Xi attends Session II of 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended Session II of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India on Sunday.

During the session, he delivered an important speech titled "Cementing the Foundation for BRICS Cooperation and Bolstering the Strength of the Global South."

Before the session, Xi joined other leaders for group photos.

Xi attends Session II of 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi

Xi attends Session II of 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi

Xi attends Session II of 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi

Xi attends Session II of 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi

Xi attends Session II of 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi

A passenger ship that had lost contact in Indonesia's Java Sea has sunk, the country's National Search and Rescue Agency said Sunday.

The passenger ship, Virgo Transport 8, was carrying about 240 people when it lost contact at around 02:00 local time on Sunday after encountering bad weather, according to the search and rescue agency.

A total of 119 people have been rescued and six have died, according to the latest available figures.

The Chinese Consulate General in Surabaya confirmed that no Chinese nationals were aboard the ship, citing information verified with relevant authorities of the Surabaya city government.

The vessel departed from Surabaya in East Java province on Saturday and was heading to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province.

The cause of the accident remains unclear. Indonesian search and rescue authorities have deployed personnel, ships and a helicopter to waters near the vessel's last known position to conduct search and rescue operations.

Indonesia, an archipelagic country of around 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferries and other maritime transport to connect its regions and facilitate travel. Maritime accidents occur periodically due to weather and sea conditions, as well as vessel safety issues.

Passenger ship sinks in Indonesia, around 130 still missing