Author: Phillip Charlier

Miaoli County farmers create field painting for Mother’s Day

mother's day painting rice field
Culture 
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Farmers in Yuanli Township in Miaoli County have created a rice field “painting” dedicated to mothers ahead of Mother’s Day, and it will last to early July, the Yuanli Township Farmers’ Association says. The rice isn’t actually painted, the association pointed out, but rather is created by using five different varieties of rice producing different colors. A viewing platform was constructed, and opened in mid-April, and the peak viewing season will be from May to early July. The association has

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High school student dead after being hit by bus on pedestrian crossing

pedestrian crossing in front of Jiayang Technical and Commercial High School
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A 16-year-old girl died after being hit by a bus on a pedestrian crossing in front of her school in Taichung City this morning, April 30. According to reports, at around 7:50 am, a group of students had started to cross the road at the entrance of Jiayang High School with a green walk signal, when a speeding bus approaching showed no sign of slowing down. Most of the students managed to flee back to safety, but a first-year female

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Supermoon tonight: next month super supermoon with eclipse

moon
Events 
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Taipei Planetarium says that a super moon will be visible tonight, April 27, and May 26 will see a larger supermoon with an eclipse. Planetarium astronomers said that because of the moon’s elliptical orbit, the distance from the earth of every full moon is different. When the moon is closer to the earth, it appears bigger and brighter. Today’s full moon will rise at 6:36 pm and reach the perigee – the closest point of orbit to the earth –

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Female drug suspect dead after police fire at car

police road check
Drugs 
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One of two females who attempted to escape from a police checkpoint died after an officer fired two shots at the car in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City yesterday, April 25. Police stopped an Audi SUV driven by a 29-year-old woman named Lin at a roadside checkpoint on Zhonggang East Road at around 10:00 pm. Traveling with Ms Lin was 30-year-old woman, also named Lin, but unrelated. Both women wound down their windows and cooperated with police until, a license

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Bunun warriors fire 25-gun salute to fallen ancestors on April 25

Bunun warriors fire their weapons
Culture 
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Members of the Bunun ethnic indigenous people in Zhuoxi Township, Hualien County fired a 25-gun salute at the opening of an annual ceremony, linking generations from the past, to the present, and into the future today, April 25. The 25 shots fired from the hunter’s guns represented 23 Bunun men who were executed in the Dafen Incident, in 1915, when Japanese authorities attempted to confiscate the hunting rifles that the tribe were dependent on to survive; and two men who

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Construction worker survives being hit by express train in Yilan County

worker hit by train
Breaking News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A construction worker is injured but lucky to be alive after being hit by an express train traveling at full speed in Yilan County today, April 23. Video footage of the incident shows the worker attempting to outrun the speeding Taroko Express train to cross the track before being hit and thrown onto a second track at 8:45 am. Yilan County Fire Department said that the man was conscious but suffering from chest pain, a suspected fractured shoulder, and a

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7-year-old brain-dead after being thrown more than 20 times in judo class

judo coach and students
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 6 Comments

A 7-year-old boy suffered an intracranial hemorrhage and will remain in a vegetative state even if he survives being taken off the life support systems, doctors said, after performing surgery on the boy who was rushed to hospital after losing consciousness during a judo class in Taichung City, Wednesday, April 21. The first grade student of Nanyang Elementary School in Fengyuan District, Taichung City, named Huang, was in his second judo class, after enrolling April 8, when the coach allegedly

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Snitches get riches reporting cigarette butt littering in Miaoli County

cigarette butt dropped from scooter
Society 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

The Miaoli County Environmental Protection Bureau announced today that it has already received reports of 10,994 littering cases of which 90% consisted of dropping cigarette butts via the “Incentive Measures for Violation of Waste Clearance Cases” system this year. Two informants reported more than 800 cases of littering in a single month, and if every case results in a fine, each of those two informants will have earned more than NT$384,000 (US$13,672). The calculation is based on a fine of

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Man seriously injured after paraglider accident

injured paraglider being put into ambulance
Aviation 
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A paragliding instructor was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after crash landing on a beach in Dulan Township, Taitung County today, April 23. According to China Times, the 70-year-old senior instructor, named Deng, was flying a powered paraglider at around noon, when it suddenly lost power and fell from a height of around three stories. Witnesses at a nearby camping area immediately called emergency services and rushed to the man’s assistance. Deng suffered a serious head injury and was

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Poll indicates majority of Taiwan’s population unwilling to swap masks for vaccine

online poll image
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , ,

A majority of people in Taiwan would prefer to continue wearing masks over taking a vaccine for COVID-19 according to poll results on Yahoo News. Yahoo began conducting the poll after the Minister of Health, Chen Shih-chung said that mask mandates will be lifted after “vaccination rates reach a certain level.” The statement was made as a response to a question during a press conference, April 21, in which a Reuters report was quoted pointing out that Israel [somewhat] relaxed

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Large cannabis grow-op uncovered in Hsinchu County

cannabis plants
Drugs 
Phillip Charlier 3 Comments , ,

The Criminal Investigation Bureau raided a property in Hsinchu County recently and uncovered a marijuana cultivation operation with more than 1,600 plants, the CIB revealed at a press conference today, April 21. A police spokesperson said that the Taipei office of the CIB received a report in mid-March that a drug cartel had rented a large factory in Hsinchu to plant cannabis. The subsequent investigation found that seedlings were raised in the factory, then transferred to a property in the

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