EZ News 04/21/26

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex jumped 700-points in early trading this morning after opening up 92-points from yesterday's close, at 37,051 on turnover of 11.2-billion N-T. The main board added 739-points by 9:05 to reach to a high of 37,730 before falling back to 37,689-points. The rise came after market heavyweights Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Hon Hai and Delta Electronics all made solid gains, as investors are eyeing pending earnings reports from Intel, Microsoft, and Apple. China's Liaoning aircraft carrier passes through Taiwan Strait The Ministry of National Defense says it closely monitored the movements of China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning as it passed through the Taiwan Strait yesterday. The ministry has released a black-and-white surveillance photograph showing an aerial (空中的,) view of the vessel - which shows several fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters on the carrier's flight deck. Defense officials have not specified where or when the photo was taken .. and have also not disclose whether it was taken by a drone, an aircraft, or radar system. The last time the defense ministry reported a Chinese aircraft carrier in the Taiwan Strait was mid-December of last year - when China's newest and most advanced carrier, the Fujian, passed through the waterway. Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage ends after eight-day procession And, The palanquin carrying two statues of sea goddess Mazu from Bai-sha-tun Gongtian Temple in Miaoli County returned home on Monday. It concluding an eight-day pilgrimage to Chiaotian Temple, also a Mazu temple, in Yunlin County and back again. The statues were escorted into the main hall and formally seated in the Gongtian Temple on their return by tens of thousands of devotees (虔誠信徒). The Bai-sha-tun Mazu pilgrimage set off on April 13 from Tongxiao Township, led by a palanquin carrying three Mazu statues, one of which was from neighboring Shan-bian Mazu Temple. Organizers say this year's procession was joined by a record 460,000-plus devotees. UK PM: Officials deliberately withheld Mandelson security failure British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he takes "responsibility" for appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, but insists he only became aware that Mandelson had failed security checks last Tuesday. Starmer faced calls to resign after it became public that UK Security Vetting had advised denying clearance to the associate (朋友, 夥伴) of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's associate in January 2025. Lara Bentley reports from London. Japan Approves Scrapping Ban on Lethal Weapons Exports Japan has endorsed (合法化) scrapping a ban on lethal weapons exports. The approval Tuesday by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet of the new guideline clears a final set of hurdles for Japan’s postwar arms sales. The move comes as the country accelerates its military buildup in the face of growing security challenges in the region. It's a major change of its postwar pacifist policy as the country seeks to build up its arms industry and deepen cooperation with defense partners. While the change of policy met with China’s criticism, it has been largely welcomed by Japan’s defense partners like Australia and attracted interests from Southeast Asia and Europe. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn