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08/07/2016 14:11

Editor: Kevin Liffey + 44 20 7542 7923

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(All times GMT/ET)

TOP STORIES

Thai junta passes ballot box test with referendum win

BANGKOK/KHON KAEN - Thai voters approve a junta-backed constitution in a referendum, preliminary results show, an outcome that paves the way for an election next year but will also require future elected governments to rule on the military's terms. (THAILAND-POLITICS/ (UPDATE 6, PIX, TV), moved, by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Pairat Temphairojana, 815 words)

+ See also:

- THAILAND-POLITICS/ (FACTBOX), moved, 657 words

Turkey's Erdogan stages mass rally in show of strength after coup attempt

ISTANBUL - More than a million Turks gather in Istanbul for a rally called by President Tayyip Erdogan to denounce a failed coup - a show of strength staged in the face of Western criticism of widespread purges and detentions. (TURKEY-SECURITY/ (UPDATE 5, TV, PIX), expect by 1830 GMT/2.30 PM ET, by Humeyra Pamuk and Nick Tattersall, 1031 words)

Drugs, politics and winds put Olympic organizers to the test

RIO DE JANEIRO - Damaging wind gusts, a fresh doping ban on Russia, political controversy and security fears present the Rio Games with a perfect storm of problems, forcing organizers to scramble to keep the world's biggest sporting event rolling on. (OLYMPICS-RIO/ (WRAPUP 2, PIX, TV), expect by 1900 GMT/3 PM ET, by Karolos Grohmann and Ossian Shine, 700 words)

+ See also:

- OLYMPICS-RIO/POLITICS (PIX), expect by 1900 GMT/3 PM ET, by Dan Flynn and Caroline Stauffer, 400 words

- OLYMPICS-RIO-EQUESTRIAN/BULLET (PIX, TV), by Ossian Shine and Caroline Stauffer, 500 words

Track star Pistorius treated for wrist injuries -prison service

JOHANNESBURG - South African track star Oscar Pistorius, serving six years in jail for killing his girlfriend, is treated in hospital for minor wrist injuries but denies speculation of a suicide attempt, according to prison officials. (SAFRICA-PISTORIUS/ (UPDATE 3, PIX, TV), moved, by James Macharia and Nqobile Dludla, 400 words)

UNITED STATES

Trump backers downplay rough week after poll shows him lagging Clinton

WASHINGTON - Republican Donald Trump's top aides and supporters downplay a chaotic week in which the New York businessman was distracted from his core message by personal spats, as a new poll showed him trailing Democrat Hillary Clinton. (USA-ELECTION/ (PIX, TV, GRAPHIC), moved, 475 words)

EUROPE

Storm in Macedonia kills at least 17

At least 17 people die in flash floods in the Macedonian capital of Skopje, as the government rushes trucks loaded with drinking water to the most affected areas. (MACEDONIA-FLOODS/ (UPDATE 5, PIX, TV), expect by 1900 GMT/5 PM ET, 400 words)

Islamic State claims responsibility for machete attack in Belgium

BRUSSELS - Islamic State claims responsibility for an attack by a machete-wielding man in Belgium that left two female police officers seriously injured, the group's Amaq news agency says on Twitter. (EUROPE-ATTACKS/BELGIUM (UPDATE 1), moved by Foo Yun Chee, 300 words)

MIDDLE EAST

Jets pound rebels after they break Aleppo siege

BEIRUT - Syrian insurgents who broke the siege of rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Saturday in a significant territorial gain came under intense air attack from pro-government forces on Sunday trying to repel the advance, which also cut government-held Aleppo's main supply route. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-ALEPPO, moved, by Lisa Barrington, 600 words)

ARTS

Dramatic volcano-themed light show opens Festival on Edinburgh's Castle Rock

EDINBURGH - The volcanic rock on which Edinburgh Castle perches becomes the screen for a 3D digital light show, becoming a kaleidoscope of its past for the opening ceremony of the 2016 Edinburgh Festival, the world's biggest annual arts event. (BRITAIN-SCOTLAND/FESTIVAL (PIX), expect by 2200 GMT/6 PM ET, 220 words)

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)

08/07/2016 14:11