**Tai-Ex opening **

The Tai-Ex opened down 29-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

13,077 on turnover of 3-billion N-T.

The Tai-Ex tumbled to its lowest close in two years on Tuesday as investors

scrambled to dump large cap electronics stocks on the back of heavy losses

seen in the tech sector on Wall Street overnight.

Market watchers say investors were once again concerned about possible

further rate hikes by the U-S Federal Reserve.

While the announcement last week by the U-S Department of Commerce that it

would expand restrictions (限制) on exports of I-C and related production

equipment also placed downward pressure on the local tech sector.

**20 Tour Groups Scheduled to Arrive in Taiwan Tomorrow **

The Tourism Bureau says 20 tour groups will be arriving in Taiwan tomorrow,

the day the government lifts all coronavirus quarantine border restrictions.

According to the bureau the tour groups are from Thailand, Japan, South

Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia.

They have a combined total of 244 tourists.

Central Epidemic Command Center head Victor Wang says the government has no

plans to reverse (撤銷) its coronavirus policies, despite concerns that the

current domestic outbreak is "still at a plateau."

**Taiwan Lantern Festival to Return to Taipei **

The Taiwan Lantern Festival is returning to Taipei for the first time in 23

years next year.

The Tourism Bureau says it believes the festival will be one of the first

major events held in the capital after mandatory quarantine regulations are

lifted for arrivals and the island welcomes back tourists.

According to the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism, the festival

will be taking place from February 5th through 19th and is expected to be the

biggest in the event's more than 30-year history.

City officials say it will have four exhibition areas, one central

installation (裝置物) and six other major installations as part of a

300-lantern collection covering 168 hectares.

**Russia Launches New Attacks on Ukraine **

Russian forces have carpeted Ukraine with a fresh barrage of missiles and

munition-carrying drones.

The bombardment came a day after strikes across the country killed at least

19 people and knocked out power across the country.

The U.N. human rights office says the ``particularly shocking'' attacks could

amount to (相當於) war crimes.

The leaders of the Group of Seven industrial powers also condemned the

attacks and said they would ``stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it

takes.''

Their pledge defied Russian warnings that Western assistance would prolong

the war and the pain of Ukraine's people.

Russia launched the attacks in retaliation for a weekend explosion that

damaged a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula.

**Dame Angela Lansbury Obit **

Dame Angela Lansbury — star of the US TV crime series 'Murder, She Wrote' —

has died at the age of 96.

Jody Jacobs looks back at her career.

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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