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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Dec. 16

Xinhua, December 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least 31 civilian hostages have been set free from the dens of Boko Haram insurgents during series of raids by Nigerian troops in the northeast Borno State, the Nigerian army said Tuesday.

In a statement signed by the spokesman of the Nigerian army, Col. Sani Usman, the hostages were freed on Monday, as troops raided four camps near Bama, the second largest town in central part of Borno province, previously occupied by Boko Haram. (Nigeria-Hostages)

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ATHENS -- Greek MPs (members of the parliament) on Tuesday approved the latest round of prior actions requested by the country's international creditors in order to unlock the next bailout tranche in the coming days.

The bill, containing 13 key policies agreed on in talks with lenders last week, passed with 153 votes of the ruling Left-led coalition in the 300-member strong chamber, while 138 deputies voted against. (Greece-Bailout)

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VIENNA -- Board members of the United Nations nuclear agency on Tuesday adopted a resolution to close the investigation into whether Tehran once had a nuclear weapons program, upon a review of Iran's implementation of its commitments under a nuclear deal endorsed by the UN Security Council in July.

After a 12-year investigation of Iran's suspected nuclear plans, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decided to close the process in light of the historic nuclear deal. (Iran-IAEA-Probe)

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WASHINGTON -- The bomb threat that shut down the Los Angeles school system was believed to be a hoax, a top Democrat on the House Select Committee on Intelligence said on Tuesday.

"The preliminary assessments is that it was a hoax or something designed to disrupt school districts in large cities," said Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House select committee in a statement after a briefing. (US-Bomb Hoax)

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BEIRUT -- Two commanders with the Islamic State (IS) militant group were killed Tuesday in Lebanon's border areas with Syria.

The Lebanese armed forces fired a guided missile rocket which obliterated the military vehicle transporting an IS commander on Tuesday, killing him along with all others passengers in the outskirts of the north eastern border town of Ras Baalbeck, according to the National News Agency (NNA). (Syria-IS-Commanders) Endi