Woman Falls onto Subway Tracks While Using Smartphone

woman helped back onto platform after falling onto tracks while using phone

December 15, 2016December 15, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment accident-while-using-phone, Taipei Metro

[Picture: Reader contributed to United Daily News] A woman using her phone while walking on the platform of Taipei Metro’s Kunyang Station, fell onto the tracks today, but fortunately was unharmed. A train had just left the station when the incident occurred at 12:17pm. Station staff took 3 minutes to help Ms Liao, 41, back onto the station platform. Ms Liao suffered minor abrasions, and declined offers to take her to hospital. Taipei Metro authorities said Ms Liao has been

Traffic Accidents

December 15, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment John Kelly, traffic-accident

A Canadian man who was hit by a car in Taichung, October 1, has died in a Calgary hospital, after returning to Canada by medevac last month. John Kelly, 31, passed away December 14, after his family made the decision to let him go peacefully. Doctors had told the family that Mr Kelly had extensive damage to his brain-stem and that there was no chance of recovery. Kelly had been teaching English in Taichung in order to be closer to

Iron Legs: a march of 250 kilometers carrying weapons and kit

Military Affairs

December 15, 2016December 15, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment iron-legs, military march, ROC Marines

[Picture: ROC Marine Corps] 99th Marine Brigade ‘Iron Force’ set out this morning, December 14, on a 250km loaded march that will take 5 days to complete. The military has dubbed the exercise “Iron Legs”. Along the way, troops will engage in live fire exercises including machine gun, grenade, and mortar fire. At times, the soldiers will be marching at night, and over various types of terrain. The exercise aims to strengthen the physical endurance, courage, and confidence of troops,

Entertainment

December 13, 2016December 13, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Kaohsiung, science and technology museum, tallest-slide-in-Asia

[Picture: National Science and Technology Museum] The National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung has installed “three dimensional spiraling slide 2.0” which they claim is Asia’s tallest slide. The slide is 27 meters high, 63 meters long, and takes sliders on a 16 second ride reaching a speed of 80 kilometers per hour. Version 2.0 replaces an 18 meter high, 46 meter long slide installed in 2015. The slide takes riders from the 6th floor down to basement level. It

golden pheasant, now known as Trump Chicken in China and Taiwan

Odd News

December 11, 2016December 11, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Donal Trump, trump-chicken

[Picture: CTS] A tourist park in Hualien County reports that since the election of Donald Trump as next President of the United States, the park’s golden pheasant has become the star attraction. The bird species, endemic to China, has been re-named the “Trump Chicken” by Chinese speakers, who see an uncanny resemblance to the President-elect, not only in hairstyle, but facial expressions. Harvest Ranch (兆豐農場) has 50 of the birds, and the bird has recently become the most photographed attraction

The overturned fishing vessel Jinrui yi number 88 is seen after drifting aground at Shimen in New Taipei City

Marine and Fisheries

December 11, 2016December 11, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment fishing, survival

[Picture: United Daily News] A fisherman was rescued after surviving 38 hours in the overturned hull of a fishing vessel Sunday morning, December 11. The body of the captain was recovered later the same day. Jinrui Yi No. 88, with a crew of 8, sailed out of Keelung Harbor December 7 to fish for shrimp off the coast of Hsinchu County. The vessel overturned in big waves while rounding Cape Fukuei on its way back to port, Friday evening December

Society

December 8, 2016December 9, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment EPA, toilet paper

Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration has reversed its policy on disposal of toilet paper, and says that citizens will flush toilet paper in the future, rather than putting it in a bin. The policy shift comes after a 10-year long controversy that saw the EPA maintain that throwing toilet paper in the toilet would result in pollution. EPA Minister Lee Ying-yuan, speaking to the Legislative Yuan, said that the EPA future policy objective is to encourage people to change their habits.

Drugs

December 5, 2016 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment amphetamines, cocaine

[Picture: United Daily News] Customs officials and police in Kaohsiung Harbor intercepted a shipment of cocaine hidden in batteries. The 218.45kg haul is the biggest cocaine bust in the history of Taiwan. Investigators received intelligence that a Taipei-based company had been making shipments of heavy vehicle batteries to Australia. While the batteries have a market-value of barely NTD$10,000, the shipping costs amounted to three times that value. Customs, police and coast guard personnel formed an ad-hoc group to investigate the

Kang Yun oil tanker freed after being run aground

Marine and Fisheries

December 5, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Kang-yun, koyomaru, nippon salvage, oil tanker

Photo: Taiwan Coastguard. The 40,407 gross ton oil tanker Kang-yun, carrying 20,000 kiloliters of aviation fuel, along with heavy oil, and diesel fuel was dragged off the seabed today, after being grounded since December 1, 2016. The CNPC tanker Kang Yun ran aground Thursday morning, due to a combination of mechanical failure and bad weather, according to various reports in Taiwan’s Chinese language media. On Thursday, harbor officials downplayed the seriousness of the incident and assured the public that the

Marine and Fisheries

December 3, 2016December 4, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Kang-yun, oil tanker, ship aground

An oil tanker that ran aground on the north coast of Taiwan, on the morning of December 1, has a crack in the hull, and is taking water, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA). The vessel Kang Yun, carrying 20,000 kiloliters of Aviation fuel, as well as diesel and heavy oil ran aground at around 9:00am, Thursday morning (Taiwan time: GMT+8). Harbor authorities on Thursday assured the public that there was nothing to worry about, and that tugs would

Marine and Fisheries

December 2, 2016December 3, 2016 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Kang-yun, oil tanker, shen-ao-harbor

[Cover Picture: United Daily News] New Taipei City: The Environmental Protection Agency is on standby, and monitoring the grounded oil tanker Kang-yun after tugs failed to move the 40, 407 gross-ton ship at high tide yesterday afternoon. Harbor officials yesterday appeared confident the ship would be moved. They said only the ships stern sat on the sandy bottom. The EPA yesterday also attempted to allay public fears of an oil spill. They pointed out that the double-hulled ship had little

Month: December 2016

Woman Falls onto Subway Tracks While Using Smartphone

Canadian Hit by Car in October Dies

Codename: Iron Legs, Marines Start 250km 5 Day Loaded March

National Science and Technology Museum Unveils Tallest Slide in Asia

Visitors Flock to See Trump Chicken in Hualien

Survivor Found in Overturned Fishing Boat

EPA Major Policy Shift: Toilet Paper to Be Flushed

Taiwan’s Largest Cocaine Bust: 218KG Intercepted

Oil Tanker Safe: Thanks to Japanese Horsepower.

Grounded Oil Tanker has Crack in Hull: No need to worry, say authorities

EPA on Standby: Tanker Aground Won’t Budge