Briefly

BRAZIL

Chinese citizens to gain visa-free entry

The Brazilian government announced on Thursday that it will grant visa-free entry to Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports starting on Monday, Xinhua News Agency reported. According to a statement published by Brazil's Foreign Ministry, eligible travelers can stay in Brazil for up to 30 days per visit. The move follows an announcement in late January by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to grant visa-free entry for certain short-term visits by Chinese citizens, in what analysts viewed as a reciprocal gesture to China's own visa-free policy for Brazilian nationals. China's policy, effective from June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026, allows Brazilian passport holders to enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits and transit.

UNITED KINGDOM

Voters cast ballots in local elections

British voters cast ballots on Thursday in local and regional elections that could shake up the country's politics and heap more pressure on embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer's center-left Labour Party is bracing for big losses in polls that would choose about 5,000 local councilors and a handful of mayors across England, as well as semiautonomous parliaments in Scotland and Wales. They are the biggest set of elections since Labour swept to power in a landslide in July 2024. Polls would close at 10 pm (Friday morning, Beijing time). Some results were expected overnight, but most would not come until Friday.

FRANCE

Bill gets nod to return ill-gotten artifacts

The French National Assembly on Wednesday approved, following a new round of debate, a draft law on the restitution of cultural property acquired through illicit appropriation. The lower house of parliament passed the bill with 141 votes in favor and none against, though turnout was relatively low compared with the total 577 seats. The bill seeks to establish a clearer and simpler legal framework for returning cultural assets acquired by France through illicit means, including looting, theft and sales conducted under coercion. It applies to cultural property acquired between 1815 and 1972, excluding military items and certain archaeological objects.

China Daily - Xinhua - Agencies