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TOP STORIES
KYRGYZSTAN
Bakiyev says talks begin with new Kyrgyz rulers
TEYYIT, Kyrgyzstan - Ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev leaves Kyrgyzstan on a plane for Kazakhstan, his aide tells ending a week-long standoff with his opponents who seized power in the capital (KYRGYZSTAN-UNREST/ (UPDATE 5), moving shortly, pix tv, by Dmitry Solovyov, 850 words)
MYANMAR
Myanmar festival bombings kill eight, wound 94
YANGON - Three bombs explode at a water festival in the former Myanmar capital Yangon, killing eight people and wounding 94, state TV says, blaming "destructive elements" for the attacks (MYANMAR-EXPLOSION/ (UPDATE 8, moved, by Aung Hla Tun, 600 words)
EUROPE AIR
Volcanic ash turns north Europe into no-fly zone
LONDON - A huge ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano turns the skies of northern Europe into a no-fly zone, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers (EUROPE-AIR/ (WRAPUP 4), expect by 1500, pix, by Kylie MacLellan, 800 words)
+ See also:
- EUROPE-AIR/ASH-EFFECTS (Q&A), moved, 550 words
- ICELAND-VOLCANO-CLIMATE/, expect by 1430, by Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent, 500 words)
- ICELAND-VOLCANO/ (FACTBOX), moved, 750 words
SUDAN
Sudan ruling party says nine members killed in south
Sudan's ruling party said on Thursday that the southern army had killed nine people, including at least five of its officials, stoking tensions during voting in the first open elections in 24 years (SUDAN/ELECTIONS, moved, by Skye Wheeler and Opheera McDoom, 750 words)
EUROPE
Poland to reveal black box details from crash
WARSAW - Poland's chief prosecutor promises to release details of the cockpit voice recorders from the plane that crashed in western Russia on Saturday, killing President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others (POLAND/ (WRAPUP 2), moved, pix, tv, graphics, by Adrian Krajewski and Noah Barkin, 800 words)
MIDDLE EAST
Syria denies arming Hezbollah with Scud missiles
DAMASCUS - Syria denies U.S. charges it has supplied Hezbollah guerrillas with long-range Scud missiles and says that Israel might be using the accusation as a pretext for a military strike against Syrian targets (SYRIA-ISRAEL/ (UPDATE 1), moved, by Khaled Yacoub Oweis, 650 words)
AFRICA
Niger pressured for 2010 polls but food crisis looms
DAKAR - Niger's military rulers have taken tentative steps towards restoring civilian rule and meeting a donor-imposed deadline of polls by year-end, but the process risks being derailed by a daunting food crisis (NIGER/ (ANALYSIS), moved, by David Lewis, 800 words)
ASIA
Concern for shelter after China quake kills 617
YUSHU, China - China's premier flies to the Tibetan plateau on Thursday to oversee feverish rescue efforts after a strong earthquake, but crews hold out little hope for residents trapped in freezing weather under the rubble of homes, schools and monasteries. (QUAKE-CHINA/ (WRAPUP 5), moving shortly, pix, tv, by Chris Buckley, 900 words)
South Korea raises war ship, seeks clues on blast
SEOUL - South Korea's military lifts the stern of a naval ship that sank after an unexplained explosion near a contested sea border with North Korea to see if Pyongyang may have had a hand in the incident (KOREA-SHIP/ (UPDATE 4), moved, pix, tv, by Jon Herskovitz and Christine Kim, 500 words)
NATO aims to fight Afghan crooks -- without naming them
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - As U.S.-led forces gear up for biggest offensive of the 8-year-war in southern city of Kandahar, NATO officials refuse to publicly challenge corrupt authorities -- a strategy critics say risks backfiring in the eyes of Afghans. (AFGHANISTAN-KANDAHAR/POLITICS, moved, by Deepa Babington, 700 words)
+ See also:
- AFGHANISTAN-CIVILIANS/, moved, by Jonathon Burch, 500 words
Thai PM will not stand down in crisis, says minister
BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will not bow to "red shirt" protesters' demands and dissolve parliament, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said as tens of thousands of anti-government protesters mass (THAILAND/ (WRAPUP 7), moved, pix, tv, by Ambika Ahuja and Nopporn Wong-Anan, 800 words)
+ See also:
- THAILAND-MINISTER/ (INTERVIEW, UPDATE 1), moved, by Nopporn Wong-Anan, 800 words)
- THAILAND-ECONOMY/ (UPDATE 2), moved, 700 words
Pakistan's Senate passes constitutional reforms
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Senate upper house passes constitutional amendments stripping unpopular President Asif Ali Zardari of main powers and handing them to prime minister and parliament (PAKISTAN-POLITICS/, moved, pix, by Kamran Haider, 700 words)
+ See also:
- PAKISTAN-ARMY/CIVILIANS, moved, by Zeeshan Haider, 600 words
SPACE
Obama under fire as announces new US space policy
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. _ U.S. President Barack Obama announces new space policy after criticism from former astronaut Neil Armstrong who accused administration of lack of ambition in space (OBAMA-SPACE, expect by 2100, by Steve Holland, pix, tv, 650 words)
RELIGION
Pope says church must do penance for abuse cases
VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict says the sexual abuse scandal shaking Roman Catholicism showed the Church needed to do penance for its sins, in a rare public reference by the pope to paedophilia in the priesthood. (POPE-ABUSE/PENANCE (UPDATE 1), moved, pix, tv, by Stephen Brown, 500 words)
+ See also:
- POPE-ABUSE/KUENG, moved, by Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor, 500 words
ENVIRONMENT
US Senate climate bill would end EPA/state programs
WASHINGTON - Climate control legislation being developed in the U.S. Senate would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon dioxide emissions and end state and regional "cap and trade" programs, a Senate source tells Reuters (CLIMATE-USA/CONGRESS, moved, by Richard Cowan, 750 words)
