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2 excavator operators trapped in sandbar by river surge

An intense rescue operation was carried out Wednesday afternoon when heavy rains occurred in the mountains of Kaohsiung. Two backhoe operators were working on a sandbar near Dajin Bridge, on the border between Liugui District and Pingtung Country, when the river suddenly surged. They were trapped on the sandbar with no way out, and rescue efforts proved difficult due to the strong current. Fortunately, firefighters from Kaohsiung and Pingtung were able to work together and bring the workers to solid ground.

The two men were doing dredging work along the embankment of Zhuokou River, when a torrential downpour hit the area, causing a breach upstream. The water came rushing down, causing a rapid swell that left the men stranded. Our reporter witnessed the dramatic rescue firsthand, as the firefighters navigated the strong current in an inflatable raft. After overcoming the rushing stream, they reached the sandbar and pulled the workers aboard, bringing them to safety.

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

#kaohsiung #rain #torrential #river #boat #downpour #weather

Time：2026-06-10

最新消息 Latest News

Plum rains replenish reservoirs in South

The lingering plum rain front and southwesterly winds are bringing downpours across the island. And though gloomy, the showers are providing a much needed boost to the water supply in Southern Taiwan. Over in Kaohsiung, the incessant rain has pushed flow levels on the Qishan River to their highest point this year. The Water Resources Agency has taken advantage of that to expand its inter-basin water diversion operations and channel water into the Nanhua Reservoir, which supplies Kaohsiung and Tainan. Though it has a relatively small catchment area, water levels at the reservoir are now at 40% of capacity. Let’s hear more.

Voice of Chen Tsan-wen
Water Resources Agency
When the water flow on the Qishan River reaches a certain volume, we can divert some of that water and store it at the Nanhua Reservoir. During this latest plum rain front, the diversion system was running at full capacity, allowing us to channel a lot of water over.

Voice of Wang Yi-feng
Water Resources Agency
The rain has brought 320 million tons of water to reservoir catchment areas around Taiwan. In the South, the Tsengwen and Wushantou reservoirs received 78 million tons of water over the past few days, and Nanhua Reservoir gained 43 million tons.

Most reservoirs have been replenished by this latest rain system, providing significant relief from drought conditions. Water supplies for households, industry, and agriculture have all received a much-needed boost.

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

#drought #rain #weather #plumrain #rainy #spring

2026-06-10

Changhua bus roof leaking during rainy spell

Meanwhile heavy rains battered Central Taiwan, so much so that passengers on a bus in Changhua needed to use an umbrella. The waterproofing seal around the emergency hatch on the roof was apparently worn out from sun damage, resulting in leakage. The bus company said the vehicle in question is now under maintenance and repairs, while other buses with higher risk of leakage had also been recalled for a checkup to stay in service during the rainy season.

Sure, it’s raining heavily outside. But what are passengers doing with umbrellas open inside the bus? That’s right, the roof is leaking.

A passenger at the back posted this video clip online, in which three open umbrellas can be clearly seen.

Member of public
Commenting on video clip
Of course it’s a little ridiculous. It’s not well maintained. They need to improve. It’s passengers’ rights.

Member of public
Commenting on video clip
It was raining heavily. The vehicle is probably quite old as well.

The bus with a leaking roof is operated by Yuan Lin Bus Company…

… and the leakage came from this emergency roof hatch.

The weather stripping had become damaged with prolonged sun exposure. The bus company insists that it conducts regular checks on waterproofing. However, the past few days have seen prolonged showers owing to a stationary weather front and seasonal southeasterly winds. The rainfall has simply been too heavy, leading to the leakage. The company has recalled the vehicle from the fleet to replace the rubber seal.

Chen Te-yao
Yuan Lin Bus Company
We’ve arranged for the vehicle to go to the authorized dealer and have the weather stripping replaced and reinforced, so that the leakage problem can be thoroughly fixed.

The bus company also says that they’ve rounded up vehicles that may have a higher risk of leakage. These buses will not be deployed over the rainy season unless necessary, to ensure that a similar incident won’t happen again.

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

#publictransport #bus #funny #umbrella #rainyday #cozy

2026-06-10

Sidewalk collapses outside Beimen Station in Taipei

And the constant rain over the past few days is enough to bring anybody down, but it’s also proven to be too much to stand for a pavement in Taipei. A sinkhole appeared near Beimen MRT Station on Wednesday morning, on a section of the sidewalk across from Zhongxing Hospital. The sinkhole took with it a transformer box, which ended up below groundlevel. Fortunately, there were no pedestrians nearby at the time of the collapse. Let’s hear from Taipower.

Tseng Po-ju
Taipower
Rainwater might have washed away the foundation under the ground. Our transformer is quite heavy, and it was just above the spot. Repair work here could affect several dozen households if the fix requires a power outage. But the situation will be assessed after the transformer is lifted out and we inspect the damage.

The area has been cordoned off, as the sinkhole lies in an area with heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Taipei has deployed ground-penetrating radar to assess the situation. Officials say that the land is actually under the jurisdiction of the Taiwan Railway, while a land development project next to it is being led by the Taipei Housing and Urban Regeneration Center. Taipower is relocating the transformer box, and authorities will excavate the site and determine the cause of the collapse.

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

#sinkhole #taipei #train #rain #beimen #taiwan

2026-06-10

Traveler’s mishap at airport highlights loophole involving delayed flights

A near-mishap at Taoyuan International Airport has highlighted a little-known hazard of air travel. If you receive a notification that your departing flight will be delayed, you should still go to the airport according to the original schedule and complete the check-in procedures ---that is, unless the notification specifically says the check-in time has been changed as well. A man who was scheduled to fly to Seoul at 6.10 pm received a notification that his flight had been rescheduled to 9.25 p.m. He thought he could stay at home and take a leisurely trip to the airport in the evening, but then at 4 p.m., he received another notification that the plane would depart as scheduled. He then made a mad dash to the airport and boarded his plane in the nick of time.

- If you receive a flight delay notice before takeoff, would you stay home a little longer, or go to the airport as planned?

- Of course you should wait at home! You’re just wasting your time waiting here, right?

- Especially if I received this message at home, I definitely wouldn’t want to go to the airport so early.

- I won’t leave late; I’ll actually get there early. Just in case things don’t go as planned, I’ll come and wait here first.

Many people who find out they have a delayed flight, think they can take their time. As the check-in counters only open three hours before takeoff and close an hour before takeoff, they think arriving early would be just a waste of time. But thinking this way might cause you to miss your flight!

- Oh, I never knew that. Isn’t that really wrong?

- Oh dear, how could this happen? This can’t be allowed!

Here’s a grim example: A passenger booked flight TR872 from Taipei to Seoul at 6:10 p.m. through a third-party platform. He received a notification at noon that the flight had been rescheduled to 9:25 p.m., a delay of over three hours. He thought he could take his time. He never imagined that at 4 p.m., he would receive a notification again that the flight time had been changed back to the original schedule. At this point, there were only two hours left before departure. When he arrived at the check-in counter, he was already past closing time. Fortunately, the ground staff were accommodating and allowed him to board smoothly.

Jesse Lin
Travel guru
Upon receiving a flight delay notification, unless there is a change in check-in time, you must complete your airport check-in before the original check-in deadline. Don’t try to change your schedule on your own. Usually, check-in time changes only occur when the flight is rescheduled to the next day. This is primarily because most ground handling operations are outsourced and operate on strictly predetermined time slots.

The expert shared past SMS messages from airlines notifying passengers of delays. Unless the message specifically mentions a change in check-in time, passengers should not take matters into their own hands and arrive at the airport late. Otherwise, a leisurely trip could turn into a rushed one in an instant.

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

#airtravel #airports #flyinginconveniences #delayedflights

2026-06-10

Taiwan pushes back as China claims jurisdiction in eastern waters

China has stepped up its activities in waters east of Taiwan, dispatching its coast guard and government vessels that claim to be conducting law enforcement operations. Taiwan’s Coast Guard has pushed back, broadcasting warnings to both Chinese vessels and passing merchant ships, and stating that Beijing has no authority in Taiwan’s maritime zone. As tensions rise and concerns grow over China’s use of gray-zone tactics and cognitive warfare, Taiwan says it is closely monitoring the situation and remains committed to defending its sovereignty. The moves come as Japan and the Philippines conduct negotiations on maritime delimitation, which largely overlaps with Taiwan’s maritime zone. Both Japan and the Philippines have previously signed a fisheries agreement with Taiwan, and both have stated that the current negotiations will not affect Taiwan.

Japan and the Philippines have agreed to negotiate their maritime boundaries, a diplomacy breakthrough that China has used as an excuse to once again harass Taiwan. Beijing dispatched Coast Guard and government vessels to waters east of Taiwan, claiming the waters as their own and broadcasting messages to foreign ships. This is how Taiwan responds to them.

Changbin staff
Taiwan Coast Guard
This is the Exclusive Economic Zone of the ROC Taiwan. China has no jurisdiction here. Do not harass passing vessels. Your actions violate international law. We demand that you leave the area at once.

Taiwan’s Coast Guard vessels also sent broadcasts to passing merchant ships to counter China’s claims.

Changbin staff
Taiwan Coast Guard
This is the maritime zone of the ROC. China has no sovereign rights or jurisdiction here. Please continue your normal voyage and pay no heed to the broadcasts from Chinese vessels.

China is increasingly resorting to gray-zone tactics and cognitive warfare to create the false impression that it exercises jurisdiction over the area. More recently, it even deployed naval vessels near Taiwan’s eastern waters. And Taiwan is not sitting idle.

Xavier Chang
Executive Yuan Secretary-General
These actions by the CCP undermine our sovereignty and violate international laws and conventions. Our Navy and Coast Guard are monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of our people. We will not yield an inch of our waters. This year’s budget remains under review, and we hope that ruling and opposition parties will support funding the Armed Forces and Coast Guard.

Lin Chia-lung
Foreign minister
The governments of Japan and the Philippines have stated that their negotiations do not implicate Taiwan. As for the rights that Taiwan is granted under international law, we hope that everyone sees through the CCP’s attempts to expand its authority via claims of law enforcement, and that nobody falls for its cognitive warfare operations.

Opposition lawmakers had pointed out that the negotiations between Japan and the Philippines largely overlap with Taiwan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, and subsequently accused the government of compromising national interests. But Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has stepped forward to clarify the matter and stem misinformation.

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

#japan #taiwan #philippines #international #UNCLOS

2026-06-10

VP Hsiao wraps up state visit to Palau

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim has concluded her state visit to Palau. In her final day in the country, she hosted a closing luncheon for Palauan leadership. A highlight on the menu was a Taiwan-shaped taro rice cake, Taiwan’s answer to Palau’s many taro dishes. The president of Palau hoped that Hsiao would visit again soon. Later at a press event, Hsiao encouraged Taiwanese to visit Palau, to counter China’s use of tourism as a leverage against the Pacific island nation.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim has wrapped up her state visit to Palau. At the closing luncheon, Taiwan-shaped ōo-kué-khiau, a type of savory taro rice cake, was served to guests.

Hsiao Bi-khim
Vice President
I’ve had tastes of different versions of taro leaf soup during my stay here, but I hope that our friends can enjoy a Taiwanese-flavored taro dish, too.

Surangel Whipps Jr.
President of Palau
We hope that it doesn’t take another 18 years for you to visit us again. We’ve had the opportunity to visit many places, but there’s still more to discover.

Hsiao told the press about the wide impact of the visit, with a peculiarly sweet metric to measure her engagements.

Hsiao Bi-khim
Vice President
From the very beginning, it’s all about building relations. I’d prepared lots of chocolate bonbons, more than 600. Almost all were handed out, meaning we’ve really met a wide range of people.

In a straw hat and walking shoes, Hsiao had gone on an early morning hike at 6 a.m., showing that Palau has much more for tourists than its famous pristine waters.

Hsiao Bi-khim
Vice President
The Taiwanese, from my years-long observation, really do enjoy climbing mountains and hiking. Palau tourism has been weaponized by China in recent years. China coerces Palau with extreme fluctuations in the number of visitors: a huge number at one moment and none at the next. I hope to invite my compatriots to visit, even if you already have. It’s really worth visiting again and again.

Jean Lin
FTV reporter
This visit to our official ally, Palau is featured on the front page of a local newspaper. The exchanges have yielded fruitful results. It’s also hoped that the relations between Taiwan and Palau will continue to deepen on the basis of these exchanges.

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

#taiwan #palau #taro #diplomacy #蕭美琴

2026-06-10

Taipei small business builds reputation for repairing outdoor clothes

A small clothing repair shop near Taipei Main Station has made a name for itself by repairing outdoor wear. Founded 10 years ago, it now handles over 1,000 orders per month and has collaborated with major brands. Former president Tsai Ing-wen even had her jacket mended there. The owner Wu Pao-chu says fate has been kind to her. But is it really fate? Let’s find out the secret to the success of this small business.

Lots of people enjoy hiking, but having the right clothes is important. And they don’t come cheap.

Chen Chih-fan
FTV reporter
When a hiking jacket like this, worth thousands of New Taiwan dollars, gets ripped or its waterproofing is damaged, don’t rush to throw it away. At this small shop near Taipei Main Station, Ms. Wu can help you fix it.

An expert on the sewing machine, Wu Pao-chu works tirelessly patching and mending clothes. She has saved thousands of outdoor jackets.

- Our philosophy is to restore life to the clothing.
- You have to control the temperature and pay attention to how well it’s sealed.

Waterproof seams are the hardest to fix. The materials and temperature have to be just right, or the whole jacket might be ruined.

Wu Pao-chu
Seamstress
The first piece of clothing I repaired was from a doctor. He wasn’t scared that I would ruin it, so he gave me this NT$20,000 piece of clothing to fix. I said, if you’re going to give it to me, then I won’t take payment.

Close to Exit M7 at Taipei Main Station, this small shop of just over 30 square meters specializes in repairing outdoor clothing. Known for its affordable prices and hand-done repairs, it handles thousands of requests every month. Even celebrities trust this shop with their clothes, including former president Tsai Ing-wen.

Wu Pao-chu
Seamstress
I was so happy when President Tsai sent her clothes to be repaired. Her security detail brought the clothes over and told me, “Our boss said you do a very good job.” If I had known, I definitely would have taken a photo with the clothes.

Ms. Wu grew up in Taitung and started working before graduating junior-high school. She started as an apprentice in a textile factory right as Taiwan’s clothing industry was taking off.

Wu Pao-chu
Seamstress
I was nervous when I opened my own shop because Taipei is so competitive. If you’re just a small, insignificant business, you don’t know if you will do well. Plus, the rent in Taipei is really expensive. But sometimes fate is kind to me, and whatever bottlenecks I encountered I could overcome one by one.

Now there are 10 people working at Ms. Wu’s clothing repair business and it has partnered with several international manufacturers. Quietly committed to ensuring each item of clothing she receives can keep being used, Ms. Wu has made a name for herself as the queen of outdoor clothing repairs.

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

#clothing #repair #seamstress #outdoorclothing #hiking #clothingrepair #Taipei #TaipeiMainStation #smallbusiness

2026-06-10

International baking champion shares secret to success

Bread comes in all shapes and sizes, with bakers constantly creating new flavors and innovative fillings. But the process of making any bread, from kneading the dough to taking it out of the oven, is long and complex. The winner of the Bakery World Cup, Wu Tzu-ching, has revealed his process for making bread, offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how professional bakers work.

Bread comes in all shapes and sizes, with bakers constantly creating new flavors and innovative fillings. But the process of making any bread, from kneading the dough to taking it out of the oven, is long and complex. The winner of the Bakery World Cup, Wu Tzu-ching, revealed his process for making bread, offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how professionals bake.

Baking champion Wu Tzu-ching carefully kneads the dough, adding filling as he molds it into the right shape. At the factory, the bakers copy his technique as closely as possible.

These pineapple buns with diamond patterns pressed on top are one of his specialties. So are these red bean buns, stuffed with filling right in the center. Wu loved watching Japanese cooking shows when he was young and developed an interest in baking, working hard to get his baker’s certification and even winning international competitions.

In 2022, he won the Bakery World Cup in Paris with his team. In 2023, he was named the Baker of the Year by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners. But he never rested on his laurels, continuing to improve his recipes and spread his love of baking.

Wu Tzu-ching
Baker
If it’s all made with machines from start to finish, there are some details that can’t be 100% controlled. Making them by hand, we can adjust as necessary. The training alone takes over a month.

Moving from handmaking bread to producing it in a factory requires careful adjustments throughout the process. Strict standards are maintained from the beginning, manually selecting ingredients and inspecting them. The dough is left to ferment and is only considered ready when it can be stretched into a thin sheet. Each 200-kilogram batch is then lifted onto the production line, where it is divided, shaped, and sent into the oven.

After it comes out of the oven, the bread is cooled, cut, and manually inspected.

Wu Tzi-ching
Baker
We use a two-stage method for fermentation. Because lots of fillings are rolled into the dough during production, we need to pay close attention to whether they create air pockets in the bread.

Whether it’s winning international competitions or leading factory production, Wu Tzu-ching pays close attention to every step. Through his dedication and professionalism, he shares Taiwan’s baking prowess with the world.

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

#baker #bakery #bread #competition #champion #pineapplebun #redbeanbun

2026-06-10

Two dead, two injured in suspected bento shop gas explosion

A suspected gas explosion at a bento shop in Hsinchu City claimed two lives in the early hours of Tuesday. The tragedy took place on Gaocui Road, where 11 explosions were counted in just 4 seconds. The huge force caused damaged all over the street, and collapsed a brick wall that crushed the couple living next door. The bento shop owner, who lives on the building’s third floor was injured, and so was another neighbor on the first floor of the house to the other side of the shop. Let’s hear more.

Kuo Peng-hsin
Borough warden
It seems the explosion happened at the bento shop, and it damaged the bakery next door.

Local
Lives nearby
They used to sell lamb stew there. It became a bento shop this year.

Lee Shih-kung
Hsinchu City Fire Bureau
The force of the explosion toppled a brick wall next door, which crushed a husband and wife who were sleeping. When we found them, they didn’t have any vital signs.

Due to the force of the explosion, fire fighters thought that there must have been more than one leaky gas canister. But another possibility is that the gas accumulated over a longer period inside the bento shop, causing a big bang. The exact cause of the incident is under investigation.

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

#gas #gasexplosion #hsinchu #bento

2026-06-09

Site manager of Matai’an Creek project rescued after 15 hours

On Monday noon, the manager for a sediment control dam project along Matai’an Creek in Hualien got washed away in the rain, just as he was driving to the site to evacuate a number of operators. He had only headed out when he suddenly called for help and became unreachable. Rescuers were notified and immediately began searching for him, but only found his off-road vehicle. Only after 9 p.m. was he spotted by a resident of a nearby village. With thermal imaging, he was eventually located and rescued, at almost 5 a.m. the next day.

A thermal imaging camera on a drone captured this thermogram of a person lying on a boulder.

The man, covered in mud, was pulled up onto a life raft. He seems to be conscious still. This is a site manager for Matai’an Creek’s post-disaster reconstruction. He had been missing for 15 hours.

Lu Yen-jung
Hualien County Fire Department
We saw an area with a high thermal gradient. As the device got closer and closer, the red dot gradually took the form of a human, which made us sure that it was the missing person over there.

On Monday afternoon, as water levels surged amid the rain, the site manager for a contracted improvement project along Matai’an Creek got washed away with his off-road vehicle just as he was heading over to the site to pick up excavator operators. He’d called for help on the walkie-talkie and became unreachable shortly after being on the road.

Rescuers initially traced his tracks downstream, where they’d found his vehicle. The car key was still on the switch, and his phone was still inside, but he was nowhere to be found.

At nine in the evening, he was finally spotted by a resident of Atomo. The young man had heard him crying for help and saw him stranded on a boulder. However, it took another six to seven hours for rescuers to wade through the shoal and get him out, at 4:39 a.m. the following day.

Voice of local resident
Atomo
I heard someone crying for help. It came from a distance. Once they were sure that someone was yelling, they went down to the shoal. He responded with calls of “Help me! Help!” They went back and forth about a dozen times before the voices stopped.

Hsu Tzu-herng
Head of ER, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital
He has scratches and bruises all over the body, from the muddy water and sediments. He also has mild cerebral hemorrhage from impact. We referred him to a neurosurgeon, who will check on him as he remains in hospital care.

There’s nearly 10km in distance between where he was reported missing and where he was rescued, after 15 hours of grueling struggle in the open.

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

#weather #rain #rescue #missing #hualien

2026-06-09

Heaviest rainfall expected this Friday, to persist until following week

Heavy rainfall continued on Tuesday with floods reported in many areas in Northern Taiwan, including in Taoyuan and Keelung. Fallen branches were posing a hazard to road users, though fortunately no casualties were reported.

A large branch has collapsed onto transmission cables. A maintenance team shortly arrives on scene to saw it off by hand, to remove the road safety hazard. The borough warden warns passers-by to stay away.

There seems to be no end to the heavy showers. In the morning, here on Zhonghe Road in Keelung, the branch had fallen all of a sudden. Fortunately, it did not land directly onto the street. But it’s still suspended over a bus stop, so a city councilor stepped in.

Shih Wei-jeng
Keelung City Councilor (DPP)
The branch did not fall all the way onto the ground, but it’s putting a lot of strain on the four high-voltage cables. It’s also right above a bus stop, so we treated the removal as an emergency.

Meanwhile, the heavy downpours have flooded the intersection of Lunhou Road and Heping West Road in Taoyuan’s Dayuan District.

With the water reaching the calves, it’s as if the streets have turned into streams. It’s difficult for cars to move through the flood. A city councilor is pictured shoveling mud for better drainage. He’s also reported the flooding to the district office, and it’s cleared in about an hour.

On the other side of town, shrubs above the side slope are collapsing onto the street below. Large amounts of mud and rocks are strewn all over the road surface on Section 3, Dakeng Road in Guishan District, near Weitian Temple. Fortunately, it did not hit any vehicle or passer-by. Plum rains brought in by the stationary front and strong southwesterly winds have left many places flooded in Northern Taiwan. Even though the weather front will soon move away, the south will still get heavy rainfall.

Wu Wan-hua
Central Weather Administration
Tomorrow, even though the weather front will move southward slightly, there will still be heavy rain or localized downpours in Central and Southern Taiwan, and mountainous areas of Hualien and Taitung. Another rainy spell will return in the north on Friday as the weather front moves southward above the Bashi Channel on Thursday. With the influence of the southwesterly winds again, this rainy spell will begin on Friday and persist until next Monday or Tuesday.

Even though the rain may seem quite heavy already, the heaviest is still yet to come near the end of the week and persist over the weekend.

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

#flood #rain #weather #heavyrain #taiwan

2026-06-09

2,000 evacuated in mountains of Kaohsiung amid heavy rains

Heavy downpours continue to pound Taiwan. Over in Kaohsiung, authorities have issued 68 yellow alerts for landslides across mountainous areas. Police officers went door to door in vulnerable areas to help residents evacuate to shelters, with some 2,000 people relocated.

Over in Liugui, farmers were hard at work to minimize losses in the harvest season. They rushed to harvest wax apples and guavas and prevent the fruit from rotting in the rain. Betel nut farms were also hit hard, with many areas fully submerged in water. Farmers loaded as much fresh produce as they could to beat the bad weather. Concerned about their livelihoods, they say they hope the rains will let up soon.

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

#agriculture #waxapple #kaohsiung #guava #fruits

2026-06-09

Taiwan to host international firefighter conference in 2030

At the end of May, National Fire Agency Director-General Hsiao Huan-chang led a delegation to Japan for the International Fire Chiefs’ Association of Asia General Conference. In a major diplomatic breakthrough for Taiwan, Hsiao came back with two pieces of good news. First, Taiwan will host the association’s General Conference in 2030. Second, in a first for Taiwan, the director-general of the National Fire Agency will assume the association’s vice presidency in 2028.

A firefighter marches onto the stage proudly displaying Taiwan’s national flag—a rare sight at official international conferences.

National Fire Agency Director-General Hsiao Huan-chang led a delegation to Nagoya, Japan, to participate in the International Fire Chiefs’ Association of Asia General Conference. He brought back two pieces of great news.

Hsiao Huan-chang
National Fire Agency Director-General
Taiwan will host the 36th IFCAA General Conference in 2030. In 2028, we will go to Tokyo, which is hosting the conference that year, and take over responsibilities for the following conference. The organizers in Tokyo have also expressed hope that Taiwan will serve as the association’s vice president in 2028.

This would mark the first time the association has selected a Taiwanese vice president. In 2030, fire chiefs from around the globe will gather in Taiwan for the group’s General Conference. These achievements show that the international community recognizes Taiwan’s disaster relief capabilities.

Hsiao Huan-chang
National Fire Agency Director-General
Taiwan and Japan are prone to typhoons, earthquakes, and floods. Last year, Taiwan even faced a tsunami warning. Our shared goal is to ensure that the lessons we have learned through experience and training are passed on, so that other countries don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Cho Kuan-ting
New Taipei City Councilor (DPP)
I think it’s incredibly moving. It’s a breakthrough for us in terms of diplomacy, firefighting, and disaster relief.

Taiwan’s firefighting and disaster relief capabilities are shining brightly on the international stage.

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

#Taiwan #IFCAA #Japan #diplomacy #firefighting #nationalflag #disasterrelief

2026-06-09

Girl put in full-body anesthesia after sticker earring gets lodged in ear

Stick-on earrings seem like a safe enough alternative to getting your kid’s ears pierced at a young age, but that doesn’t mean they are without risk. A 6-year-old girl found this the hard way recently, when she started feeling a discomfort inside her ear. Her mother took a peek inside and saw a glistening object lodged in the ear canal. She rushed her to the doctor to find that it was a stick-on earring that was dangerously close to the eardrum. To get it out, they had to put the kid under full-body anesthesia. Let’s hear more.

Mother
Daughter got sticker inside ear
The doctor said that the sticker was extremely close to the eardrum and couldn’t be pulled out. They were afraid that if they tried to pry it out, it could hurt the eardrum if she moved. When I saw it was a shiny red object, I guessed that it was something like this. I didn’t buy her the stickers, they were a gift she got at her cram school. I initially thought she had put it inside her ear on purpose, but she said she hadn’t. Maybe she tried to stick it on and it fell inside.

Lin Yung-zen
Pediatrician
If a sharp object punctures the eardrum, it can cause an infection. Over time, the body would secrete fluids and perhaps even form a membrane that covers up the entire object.

And sticker earrings aren’t the only hidden danger. Magnetic ball bearings are also quite popular as construction toys, but also quite dangerous for kids. A boy was recently reported to have swallowed 10 whole bearings, which became stuck together into a bar in his belly and ruptured a hole in his intestine. And you should also be very careful with water beads that swell when submerged in water. Another boy was also taken to the hospital after ingesting the beads, which swelled inside his body and blocked his guts.

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

#earring #accessory #jewel #sticker #magnet

2026-06-09

Grab holds presser ahead of planned Taiwan expansion

Earlier this year, the leading food delivery company in Southeast Asia, Grab, announced plans to buy Delivery Hero’s foodpanda delivery business in Taiwan for NT$600 million. The deal has sparked concerns about a monopoly in the setor as Uber holds 13% of Grab’s equity. On Tuesday, Grab held a press conference, where it outlined three key pledges for its expansion in Taiwan. One key theme was fairness, by guaranteeing delivery rider income, and attracting delivery riders working on foodpanda to switch to Grab. Let’s hear more.

Yee Wee Tang
Grab
Taiwan has lot of urban, a very strong very dense urban-cut cities. The Taiwanese are very digitally savvy, all of them use mobile phones for their day to day. So we felt it’s very easy for a platform like us to come into Taiwan. I think our approach is always the same in every market: being affordable so that we can grow the market together and being sustainable to all parties. Our most important point today is Grab currently does not have any presence in Taiwan. We will be a new independent player in this market.

Seeing the potential business opportunities in Taiwan’s NT$57.6 billion food delivery market, Grab is reaching out of Southeast Asia for the first time. The platform says it will provide drivers with a stable income, and is pioneering a system to compensate drivers for waiting at restaurants for too long. The platform also incorporates AI-powered route planning and AI mentors to help riders analyze how they can boost their earnings. Grab’s acquisition of foodpanda is still under review at the Fair Trade Commission.

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

#grab #foodpanda #delivery #fooddelivery #uber

2026-06-09

Vendor scales down banquet menu for sustainable small gatherings

Traditional “ban-doh” banquets don’t have to be shared by 10 people anymore! Hoping to serve demand for smaller group meals, one caterer has scaled back the portions into just enough for four. While preserving the must-have classics for any banquet, they also incorporated some creative and sustainable concepts, like serving appetizers inside ice cream cones. Tailored perfectly for individual portions, it’s a whole new way to enjoy traditional banquet culture.

Velvety mashed potatoes with chickpeas, salad greens, and maple syrup are tossed together and drizzled with mayonnaise before being topped with a single fresh shrimp and a final dusting of rainbow sprinkles. It might look like an ice cream cone, but it’s actually an appetizer for a traditional “ban-doh” banquet.

Chung Chia-pin
Legislator (DPP)
It’s my first time having a shrimp salad in an ice cream cone. It’s a new experience. Since smaller gatherings of three to five close friends are the norm now, a four-person banquet over two tables is ideal.

Catering to small households, single people, and intimate gatherings, this caterer scaled down the traditional 10-person banquet to serve only four people. The classic sticky rice cake is served in neat, compact portions, while the fish course is plated to resemble a bird in flight to symbolize “soaring to great heights.” The cabbage is arranged into delicate flowers to symbolize wealth and prosperity. Individual servings are the focus in this new style of catering, ensuring that everyone can eat their fill without producing too much waste.

Wu Yung-chiang
Association of Chain and Franchise Promotion
Whether it’s for the wedding sector or the broader food and beverage market, requests are becoming more customized and group sizes are shrinking across the board. A four-person package is usually under NT$10,000, a little over NT$9,000, and includes transport, DIY workshops, and a whole slate of other activities.

Beyond pushing culinary boundaries, this vendor is also incorporating principles of sustainability. The entire venue uses energy-saving facilities and has 110 bald cypress trees on the property for visitors to immerse themselves in nature while dining. They’ve also enlisted other eco-conscious brands to join in the sustainable movement, hoping this low-waste dining model will catch on across the traditional banquet market.

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

#banquet #traditionalbanquet #bandoh #sustainability #foodwaste #greendining #catering

2026-06-09

Kaohsiung high schoolers gently capture iguana on campus

Students and staff responded quickly when a green iguana wandered onto their high-school campus in Kaohsiung. Led by the dean of student affairs, six students used plastic fruit crates to herd and corner the iguana, successfully capturing it without causing it any harm. When a video of the capture was posted online, people praised how the students handled the situation calmly and considered the iguana’s safety.

Several students hold blue fruit crates, closing in on a green iguana that wandered onto their high-school campus.

Under their teacher’s supervision, the students surround the iguana as it darts to the other side of the hallway. When they get close enough, one of them covers it with a crate.

The team cheers as they finally capture their unwanted guest. Led by the dean of student affairs, who has lots of experience with animals, these six students were able to quickly and gently capture the iguana.

Ling Tzu-yun
School secretary
The dean is involved with some animal protection groups like shelters, so he deals with these animals in a friendly way.

Member of public
Approves of approach
Since animals generally won’t attack people unprovoked, I think handling it this way protects yourself and the animal.

The school said this is the first time a green iguana has come onto their campus. It might have been trying to find a place to escape the heat.

Ling Tzu-yun
School secretary
Our crafts classroom is in the basement. Perhaps because the weather has been very hot recently, that underground area is relatively cool and shaded.

The school reported the incident to the Agriculture Bureau, which came to take the iguana away. These students showed that even unfamiliar situations can be handled with care.

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

#greeniguana #iguana #campus #school #students #animalprotection #capture #environment

2026-06-09

Gecko staying in incense burner becomes star of temple ritual

If you live in Taiwan, you’ve probably encountered a gecko at home at some point, but have you ever seen one chilling inside an incense burner? Worshippers at a temple in Donggang were surprised to see that last weekend. A gecko found a temporary home for itself inside the censer for two days. It held tight and steady to the big incense stick in the middle, only taking a break to let temple priests change the spent stick to a new one. Geckos are thought to bring good luck in Taiwan, and its presence at the temple has been interpreted as a good omen.

The temple is bustling with worshippers attending a religious ceremony. But one participant caught special attention: a gecko holding on perfectly still to an incense stick inside the burner. The reptile was there for a whole two days, surprising visitors. A priest says he’s never seen anything like it.

Lee Ming-cheng
Priest
It’s the first time I saw this, and at a celebration! The gecko was perched there during the rituals. When we changed the incense sticks, it took a rest and climbed back up on the fresh ones.

The temple in question is the Seven Dragon Temple in Donggang, which held an enshrinement ceremony last weekend. Worshippers quickly found the gecko grabbing on to the incense stick in the censer outside. When the stick was burned up, the reptile took a break at the bottom, but as soon as a new stick was placed, it climbed back up and clung on as before. Could it also be trying to reach the gods?

Mr. Chen
Priest
Generally, our religion says that all living beings have a spirit, each with their own spirituality. It came to this auspicious place and communicated with our goddess. It stayed and followed her.

Lee Ming-cheng
Priest
It’s like a guardian, like a good luck charm. When it appears in our homes, it’s protecting our homes. So if it’s on the incense, it’s guarding the ember.

Geckos are thought as lucky animals that protect the places they visit, and some say they ensure good fortune for those who let them stay.

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

#gecko #cute #goodluck #goodfortune #protection #animals #lizard

2026-06-09

Taiwan shares freefall dragged by sharp sell-offs in US, Japan

Taiwan’s stock market opened drastically low and plummeted even lower on Monday, dragged down by sharp sell-offs in US, Japanese and South Korean Markets. The Taiex plunged by nearly 2,700 points in early trading, setting a new record for the largest intraday drop ever for the market. Retail investors were left reeling, while others moved in to buy the dip and loaded up on TSMC shares and the 0050 ETF, which ultimately helped the market recover some of its losses. Let’s hear more.

- I bought TSMC today.

- Did you get TSMC or the 0050 ETF?
- I didn’t get any.
- You didn’t? Why? Was it too late?
- The price I requested was too low.

Chang Yung-chuan
Cathay Securities Investment Trust
In the second half of the year, after market positions have been digested and stabilized, Taiwan stocks’ fundamentals will remain quite healthy. There is still an opportunity for the market to continue challenging new highs once this consolidation process is complete.

Many are referring to this day as “Black Monday.” Taiwan shares briefly fell to 42,376 points, a sheer drop of 2,694 points, and at one point 300 stocks were locked at the daily limit-down. Among the hard hit sectors were semiconductors and electronics, finance, traditional industries, memory-chip makers and shipping. Bargain hunters stepped in and trimmed some of the losses, resulting in a smaller drop of 1,568 points at closing, for 43,502. Institutional investors sold a net NT$133.9 billion, while foreign investors dumped NT$93.8 billion in shares.

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

#shares #stocks #tsmc #stockmarket #taiwanshares #TSMC

2026-06-08