Author: Phillip Charlier

Snake on a train: passengers evacuated after boa constrictor appears on luggage rack

snake on luggage rack on train
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Passengers were evacuated from a train car after a boa constrictor was spotted slithering along the luggage rack on a Taiwan Railways limited express train this morning, April 18. The conductor on the Ziqiang Class limited express No. 272 from Miaoli to Hualien received a report of a snake on the luggage racks of car No. 12 as the train arrived at Ruifang Station, New Taipei City at 8:19 am. The conductor ordered passengers out of the car and notified

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Teen slammed with NT$1.5 million dollar fine for playing basketball during quarantine

composite image basketball money
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

An 18-year-old man has been issued a fine of NT$1.5 million (US$51,500) after leaving his mobile tracking device at home and going out to play basketball after testing positive for COVID-19, according to reports today, Sunday, April 17. New Taipei City Department of Health said that the resident of Sanxia District tested positive for COVID-19 on April 14, along with other family members and his girlfriend. The entire family was ordered to stay in home quarantine. However, the man left

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Bipartisan US congressional delegation arrives in Taiwan to meet with key leaders

US congressional delegation arrives in Taiwan on US military plane
International Relations 
Phillip Charlier 4 Comments ,

A delegation of six US lawmakers arrived in Taiwan this evening, April 14, and will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Wu, and Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng, tomorrow, April 15, before departing Friday. Led by Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez (Dem. New Jersey), and Senator Lindsey Graham (Rep. South Carolina), the group includes Republican senators Richard Burr (North Carolina), Ben Sasse (Nebraska), Rob Portman (Ohio), and Republican representative for Texas, Ronny

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Taiwan’s gold reserves valued at US$26.9 billion: Legislator suggests “sell high, buy low”

Taiwan gold reserves
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

A legislator suggested that Taiwan’s central bank should sell some of its gold reserve while the price is high, as the market price reached close to US$2,000 per ounce yesterday, April 13. The Russia-Ukraine war, and rampant global inflation has driven up the price of gold, with prices of over US$2,050 seen in early march, and the price reaching US$1,973 yesterday. At the time of writing the gold price was hovering slightly below US$1,970. Taiwan’s central bank (Central Bank of

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Breaking Bad: chemistry prof used university lab, students, to operate “one-stop test shop” for Taiwanese drug syndicate

Drugs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

An assistant professor and post-doctoral researcher has been prosecuted for using a university chemistry laboratory with advanced equipment, and having students unknowingly assist in testing imported and locally manufactured illicit drugs for purity, on behalf of a Taiwanese narcotrafficker. Zhang Enming (張恩銘), 44, was charged by the Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office for manufacturing category 3 drugs and other crimes following an investigation into a drug manufacturing operation uncovered in Yilan County in early 2021. According to reports, Zhang, a former

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Body found in harbor suspected to be crew of Korean tug missing in Taiwan Strait

police and coast guard personnel with body retrieved from Magong Harbor
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , ,

A body found floating in Magong Harbor on Penghu Island is believed to be one of four Korean crew members who remain missing after a Korean-owned Sierra Leone-flagged vessel went missing, presumed to have sunk in the Taiwan Strait two days ago. Penghu County Fire Bureau received a report of a floating body at the south embankment of the Suogang Wharf in Magong Harbor at 11:50 am this morning, April 9. Police and coast guard personnel retrieved the body shortly

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Driver dead after car crushed by train

firefighter with car crushed under train
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A man died after crashing his car and landing on railway tracks before being hit by a train in Chiayi County last night, April 7. At around 11:40 pm a 40-year-old resident of Tainan City, named Hsu was traveling northbound on Provincial Highway 1 in Shuishang Township, Chiayi County when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a roadside tree. Hsu’s black Toyota Altis sedan flew over a 1.5-meter-high fence onto railway tracks, and was then hit by

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2 bodies found after Korean tug goes missing in the Taiwan Strait

Unpowered ship section after push tug missing in the Taiwan Strait
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Taiwan’s National Coast Guard Administration personnel recovered two bodies this morning during a search for a Korean-owned pusher tug with six crew aboard that went missing after sending a distress call yesterday, April 8. The Sierra Leone-flagged tug Kyoto No. 1 was en route from the Port of Busan, Korea to Batam, Indonesia via the Taiwan Strait when the crew sent a distress signal from a position close to the Penghu Islands at 9:50 am, Thursday. Taiwan’s National Rescue Command

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Video shows excavator operator run for his life as silo collapses the wrong way on demolition site

excavator operator running for his life as silo collapses
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Video footage emerged today showing the driver of an excavator using a wrecking ball to demolish a silo in southern Taiwan abandoning his vehicle and running for his life as the 52-meter-tall structure started to fall in his direction yesterday, April 1. Contractors working on the demolition project at the Southeast Cement Corporation site in Nanzi District, Kaohsiung City appear to have seriously breached regulations and safety standards in the lead up to the accident, Kaohsiung Public Works Bureau said

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Thousands of passengers affected after industrial accident cuts power to High Speed Rail

composite showing HSR trains and stranded passengers
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Thousands of passengers were left temporarily stranded in Kaohsiung City and Tainan City after an industrial accident caused a high voltage tower to collapse, cutting power to High Speed Rail services between Tainan and Zuoying stations on the eve of the four day Tomb Sweeping Festival long weekend, today, Friday, April 1. At around 3:35 pm, contractors were using a wrecking ball to demolish a silo at a disused Southeast Cement Company plant adjacent to the high speed rail track

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