Author: Phillip Charlier

Guns disguised as everyday objects seized in Yunlin County

modified gun made from trekking pole
Crime and Criminals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Police in Yunlin County arrested a man after a search of his workshop uncovered guns disguised as everyday objects such as trekking poles and ballpoint pens. Yunlin District Prosecutor’s Office issued a press release today saying they ordered an investigation into a 58-year-old suspect named Chen on suspicion that he was involved in manufacturing illegal weapons. Police from Taichung City and Dounan Township conducted a search of a ironworks factory owned by Chen on September 1. The search uncovered a

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Three men sentenced over Taiwan’s largest cat-smuggling case

cats smuggled in cat cages
Animals 
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Three men, including a former coast guard officer, were found guilty and sentenced for attempting to smuggle 154 cats from China to Taiwan in 2021. Taiwan’s Supreme Court sentenced Zhang Fangyi and Zheng Changjia to one and a half years in prison, while Guo Minhao was sentenced to one year and two months suspended for four years. According to evidence presented to the court, on August 19, 2021, the fishing boat Shunfa 88 departed from the Badouzi Fishing Port in

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1,000-pound WWII bomb uncovered on construction site in Kaohsiung City

World War Two M65 1000-pound bomb being removed from construction site in Kaohsiung City Taiwan
Business and Economy 
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A military unexploded ordnance team removed a 1,000-pound bomb uncovered during site preparation at a former oil refinery in Kaohsiung City, yesterday, August 26. Workers discovered the bomb while excavating the site in preparation for construction of a new TSMC factory in the Nanzi Science Park at around 8:30 am. The Kaohsiung City Public Works Bureau immediately notified the police and military. Military personnel examined the bomb and judged that it was incomplete and missing the fuse. It was determined

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Hiker dies after Asian giant hornet attack on mountain trail in southeastern Taiwan

Firefighters rescue hiker after hornet attack
Health and Safety 
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A hiking guide died in hospital after being stung more than 50 times as he attempted to protect a group of 20 students from a swarm of Asian giant hornets on a trail in Taitung County, yesterday, August 22. According to reports, the hiking group were traversing the Jinshuiying Ancient Trail from Pingtung County to Taitung County when they were attacked by a swarm of Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia) around 2.5 kilometers from the trail exit in Dawu Township

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14 workers injured, 3 critically, after carbon dioxide leak at wind power project in central Taiwan

Carbon dioxide leak at wind power plant
Health and Safety 
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Fourteen workers were sent to hospital, including three who lost vital signs at the scene of the accident, at a wind power project in Changhua County this morning, Tuesday, August 20. Changhua County Fire Department dispatched two fire trucks, seven ambulances, and 18 personnel, after receiving reports of multiple injuries due to a suspected carbon dioxide leak at the Hailong Offshore Wind Power Land Step-down Station in Lukang Township at around 10:00 am. A total of 14 workers, all of

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Truck accident blocks major traffic artery, causing commuter headaches in Taipei City

truck blocks lanes of bridge after accident
Traffic Accidents 
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A single-vehicle accident involving a semi-trailer blocked a bridge between Sanchong District and Taipei this morning, causing traffic jams and major hassles as commuters were forced to divert to alternative routes to the city. According to reports, the driver of the tractor-trailer carrying a massive steel beam lost control of his vehicle in the northbound lanes of Zhongxiao Bridge at around 5:50 am. The steel beam fell off the truck, destroying the soundproof wall of the bridge, sending debris collapsing

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Girls in Kaohsiung City street fight are actually men, police say

Two women look on while another two grapple on the ground
Odd News 
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Police say they have identified two people involved in a fight outside a Kaohsiung City nightclub two days ago, and despite their feminine appearance, the suspects are actually men. Video footage of what Taiwanese media outlets described as two “hot girls” fighting outside a KTV nightclub in Qianjin District at 6:00 am, Monday, August 12, surfaced on social media yesterday, and instantly went viral. The footage showed two apparent women, one much larger than the other, in a physical dispute

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Three crew members from sunken cargo ship found alive, 1 dead, 5 still missing

surviving crew members speaking to coast guard officer
Marine and Fisheries 
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Three crew members from a cargo ship that sank off the coast of southern Taiwan were found alive on shore yesterday, and a body found on a beach was confirmed to be the captain of the ship. The Tanzanian-flagged Fu Shun sent a distress call after listing in heavy seas and winds generated by Typhoon Gaemi at around 5:30 am yesterday, July 25. According to Taiwan’s National Coast Guard Administration, the crew of nine Myanmar nationals abandoned ship before it

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Typhoon Gaemi sinks 1 ship, forces 3 aground in southern Taiwan: 9 sailors missing

Indonesian freighter "Iriana" aground in southern Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
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Nine Myanmar nationals are missing after a ship capsized and sank off Taiwan’s southern coast, and three other vessels have run aground in sea and wind conditions affected by Typhoon Gaemi since yesterday, July 24. According to Taiwan’s National Coast Guard Administration, the Tanzanian-flagged freighter Fu Shun capsized and sank around 19 nautical miles off the coast of Kaohsiung City at around 6:30 am this morning. The crew of nine Myanmar nationals are suspected to have fallen into the sea

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Typhoon Gaemi hits Taiwan’s east coast: mother dead, child critical after brick wall falls 6 floors onto car

damaged car and fallen debris with firetruck in attendence
Disaster 
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A woman died, and child was critically injured, when a section of brick wall collapsed in Hualien City earlier this evening, landing on a car stopped at an intersection. Video footage of the incident showed a sheet-metal structure on the roof of a six-storey building being blown away by strong winds before a section of brick wall fell onto the road below. The slab landed on the rear section of a small, white sedan that had just come to a

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Typhoon Gaemi nears Taiwan, intensifies: work, financial markets likely suspended for a second day tomorrow

satellite RGB image of Typhoon Gaemi July 24
Typhoon 
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Typhoon Gaemi intensified to the level of strong typhoon this morning, and is expected to make landfall late tonight, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration. The CWA said that Gaemi intensified into a strong typhoon in the three hours up to 11:00 am. Typhoon Gaemi was located around 150 kilometers southeast of Yilan County moving west-northwest at 18 kilometers per hour. The storm has a surface pressure of 925 hPa, with a storm radius of 250 kilometers packing sustained winds

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