Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, May 27

Syrian peace talks aimed at brokering an end to the five-year conflict will not resume in the next two to three weeks, the office of United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura announced in a statement Thursday.

"De Mistura reiterated the need to see progress on the ground, particularly in reference to the cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access," the envoy's office said after consulting the UN Security Council in New York via videoconference. (UN-Syria-Talks)

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BRATISLAVA -- The European Union (EU) has to be prepared for whatever outcome the British referendum on staying in the EU will yield, announced European Parliament Chairman Martin Schulz after meeting Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava on Thursday.

Schulz and Fico discussed Slovakia's Presidency of the Council of the EU that is set to begin on July 1. They both believed that the whole EU will have to respond to the outcome of the referendum on June 23.(Slovakia-EU-British referendum)

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NEW DELHI -- The death toll in a twin blast inside a chemical factory on Thursday in the Indian state of Maharashtra has gone up to five, with 127 others injured and some of them critically, officials said.

The blasts occurred at Dombivali in Thane district, about 40 km north of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. (India-Factory Blast)

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ABUJA -- At least 20 people were confirmed dead early Thursday following a ghastly motor accident on a major highway in Nigeria's northwestern province of Katsina, an official said.

Abdu Bagadawa, sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Katsina State, said the accident, which occurred 20 km from Daura city, involved a Toyota bus and a Volkswagen Passat car. (Nigeria-Road Accident) Endi