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Here are today's picks from our editors. 

Xi urges civil affairs authorities to better fulfill duties

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged civil affairs authorities to better fulfill their duties by focusing on poverty alleviation, special groups and public concerns.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the statement in an instruction read at a national civil affairs conference held in Beijing Tuesday.

Identifying civil affairs work as a fundamental aspect of social development, Xi called on Party committees and governments at various levels to be committed to a people-centered approach, strengthen leadership over the civil affairs work and enhance civil affairs services at the primary level.

Civil affairs organs should better perform their duties of ensuring basic livelihood security, strengthening social governance at the primary level, and providing basic social services, to make new contributions to finishing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and turning China into a modern socialist country, Xi said. (Xinhua) 

Forest fire put out in southwest China's Sichuan

A fire that killed 27 firefighters and three locals and engulfed about 15 hectares of forest in southwest China's Sichuan Province was extinguished Tuesday, local authorities said.

More than 600 people were dispatched to put out the blaze which broke out on Saturday in a remote spot in the mountains at an altitude of over 3,700 meters.

A blanket survey of the affected area continues to ensure the fire does not restart. (Xinhua) 

Global tensions to force trade slowdown in 2019

The World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday lowered its forecast for global trade growth this year from 3.7 percent to 2.6 percent, due to economic uncertainties.

"With trade tensions running high, no one should be surprised by this outlook," said WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo at the release of the Trade and Statistics Outlook.

The WTO said trade growth could rebound to the 2018 level of 3 percent in 2020 if trade tensions ease. (Xinhua) 

Parents could face tax charges, big fines in admissions scam

A wide-ranging college admissions cheating scheme allowed wealthy parents not only to get their kids into sought-after schools but to write off the bribes on their taxes, federal authorities say.

Now some parents who are already facing possible prison time could be hit with additional criminal charges and stiff financial penalties, experts say.

And a slew of others who paid into the foundation that an admissions consultant used to mask the bribes, but haven’t been charged in the scam, are also sure to face IRS scrutiny. (AP) 

China's central bank requests police probe on reserve requirement ratio rumor

The People's Bank of China has asked police to investigate the source of a rumor that the bank would lower the reserve requirement ratio by 0.5 percent on April 1, according to Financial News.

The fake news quickly spread after first appearing in a chat group on WeChat last Friday. The central bank quickly denied the rumor on its Weibo account in a move to limit any consequences of the rumor in the market. (China Plus) 

Chinese scientist couple donate life savings to establish scholarship

A couple of senior Chinese scientists donated their life savings of 1.5 million yuan ($223,000) to the education foundation of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences to establish a scholarship on Tuesday.

Zheng Ruyong, an 88-year-old academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and her husband Huang He, also a scientist in his 90s, set up the scholarship to encourage young students to pursue scientific studies.

Zheng, born in Hong Kong in 1931, entered CAS in 1953 to become a mycologist. Her research on powdery mildew has reached the world advanced level. (Xinhua) 

Amsterdam sex workers angry at red light district tours ban

The city of Amsterdam’s latest attempt to rein in the nuisance of over-tourism by banning guided tours of the red light district has run into opposition from some of the people it is intended to protect: sex workers.

The first step in the new policy was taken Monday night in the red light district, with tours banned from 7 pm.

But the sex workers’ union questions whether banning tours will reduce tourist numbers and argues that guides educate visitors and encourage them to behave more respectfully toward the women. (AP) 

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

Who said "Quitting smoking is easy, I've done it hundreds of times."

(Answer: American writer Mark Twain.)

Today's quote is by Greek philosopher Diogenes (412 BC - 323 BC).

"Modesty is the color of virtue."

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