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Here are today's picks from our editors. 

China, Kyrgyzstan agree to enhance ties to new heights

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Kyrgyz counterpart, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, held talks on Thursday, agreeing to take their countries' comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.

China-Kyrgyzstan relations have withstood the test of international vicissitudes and achieved leapfrog development over the past 27 years since the establishment of the diplomatic relationship. The two countries have set a fine example of a new type of state-to-state relations featuring mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation, Xi said.

China will continue to support Kyrgyzstan's own choice of development path and all policy measures taken by the Kyrgyz government to safeguard national independence, sovereignty and security, Xi said.

For his part, Jeenbekov said he has met with the Chinese president for three times in more than a year, fully demonstrating the high level of the bilateral relations and the willingness of both sides to strengthen cooperation.

Kyrgyzstan will always be "a good neighbor, good friend, and good partner" of China, he said. (Xinhua) 

Japanese ship among tankers attacked near Strait of Hormuz: Tokyo

Two tankers were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, with at least one of them operated by a Japanese company, said Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko on Thursday.

The Japanese government is looking into the incident and collecting related information, Seko said.

All 21 Filipino crew members of the Japan-operated 19,349-ton ship escaped safely in life rafts and are heading to the United Arab Emirates, according to the ship’s company, Kokuka Sangyo.

The transport ministry said details of the attack and the extent of the damage are not yet known, and the tanker remains adrift without a crew. (CGTN) 

France's Macron will send new oak to Trump after tree died

French President Emmanuel Macron promised to send a new oak to President Donald Trump after the tree he gave him during last year's US state visit died.

In an interview Tuesday with Swiss television RTS, Macron said the death of the tree shouldn't be read as an indication of the up-and-down relationship between France and the US.

"It's no big drama," Macron said. "The symbol was to plant it together." (AP) 

Britain signs US extradition order for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

British Home Secretary Sajid Javid has signed a US request for the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who faces charges in the US under the Espionage Act, local media reported Thursday.

Australian-born Assange, 47, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for all charges.

Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail on May 2 for breaching the Bail Act in Britain after having been expelled from Ecuador's Embassy in London. (Xinhua) 

Russia and Turkey broker ceasefire in Syria's Idlib

Russia and Turkey have brokered a complete ceasefire in Syria's Idlib Province between Syrian government forces and rebels, Russian news agencies cited the Russian military as saying on Wednesday.

The ceasefire applied to the so-called Idlib de-escalation zone and had led to a significant reduction in violence on Wednesday, said Russian military officials.

Russian officials did not say how long the ceasefire would last.

Idlib is the last significant rebel stronghold. (CGTN) 

India to launch first solar mission in 2020

India's Space Research Organization (ISRO) Thursday said it will launch its first mission to study the sun in 2020.

The announcement was made by ISRO Chairman K Sivan and the mission has been named Aditya-L1.

According to Sivan, Aditya-L1 mission is expected to be inserted in a halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1), which is 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, so that there is a major advantage of viewing the sun without any occultation or eclipses.

ISRO is also planning to have a space station for India by 2030. (Xinhua) 

World's lightest panda cub born in China

A female giant panda cub weighing 42.8 grams, about the weight of an average chicken egg and the world's lightest ever, was born in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, local officials said Thursday.

The cub and her twin sister were born to giant panda Chengda on Tuesday at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

The base said the cub is in stable condition, thanks to round-the-clock care from researchers at the facility. (Xinhua) 

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

Home to the Ross Sea and a species of flightless bird. Where is this?

(Answer: Antarctica.)

Today's quote is from English poet John Dryden (1631-1700). 

"He who would search for pearls must dive below."

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Lance Crayon, Elaine Yue Lin and Chelle Wenqian Zeng. Music by Eugene Loner.)