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NEW THIS DIGEST:

ISRAEL-SETTLERS MOVE IN. Israeli settlers set up new community on West Bank hill.

FRANCE-SOCIETE GENERALE-INTERVIEW. Lawyer: Trader acted alone under watch of superiors.

ARAB TV. Arab governments take action to rein in TV talk shows that discuss taboo topics.

FRANCE-SADDAM'S SEA PALACE. For sale: palatial pleasure yacht with rocket launcher built for Saddam.

OLY-BEIJING-FREE SPEECH. Criticism mounts for organizers of Beijing Olympics with less than 6 months to go.

TOP STORIES:

PAKISTAN

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan _ Benazir Bhutto's party would try to remove President Pervez Musharraf if it wins next week's parliamentary elections, a senior party official says. Moved. By Munir Ahmad. AP Photos.

WITH: PAKISTAN-NORTHWEST SHOWDOWN.

PHILIPPINES-ASSASSINATION PLOT

MANILA, Philippines _ Thousands of protesters demanding President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's resignation march through the Philippine capital, undeterred by a heavy security presence after officials revealed an alleged plot to assassinate her by al-Qaida-linked militants. Moved. By Oliver Teves. AP Photos.

KENYA-ELECTIONS VIOLENCE

NAIROBI, Kenya _ Kenya's political rivals deadlock over whether power sharing is the way to lead the country out of a deadly crisis over flawed elections. Citizens take some hope, though, as negotiators reach a slew of promising agreements, including a plan for an independent review of the vote at the center of their dispute. By Tom Maliti. AP Photos.

WITH: KENYA-ELECTION VIOLENCE-GLANCE.

EAST TIMOR

DILI, East Timor _ Australia vows to support its neighbor East Timor after suspected rebel gunmen attack the country's president and prime minister, undermining stability in the young nation. Moved. AP Photos.

US-ELECTIONS

WASHINGTON _ Barack Obama delivers a setback to Hillary Rodham Clinton's slipping campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination by nabbing the support of one of her influential backers. On the Republican side, John McCain is to receive an endorsement from former President George H.W. Bush, another step in his tightening grip on the nomination. Developing. AP Photos.

WITH: US-DEMOCRATS-DELEGATES, US-MCCAIN-GENERAL ELECTION, US-ELECTIONS-MEASURING ENTHUSIASM.

DISARMAMENT-US-DEAD SATELLITE

GENEVA _ The United States advises the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament that it plans to shoot down a dying U.S. satellite in an attempt to avert a dangerous impact on Earth. Developing.

ISRAEL-SETTLERS MOVE IN

MASKIOT, West Bank _ Nine Israeli families move to a valley deep in the West Bank, setting down six trailer homes and promising to bring more, despite Israel's promises to the United States to freeze settlement expansions. Palestinian charges of bad faith over the move are fueled by reports that the government has awarded permits for more Jewish housing in a contentious east Jerusalem neighborhood. By Laurie Copans. AP Photos.

WITH: ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS

US-BUSH-AFRICA

WASHINGTON _ President George W. Bush leaves for a visit to Africa, saying on the eve of his trip that the United States demands clear results for the billions of taxpayer dollars it sends to the continent. "America is serving as an investor, not as a donor," he said in a tone-setting preview of his six-day trip to Africa. Moved. By Ben Feller.

WITH: AFRICA ON BUSH.

CZECH-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

PRAGUE, Czech Republic _ Czech lawmakers gather for a second attempt to elect the country's new president, deciding among three candidates: the Euro-skeptic incumbent, a U.S. citizen who favors a quick adoption of the euro currency and an opponent of a U.S. missile defense system. Developing. By Karel Janicek. AP Photos.

WITH: CZECH-CANDIDATES, CZECH-GLANCE.

FRANCE-SOCIETE GENERALE-INTERVIEW

PARIS _ Jerome Kerviel worked alone on the trades that French bank Societe Generale says led to billions of euros (dollars) of losses _ although his bosses must have known what he was doing, one of his lawyers says in an interview. Moved. By Emma Vandore. AP Photos.

US-TERRORISM SURVEILLANCE

WASHINGTON _ President Bush says that "our country is in more danger of an attack" because of Congress' failure to extend a law that makes it easier for the government to spy on foreign phone calls and e-mails that pass through the United States. Developing. By Pamela Hess. AP Photos.

WITH: US-WHITE HOUSE-CONTEMPT.

US-CAMPUS SHOOTINGS

DEKALB, Illinois _ The gunman who killed six people in a Northern Illinois University lecture hall before committing suicide is identified as a 27-year-old former student. Developing. By Caryn Rousseau and Deanna Bellandi. AP Photos.

ARAB TV

CAIRO, Egypt _ Talk shows on Arab satellite television stations have been a forum for rollicking criticisms of Arab regimes and sharp discussions of taboo topics _ especially live shows where listeners can call in with uncensorable opinions. But Arab governments are now taking action to rein them in. By Maggie Michael. AP Photos.

FRANCE-SADDAM'S SEA PALACE

PARIS _ For sale: A palatial pleasure yacht fit with swimming pools, opulent salons and, should the winds of war blow, a rocket launcher and mini-submarine. The sale of the 82-meter Ocean Breeze, built for Saddam Hussein and docked in Nice, could be thwarted, however, if Iraq can prove it belongs to someone in Saddam's entourage. By Elaine Ganley. AP Photos.

WITH: IRAQ

OLY-BEIJING-FREE SPEECH

BEIJING _ As China prepares to dazzle the world at the Beijing Olympics, an uninvited guest is threatening to mar the spectacle: free speech. A political row erupted in Europe when some Olympic committees and officials tried to muzzle athletes from speaking out about human rights and other sensitive issues. By Anita Chang. AP Photos.

WITH: OLY--BEIJING-GLANCE.

BUSINESS & FINANCE:

US-CONGRESS-RECESSION THREAT

WASHINGTON _ Using words like "sluggish" and "deteriorated," U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gives a starkly pessimistic assessment of the country's economy and signaled that the Fed will cut interest rate cuts further if needed to combat the adverse effects of a prolonged housing slump and a severe credit crisis. Moved. By Martin Crutsinger.

CHINA-TRADE SURPLUS

BEIJING _ China's trade surplus in January rose 22.7 percent compared with the year-earlier period to US$19.5 billion (euro13.3 billion), a state news agency reports. Moved.

ITALY-ALITALIA

ROME _ Alitalia shares fall more than 3 percent amid fears that a possible sale of the troubled carrier to Air France-KLM could be delayed after Air France-KLM said it would go ahead with the purchase only if a new Italian government agrees. Moved.

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