People's Daily Tonight: Podcast News (8/17/2018 Fri.)
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This is People’s Daily Tonight, your news source from China.  

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Xi urges medical workers to carry forward humanitarian spirit

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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on medical workers to carry forward the humanitarian spirit to save lives, and make further contributions to promoting people's health.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, gave the instructions ahead of China's first Medical Workers' Day, which falls on Sunday this year. (Xinhua)

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China's Tencent second-quarter profit falls 2 percent, first decline in nearly 13 years

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Chinese technology giant Tencent Holdings Ltd on Wednesday reported a surprise two percent fall in second-quarter net profit, the first decline in nearly 13 years, due to slower than expected gaming growth and weak investment gains.

The outlook for the most valuable company listed in Asia has been overshadowed by a slowdown in mobile gaming and concerns over regulatory setbacks as Chinese regulators this week blocked Tencent’s sale of the blockbuster game “Monster Hunter: World” upon its debut.

Tencent said it would try to reinvigorate its mobile game revenue growth by extracting more value from existing popular titles, launching more role-playing games, and publishing more of its China-developed games internationally. (CGTN)

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China-made mobile phones gain popularity in Russia

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Chinese mobile phones are gaining popularity in Russia due to their high quality, reasonable prices, fashionable appearance and innovative design.

Chinese smartphone giant Huawei surpassed Apple in sales during the second quarter of 2018, becoming the sales champion of Russia.

Chinese smartphone brands Huawei, Xiaomi and Vivo have now gained a foothold in the Russian market. A Russian consumer said that since iPhones are also made in China, but are much more costly, they will choose the more reasonably priced Chinese-branded mobile phones. (People's Daily Online)

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Pentagon delays Trump’s veterans parade until at least 2019

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The US Defense Department said Thursday that the Veterans Day military parade ordered by US President Donald Trump won’t happen in 2018.

The announcement came several hours after The Associated Press reported that the parade would cost about $92 million, according to US officials citing preliminary estimates more than three times the price first suggested by the White House.

Trump decided he wanted a military parade in Washington after he attended France’s Bastille Day celebration in the center of Paris last year. Several months later Trump praised the French parade, saying, “We’re going to have to try and top it.” (AP)

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Brazil's Lula officially registered as a presidential candidate

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Brazil's Workers' Party (PT) on Wednesday officially registered ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as its presidential candidate for the October 7 race. He is the electorate's favorite candidate. However, it is unclear if the courts will allow his name on the ballot. 

Brazilian law bars those convicted of a crime from running for elected office. The two-time president is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption. (Xinhua)

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Malaysian PM’s visit to China will tap more economic opportunities

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Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will arrive in China’s Hangzhou on Friday, the first stop of his visit to China from August 17 to 21. During the trip, he will visit Alibaba Group and other Chinese companies, tapping fresh opportunities for bilateral economic cooperation.

Mahathir’s visit to Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province and a hub of innovation in the country, signifies that the two countries will seek more cooperation opportunities in e-commerce, technology and finance.

Emerging industries will be a new area of cooperation for China and Malaysia. The two countries are expected to enhance cooperation in the fields of digital economy, agriculture, high-tech and automobile manufacturing, said Bai Tian, the Chinese ambassador to Malaysia. (CGTN)

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Turkish firms cancel iPhone orders amid nationwide boycott on US products

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Turkey's biggest mobile phone importing companies have cancelled their iPhone orders as Turkish citizens join a move to boycott US products.

A significant number of importers have begun to withdraw their short- and long-term orders after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's appeal to boycott US electronic products on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Turkish people on social media are calling for an expansion of the boycott to other US products ranging from textiles to fast food. (Xinhua)

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And that’s People’s Daily Tonight. Thanks for joining us. Happy Chinese Valentine's Day.

(Produced by He Jieqiong and Derek Wang)