Fresh Start: Podcast News (12/13/2018 Thu.)
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Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app.

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

Xi reiterates China's adherence to multilateralism, opening-up

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President Xi Jinping reiterated on Wednesday that China will adhere to the path of multilateralism and open its door wider to the world.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with foreign delegates attending the just concluded 2018 Imperial Springs International Forum held in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province.

He briefed the delegates on achievements of China's reform and opening-up during the past 40 years and important measures of a new round of opening-up at a higher level, expounded on China's relations with the world, and listened to the delegates' remarks.

"The past 40 years have witnessed tremendous achievements in China's development and remarkable improvement of people's livelihood, from shortage to abundance, from poverty to moderate prosperity," Xi said.

China's reform and opening-up drive is people-oriented, Xi stressed, adding that a distinctive feature of the country's economy in the new era is the shift from rapid growth to high-quality development, from quantitative expansion to qualitative growth.

"For more balanced and full development, we must further deepen reform and expand opening-up," said the Chinese president. (Xinhua)

Meng thanks supporters, says she's proud of China after being granted bail

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“I'm proud of my country,” said Meng Wanzhou in a WeChat post Wednesday afternoon after she was released on bail.

“I’m in Vancouver and back to my family. I’m proud of Huawei and I’m proud of my country! Thanks for everyone’s concern,” she said.

Meng was granted a C$10 million ($7.5 million) bail in Canada on Tuesday, local time. The courtroom erupted in applause when the decision was announced. Meng cried and hugged her lawyers, Reuters reported. (People's Daily app)

Ex-Trump lawyer Cohen gets 3 years in prison

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Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s once-devoted lawyer and all-around fixer, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for allowing what he said was his “blind loyalty” to Trump to lead him astray.

US District Judge William H. Pauley III said Cohen deserved modest credit for his decision over the summer to admit guilt and cooperate in the federal investigation of efforts by Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election, but his assistance “does not wipe the slate clean.”

Cohen pleaded guilty in August to evading $1.4 million in taxes related to his personal businesses. (AP)

Tencent Music shares rise on first trading day

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Shares in Chinese streaming music giant Tencent Music Entertainment are up 8 percent to $14.11 on their first day of trading.

The company’s initial public offering of 82 million shares was priced at $13 a share and is expected to raise between $1.07 billion and $1.23 billion. The stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the “TME” symbol.

Tencent said earlier this year it had more than 800 million users, including 23.3 million subscribers to its music library. (AP)

8 EU nations support Iran nuke deal, urge halt to missiles

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Eight European Union nations are underlining their commitment to the Iran nuclear deal while urging Tehran to stop its "destabilizing regional activities" especially the launch of ballistic missiles.

Ambassadors of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and United Kingdom issued the statement outside the UN Security Council on Wednesday ahead of a meeting on Iran's compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement and the council resolution endorsing it. (AP)

China Innovation Index rises faster in 2017

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A barometer of innovation capability in China rose at a faster pace in 2017, indicating the bigger role of innovation in the country's economic development, official data showed Wednesday.

The China Innovation Index increased 6.8 percent to 196.3 points last year, an accelerated growth rate compared with 5.7 percent in 2016, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (Xinhua)

Average age of China’s workforce reaches 35.9

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The average age of China’s workforce (students included) has reached 35.9, according to a recent human capital report from the China Center for Human Capital and Labor Market Research, Central University of Finance and Economics.

Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Chongqing, Jilin and Inner Mongolia are the 5 regions that had the oldest workforces in China, the report said.

The report also showed that from 1985 to 2016, the average school time of the country’s workforce rose to 10.0 years from 6.1 years. (People's Daily app)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

A rugby union team is made up of how many players?

(Answer: 15.)

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

“The first wealth is health.”

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Brian Lowe and Elaine Yue Lin.)