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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, March 15

Xinhua, March 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

A military helicopter crash in Serbian capital Belgrade killed seven people, government officials have confirmed.

Four pilots, two medical staff and a one-week-old baby died Friday night when an army helicopter crashed near the Belgrade's airport due to severe weather, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic told a government session on Friday. (Serbia-Crash)

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SAO PAULO -- Local police of Brazil's Santa Catarina state put the death toll of a bus accident in southern Brazil at 49.

The government of the state said the victims include eight children, three adolescents, 24 females and 15 men. Ten people are being treated at nearby hospitals.

The toll had initially been put at 32, and then raised to 43 but the number rose throughout the night as rescuers continued to find bodies at the difficult-to-access crash site in Santa Catarina state. (Brazil-Accident)

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ISLAMABAD -- At least 14 people were killed and 78 others wounded when two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the entrance of churches in Pakistan's east city of Lahore on Sunday, hospital sources said.

An official of the Medical Superintendent General Hospital, where the wounded were being treated, said they received 78 injured people, while 14 bodies were in the mortuary.

The death toll could rise as at least 10 others among the injured people were in critical condition, he said. (Pakistan-Bomb)

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KABUL -- Eight people out of nine passengers kidnapped by gunmen in the eastern Afghan province of Ghazni earlier on Sunday have been released unharmed, a local official said.

"I do confirm that eight travelers seized by gunmen near provincial capital Ghazni city have been released. They are safe. But one person still remains in the attackers' custody," Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, deputy provincial governor, told Xinhua.

Security forces launched an operation to locate and rescue the victims, the source said. (Afghanistan-Kidnap)

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TRIPOLI -- More than 15 people were killed and 10 others injured in violent clashes on Saturday between forces of the General National Congress (GNC) and the Islamic State (IS) affiliates in Libya's western city of Sirte, according to a military source.

"The clashes are still going on. The IS insurgents suffered heavy losses," General Mohamed al-Ajtal, commander of the joint operations of the GNC forces, told Xinhua. (Libya-IS) Endi