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Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Feb. 17

Xinhua, February 17, 2017 Adjust font size:

The death toll of Thursday's suicide blast at a Sufi shrine in Pakistan's south Sindh province has risen to 88 on Friday, authorities said.

The Sindh Ministry of Heath said 343 people were also injured in the explosion, adding that 76 critically wounded victims are under treatment in different hospitals at Sehwan, Dadu, Larkana, Nawabshah, Jamshoro, Karachi and Hyderabad districts while the slightly injured people were discharged after initial treatment. (Pakistan-Blast)

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MUNICH -- The Munich Security Conference (MSC) officially opened Friday as an array of global security issues ranging from the future of the transatlantic alliance to the West-Russia relations are in the spotlight.

This year's MSC, scheduled for three days, will see over 500 decision-makers and participants in the realm of international security from the world debating critical security challenges. (Germany-Munich-Security)

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MADRID -- Around 500 Sub-Saharan immigrants were able to force their way into the Spanish north-African enclave of Ceuta on Friday morning, local authorities reported.

The assault on the frontier happened at around 5 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) following a previously used tactic. (Spain-Immigrants)

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MADRID -- Inaki Urdangarin, the brother-in-law of King Felipe VI of Spain, was handed down a sentence of six years and three months in prison on Friday for his role in the "Noos" corruption scandal.

The younger sister of the King, Cristina de Borbon, was absolved of charges against her, but will have to pay a fine of 263,000 euros (280,258 U.S. dollars) jointly with her husband Urdangarin. (Spain-Corruption Scandal)

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LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan -- At least 15 people were killed and 30 others injured as a passenger bus overturned in the southern Helmand province on Friday, local official Omar Zawak said.

"A passenger bus was heading from Herat to Kandahar province but unfortunately it diverted from the road in Gereshk district of Helmand province and turned turtle, killing 15 people on the spot and injured 30 others," Zawak told Xinhua. (Afghanistan-Accident) Endi