The Tai-Ex opened up 237-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
20,094 on turnover of $6.4--billion N-T.

The Tai-Ex lost ground on Thursday, as other regional closed mixed.

Investors awaited the release of a flood of global earnings reports,
including updates from leading U-S tech companies.

The National Science and Technology Council says statutory animal testing
could be significantly reduced if alternative testing introduced in
regulations is more widely adopted.

According to council head Wu Zheng-chong, the amount of animal testing could
be cut by an average of 60 to 80-per cent.

Wu says he believes using a large number of animals for testing is a matter
of concern for many people.

He says as a developed country, Taiwan has a responsibility to replace,
reduce and refine animal testing.

And he also says to achieve that objective, the government established the
Inter-ministerial Platform for Alternative Technology of Animal Testing in
October 2022.

The platform aims to improve related regulations, cultivate talent in the
field, and facilitate the development of relevant (相關的) technologies.

The National Laboratory Animal Center says 102 alternatives to animal testing
have so far been introduced for pesticides, chemicals and cosmetics.

Ukraine is seeking to reverse the drain of potential soldiers from the
country.

It has announced that men of conscription age will no longer be able to renew
(更新) their passports from outside the country.

Ukraine is working to get much-needed new supplies of weapons and ammunition
from a huge U.S. aid package to the front line.

Millions of Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia’s full-scale
invasion in 2022.

Poland's defense minister said Warsaw was ready to help ensure “those who
are subject to compulsory military service go to Ukraine".

But he did not specify how.

Many of the US's fossil fuel plants could close after sweeping (廣泛的) new
rules to limit pollution from power stations issued by the US Environmental
Protection Agency.

The Biden Administration says the new regulations will significantly reduce
pollution.

It could also bring hundreds of billions of dollars in climate and public
health benefits.

Kate Fisher reports from Washington

Congo’s government is questioning Apple about the tech company’s knowledge
of “blood minerals” from a conflict zone in the African country.

A group of international lawyers representing Congo said Thursday it sent
letters to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and its French subsidiary this week.

They raised concerns about human rights violations involving the minerals
extracted (提取的) from mines in the country’s east.

They say those minerals might end up being used in the company’s products.

They included a list of questions challenging Apple to show how it monitors
its supply chains in a troubled region where more than 100 armed rebel groups
operate.

It's demanding answers within three weeks.

The Tai-Ex opened down 128-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
20,003 on turnover of 4.6-billion N-T.

The market moved sharply higher on Wednesday to close above the 20,000-point
mark on the back of a rally on Wall Street overnight.

The bellwether electronics sector led the day's gains.

The sector mirrored tech stocks' strong performance on Wall Street.

The market was boosted by hopes the the U-S Federal Reserve will cut interest
rates after new data showed a slowdown in American manufacturing activity.

Outgoing Health Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan says he has not received an
invitation to attend this year's World Health Assembly.

But he says the issue will be handled by the new Cabinet.

According to Hsueh, he believes his successor, Chiu Tai-yuan will head a
delegation to Geneva and hold meetings on the sideline of the event, if
Taiwan fails to secure (獲得) observer status.

The 77th World Health Assembly will be taking place from May 27 through June
1 and is being held under the theme of "All for Health, Health for All" this
year.

The New Taipei District Prosecutors' Office has indicted a Yonghe District
ward chief and his aunt on charges of taking other ward chiefs on a
subsidized trip to China.

According to prosecutors, Hsu Cheng-kai and his aunt were commissioned by the
Taiwan Affairs Office in Kunshan City last year to invite 12 ward chiefs to
China.

Prosecutors says ward chiefs' expenses (花費) were fully covered.

Their relatives only had to pay for the airfare.

The ward chiefs and their family members were taken on all expenses paid
trips to Kunshan City, Changshu City, Wuxi City, and several other locations
in November of last year.

Russia has vetoed a U.N. resolution calling on all nations to prevent a
dangerous nuclear arms race in outer space.

The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 13 in favor, Russia opposed
and China abstaining.

The resolution was sponsored by the United States and Japan

It would have called on all countries not to develop or deploy nuclear arms
or other weapons of mass destruction in space.

Such actions are banned under a 1967 international treaty that included the
U.S. and Russia.

Under the treaty, countries also agreed to the need to verify (核實)
compliance (遵守).

The U.S. and Russian ambassador traded accusations on space weapons.

Arizona's House of Representatives has voted to repeal (廢除) a near-total
abortion ban.

The state's supreme court reinstated the ban earlier this month.

The ban, which has yet to go into effect, has become a major political issue
in the key swing state.

Ira Spitzer reports.

Five military horses spooked by noise from a building site have bolted during
routine exercises near Buckingham Palace in central London.

They ran loose through the heart of the city.

The horses injured at least four people, collided with vehicles and caused
chaos (混亂) during the morning rush hour.

Four soldiers were thrown off the horses and three of the troops were
hospitalized with injuries.

The horses were all captured shortly after.

They were taken back to the barracks in Hyde Park where they are undergoing
medical tests.

The Tai-Ex opened up 171-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
19,770 on turnover of 4.4-billion N-T.

The market staged a technical rebound on Tuesday following a recent slump as
buying was sparked by a rally on Wall Street overnight amid eased concerns
over Middle East tensions.

The main board opened higher and momentum continued throughout the session,
with large-cap electronics and artificial intelligence development related
stocks in focus.

The Constitutional Court has been debating whether the current death penalty
system is constitutional.

The debate saw attorneys representing 37 prisoners currently on death row who
are challenging the constitutionality of capital punishment.

The 37 petitioners argue that "the presence and implementation (執行) of
capital punishment violate Article 15 of the Constitution of the Republic of
China," which stipulates that "the right of existence ... shall be guaranteed
to the people."

The case was brought to the constitutional court in 2022.

A decision is expected within the coming three months at the earliest.

Premier-designate Cho Jung-tai has announced more new members of his Cabinet
that will take office on May 20.

Five of those appointed are keeping their posts and while there's one new
face.

Finance Minister Zhuang Cui-yun, Overseas Community Affairs Council head Xu
Jia-qing, Ocean Affairs Council head Guan Bi-ling and Directorate-General of
Personnel Administration head Su Chun-rong will keep their current (目前的)
posts.

Acting Agriculture Minister Chen Jun-ji will formally head the agency in the
new Cabinet.

While the sole new face is Chen Shu-zi, the current head of Tainan City
Government's Research, Development and Evaluation Commission - and she has
been appointed to head the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and
Statistic.

The United Nations is calling for “a clear, transparent and credible
investigation” of mass graves uncovered at two major hospitals in Gaza that
were raided by Israeli troops.

A U.N. spokesman said Tuesday that credible investigators must have access to
the sites.

The U.N. human rights chief also said he was “horrified” (驚駭) by the
destruction of the hospitals and the reported discovery of mass graves in and
around the facilities.

He also called for independent investigations.

The Israeli military said its forces exhumed bodies that Palestinians had
buried earlier as part of its search for the remains of hostages captured by
Hamas.

Japan’s government is declining (拒絕) to comment on a meeting between
former Prime Minister Taro Aso and US presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Chris Gilbert reports.

Four Aboriginal spears that were taken to England by Captain James Cook more
than 250 years ago have been returned to Australia's Indigenous community at
a ceremony in Cambridge University.

The artifacts were all that remain of some 40 spears that Cook and botanist
Joseph Banks took in April 1770, at the time of the first contact between
Cook’s crew and the Indigenous people of Kamay.

The return of the spears was agreed last year following a campaign and a
formal repatriation (歸國) request.

The Tai-Ex opened up 153-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
19,564 on turnover of 5.5-billion N-T.

The market lost ground again on Monday - after failing to sustain (維持)
early gains as investors reacted to a plunge by tech stocks on Wall Street at
the end of last week.

Selling set within an hour of the opening bell - as tech heavyweights came
under pressure to push the market into negative territory - where in remained
throughut the rest of the trading day.

Hualien County has suspended work and classes today, after a magnitude 5.8
earthquake struck earlier this morning.

The magnitude 5.8 quake shook large parts of the island at 8:04am, after a
series of tremors overnight.

Those quakes including two of magnitude 6 and 6.3.

Two buildings in Hualien City have partially collapsed and tilted following
the overnight earthquakes.

The Full Hotel on Zhongshan Road and the Tong Shuai building on Mingli Road
in downtown Hualien City both partially collapsed following the quakes.

The hotel is currently undergoing renovation, while the unoccupied Tong Shuai
building had already been marked for demolition (拆除) following the April 3
magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

Both buildings have been cordoned off.

(NS)

A UN report on a review of the world body's humanitarian organisation,UNRWA
has found it has robust frameworks to ensure compliance (遵守) with
humanitarian neutrality.

The review of the organisation was initiated by the Secretary General
following allegations by Israel that several UNRWA staff had been involved in
the October 7th attacks on Israel.

Jody Jacobs has more...

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met with the head of the International
Criminal Court as he faces an ongoing investigation by the tribunal (法庭)
into crimes against humanity for his crackdown on anti-government protests.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan didn’t make any statements following the
meeting at the presidential palace in Caracas.

Khan’s fourth visit to Venezuela comes almost two months after an appeals
panel ruled that the court’s investigation could proceed over the objections
of Maduro’s government.

The European Space Agency has added five new members to its astronaut corps.

The new astronauts are from France, Belgium, Britain, Switzerland and Spain.

An Australian has also joined them as part of an agreement.

They graduated Monday during a ceremony in Cologne, Germany, after completing
a year of training.

That brings the space agency’s astronaut roster up to 11.

The newcomers are now eligible (有資格的) for trips to the International
Space Station.

More than 20,000 people applied for the five slots.