Briefly

UNITED STATES

Migrants to be paid for self-deportation

The US government will pay illegal immigrants in the country $1,000 plus travel costs if they voluntarily "self-deport" from the country, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday. The stipend and potential airfare for immigrants who voluntarily depart would cost less than an actual deportation, the department said. The average cost of arresting, detaining and deporting someone without legal status is about $17,000, according to the department. People who use an official app to announce their "self-deportations" would get the money and be "deprioritized" for detention and removal, the department said.

Boat capsizes off California, 3 dead

A small boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized early on Monday off San Diego's coast and left three people dead and four injured, while United States Coast Guard crews were searching for seven others, officials said. Initially nine people were reported missing but later two were found and detained, US Coast Guard Petty Officer Hunter Schnabel said. Another Coast Guard petty officer, Chris Sappey, said it was unclear where the boat was coming from before it flipped shortly after sunrise about 56 kilometers north of the Mexico border. He described the vessel as a panga, single or twin-engine open fishing boats commonly used by smugglers. "They were not tourists," Sappey said. "They are believed to be migrants."

SOUTH KOREA

Ex-PM to join ruling party's candidate

South Korea's former prime minister Han Duck-soo said on Tuesday he saw no alternative other than teaming up with the presidential candidate of the ruling conservative People Power Party to contest the country's snap election on June 3. Han emphasized the need to run on a unity ticket when asked whether he would run separately from former labor minister Kim Moon-soo, who was picked by the PPP as its candidate this month. "I've never thought that unification would fail because that would be a great betrayal of the people," he said. Kim criticized his own party in a Facebook post on Tuesday, saying he was not included in the process of running a joint candidacy.

Agencies via Xinhua