Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app. 

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

Shanghai per capita disposable income highest in China 

Official data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics has revealed that Shanghai’s average per capita disposable income was roughly $9,300 last year, the highest among the country’s 31 provincial-level regions.

Meanwhile, China's national average per capita disposable income was just over $4,000 for the same period, a 7.3 percent increase year-on-year.

Strong income growth and lifestyle changes in past years have helped China's consumer spending amid government efforts to shift the economy toward a growth model with more emphasis on consumption, the service sector and innovation. (Xinhua)

US Supreme Court refutes Trump administration appeal

On Monday, the US Supreme Court dismissed a Trump administration appeal of a lower court ruling that requires the government to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program going. 

In January, a federal judge in San Francisco blocked Trump's effort to abolish the program as it permits children of illegal immigrants under the age of 16 who have entered the US to obtain legal status.

The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to bypass a federal appeals court, something it has only done roughly 12 times in the past century.

The Supreme Court declined the request unanimously.  (People’s Daily app)

Putin orders daily 'humanitarian pause' in Syria's Ghouta 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a daily "humanitarian pause" to air strikes on the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta in Syria from Tuesday, Moscow's defense minister said Monday.

"On the instructions of the Russian president, with the goal of avoiding civilian casualties in Eastern Ghouta, from February 27 there will be a humanitarian pause," Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a ministry meeting, according to a statement sent to AFP.  

More than 520 civilians are thought to have died in a week of heavy bombardment in Eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus. (AFP)

Prosecutors raid home, office of son-in-law of ex-South Korean president 

On Monday, Seoul authorities raided the home and office of Lee Sang-joo, the son-in-law of former President Lee Myung-bak, over alleged bribery charges, local media reported.

Lee Sang-joo is a senior executive with Samsung and married to the former president’s oldest daughter.

The son-in-law was suspected of receiving bribes from an unidentified third party on behalf of his father-in-law, who served as the nation’s leader from 2008 to 2013.

The prosecution's investigation into former President Lee has been underway over corruption allegations involving a domestic auto parts manufacturer allegedly owned by the former president. (Xinhua)

Vietnam heroin ring busted on China border

Over the weekend, Vietnam authorities busted the ringleaders of a drug smuggling operation, netting five arrests, and seizing $2.5 million worth of heroin in Cao Bang Province close to the Southern China border.

Two men were arrested on Friday after police opened fire on their drug-packed truck that was carrying 220 pounds of heroin from Laos.  

Three other members of the smuggling operation were arrested on Saturday.

Vietnam has some of the toughest drug laws in the world. Anyone caught with more than 600 grams of heroin, or more than 20 kilograms of opium could face the death penalty. (AFP)

China puts responsibility for battery recycling on electric vehicle manufacturers 

China will make electric vehicle makers responsible for setting up facilities to collect and recycle spent batteries, as part of its efforts to tackle mounting waste in the sector, say new rules published on Monday.

China’s industry ministry issued “interim” rules that hold carmakers responsible for the recovery of new energy vehicle batteries and require them to set up recycling channels and service outlets where old batteries can be collected, stored and transferred to specialist recyclers.

The carmakers must also establish a maintenance service network allowing members of the public to repair or exchange their old batteries conveniently, the ministry said. (Reuters)

Ivy league research team develops electric eye

Harvard researchers have developed a flat, electronically controlled artificial eye that can simultaneously control three of the major contributors to blurry images: focus, astigmatism, and image shift.

The study was partially inspired by how the human eye works and has demonstrated optical zoom and auto-focus capabilities for cell phone cameras, eyeglasses, and virtual reality devices.

Harvard Professor Frederico Capasso explained that the research provides the possibility of unifying two industries: semiconductor manufacturing and lens-making, whereby the same technology used to make computer chips will be used to make metasurface-based optical components, such as lenses. (Xinhua)

China’s ‘flying man’ sprinter wins Glasgow dash

The final stop of the World Indoor Tour was held on Sunday, and Chinese sprinter Su Bingtian, otherwise known as “flying man,” finished ahead of the pack clocking 6.59 seconds in the men’s 60-meter dash at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix Glasgow.

Following Sunday’s victory, Su now stands sixth on the all-time indoor sprint list.

Su is considered to be the fastest man in China and was the first Asian-born man to run the 100-yard dash in under 10 seconds. (Xinhua)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

Today’s quote is from one of America’s founding fathers,Thomas Jefferson.

“Knowledge is power... knowledge is safety... knowledge is happiness.” 

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Lance Crayon, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Zeke Zeng Ziyi, and Regina Barna.)