Fresh Start: Podcast News (4/27/2018 Fri.)

Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app.

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

Xi calls for high-quality growth through developing Yangtze River economic belt

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for achieving high-quality economic growth through developing the Yangtze River economic belt.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River economic belt in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province.

He stressed the importance of enhancing reform and innovation, strategic coordination as well as planning and guiding in developing the economic belt.

"It is a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee and a major strategy concerning overall national development to promote the development of the Yangtze River economic belt," Xi said.

He also called for all-out efforts to protect the Yangtze River, saying there should be no large-scale development of the river. (Xinhua)

China eyes pilot for boosting rental housing market and real estate investments

China recently unveiled new measures that will support its rental housing market, making it easier for real estate agencies to start new building projects and grow.

According to a joint document from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Development and China Securities Regulatory Commission, China will improve supervision of its investment policies to limit risks for real estate agencies.

Jiang Han, a research fellow at Suning Financial Research Institute, said this pilot program is what the real estate market needs since it improves profits for investors and will help satisfy the country’s housing demands. (People’s Daily app)

North and South Korean leaders to meet at demarcation line for summit

South Korean President Moon Jae-in plans to greet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the military demarcation line inside Panmunjom, a border village dividing the two Koreas, South Korea’s Blue House said Thursday.

Im Jong-seok, chief presidential secretary for Moon, said the two leaders will make their historic first encounter at 9:30 a.m. local time Friday.

Kim will cross the separation line through an aisle between the blue pavilions sitting between the two Koreas. The blue pavilions are used as the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission meeting room. (People’s Daily app)

Trump says several dates are possible for Trump-Kim summit

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that three or four possible dates and several locations are being considered for his landmark summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump had previously said his meeting with Kim would take place in May or early June, within weeks of Friday's historic inter-Korean summit.

Some of the locations being discussed for the summit are the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom, Jeju Island, a neutral European country, Pyongyang, and Washington. (People’s Daily app)

US Senate confirms Mike Pompeo as next secretary of state

The US Senate confirmed former CIA Director Mike Pompeo as the next secretary of state with a 57-42 vote Thursday afternoon.

As reported by the New York Times, Pompeo is expected to be sworn in immediately.

Pompeo will then meet with NATO allies in Brussels during his first trip in his new position. (People’s Daily app)

China launches record-breaking five satellites into orbit

China's Long March-11 carrier rocket, carrying a record-breaking five satellites, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern province of Gansu at 12:42 pm Thursday.

The satellites, named Zhuhai-1, will provide data for sectors such as agriculture, forestry, natural resources, environmental protection, transportation, and modern finance.

The launch was the 272nd mission of the Long March rocket series. (People’s Daily app)

Cosby convicted of sexually assaulting woman

Bill Cosby has been convicted of drugging and molesting a woman in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era.

The jury convicted the “Cosby Show” star of three counts of aggravated indecent assault on Thursday. The guilty verdict came less than a year after another jury deadlocked on the charges.

Cosby could receive up to 10 years in prison for each of the counts.

Cosby had dozens of women accuse him of sexual assault in recent years. Five of the accusers testified against him at this recent trial. (People’s Daily app)

Woman crosses world’s largest permanent lava lake

Karina Oliani just became the first person to traverse the world’s largest permanent lava lake by crossing Ethiopia’s Erta Ale Volcano.

Oliani is known for her passion for adventure, having recently returned from an expedition to the Ethiopia-Danakil Depression, which is one of the most inhospitable regions on Earth.

Oliani is one of Brazil’s most popular explorers and is also a doctor, the CEO of a production company, a helicopter pilot, a diver, a snowboarder, a wakeboarder, and a mountaineer. (People’s Daily app)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

Today’s quote is from American aviator Amelia Earhart:

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Raymond Mendoza, Ziyi Zeng, and Terry Guanlin Li.)