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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Feb. 20

Xinhua,February 20, 2018 Adjust font size:

HAVANA -- A U.S. Congressional delegation began a three-day visit to Cuba on Monday, meeting with foreign ministry officials amid tense ties with Washington over alleged "sonic attacks" on U.S. diplomats here.

Led by Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, the delegation met with Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, the ministry's new director for U.S. affairs, and other officials as part of a "fact-finding trip" about Washington's foreign policy changes toward the island country. (Cuba-U.S.-Delegation)

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JERUSALEM -- Israel's Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon met with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday, and called on to renew the long-stalled peace talks.

The rare meeting was also attended by the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, and Deputy Finance Minister Itzik Cohen. It was focused on security and financial issues, including the activity of Palestinian banks, building new industrial zones in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and creating new jobs in the unemployment-stricken area. (Israel-Palestinians)

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ANKARA -- Turkey warned Syrian government on Monday over sending troops into Afrin to back the Kurdish militia, a senior Turkish official said.

Any decisions by Syrian government to send forces into Afrin would give a green light to dividing Syria, and would cause disastrous consequences in the region, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Bekir Bozdag told reporters following the cabinet meeting in Ankara(Turkey-Syria-Afrin)

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MALE -- Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen on Monday requested the parliament to extend the state of emergency by 30 more days as the threat to national security has not diminished, his office said in a statement.

Yameen said the National Security Council had advised for the extension of the state of emergency as the constitutional crisis brewing in the country has also not been resolved. If the request is approved, the state of emergency which was announced on Feb. 5 for 15 days, will be in effect till March.(Maldives-State of Emergency) Enditem

 

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