The Tai-Ex opened down 9.3-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

17,536 on turnover of $2.4-billion N-T.

The market gained ground on Thursday after Wall Street climb to a near-record

high overnight and as investors are watching for a U-S inflation report,

which was released after the close of trading on the local main board.

R-O-C passport holders have visa-free access to 143 countries and territories

around the world, ranking it 35th in the latest Henley Passport Index.

The passport fell four places from 31st in the previous survey issued by the

London-based consulting firm Henley & Partners in July 2023.

The rankings are slightly deceptive in that place rankings do not account for

(核算、考慮) ties.

As although Taiwan's passport ranked 35th, 69 countries had passports with

more visa-free access.

Singapore tops the rankings in the latest index, sharing first place with

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain.

Afghanistan remained at the bottom with only 28 destinations offering

visa-free travel to its passport holders.

Those holding these passports enjoy visa-free access to 194 nations.

The Henley Passport Index compares the visa-free access of 199 different

passports to 227 travel destinations.

Its first index was issued in 2006.

Iran’s navy has seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that once was at

the center of a major crisis between Tehran and Washington, a seizure that

further escalates tensions in the Mideast waterways.

The vessel was once known as the Suez Rajan and was involved in a yearlong

dispute that ultimately (最終) saw the U.S. Justice Department seize 1

million barrels of Iranian crude oil on it.

Iran’s state-run television acknowledged the seizure late Thursday

afternoon, hours after armed men boarded it.

The seizure also comes after weeks of attacks by Yemen’s Iranian-backed

Houthi rebels on shipping in the Red Sea.

South African lawyers speaking at the International Court of Justice say

Israel planned to "destroy" Gaza.

Lawyers are demanding Israel stop what they say is a "genocidal" (種族滅絕的)

military operation against the residents of Gaza - to which Israel will

respond on Friday.

From outside the International Court of Justice in The Netherlands, Ishan

Garg reports.

Argentina's statistics agency says the country has registered a monthly

inflation rate of 25.5% in December and closed 2023 with an annual inflation

of 211.4%.

That's the highest rate in 32 years.

The data reflects the strong impact (影響) of a series of shock measures,

including a 50% devaluation of the nation’s currency, implemented by

right-wing President Javier Milei in hopes of eventually taming the country's

roaring inflation.

That was the I.C.R.T. news,

Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded

every day in the afternoon.

Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

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