Taipei City plans to provide free lunches to all elementary and junior high school students beginning as early as this September. This Wednesday, the Taiwan Parents’ Education Alliance (TPEA) called for a clause to exclude children from wealthy families in order to direct funds to disadvantaged students, offering additional subsidies of up to three meals per day.

At 4 a.m. local time on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, that his administration had “carried out a large-scale strike” against Venezuela. Trump said the U.S. military had also captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and flown the couple out of the country. What does this mean for the millions of Venezuelans who fled the Maduro regime? In this episode, Valentina Aguana, a digital rights activist who tracks censorship and information controls in Venezuela, reflects on her reaction to the news from exile, how she views the political discourse surrounding the attack, and how a cautious sense of hope for a better Venezuela continues to sustain her.

Today's episode will feature New Year's wishes via emails I didn't get to read yet from our dearest listeners! Rti English team also wishes you the best and hopes that you will have an amazing 2026! Find out who has sent us the most letters in 2025!  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.

As 2025 comes to a close, Mary Anne sits down with her good friend Michelle Capistrano for an honest and heartfelt catch-up. Together, they look back on the year that was, share their New Year’s resolutions, and talk about why setting realistic intentions matters more than chasing perfection. From gratitude for the people who’ve supported them, to prioritizing health and learning to enjoy the journey, the conversation flows into bucket lists, travel dreams, and personal growth. It’s a reflective chat on navigating life—and the year ahead—as we step into 2026 together.

This week, we’re talking about the Emancipation Proclamation, Rasputin’s assassination, and finally the opening of Taipei 101 as the tallest building in the world! And we’ve got some great tunes to pair them with as well!

Our first episode is... ME (Amanda Stephens) talking with returning guest-host Michelle Chiang about a book I really loved in 2025. After discussing with so many guests about their favorite books, movies, video games, and podcasts from 2025 I couldn't help but share my own: Premee Mohamed's "Butcher of the Forest". This short fiction book exemplifies many of the trappings of fairytales, with a horror undertone which speaks to adults and makes "the woods" a scary place once more. Mohamed's work immediately puts readers in a reactionary position, forcing you to accept the world as it's presented, including all the terrible consequences it may entail... all within a read of a few hours.

As a university, what do you do when you have a stray dog problem and years of capturing and culling does little more than spark outrage among the student population? For one university, the next step was hiring some vet students to help with the culling incognito. They got more than they bargained for, though, as the group of animal lovers came up with a new plan that didn't require the euthanization of healthy dogs and actually solved the problem. This week Faith for Animals Director Otis Kuo sits down with host Tristan Hilderbrand to talk about the origins of the organization that date back nearly 20 years. To learn more about Faith for Animals, visit https://faithforanimals.org.tw . 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 ...

Today's episode will continue our interview with two members of deinovore, Nate and Han. We'll start by discussing how they got into playing instruments and what inspired them to get back into music. They will talk about their previous projects, how they met, and share their insights on the metal scene in Taiwan. We'll also get a preview of their upcoming album and hear some advice for aspiring musicians. Sludgy bass-driven vore-rock outfit featuring two bass players and a drummer. Slow crushing riffs and anguished beats evoke the struggle of being swallowed alive by a dinosaur or hippo, with the inevitable suffocation expressed in Cantonese and English lyrics. To know more about the band, please visit:  Streetvoice Facebook IG