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Here are today’s picks from our editors.
China's Hainan unveils measures to foster blockchain industry
South China's Hainan Province on Wednesday released a set of measures to speed up the development of the blockchain industry, according to a press conference held in the provincial capital of Haikou.
The measures, released by China's first blockchain pilot zone in the Hainan pilot free trade zone (FTZ), will support the blockchain industry through talent cultivation, technological application, social investment and other aspects.
Efforts will be made to employ blockchain technology in multiple areas such as housing, healthcare, tourism and trade, with a special fund of 1 billion yuan set up to finance blockchain companies. (Xinhua)
US, Sudan to exchange ambassadors after 23-year gap
The United States and Sudan will begin the process of exchanging ambassadors after a 23-year gap, the US State Department said Wednesday.
The announcement was made as Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok paid his first visit to Washington.
The United States closed its embassy in Khartoum in 1996 and pulled out its ambassador. The embassy was reopened in 2002 and has since been led by a charge d'affaires. (Xinhua)
Bloomberg spending tens of millions more on new ad campaign
US Billionaire Democrat Michael Bloomberg is putting tens of millions of more dollars behind a new television ad casting himself as uniquely qualified to defeat President Donald Trump. The ad is set to begin running Wednesday in all 50 states.
The one that begins Wednesday focuses on his success fighting America’s gun lobby, “big coal” and “big tobacco.” If he can win those fights, the narrator in the ad says, he can beat Trump. (AP)
5 killed in shooting on aid agency vehicle in eastern Afghanistan
Five employees of an aid agency were shot dead and one international staff member of the agency was wounded when terrorists attacked a vehicle in Jalalabad city, capital of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Wednesday, a provincial government spokesman said.
Meanwhile, a security source said that the targeted vehicle belongs to Peace Medical Service (PMS), an NGO carrying out agriculture and irrigation projects in Nangarhar, 120 km east of the country's capital, Kabul.
Over the past months, big Afghan cities have witnessed a spate of terror attacks by Taliban insurgents and Islamic State (IS) opposing the government. (Xinhua)
Researchers discover genetic mechanism related to alcohol dependence
Researchers from the School of Basic Medical Sciences of Fudan University have disclosed a genetic factor influencing people's alcohol dependence, according to a study recently published in the journal of Molecular Psychiatry.
Gene expression changes may lead to alcohol misuse and dependence. Through DNA methylation analysis from human brain tissues, the researchers identified a differentially methylated region, DMR-DLGAP2, associated with alcohol dependence.
The alcohol-dependent patients had lower methylation levels of the DLGAP2. The results suggest that DLGAP2 may be an interface for genetic and epigenetic factors controlling alcohol use and dependence. (Xinhua)
AFI names ‘Joker,’ ‘Jojo’ among top 10 films of the year
The American Film Institute on Wednesday named its top 10 movies of the year, including Todd Phillips’ comic-book sensation “Joker,” Taika Waititi’s World War II romp “Jojo Rabbit” and Lulu Wang’s family drama “The Farewell.”
The AFI, which only cites American films, added a special award for the Korean thriller “Parasite.”
The AFI Awards, now in its 20th year, will be celebrated at a luncheon Jan. 3 in Los Angeles. (AP)
Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.
And now for the Question of the Day:
In which year did compulsory driving testing begin?
(Answer: 1935, Britain.)
Today’s quote is from Albanian saint Mother Teresa (1910-1997).
"Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty."
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Brian Lowe, and Elaine Yue Lin. Music by Eugene Loner.)