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| - Duty Editor: James Hossack Tel: +852 2829 6211 -- TOP STORIES -- + Deadline to save Brexit talks extended until Sunday + Hunter Biden says being investigated over his taxes + Facebook could be forced to sell WhatsApp, Instagram + Vaccine papers accessed in cyberattack on regulator + Italy's 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi dead: media Britain-EU-politics-Brexit,WRAP BRUSSELS British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen give themselves until Sunday to decide on the future of post-Brexit negotiations, after a three-hour dinner left the two sides "far apart". 700 words moved by Dave Clark and Jitendra Joshi in London. Picture. Video. Graphic US-vote-Biden-Hunter-taxes-investigation,WRAP WILMINGTON, Delaware Hunter Biden, the son of US President-elect Joe Biden and a frequent target of Republican attacks, says he is under federal investigation about his taxes. 550 words 0230 GMT US-IT-lifestyle-antitrust-Facebook,WRAP WASHINGTON US federal and state antitrust enforcers file suit against Facebook claiming the social media giant abused its dominant position and seeking to unwind its acquisitions of messaging services Instagram and WhatsApp. 700 words moved by Rob Lever Health-virus,WRAP THE HAGUE Documents related to the approval of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine were illegally accessed during a cyberattack at the EU regulator, the company says, as the US drug regulator meets to discuss giving the green light to the jab in the world's worst-affected country. 750 words 0400 GMT by Danny Kemp. Picture. Video. Graphic Videographics Fbl-ITA-Rossi,2ndlead ROME Italy's 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi has died at the age of 64, Italian media report, prompting an outpouring of grief from Italian football fans. 500 words 0230 GMT by Alice Ritchie. File picture -- LIFESTYLE AND ENTERTAINMENT -- Lifestyle-Poland-games-Cyberpunk2077,WRAP WARSAW Cyberpunk 2077, the much-delayed video game reported to be one of the most expensive ever made, launches worldwide after a publicity blitz worthy of a Hollywood film. 550 words 0300 GMT by Bernard Osser. File picture. Video. Chess-IND-Anand-health-virus,INTERVIEW NEW DELHI Mass coronavirus lockdowns and "The Queen's Gambit" have sparked a surprise boom in chess, Indian grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand tells AFP, praising the hit TV show's "accurate portrayal" of the game. 700 words 0230 by Faisal Kamal. File picture -- CORONAVIRUS -- Health-virus-vaccines-diplomacy-China,FOCUS BEIJING As wealthy countries scramble to buy up the limited supply of big-name coronavirus vaccines, China is stepping in to offer its homegrown jabs to poorer countries. But the largesse is not entirely altruistic, with Beijing hoping for a long-term diplomatic return. 900 words 0400 GMT by Helen Roxburgh, with Poornima Weerasekara in Colombo. File Picture Also moving: Health-virus-vaccines-diplomacy-China-Indonesia,FOCUS -- ENVIRONMENT -- China-BRI-coal-energy-pollution-investments,FOCUS BEIJING China's plan to fund dozens of foreign coal plants from Zimbabwe to Indonesia is set to produce more emissions than those of major developed nations, threatening global efforts to fight climate change, environmentalists have warned. 700 words by Helen Roxburgh, with Poornima Weerasekara in Colombo. Picture. File Picture Climate-environment-UN-emissions,WRAP PARIS Earth remains on course to warm more than 3 degrees Celsius by the century's end despite a dip in greenhouse gas emissions due to the pandemic and pledges to curb pollution, the UN says. 650 words moved by Patrick Galey. Graphic Also moved: Climate-UN-summit-netzero,FOCUS Climate-UN-summit-hydrogen,FACTS Climate-UN-summit-carbon,FOCUS Climate-UN-summit-fuel,FACTS -- AMERICAS -- US-economy-politics,WRAP WASHINGTON A White House stimulus plan that includes another round of direct payments to Americans has found little support among Democrats in Washington, narrowing the odds of a spending deal being reached in the closing weeks of President Donald Trump's term. 600 words moved by Chris Stein Also moved: US-health-virus-politics,POINTS US-vote-Biden-Trump,SCENE WILMINGTON, Delaware United States After four years of Donald Trump, a fan of gold faucets and self-declared "greatest" at just about everything, in comes a man whom local resident Shelly Baker calls "great" mainly because he's a lot like other people in down-to-earth Wilmington. 700 words 0200 GMT by Sebastian Smith. File picture -- EUROPE -- Iraq-conflict-ICC-Britain,WRAP THE HAGUE The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor announces she is shutting down a preliminary probe into alleged war crimes committed by British soldiers after the US-led invasion in Iraq. 550 words moved by Jan Hennop. File picture Azerbaijan-Armenia-Karabakh-conflict-Turkey-diplomacy,WRAP BAKU Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in Azerbaijan to join nationwide celebrations marking his close ally's decisive military victory against Armenia in their conflict for control of disputed territory. 600 words 0200 GMT by Emil Guliyev. Picture. Video. Live video Nobel-peace-WFP-ceremony,WRAP OLSO Forget lavish banquets and glittering ceremonies attended by royals wearing tiaras: the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize will be presented to the World Food Programme (WFP) in more austere fashion online because of Covid-19. 600 words 0200 GMT by Pierre-Henry Deshayes, with Helene Dauschy in Stockholm. File picture. File video Also moving: Nobel-prize-history,FACTS Britain-climate-history-death,FOCUS LONDON Global warming is threatening London's historic Highgate Cemetery, an overgrown oasis housing graves of notable figures from Karl Marx to pop star George Michael, its custodians say. 600 words 0300 GMT by Anna Malpas. Picture. Video Russia-defence-aviation-crime,lead MOSCOW The Kremlin sounds the alarm over the theft of sensitive equipment from a secretive "doomsday plane" designed for the country's top command in event of a nuclear attack. 500 words moved by Anna Smolchenko. File picture -- MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA -- Israel-WestBank-archaeology-tourism-history,FOCUS HERODIUM, Palestinian Territories Israeli authorities are set to unveil previously off-limits structures within King Herod's palace-fortress Herodium, which the tyrannical Roman-era leader interred as his enormous burial plot. 500 words 0200 GMT by Jonah Mandel. Picture. Video Saudi-Qatar-diplomacy-Gulf,FOCUS RIYADH Saudi Arabia is pushing for a compromise to end a damaging three-year Gulf dispute, but a full resolution remains out of reach despite its offer of concessions, sources close to the negotiations say. 850 words 0300 GMT by Anuj Chopra with Sarah Stewart in Manama and Gregory Walton in Doha. File picture. File video -- AFRICA -- Ghana-vote-election,WRAP ACCRA Ghana's President wins a second term in office, the country's electoral commission announces, while the opposition party rejects results and says it will appeal. 750 words moved by Louise Dewast and Kent Mensah. Picture. Video. Graphic Also moved: Ghana-vote-politics-AkufoAddo,PROFILE -- HEALTH & SCIENCE -- Science-animal-bees WASHINGTON It's certainly one way to defend your home -- Scientists have observed that Asian honey bees collect chicken feces, buffalo dung and even human urine, then smear it around the entrances of their nests to stop attacks from marauding giant hornets. 500 words moved -- BUSINESS, ECONOMY & TECH -- US-IT-lifestyle-food-DoorDash,WRAP SAN FRANCISCO Food delivery startup DoorDash surges in a US stock market debut as investors gobbled up shares, kicking off a "unicorn parade" set to include Airbnb. 600 words moved Also moved:US-IT-lifestyle-food-DoorDash,SCENE -- SPORT -- Fbl-Eur-C1-FRA-TUR-PSG-Basaksehir-racism PARIS Paris Saint-Germain beat Istanbul Basaksehir 5-1 with Neymar scoring a hat-trick as both teams took a knee before restarting their Champions League match suspended 24 hours earlier in an unprecedented protest over an allegedly racist comment by a match official. 650 words moved by Andy Scott. Picture MMA-THA-gym,FOCUS HONG KONG Lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev steps into the cage in Las Vegas this weekend hoping to be the latest fighter to begin a journey to UFC glory from a production line of MMA champions on an island in Thailand. Tiger Muay Thai gym in southern Phuket attracts fighters from all over the globe lured by world-class training, a tropical lifestyle and a growing reputation. 750 words 0300 GMT by Mathew Scott. Picture afp
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