Beijing

Heavy snow, rain to hit China

Heavy snow will hit northeastern China, while rain is expected to sweep eastern and central China in the coming days, the National Meteorological Center forecast on Saturday. From Saturday to Monday, areas in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces could experience blizzards, while parts of Shanxi and Hebei provinces could see sleet or moderate snow, the center said. Rain is expected to hit northern China, regions along the Yellow and Huai rivers, and areas south of the Yangtze River, said the center. Meanwhile, a cold front will sweep eastern and central China, with temperatures falling by 4 to 8 degrees in general, and by 8 to 10 degrees in some regions, the NMC said.

Henan

Suspected family killer nabbed

A suspect in the killing of a family of seven was arrested on Friday in Central China's Henan province, according to local police. Police in Huaiyang county were informed of a killing spree in Shuangzhong village in Wangjia township at around 2:21 am, according to their statement. The man, surnamed Guo, is suspected of strangling his wife, 34, in a family dispute, then killing their son, age 10, daughter, age 4, as well as his wife's parents, sister and nephew. Guo was arrested and candidly confessed his crime. An investigation is underway.

Anhui

9 dead in highway pile-up

Nine people died and 76 others were injured after a massive vehicle pile-up on a smoggy highway in Anhui province, local authorities said on Saturday. Five deaths were initially reported after the accident happened on Friday morning on a highway linking Shanghai and Shaanxi province, where at least 26 vehicles crashed, starting a fire that engulfed 11 vehicles. Four people died in the hospital on Saturday, according to the municipal government of Hefei, capital of Anhui. Municipalities and provinces in eastern and northern China started seeing a new layer of smog on Friday, which snarled traffic with low visibility and shot pollution readings to alarming levels in some places.

Iran

Nuclear breakthrough close

After days of intense negotiations, world powers have taken a step closer to sealing a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program. US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Geneva on Saturday to join the talks, as Tehran and six world powers appeared to be on the verge of a breakthrough. The Chinese, French, British and German foreign ministers were due along with Kerry to take part in intense negotiations aiming to hammer out an agreement to freeze Iran's nuclear program while offering it incentives through limited sanctions relief. The announcement came after diplomats said a major sticking point in the talks, which began on Wednesday, may have been overcome. However, a French diplomatic source urged caution. "It's the home stretch, but previous negotiations have taught us to be prudent," he said.

Australia

PM tries to calm Indonesia

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has attempted to pour oil on troubled waters following allegations that Australia spied on Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife. Speaking to reporters in Sydney, Abbott revealed on Saturday that he had written to the Indonesian leader but did not give any details of the contents of his letter. The allegations have triggered anti-Australian demonstrations in Jakarta and have already begun to damage commercial ties. Indonesia is a major importer of Australian agricultural produce, such as wheat and live cattle, while Australia is Indonesia's 10th-largest export market. Yudhoyono said on Wednesday he was freezing military and intelligence cooperation.

Xinhua - Reuters

(China Daily 11/24/2013 page2)