Month: October 2016

Gang-member Arrested after Sub-machine Gun Burst

sub-machine gun
Crime and Criminals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A member of the Bamboo Union, the biggest triad in Taiwan, was arrested today, after firing a burst from a sub-machine gun into the air outside a community facing the National Palace Museum, in Taipei City. The incident happened at around 3:00am, yesterday, October 21. The man claimed he was in a bad mood, and was just making a passing salute. The community he made the “salute” to is a well-known enclave of Taiwan’s native elite, including wealthy business people,

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Canadian Hit by Car: Family Seeks to Get Him Home

John kelly, expat Canadian
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A 31 year-old Canadian man was hit by a car while crossing a street in Taichung on October 1, and remains in intensive care almost 3 weeks after the accident. John Kelly was crossing the street at an intersection when he was hit at high speed by a rental car driven by a 22 year-old driver. Mr Kelly was thrown about 10 meters, and sustained severe injuries, including a broken arm, broken collar bone, a shattered leg, and brain and

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Flamingos Appear in Taiwan: Birdwatchers Flock to Tainan

Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Photo: Huang Yongfeng A pair of greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) has reappeared at a wetlands in Chiku, Tainan, attracting photographers and birdwatchers. Normally distributed from the north of the Indian sub-continent, through the middle-east, to the Mediterranean coast of Africa and Europe, ecologists are debating why, and how they have appeared in Taiwan. Some have speculated that the birds may have become lost, and some have asked whether it’s possible they may have escaped from a zoo. See related post

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Hiker Stung by Hornets Dies

Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandaria
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , ,

A 53 year old man died of multiple organ failure in hospital yesterday, after being stung by hornets on a hiking trip last weekend. Mr Luo was part of a group of six hikers who had to be rescued by firefighters after a swarm of Asian giant hornets attacked them on Saturday. Of the six in the group hiking on a trail on Hsinch County’s Shihniou Mountain (新竹縣關西石牛山} Mr Luo was the most seriously hurt. Mr Luo sustained more than

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Firefighters Complain About Snake and Bee Duties

A firefighter in a protective suit removes a swarm of Asian Giant Hornets from a residence in Taiwan.
Society 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

Firefighters are again protesting that taking care of snakes, bees, and hornets, falls under the jurisdiction of the agricultural bureau, and shouldn’t be the responsibility of local Fire Departments. Firefighters first brought the issue up earlier this year, and became more vocal after a 30 year-old firefighter was bitten by a venomous snake in August, and had to have a finger amputated to save his life. Last month, a group of firefighters threw rubber snakes into the courtyard at the

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Retired French Professor Dead: Suspected Suicide

Professor Albert. Same-sex marriage advocate in Taiwan
Breaking News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A 68 year-old retired Professor of French at National Taipei University was found dead this evening, October 16, 2016, after apparently falling from his tenth floor apartment in Taipei City’s Wenshan District. Police said there was no sign of struggle at the scene. No suicide note was found, nor traces of alcohol or drugs. According to media reports, neighbors and former students knew the man as 畢安生. He lived in a 10th floor apartment in Wan-ning (萬寧) Street. He had

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Hualien Fisher Chief Bashed Unconscious

Jian Guang-tai beaten by thugs
Crime and Criminals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

The chief of Hualien County Fishermen’s Association was found severely beaten and unconscious after two car loads of masked men took to him with iron rods and baseball bats outside a convenience store in Hualien County, October 16, 2016. The Fisherman Association chairman, Jian Guang-tai (簡光臺) was beaten by the thugs after stopping at a convenience store at around 3:00pm. Police say they are investigating the incident.

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Foreigners Banned @ China Space Launch

Satellites in space
Regional 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

China is set to launch a manned space flight tomorrow from a site in Gansu Province. Local tour operators are offering a chance to view the launch with tickets priced from 300 to 500 RMB. Tourists from outside of China, including those from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, are not allowed to purchase tickets. China has four space launch sites, and the site in Gansu Province is used for the launch of military satellites, manned space flights, and intercontinental ballistic

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China Lags in Nuclear Waste Disposal

Barrels of nuclear waste
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Chinese scholars held a conference yesterday, October 15, to discuss the issue of nuclear power. It was admitted that China lagged behind India when it came to disposal, or reprocessing of nuclear waste. According to reports cited by Liberty Times Network, China’s first commercial reactor began operations in 1991. About 1,000 tons of nuclear waste is produced annually, and 10,000 tons of radioactive waste is now in storage. Liberty Times cites China’s Science and Technology Daily, who said the nation

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Last Train Rolls Out of Taichung Station

Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Photo Credit: United Daily News The last train departed Taichung’s 110 year-old train station last night at 8:55pm, October 15, 2016. Trains now run on a new elevated line and stop at a new elevated station. Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung was joined by hundreds of residents to see the last train off. Today, October 16 will see an opening ceremony at the new station. The old Taichung Railway Station was built during the Japanese colonial era, and reflects the architectural

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Philippines Bracing for Typhoon

Typhoon Sariki
Typhoon 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Tropical typhoon Sarika, named “Karen” in the Philippines is about to make landfall on the main island of Luzon in the vicinity of Aurora Province. According to Philippines Atmospheric, Geological, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the typhoon is expected to make landfall between midnight and 2:00am Sunday, October 16. Tropical typhoon Sarika is packing sustained winds of 130 kph, with maximum wind gusts up to 180kph. The tropical storm has intensified into a category 3 typhoon according to the Japan

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