20120515 9am

9AM Intro

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

9AM TAIWAN NEWS ....

The Presidential Office is refuting an open letter by former D-P-P chairwoman Cai Ying-wen - in which she accused Ma of lacking sincerity and failing to rally the nation behind his policies. According to a Presidential Office spokesman ..... President Ma Ying-jeou has taken public opinion into account in making policy and will continue listening to the people. In a letter posted on her Facebook page, Cai accused Ma of failing to listen to public opinion in regards the lifting of a ban on imports of U-S beef containing ractopamine, fuel and electricity price hikes and his plans for a capital gains tax on stock investments. However ... according to the Presidential Office all policies took into consideration public opinion. ----------- The make-up of the U-S delegation to President Ma Ying-jeou's inauguration, sends a positive signal but reflects no real shift in bilateral relations - that according to one U-S Taiwan expert .... ... I-C-R-T Washington correspondent Matt Kaye explains ... ----------- Lawmakers are asking the Foreign Ministry to protect Taiwanese nationals living or traveling in the Philippines. The move comes amid a string of anti-China protests in Manila over territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea. Lawmakers say the foreign ministry should work with the Tourism Bureau to help protect Taiwanese tourists from being mistakenly identified as Chinese. Foreign Minister Timothy Yang says the island's representative office in Manila has reminded Taiwanese expats to take precautions.

greece

Marathon efforts to break Greece's post-electoral paralysis are lurching into a ninth day amid the country's worst crisis in decades. Fractious party leaders were summoned to another emergency meeting yesterday that could see the reins of government surrendered to non-politicians. Greece's president will ask politicians today to stand aside and let a government of technocrats steer the nation away from bankruptcy, but leftists have already rejected the proposal and look set to force a new election they reckon they can win. The hectic haggling in Athens cast a deep gloom over global markets, which fell Monday on fears that the debt-crippled country will have to hold another election within weeks

hacking

Britain's Crown Prosecution Service is set to announce whether former News of the World editor, Rebekah Brooks,will face criminal charges in the ongoing hacking scandal. Olly Barratt has a preview:

obama

Politicking in New York, President US President Barack Obama clearly has Wall Street's latest scandal on his mind. The APs Mark Smith reports.

paul

Ron Paul announced today that his campaign will no longer spend money on presidential nominating contests due to lack of funds, effectively ending his campaign for the Republican nomination. Paul encouraged his supporters to continue their involvement and to spread his message of lower spending and the protection of individual liberties. He stressed that he will continue working to win delegates.

WEATHER AM .....

partly cloudy skies, possible afternoon thunder showers and a high of around 33 islandwide. Current Temperatures .... Taipei -- 29 Taichung -- 29 Gaoxiong -- 31

9AM Outro

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