Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

Indonesia considers relocations after deadly volcanic eruption

JAKARTA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Indonesia’s volcanology agency is sending a team of researchers to the Mount Semeru volcano to identify areas too dangerous for villagers to stay after it erupted on Saturday, killing dozens of people on the slopes of Java island’s highest mountain.

In the days since the disaster, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the disaster warning system and whether some villages should be moved.

Philippines to ban travel from France starting Dec. 13

MANILA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines will ban travel from France starting Dec. 13 to stem the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, a government official said Wednesday.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the ban will take effect until Dec. 15 just like the 14 other countries earlier flagged by the government, before a possible extension to be approved.

China a significant contributor to WTO negotiations on services domestic regulation: MOC

BEIJING, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- China has made significant contributions to the successful conclusion of negotiations on the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on Services Domestic Regulation, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

China actively participated in the negotiations and took the initiative to put forward proposals, marking significant contributions to the successful conclusion of the negotiations, a MOC official said.

China's precise macro policy design shores up economic resilience

BEIJING, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's precise macro policies, stressing cross-cyclical adjustment, have proved to be an effective recipe for steady economic recovery this year despite headwinds from home and abroad.

China's economic performance has come under the global spotlight with its GDP for the first three quarters recorded at 9.8 percent, well above its annual growth target of over 6 percent.

China calls on world community to provide assistance to Afghanistan

BEIJING, Dec 7 (APP): China on Tuesday called on the international community to provide necessary support and assistance to Afghanistan. “We once again call on the international community to provide necessary support and assistance to Afghanistan,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Zhao Lijian said during his regular briefing held here.

Unemployment Rate In Philippines Decreases To 7.4 Percent In Oct

MANILA, Dec 7 (NNN-PNA) – Around 3.50 million Filipinos were out of work in Oct, down from the 4.25 million reported in Sept, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) survey.

In an online briefing, PSA head, Dennis Mapa, said, the Oct unemployment rate, 7.4 percent, was the third lowest reported this year.

The lowest reported was in July, estimated at 6.9 percent, followed by 7.1 percent in Mar.

The unemployment rate was the highest in Sept, at 8.9 percent.

No one above the law, Myanmar junta says of Suu Kyi verdict

Dec 7 (Reuters) - The imprisonment of former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi showed that no one was above the law, a senior junta official said on Tuesday, and the country's ruling general had commuted her sentence on "grounds of humanity".

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, 76, was sentenced to four years in prison for incitement and breaching coronavirus regulations, but that was reduced to a two-year term of detention in her current, undisclosed location.

Chinese spokesperson questions U.S. qualification of holding democracy summit

BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday questioned the qualification of the United States that disregards democracy to hold a summit on democracy.

He said that the United States had failed to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic despite having the most abundant medical resources and the most advanced medical technologies.

Chinese spokesperson questions U.S. qualification of holding democracy summit

BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday questioned the qualification of the United States that disregards democracy to hold a summit on democracy.

He said that the United States had failed to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic despite having the most abundant medical resources and the most advanced medical technologies.

China's foreign trade sustains resilience, upward momentum

BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade maintained growth momentum in the first 11 months of the year amid signs of global economic recovery and resilient demand.

During the Jan.-Nov. period, total imports and exports of the country expanded 22 percent year on year to 35.39 trillion yuan (5.55 trillion U.S. dollars), official data showed Tuesday.

The figure, already surpassing the 32.16-trillion-yuan total for all of 2020, marked a 24-percent increase from the pre-epidemic level in 2019, according to the General Administration of Customs.

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