Trash collector faces jail after taking discarded pots home

Trash collector faces jail after taking discarded pots home

2026-08-13

One man’s trash can be another man’s prison sentence. A garbage collector in Taichung has been indicted for corruption, after taking discarded pots and pans home to use in the kitchen and to turn into art. The waste disposal worker had turned himself into the Agency Against Corruption, and his ill-gotten goods were estimated to have a value of just over NT$4. That’s right, NT$4.

Over the course of 8 months, starting in March 2024, the man took 12 pots and pans, one metal rack, one spatula, one ladle and one metal tray home. Weighing in at a total of 12.4kg, and calculating at a rate of NT$0.33 per kilogram, the discarded cookware has a recyclable value of NT$4.092. The trash collector had been working in the team for eight years, and has since been removed from his position. Prosecutors charged him with misappropriating public property, but are asking the court to either exempt him from punishment or grant a suspended sentence. He says he regrets his actions, and says he won’t do it again.

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#pots #pans #kitchenware #cookware #cooking #disposal #recycling #upcycling

清潔隊員涉侵占鍋具"4元"自首檢貪汙起訴向法院求免刑

2026-08-13

台中北屯清潔隊，一名隊員開資源回收車時，擅自把民眾丟棄的鍋具帶回家，自組創意作品，遭到隊上發現，事後該名隊員向廉政署自首。經過統計，他侵占的回收物，換算價值只有4.092元，遭檢方依貪汙侵占公有財物罪嫌起訴，但也替他向法院請求免刑或緩刑。

經過統計，該名隊員在2024年3月至11月期間，侵占12支鍋子、1個鐵架、1支鍋鏟、1支勺子及1個鐵盤，一共12.4公斤，換算成標售資源性垃圾，每公斤單價0.33元來算，價值4.092元。任職8年的清潔隊臨時人員，目前調離現職，他感到懊悔，承諾絕不再犯，也靜待司法判決。

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Angry at speeding fines, man takes a grinder to a speed camera pole

A 60-year-old man surnamed Yang took a handheld grinder to a speed camera pole on a road in Hsinchu. Then, in a fit of rage, he hacked away at it in the dead of the night. He was allegedly afraid of being caught speeding and angry at all the other speeding tickets he had already accumulated. Police arrived at the scene on Provincial Highway No. 3 after the incident was reported. The man initially claimed he was sawing a tree, but eventually confessed. He’s now facing potential criminal charges. Let’s find out more.

Sparks suddenly fly on the side of the road late at night. Then, a man enters the picture. Upon closer inspection, it turns out that he’s sawing through a speed camera pole. Terrified pedestrians say it’s just too scary.

- What is this?
- A speed camera.
- That’s terrifying!

Police rushed to the scene after receiving a report that someone was suspected of tampering with a speed camera. The speed camera pole had been sawed, with obvious cutting marks. The police then expanded their search and found the culprit, a man surnamed Yang, about 300m away. When questioned by the police, he went as far as to claim-- in deadly earnest -- that he had been sawing a tree.

- I tell you: I was just sawing a tree.
- You were using this saw?
- Yeah, to saw a tree.
- You can use this to saw trees?
- Yes, you can.
- You can use this to saw trees? Trees are so big, is an angle grinder enough?

Police seized an angle grinder from the under-seat storage of his scooter on the spot. Faced with the undeniable evidence, the man had no choice but to confess. Police investigations revealed that the man was from Taoyuan. After borrowing a friend’s heavy motorcycle he then suspected it had been snapped by a speed camera.Fearing the license plate would be suspended and feeling the weight of his own accumulated speeding fines that totaled over NT$100,000, he was pushed over the edge. He borrowed his wife’s scooter, removed the license plate, bought an angle grinder, and, figuring he might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb, sawed down the hated speed camera to vent his frustration.

Liu Jo-min
Police chief
The entire case will be transferred to the Taiwan Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office for investigation on suspicion of damaging public property. Regarding the property losses caused by the equipment damage, the equipment manufacturer is currently assessing the situation. Once the actual amount is confirmed, this precinct will seek compensation from the party involved in accordance with the law.

Maintenance workers arrived early in the morning to carry out repairs. What started out as an attempt to dodge a speeding ticket ended up with the man getting caught red handed by the police for sawing the speed camera. His impulsive act not only failed to quell his anger, but he may also have to pay compensation and face legal trouble.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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Australian padawan steals lightsaber, embracing dark side

Star Wars enthusiast Makoto Tsai has been making realistic-looking lightsabers for over two decades, but recently he met a Sith lord for the first time. Tsai had lent a friend in Australia a red lightsaber to be used by a group of Star Wars enthusiasts, but one Australian national ended up stealing the lightsaber. The man even broke the Jedi code when he bragged about his act on social media, saying, “Reels blowing up right now, feeling pretty blessed.”

Over in Australia, these two force-sensitive men are swinging and spinning their lightsabers. This scintillating duel features a Jedi versus a Sith lord, who’s the one holding the red lightsaber. After borrowing the laser sword, the blond-haired man refused to give it back and even told famous lightsaber maker Makoto Tsai to send him a private message. The man’s reply to Tsai showed that he’d already embraced the dark side.

The Australian national blocked Tsai and even sent an insidious photo of him giving the middle finger. Tsai is still having a hard time accepting the fate of the stolen lightsaber, which cost NT$11,000 to make.

Makoto Tsai
Famous lightsaber maker
Geez. It’s ridiculous. How can somebody like this even exist? I lent that lightsaber to that group, for anyone there to use. But then, during a gathering, he ended up slyly stealing it, or you could say borrowed it without asking. And then he ends up never coming back. So my friend wanted to get that saber back, and that’s when we realized his lightsaber was taken, that the man insisted on not giving it back.

The social media accounts of the Sith lord with sticky hands got slammed by negative messages, yet the man has clearly embraced the dark side. On Instagram the man wrote, “Reels blowing up right now, feeling pretty blessed,” which clearly broke the Jedi code.

Makoto Tsai
Famous lightsaber maker
He dug in his heels, telling my friend in Australia “Why do I have to give it back to you? You gave it to me.” But this is ridiculous. He even posted a story, in which he said “when you yell at me it makes me happy, because it just increases my reach.” Geez. I’ve never met somebody this shameless.

Tim
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He was an apprentice that I felt had a lot of potential. And he never behaved like that in the past, so all of us had a lot of trust in him.

Makoto Tsai, whose government name is Tsai Jung-chou, is so passionate about the Star Wars universe that he developed a way to make lightsabers that look just like those in the beloved sci-fi series. Star Wars enthusiasts around the world love his lightsabers, which can be customized. They’re also entirely made by hand in a process that takes at least 10 hours. The attention to detail might explain why many of his lightsabers are owned by entertainers, such as Fast & Furious actor Sung Kang, a friend of Tsai who came to Taiwan for Tsai’s marriage registration. But not all lightsaber enthusiasts can resist the dark side, including this Sith lord from Down Under.

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MOFA minister Lin Chia-lung speaks to big group of youth ambassadors

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung carved time out of his schedule to speak to a special group of young people, who are either in this year’s class of International Youth Ambassadors or part of the TaiwanICDF’s first ever group of Campus Youth Ambassadors. These diplomats of tomorrow are about to head abroad to Taiwanese allies, where they’ll get first-hand experiences of diplomacy in action.

Through song and dance, this group of youth ambassadors are demonstrating the vitality of youth.

These musicians playing traditional instruments and singing Hakka hill songs will be going to visit diplomatic allies; also going abroad are TaiwanICDF campus youth ambassadors, who seem to be quite excited about the opportunity.

Yu Ting-hsuan
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I started to understand that this opportunity is not only just about going abroad; it’s about meeting people, listening to their stories, understanding their cultures, and seeing how Taiwan and Saint Lucia can connect with one another.

Tsai Wan-yin
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To be able to become a campus youth ambassador, representing the TaiwanICDF and going to a diplomatic ally, I feel that this is truly an incredible honor. For me right now, I’m really excited and looking forward to creating brilliant things with the locals there.

This year is a two-part mission, with Palau being the destination of the first batch, who are the first group of Taiwanese youth ambassadors to include experts in drone technology. The second group will be going to Caribbean countries, including Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung waved the Taiwanese flag and presided over the ceremony in which the youth ambassadors were conferred their certificates.

Lin Chia-lung
Foreign minister
First, be confident when you go abroad. You represent Taiwan: a free, democratic, innovative, and open society. Second, be humble: listen carefully, respect different cultures, and learn from the people you meet.

Lin Chia-lung called on the youth ambassadors to exude a spirit in which anyone can be a diplomat, and to showcase the democracy and resilience of Taiwan.

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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Taiwan is putting its emergency preparedness to the test. The 2026 Urban Resilience Exercises got underway in Northern Taiwan Thursday, simulating everything from the distribution of essential supplies to wartime medical operations. President Lai Ching-te and New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih inspected the drills, which also drew representatives from the US, Israel and Canada. The exercises are aimed at ensuring that even in a crisis, essential government and public services can keep running.

She scans the ID card and checks the list, before putting the supplies in a bag. It’s quick and easy. Northern Taiwan held its urban resilience drill on Thursday, which included an inspection of a supermarket distribution station by President Lai Ching-te and New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih. This year’s exercises are being closely watched by the international community. At the scene was de facto US ambassador Raymond Greene, as well as diplomats from Israel and Canada.

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Virtue never stands alone. It is bound to have neighbors. We are not alone in facing regional geopolitical challenges. The international community is with us. But we cannot afford to be unprepared. We cannot afford to rely only on outsiders. Each exercise we hold is a boost to our resilience.

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It’s best to be over-prepared for 100 years without calamity, than to be caught unprepared a single day. Being ready is extremely important.

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Donning Taiwan baseball jerseys to showcase Taiwanese baseball culture, the M&Ocean Youth Band of 17 students from Yilan’s Yue-Ming Elementary and Junior High School traveled all the way to California to deliver brilliant performances.

By wearing school uniforms and caps while performing national health calisthenics, they awakened childhood memories for many. But the most touching moment was when they performed this song.

Tender voices singing Longing for the Spring Breeze brought three to four hundred attending expats to tears. Established in 2020, the M&Ocean Band saw students independently rehearse and design their own stage setups, starting from local markets in Yilan and eventually progressing to Taipei 101, government agencies, and major ticketed stages. Accumulating experience and travel funds along the way, they finally made their dream come true this summer by performing in the United States.

Pan Hou-sheng
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Being on stage, I love performing so much! I hope I’ll have even more opportunities to perform in the future.

Lin Ko-ching
M&Ocean member
We served local Taiwanese snacks to the elderly folks over there. When performing on stage, seeing the smiles on the audience’s faces brings us joy.

The group also performed at senior centers and city councils in California, receiving official commendations. Across their 12-day journey, they delivered eight performances to overwhelming acclaim.

Huang Chien-jung
Yue-Ming principal
They worked hard toward their dream and also managed to bring joy to so many people.

Wang Ching-ju
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Some people even drove two or three hours just to see these kids perform. They’ve actually seen quite a lot of performances over there, but the vast majority were groups from China. What these Taiwanese kids brought had a completely different character.

Emotional connections spanning across the Pacific deeply touched California’s overseas Taiwanese community. Some even expressed willingness to sponsor them in the future, hoping the kids will visit again and bring authentic Taiwanese performances back to the US.

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Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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