EZ News 10/23/23

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 49-points this morning from Friday's close, at 16,391 on turnover of 3.3-billion N-T. The Tai-Ex lost ground on Friday along with other regional markets, as investors reacted to the prospect of a 5-per cent yield on 10-year U-S Treasury bonds for the first time since 2007, which added to pressure on Wall Street overnight. Ko Eyes Cross-Party Committee to Review Electoral Pact Taiwan People's Party presidential candidate Ko Wen-je is reportedly seeking to establish a cross-party committee to review and oversee plans for a electoral pact with the K-M-T. Ko says the committee will communicate with K-M-T presidential candidate Hou You-yi on issues concerning the forming a cross-party consultative (諮詢) group sometime this week. According to a spokesperson for Ko's office, the committee will seek to help the two parties discuss how to allocate government posts if they win the presidential election. Tsai Calls for More Diverse and Heart-Touching Taiwanese TV Dramas President Tsai Ing-wen is expressing her gratitude to film and television workers -- and acknowledging the impact (影響) of their work on people's lives and called for more diverse and heart-touching programs. Taking to social media following this past weekend's 58th Golden Bell Awards, Tsai congratulated those who won awards, while thanking those in the broadcasting and TV business for their "companionship." She also praised their consistent efforts to produce high-quality and diverse content, including entertaining variety programs, trendsetting reality shows and dramas that touched on many issues. US "Ready to Protect Personnel in Middle East" Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States is ready to protect U.S. personnel in the Middle East, should the Israel-Hamas war escalate (升級). AP correspondent Jackie Quinn reports. ((opens with actuality)) Congo Boat Capsizing Local authorities in Congo say st least 28 people drowned after a boat capsized in the Congo River in Equateur province. An administrator for the territory says the boat was traveling from Ngondo, about 120 kilometers from the province’s capital and crashed Saturday night in Bolomba village. He said Sunday that about 200 passengers were rescued and an unknown number of others were missing. It was the second boat wreck (沉船) on the Congo River within a week. On October 14-th, another boat capsized, killing at least 47 people and leaving more than 70 missing. Iran Sentences Female Journalists to Prison A court in Iran has sentenced two female journalists to up to seven years in prison for collaborating with the U.S. government and other charges. Both have been imprisoned for over a year following their coverage (新聞報道,) of the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody in Sept. 2022. They can appeal the sentencing within 20 days. The journalists broke the news of Amini’s death for wearing her headscarf too loosely was sentenced to seven years in jail, while the other who wrote about Amini's funeral was sentenced to six. Amini’s death touched off months-long protests in dozens of cities across Iran, and nearly 100 journalists were arrested during the demonstrations. 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