The Formosan Macaque is a wily beast who brazenly steals food. His behavior can be quite intimidating, and in the south of Taiwan he is the enemy of farmers, who sometimes resort to lethal means in order to protect their crops. At Sun Yat-sen University on the outskirts of Kaohsiung City, the campus is surrounded by forests, and the macaque has learned that a student’s breakfast or lunch can make for easy pickings. Around 5 years ago campus guards befriended
Read moreMonth: March 2016
Taipei Metro (MRT) Celebrates 20 Years
March 28, 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of Taipei’s MRT; a transportation network that created a paradigm shift in the capital city’s urban development. Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) has launched events to mark the occasion, including video and audio broadcasts contributed by various artists, and a series of collectible tokens in colors representing the five MRT lines. Evan Yo, Wang Dawen, Matthew Lien, and other artists, have contributed songs to celebrate the milestone, while the Taipei Chinese Orchestra, Taipei
Read moreTesla to Launch in Taiwan
According to media reports, Tesla Motors registered the company “Taiwan Tesla Motors Limited” in Taiwan March 16, 2016 and have started a recruitment drive for employees. Some Chinese language media outlets are calling this a ‘return to Taiwan’ for the company, who originally sourced their electric motors from Taiwan manufacturers until Tesla closed operations in Taiwan in 2009. The news comes just a few days after Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je visited the Tesla factory in San Francisco where he
Read moreUnder the Weather: El Niño vs. Northeast Monsoon
The northeast monsoon has brought heavy rain to Taiwan, causing flight and shipping delays, landslides, and slippery road conditions. Flights from Taipei Taoyuan Airport this morning were delayed an average 40 minutes due to foggy conditions. Similar conditions are being experienced in Hong Kong, Southern China, and Macau. Around this time every year, cold fronts forming over Siberia reach Taiwan and interact with the moist Pacific air-mass, and the rain falls by the bucket-load. This year, due to the El
Read moreInternational Media Invited to Taiping Island
International media are being invited to visit Taiping Island in the Spratly Islands for the first time next week for a tour and press conference, in an attempt by the R.O.C government of Taiwan to prove that Taiping is indeed an island and not a reef. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to fly reporters along with legal and environmental scholars to the island in an air force C-130 Hercules next week on March 23. The island is occupied by
Read moreGrounded Ship Presents Serious Environmental Threats
An oil leak, the release of hazardous chemicals, and disruption of cooling facilities at a nearby nuclear reactor, are all potential threats posed by the grounding of a freighter near Shimen Township in the waters of New Taipei City. The T.S. Lines freighter, is grounded on rocks close to shore after losing power in bad weather shortly after departing from Keelung Harbor enroute to Hong Kong. Breaches to the hull resulted in flooding of the engine compartment and damage to
Read moreCyclist Circumnavigates Taiwan on a Ubike (YouBike)
(Correction: UBike is a popular way of spelling the name, but the official name is YouBike) A man cycled around Taiwan in 4 days on one of Taipei’s popular rental bikes – the Ubike. The total rental cost for the round-island journey was more than $7000NTD(USD $214). An expert cyclist, Xu Cheng-yu had previously ridden around the island nine times. However, he wanted to show that you don’t need an expensive or fancy bike to do it, so he decided
Read moreRobbie Hucker Wins Tour de Taiwan 2016
Australian cyclist Robbie Hucker crossed the line on the final stage of the Tour de Taiwan and took the prize of overall winner, after a grueling 5th stage which included steep climbs leading to the finish line in Wutai Township in Pingtung County, March 11, 2016. http://www.tourdetaiwan.org.tw/
Read moreHelicopter Crashes into the Ocean 2 Dead 5 Rescued
Five people were rescued but one crew member was killed instantly when a helicopter crashed into the ocean near Shimen township, New Taipei City today, March 11. One crew member was rushed to hospital but later died. The helicopter belonged to the Ministry of the Interior Airborne Division, and was carrying coast guard and shipping company engineers. The Taiwan-registered freighter came aground yesterday after losing power in rough conditions. Taiwan has been under the influence of a severe continental cold
Read moreNew Zealand Drug Mule Busted at Airport
A twenty-two year-old New Zealand man was arrested at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport on February 29 carrying 2.7 kilograms of heroin sewn into the fabric of his backpack. Customs and immigration authorities thought the man was suspicious because of his flight path. The man, who has not been named, flew directly from New Zealand to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Then after a brief stop, he flew to Incheon Korea, where he boarded a flight to Taipei. After putting the backpack through
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