Former President’s historic China visit overshadowed by death of baboon

composit image showing former president Ma Ying-jeou and municipal officials bowing to dead baboon

March 29, 2023March 29, 2023 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Kuomingtang, Ma Ying-jeou

The first former president of the Republic of China to visit the People’s Republic of China may have made international headlines in recent days, but the leading news story in Taiwan was the tragic death of a baboon who was found fatally injured upon capture, Monday, March 27. [See previous story: African baboon caught after more than 17 days on the loose in northern Taiwan] An analysis of headlines from a wide range of Taiwanese news outlets collected by a

teenager hugs his grandmother as an earthquake strikes

Society

September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment earthquake

A high school student who shielded his grandmother when a destructive 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Taiwan 11 days ago was awarded a certificate of commendation for filial piety today, September 26, and his actions will become part of the curriculum in his school’s moral education course. Video footage of Qin Tangyan using his body as a human shield to protect his grandmother when the earthquake shook the family’s 6th-floor apartment in Kaohsiung City at 9:41 pm, September 17, went

man wrapped in bedsheet stands off with police in carpark

Society

May 10, 2022May 10, 2022 Phillip Charlier 2 Comments COVID-19, Hualien County, migrant workers, quarantine

A migrant worker was sprayed with pepper spray and restrained by police and paramedics after he jumped from the third floor of a quarantine hotel in Hualien County yesterday, after receiving news that his mother had died. According to reports, the 29-year-old Indonesian national had been staying in the quarantine hotel after testing positive for COVID-19, and was due to return to work today, May 10. However, on the morning of May 9, the man received news of his mothers

Society

April 19, 2022April 19, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment cannabis, cannabis cultivation, drug laws, marijuana

Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan passed the third reading of a bill today, approving amendments to the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act to reduce sentences for growing small amounts of cannabis for self use. Under the current law, the manufacture of drugs, including cultivating marijuana, carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison. However, recent judgements have interpreted this as being not commensurate with the principle of proportionality when it comes to small amounts grown by an individual for personal use. As

Society

April 17, 2022April 17, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment COVID-19, mass formation psychosis, virus mania

An 18-year-old man has been issued a fine of NT$1.5 million (US$51,500) after leaving his mobile tracking device at home and going out to play basketball after testing positive for COVID-19, according to reports today, Sunday, April 17. New Taipei City Department of Health said that the resident of Sanxia District tested positive for COVID-19 on April 14, along with other family members and his girlfriend. The entire family was ordered to stay in home quarantine. However, the man left

composite image showing search party and missing hiker

Society

March 31, 2022March 31, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment hiking, missing persons, New Taipei City, sanxia-district, search and rescue

Search and rescue personnel yesterday found the body of a retired tech company executive who went missing while hiking Saturday, March 26, and an autopsy today revealed that he had died after falling and breaking his neck. Search team members from the New Taipei Fire Department found the body of Tsai Chin-kuo at the bottom of a slope around 50 meters below a hiking trail in the Manyueyuan National Forest Recreation Area in Sanxia District, New Taipei City, at around

Society

March 29, 2022March 29, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment missing persons, New Taipei City, sanxia-district, search and rescue

133 search and rescue personnel gathered at a trailhead in New Taipei City this morning before dividing into search parties to cover 12 routes as a search for a missing hiker enters the third day today, Tuesday, March 29. Tsai Chin-kuo (蔡進國), the 64-year-old former senior vice-president of the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing company Pegatron, was reported missing Sunday, after failing to return from a one-day hike in the Manyueyuan National Forest Recreation Area in Sanxia District on Saturday, March 26.

food opened, crushed, and dug through in search for contraband

Society

February 20, 2022February 20, 2022 Phillip Charlier 2 Comments COVID-19, human rights, mass formation psychosis, quarantine, virus mania

A college student complained that food delivered by her family while she resided in a quarantine facility was opened, dug through, and crushed by quarantine personnel, making her feel that she was being treated like a criminal, but the Minister of Health and Welfare said that this was “necessary.” The college student revealed the information along with pictures on the student-oriented social media platform “D-card,” on February 17th. The pictures showed that packets of snacks such as potato chips were

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February 13, 2022February 13, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment police, Taoyuan City

Five Taoyuan City police officers have been charged on suspicion of negligent homicide after a man died while being suppressed on the ground following an attack on two police officers in 2019. On August 20, 2019, two police officers were dispatched to a restaurant on Guangming Road in Luzhu District following reports of a dispute threatening to turn violent at around 10:30 pm. The two officers, named Lu and Zhong, were confronted by a 37-year-old man named You (pronounced “Yo”)

convicted drunk drivers perform community service at mortuary

Society

January 18, 2022January 18, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment drunk driving, Kaohsiung City

Convicted drunk drivers performed cleaning duties at a public mortuary and funeral home in Kaohsiung City today, following a suggestion from the city mayor that came after a drunk driver plowed into a family of four last month, killing one, and leaving three seriously injured

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January 10, 2022January 10, 2022 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment population

The Ministry of the Interior today released population statistics for 2021, showing that Taiwan’s population continued to decline, following the first fall in population in 2020. The MOI figures show that there were 153,820 births in 2021, a record low, and a total of 182,732 deaths. The number of deaths surpassed the number of births by 29,912. In the month of December, there were 14,127 births, and 15,739 deaths, with deaths exceeding births by 1,612. The statistics also showed that

Society

Former President’s historic China visit overshadowed by death of baboon

High school student commended for using his body as human shield to protect grandmother during earthquake

Grieving migrant worker forcefully restrained after escaping from quarantine hotel

Law amended to reduce penalty for growing marijuana for own use

Teen slammed with NT$1.5 million dollar fine for playing basketball during quarantine

Body of former Pegatron VP found on fourth day of search: autopsy reveals fatal injuries

Search for missing retired Pegatron VP enters third day

Quarantined residents treated like prison inmates: food delivered searched for drugs and contraband

Police officers charged over death of suspect under restraint

Drunk driving offenders in Kaohsiung City perform community service in mortuary

Taiwan’s population decreased in 2021 for second year in a row