Taiwan Tonight - Formosa English News | Nov. 12, 2026

Acer Group founder Stan Shih arrives with his wife at the pre-APEC press conference held at the presidential office, where President Lai Ching-te relayed his three major propositions. See? First, as a member of APEC, Taiwan will remain an active participant and contribute to APEC affairs. Second, Taiwan will continue to promote global technology cooperation and innovation exchanges. Third, as geopolitical and supply chain shifts challenge the global economy, Taiwan will continue to be a stable and trustworthy source in the Asia-Pacific. Having first represented Taiwan at APEC in 2007, Acer's Stan Shih prepares himself for this great undertaking once more after 19 years. Thank I am incredibly honored, yet I also understand this great responsibility. AI is this year's focus at APEC, a field where Taiwan excels. As a core player in the global AI industry, Taiwan will be a stable and trustworthy presence on the international stage. This year's APEC will be held in Shenzhen, China. you. It seems that oppressive tactics are already deployed as Taiwan's unofficial invite to APEC didn't address the nation using its name. Many believe this was an attempt to belittle the island. During the conference, if there is any unfair treatment, then we will demand an immediate correction to defend our nation's rights and interests. The presidential office reiterated the stance and rights of the members. The delegation will represent Taiwan's semiconductor and AI sectors and underscore their immeasurable value in the global supply chain. I'm actually very shocked, because I feel that for six lives, this kind of sentence is simply too light. Ms. Huang chokes back tears outside the courtroom. She is one of the survivors of the Polam Kopitiam mass food poisoning case and says she can't accept the sentence. It's unreal, ludicrous. How can such a major incident be let go with such light punishment? After I got poisoned, I had stage 3 chronic kidney disease, with a kidney function of just over 30%. I'll probably start having to do kidney dialysis. Then, during the subsequent cultivation process, there was a During the subsequent testing process, one thing was clearly established. A lack of refrigeration alone would not have caused the rice noodles to develop the bacteria. Which had never before been detected in Taiwan. The food poisoning case took place at a Polam Kopitiam branch in Taipei in 2024. Two cooks and an intern had served diners dishes that used rice noodles from open bags that were being stored at room temperature. A total of 33 people contracted bongkrek acid poisoning and six died. The franchise owner has been sentenced to one year and 10 months in prison for negligent homicide. One of the cooks received a sentence of eight months, the other a sentence of six months commutable to a fine, and an intern a sentence of four months, also commutable to a fine. The store manager was acquitted of all charges. The food poisoning incident has become a political issue. In the recent mayoral debate for Taipei, Mayor Jiang Wan-an said he had made sure that Polam Kopitiam would be held accountable and that all the victims and their families would receive compensation. The comment did not sit well with survivors and relatives, who found it triggering. Among them was Ms. Huang, who took part in a radio interview one day before the verdict. She recounted that she had once run into mayoral candidate Puma Shen, and told him that Taipei's response to the poisoning had been far too slow. The city government cannot shirk its responsibility to address municipal issues. As I've said before, the mayor does not control the courts, but the mayor is responsible for inspections, for seizing evidence or assets, ensuring investigations continue, and preventing those responsible from hiding or transferring their assets. I think the defense should be strong. The court should impose a harsh sentence. I've long said that penalties under the Act governing food safety and sanitation are not severe enough. That's why we've been speaking with lawmakers to amend the law and increase the penalties. Jiang says he wants a harsh sentence. But victims and their families say they haven't forgotten how his government botched investigations in the aftermath of the incident. Many drivers are frustrated when they get stuck behind left-turning cars. But driving along Zhongshan Road in Kaohsiung is now much smoother, as dedicated left-turn lanes were added at intersections. Now, cars that want to turn left no longer block the cars behind them. It's a very good way of doing things. Because this is how you can do it. I think it's a great idea because it's safer for cars turning left and they won't block vehicles going straight. You can use the left turn lane so you don't block cars behind that want to go straight. It's very helpful. To improve traffic and safety, the Kaohsiung Transportation Bureau regularly reviews roads and gathers feedback from drivers. It also adjusted the road design to guide cars into dedicated left turn lanes at intersections. We've added these lanes at 258 intersections and found that collisions involving left-turning vehicles have dropped significantly. National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University's research showed accidents dropped by 55 percent. The number of locations has increased a lot recently because the Public Works Bureau has been doing road work. It notifies us a week in advance which roads are scheduled for work, allowing us to redesign the lanes accordingly. Those left turn lanes are clearly marked, separating traffic and making driving through the city smoother and safer. Hello everyone, I am the world's most powerful technology star, Yuba. Taipei's World Tour in 2026 is about to begin. Zhenghua Post, with its 130-year history, is also introducing AI. This year, it's hosting the World Stamp Championship Exhibition for the first time in 10 years, bringing together rare stamps from around the world at the Taipei World Trade Center starting on November 20th. stamp Stamps show countries' histories, arts, and cultures. Even countries at war have put conflict aside and brought their stamps here for the exhibit. Famous stamps from around the world will all be in Taipei. The exhibition focuses on innovation and sustainability, bringing together stamps and stamp collectors from 69 different countries and regions. It even collaborated with Pokemon to make exclusive products for the exhibit. The exhibit celebrates Chunghwa Post's 130-year history and will display rare stamps from around the world, including the U.S.'s first airmail stamp, the inverted Jenny. Among the stamps brought by the U.S. is the inverted Jenny, giving visitors a chance to see the rarity of these misprinted stamps and learn about their history. It's rare to have the opportunity, even once in a lifetime, to get such a close look at these priceless treasured postal artifacts. More than 30,000 pages of postal artifacts will be on display for visitors to enjoy. The Taiwan area features digital technology that brings stamps off the page and into everyday life, as well as hands-on art activities that introduce stories behind the stamps. Visitors are sure to take home lasting memories of this exhibition. There has been a new development in the saga involving the 102-year-old man who married his caregiver. The children of the man have rejected the caregiver, claiming she was out to get his inheritance. Earlier this year, they even conducted a rescue mission outside Mackay Hospital. The Wong family believes that the multiple properties have been transferred under the wife's name and wealth. On Thursday afternoon, during a family court hearing, the children sought legal action to have their father's marriage annulled. In the written agreement, it specifically mentions that she needs to take good care of her father. The Wang family knows it was like having a godfather or something like gaining another daughter. Holding the signed agreement in hand, the Wang family spokesperson slammed the caregiver for being greedy and getting into a sham marriage just for money. You know there's a contract, but you're waiting until the old man has dementia to marry him and tell me that it's love? I don't think anyone will understand this nor believe it. The case of the caregiver-turned-wife made headlines earlier this year. Family members accused the caregiver of manipulating their 102-year-old father, Mr. Wang, to get married as she was after his large fortune. The children discovered when visiting their father and getting turned away by the new wife. They staged a dramatic rescue at Mackay Hospital entrance to separate the two. The family believes that besides the multiple properties transferred to the caregiver son's names, there is also a lot of money missing from insurance accounts. This video is brought to you by We had already prepared to gift her some properties. What we had gifted had already been taken earlier, and every month you keep demanding so-called living expenses from the grandchildren. Every month asking for 500,000 or 600,000 NT, even 700,000 NT. Is that reasonable? What the family found most unacceptable was while the man is still alive, the caregiver claimed in the family court that he had already passed away, making the children feel that she doesn't care about the man and only his wealth. Hello everyone. Hello. This caregiver, Ms. Lai, is quite vicious. In a previous family court hearing where they were preparing to announce a guardianship, she actually told the court and her lawyer that Mr. Wang had already passed away. The saga remains unfinished. For now, the caregiver believes she is the spouse, and the children are rejecting a stepmother who is after their father's fortune. Let's see what happens next. The Black Whale extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle has finally undergone sea trials. Developed by Longde Shipbuilding and an English unmanned vehicle developer, the Black Whale is seen as a key piece to develop Taiwan's asymmetric warfare capabilities at sea. The nine meters long vehicle can carry up to eight people when crewed, turning into a mini submarine. When unmanned, it transforms into a kind of underwater drone equipped with sensors and weapons that can be deployed on intelligence gathering missions and anti-submarine warfare. Let's hear more. This is the first time it's been made public. It's the first public test they do. I happened to be passing by and realized what was happening. Its main functions are intelligence gathering, mine defense, and underwater warfare. If the future of Longde Shipyard is to produce a large number of supplies, If the Longde shipyard can mass produce these vehicles, that is, if they can be put into service, they will play a significant role in the Navy anti-submarine missions and mine laying operations. They can even be used to protect submarine cables. The armed forces have learned from the extensive use of unmanned equipment for both offensive and defensive purposes in the Russia-Ukraine war. So in addition to regular manned ships and submarines, the Navy is looking to unmanned underwater vehicles, which can be a powerful weapon in asymmetric warfare scenarios. Foxconn held its quarter three earnings conference on Thursday, returning to an in-person format for the first time in six years. The company posted stunning figures with quarterly revenue hitting three trillion NT dollars, up 46 percent year on year. Net profit for the first three quarters reached 187 billion NT dollars, a record high for the same period. Meanwhile, earnings per share came in at 13.35 NT. With AI server shipments continuing to grow, Foxconn chairman Liu Yangwei showed optimism about the company's performance in the quarter four. Let's hear from him. In the first three quarters of this year, EBITDA has reached $369.2 billion NT dollars, more than double the figure recorded in 2020. This demonstrates the cash-generating capacity driven by the growth of the AI business. With the shipment of a new generation of AI server racks, revenue from AI servers is projected to continue growing on a quarterly basis. Combined with the arrival of the traditional peak season for ICT products, overall revenue is expected to show strong growth, both sequentially and from year-ago levels. Overall demand is expected to continue exceeding supply next year. In the face of such external shifts, the talent, capital, and supply chain management expertise that Foxconn has cultivated over the long term serve as a vital foundation. AI has been the biggest driving force behind Foxconn's latest growth. The company is actively strengthening its own supply chain with in-house production of AI server components surpassing 50%. Addressing concerns about a potential AI bubble burst, Liu remains confident that demand will stay strong next year. A high schooler who got stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors outside a bubble tea shop in New Taipei in September has sadly passed away. The victim had been attacked by a middle schooler at his same school allegedly after the two got into a dispute about cutting the line to order a drink. The younger student grabbed a pair of scissors from a nearby shop and made a gash on the older student's neck. The victim was in the hospital for 48 days until he was pronounced dead on Wednesday. His parents released a statement via a lawyer. Let's hear more. Our beloved child ultimately passed away due to the severity of his wounds. This is a pain we will never be able to bear for the rest of our lives. He was simply coming home from school as he did every ordinary day when he was attacked by a younger student from his same school, someone he had never even met, who stabbed him in the neck with a pair of scissors. From that moment on, we were separated from him forever. We have prayed for his recovery by his side every day, but in the end we were still unable to save him. He was our only child and the most precious part of our lives. No matter what verdict the justice system ultimately delivers, nothing can ever feel the immense pain of losing our only son. We sincerely hope that such a tragedy will never happen to another family. The school is not willing to give up, it's a pity. The school is deeply saddened and regrets what has happened. However, now that this tragedy has occurred, we will continue to stand by the family and support them through this most difficult final chapter. New Taipei's education department says it will work with the school in the judicial investigation. It will also convene a meeting on major incidents involving students to improve identification of high-risk students and put together a set of recommendations that will be submitted to the central government. Officials say they will strengthen risk prevention and response measures to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.