No news is good news: Ever Given passes through Suez Canal

Evergreen container ship Ever Given Suez Canal

August 21, 2021August 21, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Evergreen, shipping

Taiwan’s Evergreen Shipping Company’s massive container ship Ever Given passed through the Suez Canal yesterday, August 20, and there is absolutely nothing to report, according to international media outlets. “The huge container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March – disrupting global trade – has passed back through the waterway without incident,” said the BBC. Reuters was also one of the many news outlets around the world who reported that the Ever Given had passed through the crucial waterway,

Animals

August 21, 2021August 21, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment animal smuggling, Taiwan Coast Guard

The coast guard intercepted a fishing boat off the coast of Tainan City, Thursday, and found around 200 cats hidden on board the vessel. Kaohsiung Coast Guard Investigation Branch had been monitoring the vessel “Shun” via radar after it left Badouzi Fishing Port in northern Taiwan August 14 and found that the Shun made contact with a Chinese fishing boat off the Penghu Islands. The coast guard intercepted the boat around 8 nautical miles off the coast of Tainan City,

International Relations

August 20, 2021August 20, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China expansionism, defense, USA-Taiwan

The United States would respond to any action against, or invasion of Taiwan, US President Joe Biden said during an interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulos, Wednesday, August 18. In his first interview since the US’ chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan began, Biden made reassurances that the United States can be trusted to stand by its allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. “You already see China telling Taiwan, ‘See? You can’t count on the Americans,’” Stephanopoulos prompted Biden. “Why wouldn’t

Drugs

August 19, 2021August 19, 2021 Phillip Charlier 4 Comments cannabis cultivation, marijuana

Police uncovered growing locations of a rare strain of marijuana in Yilan County, Taichung City, and Kaohsiung City, after a months-long investigation that uncovered a drug ring centered around a beef noodle restaurant in northern Taiwan. The Third Special Police Corps began an investigation into the drug ring in April after the arrest of a male foreign student who was found growing a rare cannabis variety known as “sour diesel” in Taoyuan City. The suspect, described in media reports as

aboriginal hunters with African Sacred ibis

Environment

August 19, 2021August 19, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment indigenous people, invasive species

There should be only a handful of African sacred ibis left in Taiwan by the end of this year, according to the Forestry Bureau, thanks to the efforts of indigenous hunters who were brought in to deal with the invasive species after previous strategies had failed. In 2016, numbers of African sacred ibis were estimated at around 1,000 birds inhabiting wetlands in Changhua County and some other areas along the west coast. The population is believed to have grown from

suspect chases man with knife in Taichung City

Violent Crimes

August 18, 2021August 18, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment knife-attack, Taichung City

Police are searching for a man who injured the owner of a buffet restaurant with dozens of knife wounds in a frenzied attack in Taichung City this morning, August 18. According to witnesses, the 56-year-old restaurant owner, named Hsieh, had just opened his buffet-style restaurant for lunch at 11:00 am when a man arrived on a motorcycle and attacked him with a knife. Hsieh was standing standing outside the restaurant in Dali District, when the man wearing a white shirt,

Trump Sean Hannity interview August 17, 2021

International

August 18, 2021August 18, 2021 Phillip Charlier 2 Comments China expansionism, Donald Trump

Former United States President Donald J. Trump predicted that bad things will happen to Taiwan after the calamity of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Trump spoke of the implications for Taiwan in an interview with Fox News commentator Sean Hannity, Tuesday, August 17. “I think bad things will happen in respect to Taiwan because they [China] don’t respect our leadership and they no longer respect our country,” he said. “And that’s a really bad thing. China does not respect us any longer,” Trump said. Trump said that China’s

book launch for Origins of the Austronesian People's August 17, 2021

Culture

August 18, 2021August 18, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Austronesian, history of Taiwan, indigenous people

The Council of Indigenous Peoples launched a book that explores the origin of the world’s most widely distributed language group, yesterday, August 17. The Origins of the Austronesians consists of articles by experts and scholars from around the world, and was published under the auspices of Taiwan’s Council of Indigenous Peoples. The book is the culmination of efforts that began at the International Austronesian Languages Revitalization Forum, jointly organized by Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, and held in Palau

Crime and Criminals

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment mountain rats, Nantou County, police shooting

Police arrested a suspect in Nantou County today after the man had been shot while escaping from a police roadblock yesterday afternoon. Police from Renai Township set up a road block in Wushe yesterday, August 17, to intercept suspected wood poachers in the mountain district. At around 5:40 pm, officers attempted to stop two men in a black sedan, but the driver suddenly reversed his vehicle, attempting to ram the officers, hitting a police car, parked scooters, and a residential

Traffic Accidents

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment drunk-driver, Hengchun, Pingtung County

One man died and another was left in a critical condition after a single-vehicle crash in Checheng Township, Pingtung County yesterday, August 15, but the car was so badly damaged that police do not know which man was the driver. Traffic monitor footage of the incident shows that at 5:36 am Sunday, a black car drifted across the intersection of Zhongshan Road and Tainzhong Road at high speed before slamming into the safety island. Two men were rushed to Hengchun

Stupid Stuff

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment games, stupid people

As the world watches the Taliban’s advance on Kabul, and western civilization crumbles in the face of mutant strands of RNA, citizens in a bunch of mostly democratic countries in Asia and Europe are mindlessly poking their digital devices, oblivious to the impending apocalypse. Based on a popular meme where a cat called Oatmeal opens her mouth in the form of a perfect “O,” the game “Popcat” requires the player to simply poke the closed mouth of the cat to

Author: Phillip Charlier

No news is good news: Ever Given passes through Suez Canal

Coast guard intercepts cat smugglers off south Taiwan coast

Biden reassures: if Taiwan were invaded, the US would respond

Mad reefer: beef noodle shop peddles manic marijuana strain

Taiwan winning war against invasive bird species thanks to aboriginal hunting skills

Police hunting for suspect who hacked restaurant owner down in the street in Taichung City

Afghanistan crisis bodes badly for Taiwan says former US President

Origin of the Austronesians: book on one of the greatest migrations in human history launched in Taiwan

Suspect shot by cops arrested after night hiding in forest

Fatal high-speed drunk driving crash in Pingtung County: car disintegrated on impact

People play Popcat while world burns but Taiwan pipped on the pop chart