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MOSCOW, May 9. /TASS/: A ten-minute fireworks show illuminated Moscow’s skies on Thursday night to mark the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War over Nazi Germany with more than 10,000 salvos.

Journalists were told earlier at the Western Military District’s press service that Artillery Marshal Vladimir Mikhalkin firework division would perform the fireworks show in Moscow on May 9.

The fireworks were launched from 72 saluting guns and 18 artillery guns, and 50 kinds of fireworks were used.

TOKYO, May 10. /TASS/: A group of Japanese citizens - the first in 2019 - has embarked on a visa-free trip to Kunashir Island, part of the southern Kuril Islands, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported. The group, travelling by the Etopirika vessel, departed from the city of Nemuro on Hokkaido's east coast.

The group of about 60 people will stay on Kunashir Island until May 13. The Japanese will visit their family graves and meet with locals.

MOSCOW, May 10. /TASS/: Russian voyager and survivalist Fedor Konyukhov has finished his solo rowboat voyage on board Akros, crossing the South Pacific from New Zealand to Chile for 154 days 13 hours and 13 minutes, the Ocean Rowing Society said on Friday.

"On May 09, 2019 at approx. 18:00UTC Fedor crossed the finish line of Diego Ramirez Longitude (68.68W) within vicinity of land and with this has officially completed his row across the South Pacific Ocean from west to east," the statement says adding that it took the Russian traveler 154 days 13 hours and 37 minutes to do it.

WASHINGTON, May 10. /TASS/: US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo will visit Moscow and Sochi on May 12-14, the Department of State said in a statement on Friday.

"On May 13, he will arrive in Russia to meet with his team at U.S. Embassy Moscow before meeting with UUS business leaders and UUS exchange alumni. Secretary Pompeo will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," the statement reads.

ISLAMABAD, May 10 (APP): Fans of the greatest short story-writer and author Saadat Hasan Manto will celebrate his 107th birth anniversary on May 11 remembering his life time services for Urdu language.

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua): The Asian Civilization Exhibition (Artworks), held by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, opened Friday at the National Art Museum of China, Beijing.

Titled "Shared Inspiration -- Asian Art Exhibition," the event will showcase 130 pieces of art created by 120 artists from 41 countries, including China, India, Japan and Pakistan.

WASHINGTON, May 8 (Xinhua): U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday asserted executive privilege on the Mueller report, protecting the Department of Justice from Congressional subpoenas.

Trump had "asserted executive privilege over the entirety of the subpoenaed materials," Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd wrote in a letter to Congress.

ST. PETERSBURG, May 7. /TASS/: Paleontologists from the St. Petersburg State University found in Yakutia’s Suntar Region remains of giant herbivorous dinosaurs, and this finding may change the current view on ancient lizards, the University’s expert Pavel Skuchas told TASS on Tuesday.

The remains are about 130 million years old. Those were very primitive species, and similar animals in southern regions had died much earlier, the scientist said.

ROME, May 7 (Xinhua): The detente between Italy and France for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death did not last long, with diplomatic and political relations between the two countries quickly returning to their usual prickly state.

Italy and France have a long history of challenging relations, but 2018 was particularly intense.

FUZHOU, May 7 (Xinhua): China is working to build smart museums with latest technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR), China's National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) said Tuesday.

Guan Qiang, deputy head of NCHA, said at the ongoing second Digital China Summit in eastern China's Fujian Province that they are promoting the use of AI, VR, augmented reality (AR), immersion display and smart guidance at the country's many cultural heritage institutions.