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| - Duty Editor: James Hossack Tel: +852 2829 6211 -- TOP STORIES -- + Biden puts Harris in charge of border influx + North Korea fires two suspected ballistic missiles + Virus-delayed Tokyo Olympic torch relay begins + Virginia abolishes death penalty, first in south + New 'Sesame Street' muppets tackle racial bias US-immigration-Mexico-Biden,WRAP WASHINGTON US President Joe Biden tasks Vice President Kamala Harris with tackling an influx of migrants on the Mexican border, aiming to take charge of a situation that has energized opponents of the new administration. 700 words moved by Jerome Cartillier and Shaun Tandon NKorea-SKorea-US-defence-diplomacy,WRAP SEOUL North Korea fires two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea, in what would be its first substantive provocation to the new US adminstration of Joe Biden. 600 words 0200 GMT by Kang Jin-kyu. File picture Oly-2020-2021-Japan-relay,WRAP FUKUSHIMA, Japan The virus-delayed Tokyo Olympic torch relay kicks off, a year late and without spectators at the launch, as organisers try to sweep away persistent doubts about the pandemic-postponed Games. 750 words 0230 GMT by Andrew McKirdy with Sara Hussein in Tokyo. Picture. Video. Live video. Graphic Also moved: Oly-2020-2021-Japan-relay,FACTS Also moving: Oly-2020-2021-Japan,chrono US-justice-executions,WRAP WASHINGTON Virginia becomes the first southern US state to abolish the death penalty and the 23rd state in the country to end capital punishment. 500 words moved by Chris Lefkow. File picture US-racism-children-television-media NEW YORK US children's television show "Sesame Street" features two new muppets to educate children about race, stressing that despite differences in appearance we are all human. 250 words moved -- SPOTLIGHT -- Uruguay-agriculture-environment-climate-livestock,FOCUS CERRO PELADO, Uruguay Rotating cattle to keep the grass long, synching cows' pregnancies and improving bovine diet are just some of the tactics Uruguayan farmers are using to mitigate the impact of cattle on climate change. 650 words 0200 GMT by Gabriela Vaz. Picture. Video. -- CORONAVIRUS -- Health-virus,WRAP BRASILIA Brazil becomes the second country in the world to surpass a Covid-19 death toll of 300,000, as the European Union tightens vaccine export controls in a bid to ramp up its stuttering inoculation campaign. 800 words 0300 GMT by AFP Bureaus. Picture. Video. Graphic Also moved: Health-virus-EU-vaccines -- AMERICAS -- US-politics-employment-rights-gender,WRAP WASHINGTON US soccer star Megan Rapinoe brings her high-profile fight for women's equality to Washington, testifying before Congress and joining President Joe Biden at a White House event urging an end to the gender pay gap. 550 words moved by Michael Mathes. Picture US-shooting-crime-politics,FOCUS WASHINGTON Two US mass shootings in a week have thrust back to the fore the nation's plague of gun violence, which did not let up during the pandemic and may have been further fueled by spiking firearm sales in 2020. 700 words 0200 GMT by Cyril Julien. File picture US-racism-police-Floyd-MNFF,FOCUS MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota Armed with AR-15 rifles and sporting bulletproof vests, members of the Minnesota Freedom Fighters (MNFF), a Black self-defense group formed after the death of George Floyd, describe themselves as a "bridge" between the police and the African-American community. 650 words 0130 GMT by Kerem Yucel and Charlotte Plantive in Washington. Picture -- ASIA -- Australia-flood-weather,WRAP RICHMOND, Australia Flood-stricken residents along Australia's east coast begin a massive clean-up effort, as waters start to recede revealing damaged homes, piles of debris and mud-caked roads. 500 words 0230 GMT by Andrew Leeson. Picture. Video Bangladesh-politics-Pakistan-history-conflict,FOCUS GAZIPUR, Bangladesh Bangladesh turns 50 this week as an economic success story but an increasingly repressive de facto one-party state where a Facebook post can land you in jail. 800 words 0330 GMT by Shafiqul Alam. Picture. Video -- EUROPE -- Health-virus-EU-summit-US,WRAP BRUSSELS The looming third wave of coronavirus infections and Europe's struggle to mount a vaccination drive will dominate the EU's video summit despite a welcome guest appearance by Joe Biden. 750 words 0200 GMT by Anne-Laure Mondesert and Dave Clark. Picture. Video Also moving: EU-diplomacy-Turkey,FOCUS Greece-history-conflict ATHENS Greece will mark 200 years since the start of its independence war with the Ottoman Empire, with parades and ceremonies attended by foreign dignitaries, though the pandemic forced officials to scale back events. 500 words 0400 GMT by John Hadoulis. Picture. Video -- MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA -- Egypt-shipping-Suez,WRAP CAIRO Tug boats work to free a giant container ship stuck in the Suez Canal after it veered off course in a sandstorm, creating huge tailbacks on one of the world's busiest trade routes. 750 words moved. Picture. Video. Graphic Also moved: Egypt-Suez-Canal,FACTS Egypt-shipping-Suez-trade,Q&A Libya-heritage-crime,FOCUS SHAHAT, Libya The spectacular ruins of the ancient Greek city of Cyrene survived Libya's 2011 revolution and an ensuing decade of lawlessness, but today they face new threats: plunder and bulldozers. 650 words 0200 GMT by Mohammed Elshaiky and Abdullah Doma. Picture. Video Iraq-politics-rights,FOCUS BAGHDAD The arrest of a prominent political commentator has revived bad memories in Iraq, where laws inherited from Saddam Hussein's regime are still being used to silence critics 18 years after his ouster. 500 words 0300 GMT by Ammar Karim. -- AFRICA -- Rwanda-trial-genocide KIGALI Paul Rusesabagina, the polarising hero of the hit movie "Hotel Rwanda," fails to show up for his trial after informing prison authorities he was quitting the process as he did not expect justice. 700 words moved by Ivan Rush Mugisha. File picture -- SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT -- Climate-science-forests-soil-CO2 PARIS The world is counting too heavily on soil and plants to soak up planet-ravaging carbon pollution, researchers caution. 600 words moved by Marlowe Hood -- BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY & ECONOMY -- US-IT-politics-internet,WRAP WASHINGTON Tech CEOs defend their platforms' practices as they gird for a fresh grilling from US lawmakers angered over rampant disinformation about the US elections, the Capitol attack and Covid-19. 650 words 0130 GMT by Rob Lever, with Glenn Chapman in San Francisco. File picture US-economy-politics-IMF,lead WASHINGTON US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen defends the IMF's move to boost its reserve offerings, calling the increased aid a "joint effort" to help the poorest nations hit by Covid-19. 450 words moved. File picture -- SPORT -- Fbl-WC-2022-Eur,WRAP PARIS The Netherlands slump to a dramatic 4-2 defeat by Turkey in their opening 2022 World Cup qualifier, while reigning champions France are held by Ukraine despite a brilliant Antoine Griezmann goal and Belgium come from behind to beat Wales. 700 words moved by Jed Court. Picture afp
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