Cambodians in Japan Not Affected by EarthquakeSingapore upbeat about economic growth in 2024

As of Jan. 2, neither injury nor death of Cambodians in Japan was reported following a magnitude 7.6 earthquake hitting Japan on the first day of 2024. The open notification was circulated in a press release issued by the spokesperson at the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation this afternoon. According to the record of the Cambodian Embassy in Japan, there are around 1,600 Cambodians living in the six prefectures affected by the massive quake. It added that eight students in the quake-hit prefectures of Ishikawa and Niigata have been evacuated to safety. Through the release, the ministry called on all Cambodians in Japan to continue to be vigilant and strictly follow safety instructions guided by competent Japanese authorities. The ministry and the Cambodian embassy have introduced a hotline (080 4689 9374) and opened communication on an official Facebook page (Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Japan). The safety of Cambodians in Japan is a top priority of the Royal Governmen t of Cambodia, which is continuing to monitor the development of the situation very carefully for any necessary intervention. Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse Hanoi: Singapore's economy grew by 1.2% last year, avoiding a recession amid a global economic slowdown stemming from high interest rates, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on January 2. The figure was slower than the 3.6% recorded in 2022, as the trade-reliant economy logged sluggish exports due to weaker demand from key trade partners like the US, Europe and China. In the fourth quarter, the city-state's economic growth reached 2.8%, accelerating from the 1% expansion in the previous quarter. Singapore's aviation and tourism-related sectors continued to benefit from a recovery in visitor arrivals. The export-driven manufacturing sector, particularly the electronics industry, faced weaker demand from major trading partners but began to log growth in the final quarter. The island state projected its growth for 2024 to come in between 1% and 3% with expectations of recovery in semiconductors and other exports./. Source: Vietnam News Agency