The Tai-Ex jumped 700-points in early trading this morning after opening up

92-points from yesterday's close, at 37,051 on turnover of 11.2-billion N-T.

The main board added 739-points by 9:05 to reach to a high of 37,730 before

falling back to 37,689-points.

The rise came after market heavyweights Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing,

Hon Hai and Delta Electronics all made solid gains, as investors are eyeing

pending earnings reports from Intel, Microsoft, and Apple.

The Ministry of National Defense says it closely monitored the movements of

China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning as it passed through the Taiwan Strait

yesterday.

The ministry has released a black-and-white surveillance photograph showing

an aerial (空中的,) view of the vessel - which shows several fixed-wing

aircraft and helicopters on the carrier's flight deck.

Defense officials have not specified where or when the photo was taken .. and

have also not disclose whether it was taken by a drone, an aircraft, or radar

system.

The last time the defense ministry reported a Chinese aircraft carrier in

the Taiwan Strait was mid-December of last year - when China's newest and

most advanced carrier, the Fujian, passed through the waterway.

And,

The palanquin carrying two statues of sea goddess Mazu from Bai-sha-tun

Gongtian Temple in Miaoli County returned home on Monday.

It concluding an eight-day pilgrimage to Chiaotian Temple, also a Mazu

temple, in Yunlin County and back again.

The statues were escorted into the main hall and formally seated in the

Gongtian Temple on their return by tens of thousands of devotees (虔誠信徒).

The Bai-sha-tun Mazu pilgrimage set off on April 13 from Tongxiao Township,

led by a palanquin carrying three Mazu statues, one of which was from

neighboring Shan-bian Mazu Temple.

Organizers say this year's procession was joined by a record 460,000-plus

devotees.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he takes "responsibility" for

appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, but insists he only became aware

that Mandelson had failed security checks last Tuesday.

Starmer faced calls to resign after it became public that UK Security Vetting

had advised denying clearance to the associate (朋友, 夥伴) of convicted sex

offender Jeffrey Epstein's associate in January 2025.

Lara Bentley reports from London.

Japan has endorsed (合法化) scrapping a ban on lethal weapons exports.

The approval Tuesday by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet of the new

guideline clears a final set of hurdles for Japan’s postwar arms sales.

The move comes as the country accelerates its military buildup in the face of

growing security challenges in the region.

It's a major change of its postwar pacifist policy as the country seeks to

build up its arms industry and deepen cooperation with defense partners.

While the change of policy met with China’s criticism, it has been largely

welcomed by Japan’s defense partners like Australia and attracted interests

from Southeast Asia and Europe.

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

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