20120511 9am

9AM Intro

Good morning, it's 9 o'clock. I'm Bill Thissen

9AM TAIWAN NEWS ....

Japan's new envoy to Taiwan - Sumio Tarui - has vowed to boost bilateral ties. Tarui assumed the post as head of Japan's Interchange Association in late April. The association represents Japanese interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties. Tarui most recently served as Japan's ambassador in charge of Okinawa affairs. --------- President Ma Ying-jeou has announced a new set of guidelines for nursing reforms and promised to improve working conditions for nurses. The move comes amid allegations that some nursing staff are being exploited by hospitals. Ma said the new guidelines will see nurses' administrative workloads greatly reduced - while an additional 2-billion N-T dollars will be allocated to recruit more nurses to alleviate the human resources deficit. The guidelines were recently drafted by the Department of Health and based on suggestions from scholars and nursing specialists. --------- Farming rights activists are threatening to file a profiteering lawsuit against the Central Taiwan Science Park and the Chang-hua Irrigation Association over an aqueduct project in Chang-hua County. Activists say the science park may be profiteering from Taiwan Water and the Chang-hua Irrigation Association with taxpayers' money. There have been charges that park is spending 2.3-billion N-T dollars to building the aqueduct for the irrigation association - but at the same time is continuing to purchase water from the association. They also charge Taiwan Water with selling the water purchased from the association to science park businesses at a higher price.

egypt

Two election front-runners, a former foreign minister and a moderate Islamist, squared off yesterday in the Arab world's first ever presidential debate, trading barbs over the role of religion and how to bring democratic reform to Egypt. Egyptians crowded around television sets in outdoor cafes for the four-hour debate, aired on several independent TV channels _ a startling new experiment for Egypt after nearly 30 years of authoritarian rule under President Hosni Mubarak, ousted last year after a wave of protests.

crash

The crash of a new, Russian-made jetliner into a jagged Indonesian volcano during a flight to impress potential buyers has thrown doubt on dozens of plane sales just as Moscow seeks a comeback in foreign markets. All 45 people aboard are feared dead. Search and rescue teams climbed through the mist-shrouded, jungly terrain for nearly 20 hours to reach the site where the plane roared in at nearly 480 mph yesterday, exploding and raining debris down a nearly vertical slope. When the weather clears, bodies will have to be hoisted by nets and ropes onto hovering choppers.

obama

US President Barack Obama wasted little time casting Republican rival Mitt Romney as ``backwards on equality'' today, eager to transform his historic embrace of same-sex marriage into donor enthusiasm and grassroots vigor. Just one day after announcing his support of the top gay rights issue, Obama is attending a lavish West Coast fundraiser hosted by actor George Clooney in Los Angeles, in an area at the heart of celebrity gay marriage activism. At the same time, his campaign rolled out a Web video claiming Romney would roll back some rights for same-sex couples

service

The Pentagon says ending the ban on openly gay service last year has not hurt the military. The APs Sagar Meghani reports.

jpmorgan

America's biggest bank reports a huge loss in a fund designed to avoid such losses. The APs Warren Levinson reports.

bachman

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann ended her Swiss citizenship less than diplomatically today, saying she was giving it up to prove she is a ``proud American citizen.'' Bachmann has drawn flak from critics who noted that Switzerland has universal health care, something Bachmann vigorously opposes. If the Swiss were offended by her snub, they didn't show it.

WEATHER AM .....

cloudy skies and showers in the north w/ a high of 26 in the Taipei area --- cloudy skies, rain and possible afternoon thunder showers in the center and south highs... 29 and 30 Current Temperatures .... Taipei -- 22 Taichung -- 24 Gaoxiong -- 26

9AM Outro

That's the ICRT News at 9. I'm _____