Citizens take down suspect after he smashes jewelry store window in brazen daylight robbery

A woman was the first of several bystanders to step in and restrain a man, after he smashed a jewelry store window with a hammer, and began stuffing gold jewelry into a bag during a brazen daylight robbery in Taitung City, Monday. Surveillance camera footage of the incident showed a suspect smashing the display window of a jewelry store at the intersection of Zhonghua Road and Datong Road at around 9:45 am. As the man stuffed gold jewelry into a

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Harsher penalties for illegal abortions, Taiwan justice ministry proposes

Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice intends to increase penalties for illegal abortions, as current fines are out of date, the MOJ announced this week. According to the MOJ proposal, the fine for women who have abortions outside legal parameters allowed under the Genetic Health Act will be increased from NT$3,000 (US$94) to NT$80,000 (US$2,505). For those who provide an illegal abortion for profit, the fine will increase from NT$15,000 (US$470) to NT$500,000 (US$16,656). If the procedure results in the death of

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Extremely heavy rain expected as Typhoon Kong-rey heads for Taiwan’s east coast

Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration predicts that areas of northern and eastern Taiwan will experience extremely heavy rain from tonight, Wednesday, until Friday, November 1, as Typhoon Kong-rey approaches on a trajectory to make landfall on the east coast around midday tomorrow, Thursday. The CWA issued a land and maritime alert for Typhoon Kong-rey at 5:30 am. The initial land warning covers Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula, and is expected to expand in subsequent alerts as the storm gets closer

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Tugboat racing against typhoon after Chinese cargo ship abandoned by crew off Taiwan’s north coast

A Chinese cargo ship was abandoned by its crew less than one kilometer from the coast of northern Taiwan last night, and has been left at anchor as a typhoon approaches the island today, October 30. The platform cargo ship Yuzhou Qihang left Keelung Harbor at around 8:00 am yesterday, in an attempt to cross the Taiwan Strait ahead of the approaching Typhoon Kong-rey. However, the top-heavy vessel, loaded with three massive bridge cranes, failed to make headway in high

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Australian woman sentenced to 16 years in prison for smuggling drugs into Taiwan

An Australian woman has been sentenced to a 16-year prison term for attempting to enter Taiwan with a large quantity of drugs in her luggage in December last year. Debbie Voulgaris, 57, was arrested at Taoyuan International Airport after customs and immigration officers found 3.8 kilograms of heroin, and 385 grams of cocaine, hidden in her luggage as she attempted to enter the country on December 10, 2023. According to evidence presented to the Taoyuan District Court, Voulgaris picked up

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9 electric buses destroyed by suspected lithium battery fire in Taichung City

Nine electric buses were destroyed by a fire in a parking lot in Taichung City in the early hours of this morning, Monday, October 21. The Taichung City Fire Department received reports of buses on fire at a parking lot on Jinghe Street in Beitun District at around 2:00 am. A total of 21 fire trucks and 46 personnel were dispatched to battle the blaze. Firefighters said the fire was fierce due to lithium ion batteries. The fire was brought

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US, Canadian navies transit Taiwan Strait following Chinese military drills

A US Navy guided missile destroyer and a Canadian Navy frigate passed through the Taiwan Strait on a routine mission yesterday, Sunday, October 20, six days after a Chinese military drill which simulated a blockade of Taiwan. According to a press release by the US 7th Fleet, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Higgens (DDG 76) and Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit “through waters where high-seas freedom of navigation

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Driver survives six-story plunge into Keelung River after freeway crash

A man was rescued after his car fell into the Keelung River from a height of around twenty meters, after a crash on an elevated section of Highway 1 in Taipei City this morning, October 16. National Highway Police received reports of a crash at the 19-kilometer mark in the northbound lanes of the Xiwu Elevated Expressway at around 5:45 am. It was reported that a single vehicle had hit the guardrail and plunged over the edge into the Keelung

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War drives Palestinian basketball legend back to Taiwan Professional League

Lyon Chiang, New York In a career spanning several years and countries, Palestinian basketball legend Sani Sakakini (桑尼), known as a national treasure in his homeland, has once again found himself on Taiwanese soil. Sakakini, who first joined Taiwan’s SBL league six years ago with the Yulon Luxgen team, has been closely linked with Taiwan’s basketball scene ever since. In 2021, Sakakini joined the Taichung Suns in the T1 League, and the following year, he played for the Taoyuan Pilots

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Taiwan defiant as Chinese forces surround island in threatening military posture

Chinese military forces have surrounded Taiwan in what the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is calling a military drill intended as a warning against “separatist acts of ‘Taiwan Independence’ forces”. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) condemned the exercises as “irrational and provocative.” China’s PLA said that the drills, dubbed “Joint Sword-2024B,” are taking place in the Taiwan Strait, and in areas north, south, and east of Taiwan Island. PLA spokesman, Captain Li Xi, said that the drills are focused on

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Taiwan north coast affected by floods, landslides as monsoon rain combines with remnant of typhoon

Typhoon Krathon dissipated after striking the southwestern coast of Taiwan yesterday, but the northern end of the island continued to be inundated with rain, as northeast monsoonal winds combined with the remnant low pressure system. Keelung City and mountain areas in New Taipei City experienced flooding and landslides, blocking some roads and railway lines yesterday and this morning, Friday, October 4. Accumulated rainfall in Keelung City yesterday reached 408 millimeters, breaking a historical record for daily rainfall in the locality,

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