EZ News 05/22/24

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 21,248 on turnover of 2.7-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Tuesday - as financial and old economy stocks led a downturn. This comes after President Lai Ching-te's inaugural address on Monday failed to offer any surprises to boost market sentiment. Analysts say the bellwether electronics sector remained resilient (有彈性的) through much of the trading day. This stabilized the broader market on the back of gains posted by tech stocks on Wall Street overnight. US Urges China to Act with Restraint The United States is urging Beijing to act with restraint and not use Taiwan's transition as a pretext for provocative or coercive (脅迫的) actions. According to a U-S State Department spokesperson, Washington welcomes the comments made by President Lai Ching-te in his inaugural address. In the speech, Lai voiced his commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and to maintain the status quo. The spokesperson says the inauguration was part of a normal, routine democratic process. The spokesperson says if Beijing chooses to escalate tensions or pressure Taiwan as a result, it "should be seen as the provocateur (挑釁者)." The spokesperson also stressed that U-S policy toward Taiwan has not changed and it continues not to support Taiwan independence. Taiwan and Paraguay Sign MOU to Build E-Bus Plant Master Transportation Bus Manufacturing has announced that it will invest 30-million U-S dollars to build an electric bus manufacturing and assembly plant (組裝廠) in Paraguay. The statement follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Taipei between the company and the Paraguayan government. According Master Transportation Chairman Wu Ding-fa, the project's goal is to "enhance the development of public transportation in Paraguay". When completed, the plant will create an estimated 2,600 local jobs. Under the M-O-U, the bus manufacturer will establish the first fast-charging bus chassis and body manufacturing plant in Paraguay. And the manufacturer will assist in bringing a Taiwan-developed intelligent transportation system to the South American country. US Navy ExOfficers Bribery Convictions Dismissed A federal judge has dismissed the felony convictions of five retired military officers who had admitted to (承認) accepting bribes from a Malaysian contractor Leonard Francis, nicknamed “Fat Leonard. AP’s Lisa Dwyer reports. Thailand Welcomes Back Trafficked Statues Thailand's National Museum has welcomed back two ancient statues illegally trafficked (非法買賣) from Thailand by a British collector of antiquities. The statues were returned from the collection of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The objects — a tall bronze figure called the Standing Shiva and a smaller sculpture called Kneeling Female — are thought to be around 1,000 years old. The Metropolitan Museum had announced last year that it would return more than a dozen artifacts to Thailand and Cambodia after they were linked to the late Douglas Latchford. The art dealer and collector was accused of running a huge antiquities trafficking network out of Southeast Asia. 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