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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Jan. 17

Xinhua, January 17, 2016 Adjust font size:

U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday signed an executive order to lift sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear program, the White House said.

"Iran's implementation of the nuclear-related measures ..., as verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency, marks a fundamental shift in circumstances with respect to Iran's nuclear program," Obama said in the executive order issued by the White House. (U.S.-Iran-Sanctions)

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VIENNA -- The European Union (EU) and Iran jointly announced the implementation day of the historic nuclear deal after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed all the preparation steps required have been completed by Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini jointly made an announcement of the implementation day of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the historic nuclear deal reached last July, after the UN nuclear agency's confirmation of Iran's compliance of its commitment under the deal. (EU-Iran-Sanctions)

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DAMASCUS -- The Islamic State (IS) militant group killed as many as 280 people when its militants stormed a town in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Saturday, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported.

"A horrific massacre" was committed by the IS militants in the al-Bughailiyeh neighborhood in Deir al-Zour, where 280 people, largely women, children and elderly, were killed, said the report. (IS-Massacre)

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ATHENS -- Greece's main opposition conservative New Democracy (ND) party has taken the lead over the ruling Radical Left SYRIZA party after the election of its new leader on January 10, according to the results of two opinion polls released on Saturday.

Liberal Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a former Administrative Reform Minister, won the ND party elections. He pledged to provide Greeks with a "credible alternative choice to the populism of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras." (Greece-Opposition) Endi