EUROPE NEWS AT 1200GMT

TOP STORIES:

TURKEY-IRAQ

ANKARA, Turkey _ Iraq's president visits Turkey a week after Turkish forces ended a ground incursion against Kurdish rebels based in Iraq. The visit of Jalal Talabani, himself a Kurd, reflects diplomatic efforts by Iraq and Turkey to lower tension after an operation that some had feared could spill into a wider conflict between two U.S. allies. Developing. By Suzan Fraser. AP Photos.

SERBIA-GOVERNMENT

BELGRADE, Serbia _ Serbia's nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica says he no longer trusts his pro-European Union coalition government partners, heralding the likely collapse of his Cabinet. Moved. By Dusan Stojanovic.

SPAIN-ELECTION-IMMIGRATION

MADRID, Spain _ Sami Salhi of Morocco boasts a resume as long as his arm: myriad menial jobs that Spaniards shunned and he jumped at. That kind of toil by him and millions more immigrants helped make Spain one of Europe economic success stories. But with that once-hot engine now cooling, immigration has become a flashpoint issue for Sunday's general elections. By 1330GMT. By Harold Heckle. AP Photos.

UN-CHAD-CHILDREN

GENEVA _ The U.N. children's agency says it will hand over 103 children caught up in a child smuggling tug-of-war between Chad and France to their relatives. Developing. By Frank Jordans.

GEORGIA-BREAKAWAY REGIONS

SUKHUMI, Georgia _ The Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia is appealing for the world to recognize it as an independent nation, citing last month's decision by Kosovo to declare independence from Serbia. Developing.

MALTA-ELECTIONS

VALLETTA, Malta _ Malta holds parliamentary elections this weekend after a hard-fought campaign rife with accusations of corruption and dominated by one question: whether this tiny Mediterranean island wants change after two, practically uninterrupted decades of rule by the same party. By 1300GMT. By Alessandra Rizzo. AP Photos.

UN-RIGHTS CHIEF

GENEVA _ The United Nations' top human rights official, who has criticized many countries and been attacked by them in response, says she is quitting after only one term. Moved. By Alexander G. Higgins.

UN-US-RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

GENEVA _ A U.N. panel on racism criticizes U.S. handling of the war on terror. Developing. By Eliane Engeler.

RUSSIA-BALCONY DEATHS

MOSCOW _ Russian news reports say a man has thrown his two daughters from the ninth floor of a building in southern Siberia, then jumped himself after an argument with his wife. Moved.

BUSINESS & FINANCE:

EURO-DOLLAR

FRANKFURT, Germany _ The euro exceeds US$1.54 for the first time, after the European Central Bank left its benchmark rate unchanged a day earlier and signaled that rate cuts are not expected in the near term. Developing.

FINLAND-NOKIA-CHINA POSTEL

HELSINKI, Finland _ Nokia Corp. announces a deal to sell handsets worth a total US$2 billion (1.3 billion) to China Postel during 2008, in the company's largest market. Moved.

ITALY-TELECOM ITALIA

MILAN, Italy _ Telecom Italia's new chief executive outlines a three-year business plan that calls for investing 15 billion to help the company fully exploit the industry's trend toward mobile and fixed line convergence, while reducing debt and compensating shareholders. By 1300GMT. By Colleen Barry.

BRITAIN-CARLYLE CAPITAL

LONDON _ Carlyle Capital Corp. Ltd., a listed mortgage-bond fund managed by private equity firm the Carlyle Group, says it is considering "all available options" after lenders started liquidating securities from its US$21.7 billion portfolio. Moved.

SPORTS:

ENGLISH PREVIEW

LONDON _ Manchester United is up against Portsmouth on Saturday in the latest step of its attempt to emulate its famous treble of 1999. Second in the Premier League and having reached the Champions League quarterfinals this week, United could win three trophies this season _ if it beats Portsmouth in the FA Cup. Moved. By Stuart Condie.

FRENCH PREVIEW

PARIS _ Having failed to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the second straight season, French champion Lyon is in danger of losing its customary grip on the domestic title if it loses to Bordeaux on Sunday. Moved. By Jerome Pugmire.

DUBAI CHAMPIONSHIPS

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates _ Third-ranked Novak Djokovic faces Andy Roddick in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, while Feliciano Lopez faces fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko. By 1500GMT. By Alfred de Montesquiou.

WORLD INDOORS

VALENCIA, Spain _ Returning from a doping suspension, Dwain Chambers seeks to get into the final of the 60-meter dash on the opening day of the athletics world indoor championships. By 1300GMT. By Raf Casert.

F1-SEASON PREVIEW

MADRID, Spain _ Ferrari's back on top, Lewis Hamilton is a title contender and two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso is back with Renault. Add night racing to all that and one of F1's most exciting seasons is set for a worthy follow-up in 2008. Moved. By Paul Logothetis.

FEATURES & ARTS:

SERBIA-DIVIDED GENERATION

BELGRADE, Serbia _ Many young urbanite Serbs say they are horrified at the nationalist fervor sweeping their land, while other youths have flocked to the ultranationalist cause. What they have in common is a sense of confusion and drift as eastern European neighbors move rapidly toward EU membership while Serbia appears ever more marginalized. Moved. By Katarina Kratovac. AP Photos.

POLAND-JEWISH PURGE

WARSAW, Poland _ After the horrors of the Holocaust, Poland's Jews suffered once again under the anti-Semitic policies of the new communist regime. This week, Poland marks the 40th anniversary of a purge that drove an estimated 15,000 Jews _ survivors of the Holocaust and their children _ from Poland. Moved. By Ryan Lucas.

For more features, please see the AP World Features Digest.

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YOUR QUERIES: The Europe & Africa Desk in London can be reached at +44 207 427 4300.