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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Jan. 14

Xinhua, January 14, 2017 Adjust font size:

The water crisis in the capital Damascus is drawing to an end, as negotiations between rebels, government succeeded to allow government to re-run main water spring feeding the capital on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, maintenance workers reached the Ain Fijeh spring in the Barada Valley area northwest of Damascus, ending weeks of relentless battles in that region, which intensified since the water pumping into the capital was severed on Dec. 22. (Syria)

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WASHINGTON -- Astronauts aboard the International Space Station on Friday successfully completed a battery upgrade to the outpost's power system in their second spacewalk in just one week.

American astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency, a first-time spacewalker, concluded their spacewalk at 12:20 p.m. EST (17:20 GMT), about a half hour earlier than originally planned. (U.S.-Space)

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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Justice Department will look into whether Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey's handling of Hillary Clinton's emails were proper during the election campaign, local media reported Friday.

The investigation will be wide-ranging, encompassing Comey's various letters and public statements on the matter and whether FBI or other Justice Department employees leaked nonpublic information, Washington Post quoted Inspector General Michael Horowitz as saying. (U.S.-FBI)

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NAIROBI -- A coalition of 15 African countries on Friday welcomed China's commitment to closing its domestic ivory markets by the end of 2017, saying the move signals Beijing's goodwill in protecting Africa's elephants.

The countries that are members of the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) said in a joint statement issued in Nairobi that the closure of China's ivory market is a crucial step to securing a future for elephants in their current range. (China-Ivory) Endi