The Tai-Ex opened down 92-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

19,845 on turnover of $9.6-billion N-T.

Shares in Taiwan inched up Thursday to close at a new high, after recovering

from early losses in the bellwether electronics sector, even as sentiment

remained cautious ahead of the United States' release of its February

producer price index later in the day.

The financial sector was the main anchor, helping to stabilize the market as

some financial firms offered attractive dividend policies, and buying also

rotated to some old economy stocks, giving the main board additional support.

Minister of the Environment Shieu Fuh-sheng says a decision on carbon fee

rates (費率) by a review committee may be delayed.

Shieu announced in February that a decision on the rates would be made by the

end of March, but now says there were now "no guarantees" due to changes to

the "wider environment."

The minister cited the expected raising of electricity rates in Taiwan in

April, and difficulties in Taiwan's petrochemical industry as factors.

Many Taiwanese companies in the petrochemical industry are included in the

550 big emitters emitting more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a

year that are to be charged carbon fees by the government.

Shieu says the review committee is meeting for the first time today, and will

not yet have any final decisions.

Gunmen who kidnapped about 300 school children in Nigeria's Kaduna state last

week are demanding a ransom (贖金) for their release.

Tesem Akende reports.

Caribbean officials say a plan to create a transitional presidential council

is moving forward after a majority of Haitian parties and coalitions

submitted the names of those charged with finding new leaders for the

country.

Officials said Thursday that the names were provided to a regional trade bloc

known as Caricom that is helping lead the transition.

The names were submitted a day after Haitian politicians and influential

figures bickered (爭吵) publicly about the plan and what names to submit,

seemingly putting creation of the council at risk. Prime Minister Ariel Henry

pledged to resign once the council is created.

Britain’s high court has ruled that an Australian computer scientist is not,

as he claimed, the mysterious creator of the bitcoin cryptocurrency.

Craig Wright has for eight years claimed that he was the man behind “Satoshi

Nakamoto,” the pseudonym that masked the identity of the creator of bitcoin.

His claim was dismissed Thursday following a trial brought forward by the

Crypto Open Patent Alliance, a non-profit group of technology and

cryptocurrency firms.

The organization claimed Wright had created an “elaborate (詳盡的，複雜的)

false narrative” and forged documents to suggest he was Satoshi and had

“terrorized” those who questioned him.

Wright, who attended the start of the five-week trial, denied the allegations.

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.

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