Representatives from the Syrian government and its opposition, sitting down face-to-face to a negotiating table for the first time in three years, talked humanitarian issues Saturday afternoon.

UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi says they are going to discuss prisoner swap on Sunday morning.

 

Death toll rises to 29 in Egypt's clashes, 167 injured

At least 25 people were killed and 167 others injured on Saturday during clashes between supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and security forces in different parts of the country.

Meanwhile, two blasts targeting police premises hit Cairo and Suez governorate on Saturday, killing a little child and injuring nine people. 

Amid tight security measures, thousands of Egyptians took to streets across the country on Saturday to mark the third anniversary of the Jan. 25 uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

 

China's new reform drive offers world "Chinese opportunities:" FM case

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China will provide the world with more "Chinese opportunities" in development as it is embracing a new round of comprehensive reforms.

He said during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meetings, the China's new reform drive will not only herald a new era for its own development but also have extensive and positive impacts on the world. 

He told a special session on China that an increasingly prosperous China will provide the world with more "Chinese opportunities" in development, namely market opportunities, investment opportunities, growth opportunities and cooperation opportunities.

France's Hollande announces separation from first Lady

French President Francois Hollande has confirmed reports on a breakup with his companion Valerie Trierweiler after a magazine report unveiled his secret liaison with an actress.

The breakup came after a local celebrity magazine Closer reported on the president's secrete love affair with a French actress Julie Gayet.

 

Ukrainian president offers PM position to opposition leader

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has offered the position of prime minister to an opposition leader.

The president's office says he offered the post to parliamentary leader of the Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party Arseny Yatsenyuk.

According to Justice Minister, Yanukovych would dismiss the current government of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov if Yatsenyuk accepts the offer.

 

China completes 300-meter saturation dive

On Saturday, six divers came out safely from a living chamber that had took them more than 300 meters underwater, marking the complete success of China's first 300-meter saturation dive experiment.

After staying in the chamber for 380 hours, all the six divers came out with sound body conditions. 

Saturation diving technology enables human beings to withstand high water pressure by saturating human tissue with inert gas, which will allow divers to stay under water for a longer time and at a deeper sea level than with conventional techniques.

 

China Navy patrols Nansha islands

A formation of the Nanhai Fleet of China's Navy has finished a three-day patrol of the Nansha islands in the South China Sea, and is now heading southward.

Jiang Weilie, commander of the high seas training formation and commander of the Nanhai Fleet, landed on every reef guarded by China's navy staff, inspecting the training and combat readiness conditions of naval forces. 

In the meantime, the Haikou destroyer conducted maneuver against submarines under fictitious air threat, and commanded forces guarding reefs to conduct attack-and-defence drill.

 

China regulates surveillance over islands

China has published an implementation measure for monitoring the country's islands with planes.

The implementation defines 11 major items of surveillance over inhabited and uninhabited islands and those with special purposes. 

It also stipulates that aerial surveillance of the islands should be conducted mainly with marine surveillance planes, taking advantage of photographing, camera shooting, aviation remote sensing, and other measures.

 

Road passengers up in first 10 days of "chunyun"

The number of road passengers in China rose 4.7 percent to 867 million in the first 10 days of chunyun, a 40-day period of travel rush around the Spring Festival.

Road passengers, or those on long-distance scheduled coaches, charted buses or tour coaches, reached 94 million on Saturday, up 6.9 percent year on year and up over 1.8 percent from Friday.

The Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, is China's most important traditional holiday for family reunions. Drastic surge of travellers put great pressure on the road, railway and air transportation systems.

 

China's Li Na wins her first Australian Open title

Two-time runner-up Li Na of China finally won her first Australian Open women's singles title in Melborne on Saturday after beating Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 in the final.

This was the second Grand Slam title for the 31-year-old Li Na, world No. 4 before this final.