The Tai-Ex opened up 137-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

20,360 on turnover of $4.9-billion N-T.

Shares in Taiwan closed lower Monday as investors shifted to the sell side.

They were taking advantage of the main board's earlier upturn after a rally

in afterhours (工作時間之後) trading on the U.S. markets.

Investors held high hopes that the U.S. Federal Reserve will start a rate cut

cycle in June.

But the bellwether electronics sector encountered profit taking Monday after

a strong showing in the first quarter of the year.

This pushed the main board above the 20,000 point mark.

New Taipei is conducting inspections in a case where several guests fell ill

after eating at a banquet hall.

FDC International Hotels Corporation announced today that 9 customers who

dined at its Gala de Chine banquet hall in Xinzhuang District last week

sought medical care after experiencing gastrointestinal discomfort.

The corporation says it is actively cooperating with the city's investigation.

It says it has provide samples of food items and data for inspection.

However, it also points out that a portion (部分) of the guests who attended

the banquet brought their own food.

The corporation says the cause of the illnesses is still under investigation.

The New Taipei Department of Health says it has requested the restaurant

suspend business while inspections are underway.

(NS)

An old land mine found by children in eastern Afghanistan has exploded while

they were playing with it, killing nine children.

A Taliban spokesman says the land mine, which the children found near their

village in Ghazni province, was from decades (幾十年) ago.

He says the explosion Sunday killed five boys and four girls who were 5 to 10

years old.

Afghanistan has suffered from decades of war.

The country remains highly dangerous for children who collect scrap metal to

sell to support their families.

Many are killed or maimed when they come across unexploded ordinance.

The United States and Israel are holding a virtual meeting today to discuss

the alternatives to a military invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah.

Israeli forces have for weeks been planning to push into the southern tip of

the besieged (被圍困) strip, where more than a million displaced Palestinians

are gathered.

Benji Hyer reports.

Greek authorities say dozens of migrants found in a wooden boat on the

Mediterranean Sea between northern Africa and southern Europe have been

transported to the Greek island of Crete.

Greece’s coast guard says the boat carried 74 people.

It is not immediately clear where or when the boat had launched (下水，出發)

or what countries the passengers were from.

Crete’s southern coastline has seen an increase in migrant arrivals in

recent months.

Greece is a major entry point into the European Union for people fleeing

conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

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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