Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People's Daily app.

Here are today's picks from our editors. 

Xi says new substantial progress made on text of China-US economic and trade agreement

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a message delivered to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on Thursday that new substantial progress has been made on the text of the China-US economic and trade agreement in the past more than one month.

In the message conveyed by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at a meeting with Trump at the White House, Xi encouraged the two sides to keep up with the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and resolve issues of mutual concern so as to conclude the negotiations on the agreement text as soon as possible.

Xi also said he is ready to keep close contact with Trump through various means, and believes that the China-US relations will make new and greater progress under their joint guidance. (Xinhua) 

Lightning blamed for forest fire that kills 30 in SW China

Lightning strike has been confirmed as the cause of a forest fire that killed 27 firefighters and three locals in southwest China's Sichuan province, local authorities said Friday.

The provincial forestry and grassland administration cited local police as saying that the lightning igniting the fire was first witnessed and reported by locals in Muli County, Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture.

After a thorough investigation, police found an 18-meter pine tree was the starting point of the fire. (Xinhua) 

British PM asks EU to delay Brexit until June 30: Downing Street

Prime Minister Theresa May asked the European Union on Friday to delay Britain's departure from the bloc until June 30.

May also told EU Council president Donald Tusk in a formal letter that Britain would start preparing for its participation in European Parliament elections in case it is still a member of the bloc when they begin on May 23.

The current deadline is April 12, which has already been pushed back once from March 29 because of the UK parliament's failure on three occasions to back the deal. (AFP) 

Erdogan to visit Russia to discuss S-400, joint projects

Turkish President Recep Erdogan will pay a working visit to Moscow next Monday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said on Friday.

The two presidents will discuss the implementation of joint energy projects and reconcile approaches on regional and international issues, it said in a statement.

They are also expected to discuss the supply of a Russian S-400 air defense system to Turkey.

The Pentagon said Monday that it had halted deliveries of F-35 fighter jet parts and manuals to Turkey over the latter's purchase of the S-400 from Russia, the first batch of which is expected to reach Turkey in late 2019. (Xinhua) 

Filings: Bill Cosby agrees to settle 7 defamation cases

Bill Cosby has agreed to settle lawsuits filed by seven women who say he defamed them when he accused them of lying about sexual misconduct allegations.

Court documents filed Friday in Springfield, Massachusetts, show the two sides have negotiated a settlement since Cosby went to prison last fall in a separate Pennsylvania sex assault case. The 81-year-old comedian is serving a three- to 10-year prison sentence there.

Terms of the settlement are confidential. (AP) 

India weighs ban on popular online game after boy's suicide

A boy's suicide in India after his mother scolded him for playing the popular online game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has inflamed a debate across the country over whether the game should be banned.

PUBG is a survival battle game developed by a South Korean company in which players are dropped onto an island and have to eliminate each other. Since its launch in 2017, it has garnered a huge global following.

A few cities in the central Indian state of Gujarat have already banned the game. Two dozen young people have been arrested. (AP) 

Two Giant pandas from China arrive in Copenhagen

Two Giant pandas named Xing Er and Mao Sun destined for Copenhagen Zoo arrived at Copenhagen Airport along with 500 kilograms of bamboo on Thursday, according to a report by Xinhua. They will be greeted with a welcoming ceremony at the zoo's new Panda Hall on April 10 before going on display for the general public the following day.

The pair of pandas was sent to Denmark as part of an agreement signed when the country's Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen visited China in May 2017. (China Plus) 

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

How many Sonnets did Shakespeare write?

(Answer: 154.)

Today's quote is from German dramatist Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805).

"Honesty prospers in every condition of life."

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