Fresh Start: Podcast News (2/11/2019 Mon.)
People's Daily app
1549835439000

15041802izmu.jpg

Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app.

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

Xi sends congratulations to 32nd AU Summit

fs1.JPG

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a congratulatory message to the 32nd African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Xi spoke highly of the "significant progress" made in African integration in the message.

Xi pointed out that under the leadership of the AU, African countries have been accordant in reacting to important international and regional issues, and Africa's global influence has been increasing steadily.

Xi also called last September's Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation a great success, stressing that China is willing to work together with Africa to move forward projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, and coordinate the implementation of the AU's Agenda 2063, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and various development strategies of African countries.

The Chinese president also called for the building of a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.  (Xinhua)

Holiday sales of Chinese retail, catering firms up 8.5 pct

fs2.jpg

Combined sales of retail and catering businesses in China rose 8.5 percent year on year during the week-long Spring Festival holiday ending Sunday.

From Monday to Sunday, total sales reached a new high of $150 billion, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website.

Chinese consumers paid more attention to product quality during the holiday, with the sales of organic food, smart home appliances and new electronic devices seeing fast expansion, the ministry said. (Xinhua)

11 Chinese tourists injured after speedboat crashes in Thailand's Phuket

fs3.JPG

11 Chinese tourists and two crew members were injured after their speedboat crashed into an oil barge near Thailand's southern Phuket Island on Saturday afternoon, the Chinese Consulate-General in the southern province of Songkhla confirmed on Sunday.

The 11 tourists were comprised of two families from Hongzhou in Eastern China. Six of the victims have already been released by the hospital while the remaining five are still undergoing treatment.

The speedboat was on its way back from Koh Phi Phi Island to Phuket when it hit the oil barge at around 2:50 p.m. local time. (Xinhua)

Russian UN envoy warns of unpredictable results if US destroys arms control system

fs4.JPG

The dismantling of an arms control system by the US might result in unpredictable consequences, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya has said.

Nebenzya said Washington is working on "an uncontrolled buildup of their weapons," which ratchets up the threat of an unexpected conflict.

On February 1, the US administration announced that the US is withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia within six months, starting from February 2. (Xinhua)

S. Korean president to consult with Trump on 2nd DPRK-US summit: Blue House

fs4444.jpg

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will consult with US President Donald Trump in the near future on the second summit between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the US, South Korea's presidential Blue House said Sunday.

Kim Eui-keum, Blue House spokesman, told a press briefing that the leaders of South Korea and the US will have a discussion on the second DPRK-US summit in the near future, saying the exact schedule will be unveiled once preparations are made.

Moon and Trump will reportedly have a phone conversation in the foreseeable future. (Xinhua)

More than 12 mln entry, exit trips made during Spring Festival holiday

fs5.jpg

Border inspection agencies across China saw over 12.5 million entry and exit trips made during the week-long Spring Festival holiday that started Monday, an increase of nearly 11 percent than that of last year, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said Sunday.

Inbound trips exceeded 6.22 million, rising by about 9.5 percent than the figure of 2018, while outbound trips increased by nearly 12.5 percent to over 6.31 million, according to the NIA.

Destinations visited most included Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and the US, as well as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, the NIA said. (Xinhua)

Prince Philip, 97, gives up driver's license after crash

fs7.jpeg

Prince Philip has decided to stop driving at the age of 97, Buckingham Palace said Saturday.

Philip was behind the wheel of a Land Rover near the royal family's Sandringham estate in eastern England when he smashed into another car on January 17.

Two women in the other car were injured, though not seriously, and a 9-month-old baby boy was unhurt.

Two days later, Philip was photographed driving again, without a seatbelt.

Prosecutors said they would consider the decision as they decide whether to charge the husband of Queen Elizabeth II over the January 17 crash. (AP)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

Many cars are now fitted with a GPS navigational system; what does GPS stand for?

(Answer: Global Positioning System.)

Today’s quote is from American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882).

"Beauty without expression is boring."

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Lance Crayon, and Chelle Wenqian Zeng.)