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TOP STORIES
Four arrested in southern France for planning Paris attack - police
PARIS - Four people are arrested in and around the southern French city of Montpellier on suspicion of planning an imminent terrorist attack in Paris, the interior ministry says.
Editor: Kevin Liffey + 44 20 7542 7923
Picture Desk: Singapore + 65 6870 3775
Graphics queries: + 65 6870 3595
(All times GMT/ET)
TOP STORIES
Four arrested in southern France for planning Paris attack - police
PARIS - Four people are arrested in and around the southern French city of Montpellier on suspicion of planning an imminent terrorist attack in Paris, the interior ministry says. (EUROPE-ATTACKS/FRANCE (UPDATE 1), moved, 288 words)
Trump and Japan's Abe to hold summit amid air of uncertainty
WASHINGTON - With differences simmering in the background, U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe open two days of talks looking to build a close relationship for what could be some tense times ahead. (USA-TRUMP/JAPAN (PICTURE, TV), moved, by Steve Holland, 640 words)
Trump changes tack, backs "one China" policy in call with Xi
BEIJING/WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump changes tack and agrees to honour the "one China" policy during a phone call with China's leader Xi Jinping, a major diplomatic boost for Beijing which brooks no criticism of its claim to self-ruled Taiwan. (USA-TRUMP/CHINA-XI (UPDATE 7, PICTURE, TV), moved, by Ben Blanchard and Steve Holland, 850 words)
Challenges to Trump's travel ban abound in courts across U.S.
NEW YORK - A U.S. appeal court's refusal to reinstate a temporary travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries is a setback for U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping immigration agenda, but the government is pressing ahead on multiple legal fronts. (USA-TRUMP/IMMIGRATION (UPDATE 1), moving shortly, by Mica Rosenberg, 675 words)
EUROPE
Pressure on scandal-hit Fillon as polls point at disapproval
PARIS - Seven out of 10 French voters want conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon to step down, an opinion poll by Odoxa for France Info radio says as a scandal over alleged "fake work" by his wife continue to weigh on his campaign. (FRANCE-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 2), moving shortly, 420 words)
Despite protests, many Britons back prime minister's attempt to court Trump
BRAINTREE, England - Britons have protested in their thousands against Donald Trump, almost 1.9 million oppose his planned state visit to their country and the U.S. president is not welcome to address the lower house of parliament. But in Braintree, people feel differently. (USA-TRUMP/BREXIT (PICTURE), moved, by Alistair Smout, 840 words)
Merkel to attend Munich Security Conference -sources
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend the Munich Security Conference next week, government sources have told Reuters. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has already accepted an invitation to the event, which takes place amid uncertainty about transatlantic relations after President Donald Trump said he viewed NATO as obsolete and criticised Merkel's policies. (GERMANY-SECURITY/MERKEL, moved, 180 words)
Ukrainian PM sees IMF deal amid new fighting in east
BRUSSELS - Kiev expects to reach deal with International Monetary Fund by end of the month to allow the next tranche of aid, says Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, also blaming Moscow for renewed fighting in east. (UKRAINE-CRISIS/ (UPDATE 2, INTERVIEW, TV, PICTURE), moved, by Robin Emmott, 485 words)
Italy hopes Rome summit will revive flagging EU
ROME - EU leaders will renew their marriage vows for the troubled bloc in Rome next month but may acknowledge that in future, certain member states will move closer to some partners than to others, Italy's top European affairs official said. (ITALY-EU/SUMMIT (INTERVIEW, PICTURE), moved, by Crispian Balmer, 550 words)
Greece's lenders move to patch up differences on bailout
BRUSSELS - Euro zone lenders and the International Monetary Fund have agreed to put aside differences and present a united front at a meeting with Greece in the latest bailout impasse, a step towards agreeing what Athens must do next. (EUROZONE-GREECE/ (WRAPUP 1, PICTURE), moved, by Jan Strupczewski, 665 words)
Croatian leaders tread softly in face of World War Two revisionism
ZAGREB/NASICE - An international exhibition about Anne Frank had already toured over 20 schools across Croatia when it ran into trouble last month in the coastal city of Sibenik, spotlighting the nation's struggle to resolve its dark World War Two past. (CROATIA-PAST/ (TV, PICTURE), moved, by Igor Ilic and Matt Robinson, 1,310 words)
From stained glass to stylists, Spain bids to be global shopping hub
MADRID - Restorers of vintage stained glass are enjoying a new lease on life in Madrid these days, bringing their artisanal skills to a luxury retail and hotel complex in the centre of Spain's capital. (SPAIN-TOURISM/ (GRAPHIC, PICTURE), moved, by Amanda Calvo, 720 words)
MIDDLE EAST
Hundreds of thousands rally in Iran against Trump, chant "Death to America" -TV
ANKARA - Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rally to swear allegiance to the clerical establishment following U.S. President Donald Trump's warning that he had put the Islamic Republic "on notice", state TV reports. (USA-TRUMP/IRAN-ANNIVERSARY (UPDATE 3, PICTURE, TV), moving shortly, by Parisa Hafezi, 555 words)
With Erdogan's nod, Turkey set for April vote on stronger presidency
ANKARA - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has approved a constitutional reform bill that will vastly strengthen the powers of his office and a referendum on the issue is likely on April 16, officials says. (TURKEY-POLITICS/CONSTITUTION (UPDATE 2, TV, PICTURE), moved, by Tulay Karadeniz, 465 words)
Russia halts Syrian army-rebel clash in northern Syria -sources
BEIRUT/ISTANBUL - Russia intervened to halt a clash between Syrian government forces and Turkey-backed Syrian rebels in northern Syria, sources on both sides said on Friday, the first confrontation between them as both sides fight Islamic State in the area. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-TURKEY, moving shortly, by Laila Bassam and Humeyra Pamuk, 483 words)
+ See also:
- MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-ASSAD (UPDATE 2), moved, by John Davison, 560 words
- MIDEAST-CRISIS/ALEPPO-INFRASTRUCTURE (TV, PICTURE), moved, by Angus McDowall , 1,065 words
- MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-REBELS, moved, 275 words
Trump's hostility to help keep Iran's Rouhani in office, but make his life harder
ANKARA - Donald Trump's bellicose rhetoric towards Iran now appears likely to help keep President Hassan Rouhani in office for another term, but will make it harder for the Iranian leader's team of moderates to govern. (USA-TRUMP/IRAN-POLITICS (ANALYSIS, PICTURE), moved, by Parisa Hafezi, 890 words)
AFRICA
Islamic State shifts to Libya's desert valleys after Sirte defeat
MISRATA - Islamic State militants shift to desert valleys and inland hills southeast of Tripoli as they seek to exploit Libya's political divisions after defeat in their former stronghold of Sirte, security officials say. (LIBYA-SECURITY/ISLAMICSTATE (PICTURE), moved, by Aidan Lewis, 805 words)
+ See also:
- EUROPE-MIGRANTS/LIBYA (PICTURE), moved, by Ahmed Elumami, 560 words
Kenya declares drought a national disaster, seeks help
NAIROBI - Kenya declares a national disaster as drought poses a major risk to people, livestock and wildlife. (KENYA-DROUGHT/ (UPDATE 1, TV, PICTURE), moved, by George Obulutsa, 225 words)
UNITED STATES
Trump border 'wall' to cost $21.6 bln, take 3.5 years to build - internal report
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's "wall" along the U.S.-Mexico border would be a series of fences and walls that would cost as much as $21.6 billion, and take more than three years to construct, based on a U.S. Department of Homeland Security internal report seen by Reuters on Thursday. (USA-TRUMP/IMMIGRATION-WALL (EXCLUSIVE), moved, by Julia Edwards Ainsley, 725 words)
AMERICAS
Venezuelan girl's diphtheria death highlights country's health crisis
PARIAGUAN - Eliannys Vivas, 9, started to get a sore throat on a Friday last month in this languid Venezuelan town where papaya trees shade poor cinder-block homes. (VENEZUELA-HEALTH/ (PICTURE, TV), moved, by Alexandra Ulmer and Maria Ramirez, 882 words)
ASIA
New Zealanders race to rescue whales after hundreds stranded
WELLINGTON - Rescuers are trying to save scores of pilot whales in a remote bay in New Zealand, where some 300 carcasses litter the beach after one of the country's largest recorded mass whale strandings. (NEWZEALAND-WHALES/ (UPDATE 1, TV, PICTURE), moved, by Charlotte Greenfield, 280 words)
Fire at busy Hong Kong subway station, at least 17 hurt
HONG KONG - Hong Kong police arrest a man over a suspected arson attack after a fire broke out inside a train at one of Hong Kong's busiest subway stations during rush hour, injuring at least 17 people, including two who are in critical condition. (HONGKONG-BLAZE/ (UPDATE 1, PICTURE, TV), moving shortly, 385 words)
Australian heatwave causes firms to power down but blackouts avoided
SYDNEY/MELBOURNE - Major energy users in Australia shut down, and the public are urged not to go home and cook or watch television, averting big blackouts amid strained supplies as an extreme heatwave moves from the desert interior to the east coast. (AUSTRALIA-ELECTRICITY/OUTAGES (UPDATE 3, PICTURE, GRAPHIC), moved, by Jonathan Barrett and Sonali Paul, 600 words)
Modi's reforms meet realpolitik in key Indian state election
LUCKNOW - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to clean up politics. The man running the ruling party's campaign in a crucial state election, who is facing 11 criminal cases, says it will take a while. (INDIA-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 1, INSIGHT, PICTURE, TV, GRAPHIC), moved, by Tom Lasseter and Rupam Jain, 1,175 words)
U.S., China military planes come inadvertently close over South China Sea
WASHINGTON - A U.S. Navy P-3 plane and a Chinese military aircraft came close to each other over the South China Sea in an incident the Navy believes was inadvertent, a U.S. official told Reuters. (USA-CHINA/DEFENSE (UPDATE 3), moved, 440 words)
Afghan military would support more foreign troops, official says
KABUL - The Afghan Defence Ministry welcome suggestions by the commander of international forces in Afghanistan that more troops are needed to train Afghan security forces, who are battling to hold back a growing Taliban-led insurgency. (USA-TRUMP/AFGHANISTAN (UPDATE 1), by Mirwais Harooni, 450 words)
Thai court to hear first royal insult case under new king
BANGKOK - A Thai court agrees to put a prominent activist on trial for insulting the monarchy after he shared a BBC Thai-language profile of the new king, which some say was offensive, on Facebook. (THAILAND-KING/INSULTS (PICTURE), moved, 310 words)
Robust China trade data a boon for Asia as protectionist risks loom
BEIJING - China posts much stronger-than-expected trade data for January as demand picked up at home and abroad, an encouraging start to 2017 for the world's largest trading nation even as Asia braces for a rise in U.S. protectionism under President Donald Trump. (CHINA-ECONOMY/TRADE (WRAPUP 1, PICTURE, GRAPHIC), moved, by Elias Glenn and Yifan Qiu, 720 words)
ENVIRONMENT
Fate of Africa's newest, rarest crocodile tied to once endangered zoo
ABIDJAN - When conservation biologist Matt Shirley discovered the world's newest crocodile species after years of sloshing through mangroves and swamps from Senegal to Uganda, the elation was tempered by the knowledge that it was on a path to extinction. (IVORYCOAST-ENDANGERED/ (PIX, TV), moved, by Joe Bavier, 596 words)
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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