Briefly

CHINA

FM to visit Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Singapore, Malaysia, and Cambodia from Thursday to Sunday. China expects to strengthen strategic communication with the three Southeast Asian nations, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday. China would like to work with Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia to deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and push forward the relationship with them, the statement said. China is ready to work with the three countries to promote economic recovery, and maintain peace and tranquillity, the statement added.

ITALY

41 dead as boat capsizes off Tunisia, state TV says

Forty-one people are believed dead after a migrant boat capsized off Tunisia, Italian state RAI television reported, citing four survivors who were rescued and brought to land on Wednesday. According to RAI and ANSA news agency, the four were first rescued by the Maltese-flagged bulk carrier Rimona in the Straits of Sicily. They were then transferred to the Italian coast guard. The island, which is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland, is a frequent destination for migrant smugglers.

NIGER

Bid for talks with military leaders fails

Efforts by the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, and the United States to hold talks with Niger's military rulers made no headway on Tuesday ahead of a regional summit to consider options that include military intervention. Hours after a US envoy failed to make progress in an unannounced visit, the soldiers who seized power in the capital Niamey on July 26 blocked a mission by ECOWAS in the run-up to the summit on Thursday.

MEXICO

Rumors spark migrant rush at US border

Hundreds of migrants gathered alongside the US border in the northern Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez late on Monday, after rumors spread via social media and word of mouth that the US would allow entry to a mass group. Some said they had been waiting for weeks to secure appointments to request asylum via a US mobile app, and were eager to try their luck at the border itself. About 1,000 people clustered around the border opposite the Texas city of El Paso, some peering through the slats of the border wall while others sat alongside an industrial train line headed to the US.

China Daily - Agencies