First tuna of the season a record-breaker at 320kg

Su'ao No.1 tuna April 2023
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 3 Comments , , ,

The first tuna of the 2023 season at the Port of Su’ao weighed in at 320 kilograms, breaking an all time record for first catch of the year, and a 10-year seasonal record. The 267-centimeter long bluefin was caught by the Zai Fa No.68 near the Diaoyutai (Senkaku) Islands in waters covered by the Taiwan-Japan Fisheries Agreement. The captain of the Zai Fa No.68 reported the catch at 8:00 am Tuesday, April 11, estimating its weight at 190 kilograms. However,

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Tourist hotspot transformed into missile launch pad as Taiwan counters Chinese military threat

mobile missile launchers in southern Taiwan
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , , ,

Tourists visiting a popular scenic spot on Hengchun Peninsula in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County today were confronted with a large mobile missile unit deployed in the carpark, as Taiwan’s military responded to Chinese air and sea maneuvers around the island. According to media reports, the anti-ship missiles were deployed at the location yesterday evening, April 9, and in the past have only been deployed on military bases and military training grounds. The fact that the missiles are deployed in such

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Driver climbs out of Mini Cooper crushed by gravel truck

mini cooper crushed by gravel truck
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A driver climbed out on his own, but suffered three broken ribs, after a gravel truck crashed into a Mini Cooper, crushing it against the central traffic divider on National Highway 1 in Hsinchu County, Friday, April 7. According to reports, the driver of the Mini Cooper was traveling in the fast lane of the freeway southbound at the 83 kilometer mark in Hukou Township at around 2:40 pm, when a gravel truck in the center lane bumped into a

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Bus involved in fatal accident was traveling 30kph over speed limit

bus straddling ravine following collision
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Both drivers involved in a collision were at fault, according to an investigation into an accident on Taiwan’s east coast that left one dead and four injured Saturday, April 8. According to the police investigation, at around 7:40 am, Saturday, the driver of an SUV executed an illegal left turn over double-yellow lines at the entrance to a camping area on Highway 11 in Fengbin Township, Hualien County. A bus slammed into the SUV before careering off the road and

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What response as Chinese military surrounds and harasses Taiwan?

Taiwan military anti-aircraft gun juxtaposed with 101 building, Xinyi District, Taipei City
Military Affairs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Taiwan’s military forces are on the alert and actively responding to provocative actions by the Chinese military as China lays siege to the island in a “rehearsal” for an encirclement and possible invasion of the island nation, but no international friends have come forward in any significant way to deter the aggressive act. On the first day of a three-day exercise dubbed “United Sword” by People’s Republic of China, Chinese warships and aircraft crossed the once-respected center line of the

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Smartphone app helps save motorcyclist seriously injured in crash

composite image showing crashed scooter and crash detection app on smartphone
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

Paramedics rushed an unconscious man to hospital after his iPhone crash detection app called emergency services following a motorcycle accident in New Taipei City early yesterday morning, April 6. According to a United Daily News report, the 53-year-old bus driver, named Zheng, was riding a motor scooter to work when he crashed into a traffic island on Hecheng Road in Zhonghe District at around 5:10 am. Zheng was seriously injured and unconscious following the accident. Fortunately, his iPhone crash detection

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Coast Guard intercepts people smugglers in southern Taiwan waters

fishing boat carrying illegal immigrants
Breaking News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Twelve Vietnamese nationals and two Taiwanese boat crew have been detained after coast guard officers intercepted a fishing vessel off the coast of Pingtung County three days ago. According to United Daily News, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration detected a suspicious fishing boat off the coast near Fangliao Fishing Port on the evening of April 3. Coast guard officers intercepted and boarded the vessel, and upon inspection found 12 Vietnamese nationals suspected to be attempting to enter the country illegally. According

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Automatic driver assist involved in most collisions with freeway maintenance vehicles: 29 crashes in just 3 months

collision with crash attenuation trailer
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Taiwan’s National Highway Police Bureau is warning drivers to not be overdependent on automated driver assist systems after reviewing data on the causes of 29 incidents involving cars rear-ending freeway construction and maintenance vehicles so far this year. Police said that an increasing number of cars are equipped with advanced driver assistance Systems (ADAS). While these can reduce the burden on drivers, the systems are not flawless, and the driver still needs to maintain awareness and be able to maintain

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Crane topples over on Kaohsiung City construction site

crane truck suspended in air after boom collapse
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

A mobile crane truck was left suspended in the air after the crane toppled over on a construction site in Kaohsiung City’s Xiaogang District this morning, but fortunately nobody was injured. According to a preliminary investigation by the Kaohsiung City Labor Bureau, the crane toppled over at around 8:45 am due to the outrigger not being placed on firm ground. Inspectors found that the operator had placed the outrigger on a drain cover, and the cover broke when the operator

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8 bodies washed up on Taiwan’s southwest coast in recent weeks suspected linked to people smuggling

offshore wind tower platform where body was found March 7
Breaking News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A total of seven decomposing corpses found washed up on Taiwan’s southwest coast, and a partially mummified corpse found on an offshore wind tower base have all been identified as Vietnamese, and are suspected to be linked to a people smuggling operation. A partially mummified corpse was found by a contractor on a wind tower platform around 10 kilometers offshore from the Port of Taichung on March 7. Because the platform was more than 10 meters above the sea surface,

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Former President’s historic China visit overshadowed by death of baboon

composit image showing former president Ma Ying-jeou and municipal officials bowing to dead baboon
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

The first former president of the Republic of China to visit the People’s Republic of China may have made international headlines in recent days, but the leading news story in Taiwan was the tragic death of a baboon who was found fatally injured upon capture, Monday, March 27. [See previous story: African baboon caught after more than 17 days on the loose in northern Taiwan] An analysis of headlines from a wide range of Taiwanese news outlets collected by a

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