Xinhua world news summary at 0830 GMT, March 2

BAKU-- At least 24 people were killed in a fire at a drug rehabilitation center in the capital of Azerbaijan, authorities said in a joint statement Friday.

The statement was released by the Public Prosecution Office, Health Ministry, Interior Ministry and Ministry of Emergencies. (Philippines-Fire-Accident)

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HOUSTON -- Two children were injured in a drive-by shooting Thursday evening while their mother was in a nail salon, about 6 km south of downtown Houston, the U.S. state of Texas.

According to Houston Police Department, an 8-year-old boy was shot in the head and a 5-year-old girl was shot in the leg after a suspect, or suspects, fired multiple rounds at the car the children were in. (US-Shooting-Children Injured)

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WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in committed over phone Thursday to keep close coordination on recent development of Korean Peninsula and push for denuclearization.

According to a White House statement, Trump congratulated Moon on the successful conclusion of 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and thanked Moon for his hospitality to the U.S. presidential delegations to the opening and closing ceremonies led by Vice President Mike Pence and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump respectively. (US-South Korea-Phone Talk)

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PYONGYANG -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Thursday slammed U.S. accusation regarding "a theory of cooperation of manufacturing chemical weapons" between the DPRK and Syria.

The U.S. accusation is "preposterous fabrication," director of the Press of the Institute for American Studies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, said Thursday night in a statement, according to the Korean Central News Agency. (DPRK-US-Weapon in Syria) Enditem