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Here are today's picks from our editors.

Xi underscores firm implementation of major reforms

Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed firm implementation of major reforms at the seventh meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform Tuesday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, chairman of the Central Military Commission and head of the central committee for deepening overall reform, presided over and addressed the meeting.

Xi stressed efforts to fix the problem of formalities for formalities' sake at the grassroots level through reform, continue to strengthen people's sense of fulfillment, happiness and security, and unswervingly promote the implementation of major reform policies and measures.

The meeting decided to prioritize ecological and environmental protection and stick to a new path featuring environmental protection and green growth in the western region development. (Xinhua)

China to speed up application of methanol-fueled vehicles

Chinese authorities issued a guideline on Tuesday to speed up the construction of the manufacturing system and market application of methanol-fueled vehicles.

Relevant automobile and vehicle component producers are encouraged to improve their manufacturing system through technology upgrading, according to the guideline released jointly by authorities including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the National Development and Reform Commission.

The document said the country will accelerate constructing the standard system of methanol-fueled vehicles and support industrial organizations and associations in formulating the international standards for the vehicles, dynamical systems and identification marks and signs. (Xinhua)

Kazakh President Nazarbayev resigns

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced his sudden resignation on Tuesday after nearly three decades of leadership in the Central Asian country.

He said he would retain the post of the head of the country's Security Council and leader of the Nur Otan party, and remain a member of the Constitutional Council.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaker of the upper house of parliament, will take over as Kazakhstan's acting president for the remainder of his term in line with the constitution. (Xinhua)

Abel Prize for maths awarded to woman for first time

The Abel Prize in mathematics was on Tuesday awarded to Karen Uhlenbeck of the United States for her work on partial differential equations, the first woman to win the award, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters said.

"Her theories have revolutionized our understanding of minimal surfaces, such as those formed by soap bubbles, and more general minimization problems in the higher dimensions," the Academy said. (CGTN)

Huawei files the most patents as a company in 2018

Chinese telecom giant Huawei filed the most patents at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) last year, the Organization said on Tuesday.

Huawei made 5,405 patent applications to the UN body, up from 4,024 in 2017.

The second-biggest user of the WIPO international patent system in 2018 was Mitsubishi Electric with 2,812 filings, followed by Intel with 2,499. (CGTN)

Marriage rate in China hits lowest on record

Only 7.2 people out of every 1,000 got married in China last year, the lowest marriage rate since 2013, according to the National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

A survey by the People's Daily found that 29.5 percent of respondents weren't married because they hadn't met the right person, and 23.4 percent said they weren't ready to take on the responsibilities of starting a family.

The marriage rate is relatively low in China's most developed regions. For example, as of the end of last year, in Shanghai only 4.4 people out of every 1,000 people married in the year, the lowest rate in the country. Tianjin, Guangzhou, and Beijing also recorded low marriage rates. (China Plus)

The world's most expensive perfume is yours for $1.3 million

The city of Dubai has lifted the lid on the world's priciest perfume at a jaw-dropping $1.3 million. 

Perfumer Asghar Adam Ali, the maker of the perfume, says the name of their newest fragrance translates to "deserving the highest."

The three-liter bottle is made of hand-blown Murano glass and enclosed in a 1.97m tall casing zhuzhed with a selection of bling, from Philippine pearls and Swiss blue topaz to black diamonds.

A whopping 3,571 diamonds embellish the imposing showpiece, which also features 2.5 kilograms of 18-carat gold and almost six kilograms of pure silver. (CGTN)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

What shape is the pasta called rigatoni?

(Answer: Tube-shaped.)

Today's quote is from Greek author Aesop (620 BC - 564 BC).

"Please all, and you will please none."

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