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09/21/2016 13:46

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TOP STORIES

Defense lawyer seeking access to accused New York bomber

NEW YORK - Lawyer for Afghan-born U.S. citizen charged with bombings in New York and New Jersey asks to see his client and suggests man's first court appearance could occur in his hospital bed. (USA-ATTACKS/ (UPDATE 4, PIX), expect by 2000 GMT/4 PM ET, by David Ingram and Laila Kearney, 700 words)

Kerry demands Russia, Syria ground warplanes to salvage cease-fire

UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry demands that Russia and Syrian government immediately halt flights over Syrian battle zones, in what he calls last chance to salvage collapsing cease-fire and find way "out of the carnage." (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA (WRAPUP 3, PIX, TV), expect by 1900 GMT/3 PM ET, by Yara Bayoumy and Tom Perry, 1,100 words)

As Obama's term wanes, so does focus on Israeli-Palestinian issue

UNITED NATIONS - In his first major U.N. speech, President Obama said he would not give up on Israeli-Palestinian peace. In likely his last U.N. speech, he speaks little about conflict beyond voicing unsurprising sentiment that matters would improve if Israel lets go of Palestinian land and if Palestinians reject incitement and embrace Israel's legitimacy. (ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/OBAMA (TV, PIX), moved, by Arshad Mohammed and John Irish, 803 words)

At U.N., China calls for North Korean denuclearization, dialog

UNITED NATIONS - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says countries must remain committed to denuclearization of Korean peninsula while seeking solution to North Korean nuclear issue through dialog. (UN-ASSEMBLY/CHINA-ASIA (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV), moved, by David Brunnstrom, 346 words)

SPECIAL REPORT

New SAT was designed in way that may hurt neediest students

NEW YORK - Internal documents show makers of new SAT know test is overloaded with wordy math problems - hurdle that could reinforce race and income disparities. College Board goes ahead with exam anyway. (COLLEGE-SAT/REDESIGN (SPECIAL REPORT, PIX), moved, by Renee Dudley, 3,590 words)

UNITED STATES

Fed expected to keep rates unchanged, may signal year-end hike

WASHINGTON - U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged amid tepid inflation and recent weak economic data but could signal increased likelihood of hike by end of year. (USA-FED/ (WRAPUP 2, PIX), moving shortly, by Jason Lange and Howard Schneider, 400 words)

Police in riot-hit Charlotte say shooting victim was armed

CHARLOTTE, N.C./TULSA,Okla. - Black man killed by police in Charlotte parking lot ignored commands to drop handgun that officers say he was holding, authorities say hours after 16 officers are injured in protests sparked by shooting. (USA-POLICE/ (UPDATE 3, PIX, TV), moving shortly, by Greg Lacour and Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton, 600 words)

EUROPE

EXCLUSIVE-How EU firms skirt sanctions to do business in Crimea

SIMFEROPOL, Crimea/MOSCOW - Products for sale in Crimean stores of two European retailers are shipped there from Russia via ferry and port subject to EU sanctions, people involved in transportation say, suggesting companies are finding ways around punitive economic regime facing Moscow since 2014. (UKRAINE-CRISIS/CRIMEA-SANCTIONS (EXCLUSIVE, INSIGHT, PIX), moved, by Anton Zverev, Gleb Stolyarov and Olga Sichkar, 960 words)

New mayor kills off Rome's bid for 2024 Olympics

ROME - Rome's new mayor, Virginia Raggi, pulls plug on city's bid to host 2024 Olympics, saying staging summer games would bury Italian capital under mountains of debt and tons of cement. (ITALY-OLYMPICS/ROME (UPDATE 5, TV, PIX), expect by 1900 GMT/3 PM ET, by Gavin Jones and Isla Binnie, 600 words)

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA

Iraqi finance minister sacked, risking economic fallout

BAGHDAD - Iraq's parliament sacks Finance Minister Hoshiyar Zebari over corruption allegations, move that risks further destabilizing major OPEC producer's fragile economy as it struggles with massive budget deficit. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ-POLITICS (UPDATE 2, PIX), moved, by Saif Hameed and Ahmed Rasheed, 436 words)

Boat carrying 600 migrants sinks off Egypt, killing at least 43

BURG RASHID, Egypt - Boat carrying almost 600 people capsizes off Egypt, killing at least 43, in latest disaster among migrants trying to reach Europe. (EUROPE-MIGRANTS/EGYPT (UPDATE 3, PIX), moved, by Amina Ismail, 500 words)

AFRICA

Congo threatens to punish those behind anti-Kabila riots

KINSHASA - Congo's government vows to hunt down and punish those responsible for riots in which around three dozen people are killed, as small pockets of protest continue in capital. (CONGO-POLITICS/ (UPDATE 1, PIX), moved, by Benoit Nyemba and Amedee Mwarabu, 475 words)

09/21/2016 13:46