IN BRIEF

France

Kerry to meet Lavrov on Kiev

US Secretary of State John Kerry was scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Sunday for suddenly arranged talks in Paris as diplomatic efforts to resolve Cold War-style tensions over the Ukraine crisis gained momentum. Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned US President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss both sides' proposals on Ukraine's future.

Turkey

8 killed, 18 hurt in elections

Eight people were killed and 18 others injured on Sunday in clashes during the ongoing local elections in southern Turkey, the private Dogan News Agency reported. Two people died and nine others were wounded when they were fighting during the election in the neighborhood unit in Golbasi village of Kirikhan town of southern Hatay province, according to the report.

Syria

2 Spanish journalists freed

Two Spanish journalists were freed after being held captive for about six months in Syria by a rogue al-Qaida military group, the newspaper that employs one of the journalists said on Sunday. El Mundo said reporter Javier Espinosa and photographer Ricardo Garcia Vilanova made contact on Saturday evening from Turkey, where they were in the care of the military. They were expected in Spain on Sunday.

Slovakia

Philanthropist wins presidency

Philanthropist Andrej Kiska has won Slovakia's presidential runoff, the Statistics Office announced on Sunday morning. Kiska trounced Prime Minister Robert Fico in Slovakia's presidential election on Saturday as voters feared Fico and his center-left party would amass too much power.

Reuters-AP-Xinhua

(China Daily 03/31/2014 page12)