This is People’s Daily Tonight, your news source from China. 

______

China's industrial profits shrink in Jan-May

Profits of China's major industrial firms fell 2.3 percent year-on-year from January to May.

Combined profits of industrial firms with annual revenue of more than 20 million yuan amounted to 2.38 trillion yuan in the first five months.

Profits of state-owned industrial firms dropped 9.7 percent from a year earlier, while those of private ones rose 6.6 percent.

Major industrial firms' operating revenue also rose 5.1 percent from a year earlier. (Xinhua)

______

Huawei says owning over 80,000 patents worldwide

Huawei had a total of 87,805 patents worldwide, including 11,152 US ones, by the end of 2018 after spending 10-15 percent of its revenue on research and development annually, the tech giant said Thursday.

At a press conference, the Shenzhen-based company said in the development of the 5G network alone, Huawei had invested over $2 billion by the end of 2018, "more than the total 5G investment from all major equipment vendors in the United States and Europe."

Huawei also paid over $6 billion in royalties to implement other companies' IP in the past 30 years, nearly 80 percent of which went to US firms, said Song Liuping, the company's chief legal officer.

Song maintained that respect and protection of intellectual property were its core principles and the cornerstones of its business success, while calling against politicizing IP disputes. (Xinhua)

______

Warren leads Democrats in spirited first 2020 debate

Ten Democrats clashed in the first debate of the 2020 presidential race, with Elizabeth Warren cementing her status as a top-tier candidate and several underdogs using the issue of immigration to clamor for the limelight.

Wednesday's first take was a spirited encounter between Democrats like ex-congressman Beto O'Rourke, Senator Cory Booker, former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on subjects as varied as health care, economic inequality, climate action, gun violence, Iran and immigration.

The biggest American political debate since the 2016 presidential campaign is occurring over two nights in Miami.

It climaxes on Thursday with former vice president Joe Biden squaring off against nine challengers, including number two candidate Bernie Sanders. (AFP)

_____

New problem discovered in Boeing's troubled 737 Max jet

A new computer problem has been found in the troubled Boeing 737 Max that will further delay the plane’s return to flying after two deadly crashes, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The latest flaw in the plane’s computer system was discovered by Federal Aviation Administration pilots who were testing an update to critical software in a flight simulator last week at a Boeing facility near Seattle, the people said.

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

One of the people familiar with the discovery said it would add one to three months to the timetable for returning the Max to flight. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because the development has not been made public. (AP)

_____

UK's Boris Johnson pledges post-Brexit migration controls

British leadership hopeful Boris Johnson pledged to introduce a new points-based system to control migration after Brexit.

He was trying to address a key issue from the EU referendum, but did not explicitly promise to cut numbers.

He also vowed to protect the rights of more than three million EU citizens currently living in Britain, even if the country leaves the bloc with no deal on October 31.

Johnson is vying with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to take over as prime minister from Theresa May.

She quit over her failure to take Britain out of the European Union on time. (AFP)

_____

Beijing bans gender discrimination against women in employment

Beijing has banned gender discrimination practices in recruitment to boost career opportunities for women, according to a document released Thursday.

No requirements for gender should be included in any recruitment plans or interviews, according to the document from the Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau.

It is also forbidden to ask about the marital or fertility status of female candidates during interviews, and pregnancy testing should be off the list of pre-employment health examination.

Those found in violation will be fined from 10,000 yuan (around $1,488) to 50,000 yuan if they refuse to correct their practices. HR service providers may have their licenses revoked for serious offenses, according to the document. (Xinhua)

_____

Tibet's least habitable region lifts over 16,000 out of poverty

And Ngari Prefecture in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region lowered its poverty rate from 28.3 percent to 8.3 percent in the past three years.

Eighty-eight poverty alleviation projects, with a total investment of $218 million, have been launched in the prefecture since 2016.

Tourism as a leading industry has helped 2,520 people escape poverty. (Xinhua)

_____

And that’s People’s Daily Tonight.  Thanks for joining us.

(Produced by David Nye and Zhan Huilan)