**Tai-Ex opening **

The Tai-Ex opened up 2-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,810

on turnover of $2.6-billion N-T.

The market gained more than 200-points on Thursday, as investor interest in

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing rebounded from previous session.

Renewed investor interest in T-S-M-C came after the company issued a record

cash dividend of 3 N-T per share for its first-quarter earnings - and that

led to a rally across the broader market.

**Control Yuan Censures Taipei Prison **

The Control Yuan has censured the Taipei Prison for its mistreatment of some

inmates.

According to the government watchdog, it is demanding the Ministry of Justice

review surveillance systems in all correctional facilities islandwide.

The move comes after it opened an investigation into the prison following

complaints filed by some inmates earlier this year.

The Control Yuan says that investigation found that some prisoners were

subject to abuse by prison employees, while other correctional officers

turned a blind eye to the mistreatment.

The abuse included handcuffing, beating and pepper spraying.

Control Yuan member Gao Yong-cheng says some of the incidents resulted in

injuries to the inmates, and some of them were coerced (脅迫的) by

correctional officials into signing a document stating that they had not been

injured.

The investigation also found that the surveillance cameras in the prison were

compromised by numerous blind spots.

**EU Countries to Keep Sanctions on Iran **

Britain, France and Germany have announced that they will keep their

sanctions on Iran related to the Mideast country’s atomic program and its

development of ballistic missiles.

The measures were to expire in October under a timetable spelled out in the

now defunct (不復存在的) nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

The three European allies known as E3 had helped negotiate the nuclear deal.

In a joint statement on Thursday, they said they would retain their sanctions

in a “direct response to Iran’s consistent and severe (劇烈)

non-compliance” with the accord.

Iran has violated the sanctions by developing and testing ballistic missiles

and sending drones to Russia for its war on Ukraine.

**Dominican Republic Closes Borers with Haiti **

The Dominican Republic’s president has announced he will close all borders

with neighboring Haiti starting today in a dispute over a canal on the

Haitian side that would divert water from a border river.

His announcement signals that last-minute talks between the countries have

failed to head off the closure (關閉).

President Luis Abinader says air, sea and land borders will remain shuttered

“until necessary.”

It is a rare move for the Dominican Republic, and could hit economies in both

countries, though it will be most acutely (嚴重地) felt in Haiti.

The closure is a response to the excavation of a canal by a farming group on

the Haitian side that targets waters from the Massacre River.

**NASA UFO Report Finds No Evidence of Alien Activity **

A UFO sightings report from the US space agency has found no evidence of

alien activity in relation to a number of unexplained phenomena.

However, Nasa could also not rule out the possibility of the existence (存在)

of other life forms.

US correspondent Nick Harper reports.

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 _____.

--

Hosting provided by SoundOn