Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, April 26

SAN FRANCISCO -- Officials with the U.S. Department of State drilled out the lock on a front gate to the former Russian Consulate residence in downtown Seattle in the U.S. western state of Washington Wednesday morning, a Seattle-based newspaper reported.

A locksmith employed by the U.S. officials worked for about 15 minutes to open the gate of the Russian Consulate before they moved on to the residence's front door, an apparent access to the main residence building, the Seattle Times daily said. (US-Russia-Consulate)

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HAVANA -- Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Wednesday met with the Council of Ministers for the first time since assuming office last week to discuss economic and social issues.

Diaz-Canel and his first vice president, Salvador Valdes, chaired the meeting to discuss economic and social issues, including the impact of "irregularities in foreign trade operations," state media reported. (Cuba-President-Cabinet)

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BERLIN -- The German Foreign Office expressed its support for the existing Iran nuclear agreement on Wednesday despite U.S. President Donald Trump's vocal criticism of the pact.

"The preservation of the nuclear treaty has the highest priority", a spokesperson for the Foreign Office told press in Berlin. (Germany-Russia)

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BRUSSELS -- The fighting against terrorism in Syria needs to continue in parallel with pushing for the ceasefire between Syrian government and opposition, Chinese special envoy Xie Xiaoyan said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference at the Chinese mission to the EU, Xie stressed that the international community should continue to apply the same and unified standard when striking all terrorist organizations listed by the United Nations. (China-Syria-Envoy)

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TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the killing of a top Houthi official in a recent airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, Tasnim news agency reported Wednesday.

Saleh al-Sammad, president of the Houthi-backed Supreme Political Council, was killed last Thursday when the coalition's air raid hit his residence in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. (Iran-Yemen-Houthis)

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ISLAMABAD -- At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured in separate road accidents in Pakistan in the past 24 hours, local media and police said.

In the latest accident, five passengers were killed, including two women whereas 20 others injured in the deadly collision between a passenger bus and a trailer on M2 motorway in Pindi Bhattian, a city in the country's eastern Punjab province. (Pakistan-Road Accident) Enditem