________________________________

Hi there, we've got another episode of News Bites for you...

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Paz Bueno.

In today's news...

What's in a horn, and a new look at ancient art.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…

We're ready to help you learn AND get in a good laugh. Stay tuned to hear all
about it!
________________________________

台中病患違法購買犀牛角粉。
Taichung Man Illegally Buys Rhino Horn Powder


For centuries, humans have believed that animal parts can be used as medicine.

Some people believe that tiger bones can cure bone problems in people.

Others believe snake gallbladders (蛇膽) can help their eyes.

There is no scientific evidence to prove this.

But many still believe it.

Buying and selling wild animal parts are mostly illegal around the world.

But it still happens often.

Recently, a Taichung man spent $4.8 million NT on rhino horn powder.

He was suffering from cancer and believed that the powder could help him.

From 2021 to 2023, he bought rhino horn powder six times.

He bought the powder from a traditional Chinese medicine shop in Taichung.

He says a friend introduced him to the shop.

It is illegal to buy or sell any wild animal parts.

So buyers have to be introduced by a regular (常客).

Police say they heard that the Chinese pharmacy was selling unknown powder
which could be illegal.

The police investigated the pharmacy and seized the powder.

Tests showed that the powder was made from the horn of an endangered Indian
rhino.

The Indian Rhino is a level 1 protected species under the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (瀕臨絕種野生動植物國際貿易公約).

The buyer and the pharmacy have been prosecuted for violation (違反) of the
law.

Punishment for breaking this law could be up to 5 years in jail and a fine of
up to $1.5 million NT.

Rhino horns are made up of keratin (角蛋白).

That's the same material found in our hair and fingernails.

Keratin is basically just dead cells from our bodies.

Scientists say it doesn't have any healing powers.

Experts say that even if animal parts can heal, they are no match for modern
medicine.

If you don't feel well, it may be best just to see a doctor.
________________________________

神殿大理石雕像曾經色彩繽紛
2,500 year-old Parthenon Marbles Once Colorful


Ancient Greece and Rome are well known for their marble sculptures.

The sculptures of gods and heroes are very lifelike.

They have awed people for centuries.

Some of the most well-known sculptures are the Parthenon marbles.

Every year, millions of people visit the British Museum to admire their
beauty.

For many years, many thought that they were pure white, but that's not the
case.

Centuries ago, they were once colorful sculptures.

A research team used a new technique to analyze the sculptures.

They looked at the sculptures on a microscopic (顯微鏡的) level.

And they found Egyptian blue.

It's a paint created by the Egyptians.

This type of paint was also popular in ancient Greece and Rome.

The team found Egyptian blue on many of the sculptures.

And there were other paint colors on the sculptures too.

The researchers say the artists put a lot of work into making the sculptures
look real.

They tried to mimic (模擬) real skin, cloth, armor, and a lot more.

And then painters added paint to make the sculptures look even more real.

Other than the Parthenon marbles, many other ancient sculptures may be made
this way too.

This means that the sculptures of ancient Greece and Rome were actually
multicolored.

But researchers say it is hard to know exactly what colors were on the
sculptures.

The main reason is that Egyptian blue was often mixed with other pigments
(顏料) to make more colors.

It's also very hard to identify the different patterns painted on the
sculptures.

Even so, the discovery helps us understand ancient art more fully.

Experts hope they can one day find out about all the colors on the statue.

This would give us a look into the colorful ancient world.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites…


A Taichung man spent $4.8 million NT on rhino horn powder.

He bought the powder from a traditional Chinese medicine shop in Taichung.

Police investigated the pharmacy and seized the powder.

The buyer and the pharmacy have been prosecuted for violation of the law.
________________________________

And,

A research team used a new technique to analyze the Parthenon marbles.

And they found paints of many different colors, including Egyptian blue.

This means that the sculptures of ancient Greece and Rome were actually
multicolored.

The discovery helps us understand ancient art more fully.
________________________________

趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

In today's Tasty Tidbit,

Get your thinking caps on, it's all about education and learning today.

You ready?

Why are fish so smart?

Because they live in "schools"!

And here's 13-year-old Shawn from Yang Ming Junior High School in Kaohsiung
on a student that may be a bit too smart...


If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with
us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to
newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it at the end of an episode!

We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
 

________________________________

Hi there, it's time for another episode of News Bites...

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Hope Ngo.

In today's stories...

Twists and turns at the airport, and seeing sea stars in a new way.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…!

You know how big and scary tsunamis can be, but what about a "megatsunami"?
Stay tuned to hear more!
________________________________

桃園機場飛機盃魔術方塊大賽
Taoyuan Airport Hosts Rubiks' Cube Competition


How fast can you twist and turn?

The Taoyuan Airport Cube Day 2023 was held last week.

The event challenged people to solve Rubiks' Cubes as fast as they could.

The Rubiks' Cube is a 3D puzzle.

It was invented in 1974.

The cubes are made up of many smaller cubes with different color on each side.

You have to twist and turn the cube, to try to get each side all the same
color.

The competition at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was a whirlwind
of speed, skill, and strategy.

The two-day event brought some of the world's best Rubik's Cube solvers from
around the world.

There were competitors from Taiwan, of course.

There were also competitors from the US, Japan, and Singapore.

All in all, there were 150 strong competitors.

They had to battle it out in different types of Rubik's Cube competitions.

There's the 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, 5x5, pyramid, and skewb.

And in the end, Taiwan athletes swept the championships!

最後，全部賽程都由台灣選手奪冠。

There was also a special demonstration at the competition.

A Rubiks' Cube expert Li Hua-ting (李華庭) solved a cube in a special way.

She used her feet!

In fact, Hua-ting holds the record in Taiwan for solving a 3x3 Rubiks' Cube
with her feet.

She also shared some tips and techniques.

She says finding the right chair height can make a big difference.

台灣3階腳解紀錄保持人李華庭說，要用腳解魔術方塊，最重要的是椅子的高度，只要高度適中就能快速解開。

The Taoyuan Airport Cube Day 2023 showed the mind-bending talents of people
from around the world.

And it shows how this amazing toy is still a lot of fun!
________________________________

新研究發現海星整個都是「頭」!
Starfish Bodies Aren't Bodies At All


Picture an animal in your mind.

Can you find its head?

Most of the time, it's easy to figure out where an animal's head is.

But that wasn't always the case...for starfish!

For a long time, scientists thought that starfish had five arms.

And these animals had a layer of something like feet, that helped them move
around on the seafloor.

And many scientists wondered if sea stars had heads at all.

長期以來，科學家認為，海星可能完全沒有頭部。

But now, new research may have a surprising answer.

A new study finds that most of the sea star's body IS its head.

不過最新的研究發現海星的整個身體其實都是頭！

To figure this out, scientists used new technology that helped them look
closely at genes.

This technology helped them see genes that control the growing of different
body parts, like a head, or a tail.

Then they looked at the genes on sea stars.

And they saw that genes for growing a head are all over the sea star.

But there were almost no genes for growing a body or a tail.

One scientist has an interesting way to describe (形容) starfish.

He says the starfish is basically "just a head", crawling around on the
seafloor!

科學家說其實海星經過演化後，就像是一顆頭，在海床上爬行。

This scientist has been studying (研究) sea stars for 10 years.

But he says there is still a lot more to learn about these amazing animals.

Some scientists think understanding more about sea stars could give us clues
on how different animals stay healthy.

This could help us solve medical or environmental problems.

And some think that learning about sea stars could even help us figure out
how life on Earth started.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites...

The Taoyuan Airport Cube Day 2023 was held last week.

The event challenged people to solve Rubiks' Cubes as fast as they could.

The two-day event brought some of the best Rubik's Cube solvers from around
the world.

And in the end, Taiwan athletes swept the championships!
________________________________

And,

A new study finds that most of the sea star's body is its head.

To figure this out, scientists used new technology that helped them look
closely at genes.

One scientist says the starfish is basically "just a head", crawling around
on the seafloor!

Some scientists think understanding more about sea stars could help us solve
medical or environmental problems.

And some think that learning about sea stars could even help us figure out
how life on Earth started.
________________________________

趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

Did you know that the world's largest ocean wave ever recorded was 524 meters
tall? That's taller than Taipei 101! It was recorded in Lituya Bay, Alaska in
1958. There was a big underwater earthquake, and the wave became so big, it's
called a "megatsunami". Two people on a boat, including a seven-year-old boy
were caught by the wave and lifted high up into the air, but they survived!

If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with
us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to
newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it at the end of an episode!

Tune in again next time for an all new episode of News Bites!
 

________________________________

Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites...

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Hope Ngo.

In today's stories...

A big year-end party, and a special honor for K-pop stars.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…

Nobody likes being stuck in a traffic jam, but this one would really DRIVE
you nuts. Stay tuned to find out what we mean!
________________________________

高雄聖誕跨年嘉年華12月登場
Kaohsiung Year End Party with Fireworks Show

Kaohsiung is ending the year with a big party!

The Kaohsiung City government says this year, it is combining Christmas and
New Year celebrations.

Officials say Christmas decorations will be put up in Kaohsiung's Central
Park.

There will be a big reindeer that's more than 5 meters tall.

And the main Christmas tree at the park will be 20 meters tall.

That's about as tall as a 5-story building!

The city government says there will be Christmas events there on December
22nd and 23rd.

And visitors can also enjoy the Christmas market there, with more than 250
stalls and performances.

Roads and shopping areas close by will also be decorated.

There will be lots of Christmas lights, and a festive atmosphere (節日氣氛).

Officials say the holiday fun will continue into New Year's Eve.

That night, Kaohsiung will put on one of its biggest ever fireworks displays!

The city government says the New Year's Eve party will start at 6:30pm on
December 31st.

And at midnight, everyone will see a big fireworks show that is four minutes
long!

Officials say that is 60 seconds longer than last year.

And this time, more than 7,000 fireworks will be set off!

高雄市政府宣布，12月31日跨年晚會倒數後施放240秒跨年煙火，迎接2024年。
________________________________

BLACKPINK獲英國皇室授勳
Blackpink Presented with Honorary MBEs


Stardom for K-pop supergroup Blackpink has taken a royal turn.

The UK's King Charles III gave Rose, Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa a special honor.

They were made honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire.

This honor is for people who have done great things for arts and sciences, or
served the public.

In Blackpink's case, the honor was for their work in helping fight climate
change.

The women were ambassadors for the COP climate change summit held in Glasgow
in 2021.

The king said they help "millions of young people" care more about the
environment.

英王查爾斯三世頒發「大英帝國員佐勳章」給韓國女團BLACKPINK成員，表揚她們支持環保的努力。

And he said that he admires the women for working on these important issues,
and being global superstars at the same time.

The king gave each member a medal.

This happened at a special ceremony, held at Buckingham Palace.

Jennie, Jisoo, and Lisa received honorary MBEs.

Rose was given a traditional MBE, because she is a citizen of New Zealand.

And King Charles is officially the head of state (國家元首) in New Zealand.

South Korea's president Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady, Kim Keon Hee were also
at the ceremony.

They were on a state visit to the UK.

Blackpink was also invited to a state banquet (國宴) at the palace.

They ate pheasant (野雞), and a dessert made with mango ice cream.

At the banquet, King Charles talked about how South Korean pop culture has
reached the world.

He talked about BTS, Squid Games, and of course, Blackpink.

The king also said that he has visited South Korea before.

But he joked that he did not develop much "Gangnam Style."

The famous K-pop song was also played outside the palace earlier in the day.

Many people visit Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard
(衛兵交接儀式).

Most of the time, the band plays marching songs for the changing of the guard.

But that day, they played many South Korean pop songs, including "Gangnam
Style".

The band also played Blackpink's "DDU-DU DDU-DU".

What an exciting day for the group!
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites...


The Kaohsiung City government says this year, it is combining Christmas and
New Year celebrations.

Officials say Christmas decorations will be put up in Kaohsiung's Central
Park.

And on New Year's Eve, Kaohsiung will put on one of its biggest ever
fireworks displays!

More than 7,000 fireworks will be set off!
________________________________

And,

The members of Blackpink have been made honorary Members of the Order of the
British Empire.

The UK's King Charles III gave Rose, Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa special medals.

The honor was for their work in helping fight climate change.
________________________________

趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

Have you ever been stuck in a traffic jam? Traffic jams can last for hours,
but how about one that lasted 12 days? That's how long the longest traffic
jam in history lasted! It happened in Beijing, China, in 2010. People were
waiting in their cars for so long that some drivers fell asleep. Others
started selling food and water to people stuck in their cars.

Traffic jams are so annoying. What's something else that drives you nuts?

If you have a fun fact or a joke you'd like to share with us, record your
message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might
hear it at the end of an episode!

Tune in again next time for an all new episode of News Bites!
 

________________________________

Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites...

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Hope Ngo.

In today's stories...

Searching for staff, and solving the Sphinx mystery.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…

Here's what happens when AI takes over! Stay tuned.
________________________________

旅宿業缺工
Hotels Facing Staff Shortage

More people are traveling nowadays.

That's because the COVID-19 pandemic has eased (減低、緩解)

This means now, there is more demand for accommodation (住宿), especially
during holidays.

But there is also a huge shortage (短缺) of workers.

During the pandemic, many hotel workers were laid off.

But now, many workers do not want to go back.

They have found new jobs, and do not want to return to the hospitality
industry (旅宿業).

Some data shows that many hotels are 30 percent short of workers.

Others are 70 percent short of workers in the housekeeping department (房務).

So many hotels have changed their check-in time, from 3pm to 5pm.

Some say that working in hotel housekeeping is very tiring.

And some say the pay is not high enough.

有些學者說低薪才是招不到員工的主因。

Other workers say there isn't a high chance of getting a promotion (升遷).

The government is thinking about turning to migrant workers (移工) to help
the shortage.

Officials also suggested that hotels can hire more middle-aged women and
elderly workers.

They say employers need to change their mindset and give these workers a
chance.

Other officials say the hotel industry does hire such workers.

But they say many are not interested in working in the industry.

Whatever the reason, everyone is hoping to find a solution to the problem.

Or customers may have to keep waiting a little longer to check in.
________________________________

人面獅身像不是埃及人蓋的？
Wind May Have Helped Sculpt Egypt's Famous Sphinx.

A Sphinx is a creature from myths (神話).

It is a being with the head of a human and the body of a lion.

A very famous statue of a sphinx, is the Great Sphinx of Giza.

The statue was made 4,500 years ago.

It is one of the largest sculptures (雕像) in the world.

Archeologists (考古學家) have wondered how it was made for a long time.

It was carved from one giant piece of limestone (石灰岩).

Experts now think a natural rock formation may be the sculpture's foundation
(底座).

These rock formations are known as "Yardang" (雅丹).

Yardangs are made from wind erosion (風化).

When the desert wind blows sand onto the rocks, the softer parts erode
(被侵蝕).

And the harder parts stay.

A team of researchers in New York tested this theory.

They took a mound of clay and stuck it inside harder materials.

Then they ran a stream of water over it.

Slowly, a sphinx-like shape appeared.

The harder material became the head.

And other "parts" also developed.

這項實驗結果指出，人面獅身像的形狀或許是大自然的傑作。

So the scientists think this may have been the first step for making the
Sphinx.

Then ancient highly-skilled craftsmen worked on the rock to create the
details.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites...

The hospitality industry is facing a shortage of workers.

Many workers do not want to go back.

Some data shows that many hotels are 30 percent short of workers.

Others are 70 percent short of workers in the housekeeping department.
________________________________

And,

Experts have a new theory about how the Great Sphinx of Giza was made.

They believe a natural rock formation may be the sculpture's foundation.

Then ancient highly-skilled craftsmen worked on the rock to create the
details.

But the Sphinx is still a mystery in many ways.
________________________________

趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

In today's Tasty Tidbit, artificial intelligence may be super smart, but does
it have our awesome sense of humor?

This is a good one...you ready?

A husband told his wife, "Did you know Old McDonald's farm has been taken
over by Artificial Intelligence?"

Wife: AI?

Husband: AI.

Wife: Oh.

And now, 14-year-old Kenny from Tucheng Junior High School has a few thoughts
on artificial intelligence.

(...)

Do you think AI is a tool or a danger?

If you have a fun fact or a joke you'd like to share with us, record your
message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might
hear it at the end of an episode!

Tune in again next time for an all new episode of News Bites!
 

________________________________

Hi there, you're listening to an all-new episode of News Bites.

I'm Jacob Ingram.

And I'm Brody Halverson.

In today's news, Taipei Police capture a fugitive teacher and a fanfiction writer files a lawsuit.

And in today's tasty tidbit: Diamonds in pencils.

Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next.

________________________________

台北警方拘捕逃犯教師

Taipei Police Capture Fugitive Teacher

In December 1999, something really bad happened in a karaoke bar in Taipei.

A person was shot and killed.

One of the suspects (嫌犯) was a guy.

His nickname … Teacher Chen (陳老師).

The police tried to catch Chen, but he managed to stay hidden for a very, very long time.

Chen avoided being caught by not having any ID, not staying in one place and moving mostly at night.

He walked or biked not to attract attention, like a shadow moving in the dark.

他步行或騎腳踏車，以免引起注意，就像黑暗中移動的影子一般。

For many years, "Teacher Chen" was like a tricky puzzle for the police.

Chen knew how the police worked.

So he cleverly moved around different places without them finding him.

In the last two years, he returned to a neighborhood in Taipei.

Maybe he thought the police wouldn't be looking for him anymore?

But guess what?

The police got a secret tip about where he was.

警方收到了一個有關他的住處的秘密線報。

They then formed a special team to catch him.

Even though Police didn't have a photo of him, they identified him using his fingerprints.

儘管警方沒有他的照片，他們用了他的指紋來辨認他。

Police took him to the Shilin Prosecutor's Office (士林地方檢察署).

They suspect he was involved in the murder.

________________________________

《魔戒》同人小說作者提出訴訟
Lord of the Rings Fanfiction Writer Files a Lawsuit

Have you heard of Demetrious Polychron?

I'm sorry, who?

Didn't think so.

But maybe you've heard of Lord of the Rings?

Yes, I have.

Lord of the Rings one of the most famous and best-selling fantasy books of all time.

It's a story about a hobbit called Frodo Baggins, who goes on a journey to destroy a powerful ring.

Along the way, he is joined by humans, elves, dwarves, and wizards.

Together, they face various challenges and battles against the dark forces led by the evil Sauron.

The story explores themes of friendship, courage, and the struggle between good and evil in the fantasy world of Middle-earth.

That's right!

It has sold over 150 million copies.
它賣出一千五百萬本。

Now, imagine writing your very own sequel (續集) to this story.

Meet Demetrious Polychron...

He wrote a book called "The Fellowship of the King".

Oh, come on!
見鬼了！

He just took the title from the first volume of Lord of the Rings.
他只是用了《魔戒》一部曲的標題，做了一點改變。

That might be the case.
有可能。

The first volume of Lord of the Rings is called "The Fellowship of the Ring".
《魔戒》系列的第一部曲名為《魔戒現身》。

In any case, he thought it was the perfect sequel.

But guess what?

He got into some serious trouble.
他陷入了麻煩之中。

Oh, did he now?

Yes!

Back in 2017, Polychron tried to team up with the Tolkien Estate to publish his book.
在2017年，Polychron曾試圖與托爾金遺產委員會合作來出版他的書。

They said, "No."
他們直接拒絕他了。

But he went ahead and published it on his own anyway in 2022.
他在２０２２年偏偏自己出版。

Fast forward to 2023, he actually sued (提出訴訟) the Tolkien Estate and Amazon.

What? How come?

Polychron claimed they stole ideas from his book for their TV series, "The Rings of Power".
Polychron聲稱他們偷了他書裏的內容，用於他們的電視系列《力量之戒》。

And get this, he wanted a whopping 250 million US dollars!

That. Is. Insane.

As you can expect, things didn't quite go his way.
正如你所預料的，事情並未那麼順利。

The judge ruled that Polychron's book was actually copying stuff from Amazon's show, not the other way around.
法官裁定Polychron的書實際上是在抄襲亞馬遜的電視系列，而不是亞馬遜偷他的。

The court ordered Polychron to destroy all physical and digital copies of his book.
法院命令Polychron下架所有實體書和數位拷貝。

They also ordered him to pay $134-thousand US dollars in legal fees to the Tolkien Estate and Amazon.
他們還命令他支付十三萬四千美元的法律費用給托爾金遺產委員會與亞馬遜公司。

Ouch!

Talk about a tough day for poor old Polychron!

Lesson learned, folks: Don't mess with the magic of Middle-earth!

________________________________

So, in today's news…

A fugitive teacher was arrested by Taipei Police.

Police suspected he was involved in the murder inside a Karaoke Bar in 1999.

"Teacher Chen" evaded the police for over 20 years.

But eventually they found him!

And,

A Lord of the Rings fanfiction writer sued the Tolkien Estate and Amazon.

Demetrious Polychron accused them of stealing ideas from his novel, the Fellowship of the King.

Polychron wanted a whopping 250 million US dollars!

But his lawsuit backfired.

The judge ordered Polychron to destroy all copies of his book.

He also had to pay 134-thousand US dollars in legal fees.

________________________________

趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

And in today's tasty tidbit…

Did you know Diamonds are made from the same chemical as the lead in pencils?

Pencil lead is not actually made of lead (Pb/鉛), but rather graphite, which is a form of carbon (C/碳).

Diamonds are also made of carbon.

The difference between Diamond and Graphite is the arrangement of the carbon atoms.

And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!

If you have a fun fact or joke you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty tidbit to newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it at the end of an episode.

We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!