The Tai-Ex opened down 99-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

32,419 on turnover of 9.3-billion N-T.

The market moved sharply lower on Monday as yet another a spike in crude oil

prices led investors to trim their holdings of large-cap stocks, particularly

those in the electronics sector.

K-M-T Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun has announced that she's "gladly accepted" an

invitation from Xi Jinping to visit China next week.

Speaking at a press conference after news of the invitation was released,

Cheng said she believe the two sides of the Taiwan Strait must firmly pursue

a path of peace to ensure regional stability, and the well-being of future

generations.

Cheng told reporters that the trip will "show the people of Taiwan and the

world that the two sides of the Strait are not destined for war, nor do they

need to remain on the brink of (處於邊緣) military conflict.

The six-day trip includes stops in Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing.

Central Bank Governor Yang Chin-long is warning that the consumer price index

is likely to jump 1.9-per cent this year, if international crude oil prices

increase to an average of 100 U-S dollars per barrel.

Speaking at a meeting of the Legislative Financial Committee, Yang said

although the projected 1.9-per cent growth in the consumer price index is

higher than the central bank's recent estimate of 1.8-per cent, it is still

below a 2-per cent alert level.

Yang also told lawmakers that the central bank will raise interest rates to

deal with inflationary pressure - and if inflationary concerns take hold, the

bank will also take steps to tighten its monetary (金融的) policy.

The Trump Administration says its fuel sanctions on Cuba have not been

lifted, despite allowing a Russian oil tanker to make a delivery to the

island.

The US cut off shipments from Venezuela after deposing (罷免) the country's

president and threatened steep tariffs on countries that sent fuel to Cuba

-in a bid to pressure the government to collapse.

Toni Waterman has more from Washington.

Spain’s Catholic bishops and the government have taken another step toward

compensating victims of sexual abuse by clergy members who have died or whose

possible crimes are too old to be prosecuted.

Spain's Catholic bishops agreed in January to let the Spanish government’s

ombudsman have the final say in the church’s compensation of such victims.

The government and Spain’s bishops signed paperwork on Monday detailing how

the new church-state reparation system would work.

The president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference Archbishop said that the

system would take effect April 15-th.

The text won't include amounts or scales for the compensation (賠償) that

sexual abuse victims would be entitled to (有權獲得/享有).

Compensation will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____.

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