The Tai-Ex opened marginally higher this morning from yesterday's close, at

16,257 on turnover of 2.8-billion N-T.

The market tumbled more than 180-points on Monday to reach its lowest level

in five months after Wall Street took a hit at the end of last week on the

back of a spike in Treasury yields.

The bellwether electronics sector dragged prices lower, especially large cap

stocks, as rising Treasury yields made tech stocks and their relatively low

dividends less attractive.

In news from and about Taiwan this morning,

The D-P-P is accusing Beijing of opening "politically motivated"

investigations into Hon Hai in an attempt to pressure Terry Gou into

abandoning his independent bid for the presidency.

According to the party's legislative caucus, the investigations are part of

efforts by Beijing to push for and accelerate (加速) the cooperation of

Taiwan's opposition parties.

The statements follow reports that tax authorities in China recently searched

Hon Hai offices in Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces, while the Ministry of

Natural Resources inspected the company's offices in Henan and Hubei

provinces.

Gou has not publicly respond to the reports.

The National Academy of Marine Research says it has successfully cultivated

two types of native giant seaweeds.

According to academy, the success in cultivation of the macroalgae species

will enable it to restore some marine habitats, give it a stable supply of

seedlings (幼苗) and the ability to enhance ocean carbon sinks.

And as part of the project, researchers collected 48 native species of large

seaweeds in waters off southern Taiwan and moved the fresh algae to

land-based tanks for cultivation in large amounts.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says Hamas militants have

released two hostages it had been holding captive in the Gaza Strip.

It was the second time the group has freed hostages seized in its bloody Oct.

7 cross-border incursion (侵入) into Israel.

The two freed women, 85 and 79 years old, were taken out of Gaza at the Rafah

crossing into Egypt, where they were put into ambulances.

Hamas reportedly received nothing in exchange for the release of the two

hostages, who were freed days after an American woman and her teenage

daughter

A U.S. official said Monday that Washington has advised Israel to delay a

possible ground invasion to allow more time to try and secure the release of

more hostages.

US Senator Bob Menendez has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to act as a

foreign agent for the Egyptian government.

The lawmaker appeared in a Manhattan court on Monday for a brief hearing,

which lasted less than five minutes.

Last month the lawmaker pleaded not guilty to accepting bribes to benefit

Egypt and interfere with law enforcement (執法官員) investigations.

Sally Patterson has more.

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