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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, May 18

Xinhua, May 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Tens of thousands of people gathered in front of Macedonian government building in Skopje on Sunday at a major rally against the government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network reported.

The protesters demanded the resignation of Gruevski over the alleged illegal surveillance scandal revealed by the opposition. They sought the formation of a transitional government that will prepare the country for what they call free and fair elections. (Macedonia-Protest)

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BELGRADE -- A massive murder took place Sunday in northern Serbian village of Martonos, where an angry father killed the newlywed bride of his son and five more family members, and then committed suicide.

The family tragedy occurred in a village just outside of the Serbian town of Kanjiza near the Hungarian border, where a 55-year-old man, according to the police, fired several shots from his hunting rifle, killing six family members on the way before killing himself. (Serbia-Murder)

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RAMADI, Iraq -- The Islamic State (IS) militant group on Sunday took full control of the city of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, Iraq, after the Iraqi security forces withdrew from their positions, a provincial security source said.

The source told Xinhua that the military units stationed in the Eighth Brigade headquarters north of Ramadi pulled out fully towards the 160 kilometer area west of Ramadi and that the militants (Daash) took control of the headquarters. (Iraq-IS-Ramadi)

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JERUSALEM -- Top Israeli leaders on Sunday vowed to fight racism and discrimination in Israel against Ethiopian Jews during a ceremony commemorating some 4,000 Ethiopian Jews who died while trying to flee their homeland for Israel in 1980s.

Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin gave speeches at the ceremony.

The ceremony came amid protests in recent weeks staged by the ethnic Ethiopians across the country against police brutality and racism. (Israel-Ethiopians-Racism)

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JERUSALEM -- Tens of thousands of ultra-nationalist Jews marched Sunday through east Jerusalem's Muslim Quarter, sparking scuffles between Palestinians and the police.

The controversial march celebrated Israel's 48 Jerusalem Day, marking the "reunification" of the city after Israel seized the Arab eastern part of the city during the 1967 Mideast War. (Israel-Jerusalem Parade-Clash)

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SANAA -- Saudi-led alliance resumed its air raids against Yemen's Shiite Houthi group in the southern port city of Aden shortly after a five-day truce expired late Sunday, army sources said.

War planes of the coalition bombed the presidential compound, which is controlled by the Houthis, said the same source and eye-witnesses. (Yemen-Houthi-Bombing) Endi