People's Daily Tonight: Podcast News (4/24/2018 Tue.)

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

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Guangdong KTV fire kills 18, injures 5

Tragedy strikes a KTV bar in South China’s Guangdong Province.

Police say at least 18 people were killed early Tuesday morning in Qingyuan city.

Initial findings point to arson.

The fire was reported 30 minutes past midnight and was contained half an hour later.

Investigation is ongoing.

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Mexico holds its first presidential debate for July election

Mexico holds its first presidential debate for July election.

Rivals focused their fire on front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

He’s defending the idea of an amnesty to fight drug violence and revived his campaign slogan from 2006, “For the good of all, the poor come first.”

The leftist candidate defended his proposals to “speak with everybody” to solve Mexico’s crime problem.

He said he would even invite the pope to discuss how to carry out such a dialogue.

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New York State introduces bill to ban plastic bags

The State of New York introduces a bill banning plastic bags. 

Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced the bill that would ban single-use carryout plastic bags statewide.

He says plastic bags take a devastating toll on New York streets, water and natural resources. If passed,the ban would take effect next year.

A handful of towns and cities in New York State currently ban plastic bags. New York City passed a bill in 2017 imposing a 5-cent fee on any paper or plastic grocery bag. However, the governor and the State Senate blocked it from taking effect. California is the only state to have such a policy.  

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China's macro-control policy remains unchanged

China's macro-control policy will remain unchanged.

The central government says it will adhere to a positive fiscal policy, maintain a stable and neutral monetary policy and focus on providing guidance to market expectations.

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee says it is determined to work on key sectors such as the stock market, bond market and property market, and has called for supportive policies while following up on regulations and reining in potential risks.

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UN chief says Security Council Sweden retreat 'cooled down' Syria crisis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the Security Council retreat in Sweden this past weekend was a success because things have cooled down for the Syrian crisis.

The 15 top ambassadors representing member countries of the panel met at the restored farm of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold at Backakra in southern Sweden.

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US anti-Muslim hate crimes rose 15 percent in 2017

Anti-Muslim hate crimes in the US rise by 15 percent in 2017.

A study released by an advocacy group shows hate crimes against Muslims rose for a second straight year. 

The group recorded 300 US hate crimes targeting Muslims last year.

This includes the June beating of a Muslim man in the Bronx, to a November incident when a Muslim family's Kansas restaurant was burned down. 

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China's Chang'e-4 relay satellite named 'Queqiao'

And China names the Chang’e-4 lunar probe.

Calling it Queqiao or magpie bridge, the lunar probe is expected to land on the far side of the Moon later this year.

The name was announced on China’s Space Day.

Together with the relay satellite, two microsatellites developed by the Harbin Institute of Technology will also be sent into space.

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

(Produced by David Nye, Qu Qiuyan and Liang Peiyu)