NEW YORK -- Wall Street's major averages advanced in the first trading week of the new year as investors shrugged off the turmoil in Washington and a weaker-than-expected December U.S. employment report.

All the three major indexes finished higher on Friday after achieving their respective milestones in the prior session. On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 31,000 points for the first time, while the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq clinched their first-ever closes above 3,800 and 13,000, respectively. (US-Stocks-Weekly gain)

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BEIJING -- China's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) registered stable recovery in the fourth quarter of 2020 (Q4) as the country's economy demonstrated strong resilience and vitality, said the country's top economic planner.

In Q4, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Index, based on a survey of 3,000 SMEs, went up 0.2 points from Q3 to 87, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). (China-SMEs-Recovery)

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CHICAGO -- Corn and soybean in Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural futures soared to seven-year highs while wheat remained steady to slightly weaker in the past week.

Chicago-based research company AgResource stays bullish of agricultural futures under the background that a new stimulus package from the U.S. Democrats along with an expansion of pandemic vaccinations is allowing for growing confidence of an expanding economic recovery and greater demand for world raw materials. The company predicts a seasonal high not due until the middle of 2021. (US-Agricultural futures-Roundup)

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BEIJING -- China has contributed to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, according to a white paper issued Sunday by the State Council Information Office.

As an active contributor to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, China has been assisting other developing countries to reduce poverty, boost agricultural progress, support equal access to education, improve infrastructure, and speed up industrialization, said the white paper, titled "China's International Development Cooperation in the New Era." (China-International-Development)

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BEIRUT -- Real-estate properties in Lebanon are not likely to witness a drop in prices in the near future after an increase of at least 30 percent over the past year driven by a great demand, local experts told Xinhua.

At least 2 billion U.S. dollars flowed from Lebanese banks into the country's real estate sector in 2020 as most depositors fear a possible haircut amid the financial collapse in Lebanon. (Lebanon-Real Estate Prices-Value)

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TAIPEI -- Taiwan's exports to the mainland and Hong Kong totaled 151.45 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, the highest ever, according to the island's finance authority.

The figure meant a 14.6-percent increase over that of 2019 and accounted for 43.9 percent of Taiwan's total exports in 2020, it said in a press release on Friday. (China-Taiwan-Exports) Enditem

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