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Here are today's picks from our editors.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets IOC President Bach

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China is well on track to deliver a "spectacular" Winter Olympic Games in 2022.

President Xi made these remarks while meeting with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach at Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

Xi stressed that the Chinese government was firmly committed to staging a "green, inclusive, open, and corruption-free" Games, adding that preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics are either on track or ahead of schedule.

Emphasizing zero tolerance on doping in sport, Xi said: "We should make the Olympic Winter Games as pure and clean as snow and ice."

Bach said he was impressed by the efficiency and dynamism he has seen in China's preparatory work. (Xinhua)

Chang'e-4 finds moon's far side colder than expected during night

China's Chang'e-4 probe found that the temperature of the lunar surface dropped to as low as minus 190 degrees centigrade, colder than expected.

This is the first time Chinese scientists have received first-hand data about the temperatures on the surface of the moon during the lunar night.

The rover and the lander of the Chang'e-4 probe have been awakened by sunlight after a long "sleep" during their first extremely cold night on the moon, the China National Space Administration announced on Thursday.

The measurement of the temperature changes between the day and night on the moon will help scientists estimate the properties of the lunar soil, said CNSA. (Xinhua) 

NATO to sign accession protocol of Republic of North Macedonia: Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Thursday that NATO will soon sign the accession protocol of the Republic of North Macedonia to the military alliance.

Reiterating the continued commitment to the open door policy, Stoltenberg stressed that the upcoming accession of the Balkan country to the NATO will strengthen peace and stability in the region and in Europe.

Macedonia and Greece recently resolved their long-standing dispute when the former agreed to change their country's name to the "Republic of North Macedonia", clearing the biggest obstacle for the Balkan country's bid for NATO and the European Union (EU). (Xinhua) 

Pelosi takes hard line against wall money in funding bill

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took a hard line against funding President Donald Trump's long-stalled border wall, a move that could gridlock Capitol Hill negotiations that just got underway.

"There's not going to be any wall money in the legislation," Pelosi told reporters. Her remarks came after Democrats had signaled at least some flexibility in the talks on border security funding that began Wednesday.

Pelosi's stance came as Trump used Twitter to reiterate his demands on the wall and appeared to sour on the congressional talks aimed at striking a deal with Democrats.

Trump later tamped down expectations, telling GOP negotiators they were "wasting their time". (AP) 

EU accuses 8 banks of forming eurozone bond cartel

The EU's powerful anti-trust sheriff accused eight banks of having conspired for several years to distort competition in the eurozone bond market.

According to the European Commission, the banks colluded to distort competition when acquiring and selling eurozone government bonds in periods from 2007 to 2012, at the height of the financial crisis.

"The commission's investigation relates to certain traders at eight banks and does not imply that the alleged anti-competitive conduct was a general practice," the EU said.

The Brussels-based commission refused to name the banks, but a banking source said that US giant Bank of America Merrill Lynch was one of the eight. (AFP) 

7 Chinese think tanks rank in world top 100

The 2018 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report was recently released by the Think Tank and Civil Societies Program at the Lauder Institute of University of Pennsylvania covering over 100 international cities.

Chinese think tanks performed better in 2018, with seven listed among the world's top 100.

The China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, at 30th, was the highest ranked among China's think tanks. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences was 39th, while the China Institute of International Studies was 51st.

Other Chinese think tanks listed in the top 100 include the Development Research Center of the State Council at 60th, the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University at 81st, the Center for China and Globalization at 94th and the Shanghai Institute for International Studies at 96th. (China Daily) 

CCTV Spring Festival Gala to hit airwaves on Monday

The 2019 CCTV Spring Festival Gala will air on the eve of the Chinese New Year on Monday. The show is a highly anticipated event for the Chinese, and more than a billion people tune in each year.

Beijing is the main host city for the gala, although some performances will also be held in Ji'an, Changchun, and Shenzhen.

This year's Spring Festival Gala will be simulcast on television and online. (China Plus) 

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

What is the Parliament name of Japan?

(Answer: In fact, the name for the Japanese parliament in English is the "Diet," and the Diet comes from the Prussian term and reflects the history of Japanese parliamentary development from this period and the influence particularly of Prussia and other European countries on Japan.)

Today's quote is from English writer Joseph Addison (1672-1719).

"A man should always consider how much he has more than he wants."

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