The Tai-Ex opened down 19.7-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

16,726 on turnover of $1.8-billion N-T.

The market closed marginally higher on Thursday, as other regional indexes

ended the day mixed and investors reacted to recent big swings on Wall

Street.

Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua has opened the first-ever Taiwan Expo in

Japan.

The opening of the event in Tokyo was attended by Taiwan's top envoy to Japan

Frank Hsieh, External Trade Development Council Chairman James Huang and

Kazuyuki Katayama, a representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Frank Hsieh said the Taiwan Expo provides

an opportunity to showcase Taiwan's diversity and creativity in technology,

culture, arts and other fields, reflecting the importance Taiwan attaches to

Japan.

The economics minister is leading a delegation to Japan for a four-day visit

as part of efforts to deepen the partnership (合作關系) between the two

countries and to forge a Taiwan-Japan technology partnership.

Three Palestinian rights groups have filed a lawsuit against Israel over the

Gaza conflict at the International Criminal Court.

The human rights organisations Al-Haq, Al Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre

for Human Rights have asked for the court's urgent (緊迫的) attention, and

issue arrest warrants for Israel's leaders.

Jody Jacobs reports…

Colombia’s government has announced that the father of Liverpool striker

Luis Diaz has been released by members of a guerrilla group who kidnapped him

in northern Colombia.

The release ends a 12-day ordeal for the family.

Luis Manuel Diaz’s kidnapping on Oct. 28 in the small town of Barrancas had

quickly drawn international attention and appeals (呼籲) for his release.

The guerrilla group National Liberation Army, or ELN, acknowledged some of

its members carried out the kidnapping but have said it was a mistake.

The release was announced by the government’s delegation that currently is

in peace negotiations with the ELN.

An undersea volcano's eruption off Japan three weeks ago has provided a rare

view of the birth of a tiny new island, but experts say it may not last long.

The undersea volcano just off the southern coast of Iwo Jima started its

latest series of eruptions on Oct. 21-st.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says that by early November, a new island had

formed that is about 100 meters in diameter and as high as 20 meters above

the sea.

Volcanic activity at the site has since subsided (減少、消退了), but the

agency says the newly formed island has somewhat shrunk because its

“crumbly” formation is easily washed away by waves.

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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