US Navy destroyer sails through the Taiwan Strait

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment East China Sea, South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, US Military, USS Mustin

The Burke-class Aegis missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG-89) sailed through the Taiwan Strait today, August 18, after completing exercises in the East China Sea, according to reports by Taiwan media outlets. Both Taiwan and China dispatched ships to monitor the passage, according to United Daily News. The People’s Republic of China sent a type 052D guided missile destroyer, while Taiwan assigned a Cheng Kung class guided-missile frigate, according to the report. The Ministry of Defense did not confirm the information,

firefighters work to extract a driver out of the mangled wreck of a truck in Kaohsiung City

Traffic Accidents

August 16, 2020August 16, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment concrete mixer truck, Kao, truck-accident

The driver of a concrete mixer truck died after his vehicle plunged around 20 meters off an elevated expressway in Kaohsiung City today, August 16. The truck had just left National Freeway One and was rounding a curve on an elevated exit ramp when it hit the guardrail and toppled over shortly before 11:00 am. The truck landed on the sidewalk on Yugang Road. Fortunately no vehicles or pedestrians were passing by at the time. Kaohsiung City Fire Bureau dispatched

Animals Environment

August 14, 2020April 16, 2023 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment animal cruelty, Formosan black bear, Formosan cypress, mountain rats

One of two leaders of a group of “mountain rats” – a term used in Taiwan to describe illegal loggers and timber thieves – confessed to killing, skinning, and eating a Formosan black bear, after bones were found in his camp, and pictures were found on his phone. Fifty police and 36 forestry personnel were mobilized May 7 to search for timber thieves in seven locations in Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, and Taoyuan City mountain districts, after a four-month-long investigation,

Traffic Accidents

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Changhua County, gravel-truck

The driver of a gravel truck walked away uninjured after a wheel came off a truck traveling in the opposite direction and smashed into his windscreen in Changhua County yesterday, August 10. Mr Jian was traveling in the northbound lanes of the West Coast Expressway at around 11:00 am when a left, rear wheel from a semi-trailer traveling southbound came off the trailer, bounced over the center guardrail, and landed on the passenger side of the gravel truck’s cabin. Fortunately,

marines deploy amphibious vehicle in preparation for tropical storm

Weather

August 10, 2020August 10, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment tropical storm Mekkhala

Marines equipped with amphibious vehicles have been deployed to flood prone areas in Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, and Pingtung County after the Central Weather Bureau issued land and sea warnings for tropical storm Mekkhala as it approaches the Taiwan Strait today, August 10. The CWB issued heavy rain advisories for all cities and counties for today and tonight, and rain is expected to continue through tomorrow as Mekkhala passes through the Taiwan Strait. Mekkhala is expected to make landfall in

tropical weather systems in northwest Pacific August 9, 2020

Typhoon

August 10, 2020August 10, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment tropical storm

Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau (CWB) warns that southern Taiwan will likely see heavy rain as tropical depression TD07 approaches, and say it may intensify into a tropical storm today, August 10. The CWB issued a report yesterday, August 9, saying that tropical depression TD07 formed in the South China Sea 630 kilometers south-southwest of the Hengchun Peninsular and is moving north at around 24 kilometers per hour. Maritime operators are urged to pay attention to the latest weather information, the

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar in Taipei, Taiwan

International Relations

August 9, 2020August 9, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Alex Azar, USA-Taiwan

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport shortly before 5:00 pm this afternoon, marking the most senior US cabinet official to visit Taiwan since Washington broke off diplomatic relations in 1979. Azar disembarked from a US Air Force C-40 shortly after landing at 4:48 pm, and was met by a delegation that included Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu and AIT Director William Brent Christensen . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the parties

Traffic Accidents

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment New Ta, police officers injured, Shulin District

The family of a police officer who was critically injured in a high speed collision while responding to an emergency call has agreed to donate his organs and corneas, after doctors declared the patient to have suffered brain death. The 21-year-old police officer, Yang Ting-hao, and two other officers, were riding police scooters with sirens and lights on when a 17-year-old male, also on a scooter, slammed into Yang at high speed at the intersection of Da’an Road and Junying

tropical depression may be named tropical storm Hagupit

Environment

August 1, 2020August 1, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment tropical storm, weather

After the first July on record with no typhoon development in the northwest Pacific, one tropical depression was upgraded to tropical storm status today, and another is expected to intensify into a tropical storm tomorrow. Tropical cyclone Sinlaku formed out of a monsoonal low pressure system in the South China Sea and was upgraded to a named tropical storm by the China Meteorological Administration this morning, August 1. Sinlaku is moving towards the coast of southern China and Vietnam, and

former President Lee Teng-hui and current President Tsai Ing-wen

Politics

July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Lee Teng-hui, obituary

Taiwan’s first native-born president, and first democratically-elected president, passed away in hospital this evening, July 30, after a long bout with illness. Former President Lee, 97, was hospitalized February 8 after choking while drinking a glass of milk. Lee’s condition deteriorated after suffering a sudden heart-related event on February 17, after which doctors performed CPR and put Lee on a respirator. After 174 days in hospital, Lee passed away at 7:24 this evening. Taipei Veterans General Hospital held a press

underwater explosion military ordnance disposal

Military Affairs

July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Gongliao District, New Taipei City, unexploded ordnance

Navy divers set explosive charges and destroyed a cache of 13 unexploded military bombs off the coast of New Taipei City this morning. The bombs were first spotted by a recreational diver on July 20, and a search of the area by navy divers July 21 located a total of 13 bombs. Although the age and condition of the military ordnance made them difficult to identify, they are believed to be from World War II. The area was cordoned off

US Navy destroyer sails through the Taiwan Strait

Concrete mixer truck plunges 20 meters off elevated expressway

“Mountain rat” confesses to killing endangered Formosan black bear

Truck driver unscathed after flying wheel destroys cabin

Marines deployed to vulnerable districts as tropical storm approaches Taiwan Strait

Tropical depression to bring rain to southern Taiwan, and could intensify into tropical storm today

Highest level visit in 41 years: US Secretary of Health arrives in Taipei

21-year-old police officer critically injured after collision with unlicensed teen scooter rider

Tropical depression intensifying and expected to affect Taiwan’s weather starting tomorrow

Taiwan’s ‘Mr Democracy’ Lee Teng-hui dies at 97

Unexploded military bombs destroyed on-site off coast of New Taipei City