Welcome to Fresh Start.
This is People’s Daily app.
Here are today’s picks from our editors.
China issues plan on building national culture parks
China has issued a plan on the construction of national culture parks for the Great Wall, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and the Long March.
China aims to complete the construction of the parks by 2023 with related cultural resources enjoying better protection, inheritance and utilization, according to the document jointly issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.
Efforts should be made to protect and manage the cultural relics and their surrounding environment and develop cultural tourism based on local conditions, said the plan. (Xinhua)
Paris police arrest scores amid strike over pension reform
Paris police fired tear gas at demonstrators Thursday as the Eiffel Tower shut down, France’s high-speed trains came to a standstill and hundreds of thousands marched nationwide in a strike over the government’s plan to overhaul the retirement system.
At least 90 people were arrested in Paris by evening as the protests wound down.
Police said 65,000 people took to the streets of the French capital, and over 800,000 nationwide in the often-tense demonstrations aimed at forcing President Emmanuel Macron to abandon pension reform.
Opponents fear the changes to how and when workers can retire will threaten the hard-fought French way of life. (AP)
Iran dismisses Europeans' allegations over ballistic missile program
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday criticized Britain, France, and Germany for their recent allegations about the country’s development of a ballistic missile program.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, the three EU countries stated that Iran is developing "nuclear-capable ballistic missiles" which runs against a UN Security Council resolution preventing Iran from the related missile activities.
"The latest E3 letter to UN on missiles is a desperate falsehood to cover up their miserable incompetence in fulfilling the bare minimum of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action obligations," Zarif tweeted on Thursday. (Xinhua)
Int'l police operation against bomb-making instructions on the internet
Hundreds of online links to bomb-making instructions had been reported to service providers for deletion during a joint police operation from EU countries and the US, Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) announced on Thursday.
The German criminal police alone, which initiated the operation, had located around 600 of the more than 1,700 reported links containing instructions on bomb-making, according to the BKA. (Xinhua)
South Korean actor found dead in latest K-pop tragedy
South Korean actor Cha In-ha was found dead in his home, police said on Wednesday, the country's third young celebrity to die over the past two months as concern mounted over the intense social pressures that artists face.
A police official said Cha, 27, was found dead on Tuesday and the cause of death was not immediately known. A source said the 27-year-old had recently been showing "frequent signs of worsening health and anxiety.”
While South Korea's pop culture mostly projects a wholesome image on stage and screen, it has been marred by a series of untimely deaths and criminal cases that have revealed the industry’s darker side. (CGTN)
4,000-year-old granaries discovered in Central China's Neolithic ruins
Chinese archaeologists have unearthed circular foundations at a Neolithic site from the Longshan Culture dating back about 4,000 years in Huaiyang, Central China's Henan Province, and believe they are one of China's earliest granaries.
According to an archaeological survey, the site covers 30,000 square meters with the main living area of 5,000 square meters surrounded with rammed earth walls.
Cao Yanpeng, an associate researcher at the institute, said the Longshan Culture represents a gradual transition from a primitive society to a civilized era. (Xinhua)
Former CBA champion captain's death shocks fans
Ji Zhe, the former captain of the Beijing Ducks, has died of lung cancer at the age of 33, according to the Chinese basketball club.
In the 2012-13 seasons, he averaged 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, which became the best season of his career.
The 2.02-meter-tall power forward was the main contributor of Beijing's championship wins in the 2011, 2013, and 2014 seasons. (China Daily)
Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.
And now for the Question of the Day:
What is the name of the biggest part of the human brain?
(Answer: The cerebrum.)
Today’s quote is from English author J. K. Rowling.
"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."
(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Lance Crayon, and Elaine Yue Lin. Music by Eugene Loner.)