Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People's Daily app.

Here are today's picks from our editors. 

Xi sends letter to congratulate inauguration of Belt and Road Studies Network

President Xi Jinping sent a letter to congratulate the inauguration of the Belt and Road Studies Network (BRSN) on Wednesday.

Xi said the development of history, prosperity of civilizations, and progress of humanity are closely connected with the guidance of advanced ideas.

Noting that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) originates in China, but belongs to the world, Xi said the initiative has become an open and inclusive platform for international cooperation and popular global public goods, thanks to the concerted efforts of all parties.

Xi said think tanks are an important force in the joint pursuit of the BRI, adding that exchanges and cooperation among think tanks help deepen mutual trust, build consensus, and advance the joint pursuit of the BRI towards higher levels. (Xinhua) 

Chinese, Chilean presidents hold talks

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera held talks in Beijing on Wednesday ahead of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

China and Chile should take joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative as a new opportunity to deepen political mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation, and push the China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, Xi said.

Xi said the two countries should promote the upgrading of bilateral trade and investment, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as mining, clean energy, telecommunication, e-commerce, technological innovation and Antarctic science.

Efforts should be made to better hold a series of celebrations next year that will mark the 50th anniversary of China-Chile diplomatic relations, and boost people-to-people ties, he said.

Pinera said Chile and China had achieved marked progress in bilateral relationship since the two countries established diplomatic ties.

Chile supports joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance connectivity among regions, Pinera said. (Xinhua) 

Chinese cultural relics returned from Italy displayed in National Museum of China

Chinese cultural relics returned from Italy are on display at the National Museum of China in Beijing starting Wednesday.

The exhibition, titled "The Journey Back Home," showcases more than 700 pieces of repatriated Chinese artifacts, including a painted pottery pot from the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC - 8 AD), a colored camel pottery figurine from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and a white-glazed bowl from the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

China and Italy exchanged related certificates for returning 796 Chinese cultural relics on March 23. This batch of Chinese artifacts arrived in Beijing on April 10. (Xinhua) 

British official: 1 suicide bomber studied in Britain

A British security official has confirmed a report identifying one of the Sri Lanka suicide bombers as a man who studied in Britain between 2006 and 2007.

The official identified the man as Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed.

The official said Wednesday that British intelligence officers were not watching Mohamed during his stay in the country.

Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and the national police chief after security forces failed to act on warnings before Easter suicide bombings that killed over 350 people. (AP) 

Trump sending 'armed soldiers' to US-Mexico border

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday the US is sending armed soldiers to the southern border after Mexican soldiers recently "pulled guns" on US troops.

US defense officials said last week that two US soldiers were in an unmarked vehicle conducting surveillance on the American side of the border when they were approached by five to six Mexican military personnel.

The officials said the Mexican soldiers pointed their weapons at the US troops and removed a soldier's sidearm. (CGTN) 

Boeing's troubled jet will cost $1 billion to fix

Boeing estimates that it will spend $1 billion to fix the 737 Max and has pulled its forecast of 2019 earnings because of uncertainty surrounding the jetliner.

The estimate was disclosed Wednesday in a presentation for investors as Boeing released first-quarter financial results. Boeing did not go into great detail on the costs of fixing flight-control software that played a role in the crashes or the additional training for pilots.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg repeated that the company is making progress on updating the Max's software and convincing regulators to let the plane fly again. (AP) 

Chinese scientists recreate Earth's first mass extinction

Scientists in east China's Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences have recreated the process of Earth's first mass extinction with high accuracy, which will contribute to the study of biological evolution.

They summarized the evolutionary features of benthonic animals in the late Ordovician period, the time when the extinction took place and combined them with biological and carbon isotope stratigraphic data, to improve the preciseness of geological and palaeontological research in the period. (Xinhua) 

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

What is the world's biggest spider?

(Answer: Goliath bird-eater tarantula.)

Today's quote is from German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883).

"Imagination creates reality."

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