20120508 10am

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10AM EZ News Intro

Good morning. It's 10 o'clock. I'm _______ and time for EZ News on ICRT.

10AM TAIWAN NEWS ....

The Tai-Ex opened up 33.66-points this morning from yesterday's close at 7,572 on turnover of 2.028-billion N-T dollars. -------------- Both north and south bound lanes of the Xueshan Tunnel re-opened earlier this morning following yesterday afternoon's deadly accident. However .. highways authorities have set speed restrictions in the area to 80-kilometers-an-hour. Two people died in the accident - after their vehicle was sandwiched between two tour buses. Of the more than 20 people injured - seven remain in intensive care. Most of the injured suffered smoke inhalation. Police say they are still reviewing closed circuit footage of the accident - which was captured by cameras in the tunnel. -------- The Ministry of National Defense is training coast guards stationed in the disputed South China Sea region to improve their combat readiness - that, according to defense officials. According to ministry it is currently following its policy of training the Coast Guard Administration personnel stationed on Pratas and Taiping islands Officials say the measures are aimed at making their combat and defense capabilities as strong as marine corps. At present, coast guards, instead of military troops, are responsible for defending Taiping and Pratas islands. ---------- A Chinese tourist to Jinmen has allegedly stolen a military medal that was on display at historic building. The Chinese national has been listed as a suspect after the medal of honor that belonged to the late commander-in-chief of the Kinmen Defense Command, was found missing on May 4-th from the Ju-guang Building. Police identified the alleged thief with the help of security camera footage. The suspect returned to Xiamen in China's Fujian Province on a ferry the same day as the theft.

airline plot

U.S. officials say the CIA foiled a new al-Qaida underwear bomb plot against a plane headed to America. The AP's Sagar Meghani reports from the Pentagon.

yemen

Al-Qaida militants staged a surprise attack yesterday on a Yemeni army base in the south, killing 22 soldiers and capturing 25. This came just hours after a U.S. drone strike killed a senior figure in the terror network wanted in connection with the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. However, its not clear if the pre-dawn attack was in retaliation for the killing of Fahd al-Quso, an al-Qaida leader on the FBI's most wanted list. The new Yemeni president has promised improved cooperation with the U.S. to combat the militants.

un-syria

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon says he believes more UN monitors will arrive in Syria later this week, taking the total number to 130. He says he hopes to have a full complement of up to 300 monitors on-the-ground within a month. He once again urged all sides in Syria to lay down their weapons, adding that the deployment of more monitors is a precondition for creating political dialogue in Syria.

israel

In a surprise move that could influence a possible Israeli strike on Iran, Israeli media reports indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached an agreement with the Kadima opposition party for a unity government, canceling an early election. According to the media reports, Netanyahu forged an agreement with opposition leader Shaul Mofaz of Kadima shortly before parliament was set to vote to disperse. The appointment of Mofaz, a former military chief and defense minister, is significant in Israel's standoff with Iran ... as he has been vocal critic of Israel striking Iran's nuclear sites on its own. Israel, like the West, thinks Iran is developing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. But it has repeatedly hinted it might strike Iran if it concludes that U.S.-led diplomacy and sanctions have failed.

russia

Vladimir Putin has been inaugurated as president of Russia in a lavish ceremony at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow. Putin is returning to the presidency after an absence of four years in which he served as prime minister. In a short speech he said Russia was "entering a new phase of national development". The outgoing President, Dmitry Medvedev, was widely seen as an ally of Putins. He won a third term as president in controversial elections in March.

WEATHER AM .....

partly cloudy skies in the north possible thunder showers in the afternoon in the center clear skies in the south a high of 33 degrees islandwide Current Temperatures ... Taipei -- 28 Taichung -- 28 Gaoxiong -- 29

10AM EZ News Outro

That's EZ News at 10. I'm _____