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Here are today’s picks from our editors.

China, PNG agree on comprehensive strategic partnership

Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill agreed on Friday to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership between their countries, featuring mutual respect and common development.

The decision was made during a meeting between Xi and O'Neill, where they spoke positively of the traditional friendship between China and PNG and charted the course for the development of bilateral relations.

Expressing gratitude to the PNG government and people for the warm reception, Xi said it was an epitome of the profound friendship the PNG people have for the Chinese people and a reflection of the development of bilateral relations and the achievements in bilateral cooperation in years.

The two sides should consolidate friendship between the two peoples based on cultural exchanges, Xi said, adding that they should also advance cooperation in the fields of the facilitation of personnel exchanges, human resources development, education, health and tourism. (Xinhua)

Xi meets leaders of Pacific island nations to further BRI cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Friday with leaders of Pacific island countries that have diplomatic relations with China to exchange views on bilateral ties and pragmatic cooperation.

During the meeting with President of the Federated States of Micronesia Peter Christian, Xi said China appreciates the Pacific island nation's adherence to the one-China policy and is willing to uphold the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests to enhance unity and cooperation.

Xi said he hopes both sides will well implement cooperation agreements reached by the two countries recently on jointly building the Belt and Road, promote cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, agriculture, fishery and infrastructure construction.

Xi said he wishes the tourism event held by China and Pacific island nations in 2019 a success. (Xinhua)

US court filing hints at charges for WikiLeaks founder

The Justice Department inadvertently named Julian Assange in a court filing in an unrelated case, suggesting prosecutors have charged the WikiLeaks founder under seal.

Assange’s name appears twice in an August court filing from a federal prosecutor in Virginia, who was attempting to keep sealed a separate case involving a man accused of coercing a minor for sex.

It would also suggest that, after years of internal wrangling within the Justice Department, prosecutors have decided to take a more aggressive tact against the secret-sharing website. (AP)

Sheriff says 63 killed, over 600 missing in Northern California's wildfire

At least 63 are now confirmed dead in a Northern California wildfire, and officials say their missing persons list has 631 names on it in an ever-evolving account of the missing after the nation’s deadliest wildfire in a century.

Officials were scrambling to pinpoint everyone’s whereabouts, and Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Thursday that the high number of missing people probably included some who fled the blaze and didn’t realize they had been reported missing.

On Thursday, firefighters reported progress in battling the nearly 570-square-kilometer blaze that displaced 52,000 people and destroyed more than 9,500 homes. It was 40 percent contained, fire officials said. (AP)

Didi-Uber merger under antitrust investigation: official

The Chinese market regulator is investigating the merger of two ride-hailing businesses, Didi and Uber's China branch, in accordance with the anti-monopoly law and regulations, an official said Friday.

Wu Zhenguo, head of the Anti-Monopoly Bureau of the State Administration for Market Regulation, told a press conference that the administration is working to comprehensively assess the deal's impact on competition and development of the industry.

Didi took over its US rival's China business in August 2016, sparking concern over potential monopoly. The Ministry of Commerce said a month later it was investigating the merger. (Xinhua - China Plus)

Oxford Dictionaries picks 'toxic' as Word of the Year

Oxford Dictionaries has announced that it has chosen "toxic" as its annual "Word of the Year", British media reported Friday.

Defining the word as "poisonous", Oxford said it had become a "descriptor for the year's most talked about topics", citing the adjective's use to describe everything from the debate around Brexit to the environment and masculinity.

The dictionary pointed to a 45 percent rise in the number of times the word has been looked up on its website. (Xinhua)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

What is the capital of Papua New Guinea?

(Answer: Port Moresby)

Today’s quote is from Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941).

“Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom.”

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