The Tai-Ex opened up 864-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

18,256 on turnover of 15-billion N-T.

The market saw heavy losses for the third consecutive trading day on

Wednesday - as the main board tumbled more than 1,000-points after America

slapped a 32-per cent "reciprocal tariff" on Taiwan at noon yesterday.

Although the National Financial Stabilization Fund started its market

intervention yesterday, the decline was still the third steepest (最急劇的)in

history.

The National Immigration Agency says about 10,000 Chinese spouses granted

"settlement residency" in Taiwan are at risk of losing that status for

failing to submit proof they renounced their Chinese household registration.

According to agency deputy director-general Chen Chieh-cheng, some 130,000

other Chinese spouses granted "settlement residency" have already provided

the required documentation (文件).

Chen says the reasons being cited for the delay by the some 10,000

individuals include health issues and challenges related to the COVID-19

pandemic.

The Taichung District Prosecutors' Office says 50 people have so far been

questioned as part of its on-going investigation into February's deadly

explosion at the city's Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store.

According to the prosecutors' office, is has questioned on-site workers, as

well as representatives from the Shin Chung Natural Gas Company and the

department store chain to clarify the cause of the gas explosion.

Prosecutors says some of have been listed as witnesses, while others have

already been listed as defendants and investigations are continuing regarding

possible criminal liability (責任).

The statement follows reports that although a gas meter had been removed, a

gas valve had not been turned off as renovation work was on-going at the

site.

The prosecutors' office has not commented on that report.

US President Donald Trump has reversed course (逆轉政策) and paused global

tariffs on countries around the world for 90-days.

A 10% baseline duty will stay in place against all countries while the US

tries to do deals with individual countries.

However, tariffs against China have increased to 125%.

Nick Harper reports from Washington.

Pope Francis met privately with King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the

Vatican during the royal couple’s four-day state visit to Italy and on the

occasion of their 20th wedding anniversary.

It was the first confirmed meeting since the pope’s return to the Vatican

after five weeks in the hospital for life-threatening double pneumonia.

Francis had planned to have an audience with Charles, but that was officially

postponed due to the pope’s health.

The pope issued (發布) a new invitation for a private audience, but it was

only confirmed on Wednesday morning.

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

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