The Tai-Ex opened down 104-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

17,531 on turnover of $4-billion N-T.

The market moved higher on Wednesday as investors reacted positively to the

gains posted on Wall Street overnight, as artificial intelligence

development-related stock led the upturn.

The main board opened marginally (稍微地，略微地) higher, but continued to

gain ground throughout the session, as buying was sparked by increases on the

Dow Jones and the Nasdaq indexes overnight.

The Highway Bureau says ticket prices on all 88 intercity bus routes will

cheaper during the December 30 to January 1 New Year's Day holiday.

According to the bureau, passengers will have their bus fare either

calculated based on the weekday price or be offered a 15-per cent discount in

anticipation of (預計) heavy traffic.

Passengers taking selected bus routes in the east will also be able to choose

between two preferential packages limited to the area.

The Highway Bureau is warning that traffic congestion is expected to be worse

on provincial highways No. 1, No. 9, and No. 61, as well as others roads

connecting to freeways and tourist spots during the long weekend holiday.

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un says he won’t hesitate (猶豫) to attack in

the event of a ‘nuclear provocation’ by the US or South Korea.

Chris Gilbert reports.

The United Nations says it's seeking to verify reports that Afghanistan’s

Taliban rulers are allowing girls of all ages to study at Islamic religious

schools that are traditionally boys-only.

The U.N.’s top official in the country told the Security Council on

Wednesday that the U.N. is receiving “more and more anecdotal (傳聞的)

evidence” that girls can study at these schools known as madrassas.

She says it's not clear "what constitutes a madrassa, if there is a

standardized curriculum that allows modern education subjects, and how many

girls are able to study in madrassas.”

The Taliban have been globally condemned for banning girls and women from

secondary school and university, and allowing girls to study only through the

sixth grade.

Switzerland’s upper house of parliament has taken steps toward banning the

use of racist symbols that excuse violent or extremist behavior, including

speech, gestures and the display of flags that stir hatred, as well as the

public wearing of symbols reminiscent (引人聯想) of Nazi tyranny in Europe.

The Council of States voted 23-16 with three abstentions on a proposal that

would criminalize displays of such symbols and gestures in the public space.

The measure now moves on to the lower house, the National Council.

Such a measure, if passed, would put Switzerland on track to join several of

its European neighbors that have similar bans against incitement to hatred.

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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