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Here are today’s picks from our editors.

Chinese commerce minister vows continued efforts to attract foreign investment

China will continue its efforts to widen market access for foreign investment and build a better business environment, Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan has said.

In an interview on Friday, Zhong said measures will be taken to shorten negative lists for foreign investors adopted in pilot free trade zones (FTZs) and nationwide, and wholly-foreign ownership will be allowed in more sectors.

China will press ahead with opening-up in the service sector, and encourage foreign investment in manufacturing and high-tech industries, and in central and western regions, Zhong said, adding that governments will help foreign companies address difficulties in investing in China. (Xinhua)

Four died in ‘accidental’ explosion in Paris, says French Interior Minister

Four people were killed in an accidental explosion Saturday morning in the ninth arrondissement of the French capital of Paris, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said.

Two of the four victims are firefighters, Castaner said.

The explosion was "obviously accidental", and it would be a "gas leak", confirmed Remy Heitz, the prosecutor of Paris. (Xinhua)

Shutdown becomes longest federal closure in US history

The partial US government shutdown entered a record 22nd day Saturday, as President Donald Trump remains steadfast in his demand for $5.7 billion to build a Mexico border wall and Democrats in Congress determined to refuse the funds.

The shutdown became the longest on record at midnight Friday, when it overtook a 21-day stretch in 1995-1996 under president Bill Clinton.

The impasse has paralyzed Washington with the president retaliating by refusing to sign off on budgets for swaths of government departments unrelated to the dispute.

As a result, 800,000 federal employees -- workers as diverse as FBI agents, air traffic controllers and museum staff -- did not get paychecks Friday. (AFP)

Macedonia parliament agrees to change country's name

Macedonia's parliament passed an amendment to the constitution on Friday to rename the European country the Republic of North Macedonia, in line with an agreement with neighboring Greece to put an end to a 27-year-old dispute.

“A new historical chapter in our statehood has been written this evening,” the Macedonian government said in a statement.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev to congratulate him, his office said in a written statement.

Zaev said that Greece has “got a new friend now North Macedonia,” adding that he hopes the two nations will build up trust and open “many new windows” for cooperation. (CGTN)

Huawei to end employment of Wang Weijing

Huawei announced on Saturday evening that it would end employment of Wang Weijing, who was detained in Poland on suspicion of spying, Global Times reported.

Chinese Foreign Ministry has said in an early Saturday statement that it is paying close attention to Poland's arrest of Huawei employee Wang Weijing.

Chinese embassy in Warsaw held an immediate meeting with the Polish Foreign Ministry, asking the Polish side to notify China of details of the case as soon as possible and arrange an early consular visit, according to the statement.

The case should be properly handled in a just way according to law, and the legitimate rights and interests, safety and humanitarian treatment of Wang should be guaranteed, it said. 

According to media reports, Poland's counter-intelligence service on Friday detained Wang and a Polish former senior intelligence agent in Warsaw on suspicion of spying. (People’s Daily app - Xinhua)

Xiaomi to invest over 10 bln yuan in AI, IoT over next five years

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi plans to invest over 10 billion yuan in artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) over the next five years, the company's CEO announced Friday.

The company's growth strategy for the near future will focus on smartphones as well as AI and IoT technologies and applications, said Lei Jun, Xiaomi founder and president.

Lei said Xiaomi's smartphone business will continue to focus on innovation and quality, as well as to optimize its product portfolio.

The company's global expansion will continue this year, with focus on the European and Latin America markets, Lei said. (Xinhua)

Japanese Olympic chief indicted in France for corruption

The head of Japan's Olympic Committee has been charged in Paris for "active corruption" in connection with the awarding of the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo, a judicial official told AFP.

Tsunekazu Takeda was indicted on December 10 by investigating magistrates looking into a suspect payment of 2.8 million Singapore dollars ($2.3 million) made before the Japanese capital was chosen to host the Olympics, the source said Friday.

Tokyo beat Madrid and Istanbul in the 2013 vote.

Takeda, a former Olympic showjumper who led the country's campaign for the Games, said he had cooperated with a French judge looking into the matter, adding: "I was not involved in any wrongdoing such as bribery." (AFP)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

What is put into a novel to indicate the place where you finished reading?

(Answer: Bookmark.)

Today’s quote is from Iranian poet Saadi (1184 - 1283).

"Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy."

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, and Brian Lowe.)