Flight turns back to Taiwan due to Heathrow airport blackout

Flight turns back to Taiwan due to Heathrow airport blackout

2025-03-21

A power outage at London’s Heathrow Airport has disrupted the travel plans of more than 100,000 passengers around the world. The blackout was caused by a substation fire, and resulted in a full-day emergency shutdown. At least 1,350 flights have been affected.

Among them are the China Airlines flight CI081 from Taipei to London. The plane, which had been carrying 150 passengers, was forced to return to Taiwan after takeoff. EVA Air has had to cancel services between London and Bangkok. Operations are expected to continue for some time, as Heathrow says power has yet to be fully restored.

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倫敦希斯洛機場停電航班大亂! 華航150人折返桃機

2025-03-21

全球第二忙碌的機場、英國倫敦希斯洛機場，因變電站發生火災導致停電，今天(21號)全天候緊急關閉，停止所有飛機起降。預計光是一天，就有至少1350架航班、14.5萬旅客受到影響。

包括華航CI081台北飛倫敦，150人原機折返。另外長榮中轉曼谷來回倫敦的航班，也全面取消。由於希斯洛機場營運商坦言，沒恢復供電，還得繼續關門，影響勢必還會再擴大。

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Related News

Government proposes 7 new Constitutional Court nominees

President Lai Ching-te on Friday put forth a new round of Constitutional Court nominees. This comes weeks after the Legislative Yuan refused to approve an earlier round of nominations. At a press briefing, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim announced that the seven nominees include Tsai Chiu-ming, a head prosecutor of the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office, who will also be President of the Judicial Yuan. There’s also Su Su-e, a Supreme Court Judge, who is the government’s pick for Vice President. They also included scholars as well. Hsiao said she hoped the legislature would support the new list.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim leads the seven nominees to sit together in front of reporters. Tsai Chiu-ming, a head prosecutor with the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office, has been nominated as a Constitutional Court judge and President of the Judicial Yuan. Nominated to be his deputy is Su Su-e, a Supreme Court Judge.

Hsiao Bi-khim
Vice President
There were three considerations involved in these nominations that are also expectations. The first is to protect the constitutional system of freedom and democracy and defend human rights. The second is to enhance our professional capabilities involving national security cases and ensure the nation is secure and politics is clean. The third is to continue to promote judicial reform.

Both Tsai and Su investigated and tried a major corruption case in the 1990s surrounding the Taiwanese military’s procurement of La Fayette-class frigates from France. Tsai tracked an arms dealer’s illicit funds across borders and Su was the judge to make the first ruling to confiscate the arms dealer’s family’s funds in Switzerland. The pair recovered nearly NT$1 billion in bribes and kickbacks on behalf of the Taiwanese government. Other Constitutional Court nominees include Hsiao Wen-sheng, a professor with the department of law at National Chung Cheng University, Zheng Chun-hui, a current Supreme Court Judge, Lin Li-ying, Head Prosecutor with the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office, Chen Tsi-yang, a professor with the department of law at National Taipei University and Chan Chen-jung, a distinguished professor with National Chengchi University.

Hsiao Bi-khim
Vice President
The Chinese Communist Party is extremely proactive in infiltrating, and even challenging and destroying our constitutional system, so we need an extremely sound and complete system. The president’s expectation is that the current system of the separation of the five powers needs to be maintained so we hereby especially hope that our legislators from all parties can uphold professional considerations.

Lai’s previous Constitutional Court nominees were all rejected by the Legislative Yuan. Hsiao called on the legislature to support and protect Taiwan’s democracy.

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

2025-03-21

Critics blast KMT referendum proposals on death penalty and martial law

Critics are blasting the KMT for two referendum proposals that the party put forward on Friday. The first proposal is asking for a vote against the abolition of the death penalty. The second calls for a vote to end “martial law” in Taiwan and is a reaction to President Lai Ching-te’s recent proposal to reinstate military trials. Critics say that neither of the referendums makes sense, as the death penalty is still legal in Taiwan, and the country is not under martial law.

DPP lawmakers rush back to cast their vote, to oppose two referendums proposed by the KMT. The first referendum aims to stop the abolition of the death penalty in Taiwan. The second aims to stop what the KMT claims is a trend toward martial law led by the DPP government.

Wu Tsung-hsien
Lawmaker (KMT)
The death penalty has essentially been declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. The court overstepped its authority, and weaponized unanimous consent to prevent individual judges from independently making rulings on the matter in the future.

Lai Jui-lung
Lawmaker (DPP)
There is no such problem as the abolition of the death penalty in Taiwan. The death penalty is still being executed, it’s a fake issue. It’s a fabrication created by the KMT to influence the people’s right to recalls.

The KMT claims it is trying to protect Taiwan’s democracy. But critics say, the party is trying to draw attention away from the many recalls initiated against KMT politicians. Premier Cho Jung-tai says neither of the issues brought up in the referendum proposals currently affect Taiwanese society.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
Neither of these two issues are a thing. I’ve said it before. Do the proponents of the referendums think Taiwan is under martial law now?

Lee Chin-yung
Central Election Commission
The government doesn’t have policies. Proposing a referendum asking the government to stop doing something it is not doing doesn’t make sense. Even if the referendum passes, it wouldn’t have any effect under Article 30 of the Referendum Act.

Critics say the proposals are trying to create solutions for problems that don’t exist, and election officials say that even if they pass, they won’t have any effect. Still, the KMT is making a big fuss over its proposals.

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

2025-03-21

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2025-03-21

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2025-03-21

President announces bigger military allowances

President Lai Ching-te on Friday announced a hike to allowances for the military. Voluntary service allowances will go up to NT$15,000, while some combat units with demanding duties and training will see their allowances go from NT$5,000 to NT$12,000. The KMT has blasted the hikes as being too puny. In response, the DPP and the president called on the KMT to reconsider its budget cuts and freezes to the defense budget.

On the last day of the “Mini Han Kuang” exercises, President Lai Ching-te headed to Songshan Airport to meet the 2nd combat team of the Marine Corps 66th Brigade. He gave them a bonus and also shared good news.

Lai Ching-te
President
Officers below the rank of major, as well as non-commissioned officers and soldiers are the main force of Taiwan’s combat units. The allowance for voluntary service will go up from NT$10,000 to NT$15,000. And for troops in Type 1 combat units, where training and duties are extremely demanding, the allowance will be increased from NT$5,000 to NT$12,000. This shows the government’s commitment to taking care of our military personnel.

KMT lawmakers have criticized the allowances as being too stingy, adding that they would propose a raise plan of their own.

Lai Ching-te
President
Making adjustments to the compensation for our military is a long-term process that requires rigorous discussion, and it’s not a matter of shouting out unrealistic figures. I hope that the opposition party will reconsider their cuts and freezes to the defense budget and provide the biggest support to our military personnel.

Chen Kuan-ting
Lawmaker (DPP)
The adjustments to the allowances aim to retain and attract personnel to grassroots and combat units. The best way for the opposition to defuse the tensions between government and opposition would be to support President Lai’s initiative to increase military budgets.

Amid the KMT’s staunch rejection of anything proposed by the DPP, a lawmaker urged the opposition to not politicize military matters.

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

2025-03-21

Electronics maker Pegatron becomes latest company to open a new US office

Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Pegatron has become the latest company to open a new office in the US. The move comes amid American President Donald Trump’s threats to impose heavy tariff policies. The main reason for Pegatron’s new office in California’s Silicon Valley is to provide services to customers nearby. For example, Nvidia’s headquarters are just a two-minute walk across the street. Pegatron Chair Tung Tzu-hsien says his company’s activities in North America are bound to increase.

This is a new American office from Pegatron. Pegatron Chair Tung Tzu-hsien attended the opening ceremony in person and gave a big thumbs up.

Yang Szu-min
FTV reporter
Here at Pegatron’s new office in the US, there aren’t just computer rooms, but also a showroom and display area. The office displays a series of Pegatron products, from AI servers to related 5G communication products.

Pegatron chose to locate the office in the heart of the tech industry district in Santa Clara. Taiwanese companies TSMC, Quanta Computer and Mediatek all have bases here. Nvidia’s headquarters is 160m across the street, and electric car giant Tesla is also not far away. Needless to say there are many start-ups here too.

Cheng Kuang-chih
Pegatron president
Our next-door neighbor is Nvidia, the hottest company in the industry, so of course we are here, we have a geographical advantage.

Tung Tzu-hsien
Pegatron chair
For example, if there is a technical issue on a server opposite us, frankly speaking I can just jog over there and have a face-to-face conversation in 10 minutes. Being at this point in Silicon Valley, of course our activities in North America will increase, and I expect even more in the future.

As for whether Pegatron will set up production lines locally in response to US President Trump’s push for manufacturing to be in the US, Tung did not make a definitive statement.

Tung Tzu-hsien
Pegatron Chair
(In the past) more people ventured west from Taiwan, often flying to the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta. Perhaps in the future, manufacturing will move from the left to the right.

Cheng Kuang-chih
Pegatron president
In our discussions, actually nothing has been finalized yet. There are several scenarios that are all being evaluated.

Pegatron executives say the company already has a maintenance base in Indiana, US, and once the decision is made to convert it into a production line, it can be done very quickly. As for California, it is positioned as a relay station between Taiwan, North America and Mexico that can provide closer services to local customers with a zero time difference.

Yang Szu-min
FTV reporter
Pegatron’s new US office is located directly opposite Nvidia’s headquarters, just a two-minute walk away. They have finally decided to settle in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley to prepare for future business.

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

2025-03-21

Alpine Skier Troy Chang aims to represent national Olympic team

Today we take you to meet Troy Chang, a professional alpine skier from Taiwan, who has won competitions all over the world. His next goal is to represent Taiwan’s national team in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. He has earned enough International Ski Federation points to qualify and is awaiting approval from the National Olympic Committee. FTV reporter Stephany Yang met Chang to find out more about his journey as a skier.

Chang grew up in Redding in Northern California and began skiing at the age of 10. To further perfect his routine, he decided to move to Lake Tahoe to train. Since then, he has competed internationally in countries like Austria, Japan, New Zealand, and the US.

Troy Chang
Alpine skier
I started at the bottom of the team in the beginning but then made my way to the top and was able to place top ten in states in California. And from there, I decided to pursue that even more and I moved to Tahoe. And from there in Tahoe, I was able to join the Chinese Taipei team realizing that I was good enough.

He recently competed in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, making it to the Top 50 representing Chinese Taipei. Currently, Chang is working towards representing Taiwan in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. He has already earned enough International Ski Federation points to qualify and is awaiting approval from the National Olympic Committee. To train, he took a gap year in Austria and follows a strict training regimen for six hours a day

Troy Chang
Alpine skier
Right now, I am waiting from approval from the National Olympic Committee as well as FIS to be able to compete under Taiwan for the Olympics but I am qualified so far for points. Representing Chinese Taipei is such an honor. I grew up here as a baby and always loved the culture and the people. Right now, I am taking a gap year to dedicate as much time towards qualifying for the Olympics. A day in training looks like you wake up pretty early at like 5 in the morning. You take the train or bus to the resort. Especially in Europe, it is usually a fight to get in the lift lines. Everyone wants to be the first one up there. The first one to get to run. We usually do 10 to 14 laps, five to six hours. Then, we eat lunch and go back for some video reviews with the coaches for 30 minutes. Then do some cool-down stretches.

Another dream of Chang is to create his own winter sports brand to inspire other athletes to chase their dreams.

Troy Chang
Alpine skier
I would love to create an outdoor brand that focuses on the underdogs, doing the impossible, and helping other people who want to do the same or even better than me to be able to chase their dreams. Especially people who did not have the opportunity to pursue the sport. My coach always says it is 70 percent mental. That is true especially if you are starting now, you will fall over so many times, but eventually, it will get less and less each day. You will get better and better. It makes it so much more enjoyable to be able to perfect your sport.

Having endured injuries and many obstacles as a skier, Chang hopes to mentor kids and inspire other skiers to persevere and follow their passion.

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

2025-03-21

Taiwan e-payments widely available in South Korean market

There’s no need to worry if you don’t change enough won on your next trip to South Korea! Taiwanese e-payment services are working with fellow e-payment and transnational fintech firms to provide services overseas. Payment is available at 1.9 million shops around South Korea, from beauty clinics to traditional markets.

Chou Jung-hsuan
FTV reporter
When traveling to South Korea, many people do what the folks behind me are doing and line up at an exchange counter to get Korean won. But now there’s no need to go through the hassle. All you need is your phone to eat, drink, travel, and shop to your heart’s content.

For a five-to-six-day trip, many Taiwanese are used to exchanging money two or three times. But Taiwanese e-payment services have now entered the South Korean market, saving travelers on the headache.

Chou Jung-hsuan
FTV reporter
In a traditional South Korean market, you don’t need even cash anymore to get a snack like this. Just use your phone to pay.

Like here at Mangwon Market, when getting fruit or snacks, just scan the QR code to pay. There’s no need to use cash at all. And it’s not just traditional markets. This other essential destination also accepts e-payments.

When you’re done with your beauty treatment, just use your phone to pay. Many people go to South Korea especially for the beauty clinics, but different treatments vary widely in price. If you don’t have enough cash on hand, it’s a good thing e-payment is available.

Clara
Beauty clinic consultant
Lots of people come from all over the world. Taiwanese account for about 5% give or take. If getting a bit more done, one person might spend 3 to 4 million won on one visit.

Services like Line Pay are targeting high-end fashion brands, while PX Pay links to bank accounts in Taiwan. Most of the shops in tourism-heavy areas provide it to be convenient for travelers, including beauty clinics and places where you can try on hanbok. Taiwan Pay is mostly used for the variety stores and gift shops frequented by Taiwanese travelers.

Yu Chin-jung
E-payment provider
For our overseas expansion, we’re actually in the process of negotiating with many countries. Of course, we hope to cater to people traveling, whether to Thailand or soon to be Vietnam. These are all areas we hope to keep growing in.

E-payments can now be used at upward of 1.9 million shops around South Korea. But besides catering to the spending potential of Taiwanese in South Korea, they’re also looking to expand to other popular tourist destinations.

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

2025-03-21