Grab seeks to buy foodpanda Taiwan in NT$19.2 billion deal

Grab seeks to buy foodpanda Taiwan in NT$19.2 billion deal

2026-03-24

A big change is coming to Taiwan’s food delivery platforms. Grab, a leading food delivery and ride-hailing app popular in Southeast Asia is set to purchase Delivery Hero’s foodpanda operations in Taiwan. The deal totals US$600 million, or about NT$19.2 billion. The deal is still pending regulatory approval, and is set to be complete in the second half of 2026. Despite the announcement, the Fair Trade Commission says it has yet to be notified of the acquisition proposal. Let’s hear from the commission.

Voice of Hsin Chih-chung
Fair Trade Commission
The Fair Trade Commission has not yet received an acquisition application regarding Grab and foodpanda. Once we do, we will review whether all the necessary documents have been provided, and only then will we accept the application and begin processing it. We have a review period of 30 working days during which the two companies cannot merge.

Food deliverer
Delivers for foodpanda
Foodpanda’s parent company has been facing some financial problems. Ever since it broke through its predicament, it’s been seeking other platforms to intervene. Us delivery riders are playing it by ear. Some say that Grab’s regulations are stricter than at foodpanda, so some riders are nervous about the change.

Back in 2024, Uber had attempted to buy foodpanda for some NT$30 billion, but the merger was rejected by the Fair Trade Commission due to concerns about competition. One year later in March, Uber announced it was giving up on the merger, and had to pay a NT$820 million termination fee. Foodpanda has been in business in Taiwan for 12 years, with 3 to 4 million users and 100,000 merchants, generating US$1.8 billion in gross merchandise value last 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

#foodpanda #foodelivery #ubereats #uber

Uber併購被擋! 東南亞"Grab"接手砸192億收購foodpanda

2026-03-24

外送平台大洗牌! 來自東南亞的外叫車平台"Grab"，豪砸6億美元現金，約192億元台幣，想要收購台灣知名外送平台foodpanda，預計最快下半年完成，不過目前公平會說，目前還沒收到申報通知。

[[聲源:公平會發言人辛志中]]
“目前公平會還沒有收到Grab和foodpanda的結合申報案，這兩家事業，如果提出申報資料之後，公平會會檢視他們的資料是否齊備，在確認齊備之後，才會受理申報，並且開始進行審查，我們有30個工作天的審查期間，在期間之內，結合事業不得進行結合”

[[外送員]]
“母公司就一直在財務上，經濟上面有一點問題，那它自從破局之後，它應該也是積極的，在找一些其他的平台來介入，外送員來講，普遍都是且戰且走啦，外面傳聞很多，可能就是說它的(Grab)規範的範圍啊，然後條件啊，都比目前的foodpanda還要嚴苛，所以這個部分，其實有些外送員是比較，有點人心惶惶的感覺”

2024年Uber曾砸下300多億元，要併購台灣熊貓，但因市占過高遭公平會擋下，隔年3月 Uber 決定放棄交易，還付了約新台幣82億元解約費。熊貓在台灣經營12年，擁有300到400萬用戶、10萬家合作店家，去年交易總額高達18億美元。

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Decades-old Shilin restaurant serves classic flavors while cooking for charity

Small food stands are a Taiwanese staple. Aside from well-known spots frequented by students and tourists, there’s no shortage of hole-in-the-wall joints dishing up local favorites. Take the Shilin area in Taipei for example, where a shop has been selling fish cakes and squid soup for over 60 years. With their distinctive southern shacha flavor and generous portions, the shop has become a hidden gem favored by locals. Even during off-peak hours, the seats are full. Not only that, but the owner is a secret good Samaritan. She provides meals for the underprivileged, and donates her time and money whenever there’s a major natural disaster, joining with other volunteer cooks. Let’s take a closer look at this mainstay of the community...

A chef blanches cuttlefish and squid, careful to get the timing right to avoid overcooking them to mush. It’s a skill honed through extensive experience.

This store has been selling handmade fish cakes, squid soup, and cuttlefish soup for over 50 years. With their deliciously gummy texture, generous portions, and distinctive southern shacha flavor, this spot is a hidden gem beloved by the locals.

Their fish cakes taste very fresh.

The fish cakes are particularly good. The thickness of the soup is also nice. It’s not too starchy.

Chang Wan-chi
Restaurant owner
We use fresh squid, not the fish paste that other places use. As for the cuttlefish, most people just put it directly into the soup. But we don’t do that. Since it keeps cooking while inside, if left too long, it’ll fall apart. Our fish crackers are also different from the ones typical in Spanish mackerel soup. Ours are more like the cracker-like ones sold in Tamsui.

Substituting basil for cilantro gives the soup a distinctive favor that’s won over the local crowd. After nearly 60 years in operation, the shop is now run by the founder’s adopted daughter.

Chang Wan-chi
Restaurant owner
The shop was started by my adopted mom and her partner. When they got older and wanted to retire, I took over. People like this classic flavor. You can’t change it. Most of our customers are regulars. Some families have been coming here for generations.

Apart from preserving classic flavors...

... the owner also quietly does good deeds. Every time a major natural disaster strikes Taiwan, she will donate her time and money, going with her husband to volunteer as cooks.

Lai Yen-wen
Charity meal organizer
When the Mataian River flooded, by 7 I had already decided to go and organized a team to head out there. Of course I’ll go first, but later on we made another trip, and my wife came along.

Chang Wan-chi
Restaurant owner
Most of the time I’ll cover the expenses, like when they go to daycares or nursing homes. I’ll say OK, you go this month and I’ll support you. There really are people who come here saying they don’t have anything to eat. So I’ll make something for them like anyone else. Noodles, whatever they want.

Quietly doing good for their community while preserving beloved classic flavors, this small restaurant is carrying on the legacy of those who came before.

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

#restaurant #squidsoup #fishcakes #charity #Shilin #Taipei #GoodSamaritan #community #localfavorite #hiddengem

2026-03-24

Canadian-born singer wins over fans with songs in Taigi

The latest viral sensation is a group of foreign-born musicians performing in Taigi, also known as Taiwanese. Polish drummer Slawek and Canadian singer Brandon from Taipei are part of the group Adoga. Their song Back Here Again sounds even more local than if it were performed by musicians born and raised in Taiwan, earning them fans online. And it’s not their only Taigi song, either. The singer also performs the classic song Dancer, as well as Bold for my Love by A-Mei, using his own homemade notation to pronounce the words.

He doesn’t exactly look Taiwanese, but he’s singing his heart out in Taigi. Originally from Canada, Brandon is putting his all into this rendition of “Back Here Again.”

He’s skilled at conveying the melancholy of the lyrics, which made their group, Adoga, go viral online.

Slawek
Adoga drummer
He asked if I wanted to join his band. But I already had my own band, so I suggested he join mine. When we got together, he started singing in Taigi. I thought it was a great idea.

Other band members have come and gone, but Brandon and Slawek have stuck it through for 18 years. They’re also known for their cover of the classic song “Dancer.”

But they can’t just cater to the senior crowd. They have something for their younger fans, too. Launching into A-Mei’s “Bold for my Love” turns the atmosphere on its head.

Without prior exposure, it’s hard to learn Taigi. So Brandon made up his own notation, laboring over the details to master the pronunciation.

- This is my notation. What I’m writing is “Brandonese” so I can read it.

But to truly learn Taigi, it’s not enough to practice on your own. Every taxi ride is a chance for one-on-one practice.

- Hurry up, I’m hungry. I learned that in a taxi. And then I know they hurry up. You eaten? Have you eaten? I like that.

To leave an even stronger impression on their Taiwanese fans, the band also made their own custom vests emblazoned with their names.

Slawek
Adoga drummer
Other countries don’t have these vests. When people see it, they ask how we have it, where we got it. Did you make it yourselves?

Even though they weren’t born in Taiwan, they wanted to learn Taigi music out of love for their adopted home. Luckily for them, this labor of love has also forged new opportunities for their band.

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

#band #Taiwanese #Taiwanesemusic #Hoklo #foreigner #singer #AMei #music #Adoga

2026-03-24

Taiwan deputy trade representative Yen Huai-shing passes away aged 53

2026-03-24

Jay Chou releases new album in 3 years

After three years, the “King of Mandopop,” Jay Chou is releasing a new album, on March 25. The music video of the title track, “Children of the Sun,” was premiered on Tuesday afternoon. The screening and presser at Muvie Cinemas in Taipei was attended by a cozy audience of 100 lucky fans, selected by lottery, while the livestreamed video was watched by nearly half a million.

Mandopop superstar Jay Chou takes the stage, looking sharp in a black blazer.

- Everyone should watch the music video, many times.
- It’s also ok if you watch only once.
- What? Just once?
- ‘Cause it’s quite long.
- Is just once enough?
- No!

The last time Chou held such a cozy event was more than ten years ago. This time, it’s all on him. He’s booked a cinema and invited 100 lucky fans, selected by lottery, to mark this new milestone.

Jay Chou
Singer-songwriter
Many of my fans started listening to my music while still in school. But now you’ve joined the workforce and matured, you know, and have become more vulnerable, no?

Chou says he hopes the title track “Children of the Sun” will offer support to fans if they ever feel down. But joined by his longtime friend Ken Lin on stage as co-hosts, the audience feels anything but in their presence and joy.

- The sun is too bright, way too bright.
- You can get down now.

Lin greatly amused the audience when he imitated Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings.” He even briefly sidetracked, giving a shout-out to his donut shop, which only opened last year. Chou didn’t mind sharing the stage though. He also surprised the press, agreeing to take questions directly from reporters after the screening.

Jay Chou
Singer-songwriter
I have an idea. Maybe I’ll do a record-signing at a tennis court. Not bad, right? Maybe next time.

Chou entertained the idea of holding a record-signing event at a tennis court. He also teased that there will be a screening of the video taken when he proposed to his wife. The new album, his 16th, is dropping on midnight of Wednesday on streaming platforms.

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

#JayChou #周杰倫 #mandopop #celebritynews #entertainment

2026-03-24

Woman leaves leg dangling out of car driving along freeway

If you want some fresh air in your car while on the highway, roll down the windows, but you should absolutely not do what a woman in Hsinchu did. A driver captured a video of another car on Freeway No. 3 speeding along with the door wide open. What’s more, a woman in the vehicle swung her leg out and dragging her foot on the asphalt for about 15km. The stunt continued even after the car got off the freeway. Some say the woman may have argued with the driver and was thinking of jumping out, while others say maybe drugs were involved. But something that everyone can agree on is that it is a dangerous stunt indeed.

Cars zip along the freeway at more than 100km per hour. But this silver car ahead has a door wide open! A woman is holding it in place while letting her feet dangle outside. The driver behind was stunned.

You would think that the door would close after getting off the freeway… but no! The car door stayed open.

The stunt alarmed everyone around, fearing for the passenger’s safety.

Member of public
Commenting on incident
It’s not OK. The car is also going so slow that if a motorbike passes by at a faster speed, it could easily cause a crash. I think she might have stepped on something, because it doesn’t look like she’s going to jump out.

Member of public
Commenting on incident
Maybe they argued, or something else happened, who knows? It is dangerous though.

The shocking scene was captured on Freeway No. 3. The woman opened the door at around the 94km point on the northbound lane and swung her foot out, dragging it on the floor for about 15km. She left it dangling even after exiting the Guanxi Interchange.

Hsiao Shih-wei
Police officer
We investigated the incident and found no reports made by the public. Attempts to contact the owner of the vehicle have yielded no response. Our brigade will summon the owner, driver and passengers for questioning.

The dangerous stunt not only put the passengers of the vehicle at risk, but also fellow road users. The police say fines will be issued in accordance to traffic regulations. But the mystery remains as to why they would even do that to begin with.

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

#traffic #car #road #shocking

2026-03-24

Pet store sparks outrage locking dog in storage box after closing

A pet shop in Taichung has come under fire after a passer-by witnessed that staff had locked a dog in a storage box after closing. In the video taken by the eyewitness, the dog could be heard barking loudly and repeatedly forcing itself against the walls of the container, even knocking against the glass panel of the storefront. The dog was obviously distressed, and worse, there wasn’t even water left inside. Last year, another outlet of the same franchise had killed a client’s cat after leaving it in a dryer box for too long after grooming.

Why is this storage box in the pet shop moving?

Turns out, there’s a dog inside frantically pushing against it.

A shopkeeper swiftly returns after being notified of the situation.

- Is it for sale?
- Yes.
- It’s really not nice to treat it so.
- Or perhaps you’d like to take it home?

The eyewitness asked why the dog wasn’t kept in a cage but in a storage box.

- Small dogs have thinner legs. If you leave it in a steel cage and the leg gets caught in the openings overnight, it’s actually more dangerous.

The pet shop is a chain store in Dali District, Taichung. On Monday night, a passer-by noticed that a dog was locked in a storage box.

Chiang Ho-shu
Taichung City Councilor (TPP)
They only punched a few holes through the lid, and none on the four walls. They’ve kept the dog in a closed-off space. This makes the dog nervous.

The pet store was already closed when the eyewitness passed by, so she reported the incident to the city government’s animal protection, and called another outlet of the chain to get in touch with a shopkeeper. When the shopkeeper arrived, he explained that the dog was kept in a storage box so it wouldn’t get caught in the mesh it’s standing on, were it kept in a cage instead. The eyewitness offered to pay for a non-slip mat for the dog, but the store declined, and then brought the dog to another cage with a mat.

Voice of eyewitness
Dali District, Taichung
The pet store didn’t even bother to get a cage for smaller dogs. They could at least place a plastic mat. It’s so simple, but they still didn’t bother.

A vet says that the holes on the lid were too small, which would lead the box to accumulate a high concentration of carbon dioxide. Moreover, there’s no water inside the box, which could cause heatstroke. The dog could also step on its own excrements while confined, leading to high levels of anxiety.

Hsieh Cheng-nan
Veterinarian
What they did to the dog was like locking a person in a prison cell or a brig. It’s more like punishment.

It’s not the first time for this pet store franchise to come under fire for animal mistreatment. Last year, another chain left a client’s cat in a pet dryer box for too long and ended up killing it. Now, it’s caused public outrage again for leaving a puppy for sale in a storage box overnight. The owner of the outlet admitted not adhering to best practices, but otherwise refused to be interviewed. Animal protection officers had inspected the store after receiving a report, and said that the storeowner will be punished according to law.

Voice of Juan Fei-yu
Taichung City Animal Protection Office
Businesses that violate the required facilities regulations may be fined between NT$40,000 and NT$200,000. If they fail to improve the situation within the specified period, they may be fined for each violation. If they are fined three times, their license will be revoked.

Meanwhile, netizens have flocked to the shop’s Google Maps profile, and even changed the name by adding the words “animal abuse” to raise awareness of the store’s and franchise’s malpractices.

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

#pets #dogs #cats #animalabuse #adoptdontshop

2026-03-24

Medical milestone as Palauan woman gets live liver transplant in Taiwan

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Despite labor shortages, older adults find it hard to get jobs

Taiwan is now officially a super-aged society but are workplaces truly prepared? Even though there are labor shortages across various industries, a recent survey found that 60% of middle aged and older worker have experienced ageism. Today we talk to talented retirees about their difficulties in returning to the workforce.

Holding a model airplane, Eade, 73, holds dual bachelor’s degrees from Stanford University and the University of Arizona. He speaks eloquently about the plane’s structure and design. Eade retired from a well-known tech company at the age of 68. He wants to return to the workforce and utilize his talents, but he never thought he’d encounter constant obstacles.

Eade
Retired CEO of Tech Factory
Since we’ve reached retirement age, salary and material things aren’t our biggest concerns. So we maintain a degree of flexibility. But your expertise definitely has its inherent value and I see it as a sign of respect. However, the other party might see it as an issue. On the one hand, they might feel sorry for you; on the other hand, they could hire more people for the same amount of money.

Ms. Chiu used to earn a six-figure monthly income in a traditional industry. She wants to find employment again after retiring but says the job openings available are completely unrelated to her professional background.

Ms. Chiu
Representative of older job seekers
I chose to retire relatively early, but I didn’t mean to stop working entirely. I can find some assistant jobs. Many people think that older people may not be able to humble themselves. Employers might feel that since you’ve held such high-level positions before, it could be difficult for you to take on sales or other lower-level tasks afterwards—they worry you might not be able to handle them.

Tseng Chung-wei
Jobseekers’ website spokesperson
Returning to the workforce is particularly challenging for middle-aged and older people. The top concern is age discrimination, which leads to difficulty finding work. In addition, their roles may be replaced by younger employees, they may lack some of the necessary skills for certain positions, and their employment options are more limited.

When middle-aged and older people return to the workforce, their supervisors may even be younger than they are. Companies also need to consider management and salary issues, as well as the structure of the labor force. There is still considerable room for improvement in how these challenges can be balanced within an aging, low-birthrate society.

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

#ageism #job #jobmarket #taiwan #society #employment

2026-03-24