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(All times GMT)
TOP STORIES
Turkey to keep pushing for UN-backed Syria safe zones
ISTANBUL/NEW YORK - Turkey will continue to seek
international backing for a foreign-protected safe zone inside
Syria after a U.N. Security Council meeting this week failed to
deliver much beyond a French plan to channel more aid to
rebel-held areas. (SYRIA-CRISIS/ZONES (UPDATE 2), moved, by Nick
Tattersall and John Irish, 800 words)
+ See also:
- SYRIA-CRISIS/KURDS (ANALYSIS), moved, by Patrick Markey,
1,098 words
- SYRIA-CRISIS/KURDS (FACTBOX), moved, 438 words
- SYRIA-CRISIS/REDCROSS (UPDATE 1), moved, by Stephanie
Nebehay, 539 words
- SYRIA-CRISIS/KODMANI (INTERVIEW), moved, tv, by Catherine
Bremer, 498 words
Russia's Putin calls for Stalin-style "leap forward"
NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia - Russia needs a "leap forward" to
rejuvenate its sprawling defence industry, President Vladimir
Putin says, an echo of the ambitious industrialisation carried
out by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in run-up to World War Two
(RUSSIA-PUTIN/STALIN, moved, by Gleb Bryanski, 466 words)
Blind Chinese activist to visit China's rival Taiwan
NEW YORK - Blind Chinese legal activist Chen Guangcheng,
whose escape from house arrest sparked a diplomatic crisis
between Beijing and Washington, accepts an invitation to visit
Taiwan, underscoring his drive to ensure his influence as a
human rights campaigner will continue abroad (CHINA-DISSIDENT/,
moved, pix, tv, by Lily Kuo, 820 words)
Clinton says U.S. can work with China in Pacific
RAROTONGA, Cook Islands - The United States will buttress
security partnerships across the Pacific as it strengthens ties
with island nations, but also hopes to work more closely with
China as Beijing expands its own influence in the region, U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday.
(USA-ASIA/CLINTON (UPDATE 2, PIX, TV) moved, by Andrew Quinn,
900 words)
ASIA
Major quake off Philippines causes panic but minor damage
MANILA - Earthquake of 7.6 magnitude strikes off Philippines
killing one person, damaging roads and bridges and sending
people fleeing to higher ground in fear of tsunami, politician
and authorities say (QUAKE-PHILIPPINES/ (UPDATE 5), moved, pix,
graphic, by Rosemarie Francisco, 453 words)
Hu seeks clean power handover with ally's promotion-sources
BEIJING - China's outgoing President Hu Jintao is angling to
promote one of his closest allies to the military's
decision-making body, sources said, in a move that would allow
him to maintain an influence over Beijing's most potent
instrument of power (CHINA-MILITARY/ (EXCLUSIVE), moved, pix, by
Benjamin Kang Lim, 800 words)
Japan eyes suspending state spending as money runs out
TOKYO - Japan's government lays out plans to suspend some
state spending as it could run out of cash by October, with
deficit financing bill blocked by opposition parties trying to
force Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda into early election
(JAPAN-ECONOMY/BUDGET (UPDATE 1), moved, by Leika Kihara, 502
words)
+ See also:
- JAPAN-ECONOMY/OUTPUT (UPDATE 3), moved, pix, by Tetsushi
Kajimoto and Kaori Kaneko, 613 words
UNITED STATES
"Troubling ineptitude" in security at US nuclear bomb plant
WASHINGTON - Guards at a U.S. government plant for storing
weapons-grade uranium fail to spot activists, including
82-year-old nun, who cut through its fences until they walk up
to officer's car and surrender, an official report says
(USA-SECURITY/NUCLEAR (UPDATE 1), moved, by Roberta Rampton, 733
words)
As Isaac fades, sparring over disaster funding
NEW ORLEANS - Remnants of Hurricane Isaac bring heavy
rainfall and threat of flash flooding to Mississippi Valley as
Gulf Coast residents clean up and energy facilities prepare to
grind back into operation (STORM-ISAAC/ (UPDATE 4), moved, pix,
tv, graphic, by Ellen Wulfhorst and Scott Malone, 1,199 words)
How to fill a stadium: Obama team seeks crowd for big speech
WASHINGTON - Big moment of the Democratic convention will
come Thursday when President Obama accepts nomination in
74,000-seat football stadium. Big question is can he fill it
(USA-CAMPAIGN/STADIUM, moved, by Jeff Mason, 794 words)
+ See also:
- USA-CAMPAIGN/MEDIA (UPDATE 1), moved, by Jill Serjeant and
Piya Sinha-Roy, 762 words
- USA-CAMPAIGN/MONEY-TEXT (UPDATE 1), moved, by Alina
Selyukh
AMERICAS
Mexico's Pena Nieto confirmed president-elect, rival defiant
MEXICO CITY - Mexico's electoral tribunal confirms Enrique
Pena Nieto as president-elect, but his rival refused to accept
defeat and held out the possibility of further protests that
could hamper reform efforts.(MEXICO-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 3), moved,
pix, tv, by Lizbeth Diaz, 831 words)
MIDDLE EAST
U.N. chief defends Iran visit, says pushed for change
DUBAI - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon defends his
controversial visit to Iran, saying he used trip to push hard
for human rights and transparency from Tehran over its nuclear
programme (UN-BAN/IRAN (INTERVIEW, UPDATE 1), moved, pix, tv, by
Andrew Torchia, 820 words)
VIENNA - Iran may have doubled its uranium enrichment
capacity in underground facility but it seems to be struggling
to develop more efficient nuclear equipment that would shorten
time it would need for any atom bomb bid, experts say
(NUCLEAR-IRAN/CENTRIFUGES, moved, by Fredrik Dahl, 770 words)
+ See also:
- RUSSIA-IRAN/BUSHEHR, moved, 337 words
EUROPE
Abramovich beats 'dishonest' Berezovsky in court
LONDON - Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich
emerges victorious from $6 billion legal battle with his former
mentor Boris Berezovsky that lays bare intrigue behind
post-Soviet carve-up of Russia's vast natural resources
(BRITAIN-RUSSIA/OLIGARCHS (UPDATE 4), moved, pix, tv, by Guy
Faulconbridge and Alessandra Prentice, 1,123 words)
Old mafia killing stirs constitutional dispute in Italy
ROME - One of mafia's more notorious crimes returns after
20 years to haunt Italy, dragging head of state Giorgio
Napolitano into nasty constitutional dispute in run-up to a
watershed election next year (ITALY-MAFIA/PRESIDENT, moved, pix,
by Barry Moody, 1,037 words)
AFRICA
Angolans vote peacefully despite anger over inequality
LUANDA - Angolans voted in one-sided election expected to
prolong President Jose Eduardo dos Santos' nearly 33 years in
power, but many citizens say they want to see more equal
share-out of wealth in Africa's second largest oil producer
(ANGOLA-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 4), moved, pix, tv, by Shriskesh
Laxmidas and Pascal Fletcher, 998 words)
ENTERTAINMENT
Spike Lee brings Jackson magic back to big screen
VENICE - "Bad 25", Spike Lee's film about Michael Jackson's
1987 album, may border on hagiography at times, but live footage
and singer's attention to detail while at peak of powers serve
as reminder of why he remains "King of Pop"
(FILM-VENICE/JACKSON, moved, pix, tv, by Mike Collett-White, 783
words)
+ See also:
- FILM-VENICE/EFRON, moved, pix, tv, by Mike Collett-White,
515 words)
Second "Hobbit" movie gets new name, July 2014 release
LOS ANGELES - The third film in the upcoming "Hobbit" movie
trilogy will be released worldwide in July 2014, the movie
studios behind the venture said on Friday, and the second film
now has a new name -- "The Hobbit: There and Back Again"
(FILM-HOBBIT/, moved, 267 words)
