Off the wire
• U.S. nominates Kim for second World Bank term  • 1st LD Writethru: Five security personnel among six killed in firing incident in SW Pakistan  • China to support soccer games to boost Burundi's social harmony  • Switzerland urged to be more transparent in political funding  • Poland issues "panda bonds" on Chinese market  • Female teacher jailed for sexually abusing underage pupils in Finland  • China determined to improve quality, standard of consumer goods  • China Focus: Int'l sniping competition concludes in Beijing  • 1st LD: Egypt's supplies minister resigns over corruption  • China sets spending standards for charitable organizations  
You are here: 　 Home

Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Aug. 25

Xinhua, August 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

The upcoming G20 summit would play vital role in promoting global trade, as long as G20 leaders have positive and constructive discussions on trade and investment, and endorse the consensus reached at the G20 trade ministers' meeting in July, a senior official of the World Trade Organization (WTO) says.

Since the financial crisis in 2008, the global economic and trade outlook has yet to see clear signs of recovery, while fiscal and monetary policymaking has been increasingly hampered by harsh economic realities, WTO Deputy Director-General Yi Xiaozhun told Xinhua in a recent interview. (G20-WTO-China)

- - - -

ISLAMABAD -- At least five security personnel were killed and three others injured in a firing incident in Pakistan's southwest district of Gwadar on Thursday evening, local Urdu TV Channel AAJ News reported. (Pakistan-Firing)

- - - -

BAGHDAD -- The Iraqi parliament on Thursday passed a vote of no-confidence against Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi, as the Iraqi forces are battling the Islamic State (IS) militants to free Mosul, the group's last major stronghold in Iraq, official TV reported.

"The Council of Representatives (Parliament) voted in majority to withdraw confidence from the defense minister Khalid al-Obeidi after the lawmakers found his answers unconvincing during an earlier questioning session," al-Iraqiya state television said. (Iraq-Defense chief)

- - - -

ANKARA -- The leader of Turkey's main opposition party escaped unharmed when his convoy was caught up in a shooting in the northeastern province of Artvin, authorities said.

Three soldiers were wounded in the shooting, one seriously, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said, blaming the attack on members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). (Turkey-Opposition-Attack)

- - - -

ROME -- The death toll from a powerful earthquake in central Italy has risen to 247, Italian authorities confirmed early on Thursday.

A 6.0-magnitude tremor on Wednesday hit a mountainous area near the city of Rieti, some 140 km northeast of Rome, at 3:36 a.m. local time (0136 GMT), according to the National Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (INGV). (Italy-Quake-Casualty) Endi