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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, July 9

Xinhua, July 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said that he was "deeply alarmed" by the ongoing fighting in Juba, capital of South Sudan, between soldiers of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLA in opposition, and he urged an immediate end to the current conflict in the world's youngest country.

"This outbreak of hostilities in the capital, on the eve of the country's fifth anniversary of independence, is yet another illustration of the parties' lack of serious commitment to the peace process and represents a new betrayal of the people of South Sudan, who have suffered from unfathomable atrocities since December 2013," said a statement issued by Ban's spokesman. (UN-South Sudan)

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WARSAW -- NATO leaders on Friday agreed to deploy four multinational battalions to the Baltic states and Poland at Warsaw Summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced at a press conference.

The battalions will under NATO command and be deployed on a rotational basis, which will be in place starting next year. (EU-NATO-Warsaw)

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DAMASCUS -- At least 30 people were killed and 140 others wounded on Friday when rebel mortar shells struck districts in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, Syrian national TV said.

The shells landed on residential areas in government-controlled parts of western Aleppo, said the report. (Syria-Aleppo-Attack)

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JUBA -- Heavy gunfire rocked South Sudan's State House in Juba on Friday evening, barely a day after clashes broke out between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and former rebel leader and now First Vice President Riek Machar.

The two leaders, alongside Second Vice President James Wani Igga, later addressed a news conference. They played down the incident, saying they were unaware of the gun fight which started at around 17:00 local time. (South Sudan-Gunfire) Endi