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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, May 5

Xinhua, May 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

The New York City police officer who was shot in the face and chest while on duty two days ago died Monday, officials confirmed.

The officer, Brian Moore, was the first police officer killed in the line of duty since December, when two uniformed New York City police officers were ambushed in Brooklyn, also a borough of New York City. (US-NYC-Police Death)

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UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Monday condemned an attack by two gunmen who opened fire outside a contest for cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed in north Texas on Sunday evening, a UN spokesman said.

"He (the secretary general) reiterates that such criminal acts have nothing to do with religion or belief. Ideas must only be defended through democratic debate and dialogue. There is no justification for violence," said the spokesman in a note. (UN-US-Shooting)

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ROME -- The Italian Lower House on Monday definitively approved a new electoral law, which was seen as a keystone of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's reform agenda.

The new legislation will grant 55 percent of seats in parliament to the winning party in future elections, thus making it easier to produce a stable political majority. (Italy-Election Law-Parliament)

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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party Monday signed a coalition agreement with the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, passing another hurdle on its way to establishing a new government following the March 17 elections.

Under the agreement, Shas leader Aryeh Deri will become the economy minister and his party will obtain another two ministerial posts, including that of the Religious Affairs Ministry it has coveted. (Israel-Likud) Endi