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TOP STORIES
Iraqi forces push deeper into western Mosul as civilians flee
MOSUL, Iraq - U. S. -backed Iraqi forces push deeper into western Mosul after retaking the city's airport from Islamic State and punching into built-up areas of the jihadists' last major stronghold in the country.
Editor: Kim Coghill + 65 6870 3840
Picture Desk: Singapore + 65 6870 3775
Graphics queries: + 65 6870 3595
(All times GMT/ET)
TOP STORIES
Iraqi forces push deeper into western Mosul as civilians flee
MOSUL, Iraq - U.S.-backed Iraqi forces push deeper into western Mosul after retaking the city's airport from Islamic State and punching into built-up areas of the jihadists' last major stronghold in the country. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ-MOSUL (UPDATE 2, TV, PIX), moved, by Isabel Coles, 800 words)
Bombings, air strikes in Syria rattle Geneva peace talks
GENEVA - A United Nations peace envoy says a militant attack in Syria on Saturday was a deliberate attempt to wreck peace talks in Geneva, while the warring sides traded blame and appeared no closer to actual negotiations. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA (WRAPUP 3, TV, PIX), moved, by Tom Miles and Angus McDowall, 700 words)
Trump decides to skip White House press dinner
WASHINGTON - In a further sign of strains with the media, U.S. President Donald Trump says he will not attend the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, a high-profile event that draws celebrities, politicians and journalists. (USA-TRUMP/PRESS (UPDATE 2, PIX), moved, by Mike Stone and Andy Sullivan, 400 words)
U.S. Democrats pick Perez to lead party against Trump
ATLANTA - U.S. Democrats elect former Labor Secretary Tom Perez as chairman, choosing a veteran of the Obama administration to lead the daunting task of rebuilding the party and heading the opposition to Republican President Donald Trump. (USA-POLITICS/DEMOCRATS (UPDATE 3, TV, PIX), moved, by Justin Mitchell, 793 words)
Wary of Trump unpredictability, China ramps up naval abilities
BEIJING - China's navy is likely to secure significant new funding in the upcoming defence budget as Beijing seeks to check U.S. dominance of the high seas and step up its own projection of power around the globe. (CHINA-DEFENCE/NAVY (PIX, GRAPHIC), by Ben Blanchard and Michael Martinam, moved, 790 words)
UNITED STATES
Aggressive cuts to Obama-era green rules to start soon -U.S. EPA head
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration will begin rolling back Obama-era environmental regulations in an "aggressive way" as soon as this week, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency says - adding he understood why some Americans want to see his agency eliminated completely. (USA-TRUMP/ERA), moved, by Richard Valdmanis, 400 words)
Drunken driver injures 28 at New Orleans Mardi Gras parade
NEW ORLEANS - A pickup truck driven by a man who appeared to be "highly intoxicated" plows into a crowd of spectators watching the Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, sending more than 20 people to the hospital. (NEW ORLEANS-PARADE/ (UPDATE 2, PIX, TV), moved, 400 words)
EUROPE
One dead after man drives into crowd in Germany, no sign of terrorism-authorities
HEIDELBERG, Germany - One man died and two other people were injured after a 35-year-old German man drives into a crowd near a bakery in the southwestern town of Heidelberg, but authorities say there are no indications that it was a terrorist attack.
French judge takes over probe into Fillon 'fake jobs' scandal
PARIS - French presidential challenger Francois Fillon will face full judicial inquiry into allegations he paid family members for fake parliamentary jobs after financial prosecutor says she is appointing magistrate to lead deeper probe. (FRANCE-ELECTION/FILLON (UPDATE 2, TV, PIX), moved, by Chine Labbé and Michel Rose, 497 words)
In election year, Germany's Merkel slams SPD plan to revise labour reforms
STRALSUND - German Chancellor Angela Merkel hits out at her coalition partners for proposing revisions to welfare reforms credited with driving the country's economic success, ahead of elections in which their candidate has moved in front of her in some polls. (GERMANY-ELECTION/MERKEL, moved, 393 words)
SEE ALSO:
+ GERMANY-ELECTION/POLL (UDPATE 1), moved
Turkish PM seeks votes for 'strong, stable' Turkey in April referendum
ANKARA - Turkey's prime minister calls on public to back constitutional change that would greatly strengthen President Tayyip Erdogan's powers, portraying the reform as a vote for stability at the start of campaigning ahead of an April referendum. (TURKEY-REFERENDUM/ (UPDATE 1, TV, PIX), moved, by Ercan Gurses, 500 words)
AMERICAS
Mexico warns of tariffs, spurns U.S. aid under review by Trump
MEXICO CITY - An emboldened Mexico hardens its opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump, saying it will retaliate if the United States imposed a border tax and that it can afford to lose financial aid that might be pulled to pay for a border wall. (USA-MEXICO, UPDATE 3 (PIX, TV), moved, by Frank Jack Daniel, 450 words
ASIA
Malaysia declares airport safe after Kim Jong Nam murder KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia says its international airport at Kuala Lumpur is safe after authorities swept the area for chemicals following the murder of Kim Jong Nam with a deadly nerve agent. (NORTHKOREA-MALAYSIA/KIM (TV, PIX), moved, by Emily Chow and Joseph Sipalan, 400 words)
In India, regional rival takes on Modi at his own game
LUCKNOW - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi out-campaigned all-comers in the 2014 general election but, as he faces his biggest mid-term test, he is up against a rival determined to beat him at his own game. (INDIA-ELECTION/ (PIX, GRAPHICS), moved, by Rupam Jain, 840 words)
MIDDLE EAST
Saudi FM visits Baghdad to bolster Sunni-Shi'ite reconciliation post IS
BAGHDAD - Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir makes a rare visit to Baghdad in a new attempt to heal the Sunni kingdom's troubled relations with Shi'ite-majority Iraq. (IRAQ-SAUDI/DIPLOMACY (UPDATE 1), moved, by Maher Chmaytelli and Ahmed Rasheed, 520 words)
AFRICA
Zimbabwe's Mugabe says will not impose successor, party will choose
MATOBO - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says he will not impose his successor and that if the ruling ZANU-PF party feels he should retire, it will hold an extraordinary congress to choose a new leader. (ZIMBABWE-MUGABE/ (PIX, TV), moved, by Philimon Bulawayo, 414 words)
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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