Briefly

UNITED KINGDOM

Chinese consulate condemns attacks

The Chinese Consulate General in Manchester on Monday strongly condemned recent attacks against Chinese students in Sheffield and expressed sympathy to the victims. The consul general has written to the president of the University of Sheffield, urging the school to take decisive measures in conjunction with the police to bring the criminals to justice and protect the personal safety of Chinese students in the city. It was reported that police have arrested a criminal suspect.

NIGERIA

10 students released after ransom paid

Gunmen in Nigeria on Sunday freed 10 students abducted in the northwest state of Kaduna after collecting a ransom, a school official told The Associated Press. Reverend John Hayab said the students were released on Sunday afternoon, nearly three months after they were seized by the gunmen in Kaduna. Their release comes about a week after 10 of their schoolmates were released. Hayab said 11 of the 121 students of Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna are still being held. He also expressed frustration at the refusal of the gunmen to release all the students at once. At least 1,400 schoolchildren in Nigeria were abducted last year, according to the United Nations children's agency.

GREECE

Strong quake leaves one dead on Crete

A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 shook Greece's largest island Crete on Monday and one person was killed when a church dome collapsed, authorities said. The quake, which sent people out of their homes and public buildings and caused considerable damage, was described by a Greek seismologist, Efthymios Lekkas, as a "thunderbolt" with strong aftershocks. A man died when the dome of the church in the town of Arkalochori caved in during renovation works, a police official said. Civil protection authorities said nine people were injured in the quake, which damaged many buildings.

UNITED STATES

Biden aide to meet Saudi crown prince

US President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan was traveling to Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the US tries to press the kingdom to move toward a cease-fire in its yearslong war with Houthi rebels in Yemen. Sullivan will be the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit Saudi Arabia. Besides seeing the crown prince, Sullivan is expected to meet with the country's deputy defense minister, according to two senior administration officials.

Agencies - China Daily