EZ News 09/18/25

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 104-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 25,543 on turnover of 5.8-billion N-T. The market lost ground on Wednesday as investors locked in profits from the previous session ahead of the conclusion of the U-S Federal Reserve's two-day policymaking meeting. Analysts says the downturn came as no surprise, as investor sentiment turned cautious following a lackluster performance on Wall Street overnight. KMT lawmakers call for 2-round presidential voting system by 2028 K-M-T lawmakers are proposing creating a two-round absolute majority system for choosing Taiwan's president in time for the 2028 election. According lawmaker Lo Chih-chiang, the proposal has two parts .. … one being to amend the Constitution to change the presidential election system to an absolute majority two-round system, and the other to revise election laws to resolve the difficulties of minority presidents. Lo is criticizing the current relative majority (絕對多數決) system saying it results in candidates working to split the opponent's camp and manipulating strategic voting - making voters afraid to support their favorite candidate. Birth subsidy payments to begin next year Minister Without Portfolio and former health minister Chen Shih-chung says a government birth subsidy program will take effect on January 1 of next year. According to Chen, the program is aimed at addressing payout discrepancies for subsidies across government insurance programs and will provide payments of up to 100,000 N-T. Participants in any national insurance program will be eligible (有資格的) for the payment for every new child they have and the program is also expected to benefit some 7,000 people who are not covered by any government insurance programs. Chen says the subsidies will also cover couples undergoing artificial fertilization procedures. EU Warns Iran on Nuclear Program European officials have warned Iran that it needs to take specific actions to avoid the return of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program. The warning Wednesday after a call between Iran, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Union's top diplomat. Iran hasn't commented on the call. The "snapback" process is part of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal. It is set to take effect at the end of September unless the U.N. Security Council intervenes. It would freeze Iranian assets (資產) abroad and halt arms deals, further impacting Iran's economy. US Autopsy on Black Student Found Hanged in Mississippi From the US…. Police are awaiting (等待) autopsy results for Black student found hanged at Mississippi university. AP correspondent Haya Panjwani reports Nigeria Lifts Emergency Rule Nigeria’s president has lifted emergency rule in Rivers State and reinstated the local governor and lawmakers. This decision comes after a six-month emergency rule due to a political crisis and vandalism of oil pipelines. President Bola Tinubu stated the emergency was necessary to prevent anarchy (無政府狀態，混亂狀態). The crisis began with a confrontation (衝突) between a governor and state lawmakers, who accused him of illegal actions. This is the first emergency declared in Nigeria in over a decade. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn