The Tai-Ex opened down 39-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

22,821 on turnover of $6.3-billion N-T.

Taiwan's government is planning to reclassify etomidate, or the "zombie

drug", as a Category 2 narcotic today.

That means illicit use of etomidate could result in a prison sentence of up

to 3 years.

Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said the move is likely to proceed (繼續) after

today's narcotics review committee under the Ministry of Justice …

… and is intended to bolster frontline law enforcement efforts and combat

the spread of emerging drugs.

Statistics from the Criminal Investigation Bureau show that from July to

November this year, there were over 2 thousand 600 cases involving etomidate,

with some 3 thousand individuals involved.

Over 1 million Japanese travelers visited Taiwan in the first 10 months of

this year -- over 50 percent more than that of last year.

With this growth, the Tourism Administration projects that the number of

Japanese visitors will reach a new high in the fourth quarter, the largest Q4

total since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data shows that Japan was the second-largest source of inbound (入境)

visitors to Taiwan in the first eight months of the year, accounting for 16

percent of all arrivals.

This follows Hong Kong, which contributed 16.2 percent.

US President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Florida Senator Marco Rubio to

be his secretary of state.

Trump also announced the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard as his Director of

National Intelligence.

Ira Spitzer has more

Sudan’s military-controlled government says a key border crossing with Chad

will stay open to keep much-needed humanitarian aid flowing into the western

Darfur region which has been a center of fighting in the country's ongoing

war.

Sudan's ruling Sovereign Council says the decision on the Adre crossing

followed a meeting with United Nations agencies and local and international

aid groups.

The border crossing was closed earlier this year but reopened in August for

three months by the Sovereign Council to address the catastrophic (災難性的)

humanitarian situation in Darfur.

The U.N. welcomed the government's announcement that the Adre crossing will

remain open for another three months.

Denmark’s royal court says it will phase out a labeling system dating to the

1800s that grants companies the right to use the image of the Danish crown on

their letterhead, packaging and labels.

The palace says the five-year renewable designations, including “Holder of

the Royal Warrant” and “By Appointment to the Royal Danish Court” and

others, will be phased out by Dec. 31, 2029.

Currently, there are 104 Danish suppliers and five foreign companies who can

use such designations (稱號) and images of the Danish crown on their

products.

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

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