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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, May 18

Xinhua, May 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly held here issued a joint statement Monday underlining the importance of enlargement and recommending that before the end of the year the Alliance invite Montenegro to join.

The statement also noted that it supported Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, and Macedonia's approach, vowing to help all countries interested in NATO to meet the membership criteria. (NATO-Enlargement)

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PARIS -- French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Monday announced "an adjustment" of its executive staff in June, a move widely seen as a fresh attempt to revive the slumping popularity of the ruling Socialists.

Valls also said he would pick a new face to replace Genevieve Fioraso, former junior minister for higher education and research, who quit her post in March due to health problems. (France-Government Reshuffle)

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DUSHANBE -- Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has completed a drill of its rapid reaction force at the Harbmaydon training ground in the southern Tajik province of Khatlon, the CSTO press service said Monday.

The drill, designed to test the combat readiness of the CSTO contingents, involved over 2,500 military personnel, about 200 units of military hardware, 20 fighter jets as well as three military transport aircraft. (Russia-Tajikistan-Military Drill)

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RAMADI, Iraq -- Iraqi security forces and allied Shiite and Sunni militias on Monday are building up at a military base in Iraq's western province of Anbar, preparing for a major counter-offensive to recapture the provincial capital city of Ramadi.

The city was seized by the Islamic State (IS) militants after deadly battles in the past few days, a provincial security source said. (Iraq-IS-Ramadi)

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ISTANBUL/ANKARA -- At least six people were wounded in two explosions at buildings of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) in south Turkey on Monday.

The simultaneous blasts occurred in the local headquarters of the pro-Kurdish HDP in the Adana and Mersin provinces, private Dogan news agency reported. (Turkey-Explosion) Endi