World Briefs

US-CHINA The United States has warned that the toughest crackdown in years on Chinese activists threatens to cloud the high-profile state visit by President Xi Jinping. Yet the issue of human rights is unlikely to dominate the agenda when Xi is welcomed at the White House tomorrow.
CHINA Chinese manufacturing activity fell to its lowest in more than six years in the latest sign of the slowdown in the world’s second biggest economy.

US-VATICAN Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and other religious leaders were at the White House to welcome Pope Francis. But some Jews missed out on the excitement. Francis’ visit to the White House coincides with Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jews. They spend the day repenting and atoning for any sins.

UNITED NATIONS The head of the U.N. food agency said the overwhelming humanitarian needs in crises from Syria, Yemen and Iraq to South Sudan and Africa’s Sahel region are outstripping the generosity of donors, and it is seeking new sources of money. Food needs have escalated because of an increasing number of refugees.

EGYPT Egyptian state TV says that the country’s president has pardoned Baher Mohammed, an Egyptian journalist for Al-Jazeera English. Mohammed was sentenced along with Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy to three years in prison last month for airing what a court described as “false news” and biased coverage. The two were pardoned and are expected to be released today.

FRANCE Egypt has agreed to buy two Mistral-class warships from France, the French government said yesterday, announcing its second military sale to the economically-strapped country this year. The assault ships, which can each carry 16 helicopter gunships, 700 troops and up to 50 armored vehicles, were originally intended for Russia. France continued building to Russia’s specifications.

GERMANY The future of Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn hung in the balance as the company sought to contain the damage of an emissions-rigging scandal that could lead to fines and lawsuits against the German carmaker. After falling by 37 percent in two days since the revelation Volkswagen had been trying to dupe U.S. testers for its diesel cars, the company’s share price recovered modestly yesterday.