• 7PM EZ News Intro
• KMT combo elections
• BC-AS--Taiwan-China
• China
• Netanyahu, Abbas negotiations
• weather
• 7PM EZ News Outro

 

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Subject: 7PM EZ News Intro
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Good evening. It's 7 o'clock. I'm _____ and time for EZ News on ICRT.

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Subject: KMT combo elections
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First, Taiwan news...

Many ruling KMT lawmakers are calling for the combination of legislative
elections, scheduled next year, and the 2012 Presidential election, saying
this can save national coffers at least 1 billion NT.

According to the Central Election Commission's or CEC's 2011 budgetary plan,
the legislative elections will cost 1.15 billion NT, to be used mainly in
hiring and training staff workers at the polling stations.

KMT lawmaker Luo Shu-lei says for the 2012 presidential election, the C-E-C
is likely to set aside 1.3 billion NT as it did two years ago, bringing the
total expenses on elections to 2.4 billion NT in just two years.

Her colleague Wu Yu-sheng also points out that he'll propose to delay the
legislative elections for one month and move up the Presidential election so
that the two can be held together in January, 2012.

Wu adds that fewer elections may help reduce tensions that have become
inevitable over the last several years.

(JL)

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Subject: BC-AS--Taiwan-China
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China's culture minister is visiting Taiwan in the latest sign of warming
ties between the two sides.

After arriving today, Cai Wu said he would attend a forum to discuss closer
cultural cooperation during his one-week stay.

He is the highest level Chinese official to visit here since the 1998 visit
by a science and technology minister.

Cai calls his trip unofficial, but local media say he will meet his Taiwanese
counterpart, Emile Sheng.

The government here has said with the signing of an economic and trade pact
with China ... promoting deeper and more significant cultural exchanges will
be on the agenda of talks scheduled for next year.

(jm)

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Subject: China
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In China news...

Rescuers are searching for 57 missing people after a landslide hit southern
China and killed at least three people.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported today that the landslide hit Wama
village in the southwestern province of Yunnan last night. No further
information was given.

Rescue efforts could be hindered by additional heavy rains in Yunnan that is
expected throughout the weekend.

China regularly suffers from devastating floods, but this year's were the
worst in a decade.

Xinhua reports that the death toll from floods has risen to 3,185, with more
than 1,000 people still missing across the country.

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Subject: Netanyahu, Abbas negotiations
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Now taking a look at the middle east...

For the first time in more than 20 months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will engage in
direct peace negotiations later today.

Their discussions will be mediated by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
as part of a high-stakes summit in Washington.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordan's King Abdullah II, and former UK
Prime Minister Tony Blair, representing the MidEast Quartet, will also attend
the sessions.

Kate Moody reports from Washington.

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Subject: weather
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Now taking a look at weather...

Taiwan weather forecast for tomorrow according to the Central Weather Bureau,
chances of rain island-wide with the high of 33 most everywhere.

At the moment fairly cloudy skies cover northern and central Taiwan; the
south is getting rain with current temperatures: Taipei 29, Taichung 28 and
Gauhsiung 26.

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Subject: 7PM EZ News Outro
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That's EZ News at 7. I'm _____