Pit bull almost sentenced to death after killing child now a pampered pooch

composite image showing pit bull with thick chain, and being pampered indoors
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 3 Comments , , , ,

An American pit bull terrier that mauled a 3-year-old boy to death in rural Pingtung County in December is now living the life of a pampered pooch in Taipei City after being adopted by a couple last month. Animal lovers flooded Pingtung County Magistrate Pan Men-an’s (潘孟安) Facebook page pleading to save the life of the dog after it was handed over to the Pingtung County Agriculture Department following the fatal mauling on December 2, 2021. Agriculture department personnel placed

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Taiwan TV station apologizes to South Korea for “covidizing” national flag

Republic of Korea flag with covid-19
International Relations 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Taiwan news channel TVBS issued an apology to the people of Korea today, April 19, after using an image that combined the national flag of the Republic of Korea with a CGI depiction of the COVID-19 virus during a TV news report last month. On March 16, TVBS “FOCUS Global News Program” used the image as a background during a news report about South Korea recording 600,000 COVID cases in a single day. A screenshot of the image eventually spread

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Law amended to reduce penalty for growing marijuana for own use

cannabis seedlings in pots
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan passed the third reading of a bill today, approving amendments to the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act to reduce sentences for growing small amounts of cannabis for self use. Under the current law, the manufacture of drugs, including cultivating marijuana, carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison. However, recent judgements have interpreted this as being not commensurate with the principle of proportionality when it comes to small amounts grown by an individual for personal use. As

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Evergreen Marine ship EVER FORWARD finally moving after one month stuck aground in Chesapeake Bay

Evergreen Marine Corp. container ship Ever Forward being pushed by tugs in Chesapeake Bay
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A container ship belonging to Taiwan shipping giant Evergreen Marine Corp. has finally been refloated after running aground in Chesapeake Bay on the US east coast more than one month ago. The 334-meter-long, 117,340 gross ton Ever Forward ran aground on a muddy bottom after leaving the Port of Baltimore and “missing a turn” on March 13. The grounding came just 10 days short of the anniversary of Evergreen’s Ever Given getting stuck and blocking the Suez Canal from March

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Snake on a train: passengers evacuated after boa constrictor appears on luggage rack

snake on luggage rack on train
Animals 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Passengers were evacuated from a train car after a boa constrictor was spotted slithering along the luggage rack on a Taiwan Railways limited express train this morning, April 18. The conductor on the Ziqiang Class limited express No. 272 from Miaoli to Hualien received a report of a snake on the luggage racks of car No. 12 as the train arrived at Ruifang Station, New Taipei City at 8:19 am. The conductor ordered passengers out of the car and notified

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Teen slammed with NT$1.5 million dollar fine for playing basketball during quarantine

composite image basketball money
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

An 18-year-old man has been issued a fine of NT$1.5 million (US$51,500) after leaving his mobile tracking device at home and going out to play basketball after testing positive for COVID-19, according to reports today, Sunday, April 17. New Taipei City Department of Health said that the resident of Sanxia District tested positive for COVID-19 on April 14, along with other family members and his girlfriend. The entire family was ordered to stay in home quarantine. However, the man left

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Bipartisan US congressional delegation arrives in Taiwan to meet with key leaders

US congressional delegation arrives in Taiwan on US military plane
International Relations 
Phillip Charlier 4 Comments ,

A delegation of six US lawmakers arrived in Taiwan this evening, April 14, and will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Wu, and Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng, tomorrow, April 15, before departing Friday. Led by Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez (Dem. New Jersey), and Senator Lindsey Graham (Rep. South Carolina), the group includes Republican senators Richard Burr (North Carolina), Ben Sasse (Nebraska), Rob Portman (Ohio), and Republican representative for Texas, Ronny

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Taiwan’s gold reserves valued at US$26.9 billion: Legislator suggests “sell high, buy low”

Taiwan gold reserves
Business and Economy 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment ,

A legislator suggested that Taiwan’s central bank should sell some of its gold reserve while the price is high, as the market price reached close to US$2,000 per ounce yesterday, April 13. The Russia-Ukraine war, and rampant global inflation has driven up the price of gold, with prices of over US$2,050 seen in early march, and the price reaching US$1,973 yesterday. At the time of writing the gold price was hovering slightly below US$1,970. Taiwan’s central bank (Central Bank of

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Breaking Bad: chemistry prof used university lab, students, to operate “one-stop test shop” for Taiwanese drug syndicate

Drugs 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

An assistant professor and post-doctoral researcher has been prosecuted for using a university chemistry laboratory with advanced equipment, and having students unknowingly assist in testing imported and locally manufactured illicit drugs for purity, on behalf of a Taiwanese narcotrafficker. Zhang Enming (張恩銘), 44, was charged by the Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office for manufacturing category 3 drugs and other crimes following an investigation into a drug manufacturing operation uncovered in Yilan County in early 2021. According to reports, Zhang, a former

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Body found in harbor suspected to be crew of Korean tug missing in Taiwan Strait

police and coast guard personnel with body retrieved from Magong Harbor
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , ,

A body found floating in Magong Harbor on Penghu Island is believed to be one of four Korean crew members who remain missing after a Korean-owned Sierra Leone-flagged vessel went missing, presumed to have sunk in the Taiwan Strait two days ago. Penghu County Fire Bureau received a report of a floating body at the south embankment of the Suogang Wharf in Magong Harbor at 11:50 am this morning, April 9. Police and coast guard personnel retrieved the body shortly

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