Author: Phillip Charlier

New Taipei City celebrates Mother’s Day with free COVID vaccines and gifts

covid-19 mother's day vaccine propaganda
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The New Taipei City Department of Health is offering free gifts for women who get vaccinated for COVID from today, May 10, until the end of the month, it was announced today. The Department of Health said that all females who get vaccinated at community health clinics and vaccination stations in New Taipei City can receive special Mother’s Day gifts which include an electronic thermometer and dishwashing detergent. The number of gifts is limited and will only be available while

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US Navy ship conducts routine transit of Taiwan Strait

USS Halsey Taiwan Strait transit
Military Affairs 
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A US Navy destroyer sailed through international waters in the Taiwan Strait yesterday, May 8, and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) accused the US of “hype and provocation.” According to a press release by the US 7th Fleet Public Affairs, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) conducted a routine transit through international waters “through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state,” Wednesday. “Halsey’s transit through the Taiwan Strait

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Human remains found in tunnel 3 years after train disaster

remains and belongings of victims found in railway tunnel
Disaster 
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Grieving family members of the victims of one of Taiwan’s worst train disasters had old wounds reopened for the second time after human remains and belongings were found in a railway tunnel in Hualien County recently. The advocacy group “Tears of Taroko,” formed by family members of victims of the April 2, 2021, Hualien Train Derailment, issued a press release this morning, May 8, informing the public that a search of the Qingshui Tunnel had uncovered the remains of 11

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The Pandemic is not over! Free COVID-19 tests available nationwide

COVID-19 antigen tests
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment

Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced today that free COVID-19 rapid screening tests will be available at pharmacies nationwide, and you don’t even have to show a health insurance card or ID to get the test kits. The CDC said that while the COVID-19 pandemic has passed its peak, there were still 195 new cases last week. and 15 deaths. CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said that the World Health Organization (WHO) and US Centers for Disease Control recommend continuous monitoring and

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Taiwan’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program comes under fire: treating human life as a trifling matter

legislators, lawyers, vaccine injury victims at press conference
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Taiwan’s Department of Health and Welfare Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) came under fire today at a press conference where it was accused of treating human life as “a trifling matter.” Legislators Chao-Tzu Chen (陳昭姿) of the Taiwan People’s Party, and Sean Liao (廖偉翔) of the Kuomintang held the press conference, pointing out that a recent judgement by the Taipei High Administrative Court showed that the VICP lacked transparency in procedures and suffered irregularities in the review process. Chao and

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Taiwan shipbuilder demonstrates self-righting ship

self-righting ship demonstration
Business and Economy 
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Taiwan shipbuilder Longteh Shipbuilding Company successfully tested a self-righting ship on April 17. Longteh confirmed the news after a video of the ship launch went viral on social media, according to reports today, April 24. Longteh said the test was performed at the Port of Su’ao in Yilan County. Video footage of the test shows the ship being turned upside down in the water before automatically righting itself in less than 10 seconds. Longteh, which is a major shipping manufacturer

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Minor collision turns to tragedy after truck plows into crashed vehicles

scene of accident and fire
Traffic Accidents 
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Two drivers who got out of their vehicles after a collision on Highway 1 died, and a passenger was injured, after a semi-trailer crashed into them in Changhua County early this morning, April 24. The Changhua County Fire Department received reports that vehicles were on fire after a collision at the 213-kilometer mark in the northbound lanes on National Highway 1 in Xihu Township at around 3:00 am. Nine vehicles and 19 personnel were dispatched to the scene of the

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Taiwan’s east coast rocked by 95 earthquakes overnight: largest magnitude 6.3

Fukai Hotel tilting dangerously after earthquake
Earthquakes 
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Work and classes are suspended in Hualien County today after 95 earthquakes occurred between midnight and 7:30 a.m., keeping many residents awake all night, and leaving two buildings tilting dangerously. According to the Central Weather Administration, more than 1,000 aftershocks have occurred since a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the area on April 3. Of the 95 earthquakes that occurred this morning, two earthquakes of 6.0 magnitude or greater occurred just five minutes apart at around 2:30 a.m. The Fukai Hotel

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Rainy season front brings heavy rain to Taiwan: East coast road and rail links cut by landslides

landslide blocks east coast line at Chongde Station
Weather 
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A rainy season front is expected to bring heavy rain to Taiwan for the next week, and has already triggered landslides in areas destabilized by an earthquake earlier this month. Road and rail services between Yilan County and Hualien City are cut off after a series of landslides in Xiulin Township, Hualien County this afternoon. According to Taiwan Railway Corporation, a landslide has covered both northbound and southbound tracks between Chongde Station and Heren Station. An EMU 3000 express train

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Driver charged after girlfriend jumps out of moving car and dies

woman jumps from moving car
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A man has been charged with negligent homicide after his girlfriend jumped out of his moving car and died in Taoyuan City two days ago. According to reports, the 49-year-old woman, named Zeng, and her 47-year-old boyfriend, named Song, left a party in the early hours of the morning April 15. While driving on Wenlin Road in Guanyin District, the couple had an argument over “trivial matters.” Zeng then opened the car door and jumped out. Video footage of the

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Nanny and her sister charged for fatal abuse of 1-year-old child

sisters charged in fatal child abuse case
Society 
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Two sisters have been formally charged after a months-long investigation into the abuse and death of a one-year-old child placed in their care late last year. According to the investigation, the Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) placed the child in the full-time foster care of a registered nanny named Liu Tsai-hsuan at her home in Wenshan District, Taipei City, in September 2023. On December 24, Liu took the child to hospital claiming that he had choked on milk. The child

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