AFP 1900 GMT news advisory

News Editor: Dave Clark

Tel: +1 202 414 0541

-- TOP STORIES --

+ Israel apologises to Turkey for flotilla raid

+ Cyprus mulls raid on deposit accounts to resolve bank crisis

+ Congolese war crimes suspect flown to ICC in The Hague

+ Italian marines return to India on murder charge

Israel-US-diplomacy-Obama-Turkey,2ndlead-WRAP

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologises to Turkey for a deadly 2010 raid on an aid flotilla to Gaza, ending a bitter rift, in a diplomatic coup for President Barack Obama.

800 words 1930 GMT by Jonah Mandel

Also moved: Israel-Turkey-US-diplomacy,CHRONO

Cyprus-economy-EU-finance,4thlead-WRAP

NICOSIA

Cyprus considers slapping a tax of up to 15 percent on bank deposits as part of a Plan B to secure a bailout from eurozone lenders after Russia spurned its plea for an economic lifeline in its race to stave off bankruptcy.

850 words 1930 GMT by Charlie Charalambous. Picture. Graphic. Video.

Also moved: Cyprus-economy-EU-finance-banking,FOCUS

Cyprus-economy-EU-finance-gas,FOCUS

DRCongo-unrest-Rwanda-ICC,lead-WRAP

THE HAGUE

Congolese war crimes suspect Bosco Ntaganda, dubbed "The Terminator", is en route from Rwanda to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to face charges ranging from murder and rape to using child soldiers.

650 words 1930 GMT. File picture

Italy-India-court-diplomacy-trial,4thlead-WRAP

NEW DELHI

Two Italian marines arrive back in New Delhi to face murder charges following a last-minute climbdown by their government, leaving India to savour victory at the end of a bitter standoff.

750 words moved by Chris Otton. File Picture. Video

-- MIDDLE EAST --

Jordan-US-Obama-diplomacy-Syria-conflict,lead-WRAP

AMMAN

US President Barack Obama expresses strong concern in Jordan that Syria could become an enclave for extremism, as his policy on the war-torn country comes under scrutiny on the last stop of a Middle East tour.

700 words 2000 GMT by Stephen Collinson. Picture. Graphic. Video

Lebanon-politics-PM,2ndlead

BEIRUT

Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati announces the resignation of his government, citing divisions on several issues, and calls for the formation of a national unity government.

550 words 2000 GMT. Picture

-- AMERICAS --

Argentina-pope-rights,FOCUS

BUENOS AIRES

Pope Francis's election has prompted soul-searching in his native Argentina, where the 1970s "Dirty War" between a military dictatorship and a leftist opposition split the Catholic Church.

600 words 2100 GMT by Alexandre Peyrille. Picture

Vatican-religion-pope-Argentina-poor,FOCUS

BUENOS AIRES

Sergio Sanchez stood behind Pope Francis at his Vatican inauguration, wide-eyed amid all the pomp, glitter and VIPs of a slice of history. Three days later he was back scavenging through garbage at a Buenos Aires dump.

600 words by Daniel Merolla. Picture

LatAm-rights-OAS,lead

WASHINGTON

Foreign ministers and senior officials from around the Americas meet here Friday to decide the future of the region's premier human rights body amid warnings it could be weakened by the outcome.

550 words 1930 GMT by Diego Urdaneta

US-politics-Senate,lead

WASHINGTON

US senators eager to head home for the congressional recess launch what could become a legislative all-nighter -- a rare, free-wheeling session known as a "vote-a-rama."

600 words 2100 GMT by Michael Mathes

US-politics-economy-budget-aviation

SALISBURY, Maryland

Well over 100 air traffic control towers in the United States are closing down due to federal spending cuts, and that's not sitting well with local authorities that run smaller but busy local airports.

600 words 2100 GMT by Ivan Couronne. Picture

 

   -- EUROPE --

 

Italy-politics,WRAP

ROME

Italy's leftist leader Pier Luigi Bersani gets the go-ahead to attempt to form the country's next government after elections which left no clear winner as the eurozone's third largest economy struggles with recession.

800 words 1930 GMT by Ella Ide. Picture. Video.

 

Russia-China-economy-diplomacy-trade-energy,WRAP

MOSCOW

China's new leader Xi Jinping and his Russian host, President Vladimir Putin, oversee the signing of a raft of energy and other agreements as they seek to further tighten their countries' already close partnership.

650 words moved by Olga Nedbayeva. Picture

 

France-politics-Sarkozy,WRAP

BORDEAUX, France

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy is charged with taking financial advantage of France's richest woman as part of a probe into illegal party funding, a move that supporters say is aimed at preventing his political comeback.

600 words moved by Odile Duperry. Picture. Video

 

Fbl-WC2014-CRO-SRB,2ndlead-WRAP

ZAGREB

Croatia and Serbia meet in a highly charged World Cup qualifier -- the first between the two former foes as independent nations since a 1990s war that tore apart Yugoslavia.

700 words 2030 GMT by Lajla Veselica. Picture

 

 -- AFRICA --

 

CentrAfrica-unrest,WRAP

BANGUI

Rebels in the Central Africa Republic advance on the capital claiming they are at "the gates of Bangui", as they resume an offensive in the mineral-rich country after the collapse of a two-month-old peace deal with the government.

700 words moved. File Picture

 

Nigeria-literature-books-culture-OBIT,2ndlead

LAGOS

Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe, widely known as the father of modern African literature, dies aged 82 after a brief illness, his family says.

850 words moved by M.J. Smith and Ben Simon. File picture

Also moved: Nigeria-literature-culture-books-Achebe,FOCUS

 

-- ASIA --

Pakistan-unrest-vote-politics-Musharraf,3rdlead-EXCLUSIVE-INTERVIEW

DUBAI

Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf says he will definitely return home Sunday to contest historic elections in May and that he is prepared to risk any danger to his life.

750 words moved by Guillaume Lavallee. Picture. Video.

Myanmar-unrest-religion,4thlead-WRAP

MEIKTILA, Myanmar

Myanmar declares a state of emergency for a riot-hit town where 20 people have been killed in Buddhist-Muslim violence that has sparked fears of spreading unrest.

700 words 1930 GMT. Graphic. Picture. Video

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130322/afp-1900-gmt-news-advisory