| schema:articleBody
| - Duty Editor: James Hossack Tel: +852 2829 6211 -- TOP STORIES -- + 'America is back:' Biden unveils top cabinet picks + Britain and France loosen coronavirus restrictions + Dow hits 30,000 for first time as uncertainty ebbs + Scotland makes period products free in world first + 'Obelisk' in US desert ignites conspiracy theories US-vote,WRAP WILMINGTON, Delaware President-elect Joe Biden introduces a slate of veteran diplomats and policy-makers who will make up his national security and foreign policy team, saying: "America is back, ready to lead the world." 800 words 0200 GMT by Chandan Khanna and Chris Lefkow. Picture. Graphic. Video Health-virus,WRAP PARIS France and Britain announce the loosening of coronavirus restrictions after a drop in infections as Russian developers announce more positive vaccine results bringing cautious hope for an end to the pandemic. 750 words moved by AFP Bureaus. Picture. Video. Graphic Markets-world NEW YORK The Dow soars above 30,000 points for the first time as Wall Street powers to fresh records, fueled by ebbing US political uncertainty that offset worries about spiking coronavirus cases. 600 words moved by John Biers Also moved: US-stocks-markets,FACTS Scotland-health-politics-gender EDINBURGH Scotland votes to offer free universal access to period products, becoming the first country in the world to do so. 300 words moved US-obelisk-offbeat LOS ANGELES A mysterious metal "obelisk" found buried in the remote western United States desert has inflamed the imaginations of UFO spotters, conspiracy theorists and Stanley Kubrick fans around the world. 400 words moved. Video. Picture -- SPOTLIGHT -- SKorea-entertainment-music-social-television,FOCUS SEOUL When Ryu Sera made her debut with girlband Nine Muses, the years of intense training and ruthless competition seemed worthwhile, but within four years she had been cast on the K-pop scrapheap. 900 words 0330 GMT by Kang Jin-kyu. Picture. Video -- CORONAVIRUS -- Health-virus-Mexico-transplants,FOCUS MEXICO Ruben Vazquez lives in fear of dying before he gets a new kidney -- just one of thousands of organ transplant operations put on hold in Mexico due to the pandemic. 550 words 0200 GMT by Jennifer Gonzales Covarrubias Health-virus-vaccine-Germany-Schott,FOCUS MAINZ, Germany As expectations grow that the first Covid-19 jabs will be administered in a matter of weeks, German glassmaker Schott is quietly doing what it has been for months: churning out vials that will hold the vaccine. 650 words 0300 GMT by Michelle Fitzpatrick. Picture. Video Health-virus-Israel-literature,INTERVIEW TEL AVIV Etgar Keret, one of Israel's most popular living writers, says the Covid-19 pandemic has brought him a lot of inspiration and chides those inclined to romanticise the pre-coronavirus world. 650 words 0330 GMT by Delphine Matthieussent. Picture -- AMERICAS -- US-vote-cabinet,POINTS WASHINGTON With his first cabinet appointments, President-elect Joe Biden is signaling that he favors experience, competence and centrism and is not out to please his Democratic Party's left-wing base, although he achieves historic firsts for women and minorities. 500 words moved by Shaun Tandon US-vote-Trump-turkey-offbeat,lead WASHINGTON Lame duck President Donald Trump addresses a live turkey and journalists but again avoids the elephant in the room -- his failure to concede defeat to Joe Biden. 600 words moved by Sebastian Smith. Picture. Video -- ASIA -- Afghanistan-aid-UN,WRAP GENEVA Donors demand an immediate ceasefire in Afghanistan as they pledge around $12 billion in aid over four years -- but tie their money to civil rights being upheld in peace talks with the Taliban. 700 words moved by Robin Millard with Jay Deshmukh in Kabul. Picture. Video -- EUROPE -- Armenia-Azerbaijan-conflict-Karabakh,WRAP STEPANAKERT, Azerbaijan Azerbaijan says its forces have entered the second of three districts to be handed back by Armenia as part of a deal that ended weeks of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. 800 words moved by Andrey Borodulin. Picture. Video Bosnia-tourism-health-archaeology-Djokovic,FOCUS VISOKO, Bosnia Crowds are back to a controversial 'pyramid park' in Bosnia after two visits this year from tennis star Djokovic, who hailed the healing powers of a site that has been dismissed as a cruel hoax by scientists. 750 words 0400 GMT by Rusmir Smajilhodzic. Picture. Video -- MIDDLE EAST -- Lifestyle-Iraq-sailing,FOCUS BAGHDAD Mariam Khaled sets her white dinghy towards a point on the riverbank: Adhamiya in central Baghdad where water sports are revolutionising how Iraqis interact with the historic Tigris and Euphrates. 650 words 0330 GMT by Khalil Jalil. Picture. Video WSahara-conflict-Morocco,FOCUS GUERGEURAT, Western Sahara Kamal Zerfi has long run a junkyard in a no-man's land on the far edge of the Sahara desert. Then government soldiers came and things took a turn for the worse. 600 words 0300 GMT by Hicham Rafih. Picture. Video -- AFRICA -- Ethiopia-conflict-diplomacy-UN,WRAP GONDAR, Ethiopia International pressure mounts on Ethiopia's warring parties to cease fighting and protect civilians in Tigray, where the army says it has encircled the capital ahead of a threatened bombardment. 750 words moved by Robbie Corey-Boulet. Video. Picture. Graphic SAfrica-politics-corruption,FOCUS JOHANNESBURG Over the course of his scandal-tainted career, South Africa's ex-president Jacob Zuma accumulated 16 fraud charges and faced court over alleged rape but he retains the support of a fervent fan base that continues to rattle politics. 800 words 0300 GMT by Sofia Christensen. File Picture -- ENTERTAINMENT -- Entertainment-US-music-Grammy,WRAP NEW YORK Pop queen Beyonce leads the Grammy pack with nine nominations, as the music world prepares to celebrate its hitmakers in a year in which the coronavirus devastated the industry. 700 words moved by Maggy Donaldson. File Picture. Graphic Also moved: Entertainment-US-music-Grammy-takeaways,POINTS Entertainment-US-music-Grammy-nominees,FACTS -- SPORT -- RugbyU-Tri-2020-NZL,FOCUS WELLINGTON A string of poor, ill-disciplined performances has left the All Blacks facing three defeats in a row for the first time this century, piling the pressure on under-fire coach Ian Foster and captain Sam Cane ahead of their final Test of 2020. 600 words 0300 GMT by Neil Sands Fbl-Eur-C1,WRAP PARIS Juventus, Chelsea and Sevilla all claim last-gasp wins as they qualify for the Champions League last 16, while Martin Braithwaite grabs a double in Barcelona's 4-0 victory at Dynamo Kiev as they also secure a place in the knockout rounds. 700 words moved by Andy Scott. 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)