Tai-Ex opening marginally lower this morning from Friday's close, at 23,550

on turnover of 4.2-billion N-T.

The market closed slightly higher on Friday despite fluctuating (波動的) for

much of the session as investors await June sales reports from some of the

top listed companies on the Tai-Ex.

Those monthly reports are due out on Wednesday.

Former Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan has stepped down from his post as Straits

Exchange Foundation chairman.

The move comes after the Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office released him on

bail of 5-million N-T this past weekend.

According to the foundation, Cheng resigned in order to "avoid disrupting

(擾亂)" the organization' operations and "will fight to clear his name

through the judicial process."

Cheng was summoned for questioning as part of an investigation into a

corruption case during his two terms as Taoyuan mayor

Although the prosecutors' office has not released further details of the

investigation reports are saying the case involves the re-designation of land

use.

And,

The Miaoli County Fire Bureau has been forced to call the National Airborne

Service Corps for assistance in fighting a landfill fire.

According to the bureau, they called for a helicopter to drop water on the

fire some six hours after the blaze was reported and after it had spread to

an area of over one hectare.

The bureau says firefighters were unable to reach a part of the landfill

where there were piles of mattresses (床墊) close to wooded area.

The landfill is located in a suburb of Miaoli City and it's the second time

in less than a year that is has caught fire.

Japan and the Philippines are holding security talks in Manila on Monday.

The meeting is expected to result in a new defense pact (協定) between the

two countries.

Chris Gilbert reports.

A court in Ecuador has ruled that pollution has violated the rights of a

river that runs through the capital, Quito.

The city government appealed the unusual ruling, which is based on an article

of Ecuador’s Constitution that recognizes the rights of natural features

like the Machangara River.

Activists who filed the complaint said Sunday the decision is “historic.”

The court ruled that while appeals proceed, the government will have to come

up with a plan to clean up the Machangara.

The city of 2.6 million people dumps all sorts of effluents and contaminants

into the Machangara, which starts high in the Andes mountains.

The river has average levels of 2% oxygen, which makes it difficult for

aquatic (水棲的) life to thrive.

Ecuador is one of the few countries that recognize the rights of natural

features not to be degraded or polluted.

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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