Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, April 29
Xinhua,April 29, 2018 Adjust font size:
ANKARA -- Turkey and the United States have agreed to take steps in Syria's Manbij region in line with a road map previously agreed between two countries, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
"We confirmed the approval of a roadmap on which our joint working group has reached an initial agreement," Cavusoglu said, after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels, on Friday. (Turkey-U.S.-Syria)
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DAMASCUS -- The Syrian army on Saturday fully secured four neighborhoods in southern Damascus after battles with the Islamic State (IS) militants.
The army closed in on a key bastion of the terror-designated group in the area of the capital, state news agency SANA reported. (Syria-IS-Battle)
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YEREVAN -- Armenia's Ruling Republican Party will not seek to nominate anyone for the top job in the country on May 1, said spokesperson of the Republican Party of Armenia and deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament, Eduard Sharmazanov at a press briefing on Saturday.
"Taking into account the domestic political situation, the ruling Republican party decided that the party will not nominate a candidate for Prime Minister in the parliament voting on May 1," Sharmazanov said while presenting the party's statement. (Armenia-PM-Candidate)
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STOCKHOLM -- The crisis in the Swedish Academy deepened Friday as author and translator Sara Stridsberg became the sixth member to resign in just a month, Swedish media reported on Saturday.
The Swedish Academy, known around the world as the body that picks the Nobel literature laureates, now has only 10 active members, and eight vacant seats. (Sweden-Swedish Academy)
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ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan and Indian military officials have spoken to explore ways to reduce tension in the wake of cross-border firing in the disputed Kashmir region, the military said on Saturday.
An army statement said hotline contact was established between Pakistani and Indian Director General Military Operations on April 27. (Pakistan-India-Border) Enditem