President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan is willing to respond to the G7 summit’s call to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait at an international media gathering this Thursday, June 18, and called for China to renounce the use of force against Taiwan.

Get ready for an episode full of purely positive news, then find out how I would spend a US$500 grant from the Drop Dead Generous experiment to help an indigenous community, plus some tips on how you can start a massive ripple effect today without spending a single cent. This episode's headlines: Nature’s engineers: family of beavers saves London tube station from flooding. New vaccine innovation brings world closer to ending Polio. Taiwan fathers lead surge in flexible childcare leave. London hospital opens first rooftop ICU garden to boost patient recovery. MacKenzie Scott’s $70 million gift expands meals, care for millions of U.S. seniors.

Daisy and Brian are back for an episode all about nerding!  Listen to us get geeky about all things nerd and their new company that combines games and learning!  Check them out at Grasshopper Games!  https://www.instagram.com/playgrasshoppergames/ 

Today's episode features birthday wishes to one of our greatest listeners, Bidhan! Thank you for writing to us consistently and keeping me e-company via emails during Status Update. For anyone who wants to wish a friend a happy birthday, shout out to someone, or send good wishes to your close ones via shortwave and this program, please do send me an email or a letter!  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 English@rti.org.tw. You can also reach us on social media: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram at @Rtienglish.

Most people don't leave home because they want to start over again…yet that's exactly what happens behind every migration story. A new language. A new culture. A new career path. New rules, new routines, and sometimes a completely different version of ourselves. We leave in search of opportunity, but what happens when the life we planned doesn't unfold the way we expected? In this episode of Formosa Dream Chasers, host Mary Anne Sioco reflects on the lessons that emerged after a three-part conversation with Philippine Labor Director David Des T. Dicang and from her own personal journey migrating from the Philippines to Taiwan. From navigating uncertainty and the unexpected lessons of living abroad to the challenges of starting over, this episode explores a side of migration that statistics and headlines rarely capture. Because sometimes the biggest challenge isn't leaving home. It's figuring out who you become after you do. So join in on today’s episode for a thoughtful c...

This is the THIRD week of our monthly PRIDE-month special where we're talking with members of our local and global LGBTQ+ community about the stories that made them feel "seen." This week I'm talking to Janet, about the book The Honeys, by Ryan La Sala. We talk about how the book, through its gender-fluid lead Mars, invites the reader to examine their relationship with gender, and even ask the deeper questions about other preconceived "hard lines" that may not be as universal as they seem at first. Did we mention this is also a horror novel about bees and a mysterious death?

Which of the following is not true?  (A) Taiwan has zero heavily polluted beaches as of June  (B) A carriage horse in NYC dropped dead this week  (C) A teenager stabbed three rodeo horses in a Las Vegas barn early June Listen to this episode of Formosa Fauna to find out!  In this episode:  - Punch the macaque's enclosure invaded in Japan  - Taiwan's most polluted beaches  - Carriage horses in New York City, U.S.  - Horse stabbing in Las Vegas, U.S. 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!

Welcome back! You are joining us for the second part of our interview with Daniel Black, a New York rapper currently based in Taiwan.  In our previous discussion, we explored how his NYC roots have influenced his sound and his collaborations with local artists and beatmakers. Today, we will shift our focus to his lyric-writing process, the subjects he prefers to avoid, and some of his songs that feature samples. Additionally, he will share his plans for upcoming releases this year and how he intends to promote them.  Once again, let's welcome Daniel to the studio for our second episode. Daniel Black is an artist hailing from Jackson Heights, Queens, NY. His focus with his art so far has been storytelling. Whether the trials and lessons learned growing up in NYC or his travels and seeing how vast and amazingly awesome the world can be. All of that and more can be found in the lyrics of his music.  A lot of his influences do come from the hip hop found in NYC, but his overa...