Author: Phillip Charlier

3 arrested 2 hours after armed ATM cash box heist

composite image of arrest and handguns confiscated
Crime and Criminals 
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Three men were arrested in New Taipei City last night, just two hours after holding up security guards carrying an ATM cash box in a convenience store in Wugu District. At around 5:00 pm, two men entered entered a High Life convenience store on Lingyun Road as two cash security guards were about to refill the Cathay United Bank Automatic Teller Machine. The men drew handguns, and ordered the guards to not move. The men made away with more than

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Beijing’s big bucks billboards display chilling effect on free speech in Australia

Billboard design for Drew Pavlou Democratic Alliance campaign designed by Taiwan English News
International Politics 
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Australian Senate candidate Drew Pavlou claims that Australian billboard advertising companies have refused to display his ad campaign out of fear of retaliation by the Chinese government, and that Beijing-funded billboard ads went up instead. Pavlou’s ad was designed to protest against the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics being held in a country with serious human rights issues, and depicted works by Chinese dissident artist Badiucao. Bishopp Outdoor Advertising had agreed to place the ad for $3,000. But yesterday, a representative

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Police find 1 of 3 missing river tracers: search for 2 continues

composite image of found man with police and map of area
Breaking News 
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Taitung County police have found one man who was a member of a river tracing group reported missing yesterday, and will continue to search for the remaining two missing men, who they believe were washed away while attempting to wade across a stream. On Friday, December 10, the three men, named Hsu, Du, and Luo, began a three day hike and river tracing trip aiming to reach Lulu Hot Springs in a remote mountain area in Haiduan Township. On the

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Taiwan’s KYMCO teams up with Harley Davidson in new electric motorcycle company

Livewire motorcycle and company brands
Business and Economy 
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American motorcycle company Harley Davidson will spin off its electric vehicle division, and form a new company with two partners, including Taiwanese motorcycle manufacturer KYMCO, the company announced today, December 13. LiveWire will be the first publicly traded electric motorcycle company in the USA, said Harley Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz. The new brand will build on Harley Davidson’s 118 year lineage with a mission to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world. LiveWire will also benefit from

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Police fire 9 shots in chase through streets of New Taipei City: 3 suspects arrested

police arrest suspect after car chase
Crime and Criminals 
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Police arrested three men after firing nine shots at a car during a chase in Banqiao District, New Taipei City, at around noon today, Monday, December 13. At 11:50 am, police attempted to stop a vehicle after receiving a report that a man in the back seat of the car was seen brandishing a gun at the intersection of Guoqing Road and Chongqing Road. Police body cam footage showed the car knocking over three police motorcycles in order to escape

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Zoo reassures the public after child’s shoes spotted in Tiger pen

children's shoes floating in pond as tiger prowls by
Animals 
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A Hsinchu Zoo spokesperson reassured the public that no children had been eaten this weekend, after someone uploaded a picture of a pair of children’s shoes floating in a pond inside the tiger enclosure, December 11. A man named Peng uploaded the picture to a Hsinchu news group on Facebook yesterday, posing the question “Where’s the kid? I only see shoes next to the tiger.” A laughing emoticon showed the question was asked in jest. Hsinchu Zoo staff responded to

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Perfect weekend weather turns to “dirty rain” in northern Taiwan

weather map showing airstreams
Weather 
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A clear, warm, sunny Saturday saw the weekend in northern Taiwan start with perfect weather, but Sunday turned to rain that meteorologists warned could be contaminated with pollutants. Taiwan’s private weather company WeatherRisk said that a strengthening of northeastern monsoonal winds caused an obvious drop in temperature and increase in moisture in northern and northeastern areas this morning. The rain will increase in the afternoon, and in addition, airstreams will bring pollution from northern areas of China. The northeastern monsoon

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Blackouts in Taipei after substation fire, explosion

smoke seen rising in Wenshan District, Taipei City
Business and Economy 
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Power and water outages were reported in districts of Taipei this morning after a fire at an electrical substation in Wenshan District. Electricity supplier Taipower was alerted to a sudden drop in electricity consumption at 9:50 am, indicating a problem somewhere in the power grid. Power outages were reported in Wenshan, Yonghe, Banqiao, and Xindian districts. Residents of Wenshan District reported hearing an explosion at the Wanlong Substation on Jinglong Road, before seeing flames and a pall of black smoke.

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Teen pilot to land in Taiwan on next leg of record-breaking flight

composite image of rough flight path and Shark Aero ultralight aircraft.
Aviation 
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A 19-year-old pilot is scheduled to land at Taipei Songshan Airport, Tuesday, on the next leg of her quest to break several aviation records, including youngest female to fly solo around the world. Zara Rutherford departed from Belgium, August 18, on the planned 51,000-kilometer journey spanning five continents and 52 countries. Today, Saturday, December 12, Rutherford landed her Shark Aero ultralight airplane at Gimpo Airport in South Korea, marking the beginning of the Asian leg of her round-the-world quest. After

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6 people on one scooter spotted in Taipei City

Society 
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A family of six was seen riding a scooter across Bailing Bridge in Taipei City, December 7, and some YouTube viewers suggested that the government should give them a free SUV. Dashcam footage uploaded to a popular YouTube channel showed two adults and four children crammed onto the motorcycle as it headed into Shilin District. Assumed to be a man and wife, two children stood on the floorboard, while a toddler sat between the adults, and the mother held a

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Taichung’s dancing man spotted posing, smoking atop store sign

Taichung City dancing man atop 7-11 sign
Odd News 
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A man dubbed “Taichung Dancing Brother” in Taiwan’s Chinese language media, was spotted striking poses, and smoking while standing on a convenience store sign today, Friday, December 10. Taichung City Police Department dispatched three officers from Lide Station after receiving a report, but the 28-year-old man, named Zheng, had already left by the time the officers arrived. Zheng has become a fixture, not only in Taichung City streets, but in the national press in recent months, as he is regularly

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