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Xinhua World News Summary at 0030 GMT, Jan. 7

Xinhua, January 7, 2017 Adjust font size:

The U.S. Congress confirmed President-elect Donald Trump's presidency by a tally of electoral votes Friday, finalized the election procedure despite unsuccessful challenges from Democrats.

The largely ceremonial gathering confirmed that Trump had received 304 electoral votes to rival Hillary Clinton's 227 and will take over the baton from Barack Obama on Jan. 20. (U.S.-Electoral Vote)

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MOSUL, Iraq -- Iraqi government forces on Friday retook control of more areas from the Islamic State (IS) militants in the city of Mosul, making a new progress for the first time in the northern city, the Iraqi military said.

The Iraqi army soldiers, backed by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition aircraft, advanced in the northern edge of the eastern side of Mosul and freed al-Mazari neighborhood as well as the 168-building residential compound of Hadbaa after driving out IS militants, a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said.(Iraq-Mosul)

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WASHINGTON -- A shooting has killed five people and injured eight inside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport in the U.S. state of Florida Friday, local police said.

"5 ppl dead; 8 injured were taken to an area hospital," Broward County Sheriff's office said on its twitter account.

It has tweeted earlier that one suspect had been taken into custody.(U.S.-Shooting)

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GENEVA -- Russian and Turkish-backed Syria talks to take place in the Kazakh capital of Astana are expected to start on Jan. 23, the UN Special Envoy for Syria told Xinhua Friday, adding that negotiations could cement a fragile cease-fire in place in the war-torn country since last week.

"Astana is an important opportunity and that's why both China and the UN support this initiative. We are looking forward in Astana to seeing the consolidation of the cessation of hostilities," Staffan de Mistura said.

(Syria-talks-UN) Endi