The Tai-Ex opened down 128-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

26,067 on turnover of 10-billion N-T.

The market's recent record breaking winning streak stuttered on Wednesday and

it closed slightly lower, as investors took cues from a decline on Wall

Street overnight amid concerns about overvalued equity prices.

President Lai Ching-te has warned that the expansion of authoritarian regimes

is undermining the international order and urged democracies to strengthen

cooperation in response.

In a prerecorded address to the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit, Lai said the

"international order is being undermined" as "geopolitical tensions rise and

authoritarian regimes converge (聚集) and expand."

According to Lai, "democratic societies are now more heavily targeted by

disinformation and other forms of external interference, posing a serious

challenge to global peace."

It is the second time Lai has addressed the Concordia Annual Summit with a

prerecorded message.

The government will be rolling out phase (階段) one of it's annual free flu

vaccine program next Wednesday.

Those eligible include minors from 6 months old through senior high school;

seniors aged 65 and over; medical workers; high-risk individuals; pregnant

women and parents of babies under 6 months old.

The second phase of the free flu vaccine program will begin on November 1 -

when people aged between 50 and 64 will also be eligible for a shot.

Rollout of phase one of the program comes as the Centers for Disease Control

is warning that this year's flu season has now entered an epidemic phase.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is telling world leaders that the

world is in “the most destructive (破壞性的) arms race in human history."

He called on the international community to act against Russia now, asserting

that Vladimir Putin wants to expand his war in Europe.

Zelenskyy’s comments came a day after he met with President Donald Trump,

who expressed support for Ukraine’s efforts and criticized Russia.

Trump said Tuesday that he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost

to Russia, a dramatic shift from the U.S. leader’s repeated calls for Kyiv

to make concessions to end the war.

Zelenskyy said international institutions like the U.N. are weak and today

“Weapons decide who survives.”

Three people have died - including the attacker- after a shooting by a

suspected sniper at an immigration facility in Texas.

The gunman is dead from a self-inflicted (自己造成的) gunshot wound after the

incident.

Charlotte North reports from Washington

Ecuador’s plans to offer dozens of blocks of land for oil exploration for

more than $47 billion has prompted opposition from seven Indigenous peoples

in the Amazon.

Those groups say 18 of the proposed blocks overlap their ancestral

territories and that they were not consulted.

Government officials say their plan is key to modernizing (現代化) an oil

sector that supplies Ecuador's top export.

The dispute comes amid a state of emergency and a national strike over fuel

prices, extractive (提取的) projects and the government’s failure to honor a

referendum limiting drilling in Yasuni National Park.

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

--

Hosting provided by SoundOn