**Tai-Ex Loses Ground in Year of the Tiger **

The Tai-Ex rose marginally (稍微地，略微地) higher on Tuesday, as it closed

out the Year of the Tiger above the 14,900 point mark.

However, figures show the local main board fell by 2,741-points, or 15.51-per

cent, during the Year of the Tiger.

That represent a loss of 8.08-trillion N-T in market value for the 12-month

period.

The Tai-Ex's first trading day of the Year of the Rabbit will be on January

30.

**People Likely to Get NT$6,000 Cash Handouts by Early March **

National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin says Taiwanese citizens

and eligible foreign nationals could receive a one-off 6,000 N-T tax surplus

cash payment by late February or early March.

Speaking at a legislative committee hearing, Kung said chances that the

payments will be made before the Lunar New Year holiday are slim, as the

Cabinet's special budget plan is unlikely to be submitted to the Legislature

in time.

According to Kung, if the Cabinet finalizes the special budget plan on

February 2, sends it to the Legislature for review a day later, and it's

approved within a week, it is possible the payments could begin on February

28.

The statements come as lawmakers from across party lines are urging the

government to speed up the special budgeting process.

**Reports Claim NHIA Data May Have been Sold to China **

Mirror Media magazine is reporting that data allegedly stolen from the

National Health Insurance Administration could have been given to China.

According to publication, retired administration chief secretary Yeh

Feng-ming likely sold the information during numerous trips to China, as

there is evidence that large amounts of money were remitted to family bank

accounts following those trips.

The report comes a week after the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office

announced it opened an investigation into the leaking of private information

about government officials responsible for national security affairs from the

insurance administration.

**UNSC: Russia Accuses Ukraine of Religious Persecution **

The United Nations Security Council held another meeting on Ukraine on

Tuesday, to discuss allegations by Russia that Ukraine is attempting to

"destroy" the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Jody Jacobs has more on that story…

**EU Pushes Clean Tech Plan Forward **

The European Union is pushing forward with a major clean tech industrial plan

that also guarantee the EU's economic survival as it faces challenges from

China and the United States.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the outlines for

her “Green Deal Industrial Plan” on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum at

Davos.

The plan will make it much easier to push through subsidies for green

industries and pool EU-wide projects that are boosted with major funding.

The EU is pursuing the goal of being climate neutral by 2050.

Von der Leyen said that the 27-nation bloc will more forcefully counter

unfair trading practices.

That was the I.C.R.T. news,

Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded

every day in the afternoon.

Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

--

Hosting provided by SoundOn