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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Sept. 8

Xinhua, September 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) concluded its 28th and 29th Summits and related leaders' meeting here on Thursday, with pledges to strengthen the regional bloc's internal cooperation as well as external coordination with partners.

ASEAN's cooperation with its most active partner China took center stage at a series of meetings. The two sides agreed to add people-to-people exchanges as a new pillar for cooperation, and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) (Laos-ASEAN)

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FRANKFURT -- The European Central Bank (ECB) decided to take no further action on its monetary policy for the euro area on Thursday, leaving the key interest rates unchanged and extending the monthly asset purchase of 80 billion euros (90 billion U.S. dollars) until the end of March next year.

ECB President Mario Draghi said at a press conference here that the question of the extension of the Asset Purchase Programme -- also known as Quantitative Easing (QE) -- had not been discussed at the governing council meeting on Thursday.

"For the time being, the changes are not so substantial to warrant a decision to act," he said.(ECB-Monetary Policy)

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NAIVASHA, Kenya -- A Polish tourist died and four other British tourists were seriously injured on Thursday after a six-sitter plane they were flying in crash-landed in Naivasha, about 90 kms northwest of capital city Nairobi.

The pilot from Kenya was seriously injured following the midday accident in Sanctuary farm in Naivasha. (Kenya-Tourist Accident)

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NEW DELHI -- India Thursday launched its advanced weather satellite INSAT-3DR from the spaceport of Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

The take-off of Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), carrying the 2211-kg satellite, took place at 4:50 p.m. (local time) after a delay of 40 minutes over an anomaly.(India-Space-Satellite)

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YEREVAN, Armenia -- Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan announced his resignation Thursday, the Armenpress news agency reported.

Abrahamyan said during a government meeting that his departure would enable President Serzh Sarksyan to form a new government.(Armenia-President)

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KABUL -- One civilian was killed and three others injured as a bicycle bomb planted by militants went off in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Thursday, police said.

"The terrorists planted explosive device into cavities of a bicycle and detonated it in Charahi Shahid locality in downtown Kabul this morning, killing a street vender and injuring three others," a policeman told Xinhua but refused to be identified, saying authorized officials would brief the media after completion of investigation.(Afghanistan-Bombing)

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