Author: Phillip Charlier

Tourism Bureau warns hikers to take care after large cobra spotted in Taichung

cobra on hiking trail in Taichung City
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The Taichung City Municipal Tourism Bureau warned hikers to take precautions after a very large cobra was spotted on a trail on Dakeng Mountain last week. The tourism bureau published pictures and a video of the snake to its Facebook page a few days ago, urging people not to panic if they see a snake, and not to provoke them. According to a Liberty Times report, an unidentified religious group released snakes in the area a few years ago, and

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Taiwan consulate in Germany calls for like-minded countries to support Taiwan’s liberal democracy

Formosan bear vs pandas in tanks
Protest 
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On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the Trade Office of Taiwan in Munich issued an appeal to like-minded nations to support Taiwan’s liberal and democratic society, in the face of threats from it’s belligerent neighbor, the People’s Republic of China. One of four Taiwanese representative offices in Germany, the Munich office published a picture on their Facebook page of pandas driving tanks facing a Formosan black bear bearing two cases, one labeled “democracy,” and

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Vendor run out of night market by protesters after dogs poisoned in Taipei City

suspect in animal poisoning case
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A man suspected of poisoning stray animals around Taipei City’s Beitou District was forced to pack up his stall at the Shilin Night Market yesterday, after protesters gathered with placards and handed out flyers to potential customers. Mr Wang, 47, was charged with violations of the Animal Protection Act, May 28, after being identified as the person who placed pesticide-laced pet food in locations around Zhong-zheng Senior High School. From April 30 to May 25, seven dogs and a cat

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Four police officers injured after stand-off with mentally-ill man armed with knife

police attempt to negotiate with armed man during stand-off
Breaking News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

Four police officers were injured in Taoyuan City today after a man threatened to kill his mother and grandmother, then locked himself in a house until police broke in and restrained him. Two officers responded to a call in Pingzhen District after a 40-year-old man named Zhang (張), who has a history of mental illness, held a kitchen knife and threatened to kill his mother and grandmother. Both women fled the house, but were injured when they fell over during

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Two people slashed by knife-wielding robber in Taoyuan City

suspect arrested
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Two people were injured after a man wanted for armed robbery slashed them with a kitchen knife, while robbing one man of his belongings and his scooter in Zhongli District, Taoyuan City yesterday, May 29. At around 7:30pm witnesses reported seeing a man armed with a kitchen chopper shouting at a man on a scooter before slashing him and taking his backpack and scooter. During the robbery another passerby was also cut. The suspect rode to Pingzhen District, where he

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Researchers plan to row from Taiwan to Japan in dug-out canoe to prove migration theory

dugout canoe in Taitung County, Taiwan
Culture 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

A team of Japanese researchers will attempt to row a dugout canoe from Taiwan’s east coast to Yonaguni Island, Japan, to try to understand how people migrated from Taiwan to Okinawa more than 30,000 years ago. This year’s attempt comes after previous experiments using boats made from reeds, and bamboo, failed. Japan’s National Museum of Science and nature launched the project in 2016, and attempted to sail a boat made of cattail reeds from Iriomote Island to Yonaguni Island. At

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Mother and child have close call after sledge hammer falls from high-rise construction site

sledge hammer head in car
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A woman and her 6-year-old daughter are lucky to be alive today, after a hammer head weighing around 20 kilograms flew off a high-rise construction site and crashed through the sunroof of their car. The 32-year-old woman named Lu, was passing by the construction site on Minzu Road in Banqiao District, New Taipei City at around 5:00pm yesterday, May 24, when she was shocked by an explosive sound in the back seat. After pulling over, Lu found that a sledgehammer

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Hundreds of couples register same-sex marriage, first foreign spouse applies for family visa

Decorations at a household registration office on the first day of legal same-sex marriage in Taiwan
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Hundreds of same-sex couples registered marriages around Taiwan today, as legislation passed May 17 came into effect. According to an SETN report, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) recorded 363 same-sex marriage registrations nationwide by 2:00pm, including 116 male couples, and 247 female couples. As some Household Registration offices will be open until 8:30pm, the MOI will release the final figures for today’s marriage registrations at 9:00pm. China Times reports that the National Immigration Agency (NIA) received the first same-sex

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Man who jumped from building with 1-year-old daughter dies

residence in Sanchong District
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A man who jumped from a third-floor residence in New Taipei City while holding his one-year-old daughter last Sunday died today, after life support systems were removed. At around 11:00pm Sunday evening, the 23-year-old man named Lin had an argument with his 19-year-old ex-wife, named Dong (董), at a residence the divorced couple shared in Sanchong District. When Lin’s ex-wife, left with their 6-month-old son, Lin took the 18-month-old girl and jumped from a window. When Ms Dong reached the

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One dead, two injured after execution-style shooting in Taichung City restaurant

site of execution-style killing in Taichung City
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

One man died after being shot multiple times, and two bystanders were injured, after two men stormed into a tea-house in Taichung City armed with a rifle and a pistol, and fired a total of 26 shots at the deceased. Shortly before noon, today, police received reports of a shooting at a tea-house on Zhongshan Road in Shalu District. Arriving at the scene, police were greeted by bullet casings scattered inside and outside the restaurant. Inside the restaurant lay a

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Suspects arrested after man critically injured in parcel bomb explosion

site of parcel bomb explosion in Kaohsiung City
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Two suspects have been arrested after an investigation into a blast that critically injured the owner of an interior design company in Kaohsiung City, yesterday, May 15. Shortly after noon yesterday, an explosion blasted out the glass windows and doors of an interior design company office on Minkang Road, Gushan District, leaving the owner of the company, a 53-year-old man named Feng, critically injured with burns to more than 60% of his body. Initial media reports reported a gas explosion,

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