A Turkish Airlines passenger jet carrying Syrian passengers landed at Damascus International Airport on Thursday for the first time in 13 years, state news agency SANA reported.

 In a press conference at the airport, Syrian Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmad Dukhan applauded the resumption of flights, thanking "the Turkish government and people for standing by the Syrian people."

China sent a new satellite group into space on Thursday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province.

 This group of 18 satellites, which is the sixth batch that will constitute the Spacesail Constellation, was launched at 1:15 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a modified Long March-6 carrier rocket and entered its preset orbit successfully. 

The launch marks the 557th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. 

The statistics of Mawlaik District mentioned that a total of 2,006 acres of croplands have been placed under sunflower in Phaungpyin Township of Sagaing Region this year.

Starting from October last year, local farmers have been growing sunflower on 2,006 acres of croplands against the target of 2,436 acres of land.

Nay Pyi Taw January 20

Recently, illegal criminal activities including online gambling were occurring in Myawady-Shwe Kokko and KK Park areas in Kayin State.