Fresh Start: Podcast News (10/20/2019 Sun.)

Welcome to Fresh Start.

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Here are today’s picks from our editors.

China's 12 golds top medal tally after Day 1 at military games

Host China stood on top of the medal tally with 12 golds out of 22 on offer after the first matchday of the 7th Military World Games on Saturday. Russia trailed with four golds while France and Uzbekistan had two apiece.

Jin Yongde, Xie Zhenxiang and Yao Zhaonan helped China clinch the tournament's first gold in 25m military rapid fire pistol men's team event, scoring a total of 1,747 points for the championship.

China reaped heavily in the swimming pool, collecting a total of six golds, with Wang Jianjiahe triumphing in the women's 400m freestyle with an event-record time of four minutes 4.42 seconds. (Xinhua)

China introduces product plan of commercial carrier rockets

China Rocket Co. released its commercial carrier rockets research and development plan in Beijing on Saturday.

As introduced by company president, Tang Yagang, the new series, classified into solid-propellant and liquid-propellant carrier rockets, will satisfy the improving commercial payload in-orbit demands.

The solid-propellant carrier rocket is designed to provide reliable, convenient and economic launching services for commercial satellite users in the constellation network and payload tests.

The medium-sized liquid-propellant carrier rocket will be reusable for the launching of medium and large satellites and large-scale constellation network. (Xinhua)

UK lawmakers vote for amendment to force Brexit delay

British lawmakers on Saturday voted for a key amendment to force British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to seek another Brexit extension from the European Union (EU).

By 322 to 306, MPs supported an amendment put forward by former Conservative MP Oliver Letwin that will withhold parliamentary approval for Johnson's deal until parliament passes the EU withdrawal bill legislation.

The decision does not mean that Johnson's deal has failed, but it will make it difficult for him to stick to his deadline of ending Britain's membership of the EU by Oct. 31. (Xinhua)

Death toll reaches 15 after dam collapses in Russia's Krasnoyarsk region

The death toll rose to 15 after a dam collapsed in the Kuraginsky district of Russia's Krasnoyarsk region, local media reported Saturday.

At least 13 people remain missing after the incident, according to Russian Emergencies Ministry.

The regional office of the ministry said earlier that a dam on a water reservoir of a gold-mining company collapsed on Saturday morning, flooding two temporary worker dormitories. (Xinhua)

Chile president declares state of emergency after violent protests

Chile's president declared a state of emergency in Santiago on Friday night and gave the military responsibility for security after a day of violent protests over increases in the price of metro tickets.

Throughout Friday, protesters clashed with riot police in several parts of the city and the subway system was shut after attacks on several stations.

The unrest started as a fare-dodging protest against the hike in metro ticket prices, which increased from 800 to 830 pesos ($1.17) for peak hour travel, following a 20 peso rise in January. (AFP)

Deep-sea explorers find Japanese ship that sank during WWII

Deep-sea explorers scouring the world's oceans for sunken World War II ships are focusing in on debris fields deep in the Pacific, in an area where one of the most decisive battles of the time took place.

Hundreds of miles off Midway Atoll, nearly halfway between the United States and Japan, a research vessel is launching underwater robots miles into the abyss to look for warships from the famed Battle of Midway.

Weeks of grid searches around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands already have led the Petrel to one sunken warship, the Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga. This week, the crew is deploying equipment to investigate what could be another. (AFP)

US national zoo prepares farewell to giant panda Bei Bei

The Smithsonian's National Zoo located in Washington, DC is preparing for an eight-day farewell celebration for giant panda Bei Bei who will depart for China next month as part of the zoo's cooperative breeding agreement with China, the US national zoo announced on its website on Friday.

The farewell celebration has been scheduled for Nov. 11 to Nov. 18 at the zoo. Bei Bei is to leave for China on Nov. 19, said the statement.

Under the zoo's cooperative breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, all cubs born at the zoo move to China when they are four years old. (Xinhua)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

What was Mickey Mouse’s original name?

(Answer: Mortimer Mouse.)

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

"The reward of a thing well done is having done it."

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Brian Lowe, and Da Hang. Music by Eugene Loner.)