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| - Duty Editor: Frankie Taggart Email: frankie.taggart@afp.com -- TOP STORIES -- + Anger over Facebook's Australia news ban + NASA rover set for touchdown on Mars + Deadly winter storm pushes into eastern US + UK, Canada sanction Myanmar generals + Williams exits Australian Open in tears Australia-US-IT-media-Facebook,WRAP BRISBANE Facebook is branded "arrogant" and "unconscionable" for banning Australian users from sharing news, as its defiant response to government regulation inadvertently cripples the pages of several emergency services. 800 words moved by Holly Robertson with Andrew Beatty in Sydney. File picture. Graphic Also moved: Australia-media-internet-Facebook,FOCUS US-Australia-media-internet-Microsoft-Google-Facebook,Q&A US-Mars-space,WRAP WASHINGTON NASA's Perseverance rover prepares for touchdown on Mars to search for signs of microbial life that might have existed billions of years ago. 750 words 2100 GMT by Issam Ahmed and Lucie Aubourg. Picture. Graphic Moved: US-Mars-space,POINTS US-Mars-space-astrobiology,POINTS US-weather-conservation-energy,WRAP NEW YORK A deadly winter weather system that brought record-busting cold to the southern and central United States, knocking out power for millions in oil-rich Texas, pushes up the East Coast as heavy snowfall and icy buildups disrupt coronavirus vaccinations. 700 words 2030 GMT by Peter Hutchison with Francois Picard in Houston. Picture. Video Myanmar-politics-military,WRAP YANGON Britain and Canada announce sanctions against Myanmar's generals over a coup deposing Aung San Suu Kyi, the latest action from Western powers as the junta presses on to stymie nationwide opposition. 800 words 1930 GMT. Picture. Video. Graphic Moved: Myanmar-politics-military-demonstration-roads Tennis-AUS-Open,WRAP MELBOURNE Naomi Osaka brutally halts tearful Serena Williams's latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open as eight-time champion Novak Djokovic storms into his ninth Melbourne final. 650 words moved by Martin Parry. Picture -- CORONAVIRUS -- Africa-epidemic-health-virus,FOCUS JOHANNESBURG Africa officially passes the grim milestone of 100,000 Covid-19 deaths, a number thought be significantly smaller than the true toll, as the continent of 1.2 billion people battles a second wave of infections. 650 words 2000 GMT Health-virus-Germany-vaccine-AstraZeneca,FOCUS BERLIN Doctors and public health officials plead with Germans to take up AstraZeneca vaccines against the coronavirus after muddled communication about the efficacy of the British-made jabs hit demand. 650 words moved by Deborah Cole -- AMERICAS -- US-India-Australia-Japan-China-diplomacy,lead WASHINGTON The United States callS jointly with Australia, India and Japan for strengthening democracy in Asia including reversing Myanmar's coup as President Joe Biden renews the so-called "Quad" alliance despite objections from China. 500 words moved by Shaun Tandon -- EUROPE -- Italy-politics,WRAP ROME Winning a confidence vote in the lower assembly, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi is set to secure the final parliamentary seal of approval for his government, allowing him to focus on his country's unprecedented health and economic crisis. 600 words 2030 GMT by Alvise Armellini. Picture. Spain-rights-music-protest,WRAP MADRID Fresh street protests are expected in Spain for a third night over the jailing of a rapper for controversial tweets, with the violence of previous days sparking a political backlash. 650 words 2200 GMT by Hazel Ward. Picture. Video. Graphic Iran-nuclear-politics-diplomacy,WRAP PARIS Foreign ministers from European powers and the United States hold talks to see how to revive the 2015 deal on Iran's nuclear drive, days ahead of a deadline set by Tehran that could hinder the efforts by limiting inspections. 750 words 2200 GMT by Stuart Williams. Picture. Video -- MIDEAST & NORTH AFRICA -- Algeria-unrest-trial-France,WRAP ALGIERS Algerian prosecutors call for the death penalty against the main defendant in the kidnapping and beheading of French mountaineer Herve Gourdel on the first day of the high profile trial. 600 words 1930 GMT by Abdelhafid Daamache. Picture. Video Arab-revolution-Morocco-politics-rights,FOCUS RABAT Ten years after Morocco's short-lived protest movement, campaigners say rights in the kingdom have been rolled back and the authorities are using smear tactics and fear to silence dissent. 600 words moved by Sophie Pons. File Picture. File Video -- AFRICA -- Nigeria-unrest-students-kidnapping,WRAP KAGARA, Nigeria Nigerian security forces track the armed gang that kidnapped more than 40 people from a school a day earlier, as families and a survivor describe how students fled gunfire during the early morning abduction. 600 words moved by Sodiq Akelakun. Picture. Video Liberia-SLeone-rights-justice-conflict,WRAP KAMATAHUN, Liberia Finnish judges begin touring northern Liberia as part of a first-of-a-kind trial of a warlord accused of committing atrocities during the country's civil war. 700 words moved by Zoom Dosso -- BUSINESS & TECH -- Australia-US-IT-media-Facebook,FOCUS WASHINGTON Facebook's stunning decision to turn off the news for Australia highlights a long-troubled role for the US tech giant which stumbled into the news business and has grown into one of its most powerful forces. 650 words 2100 GMT by Rob Lever US-retail-earnings-Walmart,WRAP NEW YORK Walmart reports another round of strong sales amid the coronavirus pandemic as it announced significant investments in higher employee wages and technology for growing e-commerce demand. 750 words 2200 GMT by John Biers UAE-Dubai-Saudi-economy,FOCUS DUBAI Modern infrastructure and a business-friendly attitude have made Dubai the regional base of choice for international companies, but Riyadh's remarkable rise has woken a long-sleeping heavyweight competitor. 850 words moved by Mohamad Ali Harissi Lifestyle-Tunisia-food-agriculture,FOCUS TABARKA, Tunisia A Tunisian entrepreneur growing edible flowers says she is surprised by the appetite for her homegrown product in the North African country and hopes to see a "new culinary culture" bloom. 500 words moved by Kaouther Larbi. Picture. Video -- ENTERTAINMENT -- Britain-France-music-economy,FOCUS PARIS Streaming companies such as Spotify and Deezer are credited with rescuing the music industry from piracy, but while label executives rejoice in billion-dollar revenues, even top-level artists are struggling to survive. 750 words moved by Eric Randolph, Philippe Grelard. File picture -- SPORT -- Tennis-AUS-Open,WRAP MELBOURNE, Australia Japan's Naomi Osaka brutally halts Serena Williams's latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, as Novak Djokovic writes the final chapter of qualifier Aslan Karatsev's fairy-tale run. 600 words moved. Picture. Video Also moved: Tennis-AUS-Open-Serena-Slams,FACTS Tennis-AUS-Open-fans,SCENE Fbl-Palestinians-gender-women,VIDEOESSAY AL-RAM, Palestinian Territories When Hanine Abu Mariam first refereed a men's football match, she was overcome by fear, but her trepidation soon turned to motivation to become a rare Palestinian referee in international football. 350 words moved by Hossam Ezzedine. Picture. Video afp
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