BEIJING, Jan. 8 -- The group of seven industrialized countries has agreed to freeze, for one year, debt payments owed by tsunami-affected countries.

    This is in a bid to help long-term reconstruction efforts. British Chancellor Gordon Brown said on Friday that the deal, unveiled ahead of a meeting of the Paris Club of creditor countries on January 12, would only freeze repayments, rather than cancel debts. G-7 is likely to urge the Asian Development Bank to speed up assistance to those stricken.

    (Source: cctv.com)