EZ News 12/03/24

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 235-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 22,972 on turnover of $8.3-billion N-T. Labor Funds Earn NT$20.9 Billion in October The Ministry of Labor reports that Labor Funds grew by $20.9 billion NT in October. That brings total gains for 2024 to $93.91 billion NT. The funds, managed by the Bureau of Labor Funds, are valued at $6.88 trillion NT with a 14.96 percent return rate for the first 10 months of the year. Key funds include the Labor Pension Fund, with a 14.59-percent return, and the Labor Retirement Fund, at 17.92-percent. The National Pension Insurance Fund also saw a strong performance, reaching a 16.01-percent return. Over the past decade, these funds have delivered an average annual return of 6.7-percent. Officials warned of global market uncertainty (不確定) due to interest rate policies, uneven growth, and geopolitical tensions, but noted Taiwan’s stock market remained solid in October. Rain and Cooler Weather in Northern Taiwan The northeast monsoon is bringing cooler weather and rain to northern Taiwan today. Greater Taipei, Yilan, Hualien, and Matsu could see showers, with heavy rain expected in northeastern mountains. Other areas, including Penghu and Kinmen, will stay mostly dry and sunny. Drivers in central and southern Taiwan should watch for thick morning fog that’s reducing visibility (能見度) to under 200 meters in some places. Strong winds are hitting coastal areas, including Taoyuan and Hsinchu, and islands like Penghu and Matsu. Air quality in western Taiwan is worsening due to pollution buildup. Central and southern areas are under an “Orange Alert,” with some spots reaching “Red Alert” levels. Israel Launches Airstrikes After Hezbollah Projectiles Israel has unleashed its largest wave of airstrikes across Lebanon since agreeing to a ceasefire with Hezbollah last week, killing at least 11 people. The strikes came after the Lebanese militant group fired a volley of projectiles earlier on Monday as a warning over what it said were Israeli truce (休戰) violations. This was apparently the first time Hezbollah took aim at Israeli forces after the 60-day ceasefire went into effect last week. The increasingly fragile ceasefire aims to end more than a year of war between Hezbollah and Israel — part of a wider regional conflict sparked by the devastating Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Guinea Football Stampede Leaves Dozens Dead There's growing anger in Guinea after dozens were killed in a stampede at a football match. Officials say clashes broke out among football fans at the stadium after a contested (有爭議的) goal. Correspondent Nabil Ahmed Rufai reports. NZ SpadeToothed Whale Dissection Scientists and culture experts in New Zealand have begun the first-ever dissection of a spade-toothed whale, the world's rarest whale species. The creature, which washed up dead on a beach on New Zealand's South Island in July, is only the seventh specimen (樣本) ever found. None has ever been seen alive at sea. Over the next week, researchers will study the 5-meter-long male at an agricultural research center near the city of Dunedin. Almost nothing is known about it but scientists, working with Maori cultural experts, hope to answer some of the many lingering questions this week, including where they live, what they eat, how they produce sound and how this specimen died. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn