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| - Duty Editor: James Hossack Tel: +852 2829 6211 -- TOP STORIES -- + Harris says US 'crying out for leadership' + Protester dies during crackdown in Belarus + US talks on virus spending deal deadlocked + Wind, solar power hit record high globally + Pheromones make locusts swarm, study finds US-politics-vote-Democrats,WRAP WILMINGTON, North Carolina Joe Biden and Kamala Harris launch their joint bid for the White House, with the newly minted vice presidential nominee saying Americans are "crying out for leadership" to overcome a triple crisis of health, racial injustice and a ravaged economy. 750 words 0230 GMT by Agnes Bun with Michael Mathes in Washington. Picture. Video. Graphic Belarus-vote-unrest,WRAP MINSK Belarus confirms the death of a jailed protester as demonstrators take to the streets for a fourth night of clashes with riot police over a disputed presidential election. 750 words 0200 GMT by Tatiana Kalinovskaya. Picture. Video. Graphic Also moved: Belarus-vote-unrest-literature Health-virus-US-economy-politics-aid WASHINGTON US Democrats and the White House are no closer to agreeing on a new emergency pandemic spending package as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin trades blame with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over failed negotiations. 600 words moved Energy-climate-solar-wind PARIS Wind and solar produced a record 10 percent of global electricity in the first half of 2020 as the world's coal plant fleet ran at less than half its capacity. 500 words moved by Patrick Galey Environment-biology-agriculture-research-locusts,FOCUS TOKYO The coronavirus isn't the only plague making headlines this year -- locusts are devastating crops in several parts of the world, and now scientists are discovering why the pest forms destructive swarms: the secret lies in a pheromone. 600 words moved by Sara Hussein -- AMERICAS -- US-politics-vote-Democrats-dynamics,FOCUS WASHINGTON In his running mate search, Joe Biden above all wanted someone "sympatico" with his political strategy. How will he fare with his pick Kamala Harris, who eviscerated him in debates and harbors her own presidential ambitions? 650 words 0200 GMT by Michael Mathes. Picture. Video US-politics-vote-Jamaica KINGSTON Kamala Harris's boundary-breaking nod for the US vice presidency is inspiring hope and dreams in her father's native Jamaica, where locals have claimed her as their own. 500 words 0300 GMT by Andre Rich. File picture Health-virus-US-economy-employment-housing NEW YORK Activists and relief groups in the United States are scrambling to head off a monumental wave of evictions nationwide, as the coronavirus crisis leaves tens of millions at risk of homelessness. 800 words 0200 GMT by John Biers. Picture. Video Also moving: Health-virus-US-economy-employment-housing-protest Health-virus-Latam-lifestyle-teenagers,FEATURE MONTEVIDEO For four young adults across Latin America, 2020 was meant to be a year of freedom and opportunity. Instead, the coronavirus pandemic in bringing confinement and frustration. 850 words 0130 GMT by Michelle de la Rosa. Picture US-politics-Congress-conspiracies-Greene,FOCUS WASHINGTON Marjorie Taylor Greene promotes the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory and calls white men the most oppressed group in the US, but President Donald Trump praised her as a "future Republican Star" and she's all but sure to enter Congress after winning a primary contest. 600 words moved by Sebastian Smith. Picture Bolivia-politics-vote,WRAP LA PAZ Bolivian authorities denounce the actions of armed protesters as the country enters a 10th day of road blocks that have prevented vital medical supplies needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic from reaching hospitals. 700 words moved. Picture -- MIDDLE EAST -- Lebanon-blast,WRAP BEIRUT Lebanon's judiciary will question several ministers, a judicial official says, over a massive chemical blast at a Beirut port warehouse that ravaged the capital and sparked unprecedented public outrage. 800 words moved by Layal Abou Rahal. Picture. Video. Graphic Also moved: Lebanon-blast-politics-probe,INVESTIGATION Israel-Palestinians-conflict-Gaza-fishing JERUSALEM Israel slaps new punitive measures on Gaza, slashing the permitted coastal fishing zone as airborne fire bombs continued floating into Israel, setting scrubland ablaze. 350 words moved. Picture. Video US-politics-vote-Democrats-Israel,FOCUS JERUSALEM During Joe Biden's first trip to Israel in 1973, he met then-prime minister Golda Meir. Since then, his career has been punctuated by a staunch defence of Israel, especially in its handling of the Palestinian conflict. 800 words 0300 GMT by Ben Simon. File picture Yemen-conflict-flood-heritage,FOCUS SANAA Muddy water still laps overfoot in Sanaa's old town, inhabited without interruption for more than 2,500 years, and now facing disaster after weeks of flooding that threaten the collapse of irreplaceable houses. 700 words 0330 GMT by Abdelkarim al-Marani with Hadbaa al-Yazidi in Shibam. Picture. Video -- EUROPE -- Britain-Scotland-accident-transport,WRAP STONEHAVEN, United Kingdom Three people die as a passenger train derails in northeast Scotland following heavy rains and severe flooding across parts of the region overnight. 500 words moved by Michal Wachucik. Picture. Video Health-virus-tourism-France,FOCUS PARIS Virus travel restrictions have kept lovers and unmarried couples apart, but governments around the world are now showing more understanding of their plight, with some introducing measures to allow a happy and long-awaited reunion. 650 words 0300 GMT by Daphne Rousseau Health-virus-Netherlands-Belgium,FOCUS BAARLE-NASSAU, Netherlands There is a small Belgian enclave in the southern Netherlands where respecting two sets of rules to fight coronavirus has become a daily challenge, with international borders criss-crossing streets and even running through shops and homes. 700 words 0400 GMT by Sara Magniette. Picture. Video -- AFRICA -- Mozambique-unrest,WRAP MAPUTO Islamist militants occupy a key port in gas-rich northern Mozambique following days of attacks claimed by an Islamic State-affiliated group, a military source and local media say. 450 words moved by Joaquim Nhamirre -- SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT -- Science-animal-frog-mating-Brazil,FOCUS WASHINGTON A species of frog from the Brazilian rainforest has become the first amphibian shown to live in a harem, where one male mates with two females who remain loyal to him. 600 words moved by Issam Ahmed. Picture -- SPORT -- Golf-USA-Masters WASHINGTON Tiger Woods will have to defend his Masters title behind closed doors after Augusta chiefs admit that the risks caused by the coronavirus in allowing thousands of fans to attend "are simply too significant to overcome". 600 words moved by Jim Slater Fbl-Eur-C1-ITA-FRA-Atalanta-PSG LISBON Paris Saint-Germain snatch a dramatic victory from the jaws of defeat as substitute Eric Choupo-Moting's goal three minutes into added time allows them to beat Atalanta 2-1 in their Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon. 700 words moved by Andy Scott. Picture. Video Also moved: fbl-EUR-C1-ITA-FRA-Atalanta-PSG,REAX fbl-Eur-C1-ESP-GER-AtleticoMadrid-Leipzig afp
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