| schema:articleBody
| - Duty Editor: Karl Malakunas Tel: +852 2829 6211 -- TOP STORIES -- + Trump hits China's TikTok, WeChat + Lebanon leaders face rage over blasts + US virus deaths hit three-month high + Sri Lanka's Rajapaksas secure big win + Online fame for beatboxing Japan monk US-IT-China-TikTok-politics-Trump,WRAP WASHINGTON President Donald Trump orders sweeping restrictions against Chinese-owned social media stars TikTok and WeChat, in a move that could choke their access to the lucrative US market. 600 words 0630 GMT. File Picture Lebanon-blast,WRAP BEIRUT Lebanon's leadership faces growing rage after a massive explosion laid waste to large parts of central Beirut with security forces firing tear gas at a small demonstration. 850 words moved by Jean-Marc Mojon and Valerie Leroux. Picture. Graphic. Video. Live video Health-virus,WRAP WASHINGTON Daily coronavirus deaths in the US surge to a three-month high of over 2,000 and the number of cases passes 19 million globally. 750 words 0730 GMT by Becca Milfeld with AFP Bureaus. Picture. Video. Graphic SriLanka-vote,WRAP COLOMBO Sri Lanka's ruling Rajapaksa brothers have secured a two-thirds majority in parliamentary elections, giving them powers to change the constitution and unravel democratic safeguards, final results show. 650 words 0600 GMT by Amal Jayasinghe. Picture Also moving: SriLanka-vote,PROFILE Japan-religion-music-Buddhism-virus-health,FOCUS TOKYO The music grows gradually: first a snare drum-like beat, then a throaty drone layered on top, followed by high-pitched humming. And then the monk begins to chant the heart sutra. 500 words moved by Sarah Lai. Picture. Video -- BEIRUT BLAST -- Lebanon-blast-Macron,SCENE BEIRUT White shirt sleeves rolled up, Emmanuel Macron wades through cheering crowds in the devastated streets of Beirut where disaster survivors plead with him to help get rid of their reviled ruling elite. 550 words moved by Valerie Leroux. Picture. Video Lebanon-blast-politics,POINTS BEIRUT With anger mounting over the epic destruction caused by the Beirut port blast and a country already mired in its worst ever economic crisis, what impact will the tragedy have on Lebanese politics? 750 words moved by Acil Tabbara. Picture. Graphic. Video Lebanon-blast-food,FOCUS BEIRUT Precious wheat spilled out of disembowelled silos, mixing with soot, debris and cement: Beirut's port blast has gutted Lebanon's largest grain storage and sparked public panic over bread shortages. 750 words moved by Maya Gebeily. Picture. Video Also moved: Lebanon-blast-solidarity,SCENE Lebanon-blast-ammonium-nitrate,FACTS Lebanon-blast-aid-diaspora,FOCUS -- AMERICAS -- US-politics-crime-weapons-lobbying-NRA,WRAP NEW YORK The state of New York sues the National Rifle Association and its leader Wayne LaPierre for financial fraud and misconduct, aiming to dissolve the powerful US conservative lobby. 700 words moved by Paul Handley. File Picture US-China-Taiwan-diplomacy,WRAP WASHINGTON Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe warns his US counterpart in a phone call to avoid firing up bilateral tensions, a day after Washington angered Beijing by announcing it would send a senior official to visit Taiwan. 650 words moved by Paul Handley with Ludovic Ehret in Beijing. File picture Argentina-environment-weather,FOCUS ROSARIO, Argentina Ravaged by drought, the Parana Delta in Argentina, one of the largest and most biodiverse in the world, has been burning like never before since the beginning of the year. 600 words moved by Jorgelina Hiba. Picture. Video US-Iran-diplomacy,WRAP WASHINGTON The envoy leading President Donald Trump's hardline push on Iran quits, three months before an election that could reorient US policy. 550 words moved by Shaun Tandon. File picture -- BUSINESS/ECONOMY/TECH -- US-IT-politics-media,WRAP SAN FRANCISCO Twitter and Facebook announce moves to thwart efforts to deceive or divide voters as the US nears a contentious presidential election. 700 words moved by Glenn Chapman, with Rob Lever in Washington -- ASIA -- Health-virus-India,WRAP NEW DELHI India's official coronavirus case tally doubles in three weeks to hit two million as the pandemic hits smaller cities and rural areas, with experts warning the real toll could be much higher. 600 words 0700 GMT by Abhaya Srivastava. Picture. Video Health-virus-India,FOCUS MEERUT, India Sarthak Anand's neighbours treated him like a "criminal" when he conracted the coronavirus, a common experience in India's vast hinterland where the pandemic and associated stigmatisation are raging. 600 words 0700 GMT by Abhaya Srivastava. Picture. Video Afghanistan conflict Taliban prisoners,WRAP KABUL Thousands of prominent Afghans gather in Kabul to decide whether to release about 400 Taliban prisoners, including many involved in brutal attacks that killed scores of Afghans and foreigners. 600 words 0700 GMT by Elise Blanchard. Pakistan-China-India-rights,FOCUS ISLAMABAD Even as Pakistan is this week drawing international attention to the plight of Muslims in Indian Kashmir, Islamabad has stayed conspicuously silent about another embattled Muslim community -- China's Uighur population. 700 words moved -- EUROPE -- Belarus-vote,ADVANCER MINSK Belarus holds presidential polls on Sunday with a surge in public support for a novice opposition candidate posing the greatest challenge in years to long-ruling strongman Alexander Lukashenko. 550 words moved by Tatiana Kalinovskaya with Anna Malpas in Moscow. Picture. Video Also moved: Belarus-vote,FACTS Belarus-vote-Lukashenko,PROFILE France-nightclub-music-Health-virus PARIS Unauthorised rave parties, long a fringe pastime with a hardcore techno following, have found a new fan base among young people in Paris denied a dance floor by the coronavirus outbreak. 700 words moved. Picture -- MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA -- Saudi-internet-politics,FOCUS RIYADH Online armies of self-styled Saudi patriots riding a wave of state-led nationalism attack critics and what they call "traitors" of the kingdom -- but their growing clout has left the government uneasy. 780 words moved by Anuj Chopra -- AFRICA -- Health-virus-Rwanda-police KIGALI Rwandans caught breaking curfew or not wearing masks are being sent to stadiums in droves for all-night lectures on the dangers of coronavirus, as the country maintains a tough approach to stem its spread. 600 words moved. Video. Picture -- SPORT -- MMA-UFC-CHN-Song,INTERVIEW SHANGHAI Before becoming one of China's most feared MMA fighters, Song Kenan worked as a welder for the country's rapidly developing high-speed railway. He has no wish to return to assembling trains. 600 words 0530 GMT by Peter Stebbings. Picture. Video Fbl-Asia-CHN-Wei,FOCUS SHANGHAI Wei Shihao was accused of "evil behaviour" and suspended last year for breaking an opponent's leg, but a lightning start to the season means he could be China's next export to Europe. 600 words moved by Peter Stebbings. Picture afp
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)