EZ News

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 23-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,676 on turnover of $3.4--billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan closed slightly lower Monday as earlier gains were eroded amid lingering concerns the U.S. Federal Reserve will resume its rate hike cycle in July. Investors seemed to ignore the losses on the U.S. markets on Friday, but selling set in as investors started to pocket their earlier gains, pushing down the Taiex to negative territory by the end of the sessions as select nontech stocks remained resilient on rotational buying. **Launch date getting closer for first locally built weather satellite ** The Taiwan Space Agency says a domestically engineered weather satellite will leave Taiwan on Friday for French Guiana, where it is scheduled to be launched into space in September, after all tests found it ready to go. TASA says the Triton will take off into orbit on an Arianespace Vega C rideshare mission. TASA Director-General Wu Jong-shinn said the Triton project was initiated (發起) in 2014 and that it has finally reached the launch phase after eight years of hard work. Wu said Triton was Taiwan's first domestically engineered weather satellite and was built with many domestic components, including Taiwan's own global navigation satellite system-reflectometry. TASA says the Triton will be launched into a circular low earth orbit at an altitude of about 550-650 kilometers. **Erdogan Biden to Meet After Turkey Approves Sweden NATO Bid ** US President Joe Biden will meet his Turkish counterpart (作用相同者，相對應者) on Tuesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit after Turkey lifted its opposition to Sweden's membership of the military alliance. Julia Chapman reports from the Lithuanian capital, where the summit is being held. **UN Envoy Warns of Strained Peace Efforts in Yemen ** A U.N. envoy says sporadic armed clashes between Yemen’s Houthi rebels and government forces are straining peace efforts, and the rivals are now also battling over revenue from ports, trade, banking and natural resources. The U.N. special representative for Yemen told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that the fight over economic wealth “has become inseparable from the political and military conflict.” Hans Grundberg says that fighting has decreased in Yemen markedly since an April 2022 truce, but that “continued sparks of violence" and threats to return to large-scale fighting have increased fear and tensions. He says that the “the situation on the ground remains fragile (脆弱的).” **Canada More Fires Started in British Colombia ** Lightning strikes over the weekend triggered more than 100 new wildfires in British Columbia, raising the total above 300 and leading authorities to order a ban on campfires for most of the province. The wildfire danger was high to extreme across most of British Colombia on Monday. The province’s Wildfire Service says almost 200 of the fires are ranked as out of control. Officials warn of challenging conditions, with lightning storms forecast for most of the week and above-average temperatures throughout the central interior (內部的) of the province. Last week, the Canadian Forest Service said wildfires raging across Canada had already broken records for total areas burned, the number of people forced to evacuate their homes and the cost of fighting the blazes. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 3.22-points this morning from Friday's close, at 16,667 on turnover of $2.6-billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan closed lower last week, amid concerns that the U.S. Federal Reserve will hike rates at its next meeting later this month. Contract chipmaker TSMC remained unchanged, however, preventing the bellwether electronics sector and the broader market from falling further, but old economy and financial stocks largely fell. **Taipei Sinkhole Continues to Cause Problems ** A large sinkhole in Taipei is continuing to cause problems. The city government dispatched personnel to the site, after the sinkhole appeared Saturday night in the middle of Nanjing West Road near its intersection with Gui-de Street. The hole, estimated to be about 1.5 meters long, 1 meter wide, and 1.5 meters deep was filled in with concrete after workers confirmed that there were no leaks in underground pipes. But officials say the sinkhole continued to expand, despite being supported by dozens of sandbags and concrete, and water services were shut off for 108 nearby households due to concerns over leaks and flooding. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an inspected the site earlier this morning, and city officials say they are working to rectify (改正) the problem as quickly as possible. (NS) **Venus to shine at its brightest so far this year Monday ** The Taipei Astronomical Museum says the night sky tonight will boast three celestial wonders. The museum says stargazers will be able to see a dazzling Venus that will shine at its brightest so far this year, the close alignment of the planet Mars and the star Regulus, and the passing of the International Space Station over Taiwan. Officials say Venus will reach its brightest and will be visible in the sky after sunset. The museum adds that the celestial conjunction (結合，聯合) of Mars and Regulus will be visible from around 4 p.m., but the two celestial bodies will only be visible through binoculars because they will shine 300 times less bright than Venus. Then at about 8:00 p.m., the ISS will travel across Taiwan's night sky from the southwest to the northeast and is expected to be visible for around seven minutes from Taiwan. **UN won't retract condemnation ** United Nations says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stands by his views which condemn Israel's attack on the Jenin refugee camp. This came after Israel’s United Nations ambassador called on Guterres to retract (撤回) his condemnation. Julie Walker reports. **Syria Cancels BBC Media Accreditation ** Syria’s Information Ministry has canceled the BBC’s media accreditation, accusing the British public broadcaster of biased (有偏見的) and fake news in its coverage of the war-torn country. The ministry late Saturday said the decision was made after “warning the channel more than once that it has broadcasted its misleading reports relying on statements and testimonies from terrorist entities and those hostile to Syria." The announcement came days after BBC Arabic released an investigative documentary about the illicit drug trade in Syria, pinpointing links between the blossoming of Captagon amphetamine pills and associates of President Bashar Assad. The Syrian government denies any involvement in the production of Captagon. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 25-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,737 on turnover of $4-billion N-T. The Tai-Ex plunged by more than 294-points on Thursday as investors await the outcome of a trip to China by U-S Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and amid concerns America's central bank will continue to hike interest rates this month. **About Time Technologies Offering Free Checks after Smartwatch Fire ** A local smartwatch manufacturer says it will compensate the family of a 10-year-old schoolboy who sustained second-degree and first-degree burns after the device he was wearing caught fire. According to New Taipei-based About Time Technologies, it will also offer the family free testing of all models in its Herowatch series. The company has also issued apologizes to customers for the incident and says it will have the device examined by a third party to determine the reason it caught fire, if the customer agrees to that. The statement comes after the smartwatch caught fire on June 30. The 10-year old now requires skin grafts (植皮). The National Communications Commission says it could order a recall of the battery used in the smartwatch pending an investigation. **Pakistan Death Toll Rises Due to Monsoon ** Officials in Pakistan say the death toll from two weeks of monsoon rains rose to at least 55 on Thursday after at least 12 people died in weather-related incidents. The eastern city of Lahore had a record-breaking downpour the previous day, flooding many streets and disrupting normal life. Officials say since Wednesday, 19 people have died in the city due to collapsing roofs and electrocution (觸電死亡). Heavy rain also continued to lash Pakistan, overflowing the main rivers in the Punjab province, prompting the disaster management agency to be on high alert for fear of flash floods. **Twitter Threatens to Sue Meta Over Threads App ** Twitter has threatened (威脅) to sue rival Meta over its new Threads app, according to multiple media reports. Ira Spitzer reports. **Brazil Amazon Deforestation Drops ** New government data indicates that deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest dropped 33.6% in the first six months of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s term. From January to June the rainforest had alerts for possible deforestation covering 2,650 square kilometers, down from 4,000 square kilometers during the same period last year under former President Jair Bolsonaro. This year's data includes a 41% plunge in alerts for June, which marks the start of the dry season when deforestation tends to (傾向於) jump. Lula campaigned last year with pledges to rein in illegal logging and undo the environmental devastation under former President Jair Bolsonaro. Next month, Lula will preside over a meeting in Belem, bringing together heads-of-state from all Amazonian nations to discuss means to effectively cooperate in the challenging region. Lula has promised to end net deforestation in Brazil's Amazon by 2030. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Tai-Ex opening down 39 points MOFA to Open Rep. Office in Mumbai ITRI Marks 50th Anniversary IAEA says Japan's nuclear waste water is safe South Africa-Gas Leak Deaths -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 10 -points this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,130 on turnover of 4-billion N-T. The market extended its gains from a session earlier on Tuesday - as investor interest remained focused on artificial intelligence-related stocks after tech stocks led Wall Street earlier this week. Although the local main board has fallen into consolidation (合併) mode, analysts says artificial intelligence server suppliers remain the target of investor interest, as the sector continues to dominate the trading floor. **CDC Reports First Severe Dengue Fever Cases in 3 Years ** The Centers for Disease Control is reporting the island's first domestic severe (嚴重) cases of dengue fever in three years. According to health authorities, four of the 101 cases reported between June 27 and July 3 have been classed as severe. All of the severe cases involve people living in Tainan, where a majority of this year's cases have been recorded. The C-D-C says 241 cases of the mosquito-borne disease have been reported so far this year. Of that total, 53 are imported, and some 188 other cases are domestic infections, with 177 of them being reported in Tainan. **Army Conducts Stinger Missile Firing Drill ** The Army's precision weapon live-fire exercise is on-going in Pingtung - with troops on Tuesday firing Stinger surface-to-air missiles. The drills include troops from the 11 Army units, including the 21st Artillery Command, the Kinmen and Penghu defense commands and the Marine Corps Air Defense Garrison Group. Defense officials say the precision weapon live-fire exercise is aimed at test the military's asymmetrical warfare (不對稱作戰) capabilities. The military earlier this week tested fired Sky Horse surface-to-surface missiles, the Thunderbolt 2000 multi-tube rocket system and Sky Bow surface-to-air missiles as part of the "Mighty Bow" exercise. **Tel Aviv Car Attack Leaves Injured ** Seven people have been injured, three seriously, after a car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv. The attack happened as Israeli forces entered the second day of the ongoing raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, which has drawn condemnation (譴責) from the United Nations and Washington. Ten people have died, including 3 children, and 120 have been injured. Mia Alberti has more. **Netherlands Luxembourg Leaders Call for Ties Btwn KosovoSerbia ** The leaders of the Netherlands and Luxembourg say normalizing ties between Kosovo and Serbia would serve not only regional peace and stability but also their prospects of further integration into the European Union. Prime Ministers Mark Rutte of the Netherlands and Xavier Bettel of Luxembourg on Tuesday were on a trip to Pristina after visiting Belgrade on Monday. They called on Pristina and Belgrade to de-escalate recent tensions that have threatened to push the Balkan region into instability (不穩定) as Europe faces Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Pristina and Belgrade were also told to re-engage in EU-facilitated dialogue. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 29-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,055 on turnover of 8.2-billion N-T. The market moved sharply higher on Monday to close above the 20-day moving average as investor interest was sparked by the gains on Wall Street at the end of last week. All sectors registered gains, but the big winners were the computer sub-index, which jumped 4.03-per cent and the transportation sub-index, which ended the day up 3.6-per cent. **Hou to Scrap Extension of compulsory Military Service ** K-M-T presidential candidate and New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih says he plans to scrap the extension of compulsory military service if he wins next January's election. According to Hou, he'll restore the current four months of compulsory (強制性的) conscription for qualified male citizens of military age if elected in order to help "maintain peace and stability between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait." However, Hou's statement is being criticized by defense experts who argue that only by maintaining a sufficient military training regime can Taiwan hope to have an effective reserve force to increase the deterrence against a Chinese invasion. The government is set to extended compulsory military service from the current four months to one year on January 1, 2024. **Cost of Domestic Air Travel to Fall ** The Civil Aeronautics Administration says the cost of domestic air travel will fall by between 2.7 and 6.9-per cent from August 1 due to a decline in aviation fuel prices. The cost cuts will cover all 23 domestic routes. According to the administration, the Taipei to Kinmen route operated by Mandarin Airlines will see the largest decline - with the price of a one-way ticket falling by 6.9-per cent. While the smallest decrease will be on the Taitung to Green Island route, which will see 2.7-per cent decline. The announcement comes after the average price of aviation fuel (航空燃料) from May to July fell below the benchmark price of 21.74 N-T per liter. **Ukrainian Writer Dies After Russia Missile Attack ** The PEN America rights group says award-winning Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina has died from her injuries suffered after a Russian missile attack on a popular restaurant last week. The attack on the restaurant, frequented by journalists and aid workers and located near the front line, killed at least 11 other people and wounded scores more. Ukrainian authorities arrested a man a day later, accusing him of helping Russia direct the strike. The 37-year-old Amelina had expanded her work beyond literature following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and had documented Russian war crimes. Her first work of English nonfiction is expected to be published soon. **US Travel Chaos Due to HeatWave ** Travel chaos is plaguing US airports ahead of the Independence Day holiday, as over 100 million Americans are under extreme weather warnings. More than 1,000 flights were delayed or cancelled as of Monday morning. Our US correspondent Kate Fisher report **Senegal President Won't Seek Third Term ** Senegalese President Macky Sall says he will not seek a third term in the presidential elections set for February. Sall said Monday that he would not be a candidate “even if the constitution allows me to do so.” Top opposition leader Ousmane Sonko already had called for more demonstrations around the West African country in the event Sall had instead announced his intention (打算) to run again. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 31 -points this morning from Friday's close, at 16,946 on turnover of 4.4-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Friday, despite other regional indexes closing the day up after Wall Street ended higher overnight on the back of news that America's economy grew at a 2-per cent annual rate in the first three months of the year. That figure was much stronger than the 1.3-per cent rate earlier estimated. **Tainan Dengue Fever Cases Rise to 158 ** The Tainan Public Health Bureau says the number of dengue fever cases in the city has now risen to 158 after 28 new cases were confirmed on Sunday. According to city health officials, all of the new cases are related to areas with a high risk of transmission of the disease. City health authorities are now urging residents to clean up vector (昆蟲媒介) mosquito-breeding sites by getting rid of stagnant water, throwing out unused containers and destroying mosquito eggs. The total number of domestic dengue fever case since June 13 now stands at 211. Only 88 cases of the mosquito-borne disease were recorded for the whole of last year. **TPass Passengers Not Eligible for TRA Delay Compensation ** The Taiwan Railways Administration is stressing that passengers using the newly introduced regional T-Pass on its trains will not be eligible for compensation in the event of delays. According to the railways administration, as the contactless cards offer unlimited (無限) journeys on not only T-R-A trains but also other forms (形式) of public transport, it will be impossible to break down the cost. One of the T-Pass' covers Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Taoyuan, another covers Taichung, Changhua, Nantou and Miaoli, and a third can be used on public transport in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung. The 30-day unlimited transport pass can be used for railway, M-R-T, bus, light-rail, and ferry journeys as well as YouBike rentals. **Syria Israel Exchanges Airstrikes ** The Syrian military says Israel carried out airstrikes on areas near the central Syrian city of Homs causing material damage but no casualties. A Syrian anti-aircraft missile exploded over Israeli territory, the Israeli military said, prompting another round of strikes early Sunday. Syrian state media quoted an unnamed military official as saying that the air defenses shot down some of the missiles fired by Israeli warplanes flying over neighboring Lebanon. Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment (牢固確立;) in Syria, has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of neighboring Syria in recent years, but it rarely acknowledges them. **Australia Changes Psychiatrist Prescriptions ** Australia has become the first country to allow psychiatrists to prescribe certain psychedelic (迷幻的) substances to patients with depression or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports. **Thailand Elephant Returning for Medical Care ** An ailing elephant that Thailand presented to Sri Lanka more than two decades ago has returned to his native land for medical treatment Sunday following allegations the animal was badly abused while living at a Buddhist temple. The male elephant was flown directly from the South Asian island nation’s capital to northern Thailand on a cargo plane. A six-person team, including two veterinarians and four trainers, accompanied the elephant on the flight, which took about six hours. The 4-ton animal traveled in a specially built container. Video footage of his arrival in Chiang Mai province showed the elephant conscious and appearing calm. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 72-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,870 on turnover of $4.8-billion N-T. The market ended the day marginally higher on Thursday, as investors awaited the release of fresh economic data out of America and as major central banks announced they need to keep interest rates high to fight persistent inflation. **Maximum Fine for Failure to Yielding to Pedestrians Rises to NT$6,000 ** The fine for motorists caught failing to yield to (停車讓道) pedestrians on crosswalks in being raised to 6,000 N-T from today. Drivers who fail to allow pedestrians to pass first, either at pedestrian crossings or other designated areas for pedestrians to cross a road, will also be required to attend traffic-safety lectures. And those who fail to stop for pedestrians at crossings that results in injury or death, will face a maximun fine of 36,000 N-T and could have their driving license suspended for one year or revoked. The new traffic regulations also extend the traffic safety lecture requirement to motorists who refuse to stop at police checkpoints, and those who fail to properly secure cargo on vehicles, that results in items falling into and obstructing the road. **French Court Sentences Rwandan Policeman for Genocide ** A court in Paris France has found a former Rwandan military policeman guilty of genocide (種族滅絕) and crimes against humanity during the Rwanda 1994 murders. Daniel Kijo reports. **Italy Hunting Colosseum Defacer ** Italian police say they believe the man filmed while engraving (雕刻) his name last week on the ancient Roman Colosseum is a tourist who lives in Britain. Neither the name of the suspect nor his whereabouts were revealed in the statement. Italian officials have vowed to find and punish a tourist who carved names and numbers on the wall of the Colosseum in Rome, a crime that has resulted in hefty fines in the past. It was at least the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at the Colosseum. **Google To Remove Canada News Links ** Google says it will remove links to Canadian news on its platforms across Canada after a new law that forces digital giants to compensate (補償) media outlets for content they share or otherwise repurpose comes into force. Google has informed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government of its decision. It did not say exactly when it will remove news, but it will happen before the law comes into force. The law passed last week and will come into effect by the end of the year. Meta made a similar announcement last week, saying that it will remove news from its social media platforms Facebook and Instagram before the law comes into force. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 5-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,930 on turnover of $2.9-billion N-T. The market bounced back from loses in previous sessions this week on Wednesday, as investors were buoyed by reports suggesting that the American economy is in better shape than feared. **Vice Premier Meets with Japan's LDP Secretary-General in Tokyo ** Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan has held talks with the secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Cheng met with Toshimitsu Motegi at the party's headquarters in Tokyo. Speaking during the meeting, Motegi described Taiwan is an extremely important partner to Japan and a precious friend with shared values and the the two countries also enjoy close economic relationships and regular personnel (人員) exchanges. Cheng is leading a delegation of economics officials to Tokyo this week for talks on energy, net-zero emissions and 5-G wireless cellular technology. **World News Media Congress Opens in Taipei ** The World News Media Congress is taking place in Taipei this week and is bringing together more than 900 leaders in journalism and news media organizations from 58 countries. It's the first time since 2013 that the event has been held in Asia. Speaking at the opening ceremony at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, President Tsai Ing-wen told delegates that combatting (對抗) disinformation is a shared challenge all democracies must face, as disinformation directly influences people's way of life. According to Tsai, Taiwan has become home to many international media professionals in the past few years and that's testament to the island's "hard work on safeguarding media freedom and the right to free speech." **SKoreans Scrap Traditional Age System ** Millions of South Koreans are now one or two years younger, after the country abandoned (棄) a traditional system for giving people’s ages. Here’s Andrew Wood – who used to live in South Korea – to explain **Malta Eases Abortion Laws ** Maltese lawmakers have unanimously approved legislation to ease the the strictest abortion laws in the European Union. But a coalition of pro-choice campaigners say last-minute changes make the legislation “vague, unworkable and even dangerous.” The original bill allowing women access to abortion if the mother’s life or health was in danger was hailed as a step in the right direction for the nation. Under the amendments, though, a woman must be at risk of death to access an abortion, and then only after three specialists consent. The new law allows a doctor to terminate (終止) a pregnancy without further consultation only if the mother's life is at immediate risk. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 18-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,906 on turnover of 2-billion N-T. The market ended the trading day in negative territory again on Tuesday, following a steep decline in tech stocks on Wall Street overnight. Market watchers say investor sentiment this week will likely remain muted as they await the release of the latest U-S inflation data - which is due out on Friday. **Military Planning 'Anti-Takeover' Drill at Taoyuan Int. ** Defense officials say Taoyuan International Airport will suspend commercial air traffic for one hour late next month for a military anti-takeover drill. It will be part of the live fire phase of this year's Han Kuang exercises and will be the first time that such a drill will have ever been staged at the airport. The exercise has been set for July 26 and officials say it's likely to last less than an hour in order to avoid lengthy disruption (擾亂) to air traffic. According to defense officials, all major airlines will be informed of the event and an international air traffic broadcast will also be issued. **TAITRA Opens Taiwan Trade Center in Dallas ** And, The Taiwan External Trade Development Council has opened an office in Dallas, Texas. According to council chairman James Huang, the office has been opened to support Taiwanese businesses operating in the state at a time when the American south is fast becoming a manufacturing hub (中心). The opening of the Taiwan Trade Center in Dallas was attended by five U-S representatives - who all touted their belief in the need to boost commercial ties between the U-S and Taiwan. The opening of the center means the External Trade Development Council now has three offices in the United States. Pakistan IMF Close to Bailout Deal A senior official with the International Monetary Fund and Pakistan’s prime minister are indicating a deal could soon be reached on a much-needed $6 billon bailout package for the impoverished (貧困) south Asian country. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the IMF on Tuesday, according to a government statement. Later, the IMF’s mission chief to Islamabad released a statement suggesting the sides were close to reaching an agreement. Talks between Pakistan and the IMF stalled in December, after the global lender delayed the release of a crucial tranche of $1.1 billion from the bailout **Scientists: Climate Change Made US Heat Dome More Likely ** With temperatures near 40 degrees Celsius in some parts of the US, scientists have found human activity is making these extreme (極端) weather events more likely. Southern US states have been under a heat dome for the last few weeks. Nick Harper reports from Washington. **Klimt Painting Most Expensive Artwork Ever Sold in Europe ** A late-life masterpiece (傑作) by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt is now the most expensive artwork ever auctioned in Europe. "Lady with a Fan", sold at Sotheby’s on Tuesday for about the equivlanet of $108.4 million US dollars in London. The sale price exceeded the presale estimate of $80 million. It also beat the previous European auction record of $104.3 million for Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture “Walking Man I” at Sotheby’s in 2010. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Government Maintains 3-Meter Rule for Motorists on Crosswalks Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an to Visit Singapore Tai-Ex opening Greece Prime Minister Elections Guatemala Election Saudi Arabia Hajj Pilgrimage -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

MOFA Admits it Tope Envoy to Thailand Resigned Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations US Transit Passengers Could be Exempt From Security Screening at Taoyuan International Airport Tai-Ex opening Russian mercenaries' future and direction of Ukraine war remain uncertain China-Russia Talks Saudi Arabia Hajj Pilgrimage -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Subject: E*Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened marginally higher this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,186 on turnover of 2.8-billion N-T. The market lost ground to close below the 17,200-point mark on Tuesday, as investor interest turned cautious after foreign institutional investors recorded a net sell during the previous session earlier, ending a six session buying streak. The bellwether electronics sector led the downturn, but old economy stocks, in particular those in the paper and electric machinery sectors, attracted strong rotational buying to give some support to the broader market. **MOE to Roll Out New Subsidy for Private College Students ** The Ministry of Education has announced that the cost of education for private college undergraduate students will be subsidized beginning next February. According to the ministry, the move is aimed at mitigating (減免) the tuition fee gap between private and public schools. Some 473,000 students are expected to benefit. The education ministry says it will cover at least 50-per cent of the tuition fee for private college students, with a minimum of 25,000 N-T per year. That payment will be deducted from the student's bill at the beginning of each academic year. **Coronavirus Cases Remain Flat for Second Consecutive Week ** The Centers for Disease Control says the number of serious coronavirus infections has remained high, but stable for a second consecutive week. Data shows the C-D-C recorded a daily average of 253 moderate to severe cases from June 14 and 20, which represented a 3-per cent increase over the previous week's daily average. According to the C-D-C, the number of infections is expected to continue to plateau (平穩期、停滯期) through the end of this month due to the increased risk of transmission during the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival holiday weekend. **Ukraine Shoots Down Russian Drones ** Ukrainian officials say the country's air defenses have downed 32 of 35 Shahed exploding drones Russia launched overnight. Most of them were taken down in the Kyiv region. The attack was part of a wider bombardment of Ukrainian regions that extended (延伸到) as far as the Lviv region in the west of the country near Poland. In other Ukraine news, the country's military intelligence chief claimed Russia has mined the cooling system of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The plant’s six reactors are shut down but still need cooling. **Tokyo Couple Convicted of Student Killing ** A Tokyo couple has been convicted of the brutal murder of an 18-year old high school girl. The pair were found to have abducted (綁架) the student before killing her in a remote location two years ago. Chris Gilbert reports from Tokyo. **Norway to Open for Deep Sea Mining ** Norway says it wants to open parts of the Norwegian continental shelf for commercial deep sea mining. Norway’s minister for petroleum and energy says the country needs minerals to help transition to a more green economy. The Norwegian seabed is reportedly rich with minerals and metals including copper, zinc, manganese and cobalt. But the Norwegian government’s plan is controversial (有爭議的) and environmental groups are warning that mining the sea bed would threaten the biodiversity of the vulnerable ecosystems in the area. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 40-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,233 on turnover of 5.9-billion N-T. The market moved slightly lower on Monday after rebounding from an early low, as technical support was seen at around the 17,200 point mark. The bellwether electronics sector came under pressure, but rotational buying remained active, with a focus on tourism, aviation and financial stocks, to help the broader market recoup its early losses. **Premier Seeks to Reassure in US-China Talks ** Premier Chen Chien-jen says Washington has been keeping the government informed about the meeting between U-S Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's Xi Jin-ping. According to the premier, the government here has been informed of details of those talks in regards Taiwan and communications channels on matter between the two sides are "running smoothly." However, Chen says the government will not be releasing details concerning its knowledge of the talks between Blinken and Xi based on "bilateral practices, mutual trust and longstanding tacit understandings." **Tainan Opens Dengue Fever Screening Station ** The Tainan City Health Bureau has established (成立) a dengue fever screening station in the city's Rende District. The move comes after health authorities in Tainan reported the city's 14th dengue fever infection. All of the cases of the mosquito-borne virus have been linked to the Rende District and city officials are advising residents showing symptoms of the disease to visit the screening station, which is located in the activity center in Cheng-Cong Village. City officials are also urging people to clean up possible mosquitoe breeding sites to prevent the further spread of the disease. The Kaohsiung City Government is taking similar action and has opened a dengue fever command center that covers six districts that border Tainan. **US Blinken on China Trip ** US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States remains "clear eyed" about the challenges posed by China, but insists there is agreement on both sides to stabilise the bilateral relationship. He was speaking off the back of a trip to Beijing, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a sign of potentially thawing (解凍) ties between the two superpowers following months of tensions. Benji Hyer reports from Washington DC. **UAE Qatar Reopen Embassies ** The United Arab Emirates and Qatar have reopened their embassies following a yearslong rift. The two countries issued statements on Monday saying the Qatari Embassy in Abu Dhabi and a Qatari Consulate in Dubai, as well as an Emirati Embassy in Qatar’s capital, Doha, had resumed (恢復) operations. The UAE joined Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt in imposing a boycott and blockade of Qatar in 2017 in large part over its support for Islamist groups across the Middle East that the other Arab countries consider terrorist organizations. The boycott was officially lifted in January 2021. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 14-points this morning from Friday's close, at 17,274 on turnover of 3.1-billion N-T. The market lost ground last Friday after hitting a 14-month high the previous session - as it bucked the regional upward trend despite a broad-based rally on Wall Street overnight. **EU Parliamentarians And Polish Lawmakers Visit Taiwan ** The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a seven-member delegation (代表團) from the European Parliament and a 10-member delegation from the lower house of the parliament of Poland are visiting Taiwan this week. According to the ministry, the European Parliamentary group is being led by by the vice-chair of the E-U Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defense and includes members from subcommittees of Foreign Affairs, Economic and Monetary Affairs, among others. Meanwhile, the Polish delegation is being led by the vice chairwoman of the Polish lower house's Foreign Affairs Committee. That delegation includes parliamentarians across from across Poland's major political parties. They are all slated to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and other senior government officials this week. **Temperatures Likely to Top 36 Degrees Today ** And, The Central Weather Bureau has issued "yellow" heat alerts for 13 cities and counties today, as the mercury is forecast to rise above 36-degrees. The heat alerts cover Taipei, New Taipei and Keelung, all areas south of Taichung as well as Hualien and Taitung. The heat alert will remain in affect through this afternoon. According to the weather bureau, sunny to partly cloudy skies can be expected across most of the island from today through Friday. However, occasional morning showers could affect areas in the center and south, while residents (住戶, 居民) of mountainous areas could see some thunderstorms. **Pakistan PM Declares Day of Mourning for Capsized Migrants ** Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has declared a national day of mourning (喪、哀) for citizens who died when a fishing trawler packed with migrants sank off the Greek coast. As many as 750 people from Syria, Egypt, the Palestinian territories and Pakistan were on board the vessel, trying to reach relatives in Europe. The Greek coast guard has defended its response to the tragedy that has left more than 500 migrants presumed drowned. The vessel sank Wednesday. Sharif expressed his grief over the tragedy and said today would be observed as a day of mourning, with the national flag flying at half-staff. **US Washington Shooting Leaves Dead and INjure ** Two people were killed and three injured in a shooting near a Washington state campground hosting people attending a nearby music festival. AP correspondent Julie Walker reports. **Switzerland Votes for Climate Measures ** A majority of Swiss citizens have voted in favor of a bill aimed at introducing new climate measures to sharply curb the rich Alpine nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Sunday's referendum was sparked by a campaign by scientists and environmentalists to save Switzerland’s iconic glaciers, which are melting away at an alarming rate. Campaigners initially (最初) proposed even more ambitious measures but later backed a government plan that requires Switzerland to achieve “net zero” emissions by 2050. The nationalist Swiss People’s Party, which had demanded the popular vote, had claimed the measures would cause electricity prices to rise. Swiss glaciers experienced record melting last year, losing more than 6% of their volume and alarming scientists who say a loss of 2% would once have been considered extreme. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 8-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,343 on turnover of T$3.98-billion N-T. The Tai-Ex gained ground and hit a 14-month high on Thursday as investors continued to digest the U-S Federal Reserve's overnight decision to leave key interest rates unchanged. Market watchers say the tech sector led the main board higher. As investors took cues from a 1.52-per cent overnight rally on the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, old economy stocks also rose while the transportation sector extended (延長) its momentum from a session earlier. **New Regional Public Transport Passes Rolled Out ** The new regional monthly public transport passes serving the north, center and south have gone on sale ahead of the programs launch on July 1. The monthly "T-Pass" can be used to take unlimited (無限) journeys on most trains operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration, intercity buses, metro and light rail trains, local city buses, limited ferries as well as bicycle-sharing services. The pass is now available for purchase at M-R-T stations, T-R-A stations and intercity bus stations as well as other outlets including convenience stores. Commuters can also use their existing smartcards such as the EasyCard to purchase and sync to the "T-Pass" - but one card can only purchase the "TPass" service for one of the three regions each month. The monthly "TPass" for Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei and Taoyuan costs 1,200 N-T, the pass for central Taiwan is 699 N-T for Taichung residents and 999 N-T for non-Taichung residents, while the monthly "TPass" for Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung costs 999 N-T. **US Charges Filed Over Pentagon Leak ** A grand jury has indicted the US air national guardsman accused of leaking military intelligence online. Jack Teixeira faces six counts of retaining (保留) and transmitting classified national defense information. Ira Spitzer reports. **Iran and Cuba Leaders Sign Cooperation Agreements ** Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has met with Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana. During a trade forum with local businesspeople in Cuba's capital on Thursday, the leaders said Cuba and Iran would seek opportunities to work together in biotechnology, mining, electricity generation and other areas. After the forum, Raisi and Diaz-Canel toured biotechnology production plants in the western part of Havana and then headed to an official reception at Cuba's Palace of the Revolution. The leaders also signed several agreements on customs (關稅), justice, telecommunications and diplomatic action. **Peru Mummy Found Next to Soccer Club Field ** Archeologists have found a pre-Hispanic mummy surrounded by coca leaves on top of a hill in Peru’s capital next to the practice field of a professional soccer club. Experts say the mummy was buried in a ritual that included coca leaves and seashells. The burial was on top of a destroyed U-shaped clay temple, a characteristic (特徵) of some pre-Hispanic buildings. Officials say the mummy has not yet been subjected to radiocarbon dating to determine its age. The hill is next to the training field and headquarters for the Sporting Cristal soccer club. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 21-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,259 on turnover of 5.3-billion N-T. The market closed slightly higher on Wednesday despite investor interest in the bellwether electronics sector dropping off following gains in recent sessions. Analysts say many investors remained cautious ahead of the outcome (結果) of this week's policymaking meeting of the U-S Federal Reserve and the central bank's comments on America's economy. **Vice President of Italian Senate Arrives in Taiwan ** The vice president of the upper house of the Italian parliament has arrived in Taiwan for a six-day visit. The visit to Taiwan this week by Gian Marco Centinaio is the highest-level Italian parliamentary trip to Taiwan since 1970. Centinaio is heading a three member delegation that includes one senator. According to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Centinaio and his delegation will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen for formal (正式的) talks. The foreign minister says the delegation is seeking to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan and explore opportunities for bilateral collaboration in the fields of politics, trade, technology, and culture. **Rain Helping Further Ease Drought in South ** The Water Resources Agency says the heavy rain that has lashed parts of the island over the past few days has contributed some 23-million cubic meters of water to major reservoirs. According to the agency, the Xinshan, Feitsui, Shihmen, Second Baoshan reservoirs in the north have received an estimated 7.1-million cubic meters of rainfall. In central Taiwan, the Techi Reservoir is now at 74-per cent of capacity, and the Liyutan Reservoir has reached 73.6-per cent of its capacity. While in the south, the Tsengwen and Wushantou Reservoirs have now accumulated more than 100-million cubic meters of rain water in total. The Water Resources Agency says levels are expected to continue to rise as the current plum rain front is forecast to last until June 18. **Japan Investigating Defense Force Shooting ** Japan’s Self Defense Force is launching an investigation after a trainee shot and killed two others at a shooting range on Wednesday. The 18-year old was arrested and all shooting ranges (射擊場, 靶場) across the country shut down following the incident. Chris Gilbert reports from Tokyo. **Myanmar Army and Resistance Clash Leaving Dead ** Reports say recent fierce fighting between Myanmar’s army and resistance fighters in an area east of the country’s capital has killed at least two dozen civilians. The fighting has taken place in Shan State’s Pekon township, a hotly contested (有爭議的) area of the armed struggle that arose after the army’s February 2021 seizure of power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. A local resident said at least 26 people were killed, either shot dead in their homes or when they went out onto the street, or killed by artillery strikes. **Pope and Imam Call for Human Fraternity ** Pope Francis and a leading Sunni imam have made calls for peace as the U.N. Security Council met to discuss the importance of human fraternity. The pope sent a statement calling for an end to war. Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo, said in a virtual briefing that human fraternity was the key to global peace. After their appeals, council members adopted a resolution recognizing that hate speech, racism, xenophobia, intolerance and gender discrimination can contribute to conflict. he resolution urges all countries to condemn (譴責) these acts. It was adopted unanimously even though some of the council’s 15 members have been accused of some of the same actions they are condemning. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 29-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,190 on turnover of 5.1-billion N-T. The market moved sharply higher on Tuesday to close at a 14-month high after Wall Street rallied overnight. Tuesday high came as buying remained focused on tech heavyweights due to continuing optimism (樂觀) over the development of artificial intelligence-related products. **MND Releases New Revised Civil Defense Handbook ** The Ministry of National Defense has released a revised version of its civil defense handbook. The moved comes after the original version was heavily criticized for being out of date when it was published in April of last year. According to the ministry's All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency, the updated version of the handbook has almost doubled (加倍) its content and been expanded from 28 pages to 48 pages. Agency head says Shen Wei-zhi, the new version consists of two main parts - "peacetime preparation" and "wartime responses" - and has far more descriptions of civil defense concepts and more detailed suggestions on how to respond to different types of emergencies. The original version focused more on identifying which government agencies were responsible for doing what during wartime. **Premier Declares War Drugs ** Premier Chen Chien-jen is declaring war on recreational drugs. Speaking at an event marking the conclusion of the government's "Eighth Wave Anti-Drug Program," Chen cited marijuana as being the main target of recent crackdowns (打擊；鎮壓). According to the premier, over 6,000 kilograms of illegal drugs have been seized over the past three months and that includes 900 marijuana plants, while 56 drug factories have also been shut down. Chen went on to describe recreational drugs as being the "root of all evils" and stressed that President Tsai Ing-wen attaches great importance to drug prevention and control operations. ***US House Resolution to Overturn Gun Regulation ** From the US….. The House has pushed through a resolution to overturn (改變, 推翻) a new federal gun regulation. AP correspondent Norman Hall reports. **AI Used to Record Beatles Song ** Paul McCartney says artificial intelligence has been used to extract (取出) John Lennon’s voice from an old demo to create “the last Beatles record," decades after the band broke up. McCartney told the BBC on Tuesday that the technology was used to separate (分離) the Beatles’ voices from background sounds during the making of director Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series “The Beatles: Get Back.” He said the new song is set to be released later this year. McCartney didn't identify the name of the demo, but the BBC and others said it was likely to be an unfinished 1978 love song by Lennon called “Now and Then.” That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 180-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,136 on turnover of $6.9-billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan closed higher Monday as interest in artificial intelligence pushed chipmaker TTSMC and iPhone assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. higher. Caution remained, however, ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policymaking meeting on June 13th and 14th, when the Fed is expected to hold rates steady. **White House on Reports of Citizen Evacuation Plan ** The White House is denying media reports that it is formulating an evacuation plan for Americans in Taiwan. US news outlet "The Messenger" published a report citing 3 anonymous sources, that the US government has been formulating the evacuation plan for citizens living in Taiwan for at least six months. The report claims an insider pointed out that Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as a driving factor behind the development of the plan. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated during a routine White House briefing today that it is not standard U.S policy to evacuate American citizens from conflict zones, the U.S. has protocols "for any type of emergency". Kirby goes on to say that "there's no indication at this time that current conditions in Taiwan would warrant any reconsideration (重新考慮) of that policy". (NS) **CWB: Rain Continues for South ** Rainfall is set to continue for southern Taiwan. The Central Weather Bureau says a stationary front continues to linger (逗留, 徘徊) over the island today, likely causing showers or thunderstorms in central and southern Taiwan as well as brief periods of rainfall in Taitung. The CWB says the precipitation over southern regions will be more sustained, while northern and eastern Taiwan should see brief thundershowers in the afternoon. But forecasters say the unstable conditions could result in short periods of heavy or even torrential rain, and those heading out should take precautions, particuarly near coastal regions. (NS) **Trump in Florida for Court Appearance ** Former US President Donald Trump has arrived in Florda ahead of his scheduled court appearance. AP correspondent Eric Tucker has the details. < [CLIP] Slug: > **Pakistan India Brace for Severe Cyclone ** India and Pakistan are bracing for the first severe cyclone this year expected to hit their coastal regions later this week. Authorities halted fishing activities, deployed rescue personnel and announced evacuation plans. From the Arabian Sea, Cyclone Biparjoy is aiming at Pakistan’s Sindh province and the coastline of the western Indian state of Gujarat. It is forecast to make landfall on Thursday and could reach maximum wind speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour. Disaster management personnel have been deployed to densely populated (人口密集) regions and cities in the storm's path. It will likely affect Karachi in Pakistan and two of India’s largest ports in Gujarat state. It's the first severe cyclone to hit Pakistan since last year when floods killed over 1,700. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **FM to Visit Prague for European Values Summit ** The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Foreign Minister Joseph Wu will be traveling to Europe this week. According to the ministry, Wu will be visiting the Czech Republic to deliver an address at the European Values Summit 2023 in Prague on Wednesday. He will give a speech titled "One Theater, One World and One Vision," which will focus on both countries' shared democratic values and human rights as well as their close partnership during the one-day summit. However, the foreign ministry is not releasing further details of Wu trip - including whether or not he will also travel to Brussels later this week. **Traces of Barbiturates Found in 8 Students at New Taipei Preschool ** The New Taipei City Government says blood tests have found trace amounts of barbiturates in eight students at a private preschool in the Banqiao District. According to New Taipei Deputy Mayor Liu Ho-ran, the blood tests administered to 28 students on June 5 detected the barbiturate at a concentration (濃度) of 1 to 1.5-micrograms per milliliter in six of the students, Two other children showed higher concentrations of 1.5 to 2 and 3 to 3.5-micrograms per milliliter. Prosecutors opened an investigation into the preschool after several parents filed reports with police that a teacher had given their children unknown drugs and used improper physical methods to discipline them. **Colombia Children Survive Plane Crash ** Children from the ages of 13 down to a 1 year old have been found alive in thick jungle in Colombia, after they survived a plane crash. All the adults aboard the crash died when the Cessna aircraft came down on May 1st. A massive (大量、巨大的) search operation was successful with the siblings now back to safety. Caroline Malone reports. **Former Scottish First Minister Questioned by Police ** Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was arrested and questioned by police investigating the finances of Scotland's pro-independence governing party. Police say a 52-year-old woman was detained Sunday “as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.” The force said she was “released without charge pending further investigation” after about six hours. A spokesperson for Sturgeon said the former first minister voluntarily attended (出席) an interview with police and would cooperate with the force’s investigation. Two former officials, the party treasurer and chief executive, have previously been arrested and questioned as part of the investigation. Neither has been charged. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 42-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,776 on turnover of $3.5-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Thursday, after tech stocks slummed on Wall Street overnight - as the local main board lost momentum to close below the five-day moving average of 16,764. **Government Dismisses Calls for Three-Day Weekend ** The government has responded to a petition posted on an online public policy participation platform calling for a shorter workweek. The petition asking the government make Taiwan the first Asian country to implement a three-day weekend garnered more than 5,700 signatures meaning it passed the threshold requiring a government response. According to the Ministry of Labor, the government has rejected a proposal, as current labor shortages mean the proposal is impossible to implement and wholly (完全地) unsustainable. The Financial Supervisory Commission has also responded to the petition, arguing that the shorter week would result in the government facing a 30-billion N-T loss in stock transaction taxes. Officials say the proposal would result in increases in labor costs at public service institutes, including hospitals, while it would also have a negative affect on supply chains and agricultural logistics. **Ukraine: Russia Shelled Flooded Ukrainian City ** Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have shelled a southern Ukrainian city that was inundated in a catastrophic dam collapse. They said that forced a suspension of some rescue work hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the area to assess (評估) the damage. At least 14 people have died, many are homeless, and tens of thousands are without drinking water after the Kakhovka dam’s destruction. Officials say more than 6,000 people have been evacuated on both sides of the river. Both sides blame each other for the destruction of the dam. **US Trump Indictment in Classified Doc Case ** Donald Trump says he's been indicted by a grand jury over his handling (處理) of classified documents. Trump is now the first former president in U.S. history to face federal charges. William Denselow reports. **Vatican: Pope Condition Stable ** The Vatican says Pope Francis' condition is stable and is following the regular post-operative course of recovery following a three-hour operation to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall. The Vatican says he is drinking liquids, received the Eucharist and even made a phone call Thursday. Most of the day, though, was spent resting. Doctors say Wednesday’s operation was successful and there were no complications or other pathologies ( 病狀, 病變) discovered. The pontiff is expected to remain in the 10th-floor papal suite at the Gemelli hospital for several days, and all papal audiences have been canceled through June 18. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 58-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,864 on turnover of 2.7-billion N-T. The market moved sharply higher on Wednesday to close above the 16,900-point mark as semiconductor stocks attracted investor interest. While buying also focused on old economy stocks, in particular those in the tourism and green energy storage sectors, to lend additional (附加的) support to the broader market throughout the trading day. **Ko Dismisses Xi Meet Without Agenda ** Taiwan People's Party chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je says he has no plans to meet with China's Xi Jinping "just for the sake of it" and if such a meeting were to take place "there must be a clear aim for such talks." Speaking to reporters during his trip to Tokyo, Ko said he firmly believed there is "no problem" with cultural exchanges with China and he supports be economic cross-strait cooperation. Ko has been holding talks this week in Tokyo with former and current Japanese government officials and Taiwan business owners in Japan. He's slated to (定於) return to Taiwan today. **CDC Reports First Monkeypox Case in a Child ** The Centers for Disease Control says a four-year boy has tested positive for monkeypox. According to C-D-C Deputy Director General Philip Luo, its the first case in Taiwan of the the disease in a child. The boy is believed to have been infected by a family member, who had previously been confirmed as having contracted the disease. Health officials also say the boy had been absent from pre-school after coming down with the illness, and the risk of transmission (傳播) is low. However, people he had close contact with at home and at school have been ordered to closely monitor their health for 21 days. **SKorea National Security Strategy Targets North ** South Korea is highlighting (強調) Pyongyang as a main security threat in its newly unveiled National Security Strategy. The document highlights the risks of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Chris Gilbert reports from Tokyo **Expedition Sights More Vaquitas ** A new research expedition (考察隊；探險隊) report suggests that the remaining handful of Mexico’s endangered vaquita porpoises are holding on in their only habitat in the Gulf of California. Experts on the expedition estimate they saw from 10 to 13 of the elusive porpoises during nearly two weeks of sailing in the gulf last month. That is a similar number to those seen in the last such expedition in 2021. Experts from Mexico, the conservation group Sea Shepherd and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they sighted at least one and probably two calves. They said there may be more vaquitas out there, since the voyage covered only part of the creature’s habitat in the gulf. It lives nowhere else, and the species cannot be captured, held or bred in captivity. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

National Policy Adviser Quits Amid Sexual Harassment Accusation Three Private Universities Ordered to Halt Enrollments Russia and Ukraine Trade Barbs at UN Boeing Holding Up Deliveries of 787 Dreamliner Gooding Jr. Settles in Raped Case -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 1-point this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,712 on turnover of 2-billion N-T. The market closed marginally higher on Monday after coming off an early high - as investors opted to lock in gains while the main board moved closer to the nearest technical resistance ahead of the 16,800 point mark. **AIT Chair 'Looking Forward to Meeting' Presidential Candidates ** American Institute in Taiwan Chair Laura Rosenberger has arrived in Taiwan for a six-day visit. According to Rosenberger, she plans to meet with the presidential candidates during her trip and is also reiterating that Washington will cooperate with whichever candidate wins January's election. It's her second visit to Taiwan since she assumed the post on March 20. Speaking to reporters, Rosenberger said she's looking forward to further "engaging (接洽) with leaders from across Taiwan's political spectrum" this week and plans to "spend time with each of the declared presidential candidates." And she went on to stress that "the United States will not take sides and we oppose outside interference or influence in Taiwan's elections." **Climate Institute Holds Plaque Unveiling Ceremony ** The newly established Climate Institute has held a plaque-unveiling ceremony. The event was attended by Vice President William Lai and the heads of several of Taiwan's leading tech companies. They included A-U-O chairman Paul Peng and Pegatron chairman Tong Zi-xian. Speaking at the ceremony, Lai reiterated the government's plans to achieve (達到) net-zero emissions by 2050 and hopes that the private and public sectors can further collaborate to reach that goal. The institute has been tasked with hosting training courses to promote sustainable development and tackle climate change and to offer assistance to private companies seeking to reduce their carbon footprint under the Taiwan Climate Partnership. **Haiti Flooding Death Toll Rises ** Authorities say the number of people killed by heavy floods that hit Haiti over the weekend has risen to 42 and that another 11 are missing. Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency says at least 85 people are injured, and more than 13,600 homes were flooded. The rains pelted Haiti’s western, northwestern, southeastern and central regions. The weather has since improved, but many crops were damaged amid a spike (激增) in starvation. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has said he has asked for international help. **SKorea Support for Nuclear Arsenal Falls ** Public support for South Korea to develop its own nuclear arsenal is plummeting (暴跌) according to new figures. Chris Gilbert reports. **British Princess Eugenie Welcomes Baby Boy ** Buckingham Palace says Princess Eugenie has given birth to a baby boy. Eugenie, the niece of King Charles III, and her husband, welcomed their son on May 30th. The baby is the couple’s second child. The child is 13th in line to the throne (王位繼承人). That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 7-points this morning from Friday's close, at 16,714 on turnover of 2.6-billion N-T. The market moved sharply higher Friday after the U-S Senate voted to raise America's debt ceiling and avoid a default and turbulence (動盪) in global markets. Buying focused on both the bellwether electronics sector and old economy stocks as the Tai-Ex closed the session above the 16,700 point mark. **DPP and KMT 2024 Candidates Rally Supporters ** D-P-P presidential candidate William Lai has met supporters in Nantou and Miaoli counties. Speaking in Nantou, Lai criticized Beijing's 1989 crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square and said "the people of Taiwan must remain united in the face of China's threats and military intimidation." And speaking in Miaoli, Lai rejected Beijing's "one China" principle and the "1992 consensus" saying acceptance of both would be tantamount (等於) to Taiwan giving up its sovereignty. Meanwhile, the K-M-T's presidential candidate Hou You-yi has launched a campaign group in Taipei - where he told supporters that "peace is the main point of concern for next year's election" and cross-strait peace was the main he reason he chose to run in the election. **Grandriders Finish Annual Round Island Ride ** And, Members of the Hongdao Senior Citizens Welfare Foundation's "Grandriders" have finished their annual round island motorbike trip. According to the foundation, 32 riders made the 10-day, 1,106-kilometer trip this year - which began and finished in Taichung. The oldest rider was 99-year-old. The annual event has been held since 2006 and seeks to raise awareness and funds for disadvantaged (弱勢) elderly adults. It was the focus of a documentary titled "Go Grandriders" in 2012. The film became the first ever Taiwanese-made documentary to be submitted to the Academy Awards in 2013. **US Navy Claims Ship in Strait of Hormuz Harrassed by Iran ** The U.S. Navy says its sailors and the United Kingdom Royal Navy came to the aid of a ship in the crucial Strait of Hormuz after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard “harassed” (騷擾) it. A US Navy statement says Three fast-attack Guard vessels with armed troops aboard approached the merchant ship at a close distance Sunday afternoon. Black-and-white images the Navy said it took from overhead showed three small ships close to the commercial ship. The guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul and the Royal Navy’s frigate HMS Lancaster responded to the incident, with the Lancaster launching a helicopter. Iran did not acknowledge the incident. **Hollywood Writers Potential Deal ** A union representing many Hollywood writers is presenting an agreement to them to help them get back to work. Thousands of writers have been on strike for a month to push for (努力爭取) better wages and protection against AI. Here's U.S. Correspondent Caroline Malone. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 12-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,525 on turnover of $2.8-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Thursday, despite the U-S House approving a debt ceiling and budget cuts package to avoid a default crisis. **Taiwan and Lithuania Ink MOU to Boost Bilateral Digital Resilience ** The National Institute for Cyber Security and Lithuania's Innovation Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding that seeks to mutually boost the digital resilience (數位韌性) of both nations. The agreement was signed remotely by institute head Ho Quan-de and the head of Lithuania's Innovation Agency using an external communication adapter during a virtual conference. According to Digital Affairs Minister Audrey Tang, the use of the external communication adapter marked a bilateral milestone as it was issued by Ministry of Digital Affairs and recognized by Lithuania. Along with strengthening mutual digital resilience, the M-O-U also aims to boost bilateral cooperation while seeking talent exchange. **UN Warns of Russia Blockage of Ukraine Ports ** The United Nations is warning of a new threat to global food security. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Russia is limiting the number of ships allowed to pick up Ukrainian grain at Black Sea ports in its campaign to get Kyiv to open a pipeline for a key ingredient of fertilizer to get to world markets. He expressed serious concern that only 33 ships departed from Ukrainian ports in May, half the number compared to April, and exports of grain and other foodstuffs (食品) totaled just 1.3 million metric tons last month, less than half the amount of the previous month. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted Wednesday that the port of Yuzhny is blocked and more than 1.5 million tons of agricultural products are waiting there for shipment to at least 10 countries. He urged everyone to pressure Russia to unblock food supplies. **US President "Fine" After Fall ** The White House says President Joe Biden is doing "fine" after he tripped and fell Thursday as he was handing out diplomas at a graduation ceremony at the US Air Force Academy. Toni Waterman has more. **Italy Florence Bans ShortTerm Vacay Rentals in City Center ** The city of Florence has announced an immediate ban on new short-term private vacation rentals in the city's historic center. The move is part of an effort to bring full-time residents back to one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations. Students in Italian cities, including Florence, Milan and Rome, have been camping out in tents on campuses to protest a lack of affordable housing. At the same time, art cities like Florence and Venice have seen their housing stocks depleted (耗盡) by short-term rentals, defined as covering any period less than 30 days. The Italian government is expected to adopt a plan that so far allows only the city of Venice to cap the number of days a property can be rented out at 120. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 67-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,511 on turnover of 3.4-billion N-T. The market closed slightly lower on Wednesday as the electronics sector lost momentum following rallies in recent sessions. Buying rotated to select old economy stocks that offset losses in the tech sector, and bargain hunters also turned active in the afternoon session to pick up T-S-M-C shares. However, selling reemerged as passive mutual funds cut their holdings in local stocks in response to the downgrade of Taiwan's weighting in two of M-S-C-I's major indexes. **KMT Chair Denies Plans to Replace Presidential Candidate ** K-M-T Chairman Eric Chu is dismissing (駁回) speculation the party could move to replace Hou Yu-ih as its candidate for next January's election. The statement comes after a My-Formosa published its latest 2024 election poll. That survey found that Hou is running in third place with a support rating of 18.3-per cent. That's behind Taiwan People's Party candidate Ko Wen-je with a 25.9-per cent support rating and the D-P-P's Lai Ching-te who, according to the poll, is enjoying a 35.8-per cent support rating. According to Zhu, rumors of plans to replace Hou are "groundless" and are being disseminated by pan-green supporter with the sole aim of sowing disunity with the K-M-T. HAP Cites 32% of Retailers Caught Selling Cigarettes to Buyers in School Uniform And, The Health Promotion Administration says some 32-per cent of retailers were found to have sold cigarettes to buyers wearing school uniforms. According to the administration, the Consumers' Foundation sent undercover (臥底的) buyers dressed in school uniforms to 663 convenience stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets and betel nut stalls between April and October of last year. The survey found betel nut vendors were the least likely to carry out age verification, with the undercover buyers able to purchase cigarettes from 42.4-per cent of the stalls. Undercover buyers were able to purchase cigarettes from 40.3-per cent of grocery stores, 26.6-per cent of supermarkets or hypermarkets, and 18.8-per cent of convenience stores. **NKorea to Reattempt Satellite Launches ** North Korea is reaffirming its intention to put a spy satellite into orbit after a failed launch attempt on Wednesday. The projectile, fired by Pyongyang, triggered alarms in both South Korea and Japan, before crashing into the Yellow Sea. Chris Gilbert reports. **Scientists Say Climate Change Didn't Cause Italy Flooding ** A group of scientists say in a new study that climate change in itself wasn't responsible for a series of exceptional rain and resulting deadly flooding in northern Italy in recent weeks. Instead, the study concluded that the three cyclones hitting the Emilia-Romagna region in 21-day-period drove the flooding. Scientists used computer modeling to estimate (估計) that having such three heavy rainfalls so close together was an event that had a one-in-200 chance of occurrence in a given year. The study, unveiled on Wednesday, wasn't peer-reviewed since it was done so soon after the flooding. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 29-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,593 on turnover of 3.8-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Tuesday, as investor optimism about a deal on America's debt ceiling was dented (受打擊) by worries about the regional economy. **10AM - Typhoon Mawar ** Typhoon Mawar is be passing through waters off Taiwan's southeast and eastern coasts. The Central Weather Bureau says the storm is currently located some 430-kilometers east of Eluanbi, at the island southernmost tip, and moving in a north-northeasterly direction at between 9 and 13-kilometers-an-hour. Mawar still has a radius of 300-kilometers and is packing sustained wind speeds of 126-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 162-kilometers-an-hour. According to the weather bureau's forecast center, Mawar will move away from Taiwan tomorrow and begin to skirt (沿…的邊緣走) the Ryukyu Islands in southern Japan. **Lawmakers Pass Amendments to Immigration Act to Retain Foreign Talent ** Lawmakers have passed amendments to the Immigration Act aimed at improving professional talent retention by easing residency restrictions for foreign nationals and their spouses and children. The amendments extend permanent residence rights to spouses (配偶), minor children, and adult children with disabilities of foreign nationals … …. who are high-level professionals, have won top professional awards, have made a significant contribution to Taiwan, or hold an investment visa. While Alien Permanent Resident Certificate holders will only need to spend an average of 183 days per year over the last five years in Taiwan to retain their permanent residency status, instead of the current 183 days each year for five years. **New US Aid Package for Ukraine ** A New US aid package for Ukraine will likely include munitions (彈藥) for drones. Lisa Dwyer has the details….. **UN Extends Arms Embargo on SSudan ** The U.N. Security Council has extended an arms embargo on South Sudan. The 10-0 vote with five abstentions (棄權) on the U.S.-drafted resolution was the same as the vote on the previous sanctions resolution adopted last May. The resolution welcomes “encouraging developments” in implementing some elements of a fragile 2018 power-sharing agreement including completing the first phase of training and graduation of a unified force. But it expresses concern “over the continued intensification of violence prolonging the political, security. economic and humanitarian crisis in most parts of the country." **Malaysia Reports Chinese Barge Plundering WWII Shipwrecks ** Malaysia’s maritime agency says a detained Chinese barge likely plundered (竊取，侵佔) two World War II British shipwrecks in the South China Sea. Malaysian media reported that illegal salvage (打撈) operators are believed to have targeted the HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales, which were sunk in 1941 by Japanese torpedoes. Over 800 sailors perished, and the shipwrecks are designated war graves. The agency detained the barge on Sunday for anchoring without a permit. It found piles of scrap metal and an artillery shell believed to be from World War II. The agency said a thorough search Tuesday found another 100 artillery shells on the vessel. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 12-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,648 on turnover of 3.6-billion N-T. The market rose on Monday - gaining 131-points - as investors took cues from the news that U-S President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have reached a final agreement on a deal to raise America's national debt ceiling. **10AM - Typhoon Mawar Wrap ** A sea warning is in affect for Typhoon Mawar. The warning currently covers the Bashi Channel and waters off southeastern Taiwan. The storm is currently located some 470-kilometers east-southeast of Eluanbi, at the island southernmost tip, and moving in a north-northwesterly direction at 7-kilometers-an-hour. Mawar has a radius of 300-kilometers and is packing sustained wind speeds of 155-kilometers-an-hour, with gusts of up to 191-kilometers-an-hour. The Central Weather Bureau says the storm is expected to veer in a more northerly direction and begin moving away from Taiwan. However, the storm's outer rim (外緣，邊緣) is forecast to bring a significant amount of rainfall to the Yilan and Hualien areas tomorrow. **TPP Confirms Ko Wen-je's Japan Visit ** The Taiwan People's Party has confirmed that its founder (創辦人) and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je will travel to Japan next week. According to party secretary-general Zhou Tai-zhu, Ko will visit Japan from Sunday through Thursday of next week and will be holding talks with senior administrative and legislative officials. Zhou has not released any further details concerning the names of the senior officials Ko will be meeting with, but says the talks will be focusing on international and cross-strait affairs. The T-P-P secretary-general also says he will be accompanying Ko along with former Taipei deputy mayor Vivian Huang. **China Launches Manned Mission ** China has doubled down (加倍下注) on its space ambitions with the launch of the Shenzhou-16 manned mission, saying it plans to put astronauts on the moon before 2030. Nina-Maria Potts reports from Hong Kong: **SAfrica Appoints Judge to Investigate Arms Supply to Russia Accusations ** South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a judge to oversee an inquiry into allegations that the country supplied arms to Russia on a ship that docked secretly at a naval base in December. The allegations were made this month by the United States’ ambassador to South Africa, who said he was sure that weapons and ammunition were loaded onto the Russian-flagged cargo ship when it docked at the Simon’s Town naval base near Cape Town. South Africa has denied there was any government-sanctioned deal to provide weapons to Russia, although it hasn’t categorically (斷然地) ruled out that an unofficial transaction took place involving another entity. South Africa could be in breach of international law and its own laws regarding weapons sales if it is found to have supplied arms to Moscow for the war in Ukraine. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 105-points this morning from Friday's close, at 16,610 on turnover of 8.5-billion N-T. The market jumped by over 200 points on Friday to hit its highest level since June of last year. The rise was led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing - which attracted renewed investor interest after Nvidia - one of T-S-M-C's top clients - reported improved second-quarter guidance. **New Zealand Parliamentarians to Visit Taiwan ** The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says two New Zealand parliamentarians will visit Taiwan this week to meet with senior government officials. According to the ministry, Brooke van Velden, the deputy head of ACT New Zealand, and James McDowall, ACT spokesperson for Immigration, Defense, Tourism, Internal Affairs and Economic Development will discussing issues of mutual concern. They're slated to (預定) hold talks with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and other senior officials during their four-day visit. The foreign ministry says the trip comes as Taiwan and New Zealand are marking the 10th anniversary of the signing of an economic cooperation agreement. **Computex to Begin with Nvidia CEO Speech ** And, Computex 2023 will be taking place at the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei - and the event will be getting a pre-opening keynote speech later today by Nvidia C-E-O Jensen Huang. According to the External Trade Development Council, demand for tickets for Huang's keynote address has surpassed 5,000. The council orginally (起初) opened the event to 1,000 ticket holders, but was forced to reopened registration this past weekend due to huge demand for tickets to the event. Huang will be delivering his keynote speech at Nangang Exhibition Center 2 today focusing on the future of artificial intelligence and smart technology. **Japan: NKorea Notification of Satellite Launch Plans ** Japan’s coast guard said North Korea has notified it that it plans to launch a satellite in coming days, which may be an attempt to put a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit. Japan’s coast guard said North Korean waterway authorities gave a launch window (發射時限) from May 31 and June 11th. They also indicated that the launch may affect waters in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and east of the Philippines’ Luzon Island. Japan’s coast guard issued a safety warning for ships in the area during those days. Pyongyang said this month its first military spy satellite was ready for launch. **Subject: E*Turkey Erdogan Reelected ** Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won reelection Sunday, extending his rule into a third decade. AP correspondent Julie Walker reports. **Oman Sultan Arrives in Iran for Talks ** Iranian state media says Oman’s ruler has arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran for talks with President Ebrahim Raisi and other top officials. State media said Sultan Haitham was welcomed Sunday by Iran’s senior vice president at the airport. This is the sultan's first visit to Iran since he ascended the throne. Oman also recently hosted rounds of talks between Iran and its rival Saudi Arabia, facilitating an agreement to resume diplomatic relations after a seven-year rift (裂痕). That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Taiwan shares open higher Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence in Arson Case NTCH Touting Rise in Online Ticket Sales Opposition party banned from Cambodia elections Founder of the extremist group the Proud Boys, Stewart Rhodes, was sentenced to 18 years in prison -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Tai-Ex opening up Central Bank Governor Upbeat about Economic Rebound Latest Coronavirus Wave Expected to Last for a Month Typhoon Mawar hit Guam DeSantis' run for White House -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Labor Ministry to Allow Hiring of 28,000 Additional Migrant Workers Serious Coronavirus Cases Jump 30% as 4th Omicron Wave Hits DeSantis to Announce 2024 Bid on Twitter France Bans Domestic Short-Haul Flights Ukraine Blames Russia for Preventing Black Sea Grain Deal Port from Operating -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

MOFA Protest Taiwan's Exclusion from WHA Taipei Mayor Announces Twin-City Forum Will be Held in China this Year White House debt ceiling meeting America's secretive bomb Taiwan's weather report -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

People March in Support of Taiwan in Geneva Ahead of WHA Computex 2023 to Highlight AI and High-Performance Computing More talks on U.S. debt crisis planned China summons Japanese ambassador over actions at G7 Canada's wildfires continue -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 44-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,146 on turnover of $3.84-billion N-T. The market continued its upward momentum on Thursday, as investors were encouraged by hopes U-S political leaders can reach an agreement to avoid a potentially disastrous default on government debt. **Taoyuan Households See Power Out Amid Rain and Thunder ** Tens of thousands of households in Taoyuan were without power earlier today, amid rough weather conditions. Taiwan Power Company says heavy rain and thunder early this morning caused power outages in the city's Zhong-li, Ping-zhen, Long-tan, and Yang-mei Districts. The state-run power company says up to 10-thousand-829 households were left in the dark. Officials say emergency repairs returned power to nearly 10-thousand customers before 5am, and the remainder were also reconnected by 7:30. (NS) **Torrential rain pounding Hsinchu ** Many streets in Hsin-chu city and county are flooded due to torrential rain that has kept pounding the area since early this morning. Four underground passes, including Yuan-pei and Tai-yuan underpass, are also inundated (淹沒) in water as high as the roof of sedans. The Central Weather Bureau issued an extremely heavy rain advisory for Hsinchu city and county before dawn, saying that accumulated rainfall in the western parts there has reached some 340 millimeters so far today. The CWB has also posted thunderstorm warnings for those in Taoyuan city and Hsinchu, saying people should watch out for lightning strikes, strong gusty winds, and flash floods. Xiang-shan High School in Hsinchu city has canceled today's classes. **Russia Fires Missiles at Kyiv ** Ukrainian officials say Russia has fired 30 cruise missiles against various parts of the country in the latest nighttime test of Ukrainian air defenses which shot down 29 of them. Kyiv officials said defense systems also shot down two exploding drones and two reconnaissance drones early Thursday. A military spokesman said one person died and two were wounded (受傷) by a Russian missile that got through and struck an industrial building in the southern region of Odesa. Loud explosions were heard in Kyiv as the Kremlin’s forces targeted the capital for the ninth time this month. **US Disney New Campus Plans Shelved ** Plans for a new Disney campus in Florida are off the table (不在考慮範圍內). AP's Lisa Dwyer has more. **Australia Doctor Freed After Kidnapping ** Australia says an 88-year-old doctor held captive in West Africa for more than seven years has been released. Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Kenneth Elliott was safe and well and had been reunited (團聚) with his wife and their children. Elliott and his wife were kidnapped by Islamic extremists in northern Burkina Faso in 2016 near the border with Mali and Niger, where they were running a medical clinic. Elliot's wife was released a month later. Wong said the Australian government and the Elliott family have worked tirelessly toward Elliott’s release. She did not detail the circumstances of his release. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 134-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,060 on turnover of 4.9-billion N-T. The market moved sharply higher on Wednesday - jumping 1.6-per cent - as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing extended its gains from the previous session to lift other I-C stocks throughout the trading day. Buying also spread to old economy heavyweights in the auto and petrochemical sectors - giving an additional boost to the broader market. **MOL Warns Subsidies 'Only Way to Stabilize Labor Insurance Fund' ** Deputy Labor Minister Lee Chun-yi is warning that continued government subsidies are currently the "only way" to stabilize (穩定) the Labor Insurance Fund. According to Lee, subsidies are the only way to ensure the fund's sustainability due to a lack of consensus over how to proceed with the next stage of the government's pension reform. Speaking at a legislative hearing, Lee told lawmakers he believes the issue must be approached with caution as it involves 10-million workers and 600,000-employers, but so far, "the parties involved are still a long way from a consensus." The Cabinet has injected 147-billion N-T to stabilize the fund since 2020 and has earmarked 100-billion N-T in subsidies for the fund for next year. **Pre-Sales of New Regional Public Transport Pass Begins Today ** A commemorative stored-value card for two monthly public transport pass programs will be available for pre-sale from today One of the passes covers Taipei-New Taipei-Taoyuan and Keelung while the other is for Taichung-Changhua-Nantou and Miaoli. The "TPass" is going on pre-sale for 100 from 11AM today at branches of 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, OK Mart and Hi-Life. The cards will be available for pickup on June 15. Those not wishing to purchase the commemorative "TPass" will be able to use their regular EasyCards to register for the new monthly pass program after that date. The regional public transport pass program is currently slated to be (定為) launched at the beginning of July. **Pakistan Police Surround Khan Home ** Police have surrounded the home of former Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, claiming he is sheltering dozens of people who were allegedly involved in violent protests over his recent detention. Wednesday's police deployment raised concerns about possible new clashes (衝突) between them and the security forces. Last week, Khan supporters attacked public property and military installations after he was dragged out of a courtroom and detained. Ten people were killed in the violence, and more than 4,000 were arrested. The popular opposition leader was released over the weekend and returned to his home in Lahore. Human rights groups say they are alarmed by government plans to try those suspected of involvement in the protests in military courts. **G7 Leaders Arriving in Japan for Summit ** World leaders are arriving in Japan for the G7 summit being held in Hiroshima this week. The three day talks are expected to address global security and financial challenges, including enhancing (增加；增強) sanctions on Russia and reducing economic reliance with China. Chris Gilbert reports from Tokyo. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 28-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,702 on turnover of 1.9-billion N-T. The market closed sharply higher on Tuesday, rising by almost 1.3-per cent, as the bellwether electronics sector led the rise after Wall Street made gains overnight. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing attracted (吸引) strong buying, despite Warren Buffett announcing that he's dumped all of his shares in the company because of concerns over geopolitical risks. **Former UK PM Liz Truss Arrives in Taiwan ** Former U-K Prime Minister Liz Truss is in Taiwan for a five-day trip. According to Truss, visiting Taiwan had been on her mind for some time but she had previously been "unable" to do so because she was in the U-K government. The former U-K prime minister is giving a talk today in Taipei entitled "Taiwan: On the Frontline of Freedom and Democracy," organized by the government-funded Prospect Foundation. She also scheduled to meet with senior government officials and other figures (人物) from Taiwan's political, business and academic circles during her visit. **Third Offshore Wind Farm Officially Inaugurated ** The Formosa 2 offshore wind farm project in Miaoli has been officially inaugurated. The wind farm consists of 47 wind turbines and covers an area of 68-square kilometers off the coast of Zhunan Township. According to developers, Formosa 2 has an installed capacity of 376-megawatts and is expected to supply power to approximately 380,000 households per year in the area. The wind farm is a joint development project by Japanese joint venture (企業) J-E-R-A, Australia's Green Investment Group under Macquarie Asset Management, and Taiwan's Synera Renewable Energy. Formosa 2 is the third offshore wind farm to enter into service here in Taiwan - and follows Formosa 1 in Miaoli and the Taiwan Power Company's Phase-1 Power Grid Construction for Offshore Wind Connection in Changhua County. **G7 Leaders To Pledge Nuclear NonProliferation ** G7 leaders are set to pledge extra support for nuclear non-proliferation agreements when they meet in Japan this weekend. The G7 summit is taking place in Hiroshima, one of the only places to have experienced a nuclear attack, and Japan is hoping it will set the stage for discussions on nuclear disarmament (解除或放棄武器的行為). Chris Gilbert reports from Tokyo. **Italy Cocaine Bust ** Italian authorities say customs police found more than 2,700 kilos of cocaine hidden in 70 tons of boxed bananas shipped from Ecuador. Police estimated the cocaine could have brought traffickers more than $900 million US dollars in street sales if it had reached its ultimate destination in Armenia. Customs police at a southern port became suspicious (懷疑), when a background check showed the banana shippers weren’t in the business of moving that much fruit. Officers used scanning machines and the dog to uncover packets of cocaine hidden in boxes already stacked meters-high in container trucks. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex ended the trading day down on Monday, despite gains in other regional markets, as investors here remain concerned about a possible recession in the U-S after Wall Street lost ground on Friday. **Taipei Mayor Vows to Hold Construction Company Accountable for Sinkhole ** Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an says he will hold a construction company and project contractor accountable (應負責任的) for damage caused by a massive sinkhole that appeared on a street next to a construction site in the city's Xinyi District. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting, Chiang says the sinkhole is believed to been caused by a nearby construction project, but the city government was still investigating the exact cause of the hole. City government officials say ground-penetrating radar is now being used to check the affected area for possible holes or soft soil layers and building examinations will be completed within a week. **Petitions on Shorter Workweek and Reduced Working Hours to Get Response ** Two petitions posted on an online public policy participation platform calling for a shorter workweek and reduced (減少) working hours have passed the 5,000 signature threshold required to get a government response. One of the petitions asks that the government make Taiwan the first country in Asia to implement a three-day weekend. While the other seeks to revise Article 30 of the Labor Standards Act to lower the number of working hours to six or seven daily, or to between 30 and 35 hours per week. The Ministry of Labor says discussions on both petitions will be held and responses issue in late June or early July. **Croatia Sees Flooding Amid Heay Rain ** Hundreds of soldiers have been deployed in Croatia to help people in parts of the country hit by floods. Heavy rain in recent days caused some rivers to overflow (溢出) their banks, flooding homes, roads and public buildings in some towns. Authorities said some 300 army troops stepped in on Monday to help people in need and to bolster flood defenses. Floods were also reported downstream in northwestern Bosnia. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said his government would provide all necessary funding and aid. Meteorologists in Croatia said more rain was expected in the coming days. **Japan Under Pressure to Improve LGBT Rights ** Japan is coming under mounting international pressure to improve LGBT rights ahead of this weeks G7 summit in Hiroshima. The government, so far, has declined (謝絕) to respond to a video by 15 diplomatic missions calling on it to take action on marriage equality. Chris Gilbert reports from Tokyo. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 13-points this morning from Friday's close, at 15,489 on turnover of 2.6-billion N-T. The market closed slightly lower on Friday despite recouping most of early losses, following weakness on Wall Street overnight, as investors remained wary over the health of America's banking sector. **Protesters Take to Streets to Promote Pedestrian Safety ** In news from and about Taiwan this morning, Protests has been held in several cities demanding action to improve pedestrian safety. The rallies have been taking place after a three three-year-old girl was killed and her mother injured last Monday after being hit by car making a left turn as the were crossing a street in Tainan. Protesters in Tainan gathered at that intersection calling for the wider use of pedestrian scrambles at major junctions, which stop all traffic when pedestrians cross. Residents of Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung also took the streets - and congregated at (聚集在) crosswalks that have also been the sites of recent deadly traffic accidents. **Premier Tests Positive for Coronavirus ** And, Cabinet spokesman Luo Ping-cheng says Premier Chen Chien-jen has tested positive for the coronavirus. According to Luo, Chen took an at screening test at home on Saturday after experiencing a cough and the results of the test were positive. The Cabinet spokesman says Chen has been advised to follow the Center for Disease Control's current "0+N" guidelines for people who test positive for the virus, but only show mild symptoms. That means the premier will have to wear a face mask if he chooses to return to work today and monitor his health for up to 10 days, depending on the severity of the symptoms. **France Pledges More Military Support for Ukraine ** France has pledged additional military aid, including light tanks, armored vehicles, training for soldiers and other assistance for Ukraine as it gears up for a counteroffensive against Russian forces. French President Emmanuel Macron's office also says more Ukrainians will also be made battle-ready, with France aiming to train about 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers in France this year and nearly 4,000 others in Poland as part of a wider European effort. The fresh French support followed surprise talks Sunday in Paris between the Ukrainian and French presidents. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Macron met for three hours at the presidential Elysee Palace. The encounter was kept under wraps (保密) until shortly before the Ukrainian leader's arrival in Paris from Germany on a French government jet, extending a multi-stop European tour. Zelenskyy met earlier Sunday with Germany's chancellor, Olaf Scholz. **US App Allows Migrant Appointments for Asylum ** A new mobile app is allowing 1,000 would-be migrants per day to make an appointment to apply for asylum (庇護) in the United States. AP correspondent Jackie Quinn reports. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 38-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,477 on turnover of $2.5-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Thursday despite making early gains, as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing saw its share price drop below 500 N-T on the back of concerns over over ongoing inventory (存貨) adjustments in the global tech industry. Although lower-than-expected U-S inflation data for April raised hopes that the America's central bank will not raise its key interest rates next month, investor sentiment remains haunted by a weakening global economy …. .. which pushed down the bellwether electronics sector and economy stocks during the trading day. **Costco Releases Compensation Plan for Berry Contamination ** Costco Taiwan has released a compensation package for customers who had purchased Kirkland Signature brand frozen mixed berry products that have been found to be contaminated (污染) with the hepatitis A virus. According to the plan, Costco members who bought the frozen berries at its Kaohsiung warehouse will be offered a full refund plus a consolation equivalent to the refund amount. Costco will also offer a subsidy of 500 N-T to any members who developed hepatitis A symptoms after consuming the contaminated frozen berries. That money can be used to pay for testing at healthcare facilities designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Costco says it will also pay the full medical bills of any member diagnosed with hepatitis A that could be traced to the contaminated berry products. **UN Adopts Resolution on Sudan ** The top U.N. human rights body has adopted a resolution concerning mounting (增長) civilian deaths and rights abuses in Sudan since a bloody conflict erupted between the African country’s two top generals last month. Member states of the Human Rights Council narrowly passed on Thursday the resolution with 18 states voting in favor, 15 against and 14 other nations abstaining. The main co-sponsors of the draft resolution were all European, in addition to the United States. The conflict erupted in mid-April between the chief of Sudan’s military, and a rival general who commands a powerful paramilitary group. So far, the violence has killed more than 600 people, and displaced hundreds of thousands. **China Pledges Trade Dialogue with Australia ** China says it’s committed to improving relations with Australia, ahead of a meeting in Beijing between the countries’ Trade and Commerce Ministers. Richard Kimber reports from Hong Kong. **French Prosecutors Sending Former President to Trial ** French prosecutors are seeking to send former President Nicolas Sarkozy to trial on charges that he received millions in illegal campaign financing from the government of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The French national financial prosecutor’s office announced its decision Friday to seek a trial after a decade (十年) of investigation. Twelve others are also charged. It is now up to judges to determine whether to move ahead. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 24-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,666 on turnover of 1.7-billion N-T. The market lost ground after coming under heavy pressure on Wednesday, as investors remained cautious ahead of the release of U-S inflation data for April and continued to watch negotiations on the government's debt ceiling in Washington. Selling focused on the electronics sector as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing led the downturn despite raising its cash dividend payments for earnings in the first quarter. **Kishida Reiterates Taiwan's Security is Global Issue ** Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is reiterated his belief in the importance of continuing peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait - telling Nikkei Asia that "it is a matter of importance not just to Japan, but the whole international community." Speaking ahead of the G-7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, Kishida said Tokyo's position has always been that the issue of Taiwan should be resolved peacefully through dialogue," and he believes the Group of Seven is united on this." According to Kishida, the G-7 leaders will demand Beijing act as a responsible member of the global community and contribute to (貢獻) the development of stable international relations through constructive dialogue. **NCC to Appeal High Court Ruling on CTi Licence Renewal ** The National Communications Commission says it plans to appeal a ruling by the Taipei High Administrative Court, which overturned its 2020 ruling rejecting the renewal of CTi News' broadcast license. The statement comes after the court sided with CTi News' appeal and ordered the N-C-C to review the case based on the court's opinions. The N-C-C says the court ruling has come as a "surprise" and is "regrettable (令人遺憾的)". Although siding with CTi News' calls for a review of its broadcast license application, the court rejected a request for compensation from the government and the immediate reinstatement of the broadcast license. **Australia Trade Minister Calls for End to Curbs on China ** Australia is seeking to repair its strained economic ties with China. Australia’s Trade Minister is meeting his Chinese counterpart in Beijing to call for the end to all trade barriers (貿易障礙) on Australian exports. Richard Kimber reports from Hong Kong. **Nicaragua Orders Red Cross Closed ** Nicaragua has ordered the closure of the country's Red Cross, capping a crackdown that has seen the government toss out out religious orders (宗教組織), charities and civic groups. The legislature voted to shutter the Nicaraguan Red Cross, accusing it of "attacks on peace and stability" for helping treat injured protesters during antigovernment demonstrations in 2018. The legislature is dominated by President Daniel Ortega's Sandinista party. The legislature ordered the country's Health Department to create “a new Nicaragua Red Cross.” That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 19-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,708 on turnover of 2.1-billion N-T. The market closed slightly higher on Tuesday as large-cap tech stocks once again attracted investor attention to offset losses suffered by the old economy sector. However, market sentiment remained cautious, as investors wait to see if Washington agrees to raise the government's debt ceiling to avoid (避免) a default, while the pending release of U-S consumer price index data also weighed on investor's minds. **Former UK PM Liz Truss to Visit Taiwan Next Week ** Former U-K Prime Minister Liz Truss will visit Taiwan next week to participate in a government-funded speaking engagement. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Truss, has been invited by the Prospect Foundation think tank to give a speech in Taipei on May 17. The ministry has not said on what topic Truss' speech would be on. The foreign ministry has also not released any information concerning possible meetings with senior government officials or other political and business figures (人物) during her four-day visit. Truss spent 49-days as the U-K's shortest event-serving prime minister last year. **Coronavirus Subvariant XBB to Drive New Surge Through July ** The Centers for Disease Control says the coronavirus XBB subvariant is likely to become dominant soon, creating a new surge of infections through early July. According to C-D-C Deputy Director General Philip Luo, the subvariant accounted for 40-per cent of the 70 local Omicron cases confirmed during the week of April 30 through May 6. Luo says it is now expected to replace the current BA.2.75 strain in the near future. The C-D-C reported a daily average of 116 moderate and severe coronavirus cases from May 3 through 9, which represented a slight increase in daily cases compared with the 114 the previous week. **Saudi Arabia Syria Embassies Resume Work ** Saudi Arabia and Syria say their embassies will resume work 11 years after they were closed as the two countries' relations improve. Tuesday's announcement comes nearly a month after Syria and Saudi Arabia said they were moving toward reopening embassies and resuming airline flights. Last month’s development followed a visit by Syria’s top diplomat to the kingdom, the first since Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012 and a visit by Syria’s foreign minister to Riyadh. On Sunday, the 22-member Arab League agreed to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking another step toward bringing Syria back into the fold. **US Charges Filed Agains Congressman Who Lied on Resume ** US prosecutors have filed criminal charges against George Santos, the congressman who has admitted to (承認，供) lying about his resume. Sally Patterson reports. **Germany Proposes Law Name and Gender Change ** The German government has presented a proposal for a law that will make it easier for people to legally change their name and gender, ending decades-old rules that require them to get expert assessments and a court’s authorization. Under the planned “self-determination law,” adults would be able to change their first name and legal gender at registry offices without further formalities. The existing “transsexual law,” which took effect in 1981, currently requires individuals to obtain assessments (評估) from two ”experts" and then a court decision before they can change their gender on official documents. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened marginally higher, rising 2-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,702 on turnover of 1.6-billion N-T. The market closed higher on Monday as buying was sparked by gains on Wall Street at the end of last week on the back of better-than-expected U-S jobs data for April. The bellwether electronics sector led the upturn in the wake of (在…之後) rising tech stocks on U-S markets, while buying was also seen among non-tech stocks, in particular in the electric engineering sector, to give additional support to the broader market. **Ko Wen-je Registers for TPP Presidential Primary ** Taiwan People's Party Chairman Ko Wen-je has registered for the party's presidential primary. Ko registered at the party's headquarters in Taipei accompanied by T-P-P Secretary-General Zhou Tai-zhu and former Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang. Speaking to reporters after registering, Ko said he has until September to find a suitable running mate and while he believes Huang would be a good choice, the party is still hoping to garner (收集) more input from its supporters. A spokesperson for Ko's office says the T-P-P is now scheduled to officially announce its presidential nominee on May 17. **MOTC Calls on Starlux to Review its Scheduling ** Transport Minister Wang Kwo-tsai is urging Starlux Airlines to review is scheduling amid concerns recent expansion has left the carrier overstretched. The call comes after flight delays due to bad weather and a mechanical issue with one of its aircraft left 308 passengers and two of Starlux's three A-350 planes stranded (被困住) overnight at Tokyo's Narita Airport. Starlux was also forced to postpone flights on its Taoyuan to Los Angeles route due to those delays. According to the transport minister, Starlux's recent expansion into North America has come despite the airline only having only three large A-350 aircraft and shows the company needs to enlarge its fleet and hire more staff, and also review how it schedules its flights. **US Welcomes SKoreaJapan Summit ** The US is welcoming a summit held over the weekend between its key Indo-Pacific allies South Korea and Japan. Leaders from the two countries met in Seoul for the first time more than a decade, in an effort to boost bilateral co-operation and thaw historical tensions. Chris Gilbert reports. **Australia Forecasts Balanced Budget ** The Australian government has forecast the nation’s first balanced annual budget in 15 years. Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced the forecasted surplus today before releasing the government’s economic blueprint for next year. Chalmers did not say how big the surplus will be, but media reported a $2.7 billion surplus was expected. High prices for commodities including iron ore, coal and gas plus income tax revenue helped deliver the surplus, which was also buoyed by an extraordinarily low jobless rate. The government's budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year aims to ease financial hardships of the most needy without stoking (煽動，激起) stubbornly high inflation. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 22-points this morning from Friday's close, at 15,648 on turnover of 2-billion N-T. The market closed slightly higher on Friday despite investors remaining wary of possible volatility on Wall Street due to renewed concerns over problems in the American banking sector. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing returned to the 500 N-T mark during the session, as the bellwether electronics sector staged a mild technical rebound, which helped the broader market offset losses by non-tech stocks. **Nantou and Changhua See Most Rain During Passing Front ** The Central Weather Bureau says Nantou and Changhua received the most rainfall on Sunday - as a weather front passed over the island. According to the bureau, Nantou County's Ren-Ai Township recorded accumulated (積累) rainfall of over 10.5-centimeters from between midnight Saturday through Sunday evening. The Water Resources Agency says the island's reservoirs benefited from Sunday's rain, but it was still not enough to alleviate drought conditions in the south. **Starlux's Chang Kuo-wei Offers Full Refund to Passengers Stranded in Japan ** Starlux Airlines Chairman Chang Kuo-wei says his company will offering full refunds to passengers who had to spend the night at Narita Airport outside Tokyo because of a flight diversion and aircraft deployment problems. Chang flew to Japan early Sunday to apologize for the delay to the 308 affected passengers and made the pledge (保證) flying one of the two Starlux A350 planes stuck at Narita overnight back to Taiwan. According to airline, 183 of the 308 stranded passengers returned to Taiwan on Sunday afternoon on an Airbus 321, while 99 passengers were booked on regularly scheduled Starlux flights. The remaining 26 passengers caught flights back to Taipei on other airlines. The Civil Aeronautics Administration says it will review the case and request Starlux submit a full explanation and to make improvements. **US Biden Calls for Gun Reforms ** US President Joe Biden has once again called on Congress to pass gun reforms following a shooting at a Texas shopping mall. Authorities say the suspected gunman killed 8 people, injured 7 others, and then was himself killed by an officer who had been dispatched (派遣) to the area on a different call. Our US Correspondent Jagruti Dave reports. **Canada Wildfires Slow Amid Cooler Temp ** Fire crews battling wildfires threatening communities in western Canada are getting some relief from cooler temperatures and a bit of rain, but officials warn the reprieve (暫時緩解) is only in some areas. Officials in Alberta say there were 108 active fires in the province Sunday and the number of evacuees grew to about 29,000. A provincewide state of emergency was declared Saturday. Two out-of-control wildfires in neighboring British Columbia also have forced some people to leave their homes, and officials warn that they expect high winds to cause the blazes to grow bigger in the next few days. Officials in Alberta say that despite the current cooling, hot and dry conditions are predicted to return within a few days. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 19 points-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,628 on turnover of $2.3-billion N-T. **Cabinet approves NT$16 billion youth employment program ** The Cabinet on Thursday approved the second phase of a cross-agency youth employment program. Under the new phase, $16 billion NT will be earmarked to help 800,000 young people obtain (獲得) jobs over the next four years in industries experiencing labor shortage. The Ministry of Labor says the second phase will kick off in May and run until 2026, targeting people aged 15 to 29. The MOL says as part of 12 strategies and 48 measures devised jointly by various government agencies, career guidance sessions will be held on school campuses to help final-year students find opportunities that can eventually become full-time jobs. And the ministry says in addition, under the plan, training will be offered to young people to sharpen their professional skills. **Serbia DriveBy Shooting Leaves Dead and Wounded ** Serbian state television says at least eight people have been killed and 13 wounded in a drive-by shooting in a town close to Belgrade. State media reports that the suspected killer used an automatic weapon to shoot randomly at people near a town some 50 kilometers south of the capital. The report says the shooter is on the run. No other details are immediately available. This is the second mass killing in Serbia in two days. On Wednesday in Belgrade, a 13-year-old boy used his father’s guns in a school shooting rampage (狂暴行為) that killed eight of his schoolmates and a school guard. **Ｍore convicted over January 6 attack ** From the US… Four members of the far-right Proud Boys group, including their former leader, have been found guilty of seditious (煽動性的) conspiracy. Kate Fisher reports from Washington. **Canada Considers China Dipomats Expulsion ** Canada’s foreign minister said Thursday the country is considering the expulsion of Chinese diplomats over an intelligence agency report saying one of them plotted (密謀) to intimidate the Hong Kong relatives of a Canadian lawmaker. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said her department was summoning China’s ambassador to a meeting to underline that Canada won’t tolerate such interference. She said the intelligence agency report indicated that opposition Conservative lawmaker Michael Chong and his Hong Kong relatives were targeted after Chong criticized Beijing’s human-rights record. Chong warns that not taking action would send a signalt that Canada is "open to foreign interference targeting Canadian citizens." Trudeau has ordered Canada’s intelligence agencies to immediately inform lawmakers of any threats against them, regardless of whether those threats are considered credible. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 5-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,548 on turnover of $2.2-billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan moved lower Wednesday as turnover shrank ahead of the conclusion of a two-day policymaking meeting held by the U.S. Federal Reserve due later in the day. Caution continued throughout the session with many investors wary of financial woes (困難) in the U.S. banking sector, which pushed down shares on American markets overnight. **Taiwan ranked 35th in 2023 RSF press freedom index ** Taiwan has moved up three spots to 35th in the latest World Press Freedom Index released Wednesday. The 2023 edition of the index issued by Reporters Without Borders ranked Taiwan 35th out of 180 countries and territories evaluated based on the environment for journalism, compared to 38th the previous year. But RSF says the ranking does not represent (代表) improvement in Taiwan's media environment, and is actually due to the decline in press freedom in other countries. Taiwan's latest ranking placed it fourth in the Asia-Pacific region, behind New Zealand, Samoa, and Australia, but ahead of South Korea, Papua New Guinea, and Japan. The index's top three spots go to Norway, Ireland, and Denmark, in that order. The last three places are occupied by Asian countries, namely Vietnam, China, and North Korea. **Rwanda Flooding Leaves Dead and Missing ** A public broadcaster in Rwanda says at least 129 people have been killed in flooding amid torrential rain in the western and northern provinces of the country. The Rwanda Broadcasting Agency reported Wednesday that the death toll “continues to rise.” The governor of Rwanda’s Western province told reporters that a search for more victims was underway (正在進行的) following heavy rain Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Strong rainstorms last week caused flooding and mudslides that swept away several houses across the country. The Rwanda Meteorology Agency has warned that more rain is coming. Parts of East Africa also are seeing heavy rainfall. At least three people drowned in floods last week after a river burst its banks in Uganda. **US Fed Raises Interest Rates ** The US central bank has raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point - its 10th increase in 14 months. But it could be its last hike for a while as the Federal Reserve tries to calm (使鎮靜) fears about the stability of banks and the broader economy. Kate Fisher reports from Washington **Mexico Touts DomesticallyProduced COVID19 Vaccine ** Mexican officials are touting the country's domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine. The head of Mexico's government commission for science and technology said Wednesday the new vaccine would be approved for use as a booster shot. Mexico started developing the Patria vaccine in March 2020. But testing was slow, and the country wound up (最後) importing 225 million doses of vaccines. And vaccine uptake in Mexico dropped in late 2022 and 2023. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened down 7-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,630 on turnover of 18-billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan closed higher Tuesday even as contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing remained weak amid lingering concerns over inventory adjustments in the global IC industry. Analysts say investors tended to exit large-cap tech stocks such as TSMC while buying into old economy stocks, including machinery companies involved in renewable energy development and companies holding large amounts of carbon credits, keeping the market in positive territory. **Taichung man confirmed with hepatitis A, in wake of Costco recall ** Taichung has reported a confirmed case of hepatitis A, involving a 40-year-old man who traveled to Mexico in March, and ate a frozen blueberry product from Costco after returning to Taiwan. The local government says the infected man's family members, who also ate the frozen blueberries from an online supermarket, have not displayed any symptoms. The Food and Drug Administration announced that the contagious hepatitis A virus was found earlier in April in a batch of the frozen fruit product "Kirkland Signature Three Berry Blend", imported from Chile, and sold at a Costco supermarket in Kaohsiung. Two Costco stores in Taichung have removed more than 4,000 bags of berry products from shelves as a precaution (預防措施). The CDC has called on anyone who has eaten frozen berries sold by Costco to monitor their health for 60 days, starting from the last day of consumption. **Palestinian Missile Barrage After Prisoner Death ** The Israeli military says that Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired a barrage of rockets following the death of a high-profile Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody after a nearly three-month-long hunger strike. The death on Tuesday of 45-year-old Khader Adnan, a prominent leader of the militant Islamic Jihad group, has outraged Palestinian militants and leaders, and raised fears of an escalation (加劇，（使）惡化). The Israeli military said that Palestinian militants in Gaza launched 26 rockets toward Israeli territory Tuesday, wounding three foreign nationals. Gaza-based Palestinian militant groups, led by the enclave’s Hamas rulers described the barrage as retaliation for Adnan's death. **UN Chief: World Cannot Be Silent on Afghanistan ** The United Nations Secretary General says the organisation will never be silent when women and girls' rights are under attack. Guterres was speaking to reporters in Doha, Qatar, after convening (召集) an international meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan. Jody Jacobs has more from the UN. **US EU Busts Dark Web Drugs ** Authorities in the U.S. and Europe have arrested nearly 300 people and seized over $53 million in the latest major takedown of a dark web marketplace. Most of the arrests in the operation targeting the “Monopoly Market” were made in the U.S., as well as Germany and the United Kingdom. They also seized firearms and drugs that included fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics. The U.S. is in the grips of an overdose crisis. Synthetic opioids (合成鴉片類藥物), mostly fentanyl, kill more Americans every year than died in the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined. The FBI said investigators got leads in the case from local police investigating overdose deaths. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 9.5-points this morning from Friday's close, at 15,589 on turnover of $1.5-billion N-T. **Latest step taken to pave way for Taiwan version of CHIPS Act ** Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs is soliciting public opinion, on rules to carry out and enforce Taiwan's version of the CHIPS Act. Over the next 30 days, the MOEA will collect opinions on the proposed rules, after which it will hold forums, to exchange views with businesses on the amendment's details, as it prepares to start taking applications from eligible companies next year. The notice was issued after a new amendment was passed in early January, which offers tax breaks to companies that develop innovative technologies domestically, and have a critical role in international supply chains. Following passage of the amendment, the revised law was dubbed (稱…為) the Taiwan-version of the United States' CHIPS and Science Act, aimed at subsidizing semiconductor investment in the U.S. market to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in the global chip market. **Syria Reports Israeli Airstrikes at Airport ** Syrian state media says Israeli airstrikes have targeted the international airport in the northern city of Aleppo, killing one Syrian soldier and putting the airport out of commission (無法使用). SANA cited a military official, saying that two civilians and five other Syrian soldiers were wounded in the strike early today. The airport has been a key channel for the flow of aid into the country after the Feb. 6 earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, killing over 50,000 people, including more than 6,000 in Syria. There was no immediate statement from Israeli authorities on the strikes. Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment next door, has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of neighboring Syria in recent years, but rarely acknowledges them. **US Philippines Strengthen Alliance ** The Philippines is strengthening its alliance (聯盟) with the US, amid increasing tensions with China. The Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Junior says South-east Asia is the most complicated geopolitical region in the world right now. Richard Kimber reports from Hong Kong. **Canada Gov Proposes Assault Firearms Ban ** The Canadian government is proposing a ban on assault-style firearms that would apply once legislation now before Parliament comes into force. Under the scheme announced Monday, the government would make regulations through the Firearms Act to ensure that guns are classified correctly before entering the Canadian market. Canada's public safety minister says the government also plans to recreate (重建) a firearms advisory committee that will make recommendations on the classification of guns now on the market. The minister says the committee will include rural and northern residents, Indigenous people, industry leaders, law enforcement and gun control advocates. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **Tai-Ex opening ** The Tai-Ex opened up 65.9-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 15,477 on turnover of $2.4-billion N-T. The Tai-Ex gained ground on Thursday, as other regional markets rose ahead of the release of U-S economic growth data. **Changhua Launches Factory Inspections ** The Changhua County government has ordered fire safety inspections at all local large-scale food processing (食品加工) factories. The move is in response to Tuesday's fire at the Lian Hwa Foods factory, the death toll from which now stands at eight. The bureau says a joint inspection team has been formed it includes fire service members as well as officials from the county government's economic and labor affairs departments. They will be jointly inspecting some 138 large food processing factories in Changhua. The county government says those inspections includes all factories with a floor area of 3,000 square meters or more that are equipped with large boilers for food processing. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. **Iran Seizes Marshall Islands Oil Tanker ** Iran’s navy has seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman amid wider tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program. The U.S. Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the vessel as the Advantage Sweet. Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman just north of Oman’s capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon. It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination (目的地) as Houston. Iran claimed the ship had run into another, causing Iranian sailors to go missing and get hurt. Thursday's seizure represents the latest-such capture in a waterway crucial for global energy supplies. **US Pence Testifies in Trump Election Investigation ** According to multiple media reports, former US Vice President Mike Pence has appeared before the grand jury investigating Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Earlier this week, the former president lost a legal challenge to try and block Pence's testimony. US Correspondent Ira Spitzer has more **UK More Ceremonia Roles for Coronation ** Buckingham Palace has announced more than two dozen ceremonial roles at King Charles III's coronation. They include Francis Dymoke, a 67-year-old farmer from eastern England who will be the King’s Champion, like his ancestors (祖先) have been since 1066. Other roles announced Thursday include those who will carry the king’s regalia to the altar. Some of the jobs went to those with historic claims. Others will be carried out by senior military officers, bishops and politicians, or even relatively unknown individuals. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn