Two Kids Thrown out of Car in High-speed Rollover Accident

September 5, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Chiayi County, freeway accident, National Freeway, seat-belts

Two children survived being thrown out of a car after two vehicles collided and rolled over on National Freeway 1, in Chiayi County, September 3. Dramatic dash-cam footage of the accident was released to the media today. The driver of the vehicle is suspected to have failed to pay attention to traffic conditions ahead as he overtook another vehicle. The vehicle clipped another car, causing both to roll over. Two children in the vehicle, aged 8 and 10 years-old were

Disaster

September 3, 2018September 3, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment drowning, Ilan County, rogue waves

The number of fatalities caused by large waves generated by typhoon Jebi rose today after two bodies were found off the coast of Ilan County and another woman drowned this morning. Seven people were washed into the ocean in three separate incidents in Ilan County yesterday afternoon when a series of large waves suddenly surged over the beach at Nanao and Neiwan. In one of the incidents, an eight year-old girl cried for help after being dragged out by a

A prisoner convicted of murder of wife and child

Violent Crimes

September 2, 2018September 2, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment death penalty, execution

Taiwan’s opposition KMT party has questioned the timing of the execution of a prisoner, after the ruling DPP broke a more than two-year long hiatus, and executed a man just a few months before nationwide municipal elections scheduled for November 24. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spokesperson Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) suggested that the Tsai administration had engaged in selective law enforcement in an effort to pander to the electorate with a show of being tough on crime. On Friday, August 31,

Society

August 31, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment demographics, ethnicity, immigration, multiculturalism, population

[Picture used without permission from ANS] Taiwan’s National Development Council (NDC) today issued a report that predicts the nation’s population will begin to decline in 2022, three years earlier than previous estimates, and NDC Minister Chen Mei-ling said that Taiwan will be a multi-ethnic country in the future. The NDC functions as the policy planning agency of the Executive Yuan, and releases population estimates every two years. The previous report, released in 2016, estimated that Taiwan’s population will begin to

driver seen rummaging around and not paying attention while in control of a bus

Traffic Accidents

August 29, 2018June 11, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment bus crash, Kaohsiung, negligent death

[Kaohsiung City] The driver of an intercity bus that crashed into the central traffic divider on the National Freeway in September last year, killing six, and injuring 11, was sentenced to a 4 year, 2 month prison term today, August 29. See Previous Story: 6 Dead, 11 Injured in Freeway Bus Crash. The Qiaotou District Court determined that Wu Xiesong (吳協松) was guilty of professional negligence causing death. Video evidence presented showed that Wu had been looking down beside him

Crime and Criminals

August 18, 2018August 18, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment armed-robbery, Nantou County, post-office

A man who robbed a post office at gunpoint in Nantou County yesterday was arrested at Taoyuan International Airport this morning, August 18. Friday, August 17, at around 4:15pm, a man wearing camouflage pants, a plain t-shirt, a cap, and a surgical mask, entered a small post office in a rural area of Lugu Township. The man pointed a handgun at a teller, and demanded the contents of the cash draw. The nervous teller handed over bundles of cash totaling

Ma Ying-jeou and statue of comfort woman

Society

August 16, 2018August 16, 2018 Phillip Charlier 2 Comments comort women, Japan, kmt, Kuomingtang, Tainan

The installation of a statue in Tainan City commemorating “comfort women” was “extremely regrettable,” said Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Wednesday. Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (JTEA) reiterated its government’s regret over the statue, saying that the installation and display of “comfort women” statues runs against the Japanese government’s position and its efforts in facing the issue. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Andrew Lee said that Taiwan was still pushing Japan on the issue, but the statue has nothing to do

Travel and Tourism

August 14, 2018August 14, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment hippo attack, Kenya, Taiwanese tourist, united front

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs today denied that Chinese embassy officials had gone to the assistance of a group of Taiwanese tourists after one was killed in a hippo attack, and 16 were injured in a bus accident. The Chinese embassy in Kenya had offered to help, but the offer was declined, MOFA said. On Saturday, August 11, Chang Ming Chuang, 66, died after being attacked by a hippopotamus at the Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort. Chang was rushed to hospital

Fire

August 13, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment hospital fire, Xinzhuang District

Nine people died and 15 people were injured, 11 seriously, after a fire broke out on the 7th floor of Taipei Hospital in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, early this morning, August 13. According to United Daily News, the fire broke out at around 4:27am. A foreign carer alerted staff, and smoke detectors activated the fire alarm. However, the temperature was not sufficient to activate the automatic sprinkler system. The Fire Bureau dispatched 79 vehicles and 243 personnel to the

Stupid Stuff

August 12, 2018August 12, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Changhua County, foreign affairs

Police in Changhua County failed to apprehend two foreigners who were spotted sunbathing on a traffic separator outside the Changhua County Art Museum today. At around 4:00pm, two men of Caucasian appearance were spotted sitting topless on a blanket on a painted traffic divider at the intersection of Gongyuan Road and Dongmin Street. Enthusiastic citizens took photographs of the pair and uploaded them to the Facebook Group “Changhua People’s Affairs,” urging drivers to take care when passing through the vicinity.

Violent Crimes

August 10, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment kidnapping, Neihu District, random attack, Taipei City

Passersby rushed to the assistance of a woman and her daughter after a man grabbed the girl and attempted to wrest her away from her mother in Neihu District, Taipei City, Wednesday, August 8. At around 6:00pm a woman named Wu was walking hand in hand with her daughter on Minquan Road, when a man standing outside a cafe suddenly lunged forward and grabbed her 7 year-year-old daughter’s backpack. As Ms Wu pulled her daughter by the arm, the man

Two Kids Thrown out of Car in High-speed Rollover Accident

Rogue Wave Death-toll reaches 5, Three still Missing

Timing of Prisoner’s Execution ahead of Elections Questioned

Taiwan will be a Multi-ethnic Nation in the Future: NDC issues Revised Population Estimate

Bus Driver Sentenced to 4 Years for Negligent Death

Armed Robber Arrested at Taoyuan Airport

Statue of Comfort Woman unveiled in Tainan Rued

Ill-Fated Taiwan Tour Group Pawns in a United Front Propaganda Game

Hospital Fire Leaves 9 Dead, 15 Injured

Manhunt Launched for Sunbathing Foreigners

Man Attempts to Snatch Girl in Random Street Attack