Taiwan Tonight - Formosa English News | Oct. 14, 2026

This security camera footage shows people tossing bags into a garbage truck. The next second, there's a huge cloud of dust with what appear to be red sparks. The sanitation worker takes the brunt of the burst. He's left covered in ash from head to toe as the driver behind looks on in shock. This dust explosion happened as the sanitation team in Zhanghua's Fuxing Township was collecting trash in Xiucuo Village. A resident had put burnt joss paper in the trash bag and threw it away without dousing it in water first. When it was compacted in the truck, the bag burst open, exploding in a dust cloud. After burning joss paper, we let it sit for a while. Then, when it's fully extinguished, we douse it in water before throwing it away. Luckily, the red flash in the video was just the truck's brake lights, not sparks. No one was injured. That's a good point. No sanitation workers were hurt. I want to remind everyone, after burning Joss paper, you absolutely cannot put it directly into a plastic bag to throw away. It's very dangerous. Although a false alarm this time, such careless behavior can end up harming innocent workers. Filling to douse ashes with water can cause explosive dust clouds and may have hidden embers that could trigger a fire. When cleaning up, people might see the ashes and assume they're cool, but I still suggest adding some water to reduce the chance of dust flying everywhere. It's important to follow safety protocols after burning joss paper, especially remembering to douse the ashes before throwing them away. Don't let a moment of convenience compromise other safety. Well, it can be a bummer when you run to a bus stop only to see your bus drive away, but it's definitely much worse if you make it in time, but the bus driver refuses to open the doors for you. That's what happened to a woman in Taichung at a BRT station on Taiwan Boulevard. The bus had just closed its doors when the woman rushed over and desperately waved to the driver, asking to be let on. Even though the bus was still standing at the stop, the driver refused to open the doors for her and proceeded to drive off a moment later. A video of the scene has gone viral online, leading to a debate between two very different camps. Let's hear more. If someone's approaching, it'd be better if they reopened the doors and waited for a bit. They're still at the stop after all. Some drivers might be considering traffic rules. If their light is green, they'll just go on without opening the doors. It's a waste of time having to wait for the next bus. It's a real pain, especially when there's still space on the bus. The current rules are that all buses must stop and open the doors to let passengers on at the dedicated stations along Taiwan Boulevard. If a passenger wants to board after the doors are closed, the bus driver must reopen the doors if they haven't yet left the station. The video even attracted a comment from Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen who said that she'd be really upset if that happened to her. Previously, there was indeed a rule that did not allow bus drivers to open the doors a second time at the same station on dedicated bus lanes. But the rule was scrapped and changed earlier this year. Transport officials say they will increase oversight on operators to prevent similar situations from happening in the future. The 2026 International Conference on Sea Lane Security was held on Wednesday at the Taipei International Convention Center. This year, a key theme was maritime safety. The opening keynote speech, we are very honored to have Admiral Dennis Blair from the United States to give us an observation from the strategic point of view about the current gray zone operations against Taiwan. In recent years, Chinese Coast Guard vessels have tested Taiwan's defenses by intruding into restricted waters. In each case, the Coast Guard administration has dispatched patrol boats to drive them away. Amid the gray zone tactics and the risk of marine In isolation, experts from home and abroad discussed maritime security, with a focus on cooperation, risk management, and resilience. Sustains our daily lives and serves as our bridge to the world. Retired four-star U.S. Navy Admiral Dennis Blair delivered a keynote speech via videoconference, focusing on recommendations to counter China's gray zone operations against Taiwan's sovereignty. Blair urged Taiwan to closely monitor China's coastal activities through technology and intelligence gathering, but warned against rushing to respond to every single action. Taiwan should not exhaust its flying and steaming hours attempting to escort every single Chinese ship or aircraft in its EEZ or ADIZ. Its enforcement strategy should be based on a prioritized threat assessment and should maintain the element of unpredictability in order to retain the initiative. The conference was held for the first time in the 1980s. In this year's edition, the focus was stability in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan's specialty coffee has been winning more international accolades in recent years, especially the beans grown in the high-elevation Alishan region. Whether talking about flavor or cultivation, we've achieved excellent results. We hope to introduce more people around the world to Alishan coffee. The event is to bring together 30 award-winning estates across the coffee-growing corridor that includes Alishan, Meishan, Zhuqi and more, allowing visitors to sample coffees from different altitudes and varieties, all in one place. It also highlights how some traditional tea growers are shifting towards high-yield coffee cultivation. The proportion of farmers planting coffee is steadily growing. At the moment, we have a dozen or so farmers who are changing over their low-yield tea fields to grow coffee instead. Since our ginger duck restaurant closes for four months in the summer, I've been using that time to go back to Alishan to grow coffee. Over time, I've developed a passion for making coffee. The promise of high profits from growing specialty coffee has drawn interest from all over. Looking to support the burgeoning industry, the Chiayi County government is spinning out the coffee portion from its annual tea expo to host a festival dedicated to coffee for the first time. Before, we always included coffee growers in our annual tea expo, but now they're standing on their own. Chiayi Coffee has gotten a fantastic reception in competitions both home and abroad in recent years, earning top honours. This highly anticipated coffee extravaganza is to be held from October 24th to 26th at the Suantou Sugar Refinery. Coffee lovers are invited to drop by that weekend to explore the unique flavors that Alishan has to offer. After its restoration several years ago, the Liuchuan Canal in Taichung has become a must-see spot for tourists to the central city. Most people see it as a picturesque attraction, but some see it as a dumping ground for trash, having discarded seven air conditioning units into the river. A video shows the appliances floating in the current, and the Environmental Protection Bureau was quickly notified. Let's hear more. The Liuchuan Canal is not a tipping ground. If you want to throw stuff away, you should tell sanitation workers. We will review surveillance footage from cameras in the vicinity to identify the perpetrator, who is facing a fine of between 1,200 and 100,000 NT in accordance with the Waste Disposal Act. The EPB dispatched personnel to the site for inspection and notified the River Management Authority to remove the waste. It will also review surveillance footage to identify the perpetrators. Netizens spoke out about the incident. Some lamented that the Liuchuan Canal had finally been beautifully cleaned up, only to have someone treat it as a dump. Others asked, what's the point of throwing air conditioners into the water? The fish are not going to repair them. I don't think I will resign as legislator. Of course, sometimes resignations will give the impression that you're brave and determined. But I think throughout this process, I have consistently demonstrated my determination. Taipei's DPP mayoral candidate Puma Shen reiterates his commitment to the duties of a legislator during his second interview with Zhao Shaokong in seven days. Do you have a fixed group of people that move with you, or does it change with every new place? In the early days, about 10% were familiar faces, while 90% are new faces from the local area. I won't be too strict and say, oh, you don't live in Taipei, I won't shake hands with you. As expected, Zhao asked sharp questions and clearly spoke his mind about the current situation in Taipei. When looking down at Taipei from a mountain viewpoint, it's quite ugly. So many illegal extensions to buildings are ruining the landscape. When Alex Honnold climbed Taipei 101, I saw he pointed his camera down and immediately turned it away and used a soft focus effect because of the roofs. I want to help extend the lifespan of old houses. Shen has appeared on Zhao's program twice, from a panel with three to a one-on-one. Regarding Shen's performance, Zhao also gives a high score of 7 to 8 out of 10. But not long after airing, the interview has left many in the KMT furious. Former KMT legislator Qiu Yi posted an article condemning Zhao for acting like a traitor waving the KMT flag while betraying them. Julian Kuo also criticized Zhao for platforming the enemy camp twice. Zhao Shaokang is truly shameless. This interview has left a stain on your life. After harming the KMT, what do you gain? Am I that talented? Am I that great that interviewing Shen will damage the KMT and Jiang Wan'an? How is that possible? There are some people that rant every day, and I'm wondering if they're doing it for views or something, like cursing me will get them traffic, or if they're being instructed by some organization to do it. From the media's point of view, this is a fair approach. If he invited everyone but me, it would be very weird. So I think this criticism of Brother Zhao is unfounded. Shen spoke out on behalf of criticism against Zhao, who has been actively expanding his influence and not only becoming a thorn in the side of KMT, but also stirring the pot. KMT legislator Xu Qiaoxin and DVP legislator Wang Yichuan got into a heated argument. Xu, a member of the National Defense Committee, arranged a special hearing on the relocation of Songshan Airport and had to extend the registration time for speaking for Puma Shen's sake, who was attending Zhao Xiaokang's radio program. I think we should extend the speech registration time to noon to prevent any legislators from losing an opportunity to express their concerns. That, I think, would be a pity. From the presentation of the case to speeches, Xu was coming for Shen and even left a comment under Zhao's live broadcast telling Shen to come back to work after the interview. Shen's interview finished at 10 and he arrived at the National Defense Committee and registration to speak by 10.25, but Xu still made a fuss about it. I think Xu Qiaoxin is a very warm person and even left a message saying the registration could be extended. Just now when I wanted to ask a question at noon, she was taking a break so that we could have lunch. So warm people can consider joining the ocean movement. Shen spoke about the Songshan Airport proposal announced by the KMT's Jiang Wan'an. Jiang's party is now attacking Defense Minister Wellington Koo, who also proposed a relocation plan in 2014. When Minister Koo was running for Taipei mayor, he suggested that once the Taoyuan Airport MRT was operational, then the future of Songshan Airport could be considered. Proposing this 20 or 30 years ago and proposing things now is very different, because the throughput is changing. Songshan Airport handles many domestic routes, including the special operations we just mentioned, which are related to disaster prevention and medical evacuation. I'm not on board with the relocation of Songshan Airport. A major capital city should have its own small to medium-sized transportation hub. The proposition of relocating Songshan Airport has become an extensive issue in the Taipei mayoral election. With just over a month to go until the local elections, The calendar is filling up with televised debates between the candidates. The first event will be a debate for the mayoral candidates of Kaohsiung. It will be hosted by Formosa TV, CTI News, and PTS Daigi from 8 to 10 p.m. on Friday, October 30th. The organizers spoke with the participating parties on Wednesday to draw up the structure for the event. Let's hear more. Both parties have agreed for a 90-minute debate at 8 in the evening on October 30th. There will be questions from the media, cross-examination, and personal statements. We will accept all sorts of questions, and we hope that it will be a good debate so that everyone can have a clear picture of where each candidate stands on municipal issues. Through the debate, I hope that everyone can better understand how my experience in the city government as a lawmaker translates to concrete policies for the city. I will also welcome my rival to ask any questions they may have about the past few years, including past construction projects and the vision for the future. I hope she will explain her visions clearly as well. The debate will be divided into four parts, policy presentations, questions from the media, cross-examination and closing remarks. Formosa TV and CTI News will appoint a senior professional media representative as the questioner, while the host will be a representative from PTS Daigi. The three media outlets on both sides have also agreed that a second coordination meeting will be held next Wednesday at noon to discuss matters further.