EZ News 12/08/23

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 31-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 17,309 on turnover of $2.98-billion N-T. The Tai-Ex joined other regional markets and lost ground on Thursday, following a slump on Wall Street overnight after crude oil prices slipped on expectations that supply might outpace demand. CDC Says Over 6-million Doses of Seasonal Flu Vaccine Administered The Centers for Disease Control says more than 6-million doses of this year's publicly-funded flu vaccine have been administered. According to the C-D-C that total includes nearly half the island's population aged 65 and over. C-D-C Deputy Director General Philip Luo says since its rollout on October 2, 6.018-million doses of the flu vaccine have been administered, and 49.8-per cent of people aged 65 and above have been vaccinated, which is just shy of the government's goal of 55-per cent. As of Thursday, 561,000 doses of the flu vaccine purchased by the government remained unused and the C-D-C says it will consider purchasing additional doses of the vaccine based on demand. This year's flu vaccines were purchased from suppliers Adimmune, T-T-Y Biopharm and Medigen Vaccine Biologics as well as from France's Sanofi. Free flu vaccines are available at contracted clinics and hospitals islandwide. IFJ on Media Worker Deaths This Year The International Federation of Journalists says 2023 has been an unprecedented year for the number of media workers killed on the job. The organization that represents journalists worldwide says today that 94 media workers have been killed so far this year and almost 400 others are in jail. Deaths in Israel’s war with Hamas surpass those of any conflict in three decades. The group says that 68 journalists have been killed since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, averaging more than one a day. They account for 72% of all media deaths worldwide this year. The group says Ukraine also “remains a dangerous country for journalists” almost two years after Russian troops invaded. US Texas Grants Woman's Abortion Request A judge in Texas has granted an emergency request allowing a woman whose fetus has a fatal diagnosis to receive an abortion despite the state's near-total ban on the procedure. Texas is among the states that have enacted (實行) strict abortion laws since the Supreme Court ruled last year that abortion access would no longer be protected by the constitution. Ira Spitzer reports. Mexico Env Watchdogs Sound Alarm on Totoaba Startup Environmental watchdogs have accused a Mexico-based startup of violating international trade law that protects the endangered totoaba fish. A health company called The Blue Formula sells a powder containing collagen (膠原蛋白) taken from the fish online to countries including the U.S. and China. The powder is designed to be mixed into a health supplement drink. But on Thursday a coalition of environmental groups said exporting totoaba or its parts violates an international convention on trading endangered species. Totoaba fish bladders are worth their weight in gold as a delicacy in China. Advocates are also concerned the startup could be selling totoaba that has been illegally caught in the wild. 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 _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn