World briefs

China Scientists are working to develop a vaccine to help guard the world’s pork supply as a deadly virus ravages Asia’s pig herds.

China-Japan The foreign ministers of China and Japan met yesterday amid an unusually lengthy stretch of calm in their countries’ often turbulent relationship. The meeting between Wang Yi and Taro Kono came a day before a three-way summit also involving their South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha.

Laos A tour bus carrying dozens of Chinese passengers crashed in Laos, killing at least 13. The bus was carrying 44 Chinese when it careened off a road between the Lao capital, Vientiane, and the northern tourist town of Luang Prabang on Monday, the Chinese Embassy in Vientiane said yesterday.

Afghanistan The Taliban fighters arrived with hammers and hatred. What they left behind is laid out on tables at the National Museum of Afghanistan, 18 years later: shattered pieces of ancient Buddha figurines, smashed because they were judged to be against Islam. 

Syria The main insurgent group in the Syrian province of Idlib pulled out of a key rebel town as government forces advanced in the area yesterday amid intense bombardment and airstrikes, a militant group and opposition activists said. 

Brexit British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has demanded that the European Union reopen Brexit negotiations, scrapping “anti-democratic” provisions for the Irish border that he says would threaten the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Britain’s government plans to call a summit of social media companies to discuss what more they can do to fight online misinformation about vaccines following a spike in measles cases.

G20 French police are setting up checkpoints and combing Atlantic beaches to secure the southwestern coast for world leaders coming for the G-7 summit. Protesters, too, are setting up camp in towns near the Spanish border to prepare actions during the Aug. 24-26 gathering of major world democracies.

A woman is assisted following a panic attack onboard the Open Arms vessel in front of island of Lampedusa, southern Italy, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. The Spanish humanitarian rescue ship Open Arms says another man had to be rescued after jumping in the sea as the stand-off with Italy, which won’t permit it access to a port, entered its 19th day. Open Arms described the situation on board Tuesday as ”desperate,” saying that a man threw himself in the water trying to reach trying to reach land in plain view, while at the same moment a woman suffered a panic attack. (AP Photo/Francisco Gentico)

Italy More migrants jumped off the Spanish humanitarian rescue ship Open Arms in a desperate bid to reach shore, tantalizingly near after 19 days blocked on board in deteriorating conditions by Italy’s refusal to open its ports. Open Arms described the situation on board as “out of control” and “desperate.” 

Brazil An armed man was holding dozens of people hostage on a public bus in Rio de Janeiro and threatening to set the vehicle on fire, Brazilian police said. Negotiations were underway with the man who has been holding 37 people hostage since about 5:30 a.m. on a busy bridge linking the suburb of Sao Gonçalo to downtown Rio de Janeiro.