People's Daily Tonight: Podcast News (9/28/2018 Fri.)

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

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Ministries oppose B-52 flyover

China firmly opposes US provocation in the South China Sea.

This, after the US sent B-52 bombers into the region.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China firmly opposes countries using freedom of navigation and overflight as excuses to harm other countries' sovereignty and security, disturbing regional peace and stability.

The remarks came after the US sent B-52 bombers over the South China Sea this week.

Reports say the move was part of regularly scheduled operations designed to enhance US interoperability with its partners and allies in the region. (Global Times)

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China backs WTO reforms, not creating new organization

China supports reforms of the World Trade Organization that honor the institution's rules but will not create a new organization.

The WTO is not perfect and facing challenges amid protectionism and reforms are necessary to help the multilateral trading system move with the times, said Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng.

Gao said the revamps must not change the basic rules of the WTO, nor should changes be made to reverse trade liberalization.  (Xinhua)

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Fiery Kavanaugh denies accuser in Senate showdown

US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday denied allegations that he sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford when both were high school students.

He told a Senate committee that the biting criticism by Democrats had “totally and permanently destroyed” his family and reputation.

He vowed to continue his effort to join the high court, to which President Donald Trump nominated him in July. 

Now a judge in the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, he seemed assured of confirmation until Ford and several other accusers emerged in recent weeks. 

Republicans have scheduled a recommendation vote for Friday morning at the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

They’re hoping for a final Senate roll call next week, seating Kavanaugh on the court shortly after the October start of its new term.

Trump described the hearing as “brutal” and “hard to watch”, but praised Kavanaugh’s performance. 

He described Kavanaugh as a “great guy” and a “great man.” (AP)

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Everybody on plane survives crash-landing in Pacific lagoon

All of the passengers and crew survived the crash landing of an Air Niugini plane.

The aircraft has overshot its runway and landed in water, while attempting to make a stopover on an island of the Micronesian Chuuk State.

The airline said everybody aboard the Boeing 737 plane was able to safely evacuate, but did not detail what caused the accident. 

Air Niugini is the national airline of Papua New Guinea and has been in operation since 1973. (AP&Xinhua)

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Simpler clearance aims to boost trade, business

China will enact a number of measures to improve the business environment in its ports and help boost cross-border trade by optimizing procedures with higher efficiency and lower costs.

Customs officials said these measures aim to facilitate more efficient trade.

They said that by November, the number of documents required will be cut to 48 from the current 86.

By the end of the year, the overall clearance time for imports and exports will be cut by one-third from a year earlier.

They added that reforms in tariff guarantees and insurance will be promoted to allow goods to be released before tariffs are paid. (China Daily)

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World's first human case of rat disease found in Hong Kong

A Hong Kong man has developed the world's first ever human case of the rat version of the hepatitis E virus.

There had previously been no evidence the disease could jump from rats to humans, the University of Hong Kong said, warning the discovery had "major public health significance".

The disease was found in a 56-year-old man who produced abnormal liver function tests following a liver transplant.

He could have contracted the illness through food infected by rat droppings.

The human version of hepatitis E is a liver disease that affects 20 million people globally each year. (AFP)

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SEC seeks to oust Tesla CEO Elon Musk over go-private tweet

And US securities regulators are asking a federal court to oust Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The Securities and Exchange Commission claims that he committed securities fraud with false statements about plans to take the company private.

It said Musk falsely claimed in an August statement on Twitter that funding was secured to take the company private at $420 per share, a substantial premium over the price at the time.

The complaint filed in the US District Court in Manhattan says that Musk had not discussed or confirmed key deal terms, including price, with any funding source. 

It also asks for an order enjoining Musk from making false and misleading statements along with repayment of any gains as well as civil penalties. (AP)

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

(Produced by David Nye and Chen Lidan)