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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, June 17

Xinhua, June 17, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq is training and attempting to deploy operatives for further attacks on the West, CIA Director John Brennan told Congress on Thursday, while confirming the Orlando "lone wolf" shooter had no direct links to the extreme group.

"ISIL has a large cadre of Western fighters who could potentially serve as operatives for attacks in the West," Brennan told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, warning the group may infiltrate refugees into western nations. ISIL is another acronym for the group. (US-IS-Orlando shooting)

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LONDON -- British Labor MP Jo Cox has died after she was shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire, Sky News reported on Thursday.

The 41-year-old politician was also kicked and left lying bleeding on the pavement in Birstall following the attack, an eyewitness was quoted by the broadcaster as saying. (Britain-MP)

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LUSAKA -- The European Union (EU) on Thursday announced that it has lifted a ban which barred Zambia registered airlines from flying into Euro airspace.

In 2009, the European Aviation Safety Agency imposed a ban on Zambia and stopped Zambian registered planes from flying into the Euro zone airspace due to poor safety standards. This followed an audit which established that Zambia was not complying with international safety standards. (Zambia-EU-Airspace)

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TRIPOLI -- Ten Libyan presidential guards were killed on Thursday when an IS suicide bomb attack hit a police station located in the outskirts of Sirte, media office of the presidential guards announced.

The attack took place at dawn in the nearby town of Abo-Gren, the office said on its official Facebook page. The government forces also announced that the IS launched two car bomb attacks on Thursday, but the two bombs exploded before hitting the troops. (Libya-Suicide bomb) Endi