The Tai-Ex opened down 382-points this morning from Wednesday's close, at

22,439 on turnover of 18-billion N-T.

The government is thanking the U-S and South Korea for expressing their

concern about the security of the Taiwan Strait in a joint communique for the

fourth consecutive year.

According to the government, Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded

countries such as the U-S and South Korea to contribute to "peace, stability

and prosperity (繁榮) in the Taiwan Strait and the region.

The statement comes after Washington and Seoul issued the joint communique

earlier this week - in which both sides stated that their respective

governments have taken note of the importance of maintaining stability in the

Taiwan Strait …

…. and reaffirmed security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

It was issued following talks between U-S Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

and his Korean counterpart Kim Yong-hyun at the 56th Security Consultative

Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The Central Weather Administration says it's not ruling out the possibility

that video footage (片段) posted to the internet on Thursday showed a tornado

touching down in Hualien County's Xiu-Lin Township.

The 20-second video has been widely shared on social media ..

.. and it appears to show a rotating column of wind and rain in Hualien's

Jia-Wan Village, and was taken as Taiwan was being battered by Typhoon

Kong-Rey.

The weather administration's office in Hualien initially said that it was

difficult to judge whether it was tornado based on the brief footage, which

could just show low clouds being blown along quickly at ground level.

The administration's forecast center later issued a statement saying it had

reviewed the footage and determined that it showed a circulating motion

similar to a tornado.

However, the forecast center went on to say it's not ruling out the

possibility that a tornado had formed, although additional evidence is be

needed to confirm that.

Crews are searching for bodies in stranded cars and buildings following flash

floods in Spain that claimed at least 158 lives.

The death toll could rise more as search efforts continue Thursday.

An unknown number remains missing.

Spain's transport minister says dead bodies remain inside some of the

hundreds of stranded (被困住的) vehicles.

Officials say 155 people have died in the eastern region of Valencia.

Elon Musk can continue to give away money to US voters, following a ruling

from a Philadelphia judge.

The billionaire is facing a lawsuit over the controversial million-dollar

prizes he's awarded to swing state voters.

Legal action has been put on hold.

Musk, who is publicly backing Republican nominee Donald Trump, denies any

wrongdoing (不當行為).

Sally Patterson has more.

Canadian police dismantled what they say is the largest, most sophisticated

illicit drug “super lab” in the country.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police believe organized crime ran the operation

where there was mass-production and distribution of fentanyl and

methamphetamine across Canada and internationally.

Officers served search warrants (搜查令) last week on the drug lab in

Falkland, British Columbia and associated locations in Surrey, in Metro

Vancouver.

Police said they seized 54 kilograms of fentanyl, “massive” amounts of

precursor chemicals, 390 kilograms of methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of

cocaine, MDMA and cannabis.

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

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