20120517 7pm

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7PM EZ News Intro

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

Economics minister offers help to HTC on patent case

Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang said today that his ministry will provide smartphone vendor HTC with assistance, if necessary, to deal with the ongoing litigation on patent infringement brought against the Taiwanese firm by rival Apple. Shih told lawmakers at a legislative session that the ministry has kept in close touch with HTC to keep informed of the progress of the particular litigation. HTC yesterday said that shipments of its HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE models to the U.S. market have been delayed by a review of the U.S. Customs, requested by the U.S. International Trade Commission. The review came after the commission ruled in December that HTC infringed on one of Apple's patents involving data detection. The Taiwanese firm was given until April 19 to come up with an alternative to avoid a ban on imports and sales of its products equipped with the function in the U.S. market. (EG)

Historic boat returned to Taiwan after 57 years

A historic sailing boat that left Taiwan 57 years ago on a cross- Pacific voyage was brought back today to cheers from an excited crowd that included the boat captain's brother. Teddy Chow, brother of the boat captain at the time Paul Chow, said he never thought the "Free China" would make it back to Taiwan after all these years. The wooden sailing vessel was transported back to Taiwan on board a Yang Ming Marine cargo ship from Oakland, California. The vessel, 23 meters long and 5 meters wide, departed from Keelung Port in 1955 on what was the first trans-Pacific voyage by a Chinese sailing boat, heading for San Francisco, California. It was carrying then-U.S. vice consul Calvin Mehlert and five Taiwanese fishermen. The boat is believed to be one of the oldest existing Chinese sailing boats built by ancient methods and the only remaining one of its kind that has made a passage across the Pacific. It will need extensive renovation after years of abandonment at a private shipyard, before it can be put on display at a marine science museum in Keelung. (EG)

Syria

A key activist group threatened today to withdraw from Syria's main opposition umbrella grouping, saying the council has drifted away from the spirit of the Syrian revolution. A pullout by the Local Coordination Committees from the Syrian National Council would be a blow for the group, which is already facing political and organizational challenges in its quest to oust President Bashar Assad. And if the SNC continues to deteriorate, it could complicate efforts for the West and others to get behind the opposition. Fifteen months into the uprising, Syria's opposition is still struggling to overcome infighting and inexperience, preventing the movement from gaining the traction it needs to present a credible alternative to Assad. Its international backers have repeatedly appealed for the movement to pull together and work as one unit. The SNC, whose members are largely Syrian exiles, has tried with little success to gather the opposition under its umbrella and has alienated minorities inside Syria. Other opposition groups accuse it of trying to monopolize power. Several prominent dissidents have already quit the SNC, calling it an ``autocratic'' organization.

UK

British Prime Minister David Cameron today urged Europe to sort out its currency crisis, calling on the 17-country eurozone ``to make-up or it is looking at a potential break-up.'' In a speech, Cameron said, quote, `Either Europe has a committed, stable, successful eurozone with an effective firewall, well capitalized and regulated banks, a system of fiscal burden sharing, and supportive monetary policy across the Eurozone. Or we are in uncharted territory which carries huge risks for everybody.' Cameron said that if Greece is forced out of the single currency union, the possible collapse of the eurozone poses huge risks to the U.K. economy but he said Britain was prepared to weather the fallout. The Prime Minister added that the danger for the eurozone laid in its peripheral economies such as Portugal, Spain and Italy and that these ``high deficit, low competitiveness countries'' in the eurozone need to cut spending, increase revenues and undergo structural reform

Ships

Two US Naval ships have collided in the Pacific Ocean during an effort to re-fuel nearly 120 miles from Southern California. Lindsey Mastis reports from Los Angeles.

Weather

Central Weather Bureau forecasters say it's going to be cloudy with thunderstorms all over Taiwan tonight, with lows of 24 up north, 25 in the center and south. Tomorrow, similar conditions, with highs of 28 in the north to 30 in southern Taiwan. Right now, it's 23 in Taipei, 25 in Taizhong, and 25 in Gaoxiong.

7PM EZ News Outro

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