Fresh Start: Podcast News (12/24/2019 Tue.)
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Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app. 

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

Xi meets ROK president, calls for advancing bilateral ties

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Chinese President Xi Jinping met with President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Moon Jae-in Monday in Beijing, calling for joint efforts to lift bilateral ties to a higher level.

Hailing bilateral ties as "maintaining the major direction of stability and development" over the past two years, the Chinese president said the two countries have always been friends and partners that cooperate closely.

As important and influential countries in Asia, as well as the world, China and the ROK share broad consensus in advancing bilateral ties, promoting regional peace, stability and prosperity, and safeguarding multilateralism and the free trade regime, he said. 

"I hope China and the ROK will continue to strengthen coordination within multilateral frameworks including the United Nations, the Group of 20, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and safeguard international fairness and justice as well as the two countries' legitimate interests," Xi said. (Xinhua)

China's largest snow-ice theme park opens

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Harbin Ice-snow World, China's largest ice and snow theme park, opened for its 21st winter season Monday in Harbin, capital of northeastern province of Heilongjiang.

Covering an area of 600,000 square meters, the park features 21 sites of snow and ice carvings and sculptures this year. It is estimated that 220,000 cubic meters of ice and snow were used in its construction.

The park will also hold over 20 interactive entertainment programs and host two international ice carving competitions this year, the organizer said. (Xinhua)

Saudi Arabia sentences 5 to death over Khashoggi's murder

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A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death Monday for the killing of Washington Post columnist and royal family critic Jamal Khashoggi, whose grisly slaying in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul drew international condemnation and cast a cloud of suspicion over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Three other people were found guilty by Riyadh’s criminal court of covering up the crime and were sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison, according to a statement read by the Saudi attorney general’s office on state TV.

In all, 11 people were put on trial in Saudi Arabia over the killing. The names of those found guilty were not disclosed by the government. (AP)

Russian PM asks gov't to prepare retaliation against new US sanctions

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Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev asked the government on Monday to prepare measures in response to new US sanctions against the Russian Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream gas pipelines.

Recalling that the new US sanctions were negatively affecting the interests of a significant number of European countries, Medvedev asked his deputies "to look at the possibilities of imposing new restrictive measures against the United States" and present proposals with an evaluation of their efficiency.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump signed into law a defense bill which includes provisions calling for sanctions against Russia and Turkey and companies involved in building the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream gas pipelines. (Xinhua)

Boeing CEO Muilenburg steps down, Chair David Calhoun named chief

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Boeing on Monday replaced its embattled chief executive, Dennis Muilenburg, saying a change was needed as it attempts to restore its reputation amid the protracted 737 MAX crisis.

Boeing named chairman David Calhoun as its chief executive, saying the company needed to "restore confidence" and "repair relationships with regulators, customers and all other stakeholders." 

The aerospace giant's financial picture remains clouded following the global grounding of the MAX in March after two deadly crashes. (AP)

Scientists may have found world's oldest forest

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Scientists have discovered what could be the world's oldest forest, potentially rich in information on the link between forests and climate change, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Current Biology.

The title of world's oldest fossil forest had previously been given to a site in Gilboa, in the Catskills region of upstate New York, dating back about 385 million years.

The new site is an old quarry in the same region, just 40 kilometers further east.

After 10 years of samples and studies, an international team of 11 scientists concluded the quarry had once housed a forest 2 to 3 million years older and more varied in types of trees. (CGTN)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

What is the most visited national park in the United States?

(Answer: Great Smoky Mountains National Park.)

Today’s quote is from British playwright James M. Barrie (1860-1937). 

"Always be a little kinder than necessary."

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