The UN is supporting countries in South and Southeast Asia in responding to floods and landslides.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — The United Nations continues to support governments in several South and Southeast Asian countries in responding to devastating floods and landslides that have reportedly killed more than 1,500 people and affected nearly 11 million others, the UN chief's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said on Thursday.

In Sri Lanka, the UN and its partners continue to support the government's response and damage assessment, he said.

In close coordination with local authorities, the UN and its humanitarian partners delivered emergency aid, including food, hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, and water containers, said S. Dujarric. Simultaneously, recovery efforts are underway, including a more thorough damage assessment.

To support Vietnam, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher on Wednesday released US$2.6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to boost assistance to the hardest-hit provinces, providing support for shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, and food security activities to complement government efforts, the spokesman said.

S. Dujarric also reported that in Indonesia, the government continues to respond to the aftermath of the devastating floods in Aceh province, despite serious logistical and access challenges, and the UN is working closely with the government in the areas of logistics, health, water and sanitation, and facilitating coordination with local partners.

The UN will continue to closely monitor the development of the situation in the region and maintain close contacts with national authorities, added S. Dujarric. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

DRC and Rwanda signed a peace agreement

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump hosted his counterparts from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda here on Thursday, witnessing their signing of a peace deal aimed at ending decades-long conflict in eastern DRC and opening up their vital mineral resources to the United States.

DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed the agreement at a ceremony at the United States Institute of Peace, which the State Department renamed the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace the previous day.

The eastern part of the DRC has been engulfed in years of conflict, exacerbated by the rise of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in late 2021. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the group, which the group denies.

At the ceremony, D. Trump also announced the conclusion of bilateral agreements between the United States and two African countries, according to which American companies will gain access to the region's most important mineral resources.

"We will be involved in sending some of our biggest and best American companies to these two countries," he said.

D. Trump held separate meetings with the leaders of two African countries at the White House on Thursday morning.

The DRC military and M23 rebels traded accusations of ceasefire violations in the east of the country on Tuesday, with each side accusing the other of new attacks despite international mediation.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Europe is moving toward escalation of tensions, says Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Minsk, December 5 (Xinhua) – Europe is moving toward escalating tensions, and if this continues, global war will move from the realm of risk to reality. This was stated by Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Sekreta at the OSCE Foreign Ministers' Council plenary meeting in Vienna on Thursday. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry's press service released the corresponding information on the same day.

He noted that the meeting is taking place at a time when European security is experiencing perhaps its deepest crisis since Helsinki. According to him, in recent years, the European region has transformed from a space of dialogue into one of fears, barriers, and mutual accusations.

"The security architecture, built over decades of trial and error, has effectively collapsed. Arms control mechanisms have ceased to function. Previous negotiating formats are frozen. Trust has been reduced to zero," stated I. Sekreta.

According to him, states are increasingly speaking in the language of ultimatums rather than compromises. "Europe is effectively following a self-fulfilling prophecy of escalating tensions. If we don't change this logic, global war will move from the category of risk to the category of reality," stated I. Sekreta.

He noted that Belarus is feeling this crisis at its borders, where new barriers are being erected, crossings are being closed, and new dividing lines are being artificially drawn. At the same time, he added, Belarus is being accused of aggressive intentions that the country never had.

"We see how the politicization of illegal migration and cross-border smuggling is being used to stoke fear. At the same time, it's completely ignored that these problems are a direct consequence of crises, collapsed states, and misguided foreign policy decisions," emphasized I. Sekret, adding that Belarus always remains open to contacts at the appropriate level to jointly find solutions to existing problems.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

The first direct air route between China and Argentina has opened.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — China Eastern Airlines flight MU745 landed in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, on Thursday afternoon, marking the official launch of the first direct air service between China and Argentina, the airline said.

The flight took off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 2:19 a.m. Beijing time on Thursday, made a two-hour stopover in Auckland, New Zealand, and arrived at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires after approximately 25 hours and 30 minutes in flight.

The new route, with a length of over 20,000 kilometers, has become the longest direct flight in the world.

China Eastern Airlines plans to operate two round-trip flights a week, departing from Shanghai on Mondays and Thursdays, and returning from Buenos Aires on Tuesdays and Fridays. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Trade turnover between Belarus and Russia has grown by almost 30 percent in three years, according to the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Minsk, December 5 (Xinhua) — Trade between Belarus and Russia has grown by nearly 30 percent over the past three years. This was announced by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk on Thursday in Minsk during a meeting of the High-Level Group of the Council of Ministers of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. The corresponding information was published by Belta on the same day.

"Belarus and Russia are expanding their trade and economic cooperation, and over the past three years, our trade turnover has grown by almost 30 percent," noted A. Overchuk.

He also reported that almost all mutual settlements between Belarus and Russia are conducted in national currencies. "Our countries maintain high levels of contact at the regional level. This format allows us to find new common ground for the further development of cooperation," said A. Overchuk.

In turn, Dmitry Krutoy, Head of the Presidential Administration of Belarus, noted during the meeting that, according to Belarusian statistics, trade in goods between Belarus and Russia amounted to $44 billion in the first 10 months of 2025, with a growth rate of 101.8 percent. Trade in services for the same period amounted to $6.5 billion, an increase of 17 percent.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Industrial tourism boosts consumer market in China

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) — China, the hub of global manufacturing, is turning its vast industrial landscape into tourist destinations, allowing travelers to experience the atmosphere behind factory doors and injecting new impetus into the domestic consumer market.

In the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone, also known as Beijing E-Town, requests are growing among tech enthusiasts to visit Xiaomi's car factory, which produces popular electric vehicles.

According to Shi Xiaomin, the project's manager, its goal is to integrate professional knowledge with hands-on demonstrations of product samples, as well as provide visitors with a popular science experience. From April last year to June this year, more than 150,000 people signed up for factory visits, and the average monthly number of visits exceeded 10,000.

Factory tours have become a trend in China's tourism market as communities across the country adopt an innovative "industry-tourism" integration model to offer visitors more diverse experiences while promoting the modernization of their industrial sectors.

According to Xin Guobin, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China, China has built a comprehensive, independent, and integrated modern industrial system, leaving behind a rich historical and cultural heritage.

“In recent years, remarkable results have been achieved across the country thanks to the development of industrial culture becoming a key factor in promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of cultural resources such as industrial heritage,” he added.

Official data shows that China has 264 national-level industrial heritage sites and nearly 500 provincial-level sites. In line with the trend toward industrial tourism, more and more industrial heritage sites in the country are being transformed into cultural and creative parks, commercial centers, and technology parks, attracting visitors to these internet-famous destinations.

At the Liuzhou Luosifen Industrial Park in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (South China), visitors can not only see how luosifen snail noodles, a national intangible cultural heritage of China, are packaged, but also learn about the production technology and try their hand at making them.

At the Qingdao Beer Museum in Shandong Province, eastern China, young people are thrilled to watch a captivating time-traveling performance. Taking on the roles of Tsingtao Beer brewers, visitors become participants in a game that combines a scripted murder mystery with an escape room. Through these varied experiences, they can vividly experience the twists and turns of a century-old brewery.

Industry observers believe that the innovative model, which combines visiting, research and exploration, and consumption, not only appeals to visitors by allowing them to gain a closer look at traditionally hard-to-reach industrial sites, but also enhances brand value and increases revenue for the businesses involved.

The country's industrial tourism market potential is expected to maintain an average annual growth rate of 18 percent over the next five years, with the market size expected to exceed 300 billion yuan (about $42.4 billion) by 2029, the ministry said.

China recently outlined plans to accelerate the development of a strong manufacturing sector and promote deeper integration of culture and tourism in its guidelines for the 15th Five-Year Social and Economic Development Plan (2026-2030).

According to Xin Guobin, in the future, the ministry will promote the protection, inheritance, and dissemination of industrial culture, explore effective mechanisms for the integrated development of culture, technology, and industry, and create a series of new cultural consumption scenarios and cultural industry clusters.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

China is introducing an innovative method for wintering grapes in its "golden" wine region.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

In early winter, workers are busy working in the vineyards of Xiban Winery, located in the Qingtongxia area at the eastern foot of Mount Helan.

As China's largest continuous wine-growing region for high-quality grapes, the eastern foothills of Mount Helan in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has been promoting an innovative method of wintering grapevines in recent years.

The method involves pruning both fruit-bearing and food-bearing vines: the cut fruit-bearing vines are left hanging on trellis structures, while the food-bearing vines are buried in the soil to protect them from severe frosts.

Li Zhuanyang, Director of the Technical Department of the Qingtongxia Wine Industry Development Service Center in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, explained that this technological innovation allows for a 30% savings in labor costs. It also creates a natural windbreak, effectively mitigating the impact of harsh winter weather on the vineyards.

Furthermore, under the influence of winter frosts, vines left on trellises naturally become free of diseases and pests. With the arrival of spring, the branches dry out and become brittle. They can easily fall off and return to the field. This can also increase the organic matter content of the soil.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

The National Bank of Kazakhstan attributed the tenge's 9% appreciation to a combination of external factors and macroeconomic policy.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Astana, December 4 (Xinhua) — Kazakhstan's national currency has strengthened significantly: the tenge has risen by approximately 9 percent since October, reaching 499-500 per U.S. dollar in trading on Thursday, the National Bank (Central Bank) of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported.

According to the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), the average weighted dollar exchange rate for the day's trading session was 499.65 tenge, down 3.98 tenge. The official exchange rate for December 4 was set at 503.89 tenge.

The National Bank noted that the national currency's strengthening was due to a combination of external and internal factors. Global oil prices have remained consistently above $60 per barrel, and the Federal Reserve's rate cut cycle has weakened the global dollar index by 8.3 percent since the beginning of the year, increasing the attractiveness of emerging market currencies.

Against the backdrop of an improved external environment, international investors are showing growing interest in Kazakhstan's assets. From the beginning of October to the end of November, non-resident portfolio investments in Kazakhstani government securities increased by $1.1 billion, while total holdings reached a historic high of $3.6 billion. Since the beginning of the year, this increase has reached $1.5 billion.

The Central Bank emphasized that consistent macroeconomic policy played a decisive role. The government, the National Bank, and the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market are implementing the Macroeconomic Stabilization Program for 2026-2028, aimed at reducing inflationary pressure, increasing the efficiency of budget expenditures, and creating a predictable macroeconomic environment.

The moderately tight monetary policy pursued has contributed to a decrease in inflation expectations and an increase in the real yield of tenge-denominated instruments, making them more attractive to non-residents. As a result, the Ministry of Finance was able to reduce borrowing costs: the yield on 9-year government securities fell to 16.1% in December, down from 17.2% in October.

The strengthening of the tenge also helps contain inflation by limiting the transmission of external price pressure to domestic prices, given the high share of imports in the consumption structure.

According to the Central Bank, the market is functioning stably, no signs of speculative activity have been detected, and there is no need to intervene in the currency market. The regulator continues to maintain a free-floating exchange rate regime with moderate volatility permitted. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee paid an official goodwill visit to Indonesia.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

JAKARTA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — Wang Huning, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), expressed China's willingness to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Indonesia during his official visit to Indonesia from Wednesday to Thursday at the invitation of Ahmad Muzani, Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Congress (CPC).

Wang Huning held separate meetings in Jakarta with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Speaker of the House of People's Representatives (lower house of parliament) Puan Maharani and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Regions (upper house of parliament) Sultan Bakhtiar Najamudin, and also held talks with Ahmad Muzani.

During his meeting with Prabowo Subianto, Wang Huning indicated that China is willing to work with Indonesia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and jointly pursue a modernization path suited to each country's national conditions, making greater contributions to world peace, stability and prosperity.

According to the Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, China firmly supports the Indonesian government in maintaining political and social stability and achieving greater progress in development. He expressed confidence that Indonesia will firmly adhere to the one-China principle and support the just cause of the Chinese people, who oppose separatists advocating "Taiwan independence" and strive for national reunification.

Prabowo Subianto, for his part, noted that Indonesia sincerely admires China's outstanding achievements in development and hopes to learn from China's successful experience in order to confidently follow the path of independent development that suits its national conditions.

Prabowo Subianto stated that Indonesia reaffirms its commitment to the one-China principle and that Taiwan is part of China, and stressed that Indonesia is confident in the prospects of bilateral relations with China and is willing to strengthen the momentum of their positive development, promoting the comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level.

During talks with Ahmad Muzani, Wang Huning noted that China-Indonesia relations have made significant progress in the 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. He assured that China will steadily promote high-quality development, expand high-level opening-up, and provide new opportunities to friendly countries like Indonesia through continued achievements of Chinese-style modernization.

The CPPCC National Committee hopes to deepen exchanges and mutual learning with the Indonesian People's Commissariat of China to better serve the modernization of each country and the construction of a China-Indonesia community with a shared future, Wang Huning emphasized.

Ahmad Muzani highly praised the results of cooperation between the two countries in various fields, adding that the Indonesian People's Congress is willing to strengthen exchanges with the CPPCC National Committee, implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, and promote the further development of Indonesia-China relations.

During his meetings with Puan Maharani and Sultan Bakhtiar Najamudin, Wang Huning said China is willing to work with Indonesia to further advance the friendship, mutual trust and strategic cooperation between the two countries to a higher level, so as to bring greater benefits to their peoples.

Puan Maharani and Sultan Bakhtiar Najamudin, in turn, noted that the friendship between the two countries has deep historical roots and that China is an important strategic partner for Indonesia. They stated that bilateral relations have achieved significant progress in recent years and have brought tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries.

They stressed that Indonesia highly values and actively supports the Belt and Road Initiative, adding that the People's Congress and the Regional Representative Council are willing to continue to play an active role in deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between Indonesia and China.

During his visit, Wang Huning also briefed the Indonesian side on the results of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. He stated that China is willing to advance the deep alignment of Chinese-style modernization with the "Golden Indonesia 2045" vision and promote the further development of practical cooperation between the two countries.

The Indonesian side congratulated China on the successful holding of the 4th Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and expressed its desire to work with the Chinese side to advance bilateral relations to new heights. –0–

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The Israeli army reported strikes on Hezbollah weapons depots in southern Lebanon.

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

Jerusalem, December 4 (Xinhua) — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Thursday announced it carried out a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon, striking "several" Hezbollah weapons depots. About an hour earlier, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for residents of two nearby villages.

An IDF spokesman said in a statement that the IDF will continue to conduct operations to eliminate any threats to the Jewish state.

Video footage shows a house burning in the Lebanese village of El Mjadel after the strikes.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in effect since November 2024, but Israel continues to carry out near-daily strikes in southern Lebanon, claiming they are aimed at curbing Hezbollah activity. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.