EZ News 11/16/23

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened marginally higher this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,136 on turnover of 3.3-billion N-T. The market moved higher again on Wednesday, as reduced investor concerns about further interest rate hikes by the U-S Federal Reserve triggered strong buying across the board. Lai Talks Higher Wage Requirements for Future Listed Companies D-P-P presidential candidate Lai Ching-te says if elected he will make it a requirement that companies seeking to go public have to provide salaries higher than the government's minimum wage. Speaking at a youth forum in Taipei, Lai said companies wishing to be listed on Taiwan's securities market and raise funds publicly ought to offer their employees more competitive wages. Lai says he will also make the minimum wage prerequisite (必須的) - meaning minimum monthly wages in future listed companies should be set at no less than 30,000 N-T. Coldplay Concerts Make NT$550million for Kaohsiung And, Government officials in Kaohsiung say this past weekend's Coldplay concerts generated about 550-million N-T in revenue (收入) for the city. The band performed at the Kaohsiung National Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. According to city officials, the stadium and neighboring areas were visited by more than 170,000 people over the two days, which boosted sales at night markets by at least 30-per cent. The influx of people also lifted the downtown hotel occupancy rate to 90-per cent. Data released by the Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau shows 70-per cent of those who came to see Coldplay were from other cities, counties, and overseas. XiBiden Meeting The leaders of the United States and China have concluded their meeting in San Francisco this morning. US President Joe Biden spoke to the press after what he called a "most constructive and productive" meeting, and highlighted several key issues he discussed with Xi Jin-ping. Biden says they have agreed to resume (恢復) high-level military communications, indicating that a lack of communication is how "misunderstandings" and "accidents" happen. Biden also says the two sides discussed several world issues, including Russia's war against Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza. Biden says he gave the Chinese president names of hostages in Gaza whom he hoped would be released, but no firm agreement was reached on that issue. And Biden also stressed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, telling Xi that he does not wish to change the status quo of US-Taiwan relations. UN Security Council Passes Gaza Resolution The United Nations Security Council has called for 'urgent and extended (長期的) humanitarian pauses' in fighting between Israel and Hamas. Sally Patterson has more. Pakistan IMF Reach Preliminary Agreement on Bailout Officials say Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund have reached a preliminary agreement on releasing $700 million from a $3 billion bailout fund approved in July. The standby credit set up by the IMF is meant to save cash-strapped Pakistan from default. In a statement, the IMF says the two sides reached the staff-level agreement following talks in Islamabad. The deal still must be approval by the IMF's management and its executive board, though such approvals are generally a formality (例行公事). 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