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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, July 16

Xinhua, July 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

The European Union (EU) on Thursday announced it would increase its humanitarian response to the Syria crisis by providing an additional 64 million euros (about 70 million U.S. dollars) in aid.

According to a European Commission press release, the new funding came amid growing concerns over the worsening humanitarian situation in the area, with further large-scale displacements of people across Syria and to neighboring countries. (EU-Syria-Aid)

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MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed opposition to the formation of an international criminal tribunal for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 a year ago.

Calls for such a tribunal are counterproductive, Putin told Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country plays a leading role in the international investigation of the incident, in a telephone conversation. (Russia-MH17-Investigation)

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NEW DELHI -- Foreign ministers of India and Myanmar held their first Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting on Thursday to promote bilateral ties.

Indian officials said both sides expressed satisfaction over the current state of bilateral ties while describing the relations as being in a "a new phase", which sees increased bilateral cooperation aimed at promoting inclusive growth and development.

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CAIRO -- Egyptian army killed 22 militants in North Sinai on Thursday, an army spokesman said.

The army's air raid also destroyed the hotbed where the terrorists gathered in the al Laftat village in Sheikh Zuwaid, North Sinai. (Egypt-Militants-Crash)

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NICOSIA -- The United Nations and the European Union (EU) agreed on ways to help Greek and Turkish Cypriots reach a solution to the decades' old Cyprus issue, a United Nations official said on Thursday.

United Nations emissary Espen Barth Eide said after a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that they had "a meeting of minds ... on how to support the Cypriots' quest for reunification." (EU-UN-Cyprus)

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GAZA -- Israeli war jets carried out early Thursday three separate airstrikes on the northern and central Gaza Strip in response to a rocket fired from the coastal enclave into southern Israel, security officials said.

During the raid, the Israeli war jets lauched altogether three missiles at two military posts belonging to the Islamic Hamas Movement, respectively to the north and east of Gaza Strip, the security officials said, adding that no injuries were reported throughout the strikes. (Israel-Gaza-Conflict) Endi