Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Feb. 16

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday extended congratulations to Cyril Ramaphosa on the latter's election as South African president.

In his congratulatory message, Xi called Ramaphosa an old friend of the Chinese people who has made important contributions to the development of bilateral relations. (China-Xi-Ramaphosa)

- - - -

ANKARA -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday that Turkey and the United States agreed to normalize their ties, after weeks of rising tensions due to Turkey's military operation in Syria.

Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Cavusoglu said the two sides will set up mechanisms to address the issues that have strained the bilateral relations. (Turkey-US-Normalization)

- - - -

MUNICH -- The future role of the European Union as a global actor and its relations with Russia and the United States are among the key focuses of the 54th Munich Security Conference (MSC), which officially opened here Friday afternoon.

Over 500 participants from around the world attended the three-day major annual gathering for international security issues, amid uncertain transatlantic relations and challenges to the liberal international order, mainly protectionism and nationalism. (Germany-MSC)

- - - -

ABUJA -- The death toll of an attack by gunmen in the Nigerian northwestern state of Zamfara has risen to 36, according to the official News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

A total of 36 people had been buried as of early Friday amidst outrage in the social media that the tragedy was being downplayed and that there has been no official reaction, NAN reported. (Nigeria-Gunman Attack-Death Toll) Enditem