China's industrial output expands 5.3 pct in Jan-Feb

China's industrial output expanded 5.3 percent year on year in the first two months.

That’s according to the country’s National Bureau of Statistics.

But it was lower than the 5.7 percent growth in December 2018.

Deducting the Spring Festival factor, China's industrial output expanded 6.1 percent year on year in the first two months.

It said industrial production was generally stable in the first two months, with fast growth in emerging industries and new products. (Xinhua)

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Manafort faces state charges after drawing more federal time

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was sentenced to a total of seven and a half years in prison on federal charges.

Almost immediately, he was hit with fresh state charges in New York that could put him outside the president's power to pardon.

US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson brushed aside Manafort's pleas for leniency and rebuked him for misleading the US government about his lucrative foreign lobbying work, and for encouraging witnesses to lie on his behalf.

The sentencing hearing was a milestone in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election campaign. (AP)

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China's lunar rover expected to work beyond design life

China's lunar rover Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, has driven 163 meters on the far side of the moon, and is expected to work longer than its three-month design life.

Both the rover and the lander of the Chang'e-4 lunar probe switched to a dormant mode on Wednesday, as the extremely cold lunar night fell.

The rover has examined stones on the far side of the moon, which might help scientists find out whether they are from outer space or native to the moon.

The far side of the moon is regarded as virgin territory with unique features, and scientists expect important discoveries. (Xinhua)

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School building collapse in Nigeria kills at least 9, scores trapped

At least nine people have been killed and many others still trapped after a building which housed a school and some apartments collapsed on Wednesday in Nigeria's commercial hub of Lagos.

At least nine bodies have been discovered, and the school in the three-story building had 172 registered students.

Most of the victims were students of the private elementary school in the building, while about 50 students were rescued alive.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation. (Xinhua)

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China's Changsheng Life Sciences listing suspended from March 15

The Shenzhen Stock Exchange said it will suspend the listing of China's vaccine maker Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences starting March 15. 

The exchange said the company violated regulations on forced delisting and received the notice of a mandatory delisting on January 14 this year.

The Chinese vaccine maker entered the delisting process last November and was hit with heavy penalties over the rabies vaccines scandal.

The company resumed trading on January 16 and received a 30-day warning.

It faces a six-month suspension starting March 15. (CGTN)

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Canada grounds Boeing 737 MAX

Canada grounded the world's third largest fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 jetliners.

41 planes are being operated by three Canadian carriers.

The jet has also been banned from Canadian airspace.

The announcement comes after Australia, China, India, all European countries and others banned the medium-haul workhorse jet from their airspace in response to the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday that killed all 157 people on board, including 18 Canadians.

The Nairobi-bound plane was the same type as a Lion Air jet that crashed in October in Indonesia, killing 189 passengers and crew -- and some officials have detected similarities between the two accidents. (AFP)

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Fiat Chrysler to recall nearly 900,000 vehicles in US for emission problems

And Fiat-Chrysler has agreed to voluntarily recall 862,520 vehicles in the US.

The recall is the result of in-use emissions investigations conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and in-use testing conducted by the company .

The affected vehicles include models of the Dodge Journey, Dodge Avenger, Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass.

The EPA said the recall will be implemented in phases this year, beginning with the oldest vehicles. (Xinhua)

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

(Produced by David Nye and Wangxiangyu)