Hi and welcome to a new episode of News Bites!
I’m Nancy Sun.
And I’m Allie Highsmith.
In today’s episode, Taoyuan Airport becomes a home away from home, and
sisters are rebuilding Gaza from the ground up.
And in today's News Flash, it's all about time.
All that and more, coming up next.
海地夫妻滯留桃機過境區45天
Taoyuan Airport Becomes Home Away from Home
Today's story is about being lost.
Being far from home.
And about the kindness of strangers who helped bring you back.
It's a true story.
And it happened right here, at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
A couple from Haiti, that's a country in the Caribbean, on the other side of
the world from Taiwan, had a plan.
It was a simple plan.
They were going to fly from Manila, in the Philippines, to Taiwan.
And then from Taiwan, they would continue to a beautiful island nation called
Palau.
Simple, right?
But when they arrived in Palau...
Officials said they did not have a return ticket...
So they were not allowed in!
They were sent back to Taiwan.
Okay, no problem.
They would try another way.
But then...
The Philippines said "no".
Malaysia said "no".
They didn't have a visa (簽證) for the United States.
Europe had complicated (複雜的) rules too.
And worst of all (最糟的是), they were running out of money.
Every door they knocked on was closed.
So the couple stayed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Day after day after day...
For 45 days.
That's one and a half months!
In an airport...
Far, far from home.
An airport official named Kang Ching-nian (康慶年) saw the couple.
He saw they were having a hard time (處於困境).
He saw they were sad.
And even though it wasn't exactly his job...
He decided to help.
Every day, Kang checked on the couple.
He asked if they were okay, if they needed anything.
The couple had very little money, and not enough food.
Kang went to the shop...
And used his own money to buy them some food.
Nobody asked him to.
He just did it.
Now, getting the couple home was like solving a very hard puzzle.
The government got to work.
They talked to airlines.
They talked to the Haitian embassy in Taiwan (海地共合國大使館).
They looked at many different routes (路線).
They look at going through Turkey.
Going through Egypt.
Going through Singapore.
Maybe Qatar? Nope.
They tried and tried.
Route after route.
Plan after plan.
Until finally...they found a way!
On March 18th, 45 days after arriving...
The couple got on a plane.
They flew from Taipei to Hanoi, in Vietnam.
They a few days later, they flew from Hanoi to Phnom Penh, in Cambodia.
And from there...
On to Haiti.
Officials say their job is not just checking passports and tickets.
And it's not just about rules and safety.
It's about being there for travelers who need help.
姊妹研發磚塊 重建加薩
Gaza Sisters Rebuild from Rubble
This story is about two sisters.
Two very brave, very clever, very inspiring sisters.
But before we start...
We want you to know that this story talks about war.
About people losing their homes.
About a very difficult situation in a place called Gaza.
War is very serious.
People get hurt.
Families lose everything.
That is not easy to hear.
But this story is also about hope and courage in two sisters.
Their names are Farah and Tala Mousa.
Two sisters from Gaza.
Farah is 15, and Tala is 17.
Their home was bombed and destroyed.
Since then, they have moved again and again.
Right now, they are living in a tent.
Many people in Gaza are in the same situation.
Many homes are destroyed.
The streets of Gaza are filled with rubble.
That's broken pieces of walls, windows, and buildings.
Farah and Tala looked at all that rubble...
And had an idea.
They took the rubble and crushed it into small pieces.
They mixed it with things like clay, ash, and glass powder.
And they made a new brick (磚).
It's strong, but light (輕).
And it's made from things already lying around on the ground.
They tested the bricks.
It held down a tent in bad weather.
The bricks are good for dividing walls or paths (鋪石路,人行道).
For their clever idea, Farah and Tala won a very special award.
The Earth Prize!
It's an award for young people helping the environment.
The award comes with a prize of $12,500 US dollars.
That's nearly $40,000 NT!
The sisters say they want to use the money to teach others how to make the
bricks too...
So that more people in Gaza can start rebuilding.
So in today’s News Bites…
A couple from Haiti had to stay at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport for
45 days.
An airport official named Kang Ching-nian helped them and bought them some
food.
And with the help of officials, the couple went on their way back to Haiti.
And…
Two sisters from Gaza took rubble and made bricks.
The bricks are strong, but light, and made from things already lying around
on the ground.
For their clever idea, Farah and Tala won the Earth Prize and nearly $40,000
NT!
The sisters say they want to use the money to teach others how to make the
bricks too...
So that more people in Gaza can start rebuilding.
News Flash
In today’s News Flash, a phrase that's all about time.
"The clock is ticking" means time is passing and you need to hurry up. It's
telling you that there isn't much time left.
For example, "We still haven't finished the project and it's due tomorrow.
The clock is ticking!"
To help you remember, just imagine the sound of a loud
clock...tick...tick...tick...
Each tick is a second disappearing forever.
That's why people feel nervous when the clock is ticking, every second
counts!
And now you know.
If you have a fun fact or a joke you’d like to share with us, record your
message and send us your Bite-Sized Break to newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you
might hear it in an episode!
We’ll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites.
(AI 示意圖)
