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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Dec. 22

Xinhua, December 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Delegation of the European Union to Rwanda on Wednesday transferred 10 million euros to the Rwandan government for rural road construction.

The funds, meant to help rehabilitation and maintenance of 200 kilometers of rural roads, completed the 40-million-euro grant committed in 2013 toward rehabilitation of 700 kilometer road network in Rwanda.

Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Rwanda Michael Ryan in a statement stressed the importance of rural roads. (EU-Rwanda-Grant)

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BRUSSELS -- The European Union (EU) spent 28.7 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on social protection in 2014, up from 28.3 percent in 2011, official data showed Wednesday.

In 2014, the two main sources of funding of social protection at EU level were general government contributions from taxes, making up 40 percent of total receipts, and social contributions at 54 percent, according to figures from Eurostat, the EU statistical agency.

(EU-GDP-Social protection)

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KABUL -- The Chinese government on Wednesday provided non-emergency humanitarian supplies to the Afghan government to assist the vulnerable Afghan families and boost bilateral ties.

"We appreciate China for providing the assistance, and the non-food humanitarian items such as blankets and tents will be distributed to Afghan returnees, war displaced families and natural disaster affected people across the country," said Afghan Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development Nasir Ahmad Durrani. (China-Afghanistan-Aid)

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ANKARA -- The assassination of a Russian envoy in Turkey could rather get Ankara and Moscow closer and pave the way for further cooperation against the international terrorism, local experts say.

The murder of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov, who was killed on Monday by a Turkish police officer in Ankara, seems to produce positive outcomes in contrary to strain in relations between Turkey and Russia, a retired Turkish ambassador to France, Belgium and Libya, Uluc Ozulker, told Xinhua. (Turkey-Russia-Ambassador) 8 - - - -

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday picked Peter Navarro, an economist and a professor at University of California, Irvine, to head the newly-created National Trade Council at the White House, the latest move to reshape America's trade policy.

"The formation of the National Trade Council further demonstrates the President-elect's determination to make American manufacturing great again and to provide every American the opportunity to work in a decent job at a decent wage," Trump's transition team said in a statement, adding Navarro will develop trade policies that shrink U.S. trade deficit and help stop the exodus of jobs to other countries. (Trump-Trade Council) Endi