The Tai-Ex opened up 120-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

22,979 on turnover of $5.9-billion N-T.

The Tai-Ex continued to gain ground on Thursday, as other regional markets

rallied on the back of news that China plans to spend billions of dollars to

help rebuild the capital of its state-run banks.

Authorities in Kaohsiung says a city councilor under investigation for

corruption has gone missing.

According to the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors' Office, officials have been

seeking to contact Huang Shao-ting in connection with an investigation into

allegations of embezzlement of public funds.

Prosecutors says Huang missing yesterday evening after investigators searched

his residence and office earlier in the day.

Huang also failed to attend the Kaohsiung City council meeting on Thursday.

Reports are citing several people who live near his office as saying Huang

was last seen leaving the office carrying a suitcase early Thursday morning

before getting into a taxi and leaving without saying hello to them.

The prosecutors' office, says the missing city councilor is under

investigation for allegedly inflating (誇大, 抬高) the fees of

publicly-funded assistants working in his constituency office.

Huang's mother has also been questioned as part of the investigation.

Shots have been fired near the presidential palace in Guinea’s capital

Conakry, with the army briefly locking down and evacuating the city center.

Local journalist Fode Toure, who was a few hundred meters from the

presidential palace, said he heard gunshots and saw people running away in

panic.

An AP reporter near the palace saw heavily armed soldiers patrolling the

streets.

A diplomatic official close to Guinea’s leader said that 11 dissident

soldiers opened fire on the special forces around the presidential palace,

but they were overpowered.

Three of the assailants were killed and eight others were arrested, he said,

adding that the situation (情況) is under control.

US President Joe Biden has announced $8 billion in new military assistance

(援助) for Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia's invasion.

It comes as the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington

meeting Biden and democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala

Harris.

From Washington. Kate fisher reports

Pope Francis is urging Europe to be beacon of peace amid war and a welcome

home for migrants.

He made the appeal as he arrived on Thursday in Luxembourg to encourage

Catholics in the country.

The pope skipped his traditional walk down the plane aisle to greet

(向…打招呼) journalists during the flight from Rome.

He had cancelled his audiences earlier in the week because of a slight flu.

Francis was in Luxembourg for just a few hours before flying onto Belgium,

where he will stay through the weekend.

There, immigration and peace are expected to be on the agenda.

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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