Briefly

CHINA

Foreign minister holds first call with Lavrov

Foreign Minister Qin Gang held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Monday, the first such interaction since Qin assumed the post in late December. During the phone call, Qin said China is willing to work with Russia to well implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to constantly advance the progress of bilateral relations. Lavrov congratulated Qin on his taking the post as China's foreign minister, saying he looked forward to building sound working relations with Qin. He also hoped they would lead diplomatic services to continue to work closely and promote the bilateral partnership to yield new results. The two ministers also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.

NIGERIA

32 people abducted as gunmen storm station

Gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles have abducted 32 people from a train station in Nigeria's southern Edo state, the governor's office said on Sunday. The attack is the latest example of the growing insecurity that has spread to nearly every corner of Africa's most populous country, posing a challenge to the government in advance of a February presidential election. Police said in a statement that armed herdsmen had attacked Tom Ikimi station as passengers awaited a train to Warri, an oil hub in nearby Delta state. The station is 110 kilometers northeast of state capital Benin.

JAPAN

Kishida leaves on tour to Western allies

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday left on a tour of Europe and North America with security-focused talks on the agenda after his nation's biggest military policy overhaul in decades. Japan holds the 2023 presidency of the G7, and Kishida will visit bloc members France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Canada starting on Monday. Kishida's final stop is the United States — his first visit to Washington as prime minister — where he will meet President Joe Biden on Friday.

INDIA

Dense fog hampers traffic in New Delhi

Air, rail and road traffic was affected in New Delhi and surrounding areas on Monday morning as a dense blanket of fog engulfed the Indian capital amid an intense cold wave. According to official sources, more than 30 flights originating from or landing in New Delhi were delayed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Around 30 trains approaching the city were also running late as the dense fog hampered the rail traffic. As a result of low visibility, which was reduced to 5 meters in the wee hours, cars were seen plying on roads with their blinkers and headlights on.

China Daily - Agencies - Xinhua