Chinese naval fleet in Vietnam for 5-day visit

CAM RANH (Vietnam) • A Chinese naval fleet arrived in Cam Ranh Port in central Vietnam yesterday for a five-day visit to the country to promote military ties between the two sides.

The visit to Vietnam is the last stop of the fleet on its way home after completing escort missions in the Gulf of Aden, the waters off Somalia and visiting Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia, said Senior Colonel Wang Hongli, commander of the task force.

XINHUA

Rallies held in Australia to welcome refugees

SYDNEY • Thousands of Australians took part yesterday in rallies to welcome refugees and make a stand against rising far-right sentiment against foreigners. More than 2 0,000 people attended demonstrations in 25 cities and towns across the country, chief executive of Welcome to Australia Mohammad Al-Khafaji said.

REUTERS

19 dead in helicopter crash in Siberia

MOSCOW • Nineteen people died when a helicopter carrying oil and gas field workers crashed in a remote area of Siberia in bad weather, Russian investigators said yesterday.

The Mi-8 helicopter carrying 22 people, including three crew, crashed on Friday night in the far-northern Yamalo-Nenetsky region some 2,400km north- east of Moscow, investigators said.

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE