The Tai-Ex opened up 53-points this morning from Friday's close, at 28,034 on

turnover of 6.4-billion N-T.

The market closed higher on Friday as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

rebounded from an early low, boosted by growing expectations the U-S Federal

Reserve will cut interest rates later this week.

Six people have been injured following a suspected gas explosion at a

restaurant in New Taipei's Banqiao District.

The second floor resturants is located in Banqiao's Fuzhong Shopping District.

According to the city's fire department, two restaurants were damaged in the

blast and the six people were injured by flying debris.

Police say of the six people injured, five were passersby (路人) and one was

resident of a nearby building.

One person with minor injuries refused medical treatment, while the others,

who also also suffered minor injuries were treated at the

Shuang Ho Hospital and Far Eastern Memorial Hospital.

The cause of the blast is still under investigation.

The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency says micro-seismometer has been

installed near the Matai'an Creek barrier lake in Hualien to strengthen

monitoring of landslides and potential flood surges in the area.

The move come a after an overflow triggered (觸發) deadly flooding in

September.

According to the agency, the micro-seismometer has been installed by a

four-member team from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and was

airlifted to a slope about 1-kilometer south of the lake by National Airborne

Service Corps.

The agency says it will enable real-time alerts and help determine whether

debris has blocked the creek or if a barrier lake dam is about to overflow.

From the US…..

There's been a setback (挫折) for prosecutors seeking a new indictment

against former FBI Director James Comey.

AP correspondent Donna Warder reports

The first giant panda cub born in Indonesia is noisy, nursing well and

showing other signs of good health.

Indonesian Safari Park released video and photos Sunday showing the fuzzy

newborn in an incubator (保溫箱) and squirming and squealing while being

cuddled by his mother.

Hu Chun gave birth to Satrio Wiratama — nicknamed Rio — on Nov. 27 at the

zoo in West Java province.

The zoo said it was prioritizing the health and welfare of the mother and

baby and he would not yet be accessible (可接近的) to the public.

The adult pandas arrived in Indonesia in 2017 on a 10-year conservation

partnership with China.

That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____.

--

Hosting provided by SoundOn