The Tai-Ex opened down 27-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

23,290 on turnover of $5.8-billion N-T.

The market moved higher again on Thursday, after a Wall Street rally

overnight that followed better profit reports than expected from major

companies.

The Tourism Administration says the Philippines is on track to become the top

Southeast Asian source of tourists to Taiwan in 2024.

It will be the first time that visitors from the Philippines will have topped

the list.

Data shows that 415,635 visitors were recorded arriving in Taiwan from

January to November.

The figure exceeded the 384,000 visitors from Malaysia and the 376,000

tourist arrivals from Singaporeans over the same period.

Thailand was fourth with 356,000 visitors, and Vietnam was fifth with 344,000.

According to the Tourism Administration, the Philippines ranked at number

five globally (全球) in terms of visitor arrivals in Taiwan - behind Japan,

Hong Kong and Macau, South Korea and the United States.

A senior Russian lawmaker believes a meeting between US President Donald

Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could happen as early as this

month or next.

The chair of the Russian Parliament's International Affairs Committee told

Russian state media that plans for a meeting are at an "advanced (後階段的)

stage" and that "it will take place soon".

Stuart Smith has more from Kyiv

The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini,

says an Israeli ban on his institution has not forced it to halt (停止) its

services so far but that in the long run, the agency faces an “existential

threat.”

Israel last week formally banned UNRWA from operating on its territory.

Lazzarini says he sees his agency as the target of a “massive disinformation

campaign” with a “very great objective to try to dismantle the agency

because of political considerations.”

Greece has declared a state of emergency on Santorini because of the hundreds

of undersea earthquakes that have shaken the resort island for nearly a week.

The ministry of civil protection’s announcement Thursday will provide

authorities faster access to state resources.

A magnitude 5.2 quake late Wednesday was the most powerful recorded since the

series of quakesstarted on Jan. 31.

A government spokesman says multiple emergency services and the military were

already mobilized to support the island.

The quakes has caused minimal (極微的) damage.

Experts don't yet know if it could be leading to a stronger earthquake.

Thousands of residents and seasonal workers have left, mostly evacuating to

the Greek mainland by ferry.

That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____.

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