Good Morning World: Plastic Bags Not Short but Pricey; MOEA to Offer Affordable Options in a Week

The United States and Iran have temporarily ceased fire, with negotiations expected to take place in Pakistan on the 11th. US President Trump stated that US aircraft and warships would continue to be deployed in and around Iran, and if Iran does not fully comply with the agreement reached with the US, US forces will reopen fire. However, Israel's fierce attack on Lebanon on the 7th, which caused hundreds of casualties, led Iran to claim that it is unreasonable to advance peace talks with the US under current circumstances. British and EU leaders called for the ceasefire to extend to Lebanon, but Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said he would continue to attack the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Due to market concerns about the breakdown of the US-Iran ceasefire agreement, the Strait of Hormuz remains largely blockaded, causing international oil prices to rebound on the 9th, approaching the US$100 per barrel mark. (Read full report) Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wen stated on the 9th in Shanghai, during a meeting with Taiwanese businesspeople, that cross-strait peace is a prerequisite for Taiwan's prosperity. The KMT advocates for ending the state of hostility across the strait, replacing confrontation with goodwill, and opposition with dialogue. She is expected to meet with Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping on the 10th. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council stated that it hopes Cheng Li-wen will directly and frankly convey the demands of the Taiwanese people when meeting with Xi Jinping, including that the CCP must acknowledge the existence of the Republic of China, that Taiwan's future must respect the will of the Taiwanese people, and that the PLA's harassment of Taiwan by aircraft and warships must immediately cease. (Read full report) The deadline for claiming the universal cash handout of NT$10,000 is April 30th this year. The Ministry of Finance statistics show that 400,000 eligible citizens have not yet claimed it, and over 30,000 people may not have received the payment due to inconsistent input data, bank accounts being flagged as warning accounts, or other reasons. If citizens find that the payment has not been credited, they should re-register within the deadline or choose to withdraw cash via ATM or post office to ensure their right to claim. (Read full report) The number of people seeking medical attention for suspected food poisoning from "Qingliu Canteen" in New Taipei has increased to 148. The operator has promised to refund double the original consumption amount. The consumer protection officer emphasized that this refund does not offset subsequent insurance claims, and consumers can still seek compensation according to law. The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office has launched an investigation into the case under the Food Safety Act. This incident, along with the spring roll case at Kaohsiung's Zhengyi Market, both involved patients testing positive for Salmonella. Doctors pointed out that this bacterium is common, especially in meat and undercooked ingredients, and is easily contracted under improper storage conditions. Symptoms are often more severe than norovirus, potentially causing bloody stools due to mucosal invasion, or even bacteremia. (Read full report) The Public Television Service (PTS) board of directors and supervisors review committee was originally scheduled to meet on the 16th, but 8 review committee members, including Liao Yuan-hao and Pan Tsu-yin, resigned, accusing Minister of Culture Li Yuan of violating the customary practice of cross-party negotiation on candidate lists before congressional review. The Ministry of Culture stated that the Public Television Law does not stipulate that candidate lists must undergo "political party negotiation," and the currently nominated 10 candidates are the best list after widely soliciting opinions from all sectors. The Ministry of Culture urged the review committee members nominated by opposition parties to conduct substantive reviews, so as not to betray the trust of society. (Read full report) According to the Hong Kong English "South China Morning Post," the South American country Chile uncovered a copper smuggling case. A transnational criminal group stole copper worth over US$910 million (approximately NT$29.8 billion) over five years, disguising it as scrap and selling it to China. This is one of Chile's largest organized crime cases in history, but the police have not yet disclosed the identity of the buyers. The group's copper theft methods were crude, including ramming trucks into utility poles and pulling down entire rows of cables within minutes, after which personnel stripped the copper and loaded it onto vehicles. These attacks caused large-scale power outages in many areas. (Read full report) The Central Weather Administration stated that on the 10th, temperatures across Taiwan would be around 30 degrees Celsius, with the Taipei basin potentially reaching 33 degrees, and plains near mountains in the south around 34 degrees. Taitung may experience foehn winds, with local high temperatures exceeding 36 degrees. It is expected that most areas will be sunny to cloudy until the 13th, with brief afternoon showers in mountainous areas. A tropical depression southeast of Guam has the potential to strengthen into Typhoon Sinlaku. It is expected to continue moving north, and due to its distant location, it will not affect Taiwan's weather. (Read full report) Wu Tzu-chia, chairman of the Formosa Electronic News, accused former Premier Su Tseng-chang and former Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung of embezzling US$100 million through BNT vaccine procurement. The Taiwan High Court rejected the appeal in the second instance, upholding the sentence of 6 months imprisonment for defamation and 4 months for spreading defamatory text, with a total of 8 months imprisonment, which can be commuted to a fine. (Read full report) Taiwan's "anti-cancer female boxer" Chen Nien-chin defeated Hwang Hyo-sun of North Korea 4-1 at the Asian Boxing Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, winning her first gold medal in the women's 65kg class and her second gold in the history of the championships. She said that winning gold in two different weight classes is a great affirmation. Coach Ko Wen-ming stated that the Asian Championships are a prelude to the Asian Games in Nagoya in September this year, and winning gold is of great significance. Chen Nien-chin sprained her right foot in the previous match and was able to continue the competition only with bandaging. (Read full report) The "Good Morning World" will be simultaneously released on the following platforms at 8 AM, providing you with the most essential news summary! E-newsletter, Facebook, Instagram Stories, YouTube.