This is People’s Daily Tonight, your news source from China.
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China's fiscal revenue up 6.5 pct in Jan-Nov
China's fiscal revenue rose 6.5 percent year-on-year to 17.23 trillion yuan (about 2.5 trillion US dollars) in the first 11 months of 2018, official data showed.
The country's fiscal revenue stood at 1.08 trillion yuan last month, with a 5.4-percent decline year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Finance.
The decline widened from a drop of 3.1 percent in October, the first fall this year.
In November, China's tax revenue reached 805.1 billion yuan, down 8.3 percent year on year, compared with a 5.1-percent decline in October, the ministry said.(Xinhua)
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Starbucks opens 1st virtual store through Alibaba
Starbucks will enhance digital collaboration with Alibaba Group by launching its first virtual store in the world.
The virtual store is an online management hub developed specifically for Starbucks by Alibaba.
It will integrate the company's digital offerings onto one interface, including "Starbucks Delivers", "Say it with Starbucks" social gifting and the Starbucks Tmall flagship store.
The giant coffee chain expects that the strong membership referral pipeline from Alibaba will help to fuel an exponential growth in its rewards membership in China.(Chinadaily)
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7-year-old immigrant girl dies after US Border Patrol arrest
A 7-year-old girl who crossed the US-Mexico border with her father last week died after being taken into the custody of the US Border Patrol, federal immigration authorities confirmed Thursday.
The Washington Post reports the girl died of dehydration and shock more than eight hours after she was arrested by agents near Lordsburg, New Mexico. The girl was from Guatemala and was traveling with a group of 163 people who approached agents to turn themselves in on Dec. 6.
It's unknown what happened to the girl during the eight hours before she started having seizures and was flown to an El Paso hospital.
In a statement, Customs and Border Protection said the girl had not eaten or consumed water in several days. (AP)
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ADB approves 408 mln USD to rebuild Philippines's Marawi
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved on Friday a $408 million financing package to assist the Philippine government in rebuilding the city of Marawi.
The bank said the relief package includes a $300 million quick disbursing loan to finance selected programs, projects, and activities covering housing and settlement, business and livelihood, and social services.
The second loan of $100 million will finance the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure, the ADB said.
"The infrastructure will be built back better, climate resilient, and will incorporate gender-responsive and inclusive physical design features to enable safe use by women, children, elderly, and people with disabilities," the ADB said in a statement.
The bank will also provide $8 million in grants to restore water supply systems in 19 villages in the city.(Xinhua)
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Apple to update systems to counter sales ban in China
Apple has vowed to update its systems as a countermeasure over the injunctions against its four subsidiaries in China.
In a statement issued on Friday, Apple said they respect the verdict by Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court at the request of Qualcomm, which orders Apple to immediately stop selling some iPhone models in China and alleges Apple violated its patents on features enabling consumers to adjust and reformat the size and appearance of photographs, and for the method by which users view, navigate, and dismiss applications using the phone's touch screen.
“We took immediate steps to ensure we understand and respect the verdict from the court. We are going to release a software update next week to address any penitential concerns about our compliance in China,” Apple said.
The move came as the lawsuit “can only be ended with an operating system beyond IOS12”, according to Shanghai-based news agency The Paper citing a business insider, “The current IOS12 is still involved in the patent controversy.”(People’s Daily app)
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Nation vows climate change assistance for developing countries
The Chinese government has set aside 700 million yuan ($100 million) since 2011 to help other developing countries confront climate change, China's top climate change official said.
The assistance was mainly through energy-saving and low-carbon projects and organizing related construction activities, said Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative on Climate Change Affairs, during the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP 24) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Xie noted that China has been implementing the national strategy to combat climate change, promoting and leading the construction of a fair and cooperative global climate governance system.
Xie said that China will continue to provide financial and technical assistance to the least-developed countries, small island countries and African countries based on the South-South Cooperation framework.(Global Times)
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Bomb threat against US high school prompts lockdown in 24 schools
A bomb threat against a high school in the US western state of Colorado prompted lockdown of 24 local schools, just a part of nationwide hoax Thursday.
Mike Taplin, spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, told a press briefing that someone called in at 9:20 am (1620 GMT) with a threat of multiple explosive devices and a hiding gunman inside Columbine High School where 12 students and a teacher were killed in a mass shooting in 1999.
Video posted online showed that many police officers at the school and nearby area soon after the threat was made.
However, nothing dangerous has been found, Taplin said.
A total of 24 different schools in the county were placed on lockdown, which were lifted at 12:45 pm (1945 GMT) and students at Columbine High School were dismissed at the school's usual dismissal time. (Xinhua)
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And that’s People’s Daily Tonight. Thanks for joining us.
(Produced by Han Xiaomeng and Bai Yuanqi)