20120525 10am

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10AM EZ News Intro

Good morning ... it's 10 o'clock and I'm Gavin Phipps w/ EZ News

10AM TAIWAN NEWS ....

The Tai-Ex opened up 6.9-points this morning from yesterday's close -- at 7,131.79 on turnover of 1.463-billion N-T dollars. ------- Police arrested the so-called 'raincoat robber' yesterday. The suspect was detained at Taoyuan International Airport as he was preparing to board a flight for Beijing. He is believed to have been responsible for a series of a armored bank car robberies over the past 15 years. He was dubbed the 'raincoat robber' because he wore a raincoat during the robberies. -------- Health Minister - Qiu Wen-da - has again asked the World Health Organization to use the correct designation when referring to Taiwan in its internal documents. Speaking in Geneva .. Qiu said expressed the government's stance in a letter to W-H-O Director-General Margaret Zhan. Her office instructed W-H-O members in September of 2010 to use the term "Taiwan, Province of China" when referring to Taiwan. However .. Qiu has admitted he does not know how Zhan will deal with the latest letter of complaint concerning the island's designation. --------- Eight-time Grand Slam singles champion Andre Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf arrived in Taiwan yesterday evening for a series of exhibition matches. The tennis starts were welcomed by more than 150 fans at Taoyuan International Airport. Speaking to reporters ... Agassi said it was a great feeling to be back in Taiwan. And speaking of the matches ... Graf said she hopes to have a good time and looks forward to tasting Taiwanese food. Agassi, and Graf will host coaching classes in Taipei today -- and play a series of exhibition matches at the Taipei Arena tomorrow.

US ...

In international news ....... A U-S Senate panel has cut 33-million U-S dollars in aid to Pakistan. The move is in response to the imprisonment of a Pakistani doctor who helped the C-I-A track down and kill Osama Bin Laden. The Senate Appropriations Committee says Washington will cut U-S aid to Islamabad by 1-million dollars for each year of Shakil Afridi's sentence. U-S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has blasted the imprisonment of the Pakistani doctor calling it -- "unjust and unwarranted."

Egypt ...

Official counting has began in Egypt's landmark presidential election after two days of voting. There are five prominent candidates in a field of 13 --- but none is expected to win outright in the first round. A run-off between the two leading contenders will be held on June 16-th and 17-th. The election included -- Islamists, secularists, revolutionaries and Hosni Mubarak-era ministers.

Syria ..

A United Nations commissioned report says the Syrian army and security forces are responsible for most of the serious human rights abuses committed in the country. However ... the report is also critical of anti-government forces .... saying there is evidence that captured soldiers have been tortured and killed. U-N Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says at least 10-thousand people have died in the uprising -- which began in March of last year.

Venezuela ....

Venezuela has boosted the number of soldiers along the border with Colombia. The move comes after the neighboring country's main rebel group carried out a deadly attack on a Colombian army patrol in the frontier region. Colombian officials say guerrillas from the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - staged an attack Monday out of Venezuelan territory -- killing 12 soldiers and wounding four in a rural area of Colombia.

EU ...

European Union leaders are insisting they want to keep Greece in the eurozone ---- but are putting off any agreement on how they hope to accomplish this. Greece says it wants to stay in the eurozone. However .. Athens is warning that it will remain uncertain whether it can implement the austerity measures called for by the E-U until after up-coming elections. Concerns that European leaders lack the political will to tackle the continent's economic problems have worried the markets for weeks. Among the 17 countries that use the euro, seven are in recession.

Mali .....

At least 25 people have been killed following clashes over land rights along the border between Burkina Faso and Mali. The violence erupted in a Malian village Burkina Faso's Peul ethnic group and the Dogon tribe from Mali.

WEATHER AM .....

Looking at the weather across Taiwan ... We can expect ..... partly cloudy skies in the north w/ a high of 33 in the Taipei area .... clear skies in the center and south w/ a high of 33 in both Taichong and Gaoxiong. Current Temperatures .... Taipei -- Taichung -- Gaoxiong --

10AM EZ News Outro

That was EZ News at 10 on ICRT w/ me Gavin Phipps ....