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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Dec. 23

Xinhua, December 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

At least seven people including two soldiers on a minibus were killed while six others were injured after Al-Shabaab militants opened fire at a vehicle at Daynunay location, about some 30 kilometers south of Baidoa town in southern Somalia, officials said on Friday.

Information Minister for Southwest State, Ugaas Hassan told Xinhua by phone that the militants ambushed a civilian bus and opened fire on the passengers indiscriminately. (Somalia-Minibus-Killing)

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BERLIN -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday that Germany wanted to increase deportation of failed asylum seekers to ensure better safety in the country.

The chancellor made the remarks in a statement issued after the confirmation that Anis Amri, a Tunisian national suspected of carrying out a truck attack on a Christmas market in downtown Berlin, was shot and killed by Italian police officers in a routine patrol in Milan early Friday morning. (Germany-Refugee-Deportation)

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COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka will declare the period between January 8 and 14 in 2017 as the week of national reconciliation to coincide with the second anniversary of President Maitripala Sirisena in office, an official said on Friday.

The Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation, which is under the purview of President Sirisena, made the above decision to promote national unity, Ministry Secretary V.Sivagnanasothy told Xinhua. (Sri Lanka-Reconciliation-Week)

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TRIPOLI -- Most of the 118 passengers and crew have been released from a hijacked Libyan plane that was forced to divert its domestic flight to Malta on Friday, according to Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

A Libyan airplane on a domestic flight with 118 people on board was hijacked on Friday morning by two men claiming to be supporters of late leader Muammar Gaddafi, local media reported. (Libya-Plane-Hijicking) Endi