EZ News 03/20/24

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 22-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 19,879 on turnover of 4.8-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Tuesday as the main board moved in consolidation for most of the session as investor sentiment turned cautious, as they await the conclusion of the U-S Federal Reserve's two-day policymaking meeting. Legislative Committee to Travel to Taiping Island The convener of the Legislative Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee says its members will be traveling to Taiping Island in the South China Sea. According to K-M-T lawmaker Ma Wen-chun, the trip will be taking place on May 16 and is aimed at inspecting a new wharf, reviewing other ongoing maintenance (維護、保養) projects and getting a better understanding of the garrison's combat readiness. The announcement comes as K-M-T lawmakers are calling on President Tsai Ing-wen to travel to Taiping Island as a sign of support for Taiwan's sovereignty over the island. The Coast Guard Administration and the Ministry of National Defense earlier this week held a ceremony marking the opening of the new wharf on Taiping Island. E*Smart City Net Zero City Expositions kick off in Taipei And finally, The 2024 Smart City Summit & Expo and the 2050 Net Zero City Expo are underway in this week in Taipei. According to the Taipei Computer Association, the two events are welcoming some 495 city heads and city administrators from 112 cities in 46 countries and over 1,697 international professional buyers. Association chairman Paul Peng says the two expositions (博覽會) have been held together since last year, and involve enterprises and government departments sharing how 5-G and artificial intelligence of things have been applied to building smarter and cleaner cities. The smart city expo will also be taking place in Kaohsiung tomorrow. SCOTUS Allows Texas Immigration Law The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed a controversial immigration law in Texas to come into effect. Senate Bill 4 gives police the power to detain (扣留) people suspected of crossing the border illegally. The Biden administration has tried to block the legislation. William Denselow reports from Austin, Texas. UN Weather Agency Warning on Climate Change The U.N. weather agency is sounding a “red alert” about global warming. The World Meteorological Organization, in its “State of the Global Climate” report, ratcheted up concerns that the world may not be able to limit planetary warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels. The report finds that in 2023, over 90% of ocean waters experienced heat wave conditions at least once. Glaciers monitored since 1950 lost the most ice on record. Antarctic sea ice retreated to its lowest level ever. But the U.N. agency also acknowledged “a glimmer of hope”, saying renewable energy generation capacity (容量) from wind, solar and waterpower rose nearly 50% from 2022 The report comes as climate experts and government ministers are to gather in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, on Thursday and Friday to press for greater climate action, including increased national commitments to fight global warming. 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