Taiwan Tonight - Formosa English News | Nov. 11, 2026

Hackers are allegedly attempting to extort an international school in New Taipei. Parents of students at Kang Chiao International School in Linkou say they have recently received threatening emails. The senders claim to have breached the school's systems and obtained sensitive personal information about students and their families. They threatened to expose the data if they weren't contacted within a day. The distressing situation left students and their families on edge. The school has since disconnected its network and reported the matter to the police. Let's hear more. After discovering the hacker intrusion, the school immediately disconnected its network. The school's official website is now inaccessible, and the smart school app and student system are also completely out of service. A lot of detailed information, please our parents and teachers to confirm the follow-up. We've provided parents and faculty with all the relevant information and urged them to double-check everything. For example, do not open any suspicious links. We must be extremely careful. There's a three-point rule. Do not reply to messages. Do not open links. And do not trust unfamiliar phone calls. Also, do not spread unverified information. This is the system that the school purchases by itself. Based on our understanding, this is a system independently purchased by the school, primarily used for school administration. We have classified this as a routine personal data protection incident. The initial contact was last Friday, November 6th. Hackers sent an email to the school demanding the school to download a browser and enter an encryption key. The school refused, but the situation only escalated as the group started sending intimidating messages to the parents of students threatening to harm their kids. The school has brought in cybersecurity forensic specialists to conduct an in-depth investigation. They will examine system vulnerabilities, search for any malicious tasks that may have been planted, and determine the extent of the data leakage. Wearing shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, a woman with long hair was seen playing in a fountain. Onlookers remained stunned and wondered if the roundabout fountain had transformed into an amusement park somehow. . When the police arrived on the scene, the woman was still walking in the fountain. It was difficult for them to persuade her to get out of the water. She continued to ramble. What are you doing here? I don't know. You don't know? Yes. Where do you live? I forgot. Around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, a 25-year-old woman jumped into one of Chiayi's most iconic landmarks, a fountain roundabout. Locals began to record her as she ran through the traffic and jumped in the water to play. What's that? It's a poison. As cars passed by, they had to come to abrupt stops as to not hit the woman. Finally, the police convinced the woman to be taken to a hospital. I found out that these women Officers found the woman looking dazed and incoherent as she entered the fountain to play in the water. After some persuasion, the woman agreed to be taken to a hospital. The woman seemed to be mentally unstable and requiring medical attention. Thankfully, no one was hurt during her puzzling actions. The opening of this video shows a passport getting stamped, but what country is that? Why does their travel itinerary include a movement against wind turbines, excavator scandals, and political fighting? Local scandals that once dominated national headlines like the demolition of a mom-and-pop pharmacy in the infamous Dapu land-grab incident are spun as tourist attractions for the county of Miaoli in this campaign video. But for us Miao people, But to those of us from Miaoli, these are all real things that happened right here in our hometown. They aren't funny at all. Lin Yueqin, who's running for Miaoli city mayor with the DPP, sponsored the content creator Lu Lu to create a video highlighting the county of Miaoli as an offbeat tourist attraction. Just hope to use young people. The goal was to use a kind of humor familiar with young people to translate these serious and complex political issues into content that everyone is willing to watch and can understand. Lin said that the county's many political scandals have turned Miaoli into a national laughing stock. But for locals, these issues are everyday realities that directly impact their lives and demand rigorous oversight. There are still opportunities for change in this election. This election offers an opportunity for change. That's why I hope that particularly young folks studying or working away from home won't just laugh it off after watching the video, but will show care for their hometown and return to vote. Lin said that Miaoli hasn't changed political hands for 76 years, making it feel like a chaotic state within a state. She hopes young people will enthusiastically return home to cast their ballots and serve as a driving force for change. What do you see when you look at Hualien through foreigners' eyes? From breathtaking ocean and mountain views to hidden local gems, international residents are putting the East Coast County in the spotlight. Hualien County has launched a series of initiatives to boost its international profile, including a short video competition inviting foreign students and workers to capture what makes Hualien special in just 90 seconds. And the winning entries are proving that sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes to show a place in a whole new light. Photos and vertical videos capture Hualien from every angle. The county government recently held a series of events to promote international exchanges and the Hualien brand to the world. One of the events was a video contest, in which foreign residents studying or working in the county created 90-second vertical videos to highlight the diverse beauty around them. The talent was overflowing. Actually, I feel like Hualien really has the potential for people to see more. It's just maybe like a lack of information or some people don't know much about it. So I really want to share what we can do here in Hualien. The gold prize winner is a student in Hualien. She says that for international students living in Hualien or foreigners in general, you don't have to move far to find beauty. Through the videos created by foreigners, this first edition of the international short video contest highlighted stunning places and memorable moments overlooked by locals. There are three plans, and we have been promoting them for three years. We've been promoting Hualien as a foreigner-friendly destination for three years. Although I was not part of the jury, I did watch every video that you created. They were all amazing, showcasing Hualien from so many different perspectives. Hualien's efforts to be recognized as a destination that is friendly to foreigners have garnered praise, but it doesn't end there. The county has been promoting the use of English in menus, signboards, and service pamphlets, as well as scenario-based training materials, instructional videos, and other resources for the hospitality and tourism industries. The participants' videos showed that the county government's attention to detail and everyone's hard work have not gone unnoticed. In just a short minute, your creations not only capture the breathtaking beauty of Hualien from our mountains, oceans and the gorges and our tranquil lakes, but also present the rich variety of our local cultures and the vibrant activities. All the award winners hopped onto the stage as the most persuasive ambassadors for their second home Hualien. Equipped with cameras and zeal, they told the stories of Hualien in their own language for social media users all around the world to see this beautiful county. What people want now is something that truly allows them to relax and heal their mind and soul, which is why I call this purposeful tourism. A pandemic a few years ago changed human life and also the landscape of tourism. I've been here for three days and two nights. After three days and two nights here, I took the healing power of Hualien back home because I found that I could sleep well and eat properly here. It sounds very abstract, but the experience is very real. The Hualien County government has put forward a brand new theme of healing capital. We call it heroism, you know? After you soak it, you become a hero. After you soak it, because it is rich in iron and iron. After you soak it, it will make you a boy. In addition to hot springs, it also combines mountains and sea, food, indigenous culture, and agricultural resources. One million people only come once. If a million people come only once, that's called consumption. But if 10,000 people come 100 times, it's a connection with the land and the people of the land. I think that's the real purpose of tourism. Yu Mingxun previously championed Taitung's slow economy, which has since flourished. Now in Hualien, he is promoting the area as a healing capital, aiming to ensure visitors never forget their experience. With less than two weeks to go until election day, Taipei Mayor Jiang Wan'an and Legislator Puma Shen have both announced that they'll be taking leave campaigning is at full throttle. from their government duties starting tomorrow in order to focus fully on campaigning. They both have a packed schedule ahead of them, including a public policy presentation this Saturday. Let's hear more. It's about time, so I'll be taking leave starting tomorrow, November 12th, so that I have more time to connect with the grassroots and fight my best battle this election. At the Ocean Festival on November 14th, we'll have a game-like event where we create a physical policy island that lets everyone review our policies. Next, it will be done according to the rules of the project. Then it will... I will follow the relevant regulations and continue to go to every corner to meet locals and exchange ideas with them face-to-face. I will list out our achievements over the past four years and share our vision for the next four years. The two candidates will also attend a public policy presentation on Saturday. Shen will be the first of the mayoral candidates to speak, while Jiang will be the third. Their slots are more than 90 minutes apart, so they will not likely run into each other. After that, Shen will be off to the 228 Peace Park for the Ocean Festival, which will feature concerts by popular bands and games to let the public better understand his proposals. At around the same time, Jiang will be holding a parade around the city, with Taipei City Hall as its final destination. Destination. A Chinese traveler decided it was a better deal to give up a trip to Taiwan than to admit that Taiwan is not part of China. The traveler posted about the incident online. It all started when the visitor was applying for a permit to enter Taiwan and was asked to submit additional documents. It turns out the original hotel booking reservation that had been submitted referred to Taiwan as Taiwan-China, which rendered it invalid. The immigration office asked for a corrected version and required the traveler to add an extra document, a signed handwritten statement saying that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other. China is now accusing the Taiwan government of separatism. Let's hear more. The DPP authorities stubbornly cling to their separatist stance in pursuit of Taiwan independence. Any attempt to reverse the course of history and go against the tide of the times is bound to face a backlash from public opinion. Taiwan welcomes tourists from all over the world to Taiwan for tourism. Taiwan welcomes tourists from all around the world, but visitors are still required to comply with our laws and regulations. Under the Cross-Strait Act, as well as the relevant regulations governing tourism permits, applications may be denied or permits revoked in cases involving conduct that insults or undermines the dignity of our nation. As for the wording used by our staff, we will continue to improve our communication to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country that is related to China. Taiwan is an independent, sovereign nation. We are not subordinate to China. So whenever Chinese tourists visit Taiwan, they must abide by our laws. If they don't respect them, they can't come to Taiwan. This is a concrete demonstration of the sovereignty and governing authority of the ROC Taiwan. The National Immigration Agency underscored that Taiwan has the authority to deny entry to any foreign visitor. People praised the move online, saying that the NIA did the right thing, with some saying it was good that they had toughened up and that they absolutely supported the rejection. Others observed that when going abroad, one must respect the local laws and and politics. With her chin resting on his shoulder, Alice Huang and Jensen Huang appeared very cozy at a fine dining restaurant last year. Don't fall down. Jensen was seen with his arm wrapped around Alice's waist. The two seemed inseparable and openly affectionate, which was mistaken then as Western openness. Alice was seen standing back to let Jensen entertain interviews. Recent AI-generated clips have gone viral for depicting the scandal. Mistress Alice will not only need to face Jensen's wife and comments from the public, from now on, she will not be allowed to re-enter Taiwan. The relevant government authorities have all the information regarding Alice Huang's entries. We can deny permission or invalidate any part that threatens national dignity. How do we prevent people like this from using business visas to enter Taiwan? She was actually a Chinese spy. We need to be able to know that she is a spy. If we knew earlier, we wouldn't have let her enter. We have already revoked Alice Huang's permit, meaning she will not be able to return to Taiwan. Both the Ministry of the Interior and the NIA possessed information regarding Alice Huang's entry and exit. It is rumored that Alice's visa had been revoked before the affair came to light. Alice Huang, a permanent resident in Hong Kong, has become a hot topic of debate in the Legislative Yuan. How many times has she entered, and in what capacity? 她进来台湾有多少次？我们虽然有掌握，但我们啊密切配合相关单位 处理当中那现在如果台湾成为这个高科技的漏洞，不管是国家安全法 反渗透法，守护我们台湾最有钱的人的安全是最重要的被包装成 We will adopt a three-pronged approach to review this across agencies. In the last three years, more than 60,000 Chinese nationals have entered Taiwan on business visas. With the AI economy boost that Jensen Huang has brought, it remains to be seen how Taiwan will balance the economy and national security.