Author: Phillip Charlier

Much-needed rain soaks parts of Taiwan, but brings minor flooding and rockfalls

heavy rain map
Weather 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

The Central Weather Bureau issued heavy rain and extremely heavy rain warnings for parts of Taiwan extending from the north to mountain districts in the south, and much of the east coast this afternoon, as the influence of a front saw the development of strong convective cloud systems in some coastal and mountain areas. Heavy rain alerts were issued for a total of 16 counties and cities, with extremely heavy rain alerts issued for Keelung City, Taipei City, New Taipei

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How China undermines Taiwan’s national anti-COVID success with local-government actors

Ko Wen-je and Hou You-yi the twin city mayors
Politics 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , ,

Taiwan managed to keep the lid on COVID by being smarter than most other countries, more wary perhaps, by being closer to the original source of the virus, and most importantly by avoiding mass testing, using technologies that were questionable for use for even for well-known disease agents. During early days of the outbreak, in 2020, Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Central Epidemic Control Center (CECC) decided to implement border controls, put people into a 14 day quarantine upon

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Little girl safe after climbing out of 7th-floor window while grandma not paying attention

child on ledge outside window on 7th floor
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A 7-year-old girl was seen climbing out the window of a 7th-floor apartment and walking along a narrow ledge of a residential building in Guishan District, Taoyuan City, Friday. The Taoyuan City Fire Department received reports about a little girl of a ledge of the building at 11:53 am, May 21, according to a Liberty Times report. The fire department dispatched 10 personnel to the scene, but fortunately, by the time firefighters arrived, the girl had already been taken back

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Man who robbed four shops gets instant karma when he reports scooter theft

suspect on scooter
Stupid Criminals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A man who reported the theft of his motorcycle was promptly arrested when a police officer recognized him as a suspect seen on traffic monitor footage during an investigation into four shop robberies in Hsinchu County, yesterday, May 22. The 30-year-old man, named Luo, threatened storekeepers with a hammer, demanding they hand over their cash at four traditional grocery stores in Hukou and Xinfeng districts late yesterday afternoon. Escaping on a scooter with a surgical mask covering the license plate,

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Two Taipei City police officers slashed by homeless man who refused to wear mask

Officer receives first aid for neck injury
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

One police officer was cut on his neck, and another on his hand, after a homeless man reported for not wearing a mask attacked them with a machete at Taipei Main Station today, May 22. Police from the Zhongxiao West Road police station went to the south gate of the station plaza after a member of the public reported that a man was loitering near the station entrance without wearing a surgical mask at around 5:00 pm. The two police

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Concerned citizen calls 119 on sunbathing woman

woman confronted by paramedics after being reported for sunbathing
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A woman sunbathing outside a sports stadium in New Taipei City was apparently misidentified as an accident victim, after a concerned member of the public witnessed her lying in the sun while not wearing a surgical mask yesterday, May 20. The New Taipei City Fire Department received a report at 8:00 am that a woman was lying on the ground and not wearing a mask on the terraced steps outside the Xinzhuang Gymnasium. Paramedics rushed to the scene dressed in

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Economics professor takes to Twitch to lecture 54 students, gains an audience of 17,000

Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

As teachers from elementary school up turned to online media platforms to reach their students after classes were suspended this week, a professor of economics chose to deliver a lecture for his 54 students yesterday, May 19, and inadvertently managed to gain an audience of 17,000. The sudden announcement of school closures, and a switch to online classes starting with the Greater Taipei Region, Monday, and extended nationwide, Tuesday, left many teachers a little confused as to what platform to

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Chinese captain of Taiwanese fishing vessel who ordered shipwrecked pirates killed loses appeal

pirates capsized boat
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A Chinese national sentenced to a 26-year prison term for ordering four Somali pirates from a capsized vessel shot dead lost an appeal to the High Court yesterday, May 18. Wang Fengyu (汪峰裕), 43, was convicted of homicide by the Kaohsiung District Court January 29, 2021, for ordering the killings while serving as captain of the Kaohsiung-registered longliner Ping Shin No. 101 while it was operating in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia, September 29, 2012. According to

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HSR, TRA to reduce train services during epidemic alert period as passenger numbers plummet

TRA EMU 900 train
Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Taiwan’s High Speed Rail passenger numbers are down more than 71%, and Taiwan Railways passenger demand is down more than 65% as the nation goes into Level 3 epidemic alert, and train services will be reduced in response, HSR announced yesterday, and TRA announced today, May 19. HSR said that it would run 171 fewer services per week from May 21 to June 10, after daily passenger volume fell 71.08% over the daily average for March this year. TRA passenger

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Taipei City Mayor accidentally flips the bird during live broadcast

Ko Wenje accidently gives the finger
Odd News 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je appeared to be giving someone the finger during a live broadcast today, May 18, but it turns out that he was just trying to make a point. Mayor Ko said that there was good news amidst bad today, noting that the percentage of positive results at rapid testing stations in the city had fallen from 11% on the first day, to 4.7% today. Ko explained that on the first day of rapid testing, May 14,

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Laptop sales surge, education department website crashes after nationwide school closure announced

Acer laptops
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments , , ,

Schools across Taiwan will be closed from tomorrow May 19 until May 28, the Ministry of Education announced today, leading to the MOE website crashing as concerned parents and students flooded onto the site seeking more information. The MOE made the decision a day after schools in Taipei City and New Taipei City announced city-wide school closures from today, May 18. Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung announced that all schools, including public and private kindergartens, elementary, junior and senior high

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