Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died on Saturday at the age of 85,

Israel will hold a state funeral for Sharon on Monday.

Sharon will be laid to rest at a site close to his family's Sycamore Ranch in southern Israel. He will be buried next to his wife Lily Sharon, who died 14 years ago. 

Local media reported on Sunday that his casket will be stationed in the Knesset (parliament) in order to allow the public to pay their last respect. 

Sharon died at the Sheba Medical Center in central Israel after eight years in a coma following a 2006 stroke.

The iconic statesmen and retired general was one of the most influential and controversial figures in Israeli politics.

 

Abbas to respond to Israel's settlement activities in 48 hours

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas vowed Saturday to respond to Israel's continued settlement activities on Palestinian lands occupied by the Jewish state within 48 hours. 

He rebuked Israel for announcing the building of more housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners. 

On Friday, the Israeli government announced plans to build 1, 400 new settler homes in East Jerusalem.

 

Indonesia's volcano eruption persists, lava flood feared

Powerful burst of ash and volcanic materials of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra erupted several times on Saturday, incurring further evacuation as lava floods threatens.

Saturday's eruption incurred panicked people fleeing the rumbling volcano, ramping up the number of internally displaced persons to more than 25 thousand.

 

China offers Syria 3.3 mln USD worth of humanitarian aid

China has pledged to provide Syria with 20 million RMB worth (3.3 million U.S. dollars) of humanitarian aid, with the first batch of the aid having arrived on Friday. 

The Chinese ambassador in Syria says the relief mainly consisted of blankets and quilts, which are essential for the millions of internal dislocated Syrians who are battling an exceptionally harsh winter.

 

Fire in China's Shangri-la put out

A fire that started in the early hours of Saturday in an ancient town in Shangri-la, a resort county in southwest China's Yunnan Province, has been completely put out. 

A local official says the fire broke out at the Ruyi Inn in the Dukezong Ancient Town, where most houses are made of wood, a factor which added difficulties to firefighting.

Investigators have ruled out the possibility of arson, and further investigation is under way.

 

China unveils report on deadly pipeline blast

China's top work safety watchdog has unveiled a full investigation report on a fatal pipeline blast that claimed 62 lives in the eastern city of Qingdao on Nov. 22.

The direct reason for the accident was repair staffs' drilling operations that produced sparks and caused an explosion fuelled by oil leaked from a pipeline owned by a subsidiary of Sinopec, the country's largest oil refiner, according to the investigation report. 

It says a total of 63 people will be penalized, with 48 of them to receive punishments for violating Party and administrative disciplines and 15 others having been transferred to judicial organs for their alleged crimes.

The report urged related companies and local authorities to learn lessons from the accident and stick to the path of safe development.

 

Two new human H7N9 cases reported in south China

Two new human H7N9 cases were reported on Saturday in south China's Guangdong Province, according to a statement from the provincial center of disease control and prevention.

So far, Guangdong has confirmed 14 human H7N9 cases since August in 2013. Two of them have recovered while one patient died after being treated in a local hospital for about three weeks.

China to accelerate yuan's capital account convertibility

China will step up efforts to make its Renminbi currency, the yuan, convertible under the capital account this year.

The country's forex regulator says accelerating yuan convertibility is one of the major tasks for forex authorities around the country.

At present, the yuan is only convertible under the current account, while its capital account convertibility is controlled by the state.

 

Half of China's coastal outfalls over-discharging sewage

Half of China's 156 coastal outfalls are discharging excessive sewage into the ocean, according to the State Oceanic Administration.

According to a survey conducted by the administration in November, 78 ocean outfalls are discharging excessive sewage, with municipal drainage being the biggest contributor.

Lin Dan, Li Na named China's CCTV Sports Personality of Year 2013

China's badminton star Lin Dan and tennis player Li Na won the Best Male and Female Athletes of the Year separately at the prestigious China's Central Television (CCTV) Sports Awards on Saturday.

The annual CCTV Sports Awards, recognized as the Chinese version of the Laureus World Sports Awards, is taken as the premier honors on the Chinese sporting calendar.