Briefly

CHINA

New Zealand deputy PM to pay three-day visit

New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will pay a three-day visit to China starting Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. The visit is the first important high-level exchange between China and New Zealand this year and also the first of its kind by Peters since taking office in 2023, Guo told a news briefing on Thursday. Foreign Minister Wang Yi will have in-depth exchanges with Peters on bilateral ties and international and regional issues of mutual concern, he added.

UNITED STATES

2 dead as small planes collide in Arizona

A midair collision involving two small planes in Arizona killed two people on Wednesday, authorities said. Federal air safety investigators said each plane had two people onboard when they collided at Marana Regional Airport on the outskirts of Tucson. Police confirmed that the two people killed were onboard one aircraft. The collision followed four major aviation disasters that have occurred in North America in the past month. The most recent involved a Delta jet that flipped on its roof while landing in Toronto and the deadly crash of a commuter plane in Alaska.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Teenager detained after 2 killed in knife attack

A 16-year-old boy killed two people with a knife at a shopping center in the Czech city of Hradec Kralove on Thursday, police said, adding they had detained the teenager, a Czech citizen, soon after the incident. "Both of those attacked suffered injuries that were so serious that they could not be saved despite all efforts of the rescuers," police said on X, adding they were investigating the motive for the attack.

SERBIA

Vucic highlights surge in Chinese tourists

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic opened the 46th International Tourism Fair in Belgrade on Wednesday, underscoring Serbia's growing tourism potential and strengthening ties with international partners, particularly China. "The Balkans are a tourism gem, and our cooperation is crucial for attracting more travelers from around the world," Vucic said. "Our biggest success has been in attracting Asian tourists, particularly Chinese visitors."

China Daily - Agencies - Xinhua