Xi leaves for SCO summit, state visits to Kyrgyzstan, Egypt

China

Xi leaves for SCO summit, state visits to Kyrgyzstan, Egypt

2026-08-30 11:11 Last Updated At：13:07

Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Sunday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 in Bishkek, and state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt upon the invitations of President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt. Xi's entourage includes his wife Peng Liyuan, Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister.

At the Bishkek Summit, Xi will have in-depth exchanges of views with participating leaders on deepening SCO cooperation in various fields under the new circumstances and major international and regional issues.

During his stay in Kyrgyzstan, Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations, cooperation in key areas, and international and regional situation with his Kyrgyz counterpart in their talks, and attend various state events.

The Egypt leg of Xi's trip, his first state visit to the country in a decade, coincides with the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. The Chinese and Egyptian presidents will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest.

Death toll from Nepal's flood rises to 734, with 2,498 missing: disaster authority

The death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 734, with 2,498 people still missing, authorities said on Sunday.

According to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), the toll was recorded as of 9:00 local time on Sunday.

Separately, the Nepal Tourism Board said 261 foreign tourists had been rescued as of 18:00 on Saturday, with 320 remain missing.

In Nuwakot, one of the most severely affected areas, rescue teams managed to clear just 50 meters of blocked road between Wednesday and Saturday as they worked toward heavily damaged zones.

With rainfall persisting in recent days, crews have had to stay alert for further secondary disasters and repeatedly move affected residents to safer ground, local rescuers introduced. Large volumes of mud and sediment continue to block access, making the rescue effort extremely difficult.

The catastrophic flash flood, triggered by the collapse of a glacier at a higher elevation, swept through Nepal's Bhote Koshi River on Wednesday morning. The disaster swept through three districts, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading, leaving widespread destruction.