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EZ NEWS APR 22, 2026

Posted on 2026-04-22 10:22:13

Tai-Ex opening

Posted on 2026-04-22 10:22:13

The Tai-Ex opened up 22-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 37,627
on turnover of 8.3-billion N-T.

The market closed at yet another record high on Tuesday after tech stocks
soared on the back of continuing investor optimism over the development of
artificial intelligence infrastructure and applications.

Lai says Taiwan's wishes to Eswatini's King 'unaffected' by trip

Posted on 2026-04-22 10:22:13

cancellation

President Lai Ching-te says "Taiwan's sincere wishes" to Eswatini's King
Mswati III on his Ruby jubilee will not be affected, despite political
interference by China forcing him to cancel his planned visit to the African
diplomatic ally.

Taking to social media, Lai said he "regretted" to inform the public that he
had to suspend his trip on the advice of his national security team, but
Taiwan continues to cherish its friendship with Eswatini ...

... and he will send special envoys to attend events marking the 40th
anniversary of the monarch's accession (登基) to the throne and the king's
58th birthday."

The Presidential Office is blaming "economic coercion" by China the
cancellation after the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar rescinded (撤銷)
overflight permission for Lai's chartered plane.

General budget plan advances to committee review

Posted on 2026-04-22 10:22:13

The Cabinet's 2026 general budget proposal has been sent to committee review
after Premier Cho Jung-tai briefed lawmakers on its planning.

The budget had been stalled in the Legislature for more than six months,
prior to Cho briefing lawmakers on the compilation (編輯;編製) of the budget
and answering questions during a legislative hearing on Tuesday.

According to the premier, certain budget items have been deferred due to
concerns over parity among public servants and constitutional issues.

Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang presided over the hearing - after
which he announced that the proposal would be sent to the Finance Committee
and distributed to other committees in accordance with a set schedule.

TEENAGER CHARGED AFTER SYNAGOGUE ARSON ATTACK

Posted on 2026-04-22 10:22:13

A teenage boy has been charged following an alleged (據稱) arson attack on a
synagogue in northwest London.

Police say the incident is the latest in a series of attacks targeting Jewish
sites across the capital.

Mike Jagassar reports from London.

Spain Approves Plan to Tackle Housing Crisis

Posted on 2026-04-22 10:22:13

Spain's government has approved a major plan to tackle (處理) the country's
housing crisis.

Rising rental and housing costs have priced many Spaniards out of the market,
despite a recent economic boom.

The new plan, worth 7 billion euros, triples government investment in public
housing over the next four years.

It ensures subsidized housing cannot be reclassified after a few years.

It also includes help for young renters and home buyers.

About 40% of the money will grow the public housing supply, while 30% will go
toward property renovations.

The rest will focus on subsidies, especially for young people.

EZ NEWS APR 21, 2026

Posted on 2026-04-21 10:18:13

Tai-Ex opening

Posted on 2026-04-21 10:18:13

The Tai-Ex jumped 700-points in early trading this morning after opening up
92-points from yesterday's close, at 37,051 on turnover of 11.2-billion N-T.

The main board added 739-points by 9:05 to reach to a high of 37,730 before
falling back to 37,689-points.

The rise came after market heavyweights Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing,
Hon Hai and Delta Electronics all made solid gains, as investors are eyeing
pending earnings reports from Intel, Microsoft, and Apple.

China's Liaoning aircraft carrier passes through Taiwan Strait

Posted on 2026-04-21 10:18:13

The Ministry of National Defense says it closely monitored the movements of
China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning as it passed through the Taiwan Strait
yesterday.

The ministry has released a black-and-white surveillance photograph showing
an aerial (空中的,) view of the vessel - which shows several fixed-wing
aircraft and helicopters on the carrier's flight deck.

Defense officials have not specified where or when the photo was taken .. and
have also not disclose whether it was taken by a drone, an aircraft, or radar
system.

The last time the defense ministry reported a Chinese aircraft carrier in
the Taiwan Strait was mid-December of last year - when China's newest and
most advanced carrier, the Fujian, passed through the waterway.

Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage ends after eight-day procession

Posted on 2026-04-21 10:18:13

And,

The palanquin carrying two statues of sea goddess Mazu from Bai-sha-tun
Gongtian Temple in Miaoli County returned home on Monday.

It concluding an eight-day pilgrimage to Chiaotian Temple, also a Mazu
temple, in Yunlin County and back again.

The statues were escorted into the main hall and formally seated in the
Gongtian Temple on their return by tens of thousands of devotees (虔誠信徒).

The Bai-sha-tun Mazu pilgrimage set off on April 13 from Tongxiao Township,
led by a palanquin carrying three Mazu statues, one of which was from
neighboring Shan-bian Mazu Temple.

Organizers say this year's procession was joined by a record 460,000-plus
devotees.

UK PM: Officials deliberately withheld Mandelson security failure

Posted on 2026-04-21 10:18:13

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he takes "responsibility" for
appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, but insists he only became aware
that Mandelson had failed security checks last Tuesday.

Starmer faced calls to resign after it became public that UK Security Vetting
had advised denying clearance to the associate (朋友, 夥伴) of convicted sex
offender Jeffrey Epstein's associate in January 2025.

Lara Bentley reports from London.

Japan Approves Scrapping Ban on Lethal Weapons Exports

Posted on 2026-04-21 10:18:13

Japan has endorsed (合法化) scrapping a ban on lethal weapons exports.

The approval Tuesday by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet of the new
guideline clears a final set of hurdles for Japan’s postwar arms sales.

The move comes as the country accelerates its military buildup in the face of
growing security challenges in the region.

It's a major change of its postwar pacifist policy as the country seeks to
build up its arms industry and deepen cooperation with defense partners.

While the change of policy met with China’s criticism, it has been largely
welcomed by Japan’s defense partners like Australia and attracted interests
from Southeast Asia and Europe.

US backs a South Africa project to extract rare earths despite a diplomatic

Posted on 2026-04-20 15:27:13

clash

The US backs (支持) a South Africa project to extract rare earths (提煉稀土)
despite a diplomatic clash (外交衝突).

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports

Environment minister eyes 'urban forest' plan to expand city shade

Posted on 2026-04-20 10:51:13

Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming says the government plans to establish a
national "urban forest" initiative (倡議) to expand tree cover and create
continuous shade (連續的林蔭) along daily commuting routes.

According to Peng, the plan envisions (願景) that "in 10 years, people will
be able to walk from M-R-T stations to their offices under tree shade" if
planting begins now.

Peng says the proposal will be submitted to (呈交) the Presidential Office's
National Climate Change Committee next week and a full plan is expected to be
released by the end of the year.

Peng also says each tree planted could be assigned a digital "identity
(身分)" for long-term monitoring and management (監看與管理).

Veteran cinematographer Lai Cheng-ying dies at 95

Posted on 2026-04-20 10:51:13

Veteran cinematographer Lai Cheng-ying (賴成英 )has died.

He was 95.

Lai's death was confirmed by the Chinese Society of Cinematographers
(電影攝影師), following reports of Lai's passing early Sunday on a
cinematographers' group social media chat.

Lai was born in Taichung in 1931 and co-founded the association 37 years ago.

He entered the film industry in the 1950s, working his way up from assistant
cameraman to cinematographer and later director.

Lai won three Golden Horse Awards for best cinematography for the films
"Beautiful Duckling," "Stars Gathering," and "Execution in Autumn."

He was awarded the Golden Horse Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

The US backs a South Africa project to extract rare earths despite a

Posted on 2026-04-20 10:51:13

diplomatic clash

The US backs (支持) a South Africa project to extract rare earths (提煉稀土)
despite a diplomatic clash (外交衝突).

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports

Canada PM on Economy

Posted on 2026-04-20 10:51:13

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada’s strong economic ties to
the U.S. were once a strength but are now a weakness that must be corrected
(修正).

Carney spoke in a video address released Sunday about his government’s
efforts to strengthen the Canadian economy.

In his address, Carney said he wants to attract new investments into Canada,
double the size of clean energy capacity (量能) and reduce trade barriers
within the country.

He also emphasized Canada’s increased defense spending, reduction in taxes
and efforts to make housing more affordable (更能付得起).

The prime minister also says plans to give Canadians regular updates on his
government’s efforts to diversify (多元化) away from the U.S.

Hong-Kong-Fire-Aftermath

Posted on 2026-04-20 10:51:13

Five months after Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, thousands of
displaced (流離失所) fire victims are beginning to return to see what remains
of their homes and retrieve their belongings (取回他們的東西).

Some elderly residents have been training to improve their fitness in
preparation for climbing the stairs of the 31-story buildings.

Some homes were so badly burned that steel rebar (鋼筋) in the ceilings
became visible.

Even those with less severely damaged homes faced complex emotions. The
process is expected to continue into early May.

Last year's blaze in the suburban district of Tai Po spread rapidly across
seven of eight buildings in an apartment complex, killing 168 people.

EZ NEWS APR 20, 2026

Posted on 2026-04-20 10:51:13

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