Author: Phillip Charlier

456 KG: Biggest marijuana smuggling bust in Taiwan’s history

cannabis haul on display
Drugs 
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Police and customs officials intercepted a 456 kilogram haul of marijuana hidden in a shipment of wood pellets imported from Canada earlier this year, it was revealed at a press conference today, following a 6-month-long investigation, and the arrest of six men suspect to be involved in the operation. Officers of the National Police Agency Third Special Police Corps in cooperation with the Keelung Customs Bureau and Bali Customs Inspection Station inspected a shipment of multi-purpose wood pellets imported from

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Driver killed in horrific high-speed single-vehicle crash in Yilan County

scene of accident showing scattered parts
Traffic Accidents 
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A driver who died after he was thrown from his vehicle when it slammed into a utility pole on a highway in Yilan County today has not yet been identified as police continue an investigation into the crash. The Yilan County Fire Bureau received a report of a single-vehicle accident at the 4 kilometer mark of Provincial Highway 7C in Datong Township at 9:29 am. Firefighters and police arrived at the scene to find the car ablaze, and the driver

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Taiwanese combatant in Ukraine confirmed to have died in battle

composite image showing Taiwanese volunteer in Ukraine International Legion and patch combining ROC Taiwan and Ukrainian flag
International 
Phillip Charlier 3 Comments , ,

Tseng Sheng-kuang (曾聖光), a 25-year-old Taiwanese man who enlisted in the International Legion of Ukraine’s territorial defense forces died in battle on Wednesday, November 2, it has been confirmed by the man’s family in Taiwan, and Ukrainian authorities, after reports began to circulate on social media platforms yesterday. Tseng’s wife, Huang Li-chen (黃麗珍), told Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) Friday evening that she received a message from her husband’s comrade that Tseng had died due to excessive blood loss after

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Two life boats from sunken ship found, but no sign of 12 missing crew

lifeboat from Xing Shun No.1
Marine and Fisheries 
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An air and sea search for 12 missing Indonesian crew members continues today after two empty lifeboats from the sunken vessel were found yesterday with no signs of life on board. The crew of 17 Indonesian nationals from the cement carrier Xing Shun No.1 abandoned ship in heavy seas at around 3:00pm, October 31, as the stricken vessel began to list and water began to flood the hold. Taiwan’s National Coast Guard Administration dispatched the 100-ton patrol ship Hsinchu to

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12 crew missing after ship sinks in the Taiwan Strait

the cement carrier Xing Shun No. 1 adrift in heavy seas off Taiwan's southwest coast
Marine and Fisheries 
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Five members of a ship’s crew were rescued, but 12 are missing, after a bulk carrier sank off Taiwan’s southwest coast last night, October 31. The 10,000 ton cement carrier Xing Shun No.1 first encountered problems on October 30 when three crew members were injured after a wave swept over the deck when the ship was located 50 nautical miles west of the Port of Kaohsiung. Taiwan’s National Airborne Service Corps dispatched a black hawk helicopter to airlift the three

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Explosion and fire at Kaohsiung City oil refinery leaves nearby residents terrified

fire at CPC Dalin Refinery
Breaking News 
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A hydrogen leak at a hydro-desulfurization unit at the Dalin Refinery in Kaohsiung City last night caused an explosion and fire that left nearby residents so terrified that they are demanding the government relocate their village, according to reports this morning, October 28. Fortunately there were no casualties following the incident. The explosion and fire occurred at 10:35 pm at the CPC refinery on Zhonglin Road in Xiaogang District. The Kaohsiung City Fire Bureau dispatched 18 vehicles and 40 personnel

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10-vehicle freeway pile-up leaves 4 injured

traffic jam behind 10-vehicle crash
Traffic Accidents 
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Three people were injured after a a multi-vehicle crash involving 9 cars and a heavy truck on National Highway 3 in Hsinchu County this morning, Thursday, October 27. National Highway police said they received a report of a chain collision in the southbound lanes of the freeway at the 98.5 kilometer mark near the Baoshan Interchange at 8:15 am. According to the preliminary investigation, a 33-year-old driver, named Chuang, is suspected of failing to maintain a safe distance from the

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5 injured after gangster’s home arsenal explodes, tearing through residential building

courtyard of apartment complex littered with debris after explosion
Breaking News 
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Five residents of a New Taipei City residential complex were injured yesterday, when a gangster’s store of explosive materials ignited, resulting in a blast that damaged 12 apartments in two buildings. The explosion occurred in an apartment on the 4th floor of a 6-storey building in Datong Street, Sanxia District, at around 3:30 pm yesterday, Sunday, October 23. The resident of the apartment, a 27-year-old man named Liu, suffered 2nd degree burns to 36% of his body and is currently

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Shipping company exempted from paying damages to fishing industry for 2016 oil spill

composite image of TS Lines freighter and oil pollution
Marine and Fisheries 
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Taiwan’s High Court today ruled that the owners of a freighter that ran aground on the north coast in 2016, causing an oil spill, does not have to pay compensation to local fishermen as there is no proof of damage to the fishery. The TS Lines ship, TS Taipei ran aground on the coast in Shimen District on March 9, 2016, and began to break in half on March 24. The subsequent spill of heavy oil affected the coast of

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Rescue team hikes supplies to more than 300 tourists trapped in mountain resort after landslides block road

firefighters carry supplies across a landslide-affect section of road
Weather 
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Fire Bureau search and rescue personnel hiked 20 kilometers carrying essential supplies to a a group of tourists and employees trapped at a mountain resort in Yilan County after heavy rains caused landslides that blocked access to the area over the weekend. 266 tourists and 37 employees are spending the third day at the Mingchi Villa in the Mingchi National Forest Recreation Area after rains generated by a combination of the northeast monsoon and Tropical Storm Nesat caused at least

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Search underway for 1 missing after 4 crew fall from cargo ship in the Taiwan Strait

VIMC Sunrise berthed in port
Marine and Fisheries 
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Taiwan’s coast guard and National Airborne Service Corps are conducting a sea and air search for a Vietnamese national who went missing after four crew members of a cargo ship fell into the sea off the coast of Yunlin County yesterday, October 17. The Central Taiwan Maritime Affair Center of the Maritime and Port Bureau said that it received notification from the National Coast Guard Administration at around 6:00 pm yesterday, Monday, that four crew members from the 31,236-ton Vietnamese

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