Briefly

CHINA

Foreign affairs officials to visit China this week

High-level officials from France, Sweden and Canada will visit China this week, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian announced on Tuesday. According to Lin, Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, will be in China from Wednesday to Thursday for a new round of China-France Strategic Dialogue. From Thursday to Friday, Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand will pay respective visits to China, the spokesman said.

NAURU

Incumbent president wins a second term

Incumbent President David Adeang has been re-elected as president of Nauru for a second term following Saturday's national elections. The government of Nauru announced on social media that Adeang was elected unopposed as president during the inaugural sitting of the Micronesian nation's 25th parliament on Tuesday. Adeang has served as Nauru's president since October 2023 and as a member of parliament since 2001.

FRANCE

Ex-leader Sarkozy to go to prison on Oct 21

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will serve jail time at a Paris prison from Oct 21, informed sources told AFP on Monday, after a court last month sentenced him to five years behind bars for criminal conspiracy. Sarkozy, France's leader from 2007 to 2012, was convicted in late September over a scheme for late Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi to fund his 2007 presidential run. The 70-year-old will be the first French postwar leader and the first former head of a European Union country to go to jail.

PAKISTAN

Border closure with Afghanistan goes on

The closure of border crossings for bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan entered a second day on Monday after deadly weekend clashes, officials said. The fighting began Saturday night, when Afghan forces struck multiple Pakistani military posts. Afghanistan officials claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan's military said it lost 23 soldiers and killed more than 200 "Taliban and affiliated terrorists". Foreign governments, including Saudi Arabia, urged restraint. A ceasefire appeared to be holding.

China Daily - Agencies - Xinhua