**Tai-Ex opening **

The Tai-Ex opened up 117-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

15,338 on turnover of $2.7-billion N-T.

The Tai-Ex joined other regional markets and lost ground on Thursday, after

Wall Street tumbled overnight as a plunge in Credit Suisse shares reignited

investor concerns about a possible bank crisis following the failure of two

U-S lenders.

**Cabinet Seeks to Stiffen Penalties for Illegal Export of Seedlings **

The Cabinet has approved a draft bill that could see those who illegally

export certain types of seedlings or their derivatives (衍生物) fined or

jailed for up to three years.

The move is part of government efforts to keep high-value indigenous plant

and fruit species in Taiwan.

The draft bill is a proposed amendment to the Plant Variety and Plant Seed

Act.

The bill was introduced after China suspended imports of Tainong 17

pineapples, claiming that it has already cultivated the same variety of

pineapples.

The draft amendment states that anyone who imports or exports seedlings, the

derivatives thereof or products made from such derivatives will face a

maximum prison term of three years and/or a fine of up to 3-million N-T.

Under the existing rules, such violations result in a maximum fine of

1.5-million N-T and no prison time.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Chen Jun-ji says the smuggling of valuable

species out of Taiwan to China and other countries undermining the island's

trade.

The draft amendment will now go the Legislative Yuan for review.

**Japan SKorea Resume Diplomatic Visits **

Japan and South Korea are vowing to resume diplomatic visits amidst (在其中)

warming ties between the two countries.

It follows the first in-person summit between their leaders in more than a

decade.

Chris Gilbert reports.

**Colombia Ends Mine Rescue Operations **

Rescue operations at a coal mine in central Colombia that collapsed earlier

this week have ended and officials say the accident had left 21 workers dead.

The mine near the town of Sutatausa collapsed late Tuesday following an

explosion that blocked (擋、堵塞) several of its entrances.

Rescue teams worked nonstop for more than 30 hours to find survivors and

retrieve bodies.

Provincial authorities say nine workers survived the accident, while the

relatives of miners who were killed were receiving support.

All of the workers who were at the mine at the time of the accident have been

accounted for.

**Montenegro President Dissolves Parliament **

Montenegro’s president has dissolved parliament and paved the way (做好準備)

for an early parliamentary election.

President Milo Djukanovic issued a decree dissolving parliament on Thursday,

three months after Montenegro’s last government fell in a no-confidence

vote.

Djukanovic is expected to set a date for the early election today.

He is running for reelection in Montenegro's presidential election on Sunday.

Analysts predict the voting will not produce a clear winner and that the

pro-Western incumbent will face one of several challengers in a runoff two

weeks later.

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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