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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Oct. 27

Xinhua, October 27, 2016 Adjust font size:

Visiting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday that he wanted to review a military agreement with the United States.

Duterte, on his final day in Japan, reiterated his stance that he intended to review the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement inked with the United States in 2014, which allows U.S. troops to maintain military bases in the Philippines and rotate its troops in and out. (Japan-Philippines-Visit)

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LONDON -- Britain's economy in the immediate quarter after Brexit showed a modest growth rate of half a percent, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed Thursday.

While the growth in the July-September quarter was slower than the 0.7 percent growth in the second quarter, it was higher than the 0.3 percent predicted by analysts. Figures show GDP grew 2.3 percent in the third quarter compared with the same quarter in 2015. (UK-Economy)

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KABUL -- Afghanistan's National Directorate for Security (NDS) on Thursday confirmed the death of three senior al-Qaida members following coalition forces' air strikes in an eastern province.

"The Afghan National Directorate for Security confirms that Faruq al-Qatani and Bilal along with one other senior al-Qaida member were killed following drone strikes in Heelgul village, Ghazi Abad district, Kunar province Monday night (local time)," NDS, the country's intelligence agency, said in a statement. (Afghanistan-Al-Qaida-Airstrike)

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DAMASCUS -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday extended an amnesty for three more months for rebels to disarm and surrender themselves, state news agency SANA reported.

The extension of the pardon, first issued last July, offers more time for rebels to clear their "criminal records" by laying down their weapons and surrender to the government. (Syria-Amnesty) Endi