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Firm makes ecofriendly fabric from banana tree waste

Taiwanese love to eat bananas, but the harvest leaves behind carpets of discarded stems and leaves, and a headache for farmers. One biotech company headquartered in Changhua has a solution. They developed a method of making textiles from a part of the banana plant called the pseudostem. Turning piles of pseudostems into fabric can help farmers while also creating a brand-new business opportunity.

Taiwan is known as a kingdom of bananas. But after harvest, tons of leaves and stems often lie discarded in the field, leaving lots of waste behind.

One company in Changhua found a way to turn this trash into treasure. They take all the so-called pseudostems discarded after harvest and turn them into fibers for making clothing.

Nelson Yang
Company founder
Back in 2008, a European brand told us they were hoping to find a way to produce food and materials in parallel with one another.

Through a process of crushing, steaming, fermenting, and bleaching, the company can make fibers out of banana pseudostems, which can be spun into threads or processed into plant-based leather.

Charlotte Chiang
Taiwan Textile Federation representative
Banana fiber is better than regular cotton in terms of water consumption, absorbency, and supply stability, making it extremely promising for future applications.

Fabric made from bananas feels like linen, but it’s more absorbent and with strong thermal insulation, making it especially suitable for socks. In the future, they hope to produce all-natural, biodegradable shoes for major global manufacturers.

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2025-09-30

Family members of flood victims furious at Hualien County commissioner

Hualien County Commissioner Hsu Chen-wei attended a memorial service to mark the seventh day since the deaths of flood victims. Hsu burst into tears while reciting scripture, only to incite the fury of grief-stricken family members of victims. They slammed the whole event as being “just for show” and lambasted Hsu for not acknowledging them before the ceremony started.

Family member
Youngest son of victim surnamed Liu
The family members were all at the back. It didn’t seem to us that she’d been here. What on earth is she doing here then? Just posing for pictures at the front? Did she come over and express condolences to family members of the victims? She’s at the front the whole time. They stepped out from their cars at the front, took pictures and didn’t tell us they were here.

Ms. Shih
Daughter of victim surnamed Huang
The village chief didn’t notify us that we had to evacuate. Even if he did send a text message, my mother’s old and is illiterate. So why didn’t they come in person? They didn’t force her to evacuate and now a life is lost.

Hsu Chen-wei
Hualien County commissioner
Like I said, this is a very solemn affair, and I’m also really upset, because we in Hualien are one big family.

Family members of flood victims say that lives were lost because the county government did not notify them to evacuate, and want the truth of what caused the tragedies to come to light.

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2025-09-30

Yilan elementary schoolers win young inventors’ gold medal for creative bottle

At this year’s International Exhibition for Young Inventors, three elementary schoolers from Yilan entered into the “convenience” category for inventors under 14 with their “creative multifunctional bottle.” Among its eight different functions, it resists tipping, as well as tracks water intake and controls the temperature. With their invention, the young makers hope to make it easier and safer to drink more water.

This may look like an ordinary water bottle, but aside from keeping drinks hot or cold, it can also control the temperature. It also has a stabilizing design to prevent tipping, and even keeps track of how much is inside for a total of eight different functions.

Three third-graders from Yilan Elementary entered the 2025 International Exhibition for Young Inventors held last month in Osaka with this “creative multifunctional bottle.” It stood out in their category of “convenience” items invented by children under 14. But looking back on the process, they recalled quite a few challenges.

Pan Hao-ching
Yilan Elementary student
We really spent a lot of time drawing these blueprints. And before the competition, since we had to print a lot of things, we kept the 3D printer going for 20 or 30 hours straight.

Despite their young age, they also have no problem introducing the product in fluent English. But the lengthy English description also gave them no small amount of trouble.

Chen Yen-hsin
Yilan Elementary student
We had to memorize a long English passage. We also had to memorize the Q&A.

Lin Chih-han
Yilan Elementary student
The English description is super long, and it also uses some rare vocab.

Yang Hsien-chin
Yilan Elementary principal
When answering questions from the judges, they had to understand the questions and give accurate responses. This was the harder part, testing the children’s ability to adapt.

Young inventors from 15 different countries participated in this year’s competition. Taiwan delivered an outstanding performance overall, winning eight gold medals—the most of any country.

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#invention #younginventors #waterbottle #multifunctional #Osaka #Yilan #students #elementaryschool #ExhibitionforYoungInventors #English

2025-09-30

Foreign Minister Lin the first to formally represent Taiwan at Warsaw Security Forum

For the first time ever, a Taiwanese foreign minister has delivered a key note speech at the Warsaw Security Forum, the most influential forum in Central and Eastern Europe., showing Taiwanese diplomacy is making inroads in Europe. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said Taiwan and Europe shared a threat from authoritarian regimes like China and Russia and called for cooperation, saying Taiwan could help Europe to expand its industrial capabilities through leveraging the island’s strengths in the semiconductor and electronics industries.

The host introduces Lin Chia-lung on the stage as “Minister of Foreign Affairs from Taiwan.” Lin had just visited Austria in mid-September, a first for a high-ranking Taiwanese official. Now, in another new breakthrough, he was invited to speak at the Warsaw Security Forum, which is organized by a Polish foundation, in his capacity as foreign minister.

Lin Chia-lung
Foreign Minister
As an indispensable member of the international community, Taiwan is a reliable partner that plays a vital role in enhancing resilience in trusted global supply chains.

His speech was centered around rebuilding global democratic supply chains. Lin pointed out directly that China, Russia, Iran and North Korea have formed an "axis of instability," challenging the international order.

Lin Chia-lung
Foreign Minister
China is largely seen as the decisive enabler behind Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, democracies around the world must act in concert to counter the existential and systemic threat.

He also warned that just as Europe faces the threat of "hybrid warfare" from Russia targeting critical infrastructure, Taiwan faces similar challenges from China.

Lin Chia-lung
Foreign Minister
China continues to employ gray zone tactics, cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns and military exercises in an attempt to undermine people’s trust in the government.

Lin emphasized that precisely because Taiwan and Europe face the same authoritarian threat, they should join hands and work together. Taiwan can help Europe expand its industrial strength and innovative capabilities.

Lin Chia-lung
Foreign Minister
It is high time for Europe to stand with Taiwan to forge a robust coalition for our shared values and halt expansion of authoritarian regimes. Taiwan is ready to work with Europe.

The Warsaw Security Forum is currently the most influential security and foreign policy dialogue platform in Central and Eastern Europe. It is also an annual security event for Europe in general. It was the first time for Taiwan’s foreign minister to speak at the forum. In addition, on the event’s official website, Lin was described as a speaker who is the “Minister of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan” showing the inroads Taiwan is making in European diplomacy.

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#taiwan #EU #poland #diplomacy #warsawsecurityforum

2025-09-30

Iceland’s PLAY Airlines ceases operations all of a sudden

Iceland’s PLAY Airlines made a shock announcement of insolvency on Sept. 29, even though some travelers taking flights with the company had already checked in their luggage and passed airport security. One tourist from Taiwan traveling from the Netherlands to Iceland said she got the news two hours before the scheduled flight, and had no choice but to buy another ticket from a different airline.

The sudden flight cancellation brought such heavy web traffic to an alternative airline company that its website even crashed at one point. By the time the Taiwanese traveler managed to book a ticket, she said she had no choice but to pay two times more than the earlier price. PLAY Airlines isn’t the only airline company to claim insolvency in recent years. The US low-budget Spirit Airlines had previously claimed insolvency twice within a year, while Royal Air Philippines now only has three planes in operation. An expert urges travelers to be aware of such risks when flying with low-budget airline companies.

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2025-09-30

What it takes to be a Taiwan National Day usher

For the 41st consecutive year, students from Ming Chuan University have been chosen to serve as ushers for Taiwan’s National Day celebrations. This year’s team features 15 students who spent months honing their skills through intensive training. Beyond their professionalism and warm hospitality, a few of the ushers have drawn attention for their striking resemblance to celebrities and sport stars—including Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the story!

Dressed in red qipaos and suits paired with blue ties, The National Day ushers from Ming Chuan University made their official debut with a dazzling dance performance.

They also introduced themselves fluently in English, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese, and demonstrated how to guide guests in case of emergencies. The members include several celebrity lookalikes. Male team leader Feng Jen-yuan, who stands at 188 cm and has a radiant smile, is said to resemble Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani. Another member, Cheng Yung-an, has been said to bear a resemblance to South Korean actor Ji Chang-wook.

Feng Jen-yuan
National Day usher
Last year, I was honored to be told I resemble Mr. Shohei Ohtani. Over the past year, I’ve embraced his spirit of discipline and unwavering dedication. For this year’s National Day ceremony, I hope to bring warmth and exceptional service to the distinguished officials and guests.

Cheng Yung-an
National Day usher
I am majoring in international business and trade program. The reason why I joined this club was because I saw these beautiful people and they all looked very professional and after training, they became very good at a lot of skills. For example, public speaking, posturing and even global etiquette. That is what attracted me to join this club. We are well-trained and we have weekly training. Our daily training basically includes everything.

National Day is soon approaching. This year, 15 talented students will take the stage at the official celebration, greeting distinguished guests with poise and warm smiles. The national day users have undergone rigorous training—from language skills and crisis response to etiquette and physical conditioning such as standing against a wall to correct posture. For Huang Hui-chen, who is participating as an usher for the first time, the experience has been challenging and rewarding.

Huang Hui-chen
National Day usher
This is my first time joining the National holiday. I am also on the fencing school team. I am the leader. In my holiday, I joined many ceremonies and awards.

Huang Yu-ling
National Day usher
The second year is different from the first year because I have the first year experience. I have become stronger to face different situations. For training time, we stand and do some posture and speaking because this time we will have a different service place than last year so we improved our speaking skills, like English speaking skills, and also figure some problems or situations used in English.

For 41 consecutive years, Ming Chuan University has taken part in the National Day celebration, showcasing Taiwan’s warmth and hospitality to the world.

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#nationaldayushers #mingchuanuniversity #nationalday

2025-09-30

Contestant in viral game show volunteers in flood-stricken Guangfu

Many people all over the country have lent a helping hand to flood-stricken Guangfu Township in Hualien, by shoveling large amounts of leftover debris. Whether on their own or with a group, well-known or not, they’re all trying to do their bit in speeding up the township’s recovery.

This man volunteering to help shovel mud is a Taiwan resident from the UK, known publicly by his Chinese name Li Dafeng. He recently became widely known for participating in the viral “Who Speaks the Best Mandarin in Taiwan” game show on YouTube, after 8 years in the country.

Li is pictured shoveling a thick layer of mud in a Guangfu home. He and his wife both volunteered to help clean up the flood-stricken neighborhood.

Li Dafeng
UK immigrant
I realized that the Taiwanese have strong solidarity. It makes me so touched to see this. The Taiwanese really are good people.

Apart from Li, there was another foreign-born resident volunteering at the venue.

Volunteer
Austrian immigrant
I have a friend in Hualien. My friend told me that some of his friends and their families were affected, so I decided to volunteer. It makes me so sad. It’s so unfortunate what happened to the people living here. At the same time I admire them so much, because everyone I’ve met have been so friendly.

The man moved to Taiwan from Austria five years ago and now works in the fintech industry. He travelled here by himself all the way from Taipei hoping to do his bit to help Guangfu Township recover. Meanwhile, there’s also another group of foreigners, each with a shovel in hand to help clean up the debris.

Even though the work is far from easy, they all seem to find joy in it, even singing while shoveling. The netizen that posted this video said that her father had recorded this video from their home, and that thanks to them, they’re making swift progress in cleaning up the mud. It was also revealed that the group of volunteers is affiliated with the Tzu Chi Foundation.

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#guangfu #hualien #flooding #cleanup #中文怪物

2025-09-30

A public memorial service is held for celebrated doctor Hsu Chao-pin

Hsu Chao-pin, a celebrated doctor who championed medical care in remote areas in Eastern Taiwan, passed away on Sept. 19 at the age of 58 from cancer. On Tuesday, there was a public memorial service for the doctor, who has been called “Taiwan’s Albert Schweitzer” for his humanitarian work. The service at a Catholic church in Daren Township, Taitung, drew in Dr Hsu’s friends, patients and local residents. Former lawmaker Lie Kuen-cheng says the local Indigenous peoples have found a doctor that can take over his work. Let’s hear more.

Family members in this church bow their heads, quietly listening to the speaker who is recounting the life of Hsu Chao-pin and honoring his legacy. Hsu, a celebrated doctor who set up the South-Link Medical Foundation Clinic, passed away on Sept. 19 from nasopharyngeal cancer at the age of 58. A public funeral was held on Tuesday. It was attended by not only relatives and friends, but also many from the public.

Hsiung Mei-hui
Member of the public
Even though he had a stroke and cancer, he forced his ailing body to use all his strength until he collapsed at the last moment. His spirit of dedication is extremely moving and we will miss him very much.

Hsu, a remarkable doctor, left a large hospital in 2002 to return to his hometown. He had always kept in the back of his mind how medical care in rural areas was insufficient. This inspired him to initiate the construction of South-Link Medical Foundation Clinic in 2012. He later resigned from his other medical work to dedicate himself to this cause. He was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in 2019, and the clinic opened in 2024. He passed away at home on Sept. 19, 2025.

Li Ching-lan
South-Link Medical Foundation
The South-Link Medical Foundation Clinic was set up to compensate for the lack of medical care. The current clinic will be upgraded into a medical center. What we do is bring light into places you can’t see.

Lie Kuen-cheng
Former legislator
A doctor serving at an Indigenous community has also come back to take over and is willing to return to his hometown to give service. I believe Chao-pin can rest in peace because there are successors who can carry on his legacy.

Although Dr Hsu’s ambitions were not fulfilled, and he never saw the clinic upgraded to a hospital, other doctors have now taken up the torch. They will continue to carry on with his spirit of giving medical care to Taiwan’s remote areas.

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#healthcare #charity #philanthropy #heartwarming #Taiwan

2025-09-30

Two passengers get into physical fight over priority seat on Taipei MRT

Ever since the legislature in July passed an amendment expanding eligibility for priority seats on buses and subways, there have been all kinds of conflicts. Under the old system, only the elderly and people with disabilities could use these seats. Now priority seating is theoretically available to anyone with special needs. In the most recent incident on Monday, a passenger on the Taipei MRT Red Line witnessed a physical altercation between two passengers over a priority seat. A grey-haired woman attempted to force a younger passenger to give up a priority seat by flinging her bag at them, even though there were unoccupied seats behind her. The seated passenger did eventually get up, only to kick the woman away.

- I’m calling the police!
- You can try one more time.
- I’m furious at “him.”
I want the courtesy seat, because I need space for my stuff. It’s obviously a man.
- Well, you can drive your own car.
Why should you have space for your stuff? I want to sit here. Fight me.
- It’s a courtesy seat! “He’s” honestly such a foul person.

Lee Yu-sheng
Lawyer not involved in the case
If the seated passenger only struck back to avoid a person illegally encroaching on them, then it’s considered conduct performed in defense of one’s own rights, and is thus not punishable. However, if the force used in these defensive measures was excessive or the act of kicking was conducted willfully to cause harm to the elderly woman, and indeed cause injury to the woman in question, then they would still be considered to have committed an offense of intentionally causing bodily injury to the woman, which is punishable accordingly.

The Rapid Transit Division of the Taipei police says the two individuals involved will be tracked down and the case will be processed as a violation of the Social Order Maintenance Act. The two persons may also be fined up to NT$18,000 each.

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#taipei #MRT #taipeimrt #北捷 #博愛座 #優先席

2025-09-30