Blog posts from the team at International Community Radio Taipei, Taiwan's only English radio station.
Monthly archive May, 2015
Taiwan This Week: KMT primary narrows down and heats up

Taiwan This Week: KMT primary narrows down and heats up

Taiwan This Week is ICRT’s weekly roundup of the top news stories from around the island. This week host Keith Menconi sits down with Gavin Phipps of ICRT news, along with ICRT’s Kaohsiung correspondent Michael Smith. Tune in every Friday at 8:30pm as ICRT news is joined by expert commentators to break down the week’s biggest...Continue reading
Taiwan Spends Most on Dialysis

Taiwan Spends Most on Dialysis

According to information released Wednesday by the National Health Insurance Administration, Taiwan spent more than NT$600 billion for medical care under its national insurance program in 2014, with dialysis for patients with kidney disease accounting for the biggest share. The top three areas of spending in 2014 were chronic kidney failure, dental diseases and diabetes. One...Continue reading
Pet Tax Plans Meet Disapproval

Pet Tax Plans Meet Disapproval

A Council of Agriculture proposal to levy pet tax is drawing criticism. According to a report by the Chinese-language Apple Daily, an ongoing online poll from the council has turned up overwhelming opposition to the measure. Opponents of the proposal said levying tax on pet owners would lead to a new wave of pet abandonment....Continue reading
Taiwanese Business Students Complete 112-km Walk in Chinese Desert

Taiwanese Business Students Complete 112-km Walk in Chinese Desert

Business administration students from four Taiwanese colleges completed a four-day journey on foot through a desert in western China on Monday, with participants from National Taiwan University winning an award for sportsmanship. Students enrolled in MBA programs at NTU, National Chengchi University, Tunghai University and National Sun Yat-sen University were honored yesterday for completing the...Continue reading
Culture Ministry to Award Film Director Ho Xiao-xian

Culture Ministry to Award Film Director Ho Xiao-xian

The Culture Ministry has announced a cash prize of 5 million NT for film director Ho Xiao-xian, who has won the best director award of the Cannes Film Festival. The ministry says based on regulations of incentives for movie makers to join international film festivals, Ho himself will receive 5 million while his work “The...Continue reading
Ministry of Foreign Affair Unveils Working Holiday Safety Tutorial

Ministry of Foreign Affair Unveils Working Holiday Safety Tutorial

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a short video to encourage Taiwanese youth to stay safe while participating in working holiday programs. The video is available on YouTube and is to be shown during a series of briefings held by the ministry to help Taiwanese better prepare for travel and work overseas. The four-minute...Continue reading
Taiwan This Week: May Week 3

Taiwan This Week: May Week 3

Taiwan This Week is ICRT’s weekly roundup of the top news stories from around the island. Tune in every Friday at 8:30pm as ICRT news is joined by expert commentators to break down the week’s biggest stories in Taiwan. This week host Keith Menconi sits down with ICRT’s Gavin Phipps, Nathan Batto of the Institute...Continue reading
'Shake It Off' gets surreal

‘Shake It Off’ gets surreal

What do you get when you have 49 animation students from the University of Newcastle Australia, give them a 52-frame rotoscoping assignment and a catchy Taylor Swift tune? You get this wonderfully weird animated version of “Shake it Off.”  Happy Friday, everyone!  Continue reading
Papaya Milk is Favorite Beverage of Office Workers

Papaya Milk is Favorite Beverage of Office Workers

  A survey conducted by a local website says papaya milk is the most popular night market beverage of office workers, beating out longtime favorite pearl milk tea. 1111 Job Bank conducted the survey of Taiwanese office workers to understand how they spend money in night markets. The poll says 34 percent of these surveyed...Continue reading
Taipei Zoo Announces Birth of New Chimpanzee

Taipei Zoo Announces Birth of New Chimpanzee

The Taipei Zoo has announced the birth of a new chimpanzee. According to the Zoo, the baby chimp was successfully delivered last Sunday and has been adjusting well to life at the zoo. From live camera footage set up by the zoo,  baby Wa-zhi can be seen clinging onto her mother Wa-wa. Just last week,...Continue reading
Night Market EasyCard Payment Plan Begins Trial

Night Market EasyCard Payment Plan Begins Trial

Easy cards just go a little bit easier. The Easy Card Corporation announced yesterday that The smart card system can now be used to pay for food in the Qingguang and the Ningxia Night Markets. The company is touting easy card use as both more convenient and more hygienic than handling cash. According to the...Continue reading
TV Program Featuring New Immigrants to Launch on Sunday

TV Program Featuring New Immigrants to Launch on Sunday

A television series produced by the New Taipei City government that gives Taiwan’s new immigrants the chance to tell their own stories will be launched this Sunday night. The 12 episode series aims to provide new immigrants information related to life and work in their own languages that they can more easily absorb and understand....Continue reading