**Tai-Ex opening **

The Tai-Ex opened down 58-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

16,864 on turnover of 2.7-billion N-T.

The market moved sharply higher on Wednesday to close above the 16,900-point

mark as semiconductor stocks attracted investor interest.

While buying also focused on old economy stocks, in particular those in the

tourism and green energy storage sectors, to lend additional (附加的) support

to the broader market throughout the trading day.

**Ko Dismisses Xi Meet Without Agenda **

Taiwan People's Party chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je says he

has no plans to meet with China's Xi Jinping "just for the sake of it" and if

such a meeting were to take place "there must be a clear aim for such talks."

Speaking to reporters during his trip to Tokyo, Ko said he firmly believed

there is "no problem" with cultural exchanges with China and he supports be

economic cross-strait cooperation.

Ko has been holding talks this week in Tokyo with former and current Japanese

government officials and Taiwan business owners in Japan.

He's slated to (定於) return to Taiwan today.

**CDC Reports First Monkeypox Case in a Child **

The Centers for Disease Control says a four-year boy has tested positive for

monkeypox.

According to C-D-C Deputy Director General Philip Luo, its the first case in

Taiwan of the the disease in a child.

The boy is believed to have been infected by a family member, who had

previously been confirmed as having contracted the disease.

Health officials also say the boy had been absent from pre-school after

coming down with the illness, and the risk of transmission (傳播) is low.

However, people he had close contact with at home and at school have been

ordered to closely monitor their health for 21 days.

**SKorea National Security Strategy Targets North **

South Korea is highlighting (強調) Pyongyang as a main security threat in its

newly unveiled National Security Strategy.

The document highlights the risks of North Korea's nuclear and missile

programs.

Chris Gilbert reports from Tokyo

**Expedition Sights More Vaquitas **

A new research expedition (考察隊；探險隊) report suggests that the remaining

handful of Mexico’s endangered vaquita porpoises are holding on in their

only habitat in the Gulf of California.

Experts on the expedition estimate they saw from 10 to 13 of the elusive

porpoises during nearly two weeks of sailing in the gulf last month.

That is a similar number to those seen in the last such expedition in 2021.

Experts from Mexico, the conservation group Sea Shepherd and the U.S.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they sighted at least

one and probably two calves.

They said there may be more vaquitas out there, since the voyage covered only

part of the creature’s habitat in the gulf.

It lives nowhere else, and the species cannot be captured, held or bred in

captivity.

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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