TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An old mechanical engineering building at National Taiwan University has been transformed into a museum and is now highlighting race cars, solar vehicles, and light aircraft designed by students and faculty.

The special exhibit, Here with M.E., runs through April 30 next year. It showcases innovative transportation vehicles and the building’s architectural history, according to NTU College of Engineering.

A race car developed by the NTU Racing team, solar-powered vehicles created by students and faculty, and the lightweight iPLEV electric car from 2011 are featured. Also on display is the university's self-built light aircraft, which appeared in a commercial with singer Wu Bai.

​Huang Kai-lan (黃凱蘭), the museum's executive director, said the building was constructed in 1943 during the Taipei Imperial University era, making it more than 80 years old. Taipei's cultural committee recognized it as a historical site, and it was the last building completed during that period.

After the mechanical engineering department relocated to a new facility, the original building served as a student activity space. Instead of being converted into a coffee shop, it was repurposed as the NTU Museum of Engineering.

Huang expressed hope that the exhibit would not only stir nostalgic memories but also inspire greater appreciation for engineering. By highlighting several innovations, the museum aims to make engineering more accessible and engaging to the public.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A woman was struck by an incoming High Speed Rail train on Friday (Dec. 6) at noon after falling onto the tracks.

Taiwan High Speed Rail said that a station staff member noticed the woman had fallen onto the tracks as train no. 625 was approaching Zuoying Station. The emergency stop button was pressed, halting the train, according to reporters.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene. The woman was pronounced dead despite resuscitation efforts.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation. Police are also working to confirm her identity.

An emergency response center was promptly activated, and Taiwan High Speed Rail is working with railway police on the investigation. The incident did not disrupt operations with all trains remaining on schedule.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan envoy Huang Chih-yang (黃志揚) donated wheelchairs to disabled people in Turkey on Tuesday (Dec. 3) in support of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Promoted by the United Nations, the day aims to advance the rights and well-being of individuals with disabilities.

Huang was invited to a disability-related event hosted by Erzurum City Government. The event drew over 300 participants, including Mayor Mehmet Sekmen, social welfare officials, and disadvantaged families.

Sekmen expressed gratitude for Taiwan's donations and kindness. During the event, some individuals with disabilities performed songs, dances, and dramas.

“I am honored to represent Taiwan in donating wheelchairs and assistive devices,” Huang said. “Despite Taiwan and Turkey being 8,000 kilometers apart, the two countries maintain a close relationship.”

Sekmen pledged the government will continue to improve disabled people’s lives and increase their participation in schools and workplaces.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Labor will set up a hotline to report workplace bullying after a civil servant died by suicide.

Following the suicide case last month, the ministry established a dedicated complaint channel for employees. Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said the ministry is weighing the feasibility of adding a hotline and offering counseling over bullying.

Hung also said the ministry will establish a committee to review complaints. It said it seeks to educate workers on actions to take if they or others become victims of bullying and the resources available.

On Nov. 4, a civil servant of the Workforce Development Agency committed suicide at work. An investigation said the 39-year-old employee surnamed Wu (吳) died due to stress, a heavy workload, and a lack of resources. He was the only full-time staff member managing large caseloads of migrant workers in an online employment system.

In addition, the investigation uncovered allegations of bullying by the deceased employee's superior Hsieh I-jung (謝宜容). Subordinates reported the supervisor had an inappropriate management style and was prone to emotional outbursts when dissatisfied with their performance.

The ministry said its initial investigation on Nov. 19 showed the supervisor's behavior had a role in but was not the direct cause of the worker’s death. It has launched a new investigation into the incident.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Police uncovered a record-breaking cannabis production facility on Monday (Dec. 2).

Yunlin County police on Wednesday described it as the “largest outdoor cannabis greenhouse site” in the country's history, per Liberty Times. Officers seized 1,766 cannabis plants and dried cannabis buds, with an estimated market value exceeding NT$1 billion (US$31 million).

In May, Yunlin County police received a tip-off that a 37-year-old man surnamed Tsai (蔡) and his accomplices were cultivating cannabis for profit. A task force was formed, and after more than six months of surveillance and evidence collection, the suspects' daily routines, farm location, and hideouts were identified.

The suspects rented land in a remote mountainous area of Tainan, built a greenhouse, surrounded it with banana plants as camouflage, and utilized nearby streams as natural barriers to deter detection.

During the investigation, the suspects were observed tending to their crops daily. To confirm the greenhouse’s contents, police crossed streams and crawled hundreds of meters during nighttime reconnaissance missions, even encountering a venomous snake on one occasion.

Initially, officers were misled, as the suspects used clips to secure the cannabis plants, making them appear like tomato vines. Only after infiltrating the greenhouse did police confirm the presence of cannabis.

After confirming the greenhouse contained cannabis plants, the task force launched a coordinated operation at 4 a.m. on Monday, targeting a remote mountainous area in Tainan’s Nansi District and a nearby residence. At the residence, police apprehended five individuals: Tsai, a 28-year-old woman surnamed Chen (陳), a 29-year-old man surnamed Lin (林), a 54-year-old man surnamed Chan (詹), and a 25-year-old man surnamed Cheng (鄭). 

Inside, they discovered finished cannabis products and processing equipment. In a nearby greenhouse, a five-minute drive away, they confiscated 1,766 cannabis plants, along with plant growth lamps, fertilizers, and agricultural equipment. Some plants had grown up to 2 meters tall.

The group demonstrated a highly specialized division of labor. Tsai was responsible for cultivation and harvesting, Lin for drug production, and the others handled planting tasks.

The greenhouse featured a steel-frame structure costing nearly NT$10 million to construct. The greenhouse was equipped with advanced smart agricultural technologies such as temperature and humidity control systems and professional plant grow lights, which operated on timers to enhance cannabis production efficiency. 

Police said the setup resembled a model smart farm. Cannabis plants could be harvested after about three months, with the processed cannabis buds valued at NT$1,300 to NT$1,800 per gram. 

Police seized instruction cards and growth journals at the site, detailing methods for pesticide and fertilizer application. 

The Yunlin District Prosecutor’s Office said the five defendants including Tsai are suspected of breaking the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例) and Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪條例). Yunlin District Court has ordered the detention of all five suspects without bail as they are considered a flight risk.

None of the suspects are believed to have had agricultural backgrounds, but they demonstrated expertise in utilizing smart technology for cultivation. Police suspect they have had outside guidance and are continuing to trace the operation’s origins.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Well-known romance novelist Chiung Yao (瓊瑤) died from suicide at the age of 86 in her home on Wednesday (Dec. 4).

Chiung passed away in New Taipei's Tamsui District at 1:22 p.m. per Business Today. Her 63-year-old son said that his mother had left a suicide note instructing her secretary to check on her around noon.

Upon entering the home, the secretary found Chiung to be unresponsive and called 119. Emergency responders confirmed that she had died and did not transport her to the hospital.

Before her death, Chiung told her relatives and friends to post a suicide note and her final work "When Snowflakes Fall" (當雪花飄落) on Facebook. The post asked friends not to be sad as she has already "passed away gracefully," and she advised young people to never easily give up on life, considering setbacks as only trials in a beautiful life.

Chiung, whose real name was Chen Che (陳喆), was born in 1938 in Chengdu, Sichuan, per Mirror Media. Her father was a professor at the National Normal University, while her mother once taught Chinese literature at Taiwan Jianguo High School.

Chiung displayed a talent for writing from a young age, publishing her first novel at just 9 years old. She graduated from Zhongshan Girls' High School but chose not to pursue further education.

At the age of 21, she married for the first time, but divorced when she was 27. In the 1970s, she married Ping Hsin-tao (平鑫濤), the head of Crown Publishing, who passed away in 2019.

At the age of 25, Chiung debuted with the publication of “Outside the Window,” which was later adapted into a Taiwanese romantic film. Actress Brigitte Lin (林青霞), at 17 years old, made her acting debut in the film and became the first iconic lead actress in Chiung's works.

Chiung's dramas include “Misty Rain,” “Wan-chun,” “The Deep Garden and Courtyard,” and “My Fair Princess” (還珠格格). They catapulted many actors and actresses to fame, such as Zhen Zhen (甄珍), Joan Lin (林鳳嬌), Zhao Wei (趙薇), Ruby Lin (林心如), Steve Ma (馬景濤), and Kevin Lin (林瑞陽).

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) —  Kaohsiung police arrested 60 individuals last month for allegedly selling and using illegal drugs at a restaurant.

At a news conference on Tuesday (Dec. 3), Kaohsiung police said the apprehended individuals included employees, bar girls, and customers at the restaurant. Of the 60 individuals, 34 were Taiwanese, nine were Chinese, and 17 were Vietnamese, including five undocumented migrant workers.

A police task force raided the popular eatery in Pingtung’s Ligang Township in the early morning of Nov. 26. Police became aware of the eatery’s illegal activities through similar cases involving drug sales, and they monitored the venue for months before securing a search warrant.

Police seized a bottle of category II drug etomidate, 330 packets of category III drug cathinone, three packets of category III narcotic ketamine, and 14 ketamine-laced cigarettes. Officers also confiscated approximately NT$480,000 in cash.

The five individuals running the operation, a female manager surnamed Su (蘇), a hostess surnamed Huang (黃), a man surnamed Hsieh (謝), and two employees, were taken to Pingtung District Prosecutors Office. They will be charged for allegedly breaking the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said Monday (Dec. 2) that smoking will be banned at 27 venues and in surrounding areas during next year’s World Masters Games.

The international multi-sport event is held every four years and welcomes participants of all abilities aged 25 to 35 at least. Greater Taipei is scheduled to host the event May 17–30.

Taipei City Councilor Chin Hui-Chu (秦慧珠) said smoking has been banned at Taipei Dome since Sept. 1. However, health department enforcement has been weak over the past three months, with just six violations penalized.

Chin added nearly 7.6% of Taipei's population are smokers and emphasized the need for stricter enforcement against illegal smoking and cigarette littering. She suggested adopting Osaka Expo's policy of implementing a citywide smoking ban.

Mayor Chiang pledged he would coordinate with the New Taipei City government to implement the policy.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The government said Tuesday (Dec. 3) that it has raised the limit on the amount foreign migrant workers can remit per year.

The Financial Supervisory Commission said it has amended the Regulations Governing Small Amount Remittance Services for Foreign Migrant Workers to increase the amount migrant workers can remit to their home countries. Under the revised provisions, the annual limit for small remittances by foreign migrant workers will be increased from NT$400,000 (US$12,300) to NT$500,000, effective Friday.

This adjustment applies to four remittance companies licensed by the FSC: Welldone Company, Eastern Union Interactive Corp., Digital Idea Multi-Media Co., and May-God Human Resource. Among these, Welldone and Eastern Union Interactive can remit funds to the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, while Digital Idea Multi-Media and May-God Human Resource can transfer money to Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The FSC said, as of the end of September, 646,000 foreign migrant workers conducted 6.49 million remittance transactions, amounting to NT$60.7 billion. Meanwhile, data from the Ministry of Labor shows that as of the end of September, the number of foreign migrant workers in Taiwan was approximately 806,000.

The commission said the annual salary of foreign migrant workers is approximately NT$380,000, which is close to the original annual remittance limit of NT$400,000. However, to accommodate the remittance needs of an increasing number of mid-level skilled foreign workers, the FSC has raised the limit from NT$400,000 to NT$500,000.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — To assist with a rapidly aging population, the Kaohsiung City Government Social Affairs Bureau has started providing free elderly ID bracelets, distributing 15,000 to date.

The bracelets are engraved with the individual’’s name and the emergency contact phone number of a family member. The Social Affairs Bureau commented there were 18 new locations where citizens can apply for the bracelets.

Social workers hope they can bring peace of mind to families who have members struggling with dementia and mental illness. The bracelet is available to those over 60 years of age and to those 45 years of age or older who have a registered illness.

Anyone who holds a certificate related to physical or mental disability, a doctor's diagnosis, or documentation from the police department about a lost family member, can apply for a free elderly ID bracelet. 

The Social Affairs Bureau said the elderly ID bracelet is useful when a family member is lost or disoriented. Wearing such a bracelet can remind the elderly person about their information, or allow police or other bystanders to easily access the information. 

The Social Affairs Bureau said citizens can apply at the Kaohsiung Senior Citizens’ Service Center, or at police stations in Kaohsiung and 38 district offices. In rural areas, citizens can mail, email, and fax their applications.

For more information, contact the Kaohsiung Senior Citizens’ Service Center at (07) 771-0055 or visit the website.