Toddler’s finger bitten off by rabbit at leisure farm

September 27, 2020September 28, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment rabbit, Taoyuan City

A toddler who put his finger through the wire of a rabbit pen at a leisure farm in Taoyuan City had the end of one of his fingers bitten off two days ago. The story is being widely covered in local media today after the mother of another child, who witnessed the incident, posted the story on Facebook. The Taoyuan City Fire Bureau confirmed that the incident happened shortly before 3:00 pm Friday, September 25. A fire bureau ambulance was

International Relations

September 27, 2020September 27, 2020 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment

The mayors of New Taipei City, Taichung City, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) have lodged protests after the international climate action group Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy listed Taiwan’s members as cities in China. The group listed six Taiwan municipalities as “China” on its website – Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. The New Taipei City government stated today, September 27, that it will never accept GCoM’ dwarfing Taiwan. An official statement

Military Affairs

September 26, 2020September 26, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment keen-sword, US-Japan

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait are at an all time high after visits of high-level US officials to the free and democratic country of Taiwan. The Chinese Communist party is incensed, and has responded with provocative military flights, threats, and live-fire military drills in coastal areas facing Taiwan, including the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea. Some military strategy experts have suggested that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may take advantage of the US presidential

fire at chemical plant in Hsinchu County, Taiwan

Health and Safety

September 24, 2020September 24, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment chemical hazard, factory fire, Hsinchu County

A leak of chemical gas at the Far Eastern New Century Corporation Chemical Fiber Plant in Xinpu Township spread a pungent smell over large areas of Hsinchu County, could be smelled as far away as Miaoli County, and then caused a fire, Wednesday evening, September 23. The Hsinchu County Environmental Protection Bureau was first informed of the leak at 5:30 pm. The leak consisted of a mixture of biphenyl and diphenyl ethers, according to a United Daily News report. Residents

Traffic Accidents

September 21, 2020September 21, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment bus accident, Neihu District, Taipei City

One man died, and an on-duty police officer was injured after a bus driver dozed off and crashed onto a sidewalk in Neihu District, Taipei City, this evening, September 21. The Sanchung Bus Company operated Blue 26 bus suddenly mounted the sidewalk on Neihu Road at around 8:00 pm, skidding to a stop after around 50 meters. The bus knocked down a 54-year-old man who lost vital signs at the scene of the accident, and was later pronounced dead at

Marine and Fisheries

September 21, 2020September 21, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Penghu Islands, unexploded ordnance

Military bomb disposal personnel say that an object discovered on an uninhabited island in Penghu County is probably a naval mine from World War Two. A team of civilians contracted by national park authorities to do a coastal cleanup discovered the mystery object on Chutou Islet Friday, September 18. Poor sea and weather conditions prevented military unexploded ordnance disposal personnel from reaching the site until today, Monday, September 21. Media reports over the weekend noted that the mine was not

SUV crushed in collision with gravel truck

Traffic Accidents

September 20, 2020September 20, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment expressway, gravel-truck, New Taipei City

A family of three were taken to hospital with only “minor physical contusions” after a driver lost control of his gravel truck in wet road conditions and crashed into their SUV in New Taipei City today, Sunday, September 20. A 44-year-old man named Chen, his 39-year-old wife, and their 13-year-old son were left trapped in the severely deformed vehicle after the skidding gravel truck, driven by a 52-year-old man named Lee, slammed into them on Provincial Highway 64 at around

Police officer lays in a vegetative state 23 years after being shot

Society

September 19, 2020September 19, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Chiayi County, police officer shot

A man who was shot in the head while serving as a police officer in 1997 passed away in Chiayi County yesterday, September 18, after surviving for 23 years in a post-coma unresponsive state. Lu Jin-quan (呂進全) was on patrol with colleague Liu Neng-yuan (劉能源) in Banqiao City, Taipei County (now Banqiao District, New Taipei City), on the evening of January 25, 1997, when two wanted men in a stolen taxi purposely rammed from behind the police scooter both officers

Fire

September 19, 2020September 19, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment gas explosion, Taichung City

A family of three died when a gas explosion tore through their three-story residence, and a man in a neighboring house also died in the resulting fire, in the early hours of the morning today, September 19. The Taichung City Fire Bureau responded to emergency reports about an explosion in Longjing District at 4:17 am. Firefighters brought two fires under control by 5:08 am, only to find the charred remains of four people. In the house where the blast occurred,

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, and former Prime Minister of Japan Yoshide Mori at the Presidential Office in Taipei 2020

International Relations

September 19, 2020September 19, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Japan-Taiwan, Presidential Office

Former Prime Minister of Japan Yoshiro Mori told President Tsai Ing-wen today, that the newly-appointed Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, is looking forward to communicating by phone, if the opportunity arises. If the leaders of Japan and Taiwan were to have a telephone conversation, it would be a first since Japan severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1972. Yoshiro Mori arrived this afternoon, Friday, September 18, to attend a memorial service for the late former President Lee Teng-hui. After

Military Affairs

September 18, 2020September 18, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment air-force, PLA, Taiwan Strait

Jets were scrambled from air bases around Taiwan at least 17 times this morning after multiple incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by Chinese military aircraft. The Chinese Communist Party has expressed its anger over the visit of US Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, Keith Krach, marking the highest level official to visit Taiwan since the US broke diplomatic relations in 1979. China’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang announced this morning that combat drills would be carried out in

Toddler’s finger bitten off by rabbit at leisure farm

Global mayors group lists Taiwan cities as part of China

Fears of China invading Taiwan during US presidential succession: 46,000 allied troops will be active nearby in operation “Keen Sword”

Chemical leak spreads stench over large areas of Hsinchu County, then causes fire

One dead, one injured after bus mounts sidewalk in Taipei City

Object found on island believed to be WWII era naval mine

Gravel truck crash flattens car: family survive with minor injuries

Police officer shot in the line of duty dies after 23 years in a vegetative state

Residential gas explosion leaves 4 dead, 1 injured in Taichung City

Japan’s former Prime Minister Mori hints that new PM Suga may give Taiwan President a phone call

Taiwan scrambles jets 17 times as China buzzes island in anger at US official’s visit