AFP 1400 GMT News Advisory

Duty Editor: Tanya Willmer

Tel: +33 1 40 41 46 36

-- TOP STORIES --

+ Venezuela mourns firebrand Chavez

+ EU fines Microsoft over browsers

+ Egypt court cancels elections

+ One million Syrians flee conflict

+ Bolshoi dancer admits acid attack

Venezuela-politics-Chavez,lead-WRAP

CARACAS

Venezuelans begin to bid farewell to late President Hugo Chavez, whose body will lie in state for three days to honor the firebrand leftist who ruled the oil-rich nation for 14 years.

900 words 1500 GMT by Laurent Thomet. Picture. Video. Graphic

EU-competition-Internet-company-Microsoft-computers,WRAP

BRUSSELS

The EU fines Microsoft 561 million euros ($730 million) for failing to provide customers with a choice of Internet browser as promised but Brussels runs into criticism for allowing the US giant to monitor its own commitments.

600 words 1530 GMT. Picture

Egypt-vote,3rdlead

CAIRO

Egypt's administrative court orders the cancellation of controversial parliamentary elections scheduled for April 22, which the opposition had vowed to boycott.

450 words 1500 GMT

Syria-conflict,2ndlead-WRAP

DAMASCUS

One million Syrians have fled their homeland since a revolt erupted two years ago, the UN says, as fighting between rebels and loyalists rages across central and northern battlefields.

650 words 1600 GMT. Picture. Graphic.

Russia-ballet-crime-entertainment,WRAP

MOSCOW

A leading Bolshoi Ballet soloist confesses to ordering the acid attack on the artistic director of world famous dance company Sergei Filin, in a hate crime for which he could face up to 12 years in jail.

650 words 1500 GMT by Stuart Williams. File picture. File video

-- AFRICA --

Kenya-vote,2ndlead-WRAP

NAIROBI

Kenyans await presidential results with growing frustration at controversial delays and mountains of spoiled ballots, five years after violence sparked by a disputed tallying process.

850 words moved. Graphic. Picture. Video

SAfrica-police-death-Mozambique,2ndlead

DAVEYTON, South Africa

Friends, family and supporters hold a memorial service for a Mozambican man who died in custody after being dragged behind a South African police van, throwing the spotlight again on the country's much-maligned force.

600 words 1500 GMT by Johannes Myburgh. Picture. Video

-- EUROPE -- 

Vatican-religion-pope,lead

VATICAN CITY

US cardinals in Rome abruptly cancel their media briefings in a victory for pre-conclave secrecy as workers ready the Sistine Chapel for the historic ceremony to elect the next pope.

700 words 1500 GMT by Ella Ide. Picture. Graphic. Video

Vatican-religion-pope-candidates

VATICAN CITY

It's an election but there are no campaign posters, no official candidates and even the people who might get voted in to the Vatican's top job protest they absolutely do not want it.

700 words moved by Dario Thuburn

Science-astronomy-comet

PARIS

A rare bright comet shows up in the northern hemisphere this week, cruising past Earth with promise of spectacular naked-eye viewings of the iceball streaking across the twilight sky with a blazing tail.

550 words 1500 GMT by Mariette le Roux. File Picture

Fbl-Eur-C1-ESP-RealMadrid,ANALYSIS

MADRID

Their 2-1 Champions League victory over Manchester United may have been controversial but it topped a fantastic eight days for Real Madrid that have potentially saved their season.

600 words moved by Kieran Canning. Picture

-- MIDDLE EAST --

Egypt-politics-unrest-PortSaid-police,FOCUS

PORT SAID,Egypt

Residents of the restive Egyptian city of Port Said, plagued by weeks of deadly clashes between protesters and security forces, say they want the reviled police force out their city as calls grow for the army to take control.

600 words 1530 GMT by Haitham El-Tabei. Picture.

Israel-Palestinians-conflict-military-child-UN,3rdlead

JERUSALEM

The ill-treatment of Palestinian minors held within the Israeli military detention system is "widespread, systematic and institutionalised," a report by UN children's fund finds.

700 words moved by Selim Saheb Ettaba

Iraq-war-10years-UN-Blix-Iran,FOCUS

DUBAI

Ten years after the US-led invasion on Iraq, ex-UN inspector Hans Blix urges world powers to avoid committing the same error by going to war against Iran based on fears it is developing nuclear weapons.

650 words moved by Acil Tabbara. Picture. Video

-- ASIA --

Malaysia-Philippines-crime-security,3rdlead-WRAP

FELDA SAHABAT, Malaysia

Malaysia expands its hunt for armed Filipino invaders who dodged a military assault meant to crush them, as a Philippine guerrilla says more Islamic fighters have arrived.

750 words moved by M. Jegathesan. Graphic. Picture

Afghanistan-unrest-military,2ndlead

KABUL

Taliban militants have killed 17 captured Afghan soldiers in the far northeast in one of the deadliest single attacks on local forces in recent years, officials say.

500 words 1500 GMT by Usman Sharifi

China-property-society-divorce,lead

SHANGHAI

Chinese couples flock to divorce to avoid a new property sales tax imposed by the government, after it left open a loophole for those who end their marriages.

650 words moved by Amanda Wang. Picture

Israel-Australia-prisoner-Mossad,lead

SYDNEY

Australia admits for the first time that a man found hanged in a Tel Aviv jail worked for the Israeli government, but stopped short of confirming he was a Mossad spy.

650 words moved by Madeleine Coorey. Picture

-- AMERICAS --

Canada-aid-diplomacy-politics-trade,FOCUS

MONTREAL

Once held up as a model global citizen, Canada faces growing criticism from aid groups over moves to tie foreign assistance to trade through partnerships with mining and other firms.

750 words 1500 GMT by Clement Sabourin

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