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TOP STORIES
Islamic State holds up Iraqi army south of Mosul
QAYYARA/BAGHDAD, Iraq - Islamic State fighters keep up their fierce defense of southern approaches to Mosul, holding up Iraqi troops there and forcing elite army unit east of city to put more rapid advance on hold. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ (WRAPUP 4, TV, PIX), moved, by Babak Dehghanpisheh and Saif Hameed, 1,090 words)
- MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ-ISLAMICSTATE/ moved, by Stephen Kalin and Michael Georgy, 370 words
- MIDEAST-CRISIS/RAQQA-YPG (UPDATE 2), moved, by Idrees Ali and Yeganeh Torbati, 350 words)
Trump touts urban policy following detour to open new hotel
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, in an appeal to African-Americans and working-class voters, promises "21st century" banking industry reforms and tax changes to spur job creation and investment in blighted communities. (USA-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 3, PIX, TV, GRAPHIC), moved, by Steve Holland, 999 words)
+ See also:
- USA-ELECTION/POLL (UPDATE 2, PIX, GRAPHIC), moved, by Chris Kahn, 572 words
- USA-ELECTION/TRUMP-HOLLYWOOD (UPDATE 2, PIX, TV), moved, by Alex Dobuzinskis and Omar Younis, 423 words
- USA-ELECTION/LEGISLATURES (GRAPHIC), moved, by Karen Pierog, 745 words
Belgium keeps EU, Canada waiting over trade deal
BRUSSELS - Belgian politicians fail to break their deadlock over planned EU-Canada free trade agreement, but agree to resume talks in sign they may be nearing consensus that would keep deal alive. (EU-CANADA/TRADE (UPDATE 5), moved, by Robert-Jan Bartunek and Philip Blenkinsop, 550 words)
Venezuela protests against Maduro escalate, dozens injured
CARACAS/SAN CRISTOBAL - Venezuela's increasingly militant opposition steps up its push to oust leftist leader Nicolas Maduro with protests that draw hundreds of thousands but also see unrest leading to dozens of injuries and arrests. (VENEZUELA-POLITICS/ (UPDATE 10, PIX, TV), moved, by Andrew Cawthorne and Anggy Polanco, 766 words)
ASIA
Japan, US, S.Korea agree to put more pressure on N.Korea - Japan official
TOKYO - Japan, the United States and South Korea agree to work together to put more pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile programmes, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama says. (NORTHKOREA-NUCLEAR/TALKS (UPDATE 1), moved, 240 words)
Australian park owner speaks to families as it counts cost of deaths
SYDNEY - Australia's Ardent Leisure Group, the owner of a theme park where four people were killed on a water ride this week, says it will speak to the victims' families as it defends its safety practices amid intense criticism. (AUSTRALIA-TOURISM/ACCIDENT (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV), moving shortly, by Byron Kaye, 483 words)
U.S. says two top al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan targeted in strikes
WASHINGTON - The United States carried out strikes in Afghanistan on Sunday targeting two of al Qaeda's most senior leaders in the country, the Pentagon says. (USA-AFGHANISTAN/AIRSTRIKE (UPDATE 3), moved, by Idrees Ali, 400 words)
Philippines, U.S. to determine fate of joint exercises next month
MANILA - Philippine and U.S. military officials will meet late next month and decide the fate of decades-old joint exercises, defence sources say, amid doubts over the future of the security alliance and a stream of mixed messages from Manila. (PHILIPPINES-USA/DEFENCE (UPDATE 1), moved, 600 words)
EUROPE
Clearance of Calais 'Jungle' camp accomplished, French prefect says
CALAIS, France - French authorities say they finish clearing "Jungle", shanty town outside Calais built by migrants who hoped to cross to Britain but who are now mostly being dispersed around France. (EUROPE-MIGRANTS/CALAIS (UPDATE 6, PIX, TV), moved, by Matthias Blamont, 517 words)
Strong earthquakes hit central Italy; no deaths reported
ROME - A series of strong earthquakes rock a wide area of central Italy, striking fear among residents rattled by a deadly tremor in August, but there were no reports of casualties and few serious injuries. (ITALY-QUAKE/ (UPDATE 4, PIX), moved, 400 words)
MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA
Turkey vows to press Syria offensive despite warning from pro-Assad forces
ANKARA/BEIRUT - Turkey says it will press its military offensive in Syria until Islamic State is driven from the town of al-Bab, despite a warning from forces allied to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and a helicopter attack on the rebels it backs. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-TURKEY (UPDATE 4, TV, PIX), moved, by Tulay Karadeniz and Laila Bassam, 600 words)
- MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-ATTACK (UPDATE 4, PIX), moved, 300 words
Yemen foes fight in Marib day after U.N. envoy delivers peace plan
DOHA - Yemeni army units backed by an Arab coalition attack positions held by Houthi rebels in a strategic province east of the capital, a day after a U.N. envoy delivered a peace proposal to the Iran-allied fighters that control Sanaa. (YEMEN-SECURITY/MARIB (UPDATE 1), moved, 450 words)
U.S. using Tunisia to conduct drone operations in Libya - U.S. sources
WASHINGTON/BERLIN - The United States has begun using a Tunisian air base to conduct surveillance drone operations inside Libya, the latest expansion of its campaign against Islamic State militants in North Africa, U.S. government sources say. (USA-DRONES/TUNISIA (UPDATE 2, PIX), moved, by Mark Hosenball and Andrea Shalal, 350 words)
UNITED STATES
Pentagon halts effort to recover Guard enlistment bonuses
BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter suspends Pentagon order that California National Guardsmen repay thousands of dollars in enlistment bonuses and tuition assistance they received by mistake more than decade ago. (USA-PENTAGON/BONUSES (UPDATE 3, TV), moved, by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, 490 words)