People's Daily Tonight: Podcast News (11/29/2018 Thur.)
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This is People's Daily Tonight, your news source from China.

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Gene scientists debate ethics of experiment

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China's National Health Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology said they are paying a lot of attention on the case of the two gene-edited babies, which has ignited concerns worldwide about ethical research.

Chinese researcher He Jiankui sparked controversy over his genetic manipulation of human cells, after he claimed to have genetically altered a pair of twins

in an attempt to make them immune from HIV.

He told an international conference on human genome editing that he was "proud" of his work, and believed he was helping people who otherwise would have no hope for life.

Top world researchers expressed deep concerns about the ethical risks and unpredictable outcomes of the experiment. (China Daily)

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China's resort island further relaxes duty-free shopping restrictions

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China's Hainan Province plans to increase the annual tax-free shopping quota for travelers, according to the Ministry of Finance Wednesday.

Effective December 1, the quota will be raised to 30,000 yuan (about $4,300) per year from the current 16,000 yuan.

After the implementation of the new policy, the island province's local residents will also enjoy the same quota as travelers. 

Hainan will open two more tax-free shops in the cities of Haikou and Qionghai, in addition to the current two duty-free shops.

The new change will help bring more luxury products to the Chinese market and convenience for visitors, said an official, adding that it will attract more visitors to the island and boost the development of the service industry.

Duty-free sales in Hainan jumped 24.1 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year, to 5.29 billion yuan. (China Daily)

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Britain worse off under any Brexit scenario: government

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A government report says Britain will be economically worse off in any scenario outside the EU.

This, as the Bank of England warned that a no-deal Brexit would trigger a financial crisis.

The report said the government's plans for post-Brexit ties with the EU would still cost the economy around 3.9 percent of GDP over 15 years.

The report comes as Prime Minister Theresa May took the divorce deal to a skeptical Scotland, where the fishing industry is concerned about EU access to British waters.

May must convince hostile MPs to back the deal in a December 11 vote and avoid plunging Brexit into chaos. (AFP)

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Pakistani PM stresses need to solve issues, improve relations with India

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Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that Pakistan and India need to break the shackles of the past and stop blaming each other. 

Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of a corridor to facilitate Indian Sikh pilgrims across the border, the prime minister said the Pakistani government, army and all the political parties are on the same page for good relations with India. 

The prime minister highlighted the trade potential of the two countries, saying they have no option other than normal ties. He also urged the two countries, to learn lessons from the mistakes they had done in the past and move forward. (Xinhua)

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China to carry out business environment assessment

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The Chinese government will assess the country's business environment.

That's according to a statement released by a State Council executive meeting headed by Premier Li Keqiang.

The assessment will focus on areas closely related to market participants.

This includes starting a business, getting a construction permit, obtaining a loan and protecting intellectual property rights.

The statement said China will push for more hard measures to improve the business environment to maintain China's attractiveness to domestic and foreign investment. (China Daily)

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Rescue efforts end for deadly chemical truck explosion in north China

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Rescue work came to a close for a chemical truck explosion in the city of Zhangjiakou, northern China's Hebei Province, which caused 23 deaths and 22 injuries.

No air pollution had been detected according to the on-site environmental monitoring and sampling, said Guo Ying, executive vice mayor of Zhangjiakou.

A truck carrying combustible chemicals caused a series of blasts of nearby vehicles on Wednesday.

The blast also ignited 38 trucks and 12 cars nearby.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has sent a work team to the site to guide rescue work, while the local government is verifying the identities of the victims. (Xinhua)

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US House Democrats nominate Nancy Pelosi for speakership

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And US House Democrats have nominated Nancy Pelosi for speakership in the new Congress.

Pelosi ran unopposed in a closed-door Democratic caucus election, despite an entrenched rebellion against her.

203 Democratic members voted in favor of Pelosi, with 32 voting against. 

Three votes were blank and one member was absent.

The California Democrat needs 218 votes, the majority of the full House, to be elected speaker. 

The vote will occur on the House floor on Jan. 3, the first day of the incoming Congress. (Xinhua)

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

(Produced by David Nye, Chen Lidan and Wang Xiangyu)