Name: FUNDAY News 英語新聞 2025.04.09 | China Vows to ‘Fight to the End’ if Trump Raises Tariffs
Uploaded: 2025-04-09T12:38:06.000Z
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Gas main valve left unclosed in Taichung Xinkang Mitsukoshi explosion.

Former labor official charged with corruption released on bail.

U.S. investigates TSMC for alleged violation of export controls.

China vows to fight to the end if Trump raises tariffs.

Garbage piles up on streets of UK amid month-long sanitation strike.

Emperor and Empress visit Iwo Jima to pay respects to war dead.

Elon Musk's ex to clamp down on parody accounts.

Japan introduces four-legged robot designed for riding.

Hello, I'm Wade Lee. Thank you for joining us on Funday News.

It is Wednesday, April 9th, the International Day of Pink, and here are your top stories.

And for today's Taiwan news, a gas explosion at Taichung Xinkang Mitsukoshi on February 13th killed five and injured 38. Investigations now show the gas main valves was left open and the gas leak detector was removed. Xinzhong Gas may face responsibility as new evidence emerges.

Former New Taipei City Labor Department Chief Xie Yirong has been indicted for corruption under the Anti-Corruption Act. After a hearing on April 8th, she was granted bail of 1 million NT dollars with restrictions including an electronic ankle bracelet and travel limitations.

She apologized to the public and her family. The U.S. Commerce Department is investigating whether TSMC's chips were illegally used in Huawei's AI processors, potentially violating export controls. TSMC may face a fine up to $1 billion. Additionally, President Donald Trump warned TSMC of a 100 percent tariffs if they do not build a factory in the U.S.

And in global news, China said Tuesday it will fight to the end if President Donald Trump imposes an additional 50 percent tariffs on Chinese goods as many countries rush to negotiate trades with the United States. If the plan is fully implemented, the total tariffs on goods imported into the United States from China would be as much as 104 percent. In response, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said China firmly opposes Trump's tariffs threats, calling its previous countermeasures entirely justified.

What's going to happen with the market, I can't tell you, but I can tell you our country has gotten a lot stronger. In response, the Chinese embassy in the U.S.

accused Washington of economic bullying and said that Beijing will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. If Trump acts on his threat, U.S. companies could face a total rate of 104 percent on Chinese imports, as it would come on top of the 20 percent tariffs already put in place in March and the 34 percent announced last week. There are fears that this could deepen a trade war between the world's two biggest economies and global rivals. Trump also warned that all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us, on tariffs, will be terminated. Also on Monday, the U.S. president said he was not considering a pause on the global import tariffs to allow for negotiations with other countries. Garbage has piled up for a month in Birmingham during a dispute between the city and its trash collectors. It is an eyesore and offense to the nose. Mountains of garbage are said to be visible from space, and people have complained of seeing rats as big as cats in the refuse. Talks on Monday failed to reach an agreement, but were scheduled to resume Tuesday as the strike entered its fifth week.

Photos on news sites and social media shows furnitures, mattresses, and car bumpers illegally dumped alongside bulging trash bags.

What we're now seeing is accumulations of waste, up to 17,000 tons now, of uncollected waste, because of the escalation on the picket lines, that means that vehicles have been unable to leave the depots to undertake at least the weekly bin collection we've been managing to do through most of this industrial action. Members of UNITE, the union representing garbage truck workers, walked off the job on March 11 over the elimination of a job position and painful pay cuts. The council said it has made a reasonable offer, that the cuts would only affect a small number of jobs, and that the positions being eliminated are unnecessary.

The labor-run Birmingham City Council is effectively bankrupt because of a settlement over historic pay discrimination. As a result, it is only providing services required by law, including waste collection. As heaps of black bags littered sidewalks, with their contents spilling out of holes chewed by critters, the city council declared a major incident to bring in additional cleanup crews and vehicles.

Japan's emperor, Naruhito, visited Iwajima on Monday and paid tribute to the thousands of Japanese and Americans who died in one of World War II's bloodiest battles. Naruhito and his wife, Empress

Misako, prayed at three memorial sites, one for the Japanese soldiers, another for the islanders, and a third for both Japanese and American war dead. The couple offered a bouquet of white flowers and poured water over a cenotaph from a ladle to console those who died under the heat, suffering from hunger and thirst. They were due to meet with representatives of bereaved families and descendants of former island residents. The visit by the royal couple, both born after the war, is their first to Iwajima. In his 65th birthday remarks in February, Naruhito noted the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and stressed the importance of remembering wartime history and educating younger generations about its tragedy. Japan fought the war and invaded large areas of Asia in the name of his grandfather, Emperor Hirohito. The Battle of Iwajima lasted from February 19 to March 26, 1945, as the United States sought to take control of a key strategic point to advance toward mainland Japan. X is introducing stricter rules for parody accounts.

Starting April 10th, accounts that impersonate another user or person must include keywords such as fake or parody at the beginning of their account names. The platform will also require parody account holders to use different images from the X account they seek to imitate. Some users have complained about confusion caused by parody accounts on the platform, such as those impersonating its owner Elon Musk. It encouraged affected accounts to update their profiles by the enforcement date. The changes will also apply to fan and commentary accounts. X rolled out labels for parody accounts in January, building on its rules requiring users engaging in impersonation for the purpose of entertainment to identify themselves as such. These rules, along with the platform's blue tick verification system, have been cited as tools to prevent misleading impersonation while allowing free speech and discussion. However, the effectiveness of such measures has been disputed. The EU stated in July 2024 that the blue ticks violated its online content rules, with verified blue tick accounts having the potential to deceive users. Unleashed at Expo 2025, Osaka as part of the Kawasaki Heavy Industry Pavilion-themed Mobile Instincts,

CoreLeo is a futuristic off-road mobility concept. Combining the thrill of motorcycling with advanced robotics and designed to conquer mountains and traverse rugged terrains, the hydrogen-powered machine walks on four robotic legs equipped with adaptive hooves. Echoing

Kawasaki's long-standing fun-to-ride philosophy, this concept offered riders a unique and exhilarating outdoor experience. CoreLeo represents the Japanese corporation's vision of mobility in 2050, where instinct, technology, and the natural environment move in sync. The chassis mimics the responsive feel of a motorcycle, but instead of wheels, it uses independently articulating legs with swing arms that absorb impact and adapt to uneven ground. Each leg ends in a hoof made from slip-resistant rubber, split left to right to conform to varied surfaces like grass, gravel, and rock. It maintains balance and stability while also keeping the rider's body in a forward- looking posture, even when ascending steep slopes or climbing steps. A 150cc hydrogen engine generates electricity for the leg-mounted drive units, powered by a rear-mounted hydrogen canister for low emissions and silent operation. The answer for yesterday was B, implement.

The company plans to implement a new marketing strategy next month.

Did you answer correctly? Now let's delve into today's news.

Number one, terminate. The company decided to terminate the contract early.

Number two, tariff. The government imposed a high tariff on imported goods.

Number three, safeguard. The country introduced new safeguard measures to protect local industries.

Next, we have a multiple choice question for everyone to practice. Which answer will you choose?

You can write your answer in the comments section and the correct answer will be announced tomorrow.

The International Day of Pink is set up as an international day against bullying, discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and transmisogyny in cities and towns all across the world. On this day, everyone is invited to celebrate diversity by wearing a pink shirt and by organizing activities in their workplaces, schools, and communities in support of the day.

And that's all for today's Funday News. Be sure to tune in to Funday News from Monday to Friday and click the link below to join Funday for free. I'm Wade Lee, your host. I'll see you next time.