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| - Duty Editor: Karl Malakunas Tel: +852 2829 6211 -- TOP STORIES -- + Europe lockdown eases, pandemic worsens elsewhere + Israel ends crisis with new unity govt + WHO virtual assembly to tackle coronavirus + Deadly Taliban attack after new Afghan govt formed + Sex toy controversry for South Korean football Health-virus,WRAP ROME Restaurants and churches will reopen in Italy as part of a fresh wave of lockdown easing in Europe, but rising coronavirus deaths in Brazil, South Africa and other parts of the world show the worst is still to come elsewhere. 850 words 0600 GMT. Picture. Video. Graphic. Videographics Israel-politics,WRAP JERUSALEM Israel's parliament swears in a new unity government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz, ending the longest political crisis in the nation's history. 800 words moved by Ben Simon. Picture. Video 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 moved by Nina Larson. File picture Also moved: Health-virus-WHO,FACTS Health-virus-WHO,CHRONO Afghanistan-attack-politics,WRAP GHAZNI, Afghanistan The Taliban claims a deadly attack on an Afghan intelligence agency post, even as it urges the new power-sharing government to accelerate a prisoner swap to pave the way for peace talks. 400 words 0600 GMT Health-virus-Skorea-KOR-fbl-offbeat SEOUL One of South Korea's top football clubs has apologised for filling its empty stands with socially distanced mannequins that looked like young women and promoted sex toys. 350 words 0600 GMT -- 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 0530 by Julia Rios. Picture Health-virus-US 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-Hollywood-premieres,FOCUS LOS ANGELES Red-carpet premieres are the pinnacle of any new Hollywood blockbuster's publicity blitz. With California coronavirus restrictions easing, and major movies like "Tenet" eyeing July release dates, Tinseltown's marketing gurus are scrambling for ways to safely roll out those carpets once again. 650 words moved by Andrew Marszal. Picture. Video 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 -- EUROPE -- Health-virus-Vatican-Italy ROME Saint Peter's Basilica throws its doors open to visitors, marking a relative return to normality at the Vatican and beyond in Italy, where most business activity is set to resume. 450 words moved. File picture. File video -- ASIA -- Japan-economy-GDP,WRAP TOKYO Japan dives into its first recession since 2015, 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. File Video -- MIDEAST -- Syria-politics-Assad-Makhlouf,lead DAMASCUS Syrian tycoon Rami Makhlouf, a first cousin of President Bashar al-Assad, accuses the regime of threatening to arrest him and close his telecommunications empire if he does not hand over profits. 500 words moved Health-virus-Yemen-conflict,FOCUS ADEN, Yemen Deaths in Aden have surged to at least five times higher than normal, an NGO and medics say, igniting fears that coronavirus is spreading unhindered in the Yemeni port city. 700 words moved. Picture. Video -- AFRICA -- DRCongo-unrest,3rdlead KINSHASA Women and children are among at least 27 civilians killed in two separate attacks in the troubled northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials tell AFP. 500 words moved Nigeria-unrest-jihadists LAGOS Nigerian jihadist groups are gaining sway in the restive northwest and the region could become a "land bridge" to Islamists across the Sahel, the International Crisis Group warns. 450 words moved Burundi-vote-unrest-health-virus BUJUMBURA Burundians will vote Wednesday in a tense general election, despite a largely-ignored outbreak of coronavirus which is set to be the first major challenge for the new president. 800 words moved. Picture. Video. Also moving: Burundi-vote-unrest,PROFILE Burundi-vote,CHRONO Burundi-vote,COUNTRY-FACTFILE -- SPORT -- 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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