WELLINGTON -- Two Chinese nationals were among those 47 people on New Zealand's White Island at the time of a volcanic eruption on Monday, which killed five tourists and injured 31, with eight others still missing, the New Zealand police said on Tuesday.

The eight people who were still missing were presumed dead, according to the police. At least one Chinese national was also among those injured in New Zealand volcanic eruption on the White Island in the Eastern Bay of Plenty of New Zealand's North Island, according to the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand. (New Zealand-Volcano eruption)

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MANILA -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to lift martial law in Mindanao in the southern Philippines by 2019, his spokesman said on Tuesday, after three times of extention since 2017 terrorist attacks on Marawi City.

"(Duterte) made the decision following the assessment of his security and defense advisers of the weakening of the terrorist and extremist rebellion, a result of the capture or neutralization of their leaders, as well as the decrease in the crime index, among the factors considered," spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement. (Philippines-Martial law in Mindanao)

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CHARIKAR, Afghanistan -- Taliban militants have set free eight employees of the election commission in the eastern Parwan province after more than two months of captivity, provincial governor's spokesperson Wahida Shahkar said Tuesday.

The eight employees of the election commission, according to the official, were abducted by the armed insurgents from Shinwari district on the Presidential Election day held on Sept. 28, but were released on Monday following mediation of the elders. (Afghanistan-Election commission employees-Freed)

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NEW DELHI -- The lower house of Indian parliament passed the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) early Tuesday that would grant Indian citizenship to those non-Muslim immigrants, amid noises from the opposition, officials said.

The bill aims at granting citizenship to illegal immigrants belonging to six religions -- Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Parsi and Christianity from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, it has kept out Muslims from applying for the citizenship. (India-Controversial bill) Enditem

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