Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/08/10
By: Wu Po-wei and Ko Lin, CNA staff writers

A growing number of plant species are going extinct because of climate change, posing a serious threat to the planet. Once they are gone, they are lost forever.

Or maybe not.

A Taiwanese nongovernmental organization, the Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Center (KBCC), has quietly sought to combat the trend through its dedication to conserving plants, hoping ultimately to reintroduce endangered species into the wild.

The KBCC currently has a total of 33,309 plant species, mostly tropical and sub-tropical, making it the world's largest plant repository in terms of varieties, said Li Chia-wei (李家維), who heads the Pingtung County-based plant shelter.

According to Li, the Royal Botanic Gardens in the United Kingdom currently has about 18,000 species, the Missouri Botanical Garden in the United States has 17,500, and the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden in China's Yunnan Province 13,000.    [FULL  STORY]

LESS IS MORE: A person’s risk of cancer increases by 18% for every 100ml per day of sugary beverages they drink, research published by a UK journal found

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 10, 2019
By: Wu Liang-yi  /  Staff reporter

Medical studies suggest that people should quit sugary drinks, which can lead to a higher risk of

cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

UK-based journal The BMJ　 last month published a research paper, which linked the consumption of sweetened drinks to cancer.

The results show that a 100ml per day increase in the consumption of sugary drinks was associated with an 18 percent increased risk of cancer and a 22 percent increased risk of breast cancer, the study found.

Academia Sinica researchers and National Taiwan University Hospital physicians in March also reported an association between pancreatic cancer and abnormal sugar metabolism.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 08 August, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Vice President Chen Chien-jen says Taiwan wants to deepen ties with Caribbean ally Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Chen was speaking Thursday during a plaque-unveiling ceremony held at the country’s embassy in Taipei.

Chen said Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has been Taiwan’s staunchest ally in the region since the two sides established formal diplomatic ties 38 years ago.    [FULL  STORY]

Andrea Bowman assumes post as first ambassador to Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/08/08
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' ambassador to Taiwan, Andrea Bowman,

hailed the close ties between the two countries at an inauguration ceremony for the Caribbean nation’s embassy in Taipei on Thursday (Aug. 8).

“Taiwan and St. Vincent are a family,” said Bowman in her address, noting that the establishment of the diplomatic mission marked a new beginning for the bilateral relationship and reaffirmed the two sides' pledge to promote democracy, reported the Central News Agency(CNA).    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/08/08
By: Christie Chen

Taipei, Aug. 8 (CNA) Seven cities and counties in northern and eastern Taiwan announced school and office closures for Friday, when severe Typhoon Lekima is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the island.

As of 8:50 p.m. Thursday, the cities and county that have announced closures for Friday are Taipei City, New Taipei City, Keelung City, Taoyuan City, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County and Yilan County, according to the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration.    [FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 07 August, 2019
By: Shirley Lin

A sample of minced pork rice set meal[/caption] There are many local dishes that tourists must taste when they visit Taiwan. But few come higher recommended than braised minced pork over rice. The dish is so popular that Taiwan is celebrating it with a festival- and not for the first time, either.

Lu Rou Fan which literally translates into “braised meat rice” is considered a national dish of Taiwan. It is made by boiling marinated minced pork in soy sauce and then serving it over steamed rice. The economics ministry announced on Tuesday that it will hold another lu rou fan festival this year with 142 restaurants set to take part. Ten of them will be chosen to promote their version of the dish to tourists.

Different chefs have come up with creative ways to spice up their dishes. These include adding thousand year eggs or stinky tofu into the mix. But one of the most creative new twists on this classic dish involves fresh, plump oysters. Fu Bo-han of A Yi Lu Rou Fan is the creator of this new take on the dish. Fu says minced meat tends to become dry after cooking for too long, but oysters are only cooked to order, so they stay fresh and juicy on top of the hot rice.    [SOURCE]

BoingBoing.com
Date: Aug 7, 2019
By: Cory Doctorow

As the Hong Kong uprising hits its sixth week, the island is running out of protective gear to guard the surging protesters against police violence; in response, Hong Kongers in Taiwan and Taiwanese sympathizers have been bulk-shipping helmets, gas masks and other materiel (as well as cash) to the protesters (in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, queues formed as people waited to make donations).

In response, Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have stepped up inspections of packages from Taiwan to Hong Kong, and have seized anything that might be used by protesters. For now, Hong Kong-based Chunghwa Post has emerged as the preferred method for shipments.
[FULL  STORY]