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This is People’s Daily app.
Here are today’s picks from our editors.
China’s skiers continue to soar at Winter Games
On Sunday, China’s Jia Zongyang claimed silver in the men’s aerial final, just narrowly missing the gold by half a point to Ukranian skier Oleksandr Abramenko.
Known by his fans as “Jay Z,” the ski aerialist is no stranger to the medal podium. At the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, he took home silver in the same event.
China’s gold-medal speed skater Zhang Hong tried to overcome a knee injury Sunday night for what would be her last 500-meter race but finished 15th overall.
On Wednesday, Zhang tried to defend her gold medal in the 1,000-meter women’s final but finished 11th overall.
After the 9th day of Winter Olympic competition, Team China’s medal tally stands at five silver, and one bronze. (People’s Daily app)
Delaware man charged in Terracotta thumb heist
On Friday, authorities from the FBI’s art crime unit filed an arrest affidavit for Michael Rohana, a 24-year-old from Delaware who damaged a Terracotta warrior statue last December at a museum in the US city of Philadelphia.
Rohana allegedly used his smartphone to take selfies with a Terracotta statue known as “The Cavalryman.” Its value is estimated to be upwards of $4.5 million.
Afterwards, as surveillance footage revealed, he broke off one of the statue’s thumbs, put it in his pocket, and left the museum. He was later tracked down by authorities, arrested, and released after posting bail.
The Delaware man faces charges of theft from a museum, concealment of artwork stolen from a museum, and interstate transportation of stolen property. (Xinhua)
2018 Spring Festival travel numbers reach new heights
With just four days into the Chinese New Year, some 287 million Chinese have already traveled home or elsewhere to enjoy the holiday.
New figures released Sunday revealed an 11.1 percent jump in travelers compared with last year’s holiday rush.
On Sunday alone, some 73 million trips were made in the country, up 15.3 percent for the day.
It is expected that almost 400 million Chinese will have traveled by the end of the holiday season, February 21st. (CGTN)
Indian bank deputy arrested for fraud, billionaire, partner on the run
On Saturday, India's Central Bureau of Investigation arrested a former deputy general manager and two others for making fraudulent transactions at India's state-owned Punjab National Bank.
PNB reported transactions totaling $1.77 billion that had been illegally wired to select accounts from a single branch in Mumbai.
The accused billionaire, jeweler Nirav Modi, along with his wife and brother have fled India.
India's opposition parties are targeting the government for failing to prevent the bank fraud. (Xinhua)
All 65 aboard plane feared dead in crash in southern Iran
An Iranian commercial airplane brought back into service only months ago after being grounded for seven years crashed Sunday in a foggy, mountainous region of Southern Iran, and officials said they feared all 65 people on board were killed.
The crash of the Aseman Airlines ATR-72 marks yet another fatal aviation disaster for Iran, which for years was barred from buying airplane parts for needed maintenance due to Western sanctions over its contested nuclear program.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash, although weather was severe in the area. Dense fog, high winds and heavy snow in the Zagros Mountains made it impossible for rescue crews in helicopters to reach the site Sunday, state television reported. (AP)
LA’s Chinatown hosts Golden Dragon Parade
On Saturday, the historic Chinatown district in Los Angeles hosted the 119th Annual Golden Dragon Parade to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.
With over thousands of individuals lining the parade route and viewing the telecast each year, this colorful celebration along North Broadway is a premier cultural event in the Southern California’s Asian-American Community.
Since the mid 1980s, the parade has expanded to include almost 24 floats, multiple marching bands, government officials, various dignitaries, entertainers, local business leaders and cultural groups. (People’s Daily app)
Experts address low survival rate for captive-bred pandas
Though giant pandas are no longer endangered, thanks to China's conservation efforts, the main challenge is whether or not the bears can survive in the wild once released from captivity.
The pandas today are from the second and third generations that grew up in captivity since the Wolong National Nature Reserve started to breed them in the 1980s.
Of all captive-born males, only two are reported to have ever mated, and only 12 percent of captive-born pandas survive for one year. (Global Times)
Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.
Today’s quote is from producer, actress, and American talk show host, Oprah Winfrey:
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.”
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Lance Crayon, Ryan Yaoran Yu, and Serena Na Ma.)