Fresh Start: Podcast News (11/26/2019 Tue.)

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Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app. 

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

Chinese president meets United Russia party delegation

Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday met with a delegation of the United Russia party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The delegation, led by Chairman of the United Russia's Supreme Council Boris Gryzlov, is in Beijing for the seventh meeting of the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia held Monday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, expressed congratulations for the success of the 19th congress of the United Russia party.

He said China and Russia have formed strong strategic support for each other, which is of great strategic significance to world peace and development.

Saying that as ruling parties, the CPC and the United Russia party shoulder responsibilities to further promote China-Russia ties, Xi called on delegates to the seventh meeting of the dialogue mechanism to fully exchange views so as to contribute wisdom and strength to bilateral ties as well as world peace and prosperity. (Xinhua)

Postdoctoral researchers in China top 200,000

The number of post doctorates in China reached 207,840 by 2018, said a report on post-doctoral development released Sunday.

Among those working at post-doctoral research centers, 5,677 are foreign nationals. 

In 2018, 1,853 of the post-doctoral researchers were Chinese students who had obtained their doctorates abroad, according to the report issued in the academic exchange activities organized by the office of the national postdoctoral management committee and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua)

Turkey tests Russian-made S-400 systems: sources

Turkey recently tested their Russian-made S-400 anti-missile defense systems in the capital of Ankara, sources from the Turkish Defense Industries Directorate said. 

Ankara Governorate on Sunday announced F-16 fighter jets and other aircraft would perform high and low altitude tests over the capital Monday and Tuesday.

Turkey signed a contract with Russia in April 2017 to purchase the advanced S-400 systems. (Xinhua)

Unknown militants fire rocket from Gaza into Israel

Unknown militants fired on Monday night a homemade rocket from southern Gaza Strip into Israeli communities adjacent to the border, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

Meanwhile, an Israeli army spokesman said in a statement that a projectile was fired from Gaza into southern Israel, adding that alarm sirens were activated, and the rocket landed in an empty area.

No damages or injuries were reported, according to the spokesman and no one claimed responsibility for the rocket attack. (Xinhua)

Thousands of sheep feared dead after vessel capsizes off Romania

Thousands of sheep were feared dead Monday a day after a vessel carrying almost 15,000 of them overturned off the Romanian coast.

The Queen Hind, bound for Saudi Arabia with 14,600 sheep aboard, capsized on Sunday for as yet unknown reasons shortly after leaving Midia port on the Black Sea in eastern Romania. 20 crews were rescued along with 32 sheep.

NGO Animals International has also urged a probe "without delay,” alleging that the ship had been overloaded. (Xinhua)

'Frozen 2' heats up box office with $127M opening weekend

Six years after “Frozen” kicked up a pop-culture blizzard, the sequel to Elsa, Anna and Olaf’s adventures snowed-in the box office with an estimated $127 million debut domestically and $350.2 million worldwide, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The opening for the Walt Disney’s “Frozen 2” buried several records. It’s the highest-grossing weekend ever for any animated film globally. And it’s the largest opening for any Walt Disney Animation Studios release.

Disney opted for the week ahead of Thanksgiving to open “Frozen 2,” meaning it will get a significant second week bump from kids out of school. (AP)

Saudi giants Al-Hilal clinch AFC Champions League title

Salem Al-Dawsari and Bafetimbi Gomis were the heroes as Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal beat Urawa Red Diamonds 2-0 on Sunday and 3-0 on aggregate to claim a record-equaling third Asian club title in the AFC Champions League.

Al-Dawsari scored with 16 minutes left and top-scorer Gomis grabbed his 11th of the competition in injury time as the Saudi giants ended a 19-year wait for their third continental trophy, joining South Korea's Pohang Steelers as the only three-time Asian champions.

Al-Hilal also became the competition's first West Asian winners since Qatar's Al Sadd in 2011. (CGTN)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

What’s the lifespan of a human red blood cell? 

(Answer: Around 120 days.)

Today’s quote is from Chinese actor Jet Li. 

"Wushu is a move in Chinese, a physical move. An attack. Wushu is like an art."

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