Taiwan Tonight - Taiwan News | Jul. 21, 2026

What is happening? Police officers holding batons stand on the road and a crowd of onlookers forms a semicircle. Even passing motorists stop to watch. The tension is palpable. Look up a bit and it's a macaque perched on the building's facade looking over downtown Kaohsiung. The monkey sits still leisurely observing the movements down below. It stands and strolls around yawning and chilling even going as far as going to the toilet on a shop sign. Agriculture officials finally arrive and after a long stare off with the animal they decide to shoot it with a tranquilizer gun right on target but instead of succumbing to sleep on the spot the monkey started running amok and fell to the ground bearing its sharp teeth to anyone that got in the way. The final struggle is worthy of an epic. Some people grab traffic cones to catch the monkey while others rush forward with a net. Finally sweet victory for the humans as the group subdues the monkey. This macaque had been terrorizing Kaohsiung for three days. It ripped off a piece of watermelon from a customer while I was eating it over in the alley. I called the police over. We determined that the macaque strayed away from the pack in Chai Shan. The area surrounding Chai Shan and Shoushan Zoo are packed with macaques. It is unknown why one of them decided to venture into the city where it was spotted making the trip to the Nei Wei Art Center, the popular Liu He Night Market and finally Lin Sen First Road which is at least six kilometers away. The Kaohsiung Agricultural Bureau says the sightings are indeed the same monkey, a macaque that has been taken for a checkup at the zoo and will be released at a future date. With monkeys traveling deeper into the city the question now is how to strike a balance of coexistence. Lying on this black tarp are white water starved watermelons that are basically knocking on death's door. Melon farmers here are heartbroken knowing that their hard work has likely gone to waste. It's especially hard to comprehend over in this field near Jenning Bridge, an area that's often overflowing with water. Yet the withering watermelon sprouts here are now dying from thirst. The temps are really high for that rocky area. When there's no water the melons can't take it. They'll just end up dying. There's no water for us to irrigate our crops. Even if we were to have water, let's say we start planting now, well we won't even have vines until three weeks later. But right now we don't even have water so there's nothing to talk about. There's nothing. Farmers in Hualien are finding the situation hopeless as the alert for the Wanli River barrier lake is now on day 20, making matters worse as the farm fields are in evacuation zone. So the irrigation canals and floodgates have all been closed, meaning the farmers can't get in and the water can't get out. Knowing that melon and rice farmers are seeing their crops wither along with their livelihoods, the authorities are seeking solutions. The alert for the Wanli Creek barrier lake has been extended so when it comes to obtaining water this is a rather difficult situation. And of course the most important thing is ensuring the safety of human life. If we're allowed to enter the area in under three days, we'll be able to open up the natural inlets in Lintianshan and Wanrong so that water can flow in from them. The authorities are not taking any chances since Wanli Creek is still at a red alert level, meaning the barrier lake could overflow at any time. That's why the local government is trying to think up solutions that will both save crops and not endanger human lives. For decades, job seekers all over Taiwan have been moving north, but that trend seems to be slowly reversing. According to a Job Bank survey, the number of job openings in southern Taiwan increased by 10% during the first half of the year compared with the first half of 2025. That's a much steeper increase than the 5.8% increase in the north and the 5.1% increase in central Taiwan. This new trend could be fueled by AI, semiconductor expansion, and the gradual formation of a tech corridor stretching from Jiayi to Pingtung. Let's hear more. Hsinchu Science Park isn't the hottest thing anymore. Now the Southern Taiwan Science Park is in. This tectonic shift is making southern Taiwan increasingly important, especially since historically we've had plenty of water, power, and land. We've established an AI college that the whole university is promoting. We have direct connections with more than 3,700 universities, including TSMC, ASE, and Inolux. Students could obtain professional certifications such as via the iPass. We often hold events for alums. Thanks to their feedback, we can make adjustments to our curriculum. Every single student must take AI-enabled courses in their first year. Universities and companies in the south are joining forces to retain talent locally. Fourteen universities have formed an alliance to work with tech companies and expand into hot fields ripe for AI, such as long-term care and agriculture. With the support of major semiconductor giants and with companies offering perks such as flexible work schedules, the north no longer seems so attractive as a career destination. Getting out their IDs, these students have gotten to the second stage of the Taiwan ICDF's Being able to go to a diplomatic ally like this, for me, it's something that feels like a rare opportunity. Before this interview today, I'd been trying to learn some words. Also, in the past I studied abroad in the U.S. for a year, so I'm thinking that having those skills from living abroad might be able to help me at this event. These students have put in a lot of prep time for their interview, which involved them using Mandarin to share their knowledge about international cooperation. But that's not all. Their communication skills and ability to think on their feet were put to the test during an interview in English. Applicants also had to team up with other students to create a one-minute video. Their planning, filming techniques, and ability to express themselves were all evaluated. I wanted to tell our story to a lot of people around the world. Through this activity, I can do an exchange in Africa. I came up here from Kaohsiung, so I'll definitely be really happy if I'm chosen because I rushed here from such a faraway place. It's important to show that you care about international affairs, as well as putting your skills into practice and having the ability to tell a story through a video. But of course, your passion is the most important thing of all. You'll be able to see first-hand Taiwan's soft power, to see exactly what our ICDF technical teams are doing in these countries. This is the first time the Taiwan ICDF has held a campus youth ambassador selection event like this, which had over 250 applicants. Students who are selected will head to one of two diplomatic allies, either Eswatini or St. Lucia, where in late August, they will stay for five days as part of their job shadowing experience. As you hope to travel as one of Taiwan ICDF's campus ambassadors to St. Lucia, where my grandfather is from, or to the kingdom of Eswatini, I believe this is a great opportunity for all of you to learn more about Taiwan's diplomatic allies. The Taiwan ICDF has created a path for youth to visit diplomatic allies, where they'll be able to achieve their dreams of diplomacy while experiencing first-hand the assistance Taiwan is bringing to its friends abroad. If you are the kind who can't go a minute without checking your phone, you definitely want to jot this down. For the first time ever, Taiwan's military will conduct a drill simulating a disruption to mobile internet services this August. The drill will be held as part of the Hanguang military exercises, which run from August 5th to the 14th, and will cover 14 cities and counties across northern and central Taiwan. But officials are stressing that this is not actually a complete internet shutdown. Let's hear more. I would also like to take the opportunity to explain the drills to everyone. Mobile internet services won't be cut off fully. The connection speed will be slowed down to simulate a disruption as caused by a natural disaster or a large-scale cyber attack. If you require a connection, you can use fixed lines or Wi-Fi. Taiwan isn't the first in the world to conduct a drill of this kind. Democracies such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and some European countries have conducted drills where they simulate power outages or cyber attacks on internet communication systems. It's common practice, as these simulations enhance the resilience of democratic countries. During the drill, mobile phones will still be able to make voice calls and send SMS messages. Emergency services, including 110 and 119, will also remain fully operational, while disaster warning text messages will not be affected. The Central Taiwan Drill will take place from 2.30 to 3.00 p.m. on August 10th. In Northern Taiwan, this disruption will take place at the same time on August 13th. A former manager at TSMC surnamed Chen has been indicted for trying to leak company secrets to China. The incident came to light during an investigation into a Chinese espionage group headed by Ding Xiaohu, a Hong Kong national. After joining the group, Mr. Chen made illegal copies of 21 secret documents and drafted a project to recruit Taiwanese talent to advance Chinese semiconductor industry. TSMC discovered the activity and reported it. The investigation concluded on July 20th, and prosecutors are seeking seven years in prison for Mr. Chen for violating the National Security Act as well as the Trade Secrets Act. The case follows another alleged leak involving former TSMC engineers who were accused of stealing and leaking key TSMC technology to Japan's Tokyo Electron. This time, however, the technology was allegedly intended for China. Experts say China currently cannot legally obtain the world's most advanced EUV equipment. They say that even with aggressive recruitment and infiltration efforts, it would be difficult for any firm to successfully replicate advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes. Beitou in northern Taipei is famous for its hot springs, and drinky tea has also become a popular pastime there. But there are so many tea shops, it's hard to know which one to pick. FTV checked out three of the biggest ones to find out what makes Beitou tea so special. A long line like this is a hallmark of the Gaoji tea shop. About 10 employees stay busy inside. On a good day, the shop sells around 3,000 cups. We brew the tea and carefully select the leaves. There are lots of details about what kind of tea should be brewed at what temperature and how much should be used. Popular picks at Gaoji include its affordable black tea and worry-free tea, with regulars often opting for the bagged version. Cai Yuanyi says its half-sugar and full-sugar drinks best capture the taste of traditional black tea. Xujia tea often sells out, while Mingchuan tea, which has only one location, is well-known for its milk and honey drinks. There might be more people selling it these days. Locals had it first, then visitors tried it and found the quality was pretty good. With the internet so big now, words spread quickly, and everyone thinks that coming to Beitou means you should have black tea. Beitou's black tea culture dates back to the Japanese colonial era, when tea plantations covered Datun Mountain. As demand grew, local farmers began growing black tea, and by the mid-1970s, production shifted from export markets to domestic consumption. But as for which shop is the best, that's still up to debate. Since I was young, I've always had Cai Yuanyi. I always get their tea. It has more flavor. There are lots of tea shops around here. We usually go to Mingchuan. We think their black tea is better. It's a little more traditional. It's really a matter of personal preference, so why not try them all and see which one you like the most? Holding an interactive device as she looks at the electrical current on the screen, a high schooler from Hsinchu uses English to explain the principles of voltage, current, and short circuits to the class. Her voice never wavers, showing remarkable stage presence. Each summer, National Yangming Jiaotong University and TSMC work together to organize the BeLight AI Semiconductor Outreach Program. This year, they also partnered with a Ukrainian K-12 education project to bring Ukrainian students on board. After first receiving training on semiconductors and AI, Ukrainian and NYCU students teamed up to guide students from Hsinchu Girls' Senior High through experiments and coding. We feel really grateful and excited and happy becoming a teacher myself. And it's good that you see how the way you teach and how kids are, like, their response to this. I know when their lectures become boring and the students tune out, and I feel like this helped me to create better materials. Professor Wen, who designed the program, and Laura Ho, a former senior VP at TSMC, are both former students of Hsinchu Girls' Senior High. They also hope to expose more students to AI early in their education. I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to finish the program with the assistance of these teachers. First of all, Professor Wen is an alumna of our school, and a distinguished one at that. At the moment, high school textbooks don't have anything on semiconductors. Coming here to teach our students about semiconductors and having Ukrainian students guide them makes the topic into an opportunity for international exchange. Taiwan is incorporating semiconductors into the curriculum ahead of schedule, giving students the chance to enter the industry on more solid footing. The classic Taiwanese folk song, High Green Mountain, is brought to life by western wind instruments and eastern drums. The conductor waving his baton is Wei Rong Tai. He directs this charity band composed of senior instrumentalists. Every musician on the stage was once a highly sought-after performer for cabarets and nightclubs in the 1970s. Many years later, Wei brought them all together to form this ensemble. Restaurants, TV shows and music halls all used to have big bands. We hope that TV channels will bring back variety programs backed by live music. This would elevate our musical standards while giving new life to Taiwan's jazz music scene. Wei currently serves as the chair of a successful orchid enterprise specializing in rare foxtail orchids, alongside operating a highly successful restaurant venture. He began studying the piano at four years old and later switched to keyboard, eventually working as a musical director at various performance venues. His biggest wish was to form a group that would allow his former colleagues to take the stage together once more. I'm bringing these older musicians back to give charity shows together. After deducting our basic expenditures, all remaining proceeds are donated to help orphans, foster homes and elderly people who live alone. Giving back through their musical expertise, the group opens their concerts free of charge to elderly people living alone and vulnerable children. These musicians are proving that passion knows no age as they reignite the creative spark of their golden years. Carving tool in hand, an artisan focuses intently on chiseling floral patterns to fulfill her commission. This is no ordinary carving, but a special kind of wood inlay craft unique to Taiwan. An entrepreneur hired a specialist to create this menu board for his future tofu pudding shop. We usually just print it like normal. Using a craft special to Tainan for the menu will make this place unique. Items on the menu include tofu pudding and grass jelly, all for only 30 NT. Yet the custom board alone will easily run into the hundreds of thousands. Only someone from Tainan could be crazy enough to wrap something so ordinary and pure luxury. I was surprised. You're selling tofu pudding for 30 NT, but this board will be over 100,000 NT. Do you really want to do it? But he figured that reflecting the history was more important. The order came by introduction from a friend of Liu Jingwen who works in the food industry. The entrepreneur opened a well-known restaurant in Tainan that has received big gourmand recognition for many years. Now he's preparing to open a tofu pudding shop. As the location happens to be next to the birthplace of this carving style, he decided to integrate it into the design. The innovative part is carving my photograph directly into the menu board in the special Tainan style. We hope to be able to hand it down through the generations. It's not cheap to make a menu board this exquisite, which has left people wondering if prices go up, will they have to remake the sign? Joe said the specially crafted board isn't just to drive business. More importantly, he hopes it will hang proudly over the old street as a part of Tainan's rich history.