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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Jan. 21

Xinhua, January 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

The U.S. embassy in Libya issued a travel warning on Wednesday for all U.S. nationals due to potential militant attacks in the North African nation.

In the statement, the embassy also urged all U.S. citizens to leave Libya "immediately," saying the situation in the country remains "unpredictable and unstable" as the Libyan authorities still lack control over much of its territories. (Libya-US-Travel Warning)

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COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's newly elected government will not stop any ongoing development projects with international partners including China, officials said here Wednesday.

Highways and Investment Promotion Minister Kabir Hashim and his deputy Eran Wickremaratne made the promise during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Wu Jianghao, State-run newspaper Daily News reported. (Sri Lanka-China-Projects)

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PARIS -- The French government on Wednesday unveiled tough and "exceptional" anti-terror measures worth 425 million euros (492 million U.S. dollars) in a bid to ensure the country's security.

"Zero risk does not exist and our duty is to act with the utmost firmness," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said, adding that "action against terrorism is a long fight." (France-Measures-Antiterrorism)

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ROME -- Italian police carried out a major operation against the Camorra crime syndicate in Naples, and arrested 24 people on Wednesday, local media reported.

Those arrested were suspected of rigging public contracts for the local public health service in Caserta province, with the help of local managers and politicians, ANSA news agency said. (Italy-Mafia)

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MOSCOW -- Admission of new members to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has been high on the agenda of its upcoming summit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.

"The SCO enlargement would be the main item on the agenda of the organization's summit in the Russian city of Ufa in summer," the minister told a news conference. (Russia-Lavrov-SCO)

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PARIS -- Four suspects arrested for Paris attacks have been placed under formal investigation, a French prosecutor announced on Wednesday.

Francois Molins, the Paris prosecutor, said that three of the four suspects are mainly charged with helping Amedy Coulibaly prepare his attack on a kosher supermarket where he killed a policewoman and four hostages. (France-Terror-Suspects)

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JERUSALEM -- About 10 people were injured in a stabbing attack on a crowded bus in the central coastal Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning, in an incident suspected by the police assaid the assailant started to attack passengers on Bus No. 40 when it passed near Ma'ariv Bridge, one of the busiest junctions in Israel's economic capital.

Israeli rescue teams said at least four passengers were seriously wounded and three others moderately. (Israel-Stab-Incident) Endi