U.S.-backed forces admit to ‘difficulties’ beating IS in Syria; NEWS BRIEFING; Staff and news services; Gillibrand formally joins 2020 race, plans Trump Tower rally; Woman facing charges in killing of family wants charges tossed ; May warns Parliament of delays if Brexit plan rejected again; Fire breaks out at Houston chemicals terminal; Israeli court rules far-right candidate is disqualified

BAGHOUZ, Syria - U.S.-backed forces fighting to recapture the last Islamic State group outpost in Syria admitted Sunday they were facing "difficulties" defeating the extremists, saying they were being slowed by mines, tunnels and concerns over harming women and children among the militants.

The battle to capture the extremist group's last patch of territory in eastern Syria - a collection of tents covering foxholes and underground tunnels in the village of Baghouz - has dragged on for weeks amid an unexpected exodus of civilians from the area.

The sheer number of people who have emerged from Baghouz, nearly 30,000 since early January according to Kurdish officials, has taken the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces by surprise. Most have been women and children whose existence in a labyrinth of underground caves and tunnels was unknown to the fighters.

In the last two weeks, many fighters appeared to be among those evacuating. But an unknown number of militants and civilians remain inside, refusing to surrender.

"We are facing several difficulties regarding the operations," SDF commander Kino Gabriel told reporters outside Baghouz on Sunday.

He cited the large number of mines and explosive devices planted by IS and the existence of tunnels and hideouts beneath the ground that are being used by the militants to attack SDF forces or defend themselves.

The camp is all that remains of a self-declared Islamic "caliphate" that once sprawled across large parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Gillibrand formally joins 2020 race, plans Trump Tower rally

WASHINGTON - New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand formally joined the 2020 White House race Sunday and previewed the hard line she will take against President Donald Trump by announcing a rally outside one of his signature Manhattan properties.

She had spent more than a month traveling around the country to gauge support for a run.

Her announcement that she was joining the dozen-plus candidates who want to challenge Trump came in a nearly three-minute video and released early in the morning. She says the national anthem poses this question: "Will brave win?"

"Well, it hasn't always, and it isn't right now," she says.

She said her debut speech will come next Sunday in front of the Trump International Hotel & Tower.

Woman facing charges in killing of family wants charges tossed

PIKETON, Ohio - Attorneys for a woman facing charges in connection with an Ohio family massacre have filed a motion to have obstruction of justice and perjury charges against her dismissed.

Fredericka Wagner's son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons are jailed in Ohio awaiting trial in the slayings of eight people in Pike County in April 2016. They have pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder charges and other counts that could lead to the death penalty if they are convicted.

Wagner, 76, also has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.

The victims included seven adults and a teenager of the Rhoden family. One of Wagner's grandsons shared a daughter with one of the victims, and authorities say a custody dispute was a possible motive.

May warns Parliament of delays if Brexit plan rejected again

LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May warned Sunday that it would be "a potent symbol of Parliament's collective political failure" if a Brexit delay meant that the U.K. has to take part in May's European Parliament election - almost three years after Britons voted to leave the bloc.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, May also cautioned that if British lawmakers failed to back her Brexit deal before Thursday's European Council summit, "we will not leave the EU for many months, if ever."

"If the proposal were to go back to square one and negotiate a new deal, that would mean a much longer extension," she wrote.

May is expected to try to win Parliament's approval of her withdrawal agreement from the EU for the third time this week.

Fire breaks out at Houston chemicals terminal

HOUSTON - Some residents in the Houston area are being urged to find a safe location indoors after a fire broke out at a petrochemicals terminal.

The fire started Sunday at Intercontinental Terminals Co. in Deer Park, about 15 miles southeast of Houston. Deer Park officials issued a shelter-in-place directive after the fire was reported.

Harris County officials say the fire started about 10 a.m. at the terminal, which stores petrochemical liquids and gases, including fuel oil. The company's website says the terminal has a storage capacity of 13.1 million barrels.

The fire is the second in as many days at a Houston-area petrochemical facility. A fire at an ExxonMobil plant in nearby Baytown that broke out Saturday afternoon has been contained. Company officials say no injuries were reported.

Israeli court rules far-right candidate is disqualified

JERUSALEM - Israel's Supreme Court on Sunday disqualified a far-right candidate from the April 9 election and overturned a decision by the Central Election Committee to block a joint Arab slate and a candidate from a leftist alliance from the race.

Human rights groups and representatives of the Arab-led parties welcomed the court's ruling rejecting last week's vote by the election committee, a body made up representatives of each political faction in Israel's parliament, the Knesset.

Michael Ben Ari, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit faction, called the decision to prevent his candidacy anti-democratic.

Ben Ari said, "This is not democracy."

Ben Ari accused Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit of scuttling his political plans.

In New York: Fox News weekend host Jeanine Pirro's show didn't air a week after her comments questioning U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar over her wearing a Muslim head covering. No explanation was given.

Pirro's show, "Justice With Judge Jeanine," was replaced Saturday night by other programming. The Fox News schedule for the upcoming weekend doesn't include the show.

President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday about Pirro, saying she should be brought back.

"Stop working soooo hard on being politically correct, which will only bring you down, and continue to fight for our Country. The losers all want what you have, don't give it to them," a tweet said.

Caption: St. Patrick's Day toast: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate enjoy a pint of Guinness with the 1st Battalion Irish Guards after the parade in west London.

GARETH FULLER/Getty-AFP