Fresh Start: Podcast News (5/6/2018 Sun.)

Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app.

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

China opens iron ore futures to international investors

Foreign investors began trade in domestic iron ore futures on the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE), as part of China’s opening-up in its financial sector.

The move comes after the country launched crude oil futures in March.

By including overseas investors, futures prices should better reflect the global iron ore market, according to Li Zhengqiang, president of the exchange.

Li also said allowing overseas investors to trade in these markets will allow China to expand its own commodity futures market and improve its mechanisms and management. (Xinhua - People’s Daily app)

Chemical inspectors complete Douma mission

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said on Friday it completed its mission to investigate last month’s alleged chemical weapon attack on Douma, but the analysis could still take weeks.

The global watchdog launched their mission amid outrage over images of adults and children suffering from the effects of chemical weapon attacks.

The fact-finding mission gained access to Douma on April 21 after delays caused by joint airstrikes from the US, UK and France on Syrian military installations. (AFP - People’s Daily app)

South Korean president to visit US ahead of Trump-Kim meeting

US President Donald Trump will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on May 22 in Washington to discuss Trump’s upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the White House said on Friday.

Moon’s trip comes after his summit with Kim, which ended with both countries declaring a common goal of complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

Trump told reporters on Friday that the date and venue of his meeting with Kim is set and will be announced soon. (Xinhua - People’s Daily app)

Earthquake and volcano eruption hit Hawaii

Hawaii is in the midst of several natural disasters after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake and a volcanic eruption hit the island on Friday.

The quake, with a depth of 5 km, struck 16 km southwest of Leilani Estates, Hawaii at 12:32 p.m. local time (2232 GMT) and lasted roughly 15 seconds while the Kilauea volcano eruption forced more than 1,500 people near the Leilani Estates to flee from their homes.

"This is in almost exactly the same location as the deadly 1975 M 7.1 earthquake," the US Geological Survey tweeted.

Officials cautioned the public to be aware of high sulfur dioxide levels caused by the volcano and that exposure can cause irritation, burns, sore throats, burning eyes, and coughing. (AP - People’s Daily app)

US NSA triples collection of phone records

The US National Security Agency (NSA) collected more than 530 million phone records from Americans last year, tripling the amount gathered in 2016, a report released on Friday said.

The increase from 151 million records occurred during the second full year of a new surveillance system established at the spy agency after US lawmakers passed a law in 2015 to limit its ability to collect such records in bulk.

The spike in collection of call records coincided with an increase reported on Friday across other surveillance methods, raising questions from some privacy advocates who are concerned about potential government overreach and intrusion into the lives of US citizens.

The records include numbers and times associated with phone calls and text messages, but not the content.

The records remained far less than the estimated billions that were collected per day under the NSA’s old surveillance system, which was exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013. (Reuters - People’s Daily app)

Trump administration moves to expel some 57,000 Hondurans

The Trump administration on Friday said it will end temporary protection for Honduran immigrants in the US at the start of 2020, leaving roughly 57,000 people vulnerable to deportation.

This is the latest in a series of decisions by US President Donald Trump to end protection for immigrants who have left their home countries due to natural disasters or violent conflicts.

The Honduras government said on Friday that it “profoundly regrets the cancellation of the program” and promised free legal and consular support for Hondurans living in the US. (Reuters - People’s Daily app)

China allows foreigners to play in national ice hockey tournament

Amateur and foreign players will be allowed to compete in China’s National Ice Hockey Tournament for the first time ever when the competition starts on Monday.

The tournament will be held in Beijing and feature 28 teams from around China with more than a dozen foreign players participating.

Since Beijing won the bid to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, China’s interest in ice hockey has increased to record numbers in the past few years. (CGTN - People’s Daily app)

Meghan Markle’s father to walk her down the aisle

Meghan Markle's father will walk her down the aisle when she marries Britain's Prince Harry, a royal spokesman announced Friday.

Meghan’s parents will arrive in Britain before the May 19 wedding to meet with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip.

They will also meet Harry's father, Prince Charles, ahead of the ceremony at St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. (AFP - People’s Daily app)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

Today’s quote is from American-Canadian actor Jim Carrey:

“If you’ve got a talent, protect it.”

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