Welcome to Fresh Start.

This is People’s Daily app. 

Here are today’s picks from our editors.

Xi stresses revitalization of northeast China

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed the revitalization of China's northeast region with fresh efforts.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during a research trip from Tuesday to Friday to the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning.

To revitalize the region, China should implement a series of policies made by the CPC Central Committee, stick to the new development philosophy, forge ahead with determination and an open mind, maintain targeted and continued efforts, deepen reform to tackle contradictions, and make good use of advantages while avoiding shortcomings, Xi said. (Xinhua)

China calls for early repatriation efforts in Rakhine issue

An unofficial meeting involving government ministers from China, Myanmar and Bangladesh at the UN headquarters on Thursday produced three points of consensus on the Rakhine issue.

The meeting involved Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Myanmar's Minister of the State Counselor's Office U Kyaw Tint Swe, Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Wang said that the Rakhine issue is an issue involving Myanmar and Bangladesh, and China does not support approaches that will escalate the issue or make it more international.

Myanmar and Bangladesh shared the consensus that the Rakhine issue should be resolved through friendly consultations.

Bangladesh said it is prepared to repatriate the first group of displaced persons from Myanmar's west Rakhine state who fled to Bangladesh, while Myanmar said it is prepared to receive them.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed on holding a joint working group meeting as soon as possible work out a roadmap for the repatriation. (Xinhua)

Trial run for Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge begins

Cross-border buses operated by Hong Kong companies on Friday started trial runs on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) in preparation for the bridge's upcoming opening.

The trial runs, jointly arranged by the governments of the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Macao SAR, will last for three days and will test the readiness of boundary crossing facilities of the three places, the Hong Kong SAR government's Transport and Housing Bureau told Xinhua.

The HZMB is a mega-size sea crossing that links the Hong Kong SAR, Zhuhai city of Guangdong Province and the Macao SAR. (Xinhua)

7.7-magnitude quake jolts Indonesia

An earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter magnitude scale jolted Central Sulawesi 3 hours after a 5.9-magnitude quake killed one and injured at least 10 people in Donggala, Central Sulawesi, on Friday.

The US Geological Survey said the second earthquake was centered at a depth of 18 kilometers about 30 kilometers north of the central Sulawesi town of Donggala.

According to local media, many houses collapsed and forced residents to gather in open spaces for safety. (People's Daily app)

Honda recalls Accord, Insight vehicles for software problem

Honda is recalling about 232,000 2018 Accord vehicles and 2019 Insight hybrid cars in the US for malfunctioning rear camera display software.

There have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to the problem, a Honda Motor Co. spokeswoman said Friday.

The Tokyo-based automaker said that apart from the US recall, Honda is recalling 14,000 vehicles in Canada, more than 6,000 vehicles in Germany and nearly 3,000 in South Korea for the same problem. (AP)

Tokyo Olympic organizers conduct security tests with police

Tokyo Olympic organizers have conducted a series of drills with the metropolitan police department aimed at boosting security for the 2020 games.

The drills included removing an explosive package, subduing a knife-wielding intruder, and testing facial recognition technology.

Officials are also concerned about natural disasters during the games like typhoons and earthquakes. (AP)

Graham plans to explain Kavanaugh delay to Trump

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said he will explain to US President Donald Trump why Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation vote has been delayed.

He spoke after Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said he would vote to advance Kavanaugh's nomination to the full Senate only if the final confirmation vote is delayed for an FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations from Christine Blasey Ford.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Friday to advance the nomination to the full Senate, but Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley noted the timing on Senate vote was up to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. (AP)

Thanks for listening and be sure to catch us tomorrow.

And now for the Question of the Day:

Which country will host the 2024 Summer Olympics? 

(Answer: France.)

Today’s quote is from English poet William Wordsworth.

“The flower that smells the sweetest is shy and lowly.” 

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Ryan Yaoran Yu, Raymond Mendoza, Terry Guanlin Li, and Da Hang.)