**Tai-Ex opening **

The Tai-Ex opened down 49-points this morning from yesterday's close, at

16,267 on turnover of $4.1-billion N-T.

The market tumbled on Thursday, as investors reacted to rate hike-related

comments by the U-S Federal Reserve following the conclusion of its

policymaking meeting.

The bellwether electronics sector led the downturn on the back of heavy

losses suffered by tech stocks on Wall Street overnight, as a spike in U-S

treasury yields made interest rate sensitive stocks less attractive.

**MOA Says Future Government Egg Imports to be Packaged in Country of Origin **

The Ministry of Agriculture says any future state-funded egg import programs

will give preference to eggs packaged and washed in their country of origin.

The policy comes amid ongoing controversy over the government program used to

import 145 million eggs from overseas suppliers between March and July to

alleviate a domestic shortage.

The program has come under criticism after incidents in which imported eggs

were labeled with the wrong expiration date or country of origin, as well as

the agriculture ministry's admission (承認) that 54-million of the eggs were

sent to be destroyed after expiring in storage.

However, agriculture officials are continuing to defend the program - saying

that it was largely successful in easing the egg shortage without affecting

prices in a way that could harm local producers.

The ministry is also insisting that no imported eggs were sold past their

expiration, while any remaining eggs that have not yet expired will be

distributed to food processors, rather than being sold fresh.

**UN seeks to turbocharge SDGs **

Members of the United Nations are convening (召集) to set the groundwork for

a summit it hopes can reinvigorate the multilateral system.

The goal is to create a transformative pact ahead of next year's UN General

Assembly.

William Denselow reports from UN headquarters in New York.

**UK Booker Prize Finalists Announced **

Novels from Ireland, the United States, Canada and Britain that explore

families, communities and a world in crisis make up the six finalists for the

prestigious Booker Prize for fiction.

The shortlist announced Thursday for the $61-thousand US dollar award

includes Canadian author Sarah Bernstein, U.S. writer Jonathan Escoffery and

fellow American Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Paul Harding.

Also on the list are Irish writers Paul Lynch and Paul Murray and British

writer Chetna Maroo.

James Shapiro, a member of the judging panel, said many of the books reflect

the “grim (嚴厲的,殘忍的,) times” we live in.

The winner of the 2023 Booker Prize will be announced Nov. 26 at a ceremony

in London.

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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