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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Oct. 23

Xinhua, October 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

A former Self-Defense Forces (SDF) official evidently committed suicide by blowing himself up with a suspected incendiary device in a popular park in the city of Utsonomiya where a festival was being held on Sunday, local police officials said.

According to the officials, a suicide note saying "I pay with my life" was found among the deceased man's clothing, with local reports also adding the note expressed the suspect, 72-year-old Toshikatsu Kurihara, had been experiencing family problems. (Japan-Explosions)

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DAMASCUS -- Battles continued to rage on Sunday in Syria's Aleppo between the government forces and rebels, as well as infighting among other rebel groups in that key area, a monitor group and pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported.

The Syrian army backed by Russian air force succeeded to take full control over the Air Defense Base in the southern countryside of Aleppo, following intense battles with an array of rebel groups, the reports said. (Syria-Aleppo)

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VILNIUS -- Lithuania is holding the second round of parliamentary election on Sunday to elect 68 members of the 141-member unicameral parliament or the Seimas, whose 73 other members were elected in the first round of election on Oct. 9.

According to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), by 1:00 p.m. local time (1100 GMT), 14.58 percent of the country's 2.5 million eligible voters have cast their votes to elect the Seimas. Including the early voting, the total activity amounts to 20.58 percent. (Lithuania-Elections)

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HAVANA -- Delegations from the Colombian government and the country's largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), restarted negotiations here on Saturday for "a constructive dialogue," both parties announced.

The government's chief negotiator with the FARC and former Vice-President Humberto de la Calle published an image of the meeting on Twitter and wrote: "Meeting between delegates and advisors of the government and the FARC in Havana. Beginning a constructive dialogue." (Colombia-FARC-Negotiations) Endi