Investors in the local stock market pocketed an average of 850,000 N-T in the

Year of the Rabbit after the Tai-Ex ended the final trading day of the Lunar

year up by 0.2-per cent.

Trading in the Year of the Rabbit began on January 30 of last year.

Since then the weighted index soared 3,163-points, or 21.18-per cent, to

close the year at 18,096-points - boosting market capitalization by

10.76-trillion N-T for a total of 57.52-trillion N-T.

This was a marked improvement from the Year of the Tiger - when the main

board tumbled by over 2,700-points, or 15.51-per cent.

The stock market will resume trading on February 15.

The Railway Police Bureau says a passenger who deliberately pulled an

emergency brake valve that brought an EMU3000 express train to a stop in

Taitung County last week could face a fine of up to 1-million N-T.

The fine is based on Article 68-1 of the Railway Act.

According to the bureau's Hualien Precinct, the passenger has been identified

as (確定為) a 28-year-old Taitung resident.

He was questioning by police on Monday and law enforcement authorities say

the Ministry of Transport will now review the case.

The train came to an unplanned stop in Taitung's Jinlun Station when the

emergency brake valve in the train's ninth car was pulled.

Police say the man has told them he fell asleep on the train and pulled the

brake because he had missed his stop.

The Health Promotion Administration says health warnings must have to cover

at least 50-per cent of cigarette packaging from next month.

According to the administration, the new packaging policy will come into

affect on March 22.

The warnings are currently required to cover at least 35-per cent of

packaging (包裝).

The administration says the move is in line with the World Health

Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

That convention states that all tobacco product packaging carries health

warnings and such warnings should cover 50-per cent or more of the packaging

area.

A Chinese court has handed Australian writer Yang Hengjun and pro-democracy

blogger a suspended death sentence for spying.

Human rights advocates say it's an unusually harsh verdict (判決) and it

could hurt ties between Beijing and Canberra.

Patrick Fok reports.

Heavy snow in the Tokyo area has knocked out power to homes and disrupted

travel.

Officials cautioned drivers to avoid nonessential travel.

The Japan Meteorological Agency forecast more than 55 centimeters in

mountainous areas north of the capital.

Central Tokyo had much smaller amounts.

More than 100 domestic and several international flights in and out of

Tokyo’s Haneda airport were canceled Monday.

Some highways were partially (部分地) closed, and more than 14,000 homes were

without electricity.

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 _____.

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