The Tai-Ex opened up 149-points this morning from Friday's close, at 20,479

on turnover of 5.7-billion N-T.

The market closed-up on Friday after Wall Street gained ground overnight.

The market cut its losses for the week as big U-S companies reported solid

earnings for the first quarter.

Investors awaited a key report on America's jobs market.

Paraguay's President Santiago Pena says he's seeking to boost cooperation

with Taiwan.

Speaking to reporters in Japan following a meeting with Prime Minister Fumio

Kishida, Pena said his country has enjoyed a long diplomatic relationship

with Taiwan.

He says he plans to continue to promote a wide-ranging cooperative

partnership.

Pena and Kishida also expressed their opposition to any unilateral changes to

the cross-strait "status quo" using force .

They said "attempts to change the status quo by force will not be tolerated

(容忍)."

K-M-T Chairman Eric Chu says his party will take action to handle fallout

from an invitation that was extended to Russia's top envoy to Taiwan to

attend an international banquet last month.

The statement comes after reports surfaced that the the K-M-T was forces to

cancel the invitation sent to Russia's representatives.

Envoys from the U-S and European offices threatened to boycott the event.

According to the K-M-T chairman, the invitation was sent out on the basis of

(的基礎、根據) "good diplomacy."

Chu says the party has regular contact with all the representative offices

and embassies in Taiwan.

A UN official says northern Gaza is going through "full blown famine".

But Israel is vowing to conduct (執行) a military operation in the 'very near

future'.

AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports…

Authorities say massive floods in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state

have killed at least 75 people over the last seven days.

Another 103 are reported missing.

Damage from the rains has forced more than 80,000 people from their homes.

Some are taking refuge (避難) in schools, gyms, and other temporary shelters.

Landslides, flooded roads and collapsed bridges have left devastation (破壞)

in the state.

Operators reported electricity and communications cuts.

The government says more than 800,000 people are without water supply.

Actor Bernard Hill who starred in “Titanic,” and “The Lord of the Rings”

trilogy has died.

Hill's agent says he died Sunday at age 79.

Hill delivered a rousing (激動人心的) cry before leading his people into

battle in “The Return of the King.”.

The film was the third in the “Lord of the Rings” franchise that won 11

Oscars.

He went down with the ship as the captain in “Titanic,” which also won 11

Academy Awards.

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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