The Tai-Ex opened up 55-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,094

on turnover of 3.1-billion N-T.

The market closed moderately higher on Wednesday as investor sentiment

remained cautious ahead of the conclusion of the U-S Federal Reserve's

policymaking meeting.

Large cap tech stocks pushed the main board higher, while tourism and airline

related stocks also gained ground on hopes that this weekend's Taipei

International Travel Fair will boost revenue.

Taiwan People's Party presidential candidate Ko Wen-je is outlining his

energy policy platform - calling for sustainable energy transition and the

extended use of two of the island's nuclear power plants.

According to Ko, under his policy, by 2030 Taiwan's energy will will come

from 45-per cent gas, 30-per cent renewables, 15-per cent coal and 10-per

cent nuclear power.

Ko says nuclear power is necessary for the country's energy transition

(過渡時期) and he says the most pragmatic is only setting a deadline for an

end to nuclear power, when renewable energy sources have been sufficiently

developed.

The T-P-P 2024 nominee is also proposing the establishment of a "Climate

Change and Sustainability Committee."

The government has launched the Talent Taiwan Office.

The National Development Council says the service center is dedicated to

recruiting foreign professionals and helping them get accustomed (習慣、適應)

to life in Taiwan.

The center is an extension of the Taiwan Employment Gold Card Office, that

was set up in October 2020 to provide professional consultation and

assistance to Employment Gold Card holders.

The N-D-C says, the launch of the talent office means that services will be

expanded from only being available to the 8,348 gold card holders to being

accessible to those holding the Taiwan Entrepreneur Visa and other employed

foreign professionals.

Thousands of people remain in Gaza at the Rafah border point hoping to cross

over into Egypt.

Earlier around 400 people were able to leave as Egypt opened up the crossing

for the first time since fighting began more than three weeks ago.

Sarah Coates in Tel Aviv reports that a UN official managed to cross in the

other direction, and enter Gaza.

In related news…

Israel has criticized Bolivia, Chile and Colombia after the South American

countries undertook a series of diplomatic moves to protest Israel's military

operations against Hamas in Gaza.

Other Latin American countries, including Argentina and Brazil, have also

increased their criticism of the impact that Israel’s military operations

are having on civilians.

Israel on Wednesday called on Colombia and Chile to “explicitly condemn the

Hamas terrorist organization, which slaughtered (殘殺) and abducted babies,

children, women and the elderly.”

The call came hours after Chile and Colombia both recalled their ambassadors

to Israel on Tuesday evening amid criticism of the killing of civilians in

Gaza.

Ash columns have erupted from Eurasia’s tallest active volcano and forced

authorities to close schools in two towns on Russia’s sparsely populated

Kamchatka Peninsula.

Officials said the eruptions from the volcano on Wednesday sent ash as high

as 13 kilometers above sea level.

There were no reports of injuries, but officials ordered schools in the two

towns closed as a precaution.

The 4,650-meter volcano has been active in recent years and released lava in

June.

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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