Taiwan’s state oil company, CPC Corporation, is planning to buy 6 million tons of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually and take part in project development, with total investment estimated at up to US$4.4 billion. Economic Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said Wednesday that because procurement is not expected to begin until 2032 at the earliest, the related budget will not be drawn up until 2031, and only after the deal is finalized.

This week, Amanda and Hanna are tackling: a new kind of oil deal that no one seems excited for, and an update on what’s going on with the Cockroach party. Then, we’ll close out with a little bit about the nobel prizes, and one winner who made us chuckle. 

In this Session 2 of Geek Out!'s anniversary special play-through of Kids on Bikes, Tomasz, Hanna, Tristan, and Amanda navigate the trickery of Ghost Month in 1980s Taiwan and what that means for what's haunting them!

Hello and welcome to today's episode full of lovely emails!  If you would like to contact us and have your message read on air, please send a letter to P.O. BOX 123, 199 Taipei, Taiwan, or email us at rti@rti.org.tw. You can also reach us on social media: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram at @Rtienglish.

Taking a step toward something meaningful is one thing. Understanding what that experience is trying to teach us is another. In the previous episode of Real Talk: Unmapped, Mary Anne explored how curiosity can become commitment through small, manageable experiments. This time, she turns to what happens afterward: how do we evaluate an experience without judging ourselves too quickly? And how can we tell the difference between genuine disinterest and the natural discomfort of trying something unfamiliar? Mary Anne also clarifies the difference between the full, paid Striving Styles Personality Assessment and a shorter personality quiz created by Dr. Anne Dranitsaris for O, The Oprah Magazine. The free quiz (available here) offers listeners an accessible introduction. Like any personality tool, however, it is best treated as a starting point for reflection rather than a final answer about who we are or what we should become. As this first Real Talk: Unmapped journey comes to a...

This film was the subject of my late best friend's thesis and marked the end of a trend in filmmaking that saw many popular works of literature adapted to the screen.

What is a climbing perch? A) A fish B) A frog C) A bird Sharks have been around for 450 million years. Even cockroaches have only been around for 300 million years. Homo sapiens, on the other hand, have just a 300,000 year history. What makes sharks so special? What kind of shark did divers in Taiwan run into last month? And how can you survive a scary shark encounter? Formosa Fauna is back this week to entertainingly educate you about animals both in Taiwan and abroad! Spend the next 20 minutes listening to this episode and feeding your noggin with fun facts about the animal kingdom so you can become smarter than all of your friends. Want to share your own story and have it read on air? Send your story (photos welcome) to tristan@rti.org.tw! See you every week for Formosa Fauna Fridays!

Today, I’m speaking with Feng E, the Taiwanese ukulele virtuoso who first gained fame at just ten years old. Since then, he has evolved from a young internet sensation into one of the most exciting and technically inventive ukulele players in the world, performing internationally and demonstrating just how versatile the ukulele can be. Feng E doesn’t just play the ukulele; he is expanding what people expect from the instrument. His playing combines rhythm, melody, and soloing in a way that makes the ukulele feel larger, more dynamic, and akin to a full band. He is also venturing into new territory with his upcoming album, *Grand Tour*, which draws inspiration from classical music, bluegrass, cinematic scoring, and his own original compositions. In this first part of our conversation, we delve into the craft behind the music: how Feng E transitioned from ukulele to guitar, his approach to rhythm and solos in live performances, and what lies ahead with his U.S. solo tour and *...