Controversial Constitutional Court bill to enter effect on Saturday

Controversial Constitutional Court bill to enter effect on Saturday

2025-01-23

A set of controversial amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act are set to enter effect this Saturday. The amendments had been put forward by opposition parties last year and were promulgated by President Lai Ching-te on Thursday. According to a spokesperson, Lai is calling for a Constitutional Court ruling on the constitutionality of the bill, which he says could hinder the court’s operations.

Immediately after the announcement, DPP Legislative Caucus Whip Ker Chien-ming headed to the Judicial Yuan in a bid to stop the bill. He submitted a petition for an injunction to suspend the enforcement of the amendments and a constitutional interpretation to revoke them. Ker says the amendments will paralyze the court. They require the Constitutional Court to have a minimum of 10 justices to hear and rule on a case, but currently the court only has eight justices. In addition, rulings to declare provisions unconstitutional must now be supported by nine justices.

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總統府公布憲訴法! 賴清德批示:宜聲請釋憲

2025-01-23

總統府公布憲法訴訟法，將在三天內，也就是1/25生效，但總統也同時批示，門檻相關修正規定，有妨礙憲法法庭正常運作的爭議，宜聲請憲法法庭裁判！

發布後的第一時間，民進黨團總召柯建銘和律師，立刻到司法院遞狀，聲請釋憲和暫時處分。柯建銘指出，目前大法官只剩8人，憲訴法通過後，要有10位大法官才能開庭，9個人以上才能做成違憲判決，等同癱瘓了憲法法庭，所以民進黨團將針對憲訴法第30條提釋憲。

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Basic taxi fares to go up over LNY

The nine-day Spring festival holiday is about to begin, which means taxi fares will now have a holiday surcharge. Taking Taipei for an example, each ride will now cost NT$30 more. Before you start fumbling for extra charges, rest assured that the additional fees will be added to the fare and you’ll only have to pay the amount shown on the taxi meter.

Taxi fares are going up ahead of the Lunar New Year. Greater Taipei and Keelung already started adding on the Spring Festival surcharge on Wednesday. Drivers in Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung will follow suit on Friday.

Passenger
I take the taxi for convenience. It’s OK to pay a little bit more, at least I save time.

Mr. Chuang
Taxi driver
Why would it make a difference? We’re only adding on NT$30, it’s not a lot. I might get only 10 passengers a day, mostly travelers, because there are many travelers coming back now. NT$30 really hardly makes any difference.

Each trip costs an additional NT$30 in Greater Taipei and Keelung, while the extra charge will be NT$50 in Taoyuan. But if you’re traveling to Taoyuan International Airport, it’ll be NT$100. The surcharge in Central and Southern Taiwan will be NT$50 in most places.

Chen Chien-ti
Taipei Taxi Drivers Union
The Spring Festival extra charge is an additional income for our members. Some drivers may do more trips for the extra charge and take time off after the Lunar New Year holidays. Every taxi meter has a setting for the Spring Festival extra charge. All the driver has to do is to push the button for the Spring Festival extra charge, and then it’ll be added to the fare. So when the passenger is about to get off, the driver won’t ask for the extra charge again.

The surcharge will apply for eight to 12 days, depending on the region. Over this period, the taxi meter will clearly show the characters for Spring Festival. In Taipei, fares will start from NT$115 instead of NT$85. Taxi drivers who ask for more face fines of up to NT$90,000.

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Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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2025-01-23

165 anti-fraud hotline to remain online during LNY

2025-01-23

Pet sitters in high demand as owners travel abroad for break

Pet sitters are in high demand for the Lunar New Year break, as animal lovers head out of the country for vacation. A pet service platform says some pet sitters can make up to NT$118,000 during the holidays. With rates going from NT$400 to NT$600 per day, and some 10 assignments to be taken daily, there is plenty of opportunities to get an extra cash to splash in the New Year.

With more than a week off work for the Lunar New Year, many people are traveling abroad. For pet owners, finding a suitable nanny is essential.

Amy
Pet sitter
It’s NT$400 to NT$600 per visit. Each visit is about half an hour. The total price is around NT$500 regardless of how many pets there are, as long as all the tasks can be completed within half an hour. That means that during the Lunar New Year break, I can do about 8 to 10 assignments per day.

Ms. Shen
Pet owner
I read the reviews and interviewed the sitter. We also have security cameras and a building caretaker. I informed the caretaker of the hours the sitter would come. My front door has a digital lock, you can set which times people can access my house. When the sitter comes, the security cameras send me a notification over Line. Basically, all the technology gives us peace of mind about taking care of our cat.

Pet hotels are packed during the Lunar New Year, creating plenty of business opportunities for pet sitters. Rates start at NT$400 per half hour all the way up to NT$600. For sitters, the break is a great opportunity to make some extra cash for the holidays.

Candace Chen
Pet sitter platform
We took a look at the figures, and the biggest earners can make up to NT$118,000. Then there’s also some that make NT$80,000 to NT$90,000. There are a lot of assignments that can be had during the Lunar New Year and in January.

The lucrative occupation is attracting more and more people. The number of pet sitters grew from more than 4,000 in 2023, to more than 8,000 in 2024, both part-time and full-time. Plenty of job opportunities are cropping up amid Taiwan’s growing pet economy.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Beitou’s Ki-Pataw Shan-Tseng-Chi Park recreates famous flower field in Japan

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AI phones rapidly gaining popularity amid diverse offerings

AI phones have become the latest trend for tech-heads, having already achieved global penetration rate of 16.8%. Phone brands are offering phone models with a wide variety of functions at different price points. Some of the biggest names include Samsung, with its Galaxy S25 series, Apple with the iPhone 16 and Xiaomi with the 14T Pro.

Enfys Yeh
FTV reporter
For this Lunar New Year, you can create an e-card in less than 30 seconds with the phone’s smart drawing assistant.

Fast and easy! You can also try out different styles with a tap, from watercolors to illustrations. The AI functions are not just for images, but also sounds.

Record a live performance, and you can get rid of any ambient noise with just a few taps. Or if you want, leave only the instrumental sound. The sound eraser tool can separate an audio recording into separate channels such as human voice, noise, music and wind.

Chiu Po-ching
Smartphone company
According to the forecasts by a market research company, though the overall smartphone market will only expand by 4% in 2025, the penetration rate of AI phones will shoot up from 18% to 30%.

AI phones are trending. Functions include a photo editor that uses AI algorithms to detect faces and change their expressions to never again take a bad photo.

There are plenty of models to choose from. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 flagship series has smart tools for searches, calls and writing. Apple’s iPhone 16 and 15 Pro have Apple AI in some regions not including Taiwan. Its functions include writing and upgrades for Siri and photo retouching. Xiaomi is not far behind. Its 14T Pro has Gemini, an AI assistant, and it can generate subtitles and translate audio on the spot. It is marketed as an indispensable tool for travelers who may not know the language at their destinations.

Liao A-hui
Tech guru
If you want to buy one, Samsung still has the most comprehensive system. When it comes to Xiaomi, things are very simple. It is the cheapest one and its price-performance ratio is quite good. As for Apple, I think we need to wait a little longer. The traditional Chinese AI functions aren’t live yet, and they aren’t expected to launch until next year.

According to the Institute for Information Industry, AI phones have a 16.8% penetration rate in the world, with some 44 million units shipped globally. Users are hoping that their AI functions will make life that much more convenient.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Yunlin makes art and buildings from recycled incinerator waste

Yunlin County is getting creative in its response to the waste problem. Every local government in Taiwan faces the difficult task of dealing with the mountains of waste that our modern lifestyles produce. Yunlin has taken the unusual step of using recycled incinerator ash to create artwork for the home. From decorative flower pots to aroma stones, this waste has become treasure. The county’s Environmental Protection Bureau says it is also ramping up use of the recycled materials in construction projects. It wants to raise awareness about the waste dilemma, and spread the message: “Waste is a resource.”

These exquisite aroma stones are all made of recycled waste. The Environmental Protection Bureau of Yunlin County is using discarded materials in a creative way.

Teng Ya-chen
Yunlin County Environmental Protection Bureau
We hope the public can upgrade: waste is no longer waste. It is a usable resource.

Sacks large and small form a mountain of garbage. Working out how to deal with these tsunamis of waste is a headache for every county and city.

Teng Ya-chen
Yunlin County Environmental Protection Bureau
Yunlin County does not have any operational incinerators. So we have long relied on external support to manage our waste.

Incinerator bottom ash is processed and turned into CLSM, a backfill material for public construction projects such as the foundations of buildings, temporary road works, or filling in obsolete pipes. Now the bureau is getting creative by making these aroma stones and plant pots, and even offering a class in how to make them.

Member of public
It looks very special and it’s made of recycled materials. It’s really unusual that Yunlin is making things like this. The concept is recycling and reusing resources. So I think creating things from waste shows how Yunlin is making progress.

Using waste in construction and even in creative projects like this is a first for Yunlin. It hopes to raise awareness of the potential to recycle incinerator ash and create a more sustainable society.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2025-01-23