Xinhua World News Summary at 1530 GMT, Dec. 13

Celebratory gunshots reverberated across the northern city of Aleppo on Monday evening, and people took to the streets celebrating, as the Syrian army has almost dislodged the rebels from the eastern part of the city, witnesses in Aleppo told Xinhua.

Gunshots with bullets that leave red tails echoed in Aleppo, with women ululates in joy in the streets, with news that the rebels have almost lost their ground in the eastern part of the city. (Syria-Aleppo)

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BERLIN -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande called for an extension of European Union (EU) sanctions against Russia here on Tuesday.

As the implementation of the Minsk Agreement in the Ukraine conflict is "very slow", it will be "necessary" to extend the sanctions against Russia once again, Merkel said on Tuesday during a meeting with Hollande at the chancellery in Berlin. (Germany-Merkel-Hollande)

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SKOPJE -- Macedonia's ruling party came out on top during Sunday's parliamentary elections, securing 51 seats in the parliament, and is best positioned to win a mandate to form a new government, the country's electoral authority announced Monday night. (Macedonia-Elections)

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ROME -- Italy's newly-appointed Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni announced the formation of a new cabinet on Monday.

He handed in his list of 18 new ministers to Italian President Sergio Mattarella late afternoon on Monday, thus drawing to a swift close to the government crisis set off by the resignation of former prime minister Matteo Renzi on Dec. 7. (Italy-PM-Cabinet Members) Endi