Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app. 

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

Xi Jinping meets with US Defense Secretary Mattis

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with visiting US Secretary of Defense James Mattis in Beijing.

Xi said the world is undergoing major developments, transformation and adjustment. The trends of world multi-polarization and economic globalization are developing in depth, and countries have become even more interdependent. 

The Chinese people are building a great modern socialist country, but China will stay on the path of peaceful development, Xi said, adding that China will neither pursue the path of expansionism and colonialism, nor cause chaos to the world.

Xi said China-US relations are one of the most important bilateral ties in the world. (Xinhua – People’s Daily app)

Kremlin announces Putin-Trump summit 

Moscow and Washington have struck a deal to hold a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters on Wednesday.

Ushakov said the summit would take place in a mutually convenient third country and that it would take weeks to make the final preparations. 

Moscow and Washington will announce the time and place of the summit on Thursday. (Xinhua – People’s Daily app)

China urges South Korea to handle Sejong fire aftermath

Lu Kang, spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that China has urged South Korea to hold on to the remains of the Chinese victim who perished in a fire on Tuesday and to exert great efforts in treating the Chinese nationals injured from the blaze. 

Tuesday afternoon, flames overtook a construction site in Sejong, killing two and injuring 37, according to local media. 

At a press conference on Wednesday Lu said, "The Chinese embassy in Seoul dispatched a team to the site, requiring South Korea to keep the Chinese victim's remains, and make their best efforts to treat the injured Chinese nationals and to find out what caused the fire as quickly as possible.”

Local officials confirmed that one Chinese national died while 15 others were injured, including one who sustained severe burns and remained in critical condition. (People’s Daily app)

Netherlands bans face coverings in public

The Dutch senate has approved a ban on face coverings in public places including schools, hospitals and government offices. 

"The bill bans the wearing of clothing that completely covers the face or only shows the eyes, in educational institutions, on public transportation, in government institutions and hospitals," the Dutch Upper House of Parliament said on its website earlier this week.

Netherlands joins France, Belgium, Denmark, Italy and Spain that have implemented similar bans. (People’s Daily app)

Alibaba launches advanced think-tank 

On Tuesday, Chinese conglomerate Alibaba unveiled Luo Han Tang, a think-tank that includes six Nobel laureates.  

The think-tank will concentrate on two issues. One, understanding how technology can help realize society’s common interests.  And two, establish a broad research community and provide a new paradigm for solving problems.

Luo Han Tang’s 15 members, along with Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma, gathered at Hangzhou’s West Lake in Zhejiang Province this week for closed-door talks. 

“The rapid progress of science and technology has changed all aspects of human society. While we enjoy the benefits of science and technology, we should also understand the challenges that science and technology bring to society and think about solutions,” said Ma. (People’s Daily app)

China continues campus soccer investment

The Chinese government said the most important thing for the development of campus soccer is to hone the sport’s spirit while improving athletic performance at the national level.

On Tuesday during a press conference, China’s Ministry of Education released data that said since 2015, the central government has invested 648 million yuan in the country’s national soccer program. 

Today’s biggest challenges include an incomplete training system and a lower skill level among Chinese athletes. 

When President Xi Jinping visited Germany in 2009 he said, “The level of Chinese soccer is relatively low, but after winning so many gold medals in other sports at the Beijing

Olympic Games, China is determined to make its soccer reach the top level. But this might take a long time.” (People’s Daily app)

Sweden topples Mexico, South Korea crushes German champs, Switzerland and Brazil advance 

In a day of surprise upsets in Group F action at Yekaterinburg Arena, Sweden blew out Mexico 3-0. 

The game began with the fastest yellow card ever issued in World Cup history after Jesus Gallardo charged into a Swedish striker in the 15th second of opening play. 

Both teams will advance to the Round of 16. 

South Korea stunned World Cup champs Germany, 2-0, thanks in part to a VAR assist from Kim Young-gwon, and a 96th minute strike from Son Heung-min.  Both teams are officially out, and for the first time since 1938 Germany will not advance past the group stage.

In Group E action, Brazil defeated Serbia 2-0 and finished at the top of the group where the South American side will face off against Mexico next week.

Switzerland only needed a draw against Costa Rica to advance, and a draw is exactly what they got, holding the Central American team to an even finish at 2 apiece. The Swiss side will take on Sweden, July 3 in Moscow. (People’s Daily app)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day.

How many dimples are on a regulation golf ball? (336)

Today’s quote is from British mathematician Sir Isaac Newton.

“No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess.” 

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Ziyi Zeng, and Lance Crayon)