Fresh Start: Podcast News (1/16/2020 Thu.)
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Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app. 

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

China, US sign phase-one trade deal

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China and the United States formally signed their phase-one economic and trade agreement on Wednesday, with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and US President Donald Trump inking the papers in the White House.

The vital trade truce, which came 22 months after trade tensions flared between the world's top two economies in March 2018, has been widely expected to help reduce uncertainties that have dampened business investment moods in both countries and beyond.

Under the deal, China will increase imports of US agricultural products, and the US will gradually eliminate its tariffs on Chinese goods.

The deal covers intellectual property rights, technology transfers, food and agricultural products, financial services, exchange rates and transparency. (Xinhua/China Daily)

Putin nominates Mishustin for prime minister

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has named Federal Tax Service chief Mikhail Mishustin as Russia's new prime minister, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

"Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with the head of the Federal Tax Service, Mikhail Mishustin, during which he invited him to take the post of prime minister," it said in a statement.

Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced the resignation of his government. (Xinhua)

US House votes to send Trump impeachment articles to Senate

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The US House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to appoint and authorize managers for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, sending two impeachment articles to the Senate to allow the trial to get underway next week.

The resolution was adopted by a vote of 228-193.

In response, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham accused Speaker Nancy Pelosi of lying when she described the impeachment process as urgent and claimed she has been "focused on politics instead of the American people."  (Xinhua)

Iran arrests 'some' over Ukrainian plane crash

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Iran's Judiciary spokesman said Tuesday that the Islamic republic has arrested some people related to the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane over Tehran, the official IRNA newsagency reported.

"So far, comprehensive investigations have been carried out from the relevant people, and every day until late night, the expert teams of the Judiciary are busy interrogating, investigating and collecting documents," said Gholamhossein Esmaili. He said the plane’s black box is being sent to France to be decoded. (Xinhua)

US authorities to investigate Delta Airlines plane fuel dump

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US Federal authorities will investigate why an airliner with engine trouble dumped jet fuel over a densely populated area of Southern California while making an emergency return to the airport, dousing dozens of schoolchildren in a smelly vapor.

Delta Air Lines Flight 89 to Shanghai, with 181 passengers and crew on board, turned back to Los Angeles International Airport only minutes after taking off Tuesday.

Planes can take off weighted down for their journey, but if they must land early because of an emergency, it can be necessary to dump fuel so that the aircraft is lighter to avoid damage.

The fuel, described by fire officials as a vapor, caused minor skin and lung irritation to 56 children and adults. (China Plus)

2019 is 2nd hottest year on record: NASA, NOAA

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Global surface temperatures in 2019 were the second warmest since modern record-keeping began in 1880, according to independent analyses by US space agency NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The temperatures in 2019 were second only to those of 2016.

The temperatures were 0.98 degrees Celsius warmer than the 1951 to 1980 mean, making the past five years the warmest of the last 140 years. (Xinhua)

China lose to Iran in AFC U23 championship

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Omid Noorafkan's late penalty gifted Iran a 1-0 win over China in Group C at the 2020 AFC U23 championship on Wednesday, sending China packing in a winless, pointless and goalless fashion.

China lost its first two group matches to South Korea and Uzbekistan without scoring a single goal.

A heroic performance by keeper Chen Wei helped China hold their opponents to 0-0 through 86 minutes when the referee pointed to the spot where Zhu Chenjie committed a foul on Mehdi Ghaedi inside the area and Noorafkan converted the penalty. (Xinhua)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

What percentage of a jellyfish's body is made of water?

(Answer: About 95 percent.) 

Today’s quote is from Greek philosopher Heraclitus (544 BC - 483 BC). 

"Character is destiny."

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Lance Crayon, Brian Lowe, and Elaine Yue Lin. Music by Eugene Loner.)