National record for cannabis cultivation broken once again, after 1,600+ plant grow-op busted

a cannabis plant-filled auditorium in Chiayi county

February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 Phillip Charlier 3 Comments cannabis cultivation, Chiayi County, marijuana

Chiayi County police and district prosecutors uncovered a record haul of 1,648 marijuana plants after raids on multiple properties in the county, Sunday, February 21. The previous record for a cannabis cultivation operation bust for Taiwan law enforcement was set in August 2020, when Taichung City Police uncovered 1,361 plants in Nantou County. See previous story: Biggest marijuana plantation in Taiwan’s history busted in Nantou County Chiayi County police began an investigation into the operation in November 2020, and raided

Crime and Criminals

February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Tainan City

A man dubbed by Taiwan media as the “Mother of Satan” bomber died of suspected suicide in the Tainan Detention Center two days ago, and an autopsy was carried out on his body today, February 23. Wu Fu-hong, 49, was found dead in his bed in a cell of the detention center Sunday morning. Wu had a cord wrapped around his neck, and his mouth and nose were stuffed with tissue, and taped up, according to reports. Detention center staff

site of fatal accident at Haiduan Railway Station

Health and Safety

February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment industrial-accident, Taitung County, Taiwan Railway, workplace-safety

Two railway maintenance workers died, and another was seriously injured, after they were hit by a maintenance vehicle in Taitung County this morning, February 23. The three men were replacing a switch on tracks around one kilometer from Haiduan Train Station in Guanshan Township when they were hit by an electric maintenance vehicle being driven by a trainee driver at 8:35 am, according to reports. The three injured workers were rushed to Guanshan Tzu Chi Hospital, but two were pronounced

International

February 22, 2021February 22, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Chinese tourists, Shanghai

A woman visiting Shanghai Disneyland jumped onto the stage during a performance of Pirates of the Caribbean, and slapped an actor on the head, while calling him “debauched”, and saying, “you are not worthy of being Chinese,” and “you are an American pig,” Saturday, February 20. Video footage of the incident circulated on Chinese social media websites, Sunday, leading to lively discussions about the incident. Pudong Public Security Bureau said that at about 5:00 pm, February 20, a woman took

Animals

February 21, 2021February 21, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Hsinchu City, monkeys

Just a couple of weeks after a Formosan macaque was spotted apparently hard at work at his desk at Sun Yat-sen University, a Southeast Asian relative was recorded attempting to use an iPhone at Hsinchu Zoo, today, Sunday, February 21. Zoo visitors were amazed and delighted when a crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis) picked up a gold-colored iPhone and began to swipe, tap, and stare at the device’s screen. The monkey’s behavior appeared to mimic that of humans, although, perhaps due

Business and Economy

February 21, 2021February 21, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Tesla Motors, Tesla Taiwan

A Tesla owner in Taiwan recently claimed that his car’s navigation system immediately crashed when he input the name and address of a particular fish soup restaurant in Tainan City, and other owners have confirmed the bug. Well-known tech and car bloggers also tested the bug and have uploaded video to social media sites to demonstrate the glitch. The videos show Tesla’s voice-activated navigation system crashing when asked to navigate to the Kaiyuan Road mackerel fish soup restaurant (開元路土魠魚羹) in

cars and trucks piled up in 20 vehicle crash on West Coast Expressway in Chiayi County, Taiwan

Traffic Accidents

February 21, 2021February 21, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Chiayi County, freeway accident, pile-up

Two people died and eight were injured after a multivehicle pile-up involving six trucks and 14 cars on the West Coast Expressway, this morning, Sunday, February 21. The crash occurred on the Yunjia Bridge at the boundary of Yunlin and Chiayi counties at 7:30 am. One person was obviously dead at the scene of the accident, and was not sent to hospital. Another was without vital signs, and was declared dead at the hospital. Eight people were described as being

Society

February 19, 2021February 20, 2021 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment transgender

An Internet celebrity who underwent sex reassignment surgery to become a woman announced that she was pregnant yesterday, sparking skepticism and controversy among the public and medical community. Jiang Jiawen (江嘉文) who goes by the nickname “Wang Yao,” made the announcement via Instagram yesterday, February 18, showing a picture of her belly, along with an ultrasound showing a foetus. Jiang said that she was 12 weeks pregnant. The 28-year-old Internet celebrity underwent sex reassignment surgery in Thailand in 2017. The

crashed Teng Yun unmanned combat aerial vehicle

Military Affairs

February 18, 2021February 19, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment air-force, aviation-accident, drone, Taitung, UAV

A military unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) crash landed in Taitung Forest Park this evening, and the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) says the cause of the crash was an error in the flight control system. The UCAV took off from the Chih-hang Air Force Base this afternoon on a test flight, and landed in a forested section of Taitung Forest Park at 6:33 pm, according to reports. There were no casualties, but contact with trees caused

Business and Economy

February 18, 2021February 18, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment manufacturing, Taiwan Stock Exchange, TSMC, UMC

United Microelectronics Corp (UMC: TWSE 2303) stock rose 1.04% today after power shortages in Texas led to a shutdown in semiconductor manufacturing plants in Austin. The Texas shutdowns will exacerbate the global shortage in semiconductors, the Financial Times reported. Austin’s local electricity supplier Austin Energy told manufacturers to reduce or completely halt operations after a winter storm swept through the state, bringing record low temperatures, snow, and rolling blackouts that left millions of Texans without power. Samsung electronics halted operations

Japan amphibious rapid deployment Brigade and US Marines

Military Affairs

February 16, 2021February 16, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment defense, Senkaku-Diaoyutai, US-Japan

Japan plans to add three transport ships to support troops deployed on remote southwestern islands in response to increasing incursions by the China Coast Guard, and a new law passed in China authorizing the coast guard to use lethal force against foreign ships. Voice of America (VOA) Chinese language service reported that Japan’s government will equip the Ground Self-Defense Force (GDSF) with three ships for logistics support. It is the first time the GDSF has been provided with its own

National record for cannabis cultivation broken once again, after 1,600+ plant grow-op busted

“Mother of Satan” bomber commits suicide in Tainan Detention Center

Two rail workers killed, one injured after being hit by locomotive

Member of the audience attacks actor during Shanghai Disneyland stage performance, shouting “American Pig!”

Monkey apes human behavior after zoo visitor drops iPhone

Tesla navigation system bug: crashes if you mention “this” fish soup restaurant in Taiwan

2 dead, 8 injured in 20 vehicle crash on West Coast Expressway

Transgender couple’s pregnancy announcement sparks medical controversy

Military drone crash lands in Taitung City park

Texas power outage hits semiconductor industry: Taiwan’s UMC stock up 1.04%

Japan to strengthen defense logistics in southwest islands as territorial tensions rise