IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Egypt

50 killed in Cairo clashes

Nearly 50 people died in weekend clashes between supporters and opponents of Egypt's military, as media outlets on Sunday hailed rallies urging the army chief to run for the presidency. Three years after Egypt overthrew then-president Hosni Mubarak, thousands of demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday chanted slogans backing another military man, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Germany

NSA spies on industry: report

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden claims in a new interview that the US agency is involved in industrial espionage. German public television broadcaster ARD released a written statement before an interview airing on Sunday night in which it quotes Snowden as saying that if German engineering company Siemens had information that would benefit the United States - but had nothing to do with national security needs - the National Security Agency would still use it.

Ukraine

Kiev braces for massive rally

After a violent night when protesters besieged a building where police were sheltering, Ukraine's capital is preparing for a large demonstration that will test the opposition's determination and authorities' patience. Throughout Ukraine's two-month-long political crisis, Sunday rallies have typically attracted crowds of tens of thousands and sometimes much larger. The latest rally comes a day after President Viktor Yanukovych offered the country's prime minister post to one of the opposition's top leaders.

CAR

New PM calls for end to violence

The Central African Republic's new prime minister said on Sunday his priority will be stopping the massacres and other atrocities that have shaken the country for months. Speaking the day after he was named prime minister by interim president Catherine Samba Panza - herself only in office since Thursday - former banking official Andre Nzapayeke said ending the violence between Christians and Muslims was the key to restoring security and a functioning state.

Syria

Govt, rebels resume talks

Syrian government and opposition delegations resumed face-to-face talks on Sunday expected to tackle humanitarian issues including opposition calls for Damascus to release women and children prisoners. A UN spokeswoman said the two sides met for a second day at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.

AP-AFP-Reuters

(China Daily 01/27/2014 page12)