Pro-cannabis legalization groups to hold “Marijuana Parade” in Taipei City tomorrow

April 16, 2021April 19, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment cannabis, cannabis legalization, marijuana

Cannabis legalization advocacy groups will assemble for a parade in Taipei City tomorrow, Saturday, April 17, and police announced relevant traffic control measures today, appealing to the public to cooperate with traffic control. It is the third annual marijuana parade since the first was held in 2019. “The Green Wave” and other civil groups advocating the legalization of cannabis will gather in front of Taiwan’s parliamentary building, the Legislative Yuan, on the corner of Zhongshan South Road and Jinan Road.

community fridge in Pingan Village, Taichung City

Society

April 13, 2021April 13, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment charity, Mustard Seed Mission

Press release by Mustard Seed Mission The Mustard Seed Mission (MSM) promotes the concept of “Zero Hunger – Build a Hunger-free Network”, achieving a sustainable environment by optimizing the value of food through sharing. No requirement nor condition asked, residents can get food from the community fridge whenever they need it. It is also a way to reduce waste of resources and show respect to the food producer. On April 7th, the first Community Fridge was launched in Pingan village,

home made boat that landed on Wuqiu Island, Kinmen County

Society

March 30, 2021March 30, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment illegal immigration, Kinmen, Taiwan Coast Guard

A man was arrested in Wuqiu Township, Kinmen County March 27, after sailing from Fujian Province, China, in a home made boat, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) revealed today, March 30. The 37-year-old man named Li sailed the rudimentary craft, made from steel bars, Styrofoam, wooden boards, and powered with an outboard motor from his home on Meizhou Island. The CGA said that Li had departed from Meizhou Island in the daytime of March 27, and landed on the coast

Disney characters on show at Tokyo Disneyland

Society

March 27, 2021March 30, 2021 Phillip Charlier 2 Comments gender equality, Japan

The traditional English language expression “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” is being replaced by “Hello, everyone” at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Resort in the interests of gender inclusiveness, according to Kyodo and other Japanese media agencies. Tokyo Disneyland and the resort have been “transitioning” the welcome announcements to be more accommodating to all guests with a more inclusive message that applies to people of all genders, Disney watchers and insiders, Inside The Magic reported. “Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo

Society

March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 Phillip Charlier 3 Comments cannabis cultivation, drug laws, marijuana

The penalty for growing marijuana for one’s own use will be reduced from the current minimum of five years in prison, after the Judicial Yuan deemed such sentences unconstitutional based on the principle of proportionality. The ruling was made March 20 last year, and lawmakers were given one year to make amendments to the law. Amendments to the Drug Harm Prevention and Control Regulations will be sent to the Executive Yuan for discussion tomorrow, March 11, according to reports in

President Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Su Tseng-chang, and President of Legislative Yuan You Si-kun attend 2021 February 28 Peace Memorial Day ceremony

Society

February 28, 2021February 28, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment 228, February 28, Peace Memorial Day

President of the Legislative Yuan, You Si-kun (游錫堃) said that he hopes today’s February 28 Peace Memorial Day will revive the historical memories of the Taiwanese people, and let people understand better, and cherish Taiwan’s hard-won democratic achievements. You took to Facebook to make his plea, after attending today’s 74th anniversary of the February 28 incident. “Democracy does not fall from the sky,” You said. Comparing recent events in Hong Kong, including the enactment of the National Security Act, with

Society

February 19, 2021February 20, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment transgender

An Internet celebrity who underwent sex reassignment surgery to become a woman announced that she was pregnant yesterday, sparking skepticism and controversy among the public and medical community. Jiang Jiawen (江嘉文) who goes by the nickname “Wang Yao,” made the announcement via Instagram yesterday, February 18, showing a picture of her belly, along with an ultrasound showing a foetus. Jiang said that she was 12 weeks pregnant. The 28-year-old Internet celebrity underwent sex reassignment surgery in Thailand in 2017. The

chen sanyuan, Pokemon Go Grandpa and his array of bicycle mounted phones

Society

February 7, 2021February 8, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Chen san-yuan, earthquake, Pokemon-go

A man who operates up to 72 phones at a time while playing Pokemon Go was the the most seriously affected victim of a glitch in Taiwan’s earthquake alert system, which caused 14 warnings to be sent in response to an earthquake at 1:36 am this morning, February 7. People were awakened by the alarming audio warning only to find the warnings kept coming after the the 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck 85 kilometers off the coast of Yilan County, on

site of fall from building that left one dead and one critically injured

Society

February 6, 2021February 6, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment building fall, New Taipei City, Shulin District

A man remains in a critical condition today after a woman fell from her 11th floor residence and landed on him as he was walking on the sidewalk with his wife and child in Shulin District, New Taipei City, yesterday evening, February 5. According to the police investigation, a 66-year-old woman fell from her apartment on the 11th floor of a building in Taiyuan Street at around 8:00 pm. A 45-year-old man named Wu was passing by at the time,

bus driver and passenger fight on sidewalk in Taipei City

Society

January 24, 2021January 24, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment on the buses, surgical masks, Taipei City

A bus driver and passenger had a physical conflict at a bus stop in Taipei City this afternoon, after an argument over the passenger’s improper wearing of a surgical mask. According to a China Times report, the bus driver, described as around 50 years old, had requested that a passenger, around 70 years old, put his mask fully over his mouth and nose. However, the passenger kept exposing his nose, and sometimes his mouth, and argued with the driver all

Society

January 23, 2021January 23, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Changhua County, wildlife conservation law

Two Vietnamese factory workers in Changhua County were charged with offenses against the Wildlife Protection Act today, after an investigation into online videos showing them killing birds using slingshots. Police began the investigation after videos originating on the platform Tik Tok were found and posted to Facebook. At least three videos had been uploaded since September 2020, showing the men targeting birds perched on powerlines, utility poles, and trees around Puyan Township. The videos show birds falling to the ground

Society

Pro-cannabis legalization groups to hold “Marijuana Parade” in Taipei City tomorrow

The first community fridge in Taichung: Building a hunger-free network in Taiwan

Yearning for Taiwan’s democracy and freedom, Chinese man sails to Kinmen County in home made boat

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” banned at Tokyo Disneyland to promote “gender inclusiveness”

Taiwan to reduce sentences for growing marijuana for own use after constitutional ruling

“Democracy does not fall from the sky:” Taiwan’s democratic achievements remembered on 228 Peace Memorial Day

Transgender couple’s pregnancy announcement sparks medical controversy

Pokemon Go Grandpa the most serious victim of earthquake alert glitch

Man critically injured after woman falls from 11th floor

Bus driver, passenger fight over proper mask wearing

Migrant workers charged for bird kills after showing off slingshot skills online