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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, March 17

Xinhua, March 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least nine residential houses and some cowsheds collapsed Tuesday due to land sinking in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The houses collapsed after a locality caved in at village Laridora of Baramulla district, about 60 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. (India-Kashmir-Land Sinking)

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WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the White House next month over issues including Ukraine, Libya and the Islamic State, the White House said on Tuesday.

At their meeting on April 17, the two leaders will discuss support for Ukraine and the continuing efforts to press the independence-seeking rebels in eastern Ukraine to adhere to the ceasefire agreements reached in September last year and in February this year in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. (U.S.-Italy-Ukraine Crisis)

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NEW DELHI -- India's opposition parties Tuesday marched to the presidential palace to protest against the land bill proposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Among the protesters were Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and other opposition parties' leaders who presented a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee expressing strong opposition to the land bill. (India-Protest-Land Bill)

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MOSCOW -- Up to 26 heads of state have confirmed to participate in the May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

"As of Monday, 26 state leaders as well as the heads of UNESCO and Council of Europe have confirmed their participation," Lavrov was quoted by RIA Novosti news agency as saying. (Russia-Celebration) Endi