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| - Duty Editor: Jenny Vaughan Tel: +33 1 40.41.46.36 -- TOP STORIES -- + European landmarks reopen, virus hits hard elsewhere + Japan slides into recession + WHO virtual assembly to tackle coronavirus + Taliban claim Afghan attack, urge peace talks + Safe sex: X-rated dolls replace fans at S. Korea footie match Health-virus,WRAP ROME Major landmarks including Saint Peter's Basilica and the Acropolis in Athens reopen as Europe accelerates lockdown easing, but mounting coronavirus infections in Brazil, India and South Africa show the worst is still to come in many countries. 950 words 1200 GMT by Alexandria Sage with Marina Rafenberg in Athens and AFP bureaus. Picture. Video. Graphic. Live video Japan-economy-GDP,WRAP TOKYO Japan dived into its first recession since 2015, according to official data, with the world's third-largest economy shrinking by 0.9 percent in the first quarter as it wrestles with the fallout from the coronavirus. 550 words moved by Kyoko Hasegawa Health-virus-WHO-assembly GENEVA The World Health Organization will kick off its first ever virtual assembly, but fears abound that US-China tensions could derail the strong action needed to address the COVID-19 crisis. 800 words 1230 GMT by Nina Larson. File picture Also moving: Health-virus-WHO-Ethiopia-Tedros,PROFILE Also moved: Health-virus-WHO,FACTS Health-virus-WHO,CHRONO Afghanistan-attack-politics,WRAP KABUL The Taliban claim a deadly attack on an Afghan intelligence agency post, even as they urge the new power-sharing government to accelerate a prisoner swap to pave the way for talks. 450 words moved. Graphic Health-virus-fbl-KOR-SKorea-offbeat SEOUL One of South Korea's top football clubs apologises for causing "deep concern" after being accused of using sex dolls to fill empty seats at a weekend game. 300 words moved. Picture -- EUROPE -- Health-virus-Vatican-Italy,UPDATE ROME Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican reopens to visitors after being closed for over two months under Italy's lockdown orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 600 words 1200 GMT by Herve Bar. Picture. Video Health-virus-Greece-Acropolis,UPDATE ATHENS Greece reopens the Acropolis in Athens and all open-air archaeological sites in the country to the public after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. 500 words 1130 GMT by Helene Colliopoulou and Marina Rafenberg. Picture. Video. Live video Health-virus-EU-France-Germany,2ndLead PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will present a joint plan to spur the EU's recovery from the coronavirus crisis, aiming to overcome weeks of debate over how to deploy the billions of euros needed to end painful recessions as quickly as possible. 600 words 1000 GMT by Joseph Schmid Health-virus-France-perfume,FOCUS GRASSE, France May roses are blooming in Grasse, the birthplace of French perfumes, but out in the fields, some of those who pick them face a problem this year. 650 words 1100 GMT by Claudine Renaud. Picture. Video Health-virus-France-film-drive-in PARIS French cinema owners are up in arms that a drive-in film festival is beating the country's lockdown while they are forced to stay closed. 400 words 1100GMT by Paul Ricard -- MIDDLE EAST -- Israel-Palestinians-conflict-crime,WRAP LOD, Israel An Israeli court convicts a Jewish settler on three counts of murder over a 2015 arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents. 600 words 0930 GMT by Nir Kafri. Picture. Video Health-virus-Yemen-conflict,FOCUS ADEN, Yemen Deaths in the Yemeni port city of Aden have surged at least five-fold above normal, a non-government group and medics say, igniting fears of a major coronavirus outbreak. 700 words moved. Picture. Video -- AFRICA -- Health-virus-SAfrica-mining,FOCUS MARIKANA, South Africa South Africa's key mining sector is reconfiguring its operations in bid to reduce the risk of coronavirus infections being transmitted among some of its nearly half a million workers as cases rise in the country. 750 words 1300 GMT by Susan Njanji. Pcture. Video -- ASIA -- HongKong-China-politics-unrest,WRAP HONG KONG Hong Kong's political crisis returns to centre stage as clashes erupted in the legislature and a group of prominent pro-democracy activists were charged for taking part in last year's huge protests. 650 words moved by Su Xinqui and Jerome Taylor. Picture. Video. Live video Health-virus-India,FOCUS NEW DELHI Death had not fazed gravedigger Mohammed Shamim up to now, but since the grip of the coronavirus crisis has tightened in New Delhi, a shiver runs up his spine each time he sees a hearse pull up at the cemetery he tends. 500 words moved by Aishwarya Kumar. Picture Malaysia-court-corruption-film-1MDB KUALA LUMPUR A deal to drop money-laundering charges linked to the 1MDB scandal against a producer of Hollywood hit "Wolf of Wall Street" is terrible for Malaysia, the country's former attorney-general says. 400 words moved Japan-mountains-mountaineering-virus-Fuji TOKYO Japan's beloved Mount Fuji will be closed during this year's summer climbing season to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, officials say. 300 words moved -- AMERICAS -- Health-virus-Nicaragua,FOCUS MANAGUA Doctors warn of looming COVID-19 chaos in Nicaragua, where victims' families and the opposition accuse President Daniel Ortega's government of ordering "express burials" to hide the true number of infections. 650 words moved by Julia Rios. Picture Health-virus-US,UPDATE WASHINGTON The White House rebukes the top US health agency, saying "it let the country down" on providing testing crucial to the battle against the coronavirus outbreak. 600 words moved by Frankie Taggart US-politics-diplomacy-Pompeo-Navarro,WRAP WASHINGTON The White House hits back at fierce criticism over the firing of the State Department's top watchdog, suggesting he was a disloyal member of a "Deep State" conspiracy out to get President Donald Trump. 500 words moved by Ian Timberlake. File picture Health-virus-Mexico-liquor,FOCUS PUEBLA, Mexico Scores of Mexicans are dying from drinking adulterated liquor, a consequence of the shortage of beer and other mainstream alcoholic beverages during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities say. 600 words moved by Roman Ortega, Ivan Duarte and German Campos Health-virus-US-tourism-cruise,FOCUS MIAMI For the thousands of cruise ship crew members stuck at sea aboard their vessels as the coronavirus crisis unfolds, the situation is psychologically intense, to say the least. For some, it has been too much to bear. 800 words moved by Leila Macor. Picture. Video -- BUSINESS -- Japan-telecommunication-company-SoftBank-earnings,WRAP TOKYO Struggling Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group reports record losses as the coronavirus pandemic compounded woes caused by its investment in troubled office-sharing start-up WeWork. 700 words moved. Picture -- SPORTS -- Fbl-Asia-CHN-HKG,FOCUS SHANGHAI, China It is known as the "May 19 Incident" and by some estimations it haunts the national football team 35 years after China were knocked out of the World Cup 2-1 at home by little Hong Kong, then still under British rule, on one of the most infamous nights in Chinese football history. 750 words moved by Peter Stebbings in Shanghai with Su Xinqi in Hong Kong. File picture afp
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