This is People's Daily Tonight, your news source from China.

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African swine fever outbreak in Beijing suburb

Two outbreaks of African swine fever have been found in farms in Beijing.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said the outbreaks were found in farms in Qinglonghu town and Liulihe town.

It said 49 pigs have been found dead among 1,325 pigs in Qinglonghu, and 37 among 429 pigs in Liulihe.

The local government has started an emergency response mechanism as required, which includes a blockade, culling and disinfection.

African swine fever is a highly contagious, viral disease that infects pigs.

It does not affect other animal species or humans. (People’s Daily app)

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China strongly condemns attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi 

China strongly condemned violent attacks against consular agencies and has requested Pakistan to take practical measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in the country, a Chinese official said Friday.

All staff working at China’s Consulate in Karachi and their families are safe, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at Friday's regular press conference.

When asked to provide details of the attack, Geng said that three militants attempted to break into the consulate. Two sides exchanged fire after the Pakistani police broke in, and all three militants were killed with two security guards killed in the crossfire. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his condolences to the consulate, he said. (People’s Daily app)

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Next 72 hours crucial in Brexit talks as UK PM says deal within grasp 

British Prime Minister Therese May said the next 72 hours are crucial in Brexit negotiations between Britain and the European Union.

May updated politicians on talks she has held in Brussels on the withdrawal agreement, and a political statement outlining the new working arrangements for Britain's departure from EU membership.

She said the deal will create a free trade area with the EU unlike any other.

She said Britain would be able to negotiate new trade deals around the world, ready to introduce them when an implementation period with the EU ends. (Xinhua)

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Landing gear collapse as plane lands in Bolivia; none hurt

A Peruvian Airlines Boeing 737 suffered a collapsed landing gear when it arrived at an airport in Bolivia, forcing closure of the runway for 10 several hours. Officials say none of the 122 passengers or five crewmembers was hurt.

Officials say that they were unable to move the plane, prompting a 10-hour closure that delayed several other flights into and out of the El Alto airport near the Bolivian capital on Thursday.

The plane was arriving on a flight from Cuzco, Peru.

The airline said in a statement that the cause of the incident is under investigation. (AP)

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WTO decides to investigate US steel and aluminum tariffs 

The World Trade Organization has agreed to set up panels at its Dispute Settlement Body to decide whether US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports comply with WTO rules.

China and the European Union protested on Wednesday along with Mexico, Norway, Russia, Canada and Turkey against measures by Washington, which they said are not for national security reasons but for American economic interests.

In June, the US imposed a duty of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports from Mexico, Canada and the EU, among other regions.

It claimed a national security exemption. (Xinhua)

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China's total marine output value sees 6.9 pct growth in 2017 

China released its annual Ocean Economic Development Index (OEDI) on Nov. 22 at a national marine economy expo held in Zhanjiang, south China’s Guangdong province, announcing a 6.9-percent rise of gross oceanic product in 2017 over the previous year.

The report indicated a steady progress of China’s marine economy from 2010 to 2017 during which OEDI grew at an annual rate of 3.8 percent on average. The latest 2017 figure stood at 129.8, up 4.5 percent than that of the previous year.

In 2017, China’s total output value of marine produce contributed 9.7 percent to the national economic growth. China’s trade volume with countries along the Marine Silk Road totaled $1 trillion for the whole year, a rise of 14.8 percent from the previous year after seeing a two-year decline.

Furthermore, enterprises in marine sectors saw a surge in productivity benefits in 2017, and also a 5 percent decrease of costs compared to last year. Marine industries employed a total of 36.57 million workers, accounting for 4.7 percent of the national employment figures. (People’s Daily app)

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Samsung apologizes over sicknesses, deaths of some workers 

And Samsung Electronics has apologized for the sickness and deaths of some of its workers.

It said it failed to create a safe working environment at its computer chip and display factories.

The announcement by the South Korean technology giant on Friday came weeks after the company and a group representing ailing Samsung workers agreed to accept compensation terms suggested by a mediator and end a highly-publicized standoff that went on for more than a decade.

The civic movement against Samsung began in 2007 when a taxi driver refused to accept a settlement after his 23-year-old daughter died of leukemia after working at a Samsung factory. (AP)

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And that’s People’s Daily Tonight. Thanks for joining us.

(Produced by David Nye and Qu Qiuyan)