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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Aug. 12

Xinhua, August 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

Russia's president may sever diplomatic ties with Ukraine if there are no other options available, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Friday amid the recent escalating tensions between Moscow and Kiev.

"I would not want that to happen, but if there is no other option left to impact the situation, the president could make such a decision," he was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying. (Russia-Ukraine)

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DAMASCUS -- The Islamic State (IS) militants have kidnapped nearly 2,000 civilians while evacuating their last position in the northern town of Manbej near Turkey on Friday, Kurdish activists and a monitor group reported.

A convoy of 500 vehicles carrying IS militants and civilians, who were snatched and used as human shields, started leaving Manbej toward the town of Jarablus in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, as part of mediation by local dignitaries between IS and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (Syria-Civilians)

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WASHINGTON -- China's near-term growth outlook has improved due to recent policy support but the country needs to rein in fast credit growth to ensure economic transition on a sustainable footing, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Friday.

The Chinese economy is expected to grow 6.6 percent this year, with the inflation rate rising to 2 percent, the IMF said in a report after concluding its annual economic health check on the Chinese economy. (IMF-China-Economy)

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BRUSSELS -- Three people were detained Thursday night in an anti-terror raid in Belgian capital Brussels, according to federal prosecutor's office.

Belgian police searched eight addresses in Brussels at the request of a judge specialized in terrorism cases. During the searches, no weapons or explosives were found. (Belgium-Terrorism) Endi