Hu arrives in Los Cabos for G20 summit
Chinese President Hu Jintao has arrived in the Mexican resort city of Los Cabos for a G20 summit, which will focus on global growth and stability.
At the seventh G20 summit, Hu Jintao, who participated in all the previous six meetings, is expected to expound China's views on the issues to be discussed by the G20 leaders.
According to the summit agenda, Hu JIntao and other leaders will exchange views on the global economic situation,the strengthening of the financial system, development, trade and employment.
China hopes the G20 summit would continue to promote economic growth and stability against the backdrop of the volatile world economic situation.
Senior Chinese leader demands cross-Strait personnel exchanges
China's top political advisor addressed the fourth Straits Forum today with a call for maintaining the good momentum of people-to-people exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.
Jia Qinglin said in a keynote speech at the event that cross-Strait exchanges have made great achievements in recent years.
He called for deepened people-to-people exchanges across the Strait to promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and expand people's welfare.
Also at the forum, Wang Yi, director of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, announced a package of policies covering the economy, culture, scientific research and employment, as well as entry and exit policies favorable to Taiwanese people.
Among the policies, Taiwan students who graduate from the mainland's colleges and other Taiwan residents can enjoy the same rights to work in mainland businesses as their mainland compatriots.
Polls open in Greek elections
Greeks went to the polls on Sunday in the second round of parliamentary elections in six weeks seen as a referendum on bailout deals and the debt-laden country's fate in the eurozone.
A total of 9.8 million registered Greek citizens are registered to vote in a poll that will determine whether Greece will continue the austerity plan endorsed by international lenders since 2010 or exit the eurozone, which could cause turmoil in markets worldwide.
15 missing after wooden ship sinks in Indonesia
Rescuers are searching for 15 crew members who remain missing after a wooden cargo-ship with 27 people on board capsized in waters off Maluku in eastern Indonesia on Sunday morning.
So far, 12 of the crew have been rescued and no injuries were reported.
A lack of safety standards have led to frequent maritime perils in Indonesia.
UN supervision mission suspends activities due to escalating violence in Syria
The Head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria, General Robert Mood, says due to the escalating of violence in Syria his mission is suspending its activities, adding that UN observers will not be conducting patrols and will stay in their locations until further notice.
He says in a statement that there has been an intensification of armed violence across Syria over the past 10 days, adding that this escalation is limiting his mission's ability to observe, verify, report as well as assist in local dialogue and stability projects.
Mood says this suspension will be reviewed on a daily basis, adding that operations will resume when they see the situation fit for them to carry out mandated activities.
West must recognize Iran's "inalienable" nuclear rights: lawmaker
Ahead of a fresh round of talks between Iran and six major world powers in Moscow, a senior Iranian lawmaker urged Western countries to recognize Iran's "inalienable" nuclear rights.
Head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's parliament, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said western countries have no option but to recognize Iran's inalienable nuclear rights.
He said the West has so far issued illegal resolutions with political objectives against Iran. Iran strongly opposes this measure and will not give up its legal rights.
The talks between Iran and the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany -- are slated for Monday and Tuesday in Moscow.
Heat burns N China, rainstorms hit south
China's top meteorological authority says high temperatures are baking the nation's northern regions while southern provinces including Guangdong and Hainan are experiencing rainstorms.
According to the National Meteorological Center (NMC), some areas in Beijing and the neighboring city of Tianjin as well as in Hebei, Shandong and Henan provinces saw high temperatures between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius this afternoon.
It also forecast that high temperatures will continue in these regions during the next several days.
Hiking festival held in Changchun
Nearly 20,000 athletes and walking enthusiasts showed up on drizzling Sunday to take part in a hiking event in northeast China's city of Changchun.
The event, called Changchun City & Jingyuetan-Vasaloppet International Forest Hiking Festival, included a 30km classic race for athletes and 2.5km, 7.5km and 15km races for hiking fans in a national forest park in the capital city of China's Jilin Province.
The Vasaloppet China festival was launched in Changchun in 2003, making China the fourth country to hold the event after Sweden, the United States and Japan.