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NT$10,000 cash handouts could be distributed before LNY 2027

The Executive has finalized its plans for a universal cash handout of NT$10,000 next year. The money could hit bank accounts as early as Jan. 26, so long as the Legislative Yuan passes the general budget on Jan. 5. That means the handouts could come just in time for the Lunar New Year, and some foreigners are included. Recently, some opposition lawmakers had suggested doubling the handouts to NT$20,000. Here’s the response from the Ministry of Finance.

Juan Ching-hwa
Deputy Finance Minister
If we double the handouts to NT$20,000, the budget would exceed NT$470 billion and require borrowing, which would impact financial stability.

Michelle Lee
Executive Yuan Spokesperson
We also adhere to three principles including not crowding out other policies and not accruing substantial debt. We hope that the government and the opposition can work together to improve the people’s well-being.

Cho Jung-tai
Premier
The estimate from the Ministry of Finance is based on the general budget clearing its third reading by Jan. 5 next year, and be promulgated by the president before Jan. 20. Since this is everyone’s money, if there is a tax surplus, it’s best to distribute it back to everyone, especially ahead of the Lunar New Year.

Amid explosive growth in the AI industry, and strong exports, Taiwan’s GDP is expected to grow by 11% this year. Eligibility will be the same as previous handouts, and not just limited to Taiwan nationals with household registration in Taiwan. Foreign spouses with ARCs and foreign nationals with APRCs will also be able to get the cash. Whether the money will actually be handed out before the Lunar New Year now depends fully on how speedily the legislature approves the budget.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#cash #handout #aprc #arc #taiwan

2026-10-08

Chiang Wan-an suddenly proposes shutting down Songshan Airport

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an dropped an eyebrow-raising campaign proposal on Thursday, with just 51 days to go until Election Day. The mayor, who is seeking reelection, said he planned to shut down Taipei’s Songshan Airport to build a 300-hectare AI tech park. He says Taoyuan International Airport’s future Terminal 3 could take over Songshan’s duties. But officials from the central government say the process is not so straightforward. Let’s hear more.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei mayor
Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 will be completed in 2027, and opened in 2033. So there is still a long time to go, but we must start planning now. Of course, we will discuss the matter with the central government, and work together on the project.

Michelle Lee
Executive Yuan Spokesperson
As for Songshan Airport’s relocation, we just saw how it is. From what we know, when Mayor Chiang spoke on the matter four years ago, he mentioned that any proposals would have to be carefully reviewed within the framework of national land planning. He said it was not a matter that should be brought up willy-nilly for election season. The closure of Songshan Airport would have to be discussed with the central government.

Chen Yen-po
Transport ministry official
Over the past four years, Taipei didn’t once bring up any plans to shut down Songshan Airport. Our position, of course, is that we respect all the different opinions. But since this matter affects aviation, urban development and transport to outlying islands, it’s something that must be carefully considered.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayor Candidate (DPP)
His time as legislator and his four years as mayor add up to some 10 years. But yet I don’t know what kind of preparations Mayor Chiang has done regarding the relocation of Songshan Airport’s services.

Songshan Airport was built in 1935, as a military airbase. It later became the first airport with shared military and civilian use in Taiwan. The issue of its closure or relocation has been a perennial topic of debate when election season comes around. Back in 2014, when the DPP’s Pasuya Yao ran for Taipei mayor, he advocated for tearing the airport down and building a public park. The idea was refloated by the DPP’s Enoch Wu in 2022, when he was up against Chiang for the legislative seat. Back then, Chiang said that the matter would have to be evaluated from every angle, including the impact on civilian, military and commercial aviation, and on urban development. The issue, he said, was not something to be brought up in haste just for the elections.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#election #songshan #airport #aviation #urbanplanning

2026-10-08

Tsai Ing-wen shares on Taiwan at DEFCON address in Stanford

Former president, Tsai Ing-wen made her first trip to the US since her presidency. She delivered a keynote at Stanford University, sharing Taiwan’s strengths and challenges and underscored its importance in global security. She called on other democracies to strengthen their defense cooperation with Taiwan. For her half-hour full English address, she received a standing ovation. During the campus tour, she even signed autographs for Taiwanese students and wished them to graduate soon! Let’s hear more.

Former president, Tsai Ing-wen just got on stage and barely spoke a word before the entire audience erupted into cheers and applause.

Tsai Ing-wen
Former President
Please be seated, don’t make me nervous.

Tsai attended Stanford University’s annual DEFCON Technology & National Security Conference and delivered a speech on Building Security Together: Taiwan’s Role in Global Stability, sharing how Taiwan, located at the center of the first island chain and facing frequent harassment from China, is building an asymmetric defense on its own.

Tsai Ing-wen
Former President
Because of terrain interference, often times exploit the goodness of democratic societies. Even the most sophisticated military systems cannot compensate for weak institutions, disruptive critical services or a loss of public confidence. Deterrence, in other words, is a property of an entire nation not only of its military.

Tsai gave a detailed account of her tenure, where she focused on building cyber security and developing domestically produced warships. She also mentioned that the US makes up 75% of global AI computing power, but most of the manufacturing is done by Taiwanese firms. This demonstrates Taiwan’s manufacturing resilience and its importance in global supply chains.

Tsai Ing-wen
Former President
Taiwan has the combination of advanced manufacturing, accumulated process knowledge, engineering talent, dense electronic supply chains, and the ability to take complex design and produce them reliably.

Many Taiwanese students attended the event, and during Tsai’s campus tour, she kindly signed autographs for them and encouraged them to “graduate soon.” Through her wit and warm demeanor, Tsai created frenzy at Stanford.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#femalepresident #tsaiingwen #蔡英文 #stanforddefcon #taiwandemocracy

2026-10-08

Crocodile YouTuber holds event for children at Hualien mall

A crocodile was spotted in downtown Hualien?! Don’t worry, it was an official event organized by the city office and a local department store. YouTuber Sashimi brought a crocodile for the event to give local children a close-up look. Even many parents took advantage of this rare opportunity.

Keeping their voices down to avoid scaring the crocodile right in front of them, children in the audience duck down to see its teeth, full of curiosity and trepidation. You can usually only see crocodiles in a zoo, but this one is in a shopping mall!

- It’s smooth and bumpy.
- Are you scared of the big crocodile?
- A little bit.

Sashimi
YouTuber
Everyone was super passionate and extremely excited! At one point, the crowd seemed on the verge of getting out of hand, but I’m grateful everyone came out to join us.

YouTuber Sashimi, who specializes in crocodiles, was invited by the Hualien City Office and a department store to hold the special event educating the public about crocodile types, their diets, sayings associated with them, and how different species live. Attendees were even allowed to take photos with the reptile.

Wei Chia-yen
Hualien Mayor
We want children to understand that crocodiles aren’t really that terrifying. But we also hope that if you encounter one in the wild, you should stay cautious.

Even though its sharp white teeth were a bit scary, many of the attendees, even parents, took the chance to see the creature up close and learn about them. Sashimi also said she hopes close encounters like this will help reshape people’s perception of crocodiles as scary creatures.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#crocodile #Sashimi #YouTuber #animalencounter #Hualien #exoticpets

2026-10-08

Presidential Office light show tells Taiwan’s democracy story

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the National Day light shows at the Presidential Office. And it so happens to be the 30th year since Taiwan held its first democratic presidential election. That’s why this year’s light show is titled “Democratic Taiwan, the Heartbeat of the World.” The dazzling projection covers every aspect of life in Taiwan, from every day affairs, to the nation’s democratic development.

The sky is dark, and the Presidential office becomes a huge canvas of glimmering lights. There’s the iconic tri-color gaji bag pattern, the distinctive geometric window grates and even the red round tables from roadside banquets. The 100-year-old building can’t get more Taiwanese than this.

The scenes change rapidly to focus on the athletes of Team Taiwan, high-tech chips and even drag queen Nymphia Wind. The lights and music take everyone from the cozy alleys of Taiwan to the world stage.

But then the lively colors fade into black and white, to display historical footage of Taiwan’s democracy movement. Scenes from 11 films including A City of Sadness, Super Citizen Ko and A Foggy Tale traced Taiwan’s journey from authoritarian rule to democracy.

Lai Ching-te
President
Over the past 10 years, the light shows have covered everything from film, literature and photography to national defense and everyday life, turning our century-old Presidential Office Building into a glowing storybook. I would like to thank all the artists and creators for bringing the images, memories and creativity of different generations to the Presidential Office.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first democratic presidential election. To mark the occasion, this year’s light show, organized by the National Cultural Association of Taiwan, has been titled “Democratic Taiwan, the Heartbeat of the World.” The images illustrate decades of Taiwan’s memories, from everyday life and workers across different industries to the democratic movements that began in the 1980s. The opening show was kicked off with a performance by the Taipei Jazz Orchestra, followed by a ceremony with President Lai Ching-te and other important guests.

Lai Ching-te
President
One person’s power may seem small, 23 million people can come together to shape Taiwan’s future with their choices. Generation after generation, the mountain of democracy continues to grow. Tonight, we light up Taiwan together and let the world see the light of our democracy.

The projections will light up the Presidential Office Building every evening until Oct. 10. So, if you’re looking to whet your appetite with the true taste of Taiwan, head over to Ketagalan Boulevard and enjoy the show.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#projection #lightshow #doubletenth #nationalday #taiwan

2026-10-08

High tide and monsoons cause seawater flooding in Pingtung

Imagine the road you take home suddenly flooded? This was the case for some locals in at the creek located at the border of Taitung and Pingtung. The water here is normally clear and calm, but on Wednesday due to northeast monsoons and high tides, the seawater rapidly rose and flowed into the creek. The two locals were nearly swept away with their scooters as the current grew stronger, but they managed to escape to the shore and wait it out.

An inspector from the Aljungic Historic Trail was heading home on his scooter when he suddenly heard someone shout that seawater was flooding the stream.

- Just got off work and there’s no way to cross, seawater flooding, what to do?

The stream levels suddenly started to rise and flow backwards, people and vehicles had to evacuate to the shore. This is the Makuljikulji, a river where Taitung’s Daren Township meets Pingtung County and also the north entrance to the Aljungic Historic Trail. Normally, the creek has calm and level waters, but with the northeast monsoon and high tide, the seawater has begun to flow upstream.

Chou Hung-wen
North Aljungic Historic Trail Inspector
During the northeast monsoon, there will be high tides and so all of this is seawater that’s flowed in.

Two inspectors were riding their scooters home after work when they saw a sudden high tide that left them stuck on the shore. They considered calling for help, but after assessing the water level and waiting for it to drop, they were able to safely cross the river, half-carrying and half-pushing their scooters.

Chen Yang Cheng-hua
Historic Trail Guide
When faced with such incidents, we can mostly just wait it out, otherwise walk upwards. We’ve encountered this before, we just walk upwards and eventually cross to the other side and walk slowly down.

Local guides who are familiar with the terrain remind visitors and residents to check tidal updates and the weather before making the trip to Makuljikulji and forbid people from recklessly crossing the creek as it could cost them more than any saved time.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#alangyitrail #flooding #seawaterflood #monsoon #taitung #pingtung

2026-10-08

Religious group stopped in time to avert ecological disaster

A group of religious practitioners nearly caused an ecological disaster in Yilan. Dozens of worshippers gathered on the banks of the Dongshan River to release captive animals to the wild to earn good luck and personal merit. The problem is they had gathered large amounts of animals from invasive species such as American bullfrogs, Chinese stripe-necked turtles, and goldfish. Fortunately, officers stepped in just in time to prevent the release of the bullfrogs, which do not have any predators in Taiwan. Let’s hear more.

Member of public
Appalled by animal release
It would unbalance the ecosystem and ruin it. After all, there are already animals living in this ecosystem.

Member of public
Appalled by animal release
Those animals are not endemic to Taiwan, they are invasive species. You don’t have to release these animals specifically; there are other ways to do things.

Voice of Chiang Wei-ming
Environmental conservation organization
Frogs are generally carnivorous, so if you introduce them in a new environment they will prey on other animals and pose a danger to the ecosystem.

Liu Pi-yang
Yilan agriculture official
Under Article 18 of the Wildlife Conservation Act, there are species that require approval before they can be released into the wild. We will also investigate whether the animals were illegally obtained and how.

By the time officials had arrived at the scene, the group had already released pond loaches into the river. Fortunately, they arrived in time to prevent the release of invasive bullfrogs, which reproduce rapidly and could’ve quickly destroyed the ecosystem. The Yilan County government may issue a fine of NT$90,000 to NT$450,000, while authorities investigate where the animals were procured.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#release #fish #karma #loach #bullfrog

2026-10-08

Cars wrapped in plastic to shield from construction

A row of cars parked in an outdoor lot in Kaohsiung were recently all wrapped up in plastic covers. A construction site next to the lot was pouring concrete, and to prevent any dust from being blown onto the cars and damaging the paint, the crew put protective covers over the vehicles.

The cars in this lot all have white plastic covers, like giant shower caps blowing in the wind. This is an outdoor lot by the intersection of Jiuru and Dacheng roads in Kaohsiung.

Tseng Hung-wen
FTV reporter
Why did they cover the cars like this? The neighboring construction site was pouring concrete. Concerned that cement slurry would splash onto the vehicles, they put protective coverings on them.

Voice of construction worker
Found new approach
If it splashes onto the cars, we have to cover the damage. In the past we’ve had to pay NT$20,000 to NT$30,000 for one car.

Construction workers spent the morning covering nearly 80 cars. If one wanted to leave, workers had to go back and take the cover off. Even though it’s annoying for drivers to wait for them to take the cover off, it’s better than their car being covered in spots from cement spray.

Car owner
Likes the idea
It’s better than the car getting sprayed. Once the cement dries, it hardens, and the cost of cleaning it can get into the thousands, even the tens of thousands.

Car owner
Likes the idea
Yeah, it’s not bad. It’s a great idea. This way nothing will damage the car.

It’s unusual to see cars wrapped up like this. While it causes an extra hassle for the construction workers and drivers, it prevents any cement from damaging the vehicles.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#car #parking #Kaohsiung #cement #construction #cover #carcover #protection

2026-10-08

Police practice safely breaking car windows for DUI cases

When people driving under the influence refuse to get out of their car for an inspection, police officers may have to break the window to apprehend them. To help officers do this quickly and safely, police are training with a new window-breaking tool that can shatter glass with just light pressure.

Police officers pull over a car and demand the driver get out, but there’s no response. They approach the car and bang on the window, but still nothing, leaving them no choice but to break the glass.

- We should all stand here. It’s safer for us to stand in this position.

With this device, they can break the window with just one push.

Chen Chin-feng
Miaoli police head instructor
It’s automatic. You just grab it like this, put it right here, and push it in in one go.

Chang Yu-cheng
Police officer
We just need to push it down. If the first push isn’t enough, we can just use our palms to press down harder, and it shatters the window easily.

When police are pursuing people driving under the influence, the drivers often refuse to get out of the car. Breaking the window by force is hard, but this small device can do it quickly and safely.

- There’s a striker in the middle. You need to press it firmly against the surface, then push the whole thing down.

Chen Chin-feng
Miaoli police head instructor
We want our officers to be able to get drug-impaired drivers on the ground as quickly as possible, reducing the risk of them hitting something with the car.

Lin Ting-chun
Miaoli SWAT officer
It’s not only highly effective for SWAT officers during raids, but also makes it much easier for regular officers out on patrol to break windows efficiently.

Ye Yun-wei
Miaoli SWAT police officer
It’s much lighter and easier to carry, and it’s actually really strong. It’s a useful and convenient tool for ordinary people to use.

This tool makes breaking windows safer for police and the drivers they’re apprehending. Police are continuing to train using the device, but where do the extra windows come from?

There are piles and piles of old car windows at this glass recycling facility, which officers can use to practice breaking windows.

Voice of manager
Recycling facility
This piece is also from a driver’s side window. This one is higher grade. It’s made of two laminated panes of glass.

Most imported cars use laminated glass, which blocks light and noise. After learning that police officers need car windows for training, the facility donated 550 panes for them to use.

Chen Shao-wei
Recycling facility manager
I think it’s very meaningful. Especially considering they’re just trash, it’s a great idea to make the best use of resources.

Chen Chin-feng
Miaoli police head instructor
One piece can cost NT$500 to NT$1,000, because we need laminated glass rather than regular single-pane glass. We could have it cut at a glass shop, but the strength and resistance are completely different from the glass used in cars. We need the same kind of strength and resistance, so we need laminated glass.

Discarded glass has been repurposed to help police officers train. Laminated glass is especially strong, so officers need practice to master how to break it quickly and safely.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#police #officer #Miaoli #DUI #drugdriving #drunkdriving #training #glass #window #technology

2026-10-08