People's Daily Tonight: Podcast News (2/13/2019 Wed.)

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

______

China's Chang'e-4 probe switches to dormant mode again

The lander and rover of the Chang'e-4 probe have been switched to a dormant mode on Monday for the lunar night.

This, after working normally during China's Spring Festival.

China's Lunar and Deep Space Exploration Center said it will wake the rover up on Feb. 28 and the lander on March 1.

The center said the lunar rover Yutu-2 has driven 120 meters on the far side of the moon.

That breaks the record of 114.8 meters made by its predecessor, Yutu.

The Chang'e-4 probe landed on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3. (Xinhua)

______

China plans first 5G-based smart expressway project

China will launch the country's first 5G-based smart highway project.

Telecommunication operator is planning locations for 5G base stations across the highway sections in Hubei Province to run tests on smart toll stations.

The 5G-based smart expressway would make it possible to gather real-time traffic information and make predictions based on the big data.

China Mobile, the network operator, is also applying for 5G-based autonomous driving tests on local highways. 

Thirty-one 5G base stations have been built in Wuhan, capital of Hubei, by the end of 2018. (Xinhua)

______

Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' found guilty by NY jury

The world's most infamous cartel boss was found guilty in a US court on Tuesday of smuggling tons of drugs to the United States.

Jurors in a New York court convicted Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman on all 10 counts brought by US prosecutors.

The US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said he expected Guzman to receive life without parole when sentenced on June 25.

Guzman was extradited to the United States for trial in 2017, after he was arrested in Mexico the year before. (CGTN)

_____

China sees over 30.5 mln trips by foreign travelers in 2018

Foreign travelers made 30.54 million trips to China in 2018, a 4.7 percent increase than that of 2017.

Chinese tourism ministry said foreign travelers spent $73.1 billion on their trips in China last year, 5.1 percent more than the amount in 2017.

The Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, Malaysia and Singapore were among China's 10 largest source markets of tourism in 2018. (Xinhua)

_____

China, India contribute most to global greenery expansion: NASA data

Data from NASA satellites show that China and India led the way in the greening on land, thanks to ambitious tree-planting programs in China and intensive agriculture in both countries.

The study showed that at least 25 percent of the foliage expansion since the early 2000s globally came in China.

Researchers from Boston University found that the global green leaf area has increased by 5 percent in the new century.

That’s an area equivalent to all of the Amazon rainforest.

China's contribution to the global greening trend comes in large part from its programs to conserve and expand forests. (Xinhua)

_______

Thai election body seeks to dissolve party that named princess for PM

Thailand's Election Commission has asked a constitutional court to consider dissolving a political party for having named the king's sister as candidate for prime minister.

The commissioners charged that Thai Raksa Chart Party's nomination had violated Article 92 of the constitution's organic law on political parties.

The party nominated princess Ubolratana Mahidol as candidate for prime minister on Feb. 8, but the king said in a statement that involving the princess in politics was "inappropriate" and against the constitution and constitutional monarchy. (Xinhua & AFP)

_______

US public debt hits new milestone, topping $22 trillion

And US public debt has passed a new milestone, topping $22 trillion for the first time.

The Treasury Department’s daily statement showed that total outstanding public debt stands at $22.01 trillion. 

It stood at $19.95 trillion when President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2017.

The debt figure has been accelerating since the passage of Trump’s $1.5 trillion tax cut in December 2017 and action by Congress last year to increase spending on domestic and military programs.

The Congressional Budget Office projects an 897-billion-dollar deficit this year. (AP)

_____

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

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