Author: Phillip Charlier

Chinese man arrives in Taipei on a speedboat, sparking security concerns

coast guard officers on board speedboat
Military Affairs 
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An investigation has been launched into the possible dereliction of duty of coast guard and naval personnel after a Chinese man in a speedboat breached an “Iron Defense Triangle,” and landed at the mouth of the river that leads to the nation’s capital. According to reports, coast guard officers arrested a Chinese national at Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf following reports that a speedboat had collided with a ferry as it was berthing at around 11:00 am, yesterday, June 9. Taiwan’s National

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Oil tanker damaged after hitting Kaohsiung Harbor breakwater

damaged hull of oil tanker
Marine and Fisheries 
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An oil tanker was forced to return to Kaohsiung Harbor for repairs after hitting an offshore breakwater while attempting to depart, Saturday, June 8. The Kaohsiung Port office of Taiwan International Ports Corporation said that the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) oil tanker, TONG YUN, departed Kaohsiung Second Harbor at 1:10 pm, but collided with the offshore embankment while exiting the port. The starboard side of the ship sustained serious damage, and the concrete breakwater was also damaged. A preliminary

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5 foreigners charged after brawl erupts in Kaohsiung City convenience store

man laying on zebra crossing after being punched
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

Five men were sent to the district prosecutor to face charges of assault, and one also faces a charge of sexual assault, following a drunken brawl in a convenience store apparently triggered when one of the men touched a Taiwanese woman. According to media reports today, June 9, two British men, aged 24 and 26, a 28-year-old German man, two Moroccan men, aged 29 and 32, and a 21-year-old Taiwanese woman went to a convenience store to chat after leaving

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Tesla breaks in half, catches fire after plunging off freeway bridge

tesla on fire after crash
Traffic Accidents 
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One man died, and another was injured, after the driver of a Tesla lost control of his vehicle, smashed through a guardrail, and plunged 6.5 meters off a bridge in Yunlin County, yesterday, June 6. Yunlin County Fire Department received reports of an accident in the southbound lanes of Highway 1 in Huwei Township at 9:12 pm. Firefighters arrived at the scene of the accident to find the white tesla broken into two pieces, with the front section on fire.

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Hillside collapses onto highway in northern Taiwan: 2 minor injuries

aerial view of landslide in Keelung City
Disaster 
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Two people were rescued and sent to hospital after a hillside collapsed onto the coastal highway at a popular scenic spot in Keelung City today, Monday, June 3. According to reports, the landslide occurred at 2:28 pm at the corner of Zhongzheng Road (Highway 2) and Chaojing Park Road. Boulders, rocks, and soil completely covered the highway and a carpark on the opposite side. Two people were rescued from one of the parked cars and sent to Chang Gung Memorial

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Elevated railway project faces delays after historic train turntable discovered in southern Taiwan

concrete base of railway train turntable
Business and Economy 
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Chiayi City’s elevated railway project was originally due to be completed by the end of 2025, but will likely face delays after a committee voted to preserve in situ a 116-year-old train turntable. The Japanese colonial era railway turntable was discovered while excavating the basement of the new Chiayi Railway Station in December 2023. A survey and study of the remnants by the Cultural Resources Review Committee determined that the turntable was built in 1908, and constituted a tangible cultural

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High school athlete in hospital after bravely rescuing elderly man from burning house

high school student in hospital
Society 
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A high school student is recuperating in hospital after running into a burning building multiple times to rescue the elderly occupant in Toufen City, Miaoli County, yesterday, May 29. The second-year high school student, named Lin, was out to get breakfast when he noticed thick smoke pouring out of a house at around 4:30 am. Lin informed a convenience store clerk to call the fire department before responding to banging sounds coming from inside the house. Lin entered the house

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Record 2.4 tons of drugs destroyed: marijuana use increasing in Taiwan says MOJ

armed guard in front of drug shipment
Drugs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau destroyed 2,445 kilograms of illicit drugs seized during investigations, and said that the amount of marijuana continues to increase. On May 10, officers from the Taipei City Police Department, New Taipei City Police Department, and National Highway Police Bureau guarded the route as heavily armed personnel from the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau flanked an armored truck borrowed from the Bank of Taiwan as it made its way from a secure warehouse to the

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Police officer found not guilty of fatal shooting during car chase in New Taipei City

car after chase and shooting
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A police officer was declared not guilty of the fatal shooting that occurred in New Taipei City at a second trial over the March 2022 incident. According to the prosecution, at around 10:00 pm on March 22, 2022, a man named Lin was driving a Mercedes Benz sedan carrying his girlfriend and two male friends in Zhonghe District. A police officer named Zhang noticed that the car had obvious impact damage on the left side, and ran a check on

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Heavy rain and flood warnings issued as rainy season front hovers over Taiwan

cars pass through flooded area
Weather 
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The Central Weather Administration issued a heavy rain warning covering Taiwan’s western plains and central mountain range, with flood alert warnings in effect for Taichung, Miaoli, and Hsinchu as a rainy season front hovers over the island today, May 28. At 7:55 am, a CWA heavy rain warning covered most of Taiwan from Keelung City in the north to Pingtung County in the south, excluding only the east coast counties of Yilan, Hualien, and Taidong. An extremely heavy rain warning

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Two firefighters dead: hundreds rescued from residential building fire. Many still trapped

firefighting appliances and ambulances
Fire 
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Two firefighters are dead, and one resident of an apartment building was injured, after hundreds of people were evacuated from a smoke-filled residential building in Hsinchu City last night. The Hsinchu City Fire Bureau received reports of a fire at a condominium complex in East District at 10:55 pm Sunday, May 26. Fire bureau personnel arrived at the scene and found the source of the fire to be electrical cables producing a large amount of thick smoke. The fire was

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