Female drug suspect dead after police fire at car

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment New Taipei City, police shooting

One of two females who attempted to escape from a police checkpoint died after an officer fired two shots at the car in Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City yesterday, April 25. Police stopped an Audi SUV driven by a 29-year-old woman named Lin at a roadside checkpoint on Zhonggang East Road at around 10:00 pm. Traveling with Ms Lin was 30-year-old woman, also named Lin, but unrelated. Both women wound down their windows and cooperated with police until, a license

Culture

April 25, 2021April 26, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment aboriginal hunting rights, bunun, Hualien County, indigenous people

Members of the Bunun ethnic indigenous people in Zhuoxi Township, Hualien County fired a 25-gun salute at the opening of an annual ceremony, linking generations from the past, to the present, and into the future today, April 25. The 25 shots fired from the hunter’s guns represented 23 Bunun men who were executed in the Dafen Incident, in 1915, when Japanese authorities attempted to confiscate the hunting rifles that the tribe were dependent on to survive; and two men who

Breaking News

April 24, 2021April 24, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A construction worker is injured but lucky to be alive after being hit by an express train traveling at full speed in Yilan County today, April 23. Video footage of the incident shows the worker attempting to outrun the speeding Taroko Express train to cross the track before being hit and thrown onto a second track at 8:45 am. Yilan County Fire Department said that the man was conscious but suffering from chest pain, a suspected fractured shoulder, and a

Health and Safety

April 24, 2021July 13, 2023 Phillip Charlier 6 Comments Taichung City

A 7-year-old boy suffered an intracranial hemorrhage and will remain in a vegetative state even if he survives being taken off the life support systems, doctors said, after performing surgery on the boy who was rushed to hospital after losing consciousness during a judo class in Taichung City, Wednesday, April 21. The first grade student of Nanyang Elementary School in Fengyuan District, Taichung City, named Huang, was in his second judo class, after enrolling April 8, when the coach allegedly

Society

April 23, 2021April 23, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment littering, Miaoli County

The Miaoli County Environmental Protection Bureau announced today that it has already received reports of 10,994 littering cases of which 90% consisted of dropping cigarette butts via the “Incentive Measures for Violation of Waste Clearance Cases” system this year. Two informants reported more than 800 cases of littering in a single month, and if every case results in a fine, each of those two informants will have earned more than NT$384,000 (US$13,672). The calculation is based on a fine of

injured paraglider being put into ambulance

Aviation

April 23, 2021April 23, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment paragliding accident, Taitung County

A paragliding instructor was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after crash landing on a beach in Dulan Township, Taitung County today, April 23. According to China Times, the 70-year-old senior instructor, named Deng, was flying a powered paraglider at around noon, when it suddenly lost power and fell from a height of around three stories. Witnesses at a nearby camping area immediately called emergency services and rushed to the man’s assistance. Deng suffered a serious head injury and was

Health and Safety

April 23, 2021April 23, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment COVID-19, surgical masks, vaccine

A majority of people in Taiwan would prefer to continue wearing masks over taking a vaccine for COVID-19 according to poll results on Yahoo News. Yahoo began conducting the poll after the Minister of Health, Chen Shih-chung said that mask mandates will be lifted after “vaccination rates reach a certain level.” The statement was made as a response to a question during a press conference, April 21, in which a Reuters report was quoted pointing out that Israel [somewhat] relaxed

Drugs

April 21, 2021April 21, 2021 Phillip Charlier 3 Comments cannabis cultivation, Hsinchu County, marijuana

The Criminal Investigation Bureau raided a property in Hsinchu County recently and uncovered a marijuana cultivation operation with more than 1,600 plants, the CIB revealed at a press conference today, April 21. A police spokesperson said that the Taipei office of the CIB received a report in mid-March that a drug cartel had rented a large factory in Hsinchu to plant cannabis. The subsequent investigation found that seedlings were raised in the factory, then transferred to a property in the

International Relations

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment China expansionism, Chinese Communist Party, Czech Republic, united front

The Czech think tank, European Values Center for Security Policy (EVC), will open an office in Taipei later this year, as part of its Red Watch Program, according to a press release issued today, April 20. The Taipei Office of the Red Watch Program will focus on monitoring Chinese influence operations. EVC signed a partnership agreement with Taiwan’s representative Ke Liang-Ruey at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague today. The EVC press release referred to Ke as “The

Earthquakes

April 18, 2021April 19, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment earthquake, Hualien County

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake was followed three minutes later by one of magnitude 6.2, both centered in Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast, late Sunday evening, April 18. The first quake struck at 10:11 pm with an epicenter 19.2 kilometers southwest of Hualien County Hall at a focal depth of 15 kilometers, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB). At 10:14 pm a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck with an epicenter at almost the same location, 20.2 kilometers southwest of Hualien

body of missing pilot found on rocks in intertidal zone

Military Affairs

April 18, 2021April 18, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment air-force, Pingtung County, plane crash, search and rescue

The remains of a pilot who was missing for 27 days after the collision and crash of two air force F-5E fighter jets were found just 100 meters from Nanren Fishing Port in Pingtung County this morning, April 18. Captain Pan Ying-chun (潘穎諄) was one of two pilots who ejected after the two planes collided during a change in formation off the coast of Pingtung County, March 22. See previous story: One fighter pilot dead, one missing after mid-air collision

Female drug suspect dead after police fire at car

Bunun warriors fire 25-gun salute to fallen ancestors on April 25

Construction worker survives being hit by express train in Yilan County

7-year-old brain-dead after being thrown more than 20 times in judo class

Snitches get riches reporting cigarette butt littering in Miaoli County

Man seriously injured after paraglider accident

Poll indicates majority of Taiwan’s population unwilling to swap masks for vaccine

Large cannabis grow-op uncovered in Hsinchu County

European Values think tank communist-watch program to open Taipei Office

Magnitude 5.8 and 6.2 earthquakes just 3 minutes apart shake Taiwan

Body of fighter pilot found 27 days after crash