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This is People's Daily app.

Here are today's picks from our editors. 

Fresh round of China-US trade talks start in Washington

China and the United States kicked off on Wednesday morning a new round of high-level talks to address their differences on outstanding economic and trade issues.

The talks, scheduled for two days, mark a significant step in the implementation of the important consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump during a working dinner in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 1.

The two heads of state agreed back then that the two sides should try to reach a mutually beneficial and win-win agreement within 90 days to bring an early end to their months-long trade friction featuring massive tariffs on imports from each other. (Xinhua) 

DPRK art troupe visits China

An art troupe from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) paid a visit to and staged performances in Beijing from Jan. 23 to 30.

The troupe is led by Ri Su Yong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee, vice-chairman of the WPK Central Committee and director of the party's International Department.

Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, together with Ri, watched the performance by the DPRK art troupe at the National Center for the Performing Arts on Monday.

Hailing the performance as a cultural exchange activity for implementing the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, Li said that this visit would further strengthen friendship between the Chinese and DPRK people.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, met with Ri on Tuesday.

Wang said the performance was a great success, marking a good beginning for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. (Xinhua) 

EU says no to May's attempt to renegotiate Brexit deal

The British House of Commons on Tuesday passed an amendment to allow Prime Minister Theresa May to renegotiate a Brexit deal with the European Union.

The majority of 317 for May's deal gives her a mandate to return to Brussels to call for a re-opening of negotiations, and indicates that the Brexit deal is likely to win the critical final vote in the British parliament if changes are made to the Irish border issue.

However, speaking immediately after the vote in the British parliament, a spokesman for European Council President Donald Tusk said the backstop was part of the withdrawal agreement and not up for negotiation. (Xinhua) 

Maduro says ready to negotiate with opposition with int'l mediation

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he is ready to hold talks with the country's opposition with the assistance of international mediators, RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.

"I am ready to sit down at the negotiating table with the opposition so that we can speak for the good of Venezuela, for the sake of peace and the country's future," Maduro said in an interview with the Russian news agency.

Maduro was reelected in May 2018 and was sworn in as president on Jan. 10 for another six-year term.

Alleging that the Maduro administration is illegitimate, opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is the head of the National Assembly, declared himself interim president during an anti-government rally on Jan. 23. (Xinhua) 

53 members of China's Antarctic expedition team returning home via Chile

China's icebreaker Xuelong's 53 crew members have left Antarctica on their way back to China via Chile, after the ship collided with an iceberg during China's 35th Antarctic expedition.

The Chinese embassy set up an emergency evacuation team and sent three staff members to Chile's southernmost city of Punta Arenas, from where they flew to the Great Wall station on a chartered flight and brought the 53 members back, Chinese Ambassador to Chile Xu Bu said.

The 53 members will take commercial flights in batches and return to China via Chile's capital Santiago, he added. (Xinhua) 

Han Dynasty tomb found in north China's Hebei Province

A tomb dating back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) has been found in the city of Wu'an, China's Hebei Province, the local cultural relics protection department said Wednesday.

More than 20 pieces of silverware, bronzeware and pottery were unearthed from the tomb, which will contribute to research on the social history and ceramics of the Han Dynasty.

Judging from the characteristics of the tomb and the unearthed items, archaeologists determined that the tomb might be from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). (Xinhua) 

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

Reckoned to be one of the great novels of world literature, who wrote "Dead Souls"?

(Answer: Nikolai Gogol.)

Today's quote is from English writer Richard Whately (1787-1863).

"Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it."

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