EZ News 05/23/24

E*Tai-Ex opening

The Tai-Ex opened up 117 points this morning from yesterday's close, at 21,668 Thursday on turnover of 8.9 billion NT.

The Tai-Ex closed at a new high on Wednesday, gaining more than 300 points as investors scrambled (爭相買) to pick up Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and other artificial intelligence-related stocks.

The rise in investor interest in heavyweight tech stocks came ahead of Nvidia's release of its first quarterly earnings report.
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E*MODA to Set U- A-I Industrial Parks 

Digital Affairs Minister (數位發展部部長) Huang Yen-nan says the government is planning to set up two artificial intelligence industrial parks (人工智慧產業園區) to capitalize (資本) on Taiwan's strength in the information and communications sectors (資訊和通信領域).

According to Huang, the parks will be jointly established (共同設立) by the Ministry of Digital Affairs and National Development Council and are aimed at attracting A-I startups from around the world.

It's hoped that the parks will help Taiwan establish a comprehensive software and hardware cluster (軟硬體集群).

And Huang says the parks are part of his ministry's strategy to take advantage of the global A-I boom (全球人工智慧熱潮) to drive digital economic growth and push the local digital economy's output value above 1-trillion N-T within two years.

Huang is an expert in data security, communications, and A-I development.
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E*Unemployment Rate Dips to Lowest April in 24 Years 

The island's unemployment rate (失業率) dipped to the lowest ever for the month of April in 24 years.

Data shows the rate fell zero-point-zero-two percentage points from a month earlier to stand at 3.36-per cent in April.

Along with that being the lowest April level since 2000 it also marked the second consecutive month-on-month decline.

After seasonal adjustments (經過季節性調整後), April's jobless rate fell zero-point-zero-one percentage points from March to stand at 3.39-per cent.
In the first four months of this year, the unemployment rate has fallen 0.16 percentage points from a year earlier to 3.36-per cent.

The government is attributing (歸因於) the decline in the April jobless rate to the economy continuing to improve on the back of solid post COVID consumption (疫後消費支撐).
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E*United Kingdom General Election on July 4th

In global news,

The United Kingdom will hold its first election in five years.

The country is reeling (發蒙) from the cost-of-living crisis (生活成本危機), the fallout (餘波) from Israel-Hamas conflict and deep divisions over how to deal with migrants and asylum seekers (移民和尋求庇護者) crossing the English Channel from Europe on small inflatable boats.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced that the election will be held on July 4th.

The timing was earlier than analysts expected.

Sunak, a former Treasury chief who has been prime minister since October of 2022, is expected to lead his party into the election.

His primary opponent will be Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions in England and leader of the Labour Party since April 2020.

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E*Iran's Supreme Leader Presides Over Funeral for President After Helicopter Crash

Iran's supreme leader presided over (主持) funeral ceremonies (葬禮儀式) for the president and others killed in the recent helicopter crash.

Here's AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma.

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E*New Study Says Daily marijuana use outpaces daily drinking in the US

And,

A study shows daily marijuana (大麻) use in the U-S is outpacing (超過) daily drinking.

AP correspondent Haya Panjwani reports.

E*Tai-Ex opening



The Tai-Ex opened up 117 points this morning from yesterday's close, at 21,668 Thursday on turnover of 8.9 billion NT.



The Tai-Ex closed at a new high on Wednesday, gaining more than 300 points as investors scrambled (爭相買) to pick up Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and other artificial intelligence-related stocks.



The rise in investor interest in heavyweight tech stocks came ahead of Nvidia's release of its first quarterly earnings report.

_____________________________________



E*MODA to Set U- A-I Industrial Parks 



Digital Affairs Minister (數位發展部部長) Huang Yen-nan says the government is planning to set up two artificial intelligence industrial parks (人工智慧產業園區) to capitalize (資本) on Taiwan's strength in the information and communications sectors (資訊和通信領域).



According to Huang, the parks will be jointly established (共同設立) by the Ministry of Digital Affairs and National Development Council and are aimed at attracting A-I startups from around the world.



It's hoped that the parks will help Taiwan establish a comprehensive software and hardware cluster (軟硬體集群).



And Huang says the parks are part of his ministry's strategy to take advantage of the global A-I boom (全球人工智慧熱潮) to drive digital economic growth and push the local digital economy's output value above 1-trillion N-T within two years.



Huang is an expert in data security, communications, and A-I development.

_____________________________________



E*Unemployment Rate Dips to Lowest April in 24 Years 



The island's unemployment rate (失業率) dipped to the lowest ever for the month of April in 24 years.



Data shows the rate fell zero-point-zero-two percentage points from a month earlier to stand at 3.36-per cent in April.



Along with that being the lowest April level since 2000 it also marked the second consecutive month-on-month decline.



After seasonal adjustments (經過季節性調整後), April's jobless rate fell zero-point-zero-one percentage points from March to stand at 3.39-per cent.

In the first four months of this year, the unemployment rate has fallen 0.16 percentage points from a year earlier to 3.36-per cent.



The government is attributing (歸因於) the decline in the April jobless rate to the economy continuing to improve on the back of solid post COVID consumption (疫後消費支撐).

_____________________________________



E*United Kingdom General Election on July 4th



In global news,



The United Kingdom will hold its first election in five years.



The country is reeling (發蒙) from the cost-of-living crisis (生活成本危機), the fallout (餘波) from Israel-Hamas conflict and deep divisions over how to deal with migrants and asylum seekers (移民和尋求庇護者) crossing the English Channel from Europe on small inflatable boats.



Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced that the election will be held on July 4th.



The timing was earlier than analysts expected.



Sunak, a former Treasury chief who has been prime minister since October of 2022, is expected to lead his party into the election.



His primary opponent will be Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions in England and leader of the Labour Party since April 2020.



_____________________________________



E*Iran's Supreme Leader Presides Over Funeral for President After Helicopter Crash



Iran's supreme leader presided over (主持) funeral ceremonies (葬禮儀式) for the president and others killed in the recent helicopter crash.



Here's AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma.



_____________________________________



E*New Study Says Daily marijuana use outpaces daily drinking in the US



And,



A study shows daily marijuana (大麻) use in the U-S is outpacing (超過) daily drinking.



AP correspondent Haya Panjwani reports.