EZ News 10/31/22

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. **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 _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn