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Xinhua world news summary at 0130 GMT, Aug. 25

Xinhua, August 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar on Wednesday causing damage to 190 ancient pagodas and temples in Bagan-Nyaung Oo, an ancient city in central Myanmar, as well as in Salay and Mrauk U townships, according to an announcement of the archeology department of Myanmar.

Due to earthquake which rocked Myanmar at 05:04 p.m. local time, one man died in Pakkoku township in Magwe region and two girls also lost their lives in Yenanchaung township. (Myanmar-Earthquake)

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UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is "saddened" by the reports of lives lost and damage caused by strong earthquakes in Italy and Myanmar early Wednesday, and "he expresses his condolences to the peoples and governments of both countries," a UN spokesman told reporters here.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is in contact with the national authorities and continues to closely monitor both situations, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. "Along with our partners, we stand ready to support the national authorities and local organizations should any humanitarian support be needed." (UN-Italy-Myanmar-Quake)

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MOSCOW -- All of the four hostages in a bank kidnapping in central Moscow have been released after the kidnapper surrendered, local media reported Wednesday.

Preliminary information indicated that the kidnapper is a businessman named Aram Petrosyan, 61, who entered a citibank branch on Bolshaya Nikitskaya street in Moscow on Wednesday evening with a box strapped to his chest, threatening to blow himself up. (Russia-Kidnapping)

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PYONGYANG -- Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un has recently guided a successful test-firing of a strategic submarine-launched ballistic missile "Pukguksong", the official news agency KCNA reported Thursday.

The test-firing, which was conducted at a high angle in the maximum launching depth, reconfirmed the stability of the SLBM (submarine-launched ballistic missile) system, the starting character of the high-power solid fuel engine and phased flying kinetic feature, the state media said. (DPRK-Kim Jong Un-SLBM)

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HAVANA -- The Colombian government and the insurgent Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announced Wednesday that they have reached the final peace agreement to conclude the peace negotiations that has been held since November 2012 in Havana. (Colombia-Peace Agreement) Endi