EZ News 03/03/23

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 15,621 on turnover of $2.1-billion N-T. The market closed little changed on Thursday, as investors reacted to signs that lingering upward pressure on American consumer prices are adding to expectations the Fed could stick with higher interest rates for longer than expected. **CECC Could Downgrading Coronavirus Classification by May ** Central Epidemic Command Center head Victor Wang has announced plans to potentially downgrade (降級) the coronavirus alert level and officially disband the center in May. The coronavirus is currently listed as a category 5 communicable disease under the Communicable Disease Control Act. A category 5 virus calls for the "formulation of preventive and control measures or preparedness plans," including the establishment of the epidemic command center. According to Wang, the government may takes steps to ease epidemic protocols after observing a steady decline in the number of domestic cases since the 228 long weekend holiday. **Drought Operations Center Opens in Tainan ** The Tainan City Government has established a Drought Operations Center in response to the lack of rainfall since last year, which has forced it to lower water pressure. According to Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che, the south is experiencing its lowest annual precipitation for 30 years and as a result of that, the city government has been forced to raise its water alert level from "yellow" to the more severe "orange alert." The move means that supplies of water for commercial (商業的) use will be limited. According to the Water Resources Agency, levels at reservoirs that serve the Tainan are all below 50-percent of capacity. **Italy Pushes India on Russian War in Ukraine ** Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is urging India to play a central role in facilitating (促成) negotiations to end the Russian war against Ukraine. India, with the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 industrialized and developing countries, could represent the needs of less-developed nations, Meloni said following talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi reiterated his cautious stand by reaffirming that peace can be achieved only through diplomacy and dialogue. He said India is ready to support a peace initiative in that direction. Both sides called for expanding cooperation in defense, green energy, digital transition, cybersecurity and space. **US House Ethics Panel Investigating NY Representative ** From the US….. New York Representative George Santos is now under investigation by a House ethics panel. AP correspondent Norman Hall reports. **UN Names New World Food Program Head ** U.S. Ambassador Cindy McCain has been appointed the next head of the U.N. World Food Program, the world’s largest humanitarian organization which aims to help nearly 150 million people confronting (面對) conflicts, disasters and climate change impacts this year. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu on Thursday jointly announced the appointment of McCain. She has been the U.S. envoy to the Rome-based WFP and FAO since November 2021, and the U.N. and FAO chiefs called her “a champion for human rights. McCain will succeed David Beasley, who has led WFP over the last six years including through the COVID-19 pandemic and the global food crisis sparked by Russia's invasion of 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