Fresh Start: Podcast News (2/7/2018 Wed.)

Welcome to Fresh Start.
This is People’s Daily app.
Here are today’s picks from our editors.

China’s Gini coefficient exceeded 0.4 in 2017

China’s statistics chief has vowed for further reforms to narrow the country’s income gap between rich and poor, noting that China’s economy is entering a high-quality developmental phase.

In a paper addressing China’s economic inequality in January, Ning Jizhe, head of the National Bureau of Statistics said that income inequality remained “relatively serious” at 0.4 in 2017, as measured by the Gini coefficient, a measure of income disparity widely used by economists and governmental sectors around the world.

China’s Gini coefficient has been standing above 0.4 for years, a number that is defined by UN-Habitat as an “international alert line.” According to statistics from NBS, China’s Gini coefficient reached a peak of 0.491 in 2008 and has since then dropped steadily. (People’s Daily app)

Virus outbreak sends Olympic security guards home and North Korea cheer group heads for Seoul

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More than 1,200 security guards have been pulled from the PyeongChang Olympics due to a norovirus outbreak, organizers said Tuesday.

Out of the group, 41 suffered a sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhea on Sunday. Norovirus is highly contagious and can also be spread through food or water contamination.
And on Tuesday, South Korea confirmed 280 North Koreans, including 229 members of a state-trained cheering group, will arrive in South Korea on Wednesday for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Seoul's Unification Ministry said Tuesday that the group will cross the land border and will also include North Korean Olympic officials, journalists and members of a taekwondo demonstration team. (AFP/AP)

Chinese delegation receive warm welcome in PyeongChang

China is sending the largest ever delegation to the PyeongChang Olympics that coincides with Spring Festival.

The Chinese delegation has been arriving in South Korea since Monday. The opening ceremony will begin on Friday.

It's freezing in PyeongChang, but the Chinese bobsleigh team received a warm welcome the moment they walked out of the airport on Monday.

This is the first time China competes in the bobsleigh event. The squad was only formed three years ago – inspired by Beijing winning the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. (CGTN)

Attorney-general: Maldives top court seeks to impeach president

The Supreme Court in the Maldives is trying to impeach President Abdulla Yameen, who has not obeyed its order to release opposition leaders arrested after unfair trials, the island nation's attorney-general said on Sunday.

Attorney-General Mohamed Anil also asked all national bodies and defense units to disregard any Supreme Court ruling on impeaching Yameen.

"We have received information that things might happen that will lead to a national security crisis," Anil told reporters in the capital, Male. (Reuters)

Stocks still shaky after going on wild morning ride

The US stock market mostly recovered after an early plunge Tuesday and was down moderately in late morning trading, raising hopes of a halt to a global sell-off.

Major indexes in Asia and Europe also fell following Monday’s 1,175-point drop in the Dow Jones industrial average.

Investors remain fearful that signs of rising inflation and higher interest rates could bring an end to the bull market that has sent stocks to record highs in recent years.

After a day filled with crazy swings, the Dow closed 600 points higher with trading ending at a new session high. Wall Street has managed to recover its poise as the Dow and the Nasdaq both finished that day at over 2 percent. (AP)

6.4 magnitude quake throttles Taiwan’s east coast

Rescuers are seen entering a building that collapsed onto its side from an early morning 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Hualien County, eastern Taiwan, Wednesday, Feb. 7 2018.

A shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake has shaken Taiwan’s eastern city Hualien, ripping streets, damaging property, and almost knocking over at least one multi-story building.

On Sunday, Hualien and the surrounding coastal area were hit with five tremors within two hours.

Early reports said there were at least 30 people trapped inside with others trying to crawl to safety.

The local fire department said a second hotel had also been affected, but there were no reports of people trapped inside. (People's Daily app)

'Secret Superstar' powers to the top

With total box office takings of $87.8 million as of Sunday, Aamir Khan's "Secret Superstar" is the most successful imported movie in China for 2018 so far.

"Secret Superstar" premiered January 19th and continued to perform well over the weekend despite competition from new Chinese and Hollywood movies including "Till the End of The World" and "The Greatest Showman."

The film tells the story of a teenage Indian girl who fights for her musical dream in a male-dominated family while encouraging her mother to be independent, the film struck a chord in China. (AFP)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.
Today’s quote is from the American writer Mark Twain.
“The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer somebody else up.”

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Lance Crayon, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Serena Na Ma, and Regina Barna.)