**Tai-Ex opening **

The Tai-Ex opened up 74-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 12,862

on turnover of $2.5-billion N-T.

Asian shares opened with some gains today, after a rally on Wall Street

Friday last week, as investors await interest rate decisions from central

banks, including the Federal Reserve.

(NS)

**Number of SMEs in Taiwan hits new high in 2021: MOEA **

The Ministry of Economic Affairs has issued a white paper reporting that the

number of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan hit a new high in

2021.

That's up more than 3 percent from a year earlier.

According to the MOEA, the number of firms with paid-in capital of no more

than $100 million NT or fewer than 200 regular employees totaled 1.5 million

in 2021.

SMEs also accounted for nearly 99-percent of Taiwan's total 1.6 million

enterprises in 2021.

Around 80 percent of SMEs were in the service sector, with 46 percent in the

wholesale or retail businesses.

Meanwhile, manufacturing, wholesale/retail, and construction were the top

three employers among SMEs.

The MOEA said the government was determined to provide assistance, including

financing, technology research and development, courses for business

start-ups, and export promotions to SMEs while encouraging them to attain

(至少) net-zero emissions and digital transformation goals.

**India Bridge Collapse Death Toll Rises **

Local media say at least 60 people have died and many are feared injured

after a cable bridge collapsed into a river in the western Indian state of

Gujarat on Sunday evening.

The Gujarat state minister says 60 people have died so far and 17 people were

admitted to hospitals.

Local media reports said over a hundred people plunged into the Machchu river

when the bridge in the state’s Morbi district collapsed.

The 19th-century, colonial-era bridge had reopened four days ago after

renovation (裝修).

Officials said the bridge gave way because it could not handle the number of

people on it.

**US Biden Congratulates Brazil's LuladaSilva **

US President Joe Biden has congratulated Brazil's former left wing leader

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after he narrowly beat the incumbent (現任)

president Jair Bolsonaro in the country's election.

Jagruti Dave has more from Washington.

**NMacedonia Pushes Back Migrants from Greece **

Police in North Macedonia say nearly 400 migrants have been prevented from

entering illegally into the country from neighboring Greece in the past four

days during a joint operation led by the European Union’s law enforcement

agency.

Police said in a statement that a total of 389 migrants, most of them from

Syria and Afghanistan, were pushed back to Greece from Oct. 25 to Oct. 29,

after having been spotted (看見、認出 ) in the border area between the

countries.

North Macedonia’s interior minister said during the first nine months of

2022, attempts to cross illegally from Greece increased by 7% compared to the

same period last year.

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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