Police, Reporters, and Protesters Injured as Pension Reform Protests Turn Violent

police and protesters smoke bombs
Protest 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

[Picture: CNA] Protesters dragged police and reporters into the crowd and beat them up, as violence erupted outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei City, yesterday, April 25. Up to 84 police, and 11 reporters were counted among the injured this morning, while one protester lost a finger when he came into contact with razor-wire, while attempting to break open the gate. Protesters threw smoke bombs and water bottles at police guarding the building, which houses Taiwan’s legislature. The protesters also,

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Road Worker Killed in Hit and Run: Truck Driver Arrested

site of fatal hit and run on national freeway 3
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A truck driver was arrested in Pingtung County late last night after police traced a vehicle involved in a fatal hit and run incident on National Freeway 3 yesterday afternoon. At around 2:50pm, in the south bound lanes of Freeway 3 in Tainan, a 57 year old road construction worker died after a truck crashed through traffic cones into a newly-paved section of road. More than a dozen workers were engaged in installing reflectors on the section at the time.

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Man Throws Petrol Bomb at Hospital

arsonist throws molotov cocktail/petrol bomb
Violent Crimes 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A man threw a petrol bomb into the lobby of a hospital in Taipei City Saturday afternoon, in order to express his dissatisfaction about surgery he received at the institution. A man with the surname Weng, 42, was dissatisfied that he was still experiencing pain after ankle surgery he received late last year. On the afternoon of April 21, he filled a rice wine bottle with gasoline at a gas station in Danshui District, then rode his scooter to the

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Three Highway Police Killed in the Line of Duty

Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Three people, including two highway police officers, were killed when a truck slammed into them on National Highway 1 this morning in Tainan. At around 5:30am, police officers pulled over a truck found to be in violation of traffic regulations. While the officers were standing behind the truck, issuing a ticket, another truck slammed into the parked patrol car behind them, crushing the three men between the truck and the patrol car. All three died at the scene of the

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Two Taiwanese Men Caught Smuggling Drugs into Australia

meth hidden in body brace
Drugs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Two men from Taiwan were arrested at Brisbane International Airport Thursday, after being found to be carrying 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine strapped to their bodies. Australian Border police first intercepted a 20 year old man who was found to be carrying a crystal substance hidden in body braces. The substance tested positive for methamphetamine. A 19 year-old man was arrested later the same day after arriving on a different flight. Border police said that the men were carrying a combined

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Abandoned Newborn found on Riverbank in Hualien

abandoned baby found in Hualien
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A woman found a newborn baby in a carry bag under a bridge in Xincheng Township, Hualien County, yesterday evening. The baby still had the umbilical cord attached and was covered in blood and meconium. At around 5:30pm, Ms Lee went to tend her vegetable patch on the banks of of a stream near Xinsheng Bridge, when she heard the cries of a baby from the direction of the bridge. At first, Lee assumed the sound was coming from on

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180 High School Students Stricken by Food Poisoning

Police officers, a nurse, and a sick student
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Around 180 students from a high school in Chiayi City have sought hospital treatment, after suffering symptoms of food poisoning since yesterday afternoon. Some students began to show symptoms of food poisoning, including stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea, at around 12:30pm, shortly after eating lunch served at National Chiayi Senior Commercial Vocational School. The numbers of students affected increased throughout the afternoon and evening. Two of the students were hospitalized due to the severity of their symptoms. Television news footage

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American Teacher Dies After Scooter Accident

American man David
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

A 71 year-old American man working as a cram school English teacher died yesterday, after being in a coma since April 8. At around 4:00pm, April 8, the man, identified only as David by local media, was riding his scooter on Jianping Road in Tainan City, when a 61 year-old woman named Chen, also on a scooter, crossed an intersection against a red light, causing a collision. David, who was not wearing a motorcycle helmet, was knocked unconscious and remained

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Amphetamine Factory Bust the Largest in Taiwan History

Taipei City Mayor Ke Wenje inspects drugs seized by police
Drugs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Police raided a warehouse in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, and uncovered what police described as the largest amphetamine manufacturing operation in the history of Taiwan. On the Monday evening, April 16, two men were arrested, and 259kg of amphetamine crystals, along with 7,000kg of liquid precursor was confiscated. Police estimate that a total of 3,000kg of amphetamine, with an estimated market price of NT$3 billion, could have been manufactured using the product on hand. The factory was located at

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MRT Graffiti Vandals Identified as Spanish

Spanish men suspected of graffiti attack in Kaohsiung City
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Three men who defaced an MRT train in Kaohsiung last week have been identified as Spanish visitors who have already left the country. The trio are also suspects in two graffiti attacks on Taipei Metro trains. In the early hours of the morning last Thursday, April 12, three men wearing hooded jackets and masks entered an MRT depot in Kaohsiung City and spray-painted two MRT cars. Police investigators eventually traced the movements of the men using CCTV and traffic monitor

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Canadian Man Charged for Sexual Harrassment

suspect in sexual harassment case
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A Canadian citizen visiting Taiwan as a tourist, is facing charges of sexual harassment, and has been restricted from leaving the country, after two women filed complaints to police in Taipei City. Bouazza Mounib, 27, allegedly approached a female reporter at Zhongxiao-Xinsheng MRT Station in the afternoon of April 12, and attempted to start a conversation with her. The reporter told police that Mounib touched her hair, and she yelled, “Don’t touch Me!” Mounib then allegedly stamped on her foot,

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