Freighter catches fire at Port of Kaohsiung: one crewman rescued from water

burning ship with water canon focused on flames
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The crew of a Cameroonian bulk carrier fled, and at least one man was forced to jump into the water, after a fire broke out on the ship while it was under repairs at a wharf in the Port of Kaohsiung, yesterday, September 13. Kaohsiung City Fire department received reports of a fire at the Jong Shyn Shipbuilding terminal at 3:54 pm. Video footage from the scene showed fierce flames and thick black smoke emanating from the cabin and rear

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Leatherback sea turtle dies after ingesting fishing line

stranded leatherback sea turtle
Animals Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

Hengchun, Taiwan – A leatherback turtle found stranded on the coast of Pingtung County in southern Taiwan in July died of starvation due to fishing line stuck in its digestive tract, an autopsy revealed. Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council released autopsy results indicating that the cause of death was necrotizing enteritis, as the turtle’s stomach was empty, and its intestinal tract contained a total of 425 centimeters of fishing line. This obstruction led to folding and twisting in the lower digestive

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US, Canadian warships exercise in the South China Sea following Taiwan Strait transit

small boat operations in the South China Sea
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Ships from the US and Canadian navies are currently conducting joint exercises in the South China Sea after passing through the Taiwan Strait four days ago, according to a press release by the US Navy. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG114) is operating alongside the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Ottawa (FFH 341) as part of an exercise dubbed “Noble Wolverine.” The exercise is described as a wide-ranging exercise involving sustained Surface Action Group operations intended to

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Taiwan company launches mobile charging robot for EV charging and emergency power supply

E-Hero mobile charging robot
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

New Taipei City – Chander Electronics (TWE: 8068) officially launched Taiwan’s first-ever mobile charging robot, “E-HERO,” today, that the company says marks a revolutionary leap in electric vehicle charging technology and emergency power supply. According to the company press release, E-HERO combines the advantages of both fixed and mobile charging, offering flexible deployment options in various locations, meeting expansion needs wherever they arise. The company said that E-HERO is redefines the way we charge our electric vehicles, benefiting not only

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Outrageous road rage or plain stupidity? Driver refuses to give way, stops in freeway fast lane to block ambulance

Driver stops in freeway fast lane and gets out of vehicle
Odd News 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments , , , ,

An ambulance rushing a patient to hospital was forced to stop in the fast lane on National Highway 1 in Tainan City recently, after a driver refused to give way, and instead stopped his vehicle and got out to speak to the ambulance driver. Dashcam from the ambulance was released on social media yesterday that showed the ambulance speeding in the fast lane of the freeway with with its siren on and warning lights flashing at around 7:00pm September 6

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COVID vaccine injury payouts exceed all vaccines combined for previous 30 years: only 45% of claims processed so far

KMT caucus press conference
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

With only 45% of claims processed so far, more than NT$153 million has already been paid out to those injured by the COVID shots, more than the NT$129.6 million paid to victims of injury from all vaccines combined in the previous 30 years, it was revealed yesterday when Taiwan’s CDC responded to criticism by the opposition party legislative caucus. At a press conference yesterday, September 6, the opposition party Kuomintang (KMT) urged the government to expedite the review process for

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Typhoon Haikui strikes Taiwan’s east coast

typhoon haikui bears down on Taiwan's east coast
Typhoon 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

The whole island of Taiwan came under the influence of Typhoon Haikui this morning, Sunday, September 3, and the National Disaster Response Center is coordinating efforts to mitigate potential disasters caused by torrential rain and strong winds. At 9:00 am, the eye of Typhoon Haiku was situated 140 kilometers east of Taitung and moving west-northwest at 9 kilometers per hour. According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau (CWB), the eye of the Typhoon is expected to make landfall in Taitung county

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Weather Bureau issues land warning as typhoon Haikui heads for southeastern Taiwan

forecast track for Typhoon Haikui September 2, 2023
Typhoon 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau issued a land warning for Typhoon Haikui at 11:30 am today, September 2, forecasting that the tropical storm will make landfall in the southern part of Taiwan’s east coast early tomorrow, Sunday, September 3. At 11:00 am this morning Typhoon Haikui was located 520 kilometers east of Point Eluanbi moving westward at a speed of 17 kilometers per hour. Maximum sustained winds near the center are 137 kilometers per hour with maximum gusts of up to

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Victims’ remains found on train 2 years after disastrous train derailment

Railway engineers inspect Taroko Express train memorial
Disaster 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Pieces of human skull, bloodied clothing, and personal belongings of victims were found in the wrecked carriage of a train that stands as a memorial to one of Taiwan’s worst train accidents in a railway park in northern Taiwan today, September 1. Police investigators and Taiwan Railway Administration staff made the findings during a carpet search of of the train car after a piece of skull was found by a representative of the victims’ families during a visit to the

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Typhoon likely to make direct hit on Taiwan this weekend

forecast path for typhoon haikui
Typhoon 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Tropical Storm Haikui has been upgraded to a category 1 typhoon, and Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau has revised the predicted path to cross over the northern part of the island Sunday, September 3. Typhoon Haikui was predicted by most forecast models to pass north of Taiwan, but the CWB now predicts a direct hit on the northeast coastal area of Yilan County, while Weather Underground predicts a path over the central part of the island, making landfall in Hualien County.

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