand Mahler symphony

The Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It has gone abroad to perform many times over the decades, including in Vienna’s Golden Hall, Chicago, and Boston. Before the year closes, the orchestra will perform one more time, bringing the masterpiece Symphony No. 8 by the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler to the National Concert Hall in Taipei. Because of its grant scale, the piece is often called the “Symphony of a Thousand.”

The symphony swells to a soaring crescendo as traditional Taiwanese puppets writhe to the music. The Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra was recently invited to the Osaka World Expo in Japan to perform a unique fusion of classical Western and Taiwanese folk music, exhibiting Taiwan’s global cultural influence.

The orchestra has been well received through its many performances abroad. Now reflecting on its 40 years, the chairman said it was passion that kept them going through the decades.

Chen Wei-chung
Taipei Philharmonic Foundation chairman
The longer I’ve been involved, the more my admiration grows. It enhances the appeal and recognition of Taiwan and of our orchestra, doing a great deal for our country through musical diplomacy.

Over the years, the orchestra has performed everything from chamber music to grand symphonies, community events to international tours. For the year’s grand finale, it is to perform Symphony No. 8 by the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler at the National Concert Hall. Due to its immense difficulty and grand scale, the piece is often called the “Symphony of a Thousand.” Renowned Korean soprano Kim Sungyeun will also be featured.

Lai Wen-fu
Taipei Philharmonic founder
I’ll use the phrase recently made famous by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: Work, work, work! The Taipei Philharmonic is the same. Create, create! Over the next 40 years, all of Taipei will become a musical city.

The orchestra has also invited junior-high choir students to join, affording them the rare and valuable chance to be part of a grand ensemble. This extraordinary event promises to be a feast for the ears.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#TaipeiPhilharmonic #orchestra #choir #Mahler #symphony #music #singing #performance #concert #NationalConcertHall #SymphonyNo8

2025-12-22

Italian YouTuber rejects Chinese sponsorship over Taiwan demand

An Italian bassist with over 13.6 million followers on YouTube recently shared in a video that five years ago, he got a sponsorship deal with a Chinese mobile game. But just as he was getting ready to upload the video, the company demanded he delete a comment he made saying that “Taiwan IS a country,” or else it would cancel the deal worth US$75,000. He refused, saying it’s just common knowledge.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Italian YouTuber Davide Biale, who goes by the handle Davie504, spent US$10,000 out-of-pocket to buy 15 bass guitars for a fan giveaway. It was for a video that was to be the biggest sponsorship deal of his career. But just before he was about to post it, the company made a demand over a comment he previously wrote, saying, “Taiwan IS a country.”

Davide Biale
YouTuber
They wanted me to delete one YouTube comment I wrote one year earlier. I stared at my screen like I just got jump-scared in a horror game. It turns out the mobile game company was from a country that didn’t like at all this kind of comment. You can guess which country.

The story happened five years before. At the time, the mobile game company partnered with the influencer to create a 60-second video for a total of US$75,000, or about NT$2.33 million. But the company waited until after the video was finished and the contract signed to demand that he delete the comment, or else it would cancel the entire deal.

Davide Biale
YouTuber
And this is not even political. It’s just geography. Like, literally. Just go on Google Maps and you will see it too. What really matters is, I kept my integrity, my comment, my free speech, and I learned a powerful lesson. Some brands want to buy your silence more than your sponsorship.

Davide ended up rejecting the sponsorship and posted the video anyway with the sections promoting the game taken out, absorbing all costs himself. It’s common knowledge that Taiwan is a country, he said. After all, he’s married to a Taiwanese woman and lived in Taiwan for a time.

The original comment was from this video he made in 2019.

Over footage of himself playing bass in front of Taipei 101, he overlaid text saying he was in the country of Taiwan. It drew the ire of Chinese users, who even tried to get him blocked. But in the comments, he said, “Taiwan IS a country.” The comment is still there today, and Davide has proven through his actions the value of free speech.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#freespeech #YouTuber #Davie504 #bassist #sponsorship #coercion #economiccoercion #sovereignty #Taiwan #littlepinks

2025-12-22

Cloudscapes and live music at Alishan for New Year’s Day

The Alishan Sunrise Concerts that combine breathtaking cloudscapes with live music have become a hallmark of Chiayi County’s New Year’s Day celebrations. This year the concert, which is held at an altitude of 2,400 meters, will have a theme of “Dreams Above the Clouds.” Chiayi has invited three famous music groups, including The Chairman, who will join the public to welcome in the first day of 2026. Let’s find out more.

With light melodious music, Skyline Jazz Band delivers a brilliant performance.

The Alishan Sunrise Concert, which combines stunning cloudscapes with live music, has become a hallmark of Chiayi’s New Year celebrations. The theme of the 2026 concert is “Dreams Above the Clouds.”

- Please promote our Chiayi more, okay? Please promote Alishan more, okay?
- Definitely, definitely, I’ll do my best.
- Are you going to wear this that day too?
- No, because it will be very cold.
- It’s quite pleasant today, isn’t it? It might be 5 or 6 degrees Celsius over there. If a cold front comes, it could drop to -1 to -2 degrees Celsius.

The event blends jazz, rock and classical music and features The Chairman, Skyline Jazz Band and Philharmonia Moments Musicaux. They will join the public to welcome the first rays of the New Year in 2026.

Weng Chang-liang
Chiayi County Commissioner
We’re in our 24th year. Every year we celebrate New Year’s Day with everyone at an altitude of 2,400 meters on Alishan. We start our performances at around 5:30 a.m. through to 7 a.m. when the sun rises. When the sun rises, we welcome the first day of the New Year with Beethoven’s Ode to Joy to allow everyone to make the best resolutions on New Year’s Day.

Chiayi’s county commissioner said he would join the public to welcome the first day of the New Year with cheerful and upbeat music. He also invited the public to go to Alishan’s Zhushan Sunrise Observation Deck, where they will experience an exquisitely beautiful musical feast, high in the clouds.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#Alishan #NewYear #cloudscapes #concert #2026 #happynewyear #holidays

2025-12-22

Temporary bridge in Guangfu to open on New Year’s Day

2025-12-22

Exclusive: man who sacrificed himself in Taipei stabbings, per friend of 30+ years

One of the victims of last Friday’s mass stabbing was Yu Chia-chang, a Taoyuan resident who tried stopping the attacks near Exit M7 of MRT Taipei Main Station. Sadly, he was stabbed to death by the attacker, much to the shock and horror of friends and family. One friend of more than 30 years recounted that Yu once said he would’ve tried to stop the 2014 Taipei metro attack if he had been present. And his action 11 years later revealed him as a true person of his word and honor.

Mr. Lin says when the identity of the man who tried to stop last Friday’s mass-stabbing was revealed bit by bit, he still hoped it wasn’t his friend of more than 30 years, Yu Chia-chang. However, he soon had to accept it was, after texts to him in the friend group were left unanswered.

Mr. Lin
Friend of Yu Chia-chang
What comes first: tomorrow, or an accident?

Mr. Lin traveled from Linkou in New Taipei to Taipei Main Station to offer flowers to his late friend who died trying to restrain the aggressor. He also offered a salute to Yu, since they did mandatory military service together. He recalled how 11 years ago, following the 2014 Taipei Metro attack, Yu mentioned that he would have tried to stop the attacker if he were present.

Mr. Lin
Friend of Yu Chia-chang
So you did act on what you said you’d do more than 10 years ago. But I still think you shouldn’t have been so rash… you need to consider your age. You’re no longer young. That said, we’re still immensely grateful. We’ll always remember your bravery in the depths of our heart.

The photo was taken when the group of friends last met up. They were all smiles. Those who knew 57-year-old Yu all said he was your average good guy and a family man. He chose to reside in Taoyuan and commute to Taipei for work so he could take care of his aging mother. What happened last Friday was the utmost tragedy.

Peng Shih-sung
Zhongxing Borough warden
His mother says he’s always been an honest and straightforward person who stands up for the less fortunate, so what happened didn’t surprise me at all. He just bought a new place in Taoyuan and a new car. He hasn’t even had a chance to drive his new car.

Everyone is paying tribute to the late Yu Chia-chang for his courageous and selfless deed.

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

#taipeiattacks #hero #publicsafety #taipeimetro #余家昶

2025-12-22

Taipei goes back to routine after random stabbing attack

2025-12-22