China lifts African swine fever quarantine in 21 provinces

China's African swine fever epidemic situation is generally under control, and prevention work has achieved initial results.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said 105 cases have been solved, or more than 90% of the total epidemic. 

It said a quarantine in the affected areas in 21 provinces has been lifted.

113 cases of African swine fever were reported in 28 provinces in China.

That includes 110 cases involving domestic pigs and three cases of wild boars. 

Monthly outbreaks fell to single digits in the first two months of the year. (People's Daily app)

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May tries to save Brexit plan ahead of EU summit

British Prime Minister Theresa May will write to EU President Donald Tusk with a plan for delaying Brexit beyond March 29, her spokesman said, admitting the parliamentary deadlock had reached crisis levels.

The letter will be sent before May heads to a Brussels summit on Thursday, where she has already promised to seek what could be a lengthy postponement of Britain's exit from the European Union.

May had hoped to persuade MPs before then to back the divorce agreement she has struck with the EU, but her plan to hold a fresh vote was dramatically blocked by the speaker of the House of Commons. (AFP)

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FDA approves drug for treating postpartum depression

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug specifically developed for severe depression after childbirth.

Sage Therapeutics’ Zulresso is an I-V drug given over 2 ½ days.

Sage said Zulresso will cost $34,000 without insurance, plus costs for staying in a hospital or infusion center.

In a company-funded study of new mothers with moderate or severe postpartum depression, half the women given Zulresso had depression end within 2 ½ days, about double the rate of those in a comparison group given dummy treatments. (AP)

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Chinese firms pushing forward hydrogen industry drive

Many Chinese companies have been actively adding fuel to their hydrogen industry layout, China Daily reported on Wednesday.

The Chinese government has been stepping up efforts to develop the country's hydrogen industry, with the development of hydrogen stations for new energy vehicles being included in the recently released government work report.

Hydrogen energy is considered an "absolutely clean" energy as water is the only by-product while being produced and consumed.

China has already had around 1,200 fuel cell vehicles on its roads, and set a goal to have 5,000 such vehicles on its roads by 2020, 50,000 by 2025 and 1 million by 2030. (Xinhua)

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Yili Group expected to take full control of NZ dairy company

The Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group is expected to acquire a 100 percent stake in New Zealand's second largest dairy producer - Westland Cooperative Dairy Company Ltd - for about $168.95 million.

Yili’s chief executive officer said that the offer, if accepted by shareholders, would result in an immediate cash windfall to farmers as well as a competitive milk payout.

Westland signed an agreement on March 18 to sell the West Coast dairy cooperative to Hong Kong Jingang Trade Holding Company.

That’s a wholly owned subsidiary of Yili. (China Daily)

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Tariffs hurt US equipment manufacturers: report

Tariffs were driving up the cost of production, delaying capital investments, and impeding job creation for US equipment manufacturers, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) said on Monday.

An AEM backed campaign named "Tariffs Hurt the Heartland" also found that the tariffs were costing businesses up to 2.7 billion US dollars each month and had caused exports of American products to plummet by 37 percent.

Besides, AEM underlined that equipment manufacturing executives have attributed the increasing costs of manufacturing in the United States to the tariffs. (Xinhua)

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Disney and 21st Century Fox merger to become official at midnight

And the Walt Disney Company announced on Tuesday that its 71.3-billion-US dollar acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox will take effect on Wednesday.

Disney Chairman and CEO Robert Iger said the acquisition will create significant long-term value for his company and shareholders.

He added that combining Disney's and 21st Century Fox's wealth of creative content and proven talent creates the pre-eminent global entertainment company. (Xinhua)

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

(Produced by David Nye and Cheng Weidan)