United Nations Women excludes Taiwan in survey of women’s participation in politics

March 14, 2020March 14, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Presidential Office, United Nations

Taiwan’s Presidential Office slammed the United Nation’s agency representing the empowerment of women – UN Women, after the international body lumped Taiwan in with China in a survey released recently on women’s participation in politics. UN Women didn’t even count Taiwan among nations with a woman as head of state, claiming that only 20 countries had a woman as head of state. The Presidential Office corrected this on a graphic tweeted by the spokesperson yesterday, March 13. As can be

Business and Economy

March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Chen Chien-jen, COVID-19, popular delusions and the madness of crowds

Taiwan’s Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) called out World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his unprofessional interpretation of data, after world health body claimed a 3.4% mortality rate from COVID-19. Vice-President Chen, a qualified epidemiologist, who helped steer Taiwan through the SARS crisis of 2003 while serving as Minister of Health, made the statement in an interview with Mirror Weekly. Tedros claimed in a speech at WHO on March 3 that, “Globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19

Media Issues

March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment press freedom, Reporters Sans Frontières, Reporters Without Borders, Suicide Prevention Act

Freedom of information NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare to amend a regulation that RSF believes could prevent media from covering suicide cases. RSF made the call in an article published on March 6 ahead of a March 10 deadline on public consultation over the new Suicide Prevention Act. The new law includes articles designed to prevent sensationalist reporting that may create copycat suicides, particularly among teenagers and youth. RSF believes that

river where two children of the same family drowned one year apart

Health and Safety

March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment drowning, negligent death, Wulai District

A resident of New Taipei City’s mountainous Wulai District has been charged for negligent manslaughter after an investigation into the drowning death of his son, just one year after his daughter drowned in the same stream. See previous article: Boy’s body found in same stream his sister drowned last summer Mr Jian, a 40-year-old bus driver, and single father, went fishing in the fast-flowing Nanshi River in August 2019, accompanied by his six-year-old son. Jian told his son to stay

Aviation

March 3, 2020March 4, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment illegal immigration, stowaway, Taoyuan International Airport

An man who remains unidentified four months after being caught attempting to stowaway on a flight from Taiwan to Palau appeared in court today, but had only one thing to say to the judge. “Dear friend, Jesus is God,” the long-haired, bearded man declared to the judge in fluent Chinese. Other than that statement, and a “thank you,” also spoken in Chinese, “Man A,” as he was referred to during the hearing at the Taoyuan District Court, remained cooperative, but

Crime and Criminals

March 3, 2020March 3, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment escaped felon, sex offender

Police are on the hunt for a convicted sex offender who robbed a betel nut stand in Taipei City today, after cutting off an electronic ankle bracelet and fleeing his residence in Hualien last night. Ou Li-yuan, now 53, was sentenced to life in prison in 1997 after being convicted for the rape and robbery of a female college student at knife point . Ou was released on parole in 2017 on condition that he wear an electronic monitoring device,

Aviation

March 3, 2020March 3, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment china-airlines, COVID-19, EVA Air

Taiwan’s national carrier China Airlines appealed to its 10,000 employees to be considerate and cooperative as the company faces an “economic avalanche” worse than SARS or the 2009 financial crisis. China Airlines issued the statement in an open letter to employees yesterday, March 2, warning that if the company’s operating conditions continue to deteriorate due to the epidemic situation, further contingency plans will have to be made. The airline announced that 49% of flights in March have been cancelled, after

A smokey Longshan Temple before a ban on burning incense is put into place

Culture

February 28, 2020February 28, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment environmental protection bureau, incense, Longshan Temple, religion

The 281-year-old Longshan Temple in Taipei City’s Wanhua District will ban visitors from burning incense at the temple in a bid to reduce pollution generated by the thousands of pilgrims and tourist who visit the site daily. Temple authorities will cease providing incense to visitors and will forbid people from bringing incense sticks from outside starting March 13. While reducing, and eventually eliminating the burning of incense has been a long-term goal of temple authorities, the decision to implement the

Violent Crimes

February 26, 2020February 26, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment homicide, Tainan City

A man suspected of shooting a man dead, and leaving a woman critically injured in Tainan City February 21 has been arrested and charged for range of offences relating to the incident. Investigating police were tipped off last night that Jin Wen-long was having dinner at a beef noodle shop in Jiali District, Tainan City. At around 7:00 pm, a police team swooped on the location, and arrested Jin as he was about to leave on a scooter. The uncooperative

Animals

February 23, 2020February 24, 2020 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment animal rescue, firefighters, Kaohsiung City, rabbit, snake and bee duties

Firefighters in Kaohsiung City faced a challenging mission after being called to rescue a pet rabbit trapped on an awning three floors high, Friday night. Not only did the firefighters have to deal with a rascally rabbit, the neighborhood warden kept shouting instructions, and making demands on the emergency responders, while complaining about their lack of efficiency. Kaohsiung City Fire Bureau received a report about the rabbit at around 8:00 pm, February 21, and firefighters arrived at the scene in

Violent Crimes

February 22, 2020February 23, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment homicide, shooting, Tainan City

Police today are searching for a man suspected to have shot one man dead, and left a woman fighting for her life, after firing six shots at close range in Jiangjun District, Tainan City, yesterday afternoon, just 60 meters from a police station. At around 3:00 pm, February 21, a 53-year-old man named Yao (姚) was found slumped in an armchair in the front room of his residence in a quiet fishing village, while his 43-year-old female friend, Ms Guo

United Nations Women excludes Taiwan in survey of women’s participation in politics

Taiwan Vice-President schools WHO Director-General on epidemic prevention and control

Reporters Without Borders concerned new suicide prevention law could affect media freedom

Father charged with negligent manslaughter after second of two children drowned

Unidentified foreigner who tried to stowaway on outbound flight appears in court

Convicted sex offender on the run after cutting off ankle bracelet

Airline warns employees of contingency plans as viral panic causes financial avalanche

Longshan Temple to ban incense burning by visitors in bid to reduce pollution

Suspected killer arrested after four days on the run

Firefighters spend two hours rescuing rabbit from roof, but criticized for lack of efficiency

Police hunt for gunman after broad-daylight execution-style shooting in Tainan City