EZ News 05/15/25

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 6-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 21,777 on turnover of $9.4-billion N-T. The market made solid gains on Wednesday, adding more than 450-points on the back of continuing upwards momentum for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing - which neared the 1,000 N-T mark following an overnight rally for tech stocks on Wall Street. Market watchers says local electronic and tech stocks are getting a boost this week ahead of Computex 2025 - which begins next Tuesday - and that has prompted investors to pick up A-I related tech stocks on the hopes of positive leads from the annual tech show in Taipei. Education minister to ban cellphones from classrooms Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao has announced that schools will ban students from bringing phones or other mobile devices in to classrooms beginning in September. According to Cheng, his office will soon released a series of guidelines authorizing teachers to take away such devices from students' for the duration of classes and store them in a centralized (集中) location. Cheng says the education ministry has been working on finallizing the guidelines since March and has held talks with experts, officials, civil society groups and educators as to how best to carry out the policy. The education minister says the move is due to what he's describing as "endemic gadget use on campuses." The new rules will apply to classrooms at elementary schools, junior high schools and high schools. However, the education minister say there will be some exceptions to the rules, especially in situations where the policy cannot be fully implemented. Israeli Strikes Kill 70 in Gaza Hospitals and health officials say Israeli airstrikes have pounded northern and southern Gaza and killed at least 70 people. The strikes came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was “no way” he would halt Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory before Hamas is defeated. There had been widespread hope that U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal (復興，更新) of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month. Putin Not Attending Peace Talks The Kremlin has confirmed that President Putin will not be attending the peace talks due to take place in Istanbul on Thursday. Vladimir Putin proposed May 15 should be the next date for mediation (調解) between Ukraine and Russia - and the Ukrainian president then offered to meet for one-on-one talks, which the Russian president has now decided not to attend. Ross Cullen has more from Istanbul. SAfrica Gecko Rediscovered Researchers who were dropped off by helicopter in a largely inaccessible and remote canyon in South Africa say they have discovered a type of gecko that hadn’t been seen in more than 30 years and was thought to be extinct. Some doubted the species ever existed at all. But the Endangered Wildlife Trust says two of its researchers have found and photographed specimens of the Blyde Rondavel flat gecko, which was identified for the first and only time previously in 1991. Mystery had surrounded the little lizard for three decades until the two researchers made their breakthrough (突破) last month. The Endangered Wildlife Trust said the data they collected, including tissue samples, should allow them to confirm it is a distinct species. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn