The Tai-Ex opened up 103-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
45,660.

However, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing saw its share prices (股價) soar to
a record high (歷史新高) of 2,440 N-T with the opening minutes - and that
resulted in the main board making a significant gain of 841 points ...

.. which pushed the market above the 46,000 point mark, as it reached 46,398.

Market watchers say the rises are due to investor optimism (投資人樂觀情緒) toward
A-I, as keynote speeches at Computex Taipei has boosted tech stocks values
both here in Taiwan and on Wall Street overnight.

The Air Force has grounded (停飛) all of its T-34C trainers pending safety
checks (安全檢查) following a crash at the Gangshan Air Base in Kaohsiung that
left two pilots dead.

The two-seater aircraft crashed while conducting a routine simulated
engine-failure training exercise.

Both Lt. Col. Lu Chi-yu and Lt. Col. Kuo Chun-nan were pronounced dead at the
scene.

According to Air Force Chief Inspector Major General Chiang Yi-cheng, the
pilots reported no anomalies or malfunctions (故障) during the flight test and
weather conditions, including visibility, were suitable for flying.

The Air Force has formed a special task force to investigate the cause of the
crash.

Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih has overseen a send-off ceremony for the
first large-scale export (大規模出口) of Taiwan-grown summer fruits to Europe.

The 6 metric tons of mangoes, lychees and dragon fruit left Pingtung County
after meeting European Union import and quarantine requirements (檢疫規定).

Speaking at the ceremony Chen said Taiwan's fresh fruit exports to Europe had
previously been limited, but this latest shipment mark the start of a more
systematic push into the European market.

According to the exporter, the shipment is destined for Rungis, France's
largest wholesale fresh produce market (生鮮批發市場), which serves as a key
sourcing hub for Michelin-starred restaurants, hotels and major retailers.

leadership crisis

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's official spokesperson (官方發言人) has
confirmed the prime minister's WhatsApp messages are set to automatically
disappear (自動消失)...

A revelation that emerged after a cabinet meeting on the same day as the
release of around a thousand pages of documents related to the appointment
and dismissal of Peter Mandelson as British ambassador to Washington.

The opposition Conservatives say they are surprised by how little of the
prime minister's own communications feature in the release, and have accused
the government of a cover-up (掩蓋真相).

Olly Barratt reports from London.

Canada is calling on the United States and Mexico to renew (延長 / 續約) the free
trade agreement (自由貿易協定) between the countries for another 16 years just as
U.S. President Donald Trump revives talk of making Canada the 51st state.

Canada’s minister for U.S. trade sent a letter to United States Trade
Representative Jamieson Greer and Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Marcelo
Ebrard on Tuesday that conveys Canada’s recommendation.

The letter comes ahead of the scheduled July review of the United
States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Its the latest version of free trade agreements among the U.S., Mexico and
Canada dating back to the early 1990s that have intertwined (緊密相連 / 交織在一起)
the economies of the three North American countries.

Trump posted “51st State!” on social media late Monday.

The Tai-Ex opened up 51-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 45,388
on turnover of 19.1-billion N-T.

The market gained solid ground and closed above the 45,000-point mark for the
first time on Monday, amid investor enthusiasm over the artificial
intelligence boom.

The rise came as some of the world's leading tech companies are in Taiwan for
Computex this week - where they're expected to give solid guidance for A-I at
a series of forums and keynote speeches.

Analysts say Computex-driven business opportunities could help push the
market higher for much of this week.

Visiting Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil says China cannot tell the
Czech Republic whom to befriend (交朋友).

The statement came shortly after Vystrcil arrived in Taiwan on Monday heading
a delegation of around 40 people for a four-day visit at the invitation of
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu.

Along with meeting with representatives from the K-M-T and the D-P-P,
Vystrcil is also slated to hold talks with President Lai Ching-te and other
senior government officials this week.

long-term care services

The Ministry of Health says foreign professionals and their dependents will
soon be eligible for long-term care services.

According to the ministry, the move means foreign professionals with
permanent residency status along with their spouses, children under the age
of 18 will have access to the services beginning June 30.

Foreign professionals with permanent residency, dependants aged 65 or over or
with disabilities will also be eligible.

However, eligibilty only applies to those who have legally lived in Taiwan
for 10 cumulative years and spent at least 183 days per year here.

The health ministry says the move is expected to benefit (造福) between 100 to
200 people.

Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis have demonstrated across the
country against mandatory military enlistment.

On Monday, they blocked roads and trains, lit cars on fire, and attacked a
soldier.

Police struggled to control the crowds with water cannons and horses.

The protest disrupted highways and public transportation in Jerusalem and Tel
Aviv.

Military service is compulsory for most Jewish men and women in Israel, but
ultra-Orthodox parties have historically secured exemptions.

Israel is currently maintaining a simultaneous (同時) military presence in
Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, in addition to fighting a war with Iran, which has
stretched its robust military to the breaking point.

The issue is tearing apart Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing
coalition, possibly moving elections up by several weeks this fall after the
ultra-Orthodox parties withdrew their support for Netanyahu.

The artificial intelligence company Anthropic says it has filed paperwork for
an initial public offering, setting the stage for a blockbuster IPO possibly
later this year.

The maker of the chatbot Claude will be competing (競爭) with rival OpenAI, as
well as SpaceX, both of which are also planning to go public.

Ira Spitzer reports from San Francisco.

The Tai-Ex opened up 139-points this morning from yesterday's close, at
44,872 on turnover of 22.5-billion N-T.

The market closed up over 1,000 points to hit another a new high on Friday as
buying focused on the bellwether electronics sector amid continued A-I
enthusiasm ahead of this week's Computex.

NT$446

Tai-Power's summer electricity rates for residential customers (顧客) kick-in
today.

It means that the average household can be expected to pay about 446 N-T more
per month through the end of September.

According to Tai-Power, the seasonal rates will apply to about 15-million
residential and small commercial users from today through September 30.

Around 26,000 high-voltage and extra-high-voltage users are subject to summer
rates from May 16 to October 15.

Based on data from last year, the average monthly household electricity bill
rose to 1,084 N-T during the summer, nearly 70-per cent higher than in
non-summer months.

The Taipei Zoo has marked World Parrot Day with a special educational event
featuring a sulphur-crested cockatoo.

The zoo used the occasion to urge the public not to abandon pet parrots and
to reject the illegal wildlife trade.

According to the zoo, parrots are popular companion animals because of their
colorful plumage (全身羽毛), ability to mimic sounds and strong learning skills,
but demand from the pet market has also fueled illegal capture and trade,
threatening wild populations.

To raise public awareness, the zoo held a pop-up educational session in the
Children's area, with a sulphur-crested cockatoo serving as a "teaching
assistant" to help visitors learn about parrot behavior and social habits.

Israeli forces have shot and killed a Palestinian man at a barrier (障礙物)
separating the West Bank from Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Health
Ministry.

The man, 26 years old, was shot in the thigh on Sunday and later died at a
hospital in Ramallah.

He was attempting to cross into Israel for work due to an economic crisis in
the West Bank.

Many Palestinians have tried to enter Israel illegally for jobs, especially
after access was restricted following the war in Gaza.

Unemployment has surged and many have been killed or arrested.

From the US....

Newark's mayor has a curfew (宵禁) around an immigration detention center in
New Jersey after clashes between protesters and ICE.

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports

Iván Cepeda has refused to immediately accept the result of the first round
of voting in Colombia's presidential election, after falling behind
tough-on-crime outsider Aberaldo de la Espriella.

Cepeda and de la Espriella are slated to head to a run-off election June.

But Cepeda is now claiming without evidence that foreign actors (參與者、行動者)
manipulated the results of the election.

Cepeda said he was waiting for electoral authorities to scrutinise the
results before accepting the election.