A Taiwanese man who made international news headlines two years ago for using 11 phones at a time to play Pokemon Go, has since increased the size of his array to 64 smartphones. Chen San-yuan was featured in a BBC report August 2018 after being spotted with an array of 11 smartphones mounted to the handlebars of his bicycle. At the time, Chen was planning to add 4 more phones, BBC reported. Chen was 70 years old at the time.
Read more
Nine people were injured after a gas explosion in a beef noodle restaurant in Taichung City this evening, June 23. Shortly before 6:00 pm, two explosions blasted the restaurant near the intersection of Fenghe and Liming Roads in Nantun District, sending shards of glass across the road, injuring staff, customers, people passing by on the street, and even injuring one person at another noodle restaurant on the other side of the road. The Taichung City fire bureau received reports of
Read more
A retired senior officer of Taiwan’s 256th Submarine Squadron has published a new book discussing probable Chinese PLA Navy tactics to blockade Taiwan’s military and commercial ports in wartime, and questioning choices made in Taiwan’s indigenous submarine building program. Captain Jyh-Perng Wang ( 王志鵬, pinyin: Wang, Zhi-peng), former director of the Taiwan Naval Submarine Team Training Center, and former planning officer in the Strategic Planning Department of the Ministry of Defense, discusses the technology available to the PLA, and the
Read more
Fishermen operating off the coast of Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast caught six megamouth sharks between June 15 – 18, raising the concerns of environmental groups, who are calling for protection of the mysterious species. Global Knowledge The megamouth shark ( Megachasma pelagios ) was first discovered by scientists in 1976, and named in 1983. According to scientific papers, including this one, only around 100 specimens have been observed or caught as of 2018. When the megamouth sharks are
Read more
A National Taiwan University physics professor remains hospitalized after being dragged hundreds of meters with his foot caught in the door of a Taipei City bus last Thursday, June 11. United Daily News reports that Tzihong Chiueh ( 闕志鴻 ), a respected cosmic dark matter and black hole researcher, was attempting to board a bus at the National Taiwan University Stadium Station at around 8:30 pm when the driver closed the door on his foot and drove away. Professor Chiueh,
Read more
Joseph Bosco, former China country desk official in the office of the Secretary of Defense, said that a US military plane’s flight over Taiwan June 9 was a strong signal that the US does not consider Taiwan part of China’s territory. Voice of America Chinese reports the comments in an interview with Bosco, after US Defense Secretary Mark Esper reaffirmed America’s commitment to a democratic Taiwan in a series of tweets, Tuesday morning, June 16. Bosco, a senior associate at
Read more
A man who went missing after being separated from a hiking group on June 6 was found alive, but injured yesterday June 16. Yang Xin-zheng ( 楊欣正 ), 52, became separated from a 15-person group of colleagues while hiking on Pengji Mountain in Pingtung County June 6. Pingtung County Fire Bureau mounted a large scale search for Yang, a hospital deputy administrative director, on the evening of the same day. Search efforts were hampered by steep terrain and constant rain.
Read more
Prosecutors cleared a woman suspected of drug trafficking after receiving hemp seed oil sent by her daughter from the USA, because she had been legally prescribed CBD by her doctor. According to reports in Liberty Times and United Daily News, customs officials intercepted a package containing two bottles of hemp seed oil, leading to an investigation by the Customs Investigation Bureau, who believed that importing the substance violated the law, as it was a marijuana extract. However, prosecutor’s found that
Read more
At least seven boats were destroyed by fire in Yanpu fishing port in Donggang Township, Pingtung County yesterday, including five large ocean going long-liners. The fire started on a tuna fishing boat undergoing repairs in the port at around 4:00 pm, and in windy conditions, the fire quickly spread to other vessels. Electrical wires are suspected to be the cause of the fire, according to a report in Liberty Times. A pall of thick, black smoke could be seen as
Read more
US Senator Josh Hawley (Rep. Missouri) introduced a bill, June 11, to ensure that the US military is able to maintain the ability to defeat China even if it mounts a successful invasion of Taiwan, including an assessment of the use of nuclear forces. The “Taiwan Defense Act” is aimed at denying a “fait accompli” victory by the People’s Republic of China. The fait accompli refers to the possibility of the PRC mounting an invasion of Taiwan using overwhelming military
Read more
Taiwan’s new combat-capable advanced jet trainer Yong-ying (勇鷹 / Brave Eagle) flew for the first time today, as part of a series of preliminary flight tests ahead of the official first flight, June 22. The test flight at the Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung City this morning attracted military aircraft enthusiasts who gathered outside the fence to snap pictures of the colorful red, white and blue fighter-trainer. The test was the first of a series that will continue
Read more