The Tai-Ex opened up 48-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,974
on turnover of $6.5-billion N-T.

The market gained ground on Thursday, despite a mixed showing on Wall Street
overnight, where gains for several Big Tech stocks still managed to nudge
(接近（更高點或水準）) the S&P 500 to a second record high in three days.

The Atomic Energy Council says damage to a cooling water pipe at Jin-Shan
Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei last year did not impact (（對…）產生影響)
the safety of the facility.

The statement comes after it was reported that Tai-Power employees damaged a
pipe when digging into soil near the facility late last year, exposing the
nuclear facility to a high level safety risk.

Reports says damage to the cooling water pipe took place during a radiation
safety check at the plant that included an underground water system and soil
inspection.

According to the Atomic Energy Council, all related equipment was checked
immediately after the incident and its two reactors and fuel rods remained at
the proper temperature.

The council says it will issue a warning notice to Tai-Power for the safety
breach and ask it to make improvements.

Turkish officials are denying accusations that a leader of the European Union
was snubbed (冷落，怠慢) because she is a woman.

AP correspondent Jackie Quinn reports.

Israel says it will formally reject the International Criminal Court's
decision to launch a probe into potential war crimes against the
Palestinians.

Israel denies committing such crimes and says the court lacks the
jurisdiction (管轄權) to investigate.

A panel of judges at the ICC ruled in February that the court does have
jurisdiction, allowing the investigation to proceed.

Israel's response to a formal notification sent out last month is not
expected to reopen that debate.

The court is expected to look at possible war crimes committed by Israelis
forces and Palestinian militants during and after the 2014 Gaza war, as well
as Israel's settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

French President Emmanuel Macron has detailed plans to do away with an elite
(上層集團；掌權人物；精英) academic institution that's a key pillar of the
country's power establishment, replacing it with a more egalitarian
(平等主義的；主張人人平等的) version.

Macron was addressing hundreds of civil servants by video conference Thursday
about planned reforms in the top ranks of the civil service, including
putting an end to the school widely known as ENA.

Macron himself, like most French presidents, is a graduate of the
Strasbourg-based school which is the training ground for the nation's top
civil servants.

Macron had first referred to the idea two years ago, as France was shaken by
the yellow vest protest movement seeking economic and social justice.

The Tai-Ex opened down 28-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
16,786 on turnover of 5.1-billion N-T.

The market extended momentum on Wednesday to close at another record high on
the back of high liquidity (流動性).

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing closed unchanged at 610 N-T per share
following Tuesday's strong showing.

However, other large cap semiconductor stocks and select old economy stocks
attracted rotational buying to push the broader market higher.

End if China Attacks"

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu says Beijing's attempts at conciliation while at
the same time engaging in military intimidation are sending "mixed signals"
to the island's residents.

Speaking to foreign journalists based in Taipei, Wu said China wants to
"charm the Taiwanese people by sending their condolences (慰問)," but at the
same time is "sending its military aircraft and vessels closer to Taiwan
aimed at intimidating its people."

Noting that China flew 10 warplanes into Taiwan's air defense identification
zone on Monday and deployed an aircraft carrier group for exercises near
Taiwan, Wu said it's "without any question" that Taiwan is "willing to
defend" itself.

The Coast Guard Administration is stepping-up patrols and inspections
following the discovery earlier this week of pig carcass in New Taipei that
tested positive the African swine fever.

According to the Council of Agriculture, the carcass was the first case of
A-S-F that has been reported on Taiwan proper.

A genome sequencing of the virus found in the infected pig showed a partial
(部分的) match with two different strains of A-S-F, both of which have
previously been recorded in China.

Animal health officials say random testing of livestock at pig farms near
where the carcass was found have all returned negative results, which has led
to speculation that the infected pig drifted to Taiwan from another country
and was washed ashore.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is "deeply concerned" about
violence in Northern Ireland.

Police have been attacked, petrol bombs thrown and a bus set on fire on a
sixth night of disorder (混亂) in Belfast.

Reporter Amanda Ferguson is in the city and says the causes of the violence
are complex.

Spain has joined other European nations in limiting the use of the
AstraZeneca vaccine to the elderly due to concerns over links to extremely
rare blood clotting.

Spain's health minister announced on Wednesday that authorities would limit
shots to those over 60 years old.

Until now Spain has used AstraZeneca on its younger population, limiting it
those under 65 years old.

The decision comes hours after the European Medicines Agency said it had
found a ``possible link'' between the shot and the rare (稀有的、罕見) clots.

Last week Germany and France limited the vaccine to elderly groups, and
earlier on Wednesday British authorities recommended that the vaccine not be
given to adults under 30.

Spain says the health ministry would consider what to do with the 2 million
people who are waiting a second AstraZeneca shot.

The Tai-Ex opened up 31-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 16,771
on turnover of 4.2-billion N-T.

The Tai-Ex gained ground on Tuesday to close a new high following a sharp
rise on Wall Street overnight.

Market watchers say the rise was led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing,
which saw its share price increase by 1.33-per cent to end the trading day at
610 N-T.

Some analysts are now predicting the local main board could breach the 17,000
point mark this week, if trading remains up and above the five-day moving
average.

K-M-T Culture and Communications Committee director-general Alicia Wang says
the party is postponing a series of events aimed at promoting its referendum
proposals following last week's train accident.

According to Wang, the decision to postpone the events was made out of
respect for those affected by the crash.

The first event was due to be held this Saturday and Wang says it has been
postponed by at least one week.

However, Wang is stressing that the party's referendum promotion committee
has not yet set a date for when the events will be rescheduled, as it is
continuing to evaluate (評估) the situation.

Supermodel Lin Chi-ling is pledging to donate 4-million N-T to help the
victims and families of last Friday's train crash.

While Hon Hai has announced that it will donate 10-million N-T to relief
accounts designated (指定) by the Ministry of Health to assist people
affected by the accident.

According to the government, the special relief accounts have so far received
200-million N-T in donations.

The Ministry of Health is scheduled to hold a cross-ministerial meeting next
week, at which experts in the legal, social services and medical fields, will
put forward proposals for the best ways to make use of the donated funds.

The US says it's discussing the possibility of pulling out of the Beijing
winter Olympics, amid calls for a boycott (抵制，杯葛) of the games over
China's human rights record.

Patrick Fok reports from Beijing.

Tanzania's new president is forming a committee to advise her on the issue of
the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan says the technical committee will provide
counsel (建議，忠告) on the scope of COVID-19 infections in the country and
how to respond to the pandemic.

Hassan made the remarks that were broadcast live, after swearing key
government officers in a hall in State House, the president's official
residence in Dar Es Salaam.

The new president's comments are a dramatic switch from the policy of her
predecessor, the late President John Magufuli, who was one of Africa's
leading COVID-19 deniers.

He claimed in June last year that Tanzania had rid itself of COVID-19 through
three days of national prayer.

The Central Epidemic Command Center is reporting one new imported coronavirus
case.

The case involves an Indonesian woman in her 20s who traveled to Taiwan to
study on March 21.

The woman tested positive for the disease at the end of her quarantine period.

The latest case brings the total number here in Taiwan since the pandemic
began to 1,048.

According to the epidemic command center, 932 of the cases have been
classified as (歸類為) imported.

And of the total, 1,004 patients have recovered, 10 have died, and 34 remain
hospitalized.

The Ministry of National Defense says 10 Chinese military aircraft entered
Taiwan's air defense identification zone, including bombers and fighter jets,
during the latest incursion (侵入).

According to defense officials, the incursion involved four J-16 multi-role
fighters, four J-10 multi-role fighters, one Y-8 anti-submarine plane and one
KJ-500 airborne early warning and control plane.

The anti-submarine plane flew all the way into airspace southeast of Taiwan,
while the other aircraft limited themselves to the airspace southwest of
Taiwan, between Taiwan and the Dongsha Islands.

The Air Force responded by scrambling planes to monitor the Chinese aircraft,
issuing radio warnings and mobilizing air defense assets until they left the
area.

From the US....

Minneapolis' police chief has testified that Derek Chauvin, the ex-officer
accused of killing unarmed black man George Floyd, violated (違反) the
department's policy on use of force.

US correspondent Kate Fisher reports

Authorities in southeastern Nigeria say heavily armed gunmen launched a
series of coordinated attacks overnight in Imo state.

Officials say along with police and military buildings, the gunmen also
attacked a prison and that more than 1,800 inmates escaped.

Residents say the violence erupted around 2 a.m. in the town of Owerri and
lasted for several hours.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility though a paramilitary wing of
a secessionist (分裂主義者) movement active in the region has been battling
government security forces since December.

Jordan's palace and a confidant of a senior royal say mediation has
successfully resolved an unprecedented public feud in the royal family.

The statements appeared to cap a weekend of palace drama during which King
Abdullah II had placed Prince Hamzah, his half brother, under house arrest
for allegedly plotting with foreign supporters to destabilize the kingdom.

Jordanian authorities had accused Hamzah of being involved in a ``malicious
(惡意的) plot.``

Hamzah has denied the allegations, saying he was speaking out against
corruption and mismanagement.