20120618 9am

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10AM EZ News Intro

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

10AM TAIWAN NEWS ....

The Tai-Ex opened up 19.74-points this morning from yesterday's close - at 7,094.84 on turnover of 1.11-billion N-T. ---------- A series of 26 earthquakes rattled the east coast overnight - with the largest registering a 5.4 on the Richter Scale. That quake struck at 12:15AM - and was centered 31-kilometers west of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 10-kilometers. The earthquake registered a magnitude 6 in one part of the county - and between a 5 and 3 across the remainder of Hualien. The other earthquakes were all centered in the Hualien area and ranged from 4.9 to 2.9 in magnitude. Most were only felt in Hualien County. No injuries or major damage have been reported. ------------ The Central Weather Bureau says it is monitoring tropical storm Guchol - as it continues to gain strength. The storm is currently located approximately 18-hundred kilometers east of the island's southern tip - and is moving in a west-northwesterly direction at speeds averaging 21-kilometers per hour. Guchol could be upgraded to a typhoon later today. The weather bureau says a more accurate picture as to whether the storm will affect Taiwan directly in the coming days should be available late this afternoon. ------------- The parents of a 12-month girl were sentenced to seven-and-a-half years yesterday by the Taiwan High Court for causing the death of the infant last year through neglect. The court found the couple had been playing online games and left the child to die of malnutrition and dehydration. The couple - who both have learning difficulties - denied the charges. Yesterday's ruling overturned a reduced sentence handed down in March - which had cut the seven year sentence to five years and four months.

Egypt ....

In International News... An Egyptian court has ruled last year's elections unconstitutional -- and says the country's current Islamist-dominated parliament should be dissolved. Judges have also ruled that Hosni Mubarak's former prime minister is eligible to participate in this weekend's presidential run-off election. The Muslim Brotherhood warned that Egypt faces "dangerous days" ahead after the rulings.

Syria ....

United Nations monitors in Syria are now operating in the town of Haffa. They had tried to investigate a possible massacre in the town earlier this week -- but crowds turned them away and shots were fired in at their vehicles. The number of casualties from the alleged massacre remains unclear --- the U-N observers say bodies may have been removed or buried before their arrivial in Haffa.

US ...

U-S President Barack Obama and his Republican rival - Mitt Romney - have laid out competing visions for the country's road to recovery in back-to-back speeches in the state of Ohio. Obama offered what aides have called a "framing" of "two very different visions" facing U-S voters in November. While Romney accused the president of failing to deliver economic recovery. No Republican president has won without Ohio -- which Obama won by 5-per cent in 2008.

Argentina ....

Argentina's president took her country's claim over the Falkland Islands to the United Nations yesterday. Cristina Fernandez challenged Britain to "act more intelligently'' in regards the future of the archipelago. However ... Britain's Prime Minister - David Cameron - has said there will be "no negotiations" over the island's sovereignty.

Europe ....

A rock star welcome greeted Myanmar's opposition leader - Aung San Suu Kyi - as she embarked on her first trip to Europe in 24 years. However ... after a whirlwind of standing ovations, speeches and receptions, it all became too much --- and she fell ill yesterday during a news conference in Switzerland. Its not known how her apparent exhaustion will affect the rest of a tightly-packed schedule, --- which includes delivering her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo on Saturday. That speech will come 21 years after she won the award.

China

China has suspended three officials and apologized to a woman who was forced to undergo an abortion seven months into her pregnancy. The case sparked a public uproar after graphic photos of the mother and her dead baby were circulated online. The government of An-kang city had said the woman was not legally entitled to a second child under China's one-child limit and that late-term abortions are prohibited.

UK ...

Britain's Supreme Court has rejected Julian Assange's bid to re-open his appeal against extradition to Sweden ---- where he is wanted for questioning over sex assault and rape claims. The decision moves the founder of the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, one step closer towards extradition

WEATHER AM .....

Looking at the weather across Taiwan ... We can expect ..... rain and possible thunder showers islandwide. Current Temperatures .... Taipei -- 29 Taichung -- 27 Gaoxiong -- 26

10AM EZ News Outro

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