Briefly

CHINA

Foreign guests to pay visits next week

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has announced that Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon will make a state visit to China from Monday to Thursday. In another development, Brunei's Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah will make an official visit to China from Monday to Friday.

MEXICO

5 killed, 30 injured in shopping center fire

At least five people were killed and about 30 others injured on Thursday in a fire at a shopping mall in northwestern Mexico, local media reported, citing authorities. The fire was reported on Thursday afternoon at Plaza Fiesta Las Palmas, a shopping mall in the city of Los Mochis, state of Sinaloa. Jesus Serrano, deputy prosecutor of Sinaloa's northern region, told local media that four bodies had been identified and that authorities were told that "there is one more". Citing witnesses, local media reported that the fire may have started in the kitchen of a restaurant in the mall and spread quickly due to flammable materials in the building. The Sinaloa State prosecutor's office said on social media that the injured had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

UNITED STATES

Lula reports progress after talks with Trump

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that three hours of White House talks with US President Donald Trump had helped stabilize Brazil-US relations, which had been strained by the US tariff policy. The two leaders had been scheduled to take questions from reporters together in the Oval Office, but neither appeared. But Lula, speaking to reporters at the Brazilian embassy after a lunch with Trump, said he had asked for no news conference ahead of the meeting and reported progress in resetting ties. "We took an important step in consolidating the Brazil-United States relationship," Lula said. Trump praised the "very dynamic president of Brazil" in a social media post.

China Daily - Agencies - Xinhua