World Tour: China and the Vatican strike a deal

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: WORLD Tour with our reporter in Africa, Onize Ohikere.

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Mexico storm —Today’s World Tour takes off in Mexico.

AUDIO: [Relief teams shoveling]

Relief teams and residents in the country’s northwest are clearing flooded roads in the wake of Hurricane Roslyn.

Roslyn made landfall Sunday and quickly weakened to a tropical storm as it moved inland. Local media have reported at least three deaths.

Authorities in the hardest-hit states said the storm caused floods, felled trees, and triggered landslides that buried some homes.

Eduardo Lugo is president of one of the worst-hit municipalities.

AUDIO: [Speaking in Spanish]

He says here the government will continue to support the communities with food and other provisions while they clean out their homes.

China-Vatican deal — We head over to China.

The Vatican has renewed a secretive deal with Beijing over the Roman Catholic Church’s leadership in China.

The deal will last another two years. It allows China to choose bishops on the mainland, while Rome approves them.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin…

AUDIO: [Speaking Mandarin]

He confirmed the extension on Saturday, adding both sides hope to maintain close communication.

The Catholic Church says the deal bridges the gap between Catholics in the state-backed church and an underground movement.

But opponents accuse Beijing of religious repression. Last month, a court in Hong Kong started the trial of 90-year-old Cardinal Joseph Zen.

The retired bishop was arrested earlier this year on charges of colluding with foreign forces.

Lebanon election — Next to Lebanon, where lawmakers have failed again to elect a new president.

AUDIO: [Parliament session]

Fifty lawmakers in the 128-seat parliament left their votes blank on Monday.

Parliament is trying to elect a successor to President Michel Aoun, whose term ends next week.

But lawmakers are divided over a candidate opposed by the powerful Islamic extremist group Hezbollah.

Three previous votes failed.

Lebanon has not had a functioning government since May, and it is in the middle of an economic crisis. Parliament will vote again on Thursday.

Tanzania wildfire — We wrap up today in Tanzania.

More than 300 rescuers responded to a wildfire on the slopes of the famous Mount Kilimanjaro.

AUDIO: [Responders preparing]

The fire started Friday evening near a campsite for climbers. It spread quickly as strong winds blew overnight. Authorities have not confirmed how the fire started, but they pointed to human activities.

Nurdin Babu is the Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner.

BABU: [Speaking Swahili]

He says no one was hurt and all the tourists who were on top of the mountain are safe.

A similar fire on the slopes two years ago burned for a week across 37 square miles. Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest summit at more than 19,000 feet.

That’s it for this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

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