Cabinet submits bill to expand assisted reproduction rights

Cabinet submits bill to expand assisted reproduction rights

2025-12-11

A much-anticipated amendment to expand women’s reproductive rights has been finalized at the Executive Yuan. The draft bill aims to extend access to assisted reproduction services, so that unmarried women and married lesbian couples can legally have children of their own.

Women using assisted reproduction services must be at least 18 years old. They must also carry the fetus in their own womb, meaning surrogacy will not be permitted. The draft bill has been submitted to the Legislative Yuan, but it remains uncertain whether it will be passed into law. As for whether rules will be loosened on surrogacy, the Executive Yuan says a consensus is yet to form in society, and so any bills on the matter will be handled separately.

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#assistedreproduction #reproductiverights #autonomy #LGBT

政院通過人工生殖法草案保障女同志.單身女性生孩權力

2025-12-11

行政院週四通過人工生殖法草案，放寬台灣民眾生育條件，包括已婚女同性伴侶，以及18歲以上單身女性，未來都能合法接受人工生殖服務，生下自己的小孩。

根據修正條文內容，同婚者未來能用自己的子宮生育，未婚婦女也能用自身卵子與子宮進行人工生殖。草案已送進立院，能否朝三讀邁進？還是未知。至於比較具爭議性的代理孕母，因為社會還沒有共識，因此行政院脫鉤處理。

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2025-12-11

China contradicts itself criticizing Taiwan’s 1-year RedNote ban

On Wednesday, China’s Taiwan Affairs office held a press conference in reaction to Taiwan’s 1-year ban of Chinese social media app RedNote. According to China, the ban was unfounded and deprived Taiwanese youth of their right to information and freedom of expression. Meanwhile, China continues to block access to US-based social media websites for its citizens.

Voice of CNA reporter
Members of the public in the mainland can only access the likes of Facebook and X with a VPN. Is the mainland considering allowing the public to use Facebook?

A journalist from Taiwan asked the spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, whether China has any plans to allow its people to go on Facebook. This was the spokesperson’s response.

Chen Binhua
Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson
The DPP authorities’ reckless ban of RedNote has already sparked backlash on the island, and was strongly opposed by the people. The premise for which the DPP authorities banned RedNote was hardly persuasive on the island. The DPP authorities’ action was met with widespread opposition on the island.

Liang Wen-chieh
Mainland Affairs Council spokesperson
You sure use a lot of words to say nothing. This has nothing to do with cross-strait policy. It’s simply a scam-fighting measure.

The Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson appeared to hesitate with his head down for almost ten seconds. When he finally responded, he kept looking at his speech notes, and didn’t seem as fluent as he did in other instances. Taiwanese netizens said it’s because he was asked a question he didn’t prepare for. Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior reiterated the decision to block RedNote.

Liu Shyh-fang
Minister of the Interior
Whether you call it halting DNS resolution or RPZ mechanisms, our legal basis is very clear.

The interior ministry emphasized that the decision to block RedNote was due to scam and cybersecurity concerns, and that it was legally supported. It also urged the public to understand the reasoning behind the ban.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#socialmedia #rednote #blogging #online #internet

2025-12-11

Taitung hospital car wash helps patients transition back to workplace

The Taitung branch of Taipei Veterans General Hospital has the biggest psychiatric center in the county. To help recently discharged patients transition back to the workplace, the hospital last week set aside a portion of its parking lot for three former patients to wash cars. The service was an instant hit!

Three workers scrub all over a car’s body and windows with soapy sponges.

But this car wash isn’t a private business. It was set up by the Taitung branch of Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

Tsai Yi-hsuan
Hospital occupational therapist
It gives a chance for our recently discharged patients to get some training before going out into the workforce. They can build confidence and learn the skill of how to wash a car, as well as interact with customers and work on a team.

To help recently discharged patients adjust back to the workplace, the hospital earlier this month set aside a part of its parking lot for the car wash. Led by occupational therapists, the participants provide car washing and waxing services on weekday mornings. It only costs NT$50 to NT$200—a very affordable price.

Yang Shang-ju
Car washer
I’m happy, very pleased. Because everyone does different tasks. And after coming here, I met so many different kinds of customers. I’ve worked at a gas station before, and I’ve also washed cars. So I mostly know how to do it.

Customer
The hospital’s intentions are good, so I did it. It’s also nearby, so I came right over. They did a good job.

The public has praised the hospital for its commendable idea. Since Taitung is quite dusty, there’s high demand for washing cars. Moving forward, the physicians will keep tabs on how it’s going to see if they can add more people. Once a patient is able and expresses willingness to work, the hospital will also help refer them for suitable jobs.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#hospital #psychiatry #carwash #Taitung #TaipeiVeteransGeneralHospital #backtowork #workplace #patient #disability

2025-12-11

Restaurants flex specialties to seize year-end dining market

As 2025 comes to a close, that means year-end parties are upon us, and demand for group meals is rising. Food brands and restaurants are looking to seize a piece of this massive market with their signature dishes. Whether a small family gathering or big company party, brands are all heating up the competition by putting their best foot forward.

Soft-shell crab is fried in a wok, instantly turning golden brown. Tossed with chili, snap peas, and onion, and sprinkled with special seasoning, this pepper-infused garlic crab is ready to serve.

Su Yen-chang
Kaifun head chef
Fried garlic and shallots, combined with a secret blend of seasonings create a remarkably rich taste and distinctive aroma.

This grouper is drenched in chili and green Sichuan peppercorns, its bright red hue alone enough to make your mouth water. For this dish, lobster was simmered in broth and served with fresh veggies, shrimp, and hot pot ingredients. Another one features crispy fried pomfret with rice noodles—fresh, sweet, and delicious. Restaurants are rolling out all their specialties for year-end parties as well as Lunar New Year banquets.

Liao Li-ying
Courtyard Taipei marketing manager
Designed by a five-star chef, this ready-to-serve Lunar New Year meal is perfect for a family of four to six. Individual items are also available for purchase. We project sales to reach nearly NT$5 million.

Shao Chih-chi
Taipei Garden Hotel chief marketer
The Lunar New Year is almost here, and many restaurants are already fully booked for group meals. They’ve started turning toward the takeaway market. Hotels are also following suit, promoting lavish eight-course meals for six people.

Eyeing the lucrative market for family meals and year-end parties, restaurant groups and major hotels are all entering the fray, setting the stage for a fierce battle in the industry.

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

#LunarNewYear #banquet #familymeal #familygathering #feast #hotels #restaurants #yearendparty #weiya

2025-12-11

Romantic light installations open at Jiaoxi Hot Spring Lantern Festival

The Jiaoxi Hot Spring Lantern Festival has officially opened in Yilan’s hot spring paradise. The township office set up four areas with light displays and art installations, each with their own theme. The main lantern, Spring Blossoms in Harmony, stands 5 meters tall and is coupled with dancing butterflies to create a romantic and dreamlike night scene.

What are these aliens with glowsticks doing here? With dazzling LED lights, this lantern festival has a technological wow factor.

At the event, Jiaoxi’s mayor announced the formal start of the Jiaoxi Hot Spring Lantern Festival. The Yilan township has sodium bicarbonate springs, with clear waters that leave no residue after bathing. Their quality has earned them the reputation as “beauty springs” and consistent awards year after year.

Chang Yung-te
Jiaoxi Township Mayor
Over the past three years, we’ve been rated first among Taiwan’s top 19 hot spring areas. Our light displays have also gotten design awards in US and Italian competitions.

To give visitors a visual spectacle alongside their hot spring experience, Jiaoxi installed a 5-meter-tall main display called “Spring Blossoms in Harmony.” Flowers are strung through the center of a tunnel of light, presenting a gorgeous interplay of ripples from hot spring waters and glittering lights.

Chang Yung-te
Jiaoxi Township Mayor
Our featured installation this year is Spring Blossoms in Harmony. It’s one-story tall. We’ve also installed decorative lights in various locations throughout land and water features in the area.

This extravaganza of lights is to run every night between 6 and 11pm until March 4 next year. Travelers from around Taiwan and abroad are welcome to wander through Jiaoxi and experience the unique romance of this hot spring town.

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

#Jiaoxi #Yilan #hotspring #hotspringfestival #lanterns #lightshow #lightinstallation #travel #lights #photoop #artinstallation #publicart

2025-12-11

Actor Park Bo-gum’s favorite Kaohsiung landmark is a banyan tree

2025-12-11

Kaohsiung temple vandalized by landowner over renovation dispute

A 70-year-old temple in Kaohsiung’s Meinong District was recently vandalized with black and red paint with motor oil strewn across the floor, leaving it in a shocking state. But it seems the culprit was the landowner himself, who decided to ruin the temple because he disagreed with its latest renovations.

This temple’s altar, offering table, and walls have all been vandalized with black paint. The ground is covered in dark motor oil, writing on its pillars has been blacked out, and a plaque commemorating donors has been marked with an X in red spray paint. The vandals even littered the ground with broken relics, leaving the temple looking utterly ruined.

Local resident
It’s heartbreaking. We’ve prayed here since we were young, for 70 or 80 years, and now it’s such a mess. We had kindly repaired it and built a tin roof so it wouldn’t leak, but once it was finished, they started ruining it.

This temple in Kaohsiung’s Meinong District has stood for over 70 years. Heartbroken to see it vandalized, residents were shocked to learn that the culprit was none other than the landowner himself. They initially suspected he wanted to demolish the temple and expand his field, but his son said he was offended that the temple had been renovated without his approval.

Yang Chiu-tien
Village chief
You want us to move out, but the structures on this land weren’t paid for by you alone. Everyone contributed, so of course you’d need to compensate us.

Landowner’s son
Look, the land is his, but you went ahead and did all this without his approval, so he lost his temper. When you started the project, he already told you not to touch it, because if you want to make changes to the temple, well, he is the landowner, and now he’s angry. If you love doing this so much, then move it to your house and do it there.

The son said that as long as a boundary survey confirms his father is the landowner, they will make plans to relocate the temple. But for people who have been worshipping here for decades, it’s heartbreaking to see it so disrespected.

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

#temple #Kaohsiung #Daoism #diety #pray #worship #vandal #vandalized #spraypaint #landowner #renovation

2025-12-11

Woman gives birth to 4th child while on school trip with eldest son

An expecting mother gave birth to her fourth child on the very day she accompanied her eldest on a school trip, on Wednesday. The trip had just ended and everyone safely returned to the school gates when her waters suddenly broke. The taxi she called immediately refused her service. Fortunately, her eldest was quick enough to ask for his teacher’s help, and the mother and newborn are now safe and healthy.

Paramedics get to work without hesitation, taking the woman onto the ambulance to be treated. She had just given birth and needed immediate medical attention. It was at the gates of a local preschool.

Lin Chiu-ping
Preschool of Yilan Elementary School
I noticed a young boy kept calling out for help. He kept yelling, “Miss! Miss!” I thought he ran into trouble or something, so I followed him all the way to the car, and found out that his mother was about to give birth.

Yang Chang-ching
Paramedic
We arrived the soonest possible. By then, the baby was already born.

The 30-year-old was almost due when she accompanied her eldest son on a school trip on Wednesday. When they returned to campus in the afternoon, she started getting cramps and immediately called a taxi. However, the taxi driver refused to take her in because her waters had already broken. The baby was born at the school gates while she waited for the ambulance.

Wu Chun-han
Paramedic
She said it’s her fourth. At the moment, we noticed that the mother was quite calm. Then we helped her and moved her onto the bed. After we got her on the ambulance, we quickly took to taking care of the newborn.

Lin Chiu-ping
Preschool of Yilan Elementary School
The kid is really quick. He asked for help without prompt. I know because I asked his mother about it, and she said she didn’t ask him to look for his teacher.

Her eldest son, a third-grader, immediately asked his teacher for help. With the support of teachers and school officials, a baby boy was born. Even the principal found the experience special.

Yang Hsien-chin
Yilan Elementary School principal
It’s impressive that a third-grader would come to ask for a teacher’s help. It’s the first time this has happened. It’s really remarkable.

On Thursday, the teacher and principal paid a visit to the mother and newborn at the hospital. It could be said that the baby was welcomed into the world by the local community.

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

2025-12-11

New rep to Marshal Islands drives internet wild with official photo

Taiwan’s new ambassador to the Marshall Islands has become a hot topic online, thanks to his good looks, at least on his official portrait. Herbert Hsu’s photo attracted a flurry of compliments, with some saying they couldn’t believe it was legal to have such a handsome ambassador. In response to the overwhelming attention, Hsu has kept a low profile, saying that he was happy that people were watching so closely Taiwan’s efforts in the field of diplomacy.

With thick modelesque eyebrows, big dreamy eyes, a sculptural nose bridge and dimples for days, this is Herbert Hsu, Taiwan’s new ambassador to the Marshall Islands. People are loving it.

- He’s so good-looking. He oozes charisma.

- It’s like an AI-generated person!

His good looks are off the charts. Comments flooded in: “It must be illegal to be such a handsome diplomat,” “He looks like a movie star!” Fans demanded to see him in person.

Herbert Hsu (June 2022)
Then-Deputy Representative to Thailand
Ladies and gentlemen, good day. My name is Herbert Hsu.

- It’s night and day. It can’t be the same person!

- Is the photo from a long time ago? The composure is there, but the looks are off by 40%.

- Um… oh! It’s like when we put on makeup, there is always a bit of a difference. But it’s just that the signs of age are pretty clear.

Hsu’s just taken office, and already he’s a hot topic. At almost 60 years old, he has a lot of experience in diplomacy.

Puma Shen
Lawmaker (DPP)
He has been able to reach this position thanks to his ability. He served in Thailand and in Latvia, and he’s been in charge of several big projects, which is why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed him ambassador.

Voice of Ms. Ho
Taiwan-Thailand parliamentary amity group
He’s very hard working. He was a great fit for the role in Thailand and did really well. He’s very enthusiastic and took care of Taiwanese businesspeople in the country. Diplomacy is a difficult and demanding career.

With nearly 30 years of diplomatic service and postings in multiple countries, Hsu is now responsible for maintaining Taiwan-Marshall Islands relations as ambassador.

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

#diplomacy #handsome #diplomat #ambassador #taiwan #marshallislands

2025-12-11

3 companies and 14 people indicted in deadly PX Mart warehouse fire

2025-12-11