The agreement, which covers almost a third of world economy, will lower tariffs across many areas in coming years
A Catholic believer holds a sign reading Without glasses, my eyesight declines, without the mass, my life declines as she takes part with others in a rally in Strasbourg, to protest against a ban on the celebration of masses due to Coronavirus restriction
Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations, including China, on Sunday, signed the world-s biggest trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership RCEP, sans India with hopes that it will help recover from the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The RCEP was signed after eight years of negotiations at the conclusion of the annual summit of Southeast Asian leaders and their regional partners, held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The agreement, which covers almost a third of the world economy, will progressively lower tariffs across many areas in the coming years, reported Channel News Asia.
India, one of the leading consumer-driven market in the region, pulled out of talks last year, concerned that the elimination of tariffs would open its markets to a flood of imports that could harm local producers.
The RCEP was first proposed in 2012 and loops in 10 ASEAN economies — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia — along with China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia.
Czech crematoriums struggle
Faced with the highest death rate in Europe from the virus, Czech crematoriums are struggling to keep up. Since the end of October, some 200 people a day have been dying in the Central European nation of 10.7 million people, which was only lightly touched by the first wave.
New York shuts schools
The US city worst hit by the first wave of the pandemic is closing schools from Monday after the infection rate spiked. Bars and restaurants in have also been forced to close at 10 pm. More than 23,000 New Yorkers died in the first wave.
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