Formidable 40-year-old tree chopped down by mistake

2026-09-21

A beloved towering tree in Taipei that was due to be transplanted to a new location, was cut down instead, apparently by mistake. The bishop wood tree was located on Jinshan South Road near Dongmen market, and reached five stories up. Local residents who previously enjoyed the shade of its lush canopy were shocked to find it was sawed down into multiple chunks. Let’s hear more.

Local resident
Misses tree
It was so beautiful. It was a bishop wood tree. The red wood is so characteristic and good. There’s nothing we could do. If the city wanted it out, we couldn’t stop it.

Jocelyn Hung
Taipei City Councilor (DPP)
They said the tree would be transplanted, but instead they removed it. They literally chopped it down into pieces and killed it, just like that. Everyone is heartbroken. The tree was bleeding, and our hearts were bleeding too. Mayor Chiang Wan-an, don’t you feel anything? How could you let this happen in your name?

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
Trees are part of our memories of cities, and of our daily lives. The city government should explain to everyone what happened. Trees are living beings.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei Mayor
We will investigate the matter and shed light on what happened. I would like to stress that those responsible will be severely punished.

The formidable tree was sawed into several chunks that exposed the pin wood inside, making it look as if it were bleeding. Back in April, city officials decided to transplant the tree to a more spacious plot. The reason was that the original location was so cramped, that it was stunting the tree’s growth. But the contractor hired to move the tree ended up killing it instead. The city plans to seek NT$325,000 in compensation from the contractor and hold the company accountable.

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#tree #treehugger #urbandesign #sustainability #greencity #taipei #citylife

東門市場茄苳樹"移植變誤砍" 沈伯洋不捨:那是一個生命

2026-09-21

金山南路一段、東門市場附近，一棵五層樓高，樹冠茂密的茄苳樹原本只是要移植，沒想到竟然被"誤砍"，鋸成一段段木塊，台北市長蔣萬安稱，針對個案一定嚴懲不貸，但40年老樹就這樣被誤砍，當地居民實在傻眼。

[[當地居民]]
“樹這麼漂亮，你看，這棵樹就是紅色的茄苳樹，紅的聽說最好，沒辦法啊，市政府要來挖，我們哪有辦法”

[[台北市議員(民) 洪婉臻]]
“當時說是要移植結果變成移除，結果用這個大卸八塊的方式，讓這棵樹就這樣死掉了，其實很多人看了是非常心痛，樹在流血，人的心也在流血，蔣萬安你怎麼可以沒有感受呢，你怎麼可以允許自己旗下發生這樣的事情”

[[台北市長參選人沈伯洋]]
“樹對很多人的城市記憶，還有人生的記憶都是非常的重要，那我覺得市政府可能要趕快跟大家說清楚，那是一個生命嘛”

[[台北市長蔣萬安]]
“我們當然會進行相關調查，釐清整個過程，我們就強調，這個個案，我們一定是嚴懲不貸”

巨大樹木被鋸成一段段木塊，露出大面積粉色切面，彷彿在流血般。公園處表示，因原有樹穴空間過於狹小，影響正常生長，4月會勘要將樹移植到適合生長的綠地，但後續委外施工廠商，施工不當，加上監造廠商督導不周，把應該被移植的樹木擅自移除，將針對廠商求償32.5萬，要求負責。

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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

AI takes hold across Taiwan: from fish farms to job banks

Over the past few years, all the buzz has been about AI and how it will impact people’s careers. Now, in Tainan, aquaculture farmers are using it to improve fish and shrimp farming, while in Taipei a senior associate director with a job bank says it’s more efficient than humans in assisting job seekers to get interviews. Experts warn that in future, people who do not adopt AI could be considered “semi-illiterate” and their pay checks will reflect this. Let’s find out more.

Xuejia District in Tainan is Taiwan’s base for fish and shrimp farming. One area stands out as particularly different from its surrounds. The greenhouses there conceal another way of fish farming in a veritable transformation of traditional fishing industries.

This is Hsu Chia-lung’s greenhouse cyclic aquaculture farm, where he manages two fish ponds and nine shrimp ponds. In recent years, Hsu has introduced automated equipment and AI-powered smart monitoring to reduce the labor burdens and operational risks of traditional fisheries.

Hsu Chia-lung
Aquaculture farmer
AI can help us with planned production. For example, with a given pond, we can use AI to analyze what target size we want to grow the fish to, when to harvest, and how to balance that with market demand and our inventory.

Chen Jou-yin
Aquaculture farmer
It’s actually very difficult for us to measure their length on-site, but AI helps us identify the average length of a shrimp, convert that length into weight, and combine that with our original stocking count.

In the fishponds of southern Taiwan, AI has become a savior in addressing labor shortages in rural areas. Meanwhile, in Taipei, job banks are also using AI to assist with matching people to jobs.

Wang Chih-lin
Job bank senior associate director
Instead of job seekers having to set their own search criteria and find matching listings—which is fairly time-consuming—our past data shows that when applying through this feature, candidates received two to three times as many interview opportunities as they did when searching manually.

AI has now become a basic skill for workplace survival, and AI-related courses in vocational training institutions are almost always fully booked.

Ms. Chiang
Student
AI is the trend for the future, so I want to upskill myself—I don’t want to be left behind by society.

Some people have benefited from AI by using it to make their work more efficient, while others have lost business and orders due to AI. Whether AI is a friend or a foe depends on your perspective. But rather than fear your job will be eliminated, you should learn ways to adopt AI and create your own irreplaceable value.

#AI #AIincareers #AIadvancements #TaiwanAI #fishfarming

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

2026-09-21

Sister buys banners along Taichung roadway as surprise birthday gift

Banners along the busy Gongyi Road in Taichung recently went viral after people noticed that every one featured the same pretty woman. Curious investigators set out for answers. They found out they were put up by a woman as a birthday gift for her sister, but it didn’t stop there. They also wanted to know how much each banner cost. A set of two goes for NT$200 along with another NT$200 deposit, but it’s subject to a lottery draw and content approval before going up.

Vehicles stream along this major roadway as a row of banners flap in the breeze. They all feature the same pretty long-haired woman, drawing the attention of people passing by. The text reads: "Peerless Beauty. Radiant at 30. Happy Birthday!" But who exactly is this lady?

Member of public
Wondering about lady
She probably lives around here. If not, why put them along Gongyi公益 Road? She’s pretty.

- Are you curious who she is?
- I’ll probably go look it up. Looks like she’s promoting something.

She’s featured in the entire row of banners, puzzling many residents. People posted online looking for answers, sparking even wider curiosity. The 12 sets of banners are on Gongyi Road, Section 2 in Taichung, stretching eight blocks from Dachang Street to Huiwen Road.

Member of public
Likes the B-day gift
She must be happy. Everyone will see her. She’ll probably take some photos with it. For NT$3,000 or NT$4,000, that’s a reasonable birthday gift!

Member of public
Finds B-day gift funny
If it were me, I’d probably be happy, but also really surprised and embarrassed. Your photos are everywhere and everyone knows who you are!

A relative of the birthday girl clarified online that they were commercial banners rented by the woman’s younger sister as a birthday gift.

Liao Jung-chih
Taichung Environmental Protection Bureau chief
In this case, an application to hang commercial banners was submitted according to standard procedures. They obtained the right through a lottery and the applicant paid the hanging fees and deposit in accordance with regulations.

Taichung has 67 such commercial banner spaces up for rent. The Environmental Protection Bureau accepts applications from agencies, organizations, and legal entities. Each set of two flags has a usage fee of NT$200, plus another NT$200 deposit. As long as the content doesn’t violate laws or public decency, anyone who wins the lottery can put them up, giving everyday people their very own superstar treatment for all of Taichung to see!

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#Taichung #birthdaygift #streetbanner #viral #celebrity

2026-09-21

Earbuds earn Guinness World Record for clearest calling

Wireless Bluetooth earbuds are an indispensable accessory these days, used not only for listening to music, but also for taking phone calls. Major manufacturers are therefore working hard to create active noise cancelation that can detect ambient sound, ensuring clear call quality, even when in a noisy KTV room. One manufacturer incorporated an AI chip to create the world’s clearest earbuds for calling, as certified by Guinness World Records. The charging case even doubles as a voice recorder that syncs with a smartphone to generate transcripts and smart summaries.

Lin Yung-chi
FTV reporter
With a tap, I can share my photo with everyone. But this isn’t a smart watch. It’s a new type of earbud.

Earbuds are getting more impressive by the year. This manufacturer’s flagship model puts the case on center stage. The user can switch functions right on this touchscreen without ever using their phone. You can even change the wallpaper to your favorite photo. Cooler still, the case doubles as a voice recorder. Just double-tap to start recording.

Once the audio files are transferred to your phone, it can generate a transcript or AI summary. But these days, people don’t just use their earbuds to listen to music. They also need to make crystal-clear calls.

- While singing at the top of our lungs, let’s test do a test. If I call my mom right now, how clear will it be?

On the other end of the line, the voice came through totally clear with no sign of singing at all. The manufacturer developed a proprietary AI chip to deliver superior noise canceling, combining eight microphones and two bone conduction sensors to isolate the speaker’s voice from ambient noise. The technology even won recognition from Guinness World Records. Sony’s latest WF-1000XM6 similarly boasts top-tier noise canceling and smart voice controls, offering about nine hours of battery life with noise canceling enabled. Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 also have active noise cancelation while incorporating real-time translation and a heart rate sensor.

Lin Ming-hui
Product manager
Overall revenue is increasing in Taiwan’s Bluetooth earbud market, although unit sales have dipped slightly. This indicates that consumers looking for Bluetooth earbuds may already be on their second or third pair, so they want more features and reliable quality.

Liao A-hui
Tech expert
Apple comes closest to brands like Sony, which prioritize audio quality and comfort. Brands like Soundcore these days are highlighting extended business uses or productivity boosts for work. Different manufacturers position their products very differently.

Consumers are looking beyond prices to seek out more smart capabilities, driving increasingly fierce competition in the high-end earbud market.

#earbuds #headphones #soundquality #callquality #GuinnessWorldRecords #noisecancelation #AI #smartgadgets #voicerecorder #3C #tech

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2026-09-21

Taiwan takes over Dodgers Stadium as drone show lights up night sky

2026-09-21

Hai Kun submarine spotted at Kaohsiung Port for 15th dive test

2026-09-21

Nine people jump for their lives as fire breaks out in BBQ restaurant

On Sunday evening, a fire broke out at a yakiniku restaurant in Sanchong District, New Taipei City. The fire quickly spread from the first floor to the second and third floors. Nine people, including employees and customers, were trapped on the second floor and jumped out of the window to escape. Fortunately, they only suffered minor injuries.

Large black smoke billowed from the barbecue restaurant, followed by bursts of bright orange-red flames. The raging fire quickly became uncontrollable.

The fire quickly spread to the second floor, and diners had no time to flee, leaving them no choice but to jump out of the windows. A man was seen waving his hands on the first floor. People jumped down one after another, creating a dangerous situation.

Police and firefighters rushed to the scene and confirmed that everyone had been evacuated. They immediately extinguished the fire, but the people who had escaped were still shaken.

Voice of diner
Escaped fire
Halfway through the meal, the fire at the next table over suddenly began to get bigger, with white smoke coming out. The staff tried to put out the fire, but it was not working, and then a lot more white smoke began coming out.

At around 8 in the evening, in New Taipei’s Sanchong District, a fire broke out at the Chongxin Road branch of a popular chain yakiniku restaurant owned by Jhu Jian Catering Group. During dinnertime, the restaurant had more than 30 people. The fire spread from the first floor to the third floor, at the time one employee and eight diners were trapped. They jumped from the second floor to escape. A man in his 50s suffered pain in his lower back and right ankle; a teenager had inhaled a lot of smoke. The others suffered minor injuries, and were all rushed to the hospital.

Voice of diner
Escaped fire
The fire began at the stove. There was a stove beneath, and the fire suddenly grew. Staff tried to calm the fire by using fire extinguishers. After, they noticed the white smoke was getting bigger.

The three-story building that caught fire had a burning area of 250 square meters. However, the fire reignited in the warehouse later that night at 11pm and again early the next morning at 3am. Firefighters continued to spray water to cool the building.

After the fire, the entire restaurant was charred black and burnt. Fire investigators returned to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

Ma Sheng-chieh
FTV Reporter
After the fire broke out, the first and second floors of the restaurant were completely destroyed. The fire even spread to the hot pot restaurant next door, where the second-floor windows were broken and the interior was charred black.

Furthermore, a nearby Japanese massage parlor was also affected, with one employee suffering from smoke inhalation injuries and still receiving treatment in the hospital.

Mr. Chen
Shop owner affected by fire
Some of the staff had smoke inhalation injuries, and it seems that if it had continued, they would have suffered from rhabdomyolysis. We didn’t realize how serious it was.

This is not the first time a fire has broken out at this yakiniku restaurant. According to the fire department, this branch has experienced three fires in the last three years.

Jhu Jian Catering Group stated the store has a total of seven fire extinguishers and a descent control system on the second floor. The alarm system functioned normally at the time of the fire, and the fire equipment passed checks in May. However, since the floor area of the restaurant does not exceed 1,500 square meters, sprinkler systems are not required. Jhu Jian Catering Group also stated that the cause of the fire is still under investigation by relevant authorities and they will fully cooperate with the investigation.

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#Sanchong #barbecue #fire #fireescape #trapped #NewTaipei

2026-09-21

From AI cooling to energy savings: ITRI showcases latest innovations

At the 2026 Taiwan Innotech Expo, two breakthrough technologies from the Industrial Technology Research Institute are taking center stage, targeting two of AI’s biggest challenges: cooling and energy consumption. One is a heat sink that can rapidly cool high-performance chips and recently won a Silver Award at the Edison Awards in the US. The other is a rare-earth-free EC fan motor that can cut power consumption by up to 40%, with potential applications in semiconductor fabs.

With new and exciting tech advancements popping up every day, ITRI showcased its latest innovations in AI at an exhibition that drew huge crowds eager to learn about the newest cutting-edge tech.

- ITRI’s breakthrough has doubled the power output from 800 watts, to 1,600 watts.

Among the most notable breakthroughs in green energy tech was a 3D Aluminum Microchannel Thermosyphon Heat Sink, which has broken through the limitations of regular 3D vapor chambers.

Chang Wen-hua
ITRI Green Energy and Environment Research Labs
We developed this cooling technology for Nvidia’s GPUs, ad high-performance computing chips. The heat sink is made entirely of aluminum. Costs are 40% lower than existing cooling systems.

This innovative solution can rapidly cool down high-performance computing chips. The invention won a Silver Award at this year’s Edison Awards in the US, and a company is set to be established in Q1 of 2027. Another highlight at the show was a High-Efficiency Rare-Earth-Free Electronic Commutated Fan Motor.

Wang Chien-chang
ITRI Green Energy and Environment Research Labs
The black part at the top is the rotor. Usually, the magnets are put inside there. At the bottom is an innovative driver without electrolytic capacitors or Hall-effect ICs.

It uses 40% less electricity than AC motors, and meets the IE5 energy efficiency standard. The fan motor could be installed at semiconductor plants.

Wang Chien-chang
ITRI Green Energy and Environment Research Labs
About 90% of the world’s high-performance rare earths are produced by just one country. They are a key material to make high-efficiency permanent-magnet motors. So that’s what we were trying to solve: how to achieve world-class energy efficiency without having to use rare earths.

This motor uses no rare earths at all, helping reduce supply-chain risks while positioning the technology to tap into the growing AI-driven energy-efficiency market.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#tech #innovation #ai #rareearth #itri

2026-09-21

Biker parks electric motorcycle inside public toilet to charge

2026-09-21