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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

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Concern for shelter after China quake kills 617

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

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)