WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States will suspend preferential trade benefits for certain Thai products under the so-called Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), effective Dec. 30.

"I have determined that Thailand has not assured the United States that Thailand will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets," Trump wrote in a letter to Congress. (US-Thailand-GSP)

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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Unemployment in Brazil rose to 14.4 percent in the June-August period, a national record and an increase of 1.6 percentage points compared to the period of March-May, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reported on Friday.

According to the IBGE, this is the highest level of unemployment that has been registered in the country since 2012. (Brazil-Unemployment)

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ROME -- Italy's seasonally adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) increased 16.1 percent in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter, the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) reported on Friday.

The "marked third-quarter recovery brings GDP volume back to levels recorded in the first half of 2015," the ISTAT said in a report. (Italy-GDP)

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OTTAWA -- Canada's gross domestic product (GDP) rose 1.2 percent in August, following the growth of 3.1 percent in July, according to Statistics Canada on Friday.

This fourth consecutive monthly rise continued to offset the record plunge in Canadian economic activity in March and April. (Canada-Economy)

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ACCRA -- The United Nations (UN) systems launched a financing project here Friday to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ghana.

The country-focused joint SDG fund is to help the West African country accelerate its attainment of the targets set under the UN-led global development agenda. (Ghana-UN-Fund)

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PARIS -- The French economy is expected to contract by 11 percent in 2020, worse than the previous estimate of 10 percent, as a second national lockdown to stem the second wave of coronavirus epidemic paralyses some businesses, Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday.

"We are going to have a fourth quarter which will be difficult, obviously. We are confined, the French economy will turn less strong than usual," said Le Maire in an interview with France Inter radio. (France-Economy-Growth)

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NANNING -- The web platform of the 17th China-ASEAN Expo was launched Friday in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

With strict anti-epidemic measures, this year's expo will be held both online and offline from Nov. 27 to 30. Exhibitors and buyers from home and abroad will be able to make presentations, conduct business talks and hold conferences through the online platform, the organizer said. (China-Guangxi-ASEAN) Enditem

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