Fresh Start: Podcast News (2/29/2020 Sat.)
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Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app. 

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

China issues guideline for regulating COVID-19 drug clinical trials

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China has issued a directive to regulate clinical trials of potential drugs for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Titled "The Guideline on regulating clinical trials of COVID-19 drugs among medical organizations," the document aims to ensure the drug screening run in an orderly and efficient way, said an official from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) at a press conference Friday.

According to the document, drafted by the National Health Commission, the MOST and the National Medical Products Administration, drugs for clinical trials should be medicine that has already been on the market and the efficacy has been proved in animal and in vitro studies, said Wu Yuanbin, director-general of Science and Technology for Social Development with the MOST.

The person in charge of the trial should meet certain eligibility requirements and can make risk management plans. (Xinhua)

WHO upgrades global risk of virus spread to highest level

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The UN health agency on Friday upgraded the global risk from the new coronavirus to its highest level, saying the continued increase in cases and countries affected was "clearly of concern."

"We have now increased our assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of the impact of COVID-19 to very high at global level," World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

"We do not see evidence as yet that the virus is spreading freely in communities. As long as that's the case, we still have a chance of containing this virus," he said. (AFP)

British passenger of virus-hit Japan ship dies: health ministry

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A British man who was onboard a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo has died, Japan's health ministry said on Friday.

The man was the first foreigner to have died from the illness after spending time aboard the Diamond Princess. Another five Japanese nationals on the vessel have died, and more than 700 others tested positive for the disease. (AFP)

Sun Yang to appeal against suspension verdict by CAS

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Chinese Olympic and world swimming champion Sun Yang was handed an eight-year ban as the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) upheld the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) appeal on Friday.

Fortunately, the CAS does not impose a provisional suspension on Sun, meaning that he will be able to keep the honors he won before the CAS award.

In his response to the CAS decision, Sun used the words "shocked" and "furious," making it clear that he has already been working with his lawyers to appeal to the Swiss Federal Court. "I want more people to know what the truth is. I believe I'm innocent, and the truth will always beat lies."

In a statement, the Chinese Swimming Association (CSA) regretted the CAS decision and stressed its opposition against doping as it always has, noting that it values anti-doping education for Chinese athletes. 

Sun refused to complete a doping test conducted by the international testing company IDTM on September 4, 2018, saying the Doping Control Officer and her assistants lacked sufficient authorization and credentials.

His case was later heard by swimming's world governing body FINA, who decided on January 3, 2019, that the swimmer was not guilty of anti-doping rule violations. WADA disagreed and appealed the decision. (CGTN-Xinhua)

Jack Ma still richest man in China; Jeff Bezos tops world ranking: Hurun list

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Jack Ma has maintained his status as the richest man in China, according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2020, jointly released by Shanghai-based Hurun Research Institute and the Shimao Shenkong International Center in Shenzhen.

The Alibaba founder ranks 21st globally, with his personal wealth amounting to $45 billion.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the wealthiest person in the world, with $140 billion. (China Plus)

Cannibalism on rise among polar bears, say Russian scientists

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Cases of polar bears killing and eating each other are on the rise in the Arctic as melting ice, and human activity erodes their habitat, a Russian scientist said Wednesday.

"Cases of cannibalism among polar bears are a long-established fact, but we're worried that such cases used to be rare, but are now recorded quite often," said polar bear expert Ilya Mordvintsev.

Speaking at a presentation in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg, he suggested that the behavior could be due to lack of food. (AFP)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

Which marine animal is the only known natural predator of the great white shark?

(Answer: Orca (killer whale).

Today’s quote is from Irish statesman Edmund Burke (1729-1797).    

"The first and simplest emotion which we discover in the human mind, is curiosity."

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