The Tai-Ex opened down 1-point this morning from yesterday's close, at 20,984

on turnover of 7.8-billion N-T.

Shares in Taiwan closed at a record high and moved closer to the 21,000 point

mark Tuesday for the second consecutive session.

The bellwether electronics sector continued to steam ahead.

But turnover failed to expand.

Dealers say this indicates that caution remains over when the U.S. Federal

Reserve will cut interest rates ahead of the release of the April consumer

price index today.

The Ministry of Health is announcing plans to legalize surrogacy under

certain criteria.

It said amendments to the Assisted Reproductive Act are expected to benefit

groups such as infertile heterosexual couples, as well as lesbian and gay

couples, should they meet certain requirements.

Requirements include at least one individual in the couple being under the

age of 50 …

… and females involved must have uterine issues, or other health concerns

that make a safe pregnancy impossible.

Surrogate mothers must possess Taiwanese household registration.

They must be 20 to 39 years old, and be physically and mentally healthy.

And they must have experience with natural birth.

The Ministry adds they must provide the service free of charge, though

they're entitled to some allowances.

The proposal will be open for public feedback until July 13th.

And the amendments could undergo Cabinet review by the end of this year.

U.S. salvage teams are in the process of moving remains of the collapsed

Baltimore bridge from the river.

This comes seven weeks after a container ship rammed into it.

On Monday, they set up controlled explosions to break the structure into

smaller pieces.

And the teams plan to pull the ship completely from the waterway.

Caroline Malone has more.

A young Thai activist who went on a hunger strike after being jailed for

advocating reform of the country・s monarchy system has died in a prison

hospital.

Netiporn Sanesangkhom was a member of an activist group.

The group was known for campaigns demanding reform of the monarchy and

abolition of the law that makes it illegal to defame members of the royal

family.

She appears to be the first political activist in Thailand to die from a

hunger strike.

Officials say she suffered cardiac arrest early Tuesday.

Other activists decried her death and repeated her call for bail to be

granted in cases involving political offenses.

Spanish authorities are recommending small vessels stick to the coastline

around the Strait of Gibraltar after an orca rammed a boat that later sank.

On Sunday, two people aboard a 15-meter boat in Moroccan waters sought help

after an orca knocked the craft several times, damaging its rudder and

causing a leak.

An oil tanker picked up the sailors and their boat later sank.

Government ministries and Spain's merchant marines issued notices Tuesday.

They urged sailboats and small motorboats to beware of orcas between May and

August in the area between the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz.

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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