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| - Duty Editor: Emma Charlton Contact: emma.charlton@afp.com -- TOP STORIES -- + US orders China to close consulate + Global virus infections top 15 million + Sex crime conviction for Gulag historian + Humans in Americas 30,000 years ago + Kardashian urges 'compassion' for Kanye China-US-politics-diplomacy,WRAP HOUSTON, Texas US-Chinese tensions, already rising because of the coronavirus pandemic and a crackdown in Hong Kong, ratchet up another notch as the United States orders the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston within 72 hours. 800 words 2000 GMT by Mark Felix. Picture. Video Also moved: US-China-politics-diplomacy-Health-virus,FACTS Health-virus,WRAP WASHINGTON Global coronavirus infections pass 15 million with more than a quarter of that number in the United States, where President Donald Trump warns that the pandemic is likely to get worse before it gets better. 700 words 2000 GMT by Sebastian Smith with AFP bureaus. Picture. Video. Graphic Russia-politics-history-justice-rights,WRAP PETROZAVODSK A Russian court convicts a respected Gulag historian in a controversial sexual abuse case, but hands down a sentence that will see him free by the autumn. 650 words moved by Marina Koreneva. Picture. Video Also moved: Russia-politics-rights-press,FACTS Science-Americas-Mexico-palaeontology-archaeology,WRAP PARIS Tools excavated from a cave in central Mexico are strong evidence that humans were living in North America at least 30,000 years ago, some 15,000 years earlier than previously thought, scientists say. 700 words moved by Marlowe Hood Health-US-bipolar-Kardashian-West-entertainment WASHINGTON Kim Kardashian West opens up about her husband Kanye West's bipolar disorder, calling on the media and public to show "compassion and empathy" in light of the rapper's recent erratic behavior. 500 words moved by Issam Ahmed. File picture -- CORONAVIRUS -- Health-virus-US WASHINGTON Washington signs a $1.95 billion agreement with US pharma giant Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech for 100 million doses of their experimental COVID-19 vaccine, part of an aggressive push to start immunizing Americans early next year. 550 words moved by Issam Ahmed Health-virus-aerosol WASHINGTON Scientists have known for several months the new coronavirus can become suspended in micro-droplets expelled by patients when they speak and breathe, but until now there was no proof that these tiny particles are infectious. 600 words moved by Issam Ahmed. File picture Health-virus-Pakistan-tech-plasma,FOCUS ISLAMABAD Pakistanis with COVID-19 are risking their lives and navigating a shady black market to get blood plasma transfusions, despite scant medical proof about the remedy's effectiveness. 650 words moved by Zain Zaman Janjua. Picture. Video -- AMERICAS -- US-China-politics-diplomacy,FOCUS WASHINGTON The closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston is the latest salvo in a fierce battle between the United States and China for economic and technological supremacy that includes a race for a COVID-19 vaccine. 600 words 2030 GMT by Francesco Fontemaggi. File picture US-society-racism-internet,FOCUS NEW YORK Celebrities, brands, leaders and ordinary people are all falling foul of "cancel culture", a movement that seeks to change society by punishing perceived transgressions but which critics denounce as excessive and contributing to increased political polarization. 700 words 2030 GMT by Thomas Urbain US-politics-internet-Twitter-QAnon SAN FRANCISCO Twitter removes more than 7,000 accounts linked to the "QAnon" movement over abuse and harassment concerns, saying it will limit the spread of conspiracy theories by supporters -- many of whom are avowed fans of Donald Trump. 400 words moved -- EUROPE -- Ukraine-crime-hostage,WRAP KIEV Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defends his decision to agree to a hostage-taker's bizarre demand that he post a movie recommendation to end a 12-hour stand-off. 650 words moved. Picture. Video Malta-crime-politics-trial,WRAP VALLETTA The self-confessed middleman in the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia is in a critical condition after what police say looks like a botched suicide attempt. 450 words moved by Albert Galea with Ella Ide in Rome Britain-Russia-US-media-Steele,lead LONDON Former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele testifies that he never intended for his 2016 compilation of unverified reports about Russia's links to Donald Trump to go public. 600 words moved by Dmitry Zaks. Picture -- MIDDLE EAST -- Qatar-Gulf-diplomacy-aviation,WRAP DOHA Qatar Airways says it will seek $5 billion in compensation from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt for closing their airspace to the flag carrier amid a regional feud. 500 words moved by Gregory Walton. File video -- AFRICA -- SAfrica-history-apartheid-Mlangeni,lead JOHANNESBURG End of an era: anti-apartheid fighter Andrew Mlangeni, the last of the men who stood alongside Nelson Mandela in the 1963-64 Rivonia Trial, has died at the age of 95. 450 words moved. File picture. File video -- ASIA -- Philippines-media-internet-court-Ressa,2ndlead MANILA Embattled Philippine journalist Maria Ressa pleads not guilty to tax evasion, as President Rodrigo Duterte's government faces growing calls to drop all charges against the veteran reporter. 600 words moved by Ron Lopez and Mikhail Flores. Picture. Video -- BUSINESS & ECONOMY -- Germany-finance-fraud-Wirecard-arrest,WRAP MUNICH, Germany German prosecutors arrest the former chief executive and two former board members of Wirecard for "commercial fraud" reaching 3.2 billion euros, saying investigations show that trickery was already happening in 2015. 700 words moved by Pauline Curtet with Hui Min Neo in Berlin -- ENTERTAINMENT -- Britain-US-court-media-Depp,lead LONDON US actress Amber Heard says her ex-husband Johnny Depp threw dozens of bottles at her "like grenades", as she gives evidence for a third day at his London libel action. 500 words moved. Picture -- SCIENCE -- Oceans-environment-animal-sharks-reef TOKYO An unprecedented global survey has revealed a shocking decline in the number of reef sharks, with the predators "functionally extinct" on nearly 20 percent of sites studied. 650 words moved by Sara Hussein. Picture. Graphic. -- SPORT -- Fbl-ENG-Pr,WRAP LONDON Liverpool will lift the Premier League trophy at Anfield's famous Kop after their clash against Chelsea, but it will take place inside an empty stadium due to coronavirus restrictions. 600 words 2100 GMT by Kieran Canning. Picture afp
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