Two Filipinos cheat death after huge boulder falls on truck

Two Filipinos cheat death after huge boulder falls on truck

2026-02-09

A close call with nature took place in the mountains of Miaoli on Sunday evening. A massive falling rock, as big as a small refrigerator, came crashing down onto a moving truck in Tai’an Township. The boulder smashed straight into the windshield, trapping the vehicle, inside of which were two Philippine nationals. Fortunately, they both emerged from the incident unscathed. At the time, the driver had been giving his fellow countrywoman a lift back from the doctor. That prompted some to say that his kind actions are what made fate give him another chance at life.

A boulder the size of a fridge is lodged in the truck. All around the site, pebbles and rocks litter the road.

At around 6:30 on Sunday evening, police received a report that falling rocks had crashed on a truck in the mountainous area of Tai’an Township in Miaoli.

- It’s lucky nothing serious happened,
the driver must’ve racked up a lot of good karma.

It was a heart-stopping close call. Inside the truck were two Philippine nationals aged 43 and 51 who were returning to Mabanan from a medical visit. More than 10 rocks started crashing down from the slope at a curve around the 2km mark of the road. It included one huge boulder that destroyed the windshield and the driver’s side.

Chang Wen-hsung
Police officer
The driver and passenger were unharmed, and the driver tested negative for alcohol.

Voice of truck owner
Lent the truck
He was giving her a ride. She is a caregiver, and she can’t drive. They’re both from the Philippines, so she would often ask him to take her to see the doctor at Maypuwan.

It was a small miracle that neither driver nor passenger got hurt on their way back from the doctor. Perhaps the favor he did his fellow countrywoman was rewarded by fate. But just in case, police have stepped up patrols along the road.

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

#miracle #karma #boulder #traffic #wow

命大! 苗栗泰安"巨大落石砸貨車" 車內2人幸無大礙

2026-02-09

苗栗泰安鄉大安產業道路，8日晚間，發生一起落石砸中小貨車意外。一塊巨大的落石，大約一個小冰箱大小，不偏不移砸中貨車車頭，卡在擋風玻璃，車內兩人都是菲律賓籍移工，幸運逃過一劫。

巨大的落石就砸在小貨車車頭，大約一個小冰箱的大小，直接掉落！其餘大大小小落石佔據路面。

8日晚間6點半左右，警方接獲報案，一輛小貨車在泰安鄉象鼻部落山區大安產業聯絡道遭落石砸中。

“還好人沒有怎麼樣，危險耶，可能開車的這個人好事做多了，好人一生平安”

真的是命大，43歲的男性移工駕駛小貨車，載51歲女性移工，剛就醫回程往永安部落方向行駛，兩人都菲律賓籍，經過約2K轉彎處時，邊坡突然掉下落石，大大小小十多顆，其中一顆巨石砸中車頭，造成前擋風玻璃及駕駛座受損。

[[大安派出所所長張文雄]]
“(駕駛與乘客)均無大礙，駕駛無酒測反應。”

[[聲源:車主]]
“載別人的工人啦，女看護不會開車，恰好我們有一個(移工)，也是菲律賓的，她就都會拜託他，載她去象鼻部落看病。”

一早車主回到現場，直說很幸運，好心載別人家看護去看醫生，途中遇到落石，幸運躲過，真的是好心有好報。相關單位加強路段巡邏，確保用路人安全。

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Shidong Market vendors complain about rodent extemination

A craze for exterminating rats is underway in Taipei. Mayor Chiang Wan-an ordered a thorough disinfection of the city after a man in his 70s died from hantavirus in January. In a bid to get rid of rodents, part of the campaign has been focused on markets. But vendors say the operation is not going smoothly. On Monday afternoon, a disinfection team dispatched to Shidong Market apparently sprayed chemicals without previously informing vendors. They say that the chemicals ended up on food and other items at the market. Let’s hear more.

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Chen Yung-hung
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Lin Yen-feng
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They didn’t tell anyone they would disinfect the premises and exterminate rodents. Pots, pans… nothing was covered! The city is cutting corners! I urge Mayor Chiang to not do things halfway.

Fang Hsien-kai
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Cleanup contractors should make arrangements with the market association before disinfecting the premises. Moving forward, the Market Administration Office will look more closely into such arrangements.

Chiang ordered a full disinfection in all 12 districts in the city. In the case of Shidong Market, no announcements were visible inside or outside the building. Vendors say they didn’t receive prior notice, and as such, did not make the necessary preparations. Councilors are calling on the city government to not do things halfway. They say that if the market is to be disinfected, the people involved should be given plenty of time to prepare, to make sure the disinfection is carried out safely.

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

#rats #raticide #disinfection #market #food #taipei

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Rush for fresh banknotes kicks off ahead of Lunar New Year

2026-02-09

Sandwich cookie holiday gift box sales impacted by tariffs

With Lunar New Year around the corner, shops are busy preparing gift boxes. One bakery that specializes in sandwich cookies is offering a pork floss peanut flavor in addition to its famous caramel cream. While sales increase over the holiday, the bakery noticed that businesses are ordering smaller gift boxes than usual, possibly due to tariffs impacting their budgets.

These sandwich cookies come in all kinds of flavors and colors. From the classic caramel full of gooey sweetness, to pork floss, and even Western flavors, there are sweet and savory choices alike.

The sugar caramelizes at over 100°C. It’s important that the temperature is just right, otherwise it could affect its taste and texture.

Yu Yu-chen
Cookie entrepreneur
We want to caramelize the sugar, so we pay close attention to whether the temperature or humidity is too high, because that could make the caramel too hard or too soft, which we don’t want.

The cookie dough is baked on a specialized grill. The butter in the dough melts under the high temperature, and the room fills with the smell of fresh cookies.

Once the cookies are pressed and baked, they’re cut into the right shape.

Staff fills the bottom cookies with caramel and cream, and a machine adds the top cookie to complete the sandwich. The staff work in rotating shifts 24 hours a day to make sure the business can meet Lunar New Year holiday demands.

Yu Yu-chen
Cookie entrepreneur
The orders for the Lunar New Year this year are unusual. We have noticed that, maybe because of tariffs, businesses have ordered a lot more smaller boxes than usual. It’s probably because of the tariffs.

Costs in general have been rising recently, but especially for cream and chocolate, which have almost doubled in price. The business absorbs most of these rising costs itself to avoid impacting holiday sales.

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

#cookie #sandwichcookie #giftbox #LunarNewYear #holiday #sales #caramel #cream #porkfloss #tariffs

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Sophia Tsu Velicer is Taiwan’s first Olympic cross-country skier

The first athlete to compete for Taiwan at the 2026 Winter Olympics is Taiwanese-American cross-country skier, Sophia Tsu Velicer. She’s also the very first to represent Taiwan in the sport at the Olympics. On Saturday, she completed the women’s 10km+10km skiathlon and ranked 52nd among 70 contestants. Speaking to a reporter after her win, she said that even though she’s hardly lived in Taiwan, it’s a country that she loves.

The skier in a pink suit numbered 52 is Sophia Tsu Velicer. She completed the women’s 10km+10km skiathlon in one hour, three minutes and 57.5 seconds, ranking 52nd among 70 contestants. She’s also the first to represent Taiwan in the sport.

Sophia Tsu Velicer
Cross-country skier
I’m incredibly honored to be the first woman to represent Taiwan at the Olympics in cross-country skiing. I mean, this is a sport that I love, and Taiwan is a country that I love, even though I’m no — I’ve never fully lived in Taiwan, I still have a very close connection to it, and I’m just, like, so honored to represent Taiwan.

Velicer, now 26, was born in the US state of Michigan to a Taiwanese mother and an American father. Her extended family is in Italy to cheer for her, including her 86-year-old maternal grandma.

Sophia Tsu Velicer
Cross-country skier
I’m really, really happy that she came out. You know, she’s been one of my biggest supporters throughout the years, but she doesn’t really know that much about cross-country skiing as a sport, and this is her first time seeing me cross-country ski at the Olympics, which is really, really cool, and I hope that I’m making her proud.

And her grandma really is very proud of her.

Velicer’s maternal grandma
Attending 2026 Winter Olympics
It’s really an achievement for a kid to be able to ski to that level. She’s faced so many difficulties throughout training. She’s really touching others being a skier of such a high level. She inspired others first.

Velicer has three more games lined up at the Winter Olympics. She hopes to make it to the Top 40 in all three.

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

#olympics #MilanoCortina2026 #余睿 #米蘭冬奧 #越野滑雪

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Steaming seafood noodles and pork soup popular in winter

With cold weather returning this winter, people are gravitating toward restaurants with soup, noodles, and other warm options. One pork soup shop in Dadaocheng has been running for 60 years, with its rich soup and tender pork bringing in lots of customers. In winter, the owner prepares six big pots to make sure there’s enough. Close by, a seafood noodle shop on Chifeng Street sells over 400 bowls a day.

Chifeng Street bustles with people, but many linger at this seemingly ordinary noodle shop.

With fish crackers, intestines, oysters, and squid, seafood lovers can’t get enough of this overflowing bowl of noodles.

Customer
It’s great to have these traditional flavors paired with all this seafood. It feels great to eat something so warm.

In the cold weather, a hot bowl of noodles like this can be incredibly satisfying.

Tung
Noodle shop owner
In addition to local customers, tourists visiting Taiwan also come after seeing a steaming bowl of noodles like this, which is great during the cold weather. I hope to show that Taiwan’s friendliness is also heartwarming.

When business is good, the shop sells over 400 bowls a day. A 60-year-old traditional pork soup shop in Dadaocheng has also had a constant flow of customers lately.

Customer
When the weather is cold, having a bowl of hot soup makes me feel much better.

Customer
The radish is sweet and the meat is cooked just right.

Three hours before closing time, the shop was already sold out. Some customers came too late, missing their chance to try this famous soup.

Chen Chiu-lien
Pork soup shop owner
We put a big chunk in to simmer. But the more meat there is, the better the soup will be.

The shop prepares six big pots of soup daily to make sure they have enough. The secret to the best soup is simmer pork ribs, chopped radish, and mushrooms for at least an hour. During the cold winter months, a bowl of this soup is sure to warm you up.

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

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Kenting park rangers introduce humane trap to control deer population

The sika deer population in Kenting National Park has been successfully rehabilitated—maybe too successfully. Herds of deer are now devouring the park’s precious indigenous plants. They’re also threatening public safety, as deer road crossings have become common in the past few years. They’ve also taken a liking to farmers’ crops. The park has hired 20 brave souls from the area to catch the deer using humane traps. The first 50 caught will be taken to a rehabilitation center, where they are to live after being neutered.

When a pole enters the contraption, it snaps shut like your typical animal trap. But this one is different, as it won’t break the animal’s leg.

This humane trap was created by the Kenting National Park Headquarters and animal experts to catch sika deer.

Tseng Tien-ting
Kenting National Park deputy director
Too many deer not only harm the native plant life, but also black bean and dragon fruit crops. Sometimes when they’re chased by stray dogs, they run into the road and cause accidents.

Sika deer used to be a protected species, but now, their numbers need to be brought under control. There are an estimated 3,600 deer in Kenting, far more than the ecosystem can handle. They’re not only devouring the native plant life, but also farmers’ crops, and are causing traffic accidents. To solve these problems, the park has hired hunters to capture the deer.

Tseng Tien-ting
Kenting National Park deputy director
For this project, we plan to recruit and train 20 certified hunters to capture deer using lassos. We hope to reduce the harm caused to the deer in the process. The captured deer will be sent to live at the sika deer breeding center here in Sheding.

Member of public
It’s often hard to strike a balance between nature and humans. This is a friendly method, toward both the animals and people. Since we’re not euthanizing, but using a more humane way of dealing with them.

Member of public
I think it’s pretty good. It cares for the deer and doesn’t hurt them.

The goal for the first phase of the project is to capture 50 deer. As soon as that target is reached, the initiative will be paused to study the impact. The park hopes that this strategy will allow people and deer to coexist peacefully.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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T’way Air plane loses tire on landing, threatens 3 flights

Taoyuan International Airport’s north runway was temporarily closed off on Sunday afternoon due to an emergency: a passenger jet operated by South Korean low-cost carrier T’way lost one tire on landing. With only the south runway open during this period, many flights could not land on schedule, and three ran severely low on fuel. In just eight minutes, all three flights made the “Mayday” distress call, signaling a life-threatening emergency. Fortunately, all three eventually landed safely.

- Eva three-niner-two. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.
- Eva zero-zero-seven. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.

Many planes hovered and waited for their turns to land. Three were low on fuel and each gave distress calls within eight minutes.

- Taipei, Bauhinia two-six-zero. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. Fuel emergency.

According to air traffic control records, the first flight to make a distress call at 6:52 p.m. by repeating the code word “Mayday” three times, was EVA Air’s BR392, San Francisco to Taipei. In less than six minutes, flight BR007, Ho Chih Minh City to Taipei was also endangered at 6:57 p.m. As for the third, it was Hong Kong Airlines’ flight HX260 from Hong Kong to Taipei. It was scheduled to land at 6:20 p.m. By around 7 p.m., the plane had a fuel emergency, prompting the pilot to make a distress call.

Yu Hao-wei
Former pilot
Yesterday there were flights making the “Mayday,” “Mayday,” “Mayday” call. It means that the plane’s fuel level had gotten so low that it could not last more than 15 minutes. Each plane has a different fuel load, so it’s not about the fuel volume, but rather how much time it still has. The distress call alerts the air traffic control tower, which will then grant you the priority to land.

Air traffic at Taoyuan International Airport was severely disrupted on Sunday, when a passenger jet arriving from Jeju Island operated by T’way, a South Korean low-cost carrier, lost a tire at landing. The north runway was closed as a result, from 3:52 p.m. to 5:35 p.m. In this 90-minute window, all flights had to take off and land on the south runway alone.

Yu Hao-wei
Former pilot
If a runway closes, then traffic on the other runway doubles, whether to take off or land. Consequently, many planes could not land on schedule. Also, the planes still in the air need fuel to stay there.

According to the airport corporation, 14 flights were affected by the incident, which they’ve also reported to the Civil Aviation Administration to investigate. Fortunately, all flights landed safely, including the three in an emergency.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Fan Shih-ping
NTNU Department of East Asian Studies
If Japan is able to pass a Taiwan Relations Act, it could establish official relations between Taiwan and Japan, clarify Japan’s stance in the event that Taiwan is annexed by China, as well as whether Japan might sell weapons to Taiwan.

Kuo Yu-jen
Institute for National Policy Research
We hope that Japan will pass its own version of the Taiwan Travel Act. Japan has had many unreasonable restrictions on exchanges with Taiwan. There are rules that prevent ministry-level officials from holding talks with their Taiwanese counterparts in Tokyo.

Tung Li-wen
Foundation on Asia-Pacific Peace Studies
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Wang Hung-jen
Institute for National Policy Research
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For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Zoo lovers offered five free visits per year with ‘adoption card’

The zoo is a popular destination for families on the weekends. But did you know that aside from just going to look at the animals, you can also “adopt” them? For NT$500 or NT$1,000 every year, you can become an honorary animal caretaker with an exclusive membership card featuring a photo of your favorite animal.

A red-footed tortoise basks under a heat lamp to stave off the cold. With winter break here, the zoo animals are also getting ready for the holiday, prepared to welcome visitors rain or shine. This is the perfect opportunity—for just NT$500 or NT$1,000 per year, you can become an honorary animal caretaker.

Zoo visitor
Loves animals
You can help with animal conservation and things like that. I love animals. Being able to help protect these cute creatures for as little as NT$1,000, plus being able to visit for free a few times is worth it.

Zoo visitor
Loves animals
I think it’s OK. After all, I have a job, so I can just spend a little pocket change and buy some food to feed the animals.

Kids and adults alike can get one of these animal “adoption” cards, which includes five free visits per year and discounts at zoo shops. Although you can’t specify which animal you want to support, you can choose which animal you’d like to be on your card. The zoo said the most popular is the panda, followed closely by the leopard cat. The adorable Eurasian otter came in hot in third.

Kuo Shih-chun
Taipei Zoo ‘adoption’ team
We’ve actually given out more cards to adults. Before we would have around 1,000 per year. But last year, it started to become more popular. So last year, we gave out around 2,000.

The Taipei Zoo, Hsinchu Zoo, and Kaohsiung’s Shoushan Zoo all offer these “adoption” cards. For animal lovers, the discounts are secondary. With just a single bill every year, you can help support animal conservation efforts and research to ensure that Taiwan’s zoos can thrive for years to come.

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

#zoo #animals #animalconservation #animaladoption #animallover #cuteanimals #TaipeiZoo

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