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08/04/2016 22:10

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TOP STORIES

Amid campaign turmoil, Trump allies urge him to get back on track

WASHINGTON/PORTLAND - Supporters of Republican Donald Trump urged him to get back on message on Thursday after a week of dropping opinion poll numbers and a war of words with ranking Republicans over his U.S. presidential campaign. (USA-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 2, PIX, TV, GRAPHIC), moved, by Steve Holland and Emily Stephenson, 867 words)

- USA-ELECTION/OBAMA-TRUMP (UPDATE 2, PIX, TV), moved, by Jeff Mason and Timothy Gardner, 500 words

- USA-ELECTION/TRUMP-SECURITY, moved, 300 words

Obama touts progress on Islamic State, warns of small-scale attacks

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Thursday touted progress he said the United States and its allies had made in the military campaign against Islamic State, but warned that the militant group still can direct and inspire attacks. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/OBAMA (UPDATE 1, TV, PIX), moved, by Jeff Mason and Idrees Ali, 658 words)

Turkey's Erdogan vows to cut off revenues of Gulen-linked businesses

ISTANBUL - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan vows to choke off businesses linked to U.S.-based cleric he blames for attempted coup, describing his schools, firms and charities as "nests of terrorism" and promising no mercy in rooting them out. (TURKEY-SECURITY/ (UPDATE 4, TV, PIX, GRAPHICS), moved, by Daren Butler and Ayla Jean Yackley, 1,056 words)

EXCLUSIVE-UN report on Yemen says Houthis used human shields, Islamic State got cash

UNITED NATIONS - Yemen's Houthi rebels use civilians as human shields, Islamic State militants in country receive influx of cash and al Qaeda improves its roadside bombs, according to confidential report by U.N. experts monitoring sanctions on Yemen. (YEMEN-SECURITY/UN (EXCLUSIVE, PIX), moved, by Michelle Nichols, 757 words)

RIO OLYMPICS

Games light up Rio de Janeiro as Olympic fever hits

RIO DE JANEIRO - The statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio de Janeiro was illuminated in Brazil's yellow and green national colors on Thursday as the city put the finishing touches to its preparations for South America's first Olympics. (OLYMPICS-RIO/ (UPDATE 1, PIX, TV), moved, by Caroline Stauffer and Daniel Flynn, 687 words)

- OLYMPICS-RIO/OPENING (PIX, TV), moved, by Mary Milliken and Brad Haynes, 457 words

- OLYMPICS-RIO/NBC (UPDATE 1, PIX), moved, by Liana B. Baker, 395 words

- OLYMPICS-RIO/CARIOCA FOOD (PIX, TV), by Jeb Blount and Thales Carneiro, 947 words

ASIA

Foreign tourists wounded in attack in western Afghanistan

KABUL - At least five foreign tourists and their driver were wounded in Afghanistan on Thursday in an attack by gunmen on their convoy as it passed through western Herat province, government officials said. (AFGHANISTAN-ATTACKS/ (UPDATE 4), moved, 354 words)

Former Thai PM Thaksin says charter a "folly" ahead of referendum

BANGKOK - Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Thursday criticized a military-backed draft constitution as a "folly" that would perpetuate the power of the ruling junta and make it impossible for future elected governments to rule. (THAILAND-POLITICS/ (UPDATE 2, PIX, TV), moved, by Simon Webb and Aukkarapon Niyomyat, 614 words)

MIDDLE EAST

Obama defends Iran payment, says was not 'some nefarious deal'

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Thursday strongly pushed back against criticism that the administration's payment of $400 million in cash to Iran amounted to ransom in exchange for the release of American prisoners. (USA-IRAN/INSTALLMENT-OBAMA (UPDATE 1), moved, 387 words)

SPECIAL REPORT - In Egypt, an Italian student stirred suspicion before he died

CAMBRIDGE, England - It remains unclear who killed Giulio Regeni. But it is clear the student's work had Egyptian security forces interested. (EGYPT-REGENI/ (SPECIAL REPORT, PIX), moved, by Michael Georgy, 2,878 words)

AMERICAS

Amid economic hard times, Venezuelans turn to city farming

CARACAS - Facing national food crisis, Venezuela's pumpkin-growing socialist president is exhorting compatriots to grow fruit and vegetables on balconies and roofs and in barracks across country. (VENEZUELA-AGRICULTURE/ (PIX, TV), moved, by Diego Ore, 639 words)

Brazil Senate committee clears way for Rousseff's removal

BRASILIA - A Senate impeachment committee voted on Thursday to put suspended Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on trial in the full chamber for breaking budget laws, opening the way for her to be removed from office. (BRAZIL-IMPEACHMENT/ (UPDATE 2, TV, PIX), moved, by Maria Carolina Marcello, 442 words)

EUROPE

Bank of England wields stimulus 'sledgehammer' to beat Brexit blues

LONDON - Bank of England cuts interest rates to next to nothing and unleashes billions of pounds of stimulus to cushion economic shock from Britain's vote to leave European Union. (BRITAIN-EU/ (UPDATE 5, PIX, TV), moved, by David Milliken and Ana Nicolaci da Costa, 861 words)

AFRICA

South African opposition reject ANC in three major cities

PRETORIA - Urban South Africans deal ANC its biggest political blow since end of apartheid, knocking ruling party off its perch in three cities as voters vent anger at corruption, high unemployment and poor public services. (SAFRICA-ELECTION/ (UPDATE 5, PIX, TV), moved, by Mfuneko Toyana, 754 words)

08/04/2016 22:10