3 of 4 crew of sunken fishing boat rescued after 36 hours adrift on makeshift raft

men on makeshift raft rescued
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Three crew members who abandoned their sinking fishing vessel Wednesday night, May 5, were found adrift on a makeshift raft this morning, Friday, May 7. The captain of the Pingtung County based Yushunsheng No. 168 sent a distress call at around 11:00 pm Wednesday, saying that the boat was sinking after hitting rocks on a reef off Cape Eluanbi, the crew then abandoned ship. A search and rescue operation ensued after a Coast Guard cruiser sent to the location was

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Another record cannabis grow-op busted: Decriminalization “impossible” says MOJ

cannabis cultivation in Hsinchu City
Drugs 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments , ,

Hsinchu City police announced they had uncovered the largest indoor cannabis cultivation operation in history, and the Minister of Justice said that decriminalization of marijuana in Taiwan is “absolutely not possible” at a press conference today, May 7. The record marijuana haul, grown in a factory building, included 1,540 live cannabis plants, 7 kilograms of finished product, and 880 marijuana cigarettes. Police estimate the value of the haul at close to NT$500 million. Minister of Justice Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥) attended

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Crew of four missing after fishing boat hits reef off Taiwan’s southernmost point

coast guard personnel searching for missing boat and crew off south coast of Taiwan
Marine and Fisheries 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A partially sunken fishing was located this evening, but there were no signs of a crew of four, after the captain of the vessel made a mayday call saying his boat was sinking off Cape Eluanbi yesterday evening, May 5. A Coast Guard cruiser was dispatched to the location of the sinking vessel after the captain of the Pingtung County-based Yushunsheng no. 168 sent a distress call, saying that his ship was taking on water after hitting rocks on a

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Death of toddler exposes danger of folding tables, importance of parental supervision

folding mahjong table
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

The danger posed by a common item of furniture found in almost every Taiwanese household has been put into the spotlight after a 3-year-old boy died clamped in the legs of a folding table in his home in Taichung City, yesterday, May 3. The parents of the toddler, named Chen, were putting their one-year-old to sleep while the 3-year-old boy was playing alone upstairs, according to reports, including Liberty Times. After around 20 minutes, the 57-year-old father went upstairs to

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Pilots under pressure: keeping your job is a challenge for locals and foreigners alike

pilots wearing ppe on long haul flights
Aviation 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments ,

The Novotel hotel at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport will no longer provide accommodation to foreign pilots after an outbreak of COVID-19, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, Friday, April 30. Health and Welfare Minister and Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) director Chen Shih-chung said that the most likely source for the infection was a foreign pilot, and that foreign pilots have “divergent” behaviors, being less likely to follow instructions for epidemic prevention. Four of 10 CAL pilots who tested

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Belarusian man dies in suspected accidental fall

courtyard where man was found
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A Belarusian resident died after falling from a window of his 10th-floor apartment in Wanli District this morning, according to reports today, May 2. The community manager said that he heard a loud noise in the courtyard at around 10:00 am, and on inspection found the man lying on the ground. Paramedics rushed the man to Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, but he was declared dead 30 minutes after arrival. Police investigating the case said that the man was 34-year-old

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Chinese man crosses Taiwan Strait in inflatable boat: yearning for freedom and democracy

inflatable boat
Society 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A man was arrested at Taichung Harbor yesterday after crossing the Taiwan Strait from Fujian Province, China in an outboard-motor-powered inflatable boat. Coast Guard officers and harbor police were alerted to the man’s arrival at the Taichung Harbor West Warf at around 2:00 am yesterday. The 33-year-old man named Zhou said that he is from Sichuan Province and had purchased the boat and motor on Huabao.com for RMB16,000. He also purchased four fuel containers with a capacity of 125 liters.

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Miaoli County farmers create field painting for Mother’s Day

mother's day painting rice field
Culture 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Farmers in Yuanli Township in Miaoli County have created a rice field “painting” dedicated to mothers ahead of Mother’s Day, and it will last to early July, the Yuanli Township Farmers’ Association says. The rice isn’t actually painted, the association pointed out, but rather is created by using five different varieties of rice producing different colors. A viewing platform was constructed, and opened in mid-April, and the peak viewing season will be from May to early July. The association has

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Taiwan’s Hidden Power: How Taiwan can expand its power & role as a beacon of hope

Taipei City
Guest Commentary 
Guest Commentary 1 Comment ,

By Colin Hodge A WORRYING TREND & A REASON FOR HOPE Worldwide, there’s a dangerous trend that threatens human rights, freedoms, and democracy. There are rising and emboldened powers working to suppress these freedoms, both inside and outside of their borders, in established democracies and in authoritarian governments alike. As an American, I’ve witnessed the fragility of our rights & democracy over the past few years.  As an American living here, I’ve felt solidarity with my friends in Taiwan, Hong

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High school student dead after being hit by bus on pedestrian crossing

pedestrian crossing in front of Jiayang Technical and Commercial High School
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A 16-year-old girl died after being hit by a bus on a pedestrian crossing in front of her school in Taichung City this morning, April 30. According to reports, at around 7:50 am, a group of students had started to cross the road at the entrance of Jiayang High School with a green walk signal, when a speeding bus approaching showed no sign of slowing down. Most of the students managed to flee back to safety, but a first-year female

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Supermoon tonight: next month super supermoon with eclipse

moon
Events 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Taipei Planetarium says that a super moon will be visible tonight, April 27, and May 26 will see a larger supermoon with an eclipse. Planetarium astronomers said that because of the moon’s elliptical orbit, the distance from the earth of every full moon is different. When the moon is closer to the earth, it appears bigger and brighter. Today’s full moon will rise at 6:36 pm and reach the perigee – the closest point of orbit to the earth –

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