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Here are today’s picks from our editors.

Chinese president to visit Italy, Monaco, France

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay state visits to Italy, Monaco and France from March 21 to 26, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang announced Monday.

Xi was invited by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Head of State of the Principality of Monaco Albert II and French President Emmanuel Macron, Lu said.

During his visit to Italy, Xi will hold talks respectively with President Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, exchanging in-depth views on Sino-Italian, Sino-European relations as well as international and regional issues with common concern, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a news briefing on Monday.

Xi will hold talks with Prince Albert II during his visit to Monaco and exchange views with him on issues of common concern such as the development of China-Monaco relations in the new era.

During his visit to France, Xi will hold talks with President Macron, meet with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and the speakers of the Senate and the National Assembly, according to Geng. (Xinhua)

China issues white paper on anti-terrorism, human rights protection in Xinjiang

The State Council Information Office on Monday issued a white paper on the fight against terrorism and extremism and human rights protection in Xinjiang.

The Chinese government stands firmly against all forms of terrorism and extremism, and is relentless in striking hard, in accordance with the law, at any conduct advocating terrorism and extremism and any action that involves organizing, planning and carrying out terrorist activities, or infringing upon citizens' human rights, said the white paper, titled "The Fight Against Terrorism and Extremism and Human Rights Protection in Xinjiang."

China's fight against terrorism and extremism is an important part of the same battle being waged by the international community, the white paper said, adding that it is in keeping with the purposes and principles of the United Nations to combat terrorism and safeguard basic human rights. (Xinhua)

US FAA probed for Boeing 737 MAX approval: report

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) is investigating the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval of the Boeing 737 MAX, two of which have crashed.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the DOT's Inspector General is looking into whether the FAA used appropriate design standards and engineering analysis in certifying the anti-stall system, known as MCAS, which is suspected of playing a role in the recent crashes.

An earlier report on Sunday said analysis on the MCAS system, largely conducted by Boeing itself, was flawed. (Xinhua)

Three confirmed dead in Dutch tram shooting

Three people are dead and nine wounded after a gunman opened fire on a tram in the central Dutch city of Utrecht, said Mayor Jan von Zanen on Monday.

According to Dutch public broadcaster NOS, the tram shooting happened at around 10:45 am.

Utrecht police issued a photo of a 37-year-old man born in Turkey, Gokman Tanis, "in connection with the incident.” (People's Daily app)

Syria, Iran, Iraq military chiefs discuss counter-terror, opening borders, restoring Syrian areas

The military commanders from Syria, Iran and Iraq discussed in the capital Damascus on Monday issues, including the coordination to counter terrorism, opening borders, and restoring all Syrian areas.

The Syrian official said the Syrian state will completely wrest control over all of Syria sooner or later, noting that there will be no inch of Syria out of the government control.

The Iraqi official said there is ongoing coordination between the Iraqi and Syrian government regarding the war on the Islamic State (IS) group. 

The Iranian official stressed on the opening of the Iraqi-Syrian border to enable the Iranian merchants and tourists to visit Syria through Iraq. (Xinhua)

China opens first cross-sea bridge across active faults

The Haiwen Bridge opened to traffic Monday on the island province of Hainan as the first cross-sea bridge crossing active faults and the most earthquake-resistant bridge in China.

The six-lane bridge, which cuts the travel time between Puqian and Haikou from 1.5 hours to just 20 minutes, is expected to promote the integration of coastal industries in northeast Hainan, said Lin Dong, head of the provincial department of transportation. (Xinhua)

Japan to make crater on asteroid to get underground samples

Japan’s space agency said Monday that its Hayabusa2 spacecraft will follow up last month’s touchdown on a distant asteroid with another risky mission — dropping an explosive on the asteroid to make a crater and then collect underground samples for possible clues to the origin of the solar system.

Hayabusa2 made history on February 22 when it successfully touched down on the boulder-strewn asteroid and collected some surface fragments.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Hayabusa2 will drop an impactor the size of a baseball weighing 2 kilograms on the asteroid on April 5 to collect samples from deeper underground. (AP)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

What is the main ingredient of black pudding?

(Answer: Blood.)

Today’s quote is from English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892).

"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, and Lance Crayon.)