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Here are today's picks from our editors. 

Xi congratulates Naruhito on succession as Japan's new emperor

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday congratulated Japan's new Emperor Naruhito on his succession to the throne.

In a congratulatory message, Xi said China and Japan are close neighbors with a long history of friendship. The two countries should make joint efforts to promote peace and development and work towards a bright future for bilateral ties, he added.

Also on Wednesday, Xi conveyed greetings and good wishes to Akihito, father of the new emperor, in a separate message following his abdication. (Xinhua) 

China, US hold new round of trade talks in Beijing

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin held the 10th round of China-US high-level economic and trade consultations in Beijing from April 30 to May 1.

As planned, both sides will hold the 11th round of trade talks in Washington D.C. next week.

Liu is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-US comprehensive economic dialogue. (People's Daily app) 

Beijing horticultural expo to put on 50 shows during May Day holiday

Nearly 50 activities aimed at showcasing Beijing's achievements in ecological progress and image as a historical and cultural city will be held during the four-day May Day holiday at the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition, local officials said.

These activities also aim to showcase the development of Beijing as an international metropolis and the city's achievements in foreign exchanges.

Over 300 representatives from four international organizations, 48 countries and regions, government departments and companies attended the opening ceremony of a series of activities hosted by the Beijing municipal government. (Xinhua) 

Venezuela's Maduro urges world not to support 'coup opposition'

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called on other countries "which continue to support the coup opposition" to rectify their positions.

Accompanied by military leaders and other senior officials, the Venezuelan president rejected US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's claim that Maduro, after the violent events, had a plane ready to flee to Cuba.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said security forces had defeated the attempted coup. (Xinhua) 

WikiLeaks' Assange gets 50 weeks in prison for bail-jumping

A British judge sentenced WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday to 50 weeks in prison for skipping bail seven years ago and holing up in the Ecuadorian embassy.

Judge Deborah Taylor said Assange's seven years in the embassy had cost British taxpayers 16 million pounds ($21 million), and said he sought asylum as a "deliberate attempt to delay justice."

The Australian secret-spiller also faces a separate court hearing Thursday on a US extradition request. American authorities have charged Assange with conspiring to break into a Pentagon computer system. (AP) 

China's first shadow puppetry theme park opens

An entertainment park themed on shadow puppetry opened Wednesday in Tangshan, a city in northern China's Hebei Province.

The shadow puppetry, which joined the list of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in 2011, is a Chinese traditional drama performed by silhouette figures made from hides or paperboards.

Tangshan shadow puppetry is one of China's most influential shadow plays, famous for its exquisite handicrafts, skillful manipulation and elegant vocal music. (Xinhua) 

'Avengers: Endgame' becomes highest-grossing imported film on Chinese mainland

With a box office of over 2.7 billion yuan ($401 million) as of Wednesday morning, Disney and Marvel's "Avengers: Endgame" became the top-grossing imported film on the Chinese mainland.

The previous record was held by Universal Pictures' 2017 film "The Fate of the Furious" with 2.67 billion yuan.

With the arrival of the four-day May Day holiday, the box office of the superhero film is expected to reach new heights. (Xinhua) 

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

Who composed the music for the ballets Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake?

(Answer: Russian composers Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky.)

Today's quote is from Roman Statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC).

"The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory."

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