Only 10% of homes with damaged roofing have been repaired in Tainan

2025-07-31

More than 24,000 homes were left with damaged roofs in the wake of Typhoon Danas. The storm blew the roof off completely at more than 1,000 buildings, and left another 5,000 with just half of their roof. Though some temporary covers such as tarps have been put up in places, they cannot fully withstand heavy rains and stormy weather. Let’s hear more.

Qigu resident
Last night the two of us were woken up at 3 again. The tarp was banging and crashing. I was really scared that everything would go flying.

Qigu resident
Getting someone to cover it all will take a long time, and the price is in the hundreds of thousands of NT.

Hsu Chuan-tien
Zhongliao Borough warden
The houses are all covered with tarps now. There are no materials or workers to do proper repairs. But it’s July, and northerly winds are beginning to blow. The tarps can’t hold up. If it rains or if there’s another typhoon, we’re going to have serious problems.

The high prices and labor shortages have left residents with no way to rebuild. The post-disaster recovery command center established for Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan is currently focused on large-scale repairs of damaged homes. Authorities have brought together construction companies from all around Taiwan to offer standard prices so that repairs can start as early as next week.

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

#postdisaster #recovery #rebuilding #tainan #roof

颱風重創台南"屋頂修復率僅1成" 災民無奈豪雨不斷

2025-07-31

丹娜絲風災造成台南超過2.4萬戶屋損，其中屋頂全掀上千戶、半掀五千多戶。災後近一個月，屋頂覆蓋率僅1成，多數只覆蓋帆布應急，這幾天豪雨，外面下雨屋內也跟著下雨，居民相當無奈。

[[台南七股區居民]]
“我們昨天晚上，兩個人三點也是又起床，帆布都一直轟轟轟，喔，有夠害怕，又再飛起來了。”

[[台南七股區居民]]
“要叫人來蓋又很慢，叫人家來估價這邊就要幾十萬。”

[[台南七股區中寮里里長許全田]]
“房子相信大家都蓋帆布，沒師傅沒材料可以做，蓋帆布現在七月開始就是北風來，北風來帆布都撐不住，如果又遇到下雨或遇到颱風，這是一個大困擾。”

經濟加上缺工問題，成為民眾重建最大困擾，雲嘉南災後復原前進指揮所成立後，首波將針對災區大規模民宅修繕，拍板盤點全台施工廠商、統一材料定價，最快下周就有廠商進入災區，希望在最短時間內，讓民眾生活回歸正常。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Cabinet says it may seek constitutional interpretation on NT$10,000 handouts

Thursday was the deadline for the Executive Yuan to request lawmakers to reconsider a special provision to give out NT$10,000 cash handouts. The Cabinet said it would not submit such a request. It will, however, retain the decision to seek a constitutional interpretation on the matter when circumstances allow. As the Constitutional Court is still unable to hear a case, with only eight members, it seems that the power struggle has no end in sight.

The Executive Yuan announces that it will not request the Legislative Yuan to reconsider the special provision, in which the opposition-led legislature added a clause that will give out NT$10,000 cash handouts. That said, the Cabinet is considering another option.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
Tomorrow, the president will promulgate the special provision as required by law, and it will enter effect. However, we still believe that the version passed by the Legislative Yuan contains constitutional flaws, and as such we must consider seeking a constitutional remedy based on constitutional mechanisms. We shall seek a constitutional interpretation at the appropriate time, in order to prevent further disputes over the constitutional order of separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.

The Executive Yuan says it retains the decision to seek a constitutional interpretation on the cash handouts, since it effectively raises the budget of a bill proposed by the Cabinet. However, it may take a while before the case can open, since there are now not enough justices sitting on the Constitutional Court. The Cabinet also says it will submit a proposal to amend the current, final version of the special provision, and revert it to the original proposal that did not include the cash handouts. As things stand now, it appears that there could be no changes to the new law, and the NT$10,000 cash handouts will have to be rolled out by Oct. 31.

Lo Chih-chiang
Lawmaker (KMT)
Of course it’s regrettable. First of all, this allows tax surplus to be returned to the people. However, Premier Cho keeps insisting on going against Taiwanese public opinion.

Chen Pei-yu
DPP caucus
We respect the Executive Yuan’s decision, whether it’s requesting a revote or to seek a constitutional interpretation. We do hope to stand on the side of public opinion, but if the budget is being proposed in such an illegal way every single time, then there’s no way we can accept it. If a negative precedent is set as a result, then how will the country’s finances be sustainable?

Lawmakers of the ruling DPP urge against the NT$10,000 cash handouts, insisting that the clause that increases expenditures could violate the Constitution, while the opposition insists the original special provisions proposal was a statutory bill and thus falls outside the scope of Article 70 of the Constitution.

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

#taiwanpolitics #massrecall #dpp #kmt #普發現金

2025-07-31

Taiwan tariffs could face tariffs as low as 15: Bloomberg report

2025-07-31

Taichung neighborhood mistakes durian scent for gas leak

In the middle of the night, eight firefighters rushed to a neighborhood in Taichung’s Houli District after a resident reported smelling a gas leak. They searched in vain for the leak until the early hours of the morning, only to discover the scent was wafting from a first-floor residence where a fresh durian was left out.

Fire trucks and ambulances rushed to this neighborhood in the middle of the night after a resident reported smelling a gas leak. The firefighters used a gas detector to search for the leak, but got no reading at all. They went door-to-door to find the source of the smell, only to discover it was coming from a fresh durian that had been left out.

Local resident
As soon as the door opened, we discovered an incredibly smelly durian sitting on top of a scooter. I realized that durian was so stinky I thought it smelled like gas! Everyone was laughing, the firefighters were laughing too.

What was thought to be a gas leak turned out to be a fresh durian. Around 1am on July 27, the strong odor frightened residents in Taichung’s Houli District, and the fire department took the situation very seriously.

Local resident
Someone wanted to eat it, so I brought it back and didn’t think about it. It was wrapped up.

Similar misunderstandings have happened before during the durian season. There was an incident in Keelung when one resident put a cempedak, a fruit just as smelly as a durian, at the entrance to their home, and neighbors also thought the strong smell was a gas leak.

Chang Wen-pin
Firefighter
It gives off a fermented scent that does smell a bit like a gas leak. This kind of case is pretty rare. It’s my first time encountering one.

Thankfully this case was a false alarm. But it serves as a reminder that durian should be sealed properly or stored in the freezer to prevent people from mistaking its strong odor for something more ominous.

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

#gasleak #durian #stinky #haha #funny #lol #firefighter #Taichung #misunderstanding #durianseason

2025-07-31

Taipei Summer Festival lights up Dadaocheng until Aug. 30.

The Taipei Summer Festival is held annually at Dadaocheng Wharf and Yanping Riverside Park in Taipei, featuring firework shows, music performances, and cultural events.The 2025 festival is scheduled to take place from Aug. 6 to Aug.30. FTV reporter Stephany Yang takes us in to see the highlights!

Fireworks will light up the night sky in Dadaocheng. Popular artists like Power Station, Cosmos People, and BearBabes will perform before each display.

It’s pretty nice and beautiful. They are also selling crafts there.

Another highlight of the festival is a pop-up toy store on Dihua Street featuring life-sized installations of Toy Story characters such as Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Lotso. Beginning Aug. 6, a series of events will kick off. But if you don’t know where to start, there are also recommended itineraries to guide you: Watch the fireworks on Wednesday, visit the toy shop on Thursday, and go for a riverside bike ride to explore nearby night markets in the evening.

I came with friends and my one-and-a-half-year-old kid. I heard there’s a Toy Story-themed pop-up in Dadaocheng. This place brings back childhood memories—I grew up watching the Toy Story movies.

Dadaocheng is super lively right now. If you’re tired, there are spots to rest and food nearby. It is convenient here. You can even bike to Shezi. Along the way, you can admire the view of the river, spot some tourist boats taking people around, and take in the beautiful scenery. The full loop takes about an hour.”

It’s very comfortable to have the wind in your face. It is also safe because there are no cars or scooters to worry about.

The Taipei Summer Festival is held annually at Dadaocheng Wharf and Yanping Riverside Park in Taipei. This year’s festival will be held from Aug. 6 to Aug. 30.

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

#TaipeiSummerFestival #travel #travelitentiary #events #summerfun #summer #riverside #wharf #dadaochengwharf #yanpingriversidepark #bike #fireworks

2025-07-31

Owner unaware as car is swept 3km downstream in surging river

2025-07-31

Woman falls for scam buying prepaid cards for ‘Elon Musk’

A 43-year-old woman in Kaohsiung met a man online claiming to be Elon Musk, who said he was coming to Kaohsiung to meet Mayor Chen Chi-mai. He asked her to invest, and after becoming a Tesla member, promised that she would collect greater profits. This month, she went to the store many times to buy prepaid cards. The police received a report of suspected fraud, but the woman continued to insist it was real and tried to defend the fraudster.

- Who asked you to buy this?
- Why would you buy this?
- Yes.
- Tell us.
- You bought a lot.

The police received a report of a woman who was buying prepaid cards many days in a row. They came to check it out, but the woman’s response was beyond anything they expected.

- Don’t worry.
- Mr. Musk told me to use these.
- Huh?
- Mr. Musk told me.
- Mr. Musk?

The officer immediately knew it was a scam. But the woman had no doubts, and kept trying to explain it to him.

- But he really is coming.
- He said he already discussed things with the mayor.
- He’s really coming next month.
- He wants to bring Tesla to Kaohsiung.
- He wants to bring Tesla to Kaohsiung?
- Yes.

The officer asked her to call the man, but he didn’t pick up, saying he was in a meeting and couldn’t speak Mandarin. This woman in Kaohsiung met a man online who was claiming to be Elon Musk. He promised her that once she holds a Tesla membership card, “his company” would give her a lot of money, and once he got to Taiwan, she would become the CEO.

Lee Chen-yuan
Alian Station chief
The officer’s persistent persuasion and explanation of the inconsistencies in the messages eventually convinced the woman that she had been scammed.

The woman began buying prepaid cards at the beginning of July, losing $36,500. She was about to buy another $6,000 card, but the police luckily stopped her, keeping the fraudster from getting another payout.

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

#fraud #scam #ElonMusk #Tesla #Kaohsiung #policereport #police #prepaidcard

2025-07-31