Women’s rights groups, pharmacists protest emergency contraceptive tracking

Women’s rights groups, pharmacists protest emergency contraceptive tracking

2026-07-02

The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s proposal to add two emergency contraceptives to the country’s drug traceability system has been met with intense public backlash. On Thursday, pharmacists and women’s rights groups spoke out against the proposal, worrying that it could reduce accessibility. The health minister responded by saying that the proposal will only go into effect once supplementary measures are in place. Let’s hear more.

Tu Ying-chiu
Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation
The number of OB-GYN clinics continues to decline year after year. In some remote areas, there are very few OB-GYN clinics, or even none. How are women in these places supposed to find a clinic and obtain emergency contraceptives? Lots of women, including victims of intimate partner violence or those who are unprepared for pregnancy, may fear being chided for speaking up, let alone step into a clinic, which are not very accessible in the first place. It’s not like everyone can obtain emergency contraceptives at a hospital or clinic within 72 hours.

Wu Pei-yi
Legislator (DPP)
Will you only hear women’s voices when women have finally had enough and are protesting loudly? What if a woman can’t get emergency contraceptives within the critical window and therefore has to carry on with the unplanned pregnancy or get an abortion? That would pose a greater risk to the woman’s physical health.

Huang Jin-shun
Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations
In most countries around the world, these two kinds of emergency contraceptives are classified as behind-the-counter drugs. We hope that the competent authorities will follow international conventions instead of going in the opposite direction.

Shih Chung-liang
Minister of Health and Welfare
There will certainly be relevant measures in place after we have made the announcement and before the changes come into effect, so that the rights of those who truly need these contraceptives under an emergency can obtain them.

Because emergency contraceptives must be taken within a 72-hour critical window, the public has in the past urged the government to reclassify emergency contraceptives as a BTC drug. Although classified as prescription only, in practice, these drugs could be obtained from any pharmacy. Activists are worried that the proposal would reduce accessibility, especially to underprivileged women. It remains to be seen what the minister meant as supplementary measures and whether the proposal will be passed at the legislature.

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

#emergencycontraception #EC #womenshealth #womensrights #plannedparenthood

事後避孕藥擬列追蹤藥品藥事法修正案引女性擔憂

2026-07-02

衛福部預告修正"藥事法"第六條，打算將把"事後避孕藥"納入流向追蹤管理，引發外界討論，但藥師公會及婦女團體痛批根本是走回頭路，面對反彈聲浪，衛福部長石崇良強調，相關配套措施完善後才會上路。

[[婦女救援基金會執行長杜瑛秋]]
“每年婦產科診所是年年減少，偏鄉的區域有些很少，甚至完全沒有婦產科。請問這些女性她要去哪裡找婦產科，然後去購買?蠻多就是說包含親密關係暴力的女性被害，或還沒有準備無意間懷孕的女性，因為怕害怕責難也不敢講，甚至連踏入婦產科，都有困難的情況之下，並不是每個人都可以七十二小時內去醫院看診來取得。”

[[立委(民) 吳沛憶]]
“是不是一定要女性大聲的出來怒吼，是不是要一定要女性站出來罵人了，你們才要聽到女性的聲音呢?那麼如果她在這個時間內，她沒有辦法取得事後緊急避孕藥，那她可能必須要非預期的懷孕，或者是她可能要進行人工的流產，那這個對女性身體造成的風險都是更大的。”

[[藥師公會全聯會榮譽理事長黃金舜]]
緊急事後避孕藥有這兩種，全世界大部分的國家，都已經把它歸類為藥師指示用藥，我們希望主管單位應該要跟國際接軌，不要背道而馳。”

[[衛福部長石崇良]]
“在這一個預告要後面要正式實施之前，一定會有相關的配套措施，來保障讓真正有需要的緊急情形下可以取得。”

事後避孕藥須在黃金72小時內使用，過去民間就要求，應該處方藥改列為藥師指示用藥，沒想到草案卻反其道而行，讓人憂心未來取得藥物將更加困難，特別是弱勢女性。面對外界反彈聲浪，衛福部長石崇良強調，相關配套措施完善後才會上路。不過，草案能否順利通過，仍有待後續審議。

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Taichung shop sells NT$160 seafood porridge with barely any seafood

A Taipei resident traveling in Taichung was left disappointed after buying a NT$160 seafood porridge at ASEAN Square. They expected plenty of seafood, but found only two small shrimp and a few pieces of squid. Feeling the portion was insufficient, he called the police and posted online to warn people. The store said maybe the chef put in less seafood that day and refunded the disgruntled customer.

A customer sifts through a NT$160 bowl of seafood porridge, disappointed to find only a few pieces of squid. Feeling ripped off, he returned the meal and called the police.

-It’s really too ridiculous!
-You can record it first.
-Yeah, I’ve already recorded it.

The police helped to settle the dispute, making sure the customer got his money back.

-160
- Did you refund him?
- Okay, we can do that.
- Do it while we’re here.
- NT$160.

Still fuming, even after he got his money back, the customer posted online to warn others, saying he bought a seafood porridge while traveling in Taichung and asking whether he was scammed. How is it NT$160 with just two little shrimp and a few pieces of squid? He asked the store, which said the seafood porridge has always been like that.

Voice of Mr. Tseng
Customer
The seafood had clearly been chopped up and frozen. I think it was absolutely awful. I showed the police after they came, and even they started laughing.

The store in question was at ASEAN Square close to Taichung Station. Is NT$160 too much for a porridge with so little in it? Let’s see what the locals think.

I think it’s a ripoff. Considering Taichung prices, it should be NT$70.

It’s expensive for this area.

The menu lists the seafood porridge for NT$150 rather than NT$160, but the store said the menu hadn’t been updated. But why is there so little seafood?

- How many shrimp do you put in?
- About five, but maybe the chef put in less that day. We refunded him, but he still called the police.

Mr. Tseng
Customer
She didn’t want to give me back my money at first, but once she knew I called the police, she said they would give me a refund.

The picture of the porridge on the wall shows four big shrimp and plenty of seafood. Compared with what was served, it’s no wonder the customer was angry.

Voice of Chen Yen-hung
Consumer protection official
The photo on the wall is an advertisement. As the business manager, you must ensure that there is no discrepancy between the advertisement and the actual product.

False advertising may violate the Fair Trade Act. In a situation like this, people can gather evidence and file a complaint online, with help from consumer protection authorities.

I bought a seafood porridge while traveling in Taichung. Was I scammed?? How is it NT$160 with just two little shrimp and a few pieces of squid?? I asked the store, and they said the seafood porridge has always been like that.

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

#seafood #porridge #restaurant #Taichung #expensive #scam #ripoff #falseadvertising

2026-07-02

Nurses save the day when power bank smokes in emergency room

A man in Changhua City narrowly avoided disaster after his power bank suddenly began smoking and making popping sounds while charging his phone in a hospital emergency room. Nurses quickly responded with a fire extinguisher and then cooled the device in water, preventing the situation from escalating.

A man lies on a hospital bed waiting for his girlfriend to come back, when his power bank suddenly starts smoking. Startled, he jumps up and flees from the smoke. Hospital staff quickly grab a fire extinguisher and use it on the smoking battery.

Hsu Chi-wei
Firefighter
The power bank started emitting smoke and making popping sounds. Hospital staff immediately used a fire extinguisher to stop the smoke and then placed the power bank in water to cool it down.

The incident occurred in the emergency room at Hanming Christian Hospital in Changhua. Thanks to fire prevention training and lithium battery safety videos, hospital staff responded quickly. They followed the correct procedure, first extinguishing the smoke, then submerging the device to cool it. While fire extinguishers can temporarily suppress flames, they cannot stop the underlying thermal reaction that causes power banks to smoke.

Chiu Yu-jui
Hospital physician
The patient’s boyfriend’s power bank was on the bed and suddenly caught fire, burning a hole in the sheet. Fortunately, our nursing staff is well-trained in fire safety and were able to quickly put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.

Thankfully, the fire was quickly controlled, and no one was injured. The hospital later held a ceremony to commend the staff who helped put out the fire. It also urged people not to place power banks on beds or blankets, and not to bring plug-in power banks into the facility, noting that this incident could have injured patients and endangered staff.

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

#hospital #fire #powerbank #spontaneouscombustion #Changhua #firefighter #nurse #doctor #emergencyroom

2026-07-02

Taipei high school’s robotics team overcomes odds at event in Turkey

For the average high schooler, winning a single game at an international robotics competition in which your machine needs to be able to shoot balls through the air, into a target seems hard enough. But finding success after having Turkish customs seize your machine parts sounds like mission impossible. Refusing to quit, a team of high schoolers from Taipei taped together a robot that somehow won 4 qualification games in a row while also setting the daily record for points.

Hailing from Taiwan, this team of high schoolers studies in Taipei at VIS International School, an experimental education institution. They flew to Istanbul, Turkey, where they’re competing under the most difficult of circumstances.

Their faces may look calm, but their sweaty palms reveal how they truly feel; they’d packed up all their robot equipment, yet when they arrived in Turkey, customs seized all their parts. Not willing to throw in the towel, they borrowed tools and spare parts from the teams of other countries. They ended up assembling a robot that was essentially held together by tape, thereby forcing them to switch up their tactics. Unfazed, the team won 4 qualification matches while also setting the daily record for most points.

Member of public
Works in trade and customs
It’s really inspiring. What they did symbolizes the spirit of Taiwan, to never give up.

Member of public
Impressed
Just amazing. Even after having their parts confiscated, they still were able to use all the resources they could find there.

Member of public
Astonished
Really impressive. They found a way to solve the problem.

Because Taiwan is not a party to the worldwide ATA Carnet system, Taiwanese with goods seeking temporary admission to another country must first file an application with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council. Complicating things, Türkiye and Taiwan haven’t signed a bilateral ATA Carnet agreement. A trading company employee advised people to look up their destination’s immigration regulations in advance.

Member of public
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Basically every country has pretty complicated regulations for hundreds, even thousands of goods. For the tools in a competition like this, of course the stuff should be mailed to the destination before the team arrives. But if you want to play it even safer, then you can contact an agent in your destination that knows how to handle trade-related issues.

Customs official
Taipei Customs Inspection Division
This might be a good time to let travelers know, that in order to prevent their rights from being infringed upon, they should be aware about the regulations of the country they’re traveling to.

Facing what seemed like mission impossible, the Taiwanese team was able to think on their feet and somehow find a way to win.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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2026-07-02

73-yo woman’s body pulled from bottom of truck after getting hit

On Tuesday evening, a 73-year-old woman in Tainan crossing the street got hit by a truck making a left turn. She immediately got dragged underneath the vehicle. Passers-by stopped to lift the vehicle and free her, and soon afterwards, she lost her vital signs. Fortunately, her pulse was restored by rescuers.

The ambulance rushes to the scene. Someone just got hit by a vehicle and is stuck at the bottom.

The victim, who’s wearing a pink shirt, was dragged to the bottom of the truck. A dozen passers-by lifted the vehicle with their bare hands to free her.

Member of public
Eyewitness
Lots of people helped lift the vehicle. When I saw that they’d succeeded in lifting the vehicle, the ambulance arrived.

Voice of Lee Chen-ping
Tainan City Fire Department
When the ambulance was about to leave, her condition suddenly deteriorated. She lost her breathing and pulse. So I got off the vehicle and helped the rescuer who was trying to save her.

The woman who was hit by a pickup truck and got dragged underneath the vehicle even lost her vital signs soon after she was freed. Fortunately, rescuers were able to restore her pulse before sending her to the hospital for treatment.

The accident happened in Tainan’s Yongkang District, a little after 7 p.m. The 73-year-old woman surnamed Wu was crossing the street on the pedestrian crossing when she got hit by the truck driven by a man surnamed Lu, who failed to yield to pedestrians and caused the near-fatal crash.

Hung Pai-liang
Yongkang Precinct, Tainan City Police
As of today, since the beginning of 2026, our precinct has dealt with 187 cases penalizing drivers who failed to yield to passengers. According to Paragraph 4, Article 44 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act, a car driver that did not pause to allow pedestrians to cross first and committed an accident that resulted in injury, they shall be fined from NT$18,000 to NT$36,000 and have their license revoked for one to two years.

The truck driver didn’t stop for the woman on the pedestrian crossing and hit her directly, causing near-fatal injury. The police reiterated that drivers should always give way to pedestrians and not threaten their safety and lives.

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As the Taiwan ICDF turns 30, diplomatic allies voice their support

Three decades ago, the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund was created in order to strengthen friendships with diplomatic allies as well as help improve the livelihoods of their citizens. Several diplomatic partners shared what makes Taiwan’s approach special. And, perhaps more importantly, they expressed that they’re looking forward to what the next three decades will bring.

The Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund is celebrating 30 years, and today the results brought about by the Taiwan ICDF in the last three decades were on full display. This pink eco-friendly athleisure shirt is the result of a collaborative effort between Taiwan and its diplomatic ally Saint Kitts and Nevis, and this gallery of photos allows viewers to witness all that Taiwan has done with its partners in the last 3 decades. However, China’s use of dollar diplomacy to put pressure on Taiwan’s diplomatic allies has also got the media’s attention.

Journalist
Reuters
Taiwan and China, in particular, frequently trade accusations of dollar diplomacy. You know, throwing money at countries to say you must establish relations with us.

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Our relationship with Taiwan for the last 28, almost 28 years, has been instrumental in developing Marshall Islands. And we’ve been a trusted partner, and we rely on Taiwan. I personally, I can speak for myself, I personally have not had any engagement with the PRC.

Kaneko emphasized that shared values are important. After an initially scheduled late-April visit to Eswatini was cancelled at the eleventh hour due to diplomatic pressure, in May President Lai Ching-te took a secret visit to the African nation. Eswatini also had high praise for the Taiwan ICDF.

Manqoba Khumalo
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They are not coming into the country to say this is what we want to do for you. But they are saying to us where do you want us to assist you? And we have seen value in that as a country. So we look forward to an exciting 30 more years with ICDF.

Peifen Hsieh
Taiwan ICDF Deputy Secretary General
For example, in Guatemala we have already had a banana project where we use our technology from our TASA, and for Eswatini, as well, we have implemented many vocational training programs there which teach high technologies and so on and so forth.

Taiwan is doing more than just helping diplomatic partners with farming technology, as the island country is also incorporating its AI capabilities as well as ICT technology. With its multi-faceted approach, Taiwan is seeking to improve the livelihoods of its friends abroad.

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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Deaf and mute painter donates proceeds from first solo exhibition

With his powerful skills of observation, the artist Liu Ching-yuan uses watercolors to paint the world as he sees it. After more than a decade of painting, the mute and deaf artist recently held his first solo exhibition at a foundation in Chiayi. His paintings were auctioned for nearly NT$1 million, with all proceeds donated to charity.

From his wheelchair, the artist Liu Ching-yuan happily looks at his painting on the wall, gesturing to his caregiver.

-He keeps saying that he painted this.

From scenes of daily life to flowers, butterflies, and horses, Liu’s distinctive, colorful paintings reflect how he sees the world. Liu, now 50 years old, has been deaf and mute since childhood, making communication difficult. But he found a way to express himself through art. Fourteen years ago, he was placed under the care of the Ruozhuer Foundation in Chiayi, which recently organized his first solo exhibition.

Yen Mei-yueh
Foundation caregiver
He knows what’s going on, because when he put on the exhibition, we told him it was his exhibition, which made him very happy.

Lee Yi-lan
Special education teacher
His vision is truly outstanding. He uses his remaining, highly developed senses, pouring all his feelings and emotions into his artwork.

Peng Chia-ju, a filmmaker who won Best Documentary Director at the Cannes Film Festival, was invited to co-curate the show. Liu’s works were publicly auctioned, drawing bids from attendees, including Legislator Tsai Yi-yu, local business leaders, and even representatives from TSMC. Total sales exceeded NT$1 million and all proceeds were donated to charity.

Peng Chia-ju
Documentary director
To be able to share the beauty of creation and help the Ruozhuer Foundation is a very moving and rare opportunity.

Undeterred by his disabilities, Liu expresses himself through his vivid artwork. In his first solo exhibition, he raised over a million dollars to give back to those in need.

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

#art #artist #artwork #disability #disabled #charity #foundation #exhibition #soloexhibit

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1,300 tons of carcinogenic cooking oil has made its way into supply chain

Taiwan has been hit by another food safety crisis. Soybean cooking oil manufactured in April by the local Taiwanese company Central Union Oil has been deemed carcinogenic. The problematic oil’s benzo[a]pyrene levels are four times the legal limit, and, to make matters worse, 1,300 tons has made its way onto store shelves. Taichung City Government has halted the company’s oil production and the problematic oil is being recalled.

Tsai Wen-che
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For this particular batch of soybean cooking oil, benzo(a)pyrene was detected in 1,300 tons.

Tseng Tzu-Chan
Director, Taichung City Health Bureau
The first batch of oil was shipped somewhere between April 8 to April 10. Currently, we’ve found about 20 products in the downstream supply chain.

Mr. Chiang
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On July 1, we were notified to stop producing, processing, and shipping our cooking oil. Our company is currently in crisis management mode, as we’re focused on controlling risk and then finding out who’s responsible. In order to deal with this incident, instead of passively responding, we’re actively managing the situation. Therefore, we’ve invited experts to assist us in order to discover and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

The problematic cooking oil manufactured in April was already delivered to three wholesalers: Fwusow Industry has three types, Fopco has 4, and Taisun has 10. The companies were ordered to remove all the types from their shelves, and Central Union Oil has issued an apology. On June 29, Central Union Oil was informed by a third party inspection that benzo[a]pyrene limits had been exceeded, and the next day the oil manufacturer both notified the three wholesalers to stop shifting and contacted the authorities. The oil manufacturer emphasized that, in accordance with current laws, every six months it sends oil to be inspected. A task force has been formed to determine what went wrong.

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

2026-07-02

Taipower burying power lines to protect electricity supply in disasters

The typhoons that ravage Taiwan in the summer and autumn months often knock out power to homes and businesses in their path. High winds downing power lines and posts are also a concern as extreme weather becomes more common, even while power demand surges. Burying power lines is therefore a priority in many cities. FTV recently went 18 stories underground to give you an up-close look at how these teams are safeguarding power supplies for the future.

Jumbles of power lines criss-crossing old alleys like this are often a target of criticism.

To beautify communities and protect the supply of electricity, Taipower in the past few years has been hard at work burying power lines. FTV recently visited to give you an exclusive look at how it’s done.

- You do this every day. You go 10 stories below ground and climb back up. There’s no elevator.
- There’s no elevator.

Descending the staircase to a depth of 55 meters—equivalent to at least 18 stories—leads to the construction site. A cleanroom sealed with transparent PVC film minimizes intrusion by impurities that could compromise conductivity.

Lin Kuan-wen
Taipower contractor
When dust gets in, it first affects conductivity. When the voltage is this high, the particles may heat up as they pass through and in the most extreme cases could ignite.

They’re not only working underground, but also below the Keelung River, facing the constant threats of fire, water leaks, and toxic gas buildup. Air quality must be monitored around the clock to keep everyone safe.

Lin Kuan-wen
Taipower contractor
This one is a carbon dioxide meter. It measures concentrations of CO2 in the area. This one’s called a four-in-one gas monitor. It displays measurements for hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, oxygen concentrations, and combustible gas levels. An alarm will sound when it detects an abnormal reading.

Tsai Chih-meng
Taipower vice president
The work is done underground, so usually there’s a low accident rate.

Currently, nearly half of power lines in the country have been buried underground. In the outlying Penghu County where wind fortifications are essential, more than 90% have been buried. However, getting that figure up to 100% will require careful work to achieve the dual aims of disaster mitigation and aesthetic improvement.

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

#Taipower #powercables #powerlines #electricity #powersupply #underground #utilities #exclusive

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