Fresh Start: Podcast News (9/12/2019 Thu.)
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Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app. 

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

China to host int'l event of intangible cultural heritage

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The seventh International Festival of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will be held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, from Oct. 17 to 22.

The festival will kick off with an art performance during the opening ceremony and feature an international forum on intangible cultural heritage as well as other supporting activities, said an official with Sichuan provincial department of culture and tourism.

Participants from nearly 100 countries and regions will attend the festival. (Xinhua)

Scottish court hands Boris Johnson fresh Brexit blow

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a fresh blow Wednesday when a Scottish court ruled that his controversial decision to suspend parliament in the run-up to Brexit was unlawful.

The government immediately appealed, with the case set to be heard in the Supreme Court next Tuesday, and parliament set to remain shut in the meantime.

Johnson says the decision to suspend -- or prorogue -- parliament until October 14 is a routine move allowing his government to launch a new legislative agenda.

But critics accuse him of trying to silence parliamentary opposition to his threat to leave the European Union on October 31 even if he has failed to agree to divorce terms with Brussels. (AFP)

Japanese gov't ordered to pay compensation over US aircraft noise at Okinawa base 

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A Japanese high court on Wednesday upheld a ruling by a lower court ordering the Japanese government to pay compensation to around 22,000 plaintiffs in Okinawa over noise from aircraft at a US base.

While the ruling was upheld, the Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court lowered the amount of damages to be paid from $280.42 million ordered in 2017, to 242.36 million.

Noise complaints, as well as those related to US military-linked pollution and crime have long been the bane of residents in Okinawa. (Xinhua)

Shanghai Disney Resort allows visitors to enter with outside food after dispute

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Shanghai Disney Resort on Wednesday implemented a new policy allowing visitors to bring food and beverage into its theme park after its food ban triggered a dispute.

Andrew Bolstein, Shanghai Disney Resort senior vice president of operations, said guests are allowed to bring outside food and beverage items into the park for self-consumption, provided that they do not require heating, reheating, processing, refrigeration or temperature control and do not have pungent odors.

The resort introduced the food ban in November 2017 to prohibit any outside food or snacks into the park. In March, a law student sued the resort after being refused entry with snacks. (Xinhua)

Europe's Galileo reaches one billion smartphones

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The European Union's (EU) Galileo satellite position system on Tuesday reached one billion smartphone users worldwide, announced the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA).

The GSA termed the development as a milestone and the EU Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship lauded "truly European effort" for the accomplishment.

Galileo is one of only four global satellite navigation systems, along with China's Beidou, America's Global Positioning System (GPS), and Russia's Glonass. (CGTN)

Kenya says two northern white rhino embryos created to save the iconic species

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Kenya on Wednesday announced successful creation of two northern white rhino embryos through artificial reproduction as efforts to halt extinction of the iconic species gathers momentum.

A group of international scientists collected eggs from the only two remaining northern female white rhinos and sperms from two of their deceased male counterparts.

Scientists said the two embryos that are currently preserved in liquid nitrogen will later be transferred to a surrogate southern white rhino mother to pave way for birth of the next generation of the endangered mammal. (Xinhua)

France stun USA to reach semis at FIBA World Cup

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A 17-4 run in the fourth quarter inspired France to a stunning 89-79 victory over defending champions USA in the quarterfinals of the FIBA Basketball World Cup on Wednesday, setting up a semifinal clash with Argentina.

For the first time since 2006, the US sent NBA players to a major international tournament and won’t win gold. 

The US had won 58 consecutive tournament games in FIBA and Olympic competition, starting with the bronze-medal game at the 2006 world championships. (Xinhua-AP)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

How many tentacles does a squid have? 

(Answer: ten.) 

Today’s quote is from American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864). 

"Every individual has a place to fill in the world and is important in some respect whether he chooses to be so or not."

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