Duty Editor: James Edgar Tel: +852 2829 6211 -- TOP STORIES -- + Russia backs Belarus leader in EU showdown + Biden's $6 trillion to 'reimagine' economy + WHO says European vaccine drive 'too slow' + Germany admits committing Namibia genocide + Neymar says Nike lying in sex case bust-up Belarus-politics-aviation-Russia-US,WRAP WASHINGTON The United States announces punitive measures against Belarus targeting the regime of strongman President Alexander Lukashenko, who met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin amid a global outcry over the forced diversion of a European plane. 850 words moved by Anita Beattie in Washington with Anna Smolchenko in Moscow. Picture. Video. Graphic US-politics-economy-budget,WRAP WASHINGTON President Joe Biden proposes a $6 trillion budget to "reimagine" the US economy and stave off Chinese competition, though driving the United States into record debt -- and with Congress first needing to give approval. 600 words moved by Sebastian Smith Also moved: US-politics-economy-budget,POINTS Health-virus-Europe,INTERVIEW COPENHAGEN The WHO's European director warns that the Covid-19 pandemic won't be over until at least 70 percent of people are vaccinated, while deploring that the vaccine rollout in Europe is still "too slow". 500 words moved by Camille Bas-Wohlert. File picture. Video Germany-Namibia-genocide,WRAP BERLIN Germany acknowledges it committed genocide in colonial-era Namibia and promises a billion euros in financial support to descendants of the victims, a move Windhoek welcomes as a "first step" but which activists described as insufficient. 650 words moved by Isabelle Le Page. Picture. Video Also moved: Germany-Namibia-diplomacy-genocide,FACTS Germany-Namibia-Rwanda-Turkey-Myanmar-Sudan-genocide,FACTS Namibia-Germany-genocide-reax,3rdlead Fbl-BRA-FRA-Ligue1-PSG-Neymar-Nike-assault,WRAP RIO DE JANEIRO Neymar says Nike's claim that it parted ways with him last year because he refused to cooperate with its internal investigation into an employee's accusation he sexually assaulted her was an "absurd lie." 600 words moved. Picture. File picture -- SPOTLIGHT -- Europe-migrants-Serbia-Romania MAJDAN, Serbia Inside an abandoned house, onions sizzle as Seror struggles to cook an Iraqi speciality over an open fire for her family, who are among hundreds waiting for their chance to cross from Serbia into Romania. 750 words moved by Miodrag Sovilj. Video. Picture -- CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT -- DRCongo-volcano,WRAP GOMA The eastern DR Congo city of Goma is eerily deserted after nearly 400,000 of its inhabitants fled following warnings that nearby Mount Nyiragongo volcano may erupt again. 800 words moved by Heritier Baraka Munyampfura. Graphic. Picture. Video Also moved: Rwanda-DRCongo-volcano-refugee,SCENE -- AMERICAS -- Colombia-politics-protest-unrest,WRAP CALI, Colombia Colombian President Ivan Duque announces he is deploying military troops to Cali, at the epicenter of bloody anti-government protests across the country that have left dozens dead over the past month. 700 words 0600 GMT. Picture Health-virus-US-economy-wage-restaurants,FOCUS WASHINGTON As the number of Covid-19 cases soared in Washington through the fall and winter, Tizoc Zarate waited tables at a local restaurant -- but struggled to put enough food on the table for himself and his girlfriend. 700 words moved by Philip Van Slooten. Picture Canada-indigenous-school,lead OTTAWA The remains of 215 children have been discovered on the grounds of a former boarding school set up more than a century ago to assimilate Canada's indigenous peoples, according to a local tribe. 450 words moved US-politics-unrest-Capitol-commission,FOCUS WASHINGTON By blocking creation of an independent, bipartisan January 6 commission, congressional Republicans have signaled they would rather approach next year's midterm elections unencumbered by potentially damning findings about the deadly US Capitol riot. 800 words moved by Michael Mathes US-IT-security-hacking,WRAP WASHINGTON The state-backed Russian group behind a massive hacking campaign revealed last year has re-emerged with a series of attacks on government agencies, think tanks, consultants and other organizations, according to officials and researchers. 700 words moved by Rob Lever US-Russia-NATO-defense-diplomacy,WRAP WASHINGTON US President Joe Biden's administration announces it will not return to the Open Skies Treaty, which Donald Trump withdrew from, signaling a toughening stance against Russia. 800 words moved by Francesco Fontemaggi US-crime-shooting-guns-business,FOCUS WASHINGTON A disgruntled, heavily-armed employee shows up at work and murders nine of his colleagues: this week's carnage at a California rail yard is every American employer's worst nightmare come true. 750 words moved by Charlotte Plantive -- ASIA -- NZealand-Australia-travel-health-virus,FOCUS WELLINGTON Quarantine-free travel bubbles were hailed as tourism's "godsend" earlier this year, but cancellations and suspensions have deflated hopes they will herald a return to pre-pandemic normality. 650 words moved by Neil Sands. File Picture Thailand-coronavirus-prisons-health BANGKOK A coronavirus surge sweeping through Thailand's prisons has thrown the spotlight on the kingdom's overcrowded penal system, where some inmates have less space to sleep than the inside of a coffin. 450 words moved by Lisa Martin and Pathom Sangwongwanich. File picture Health-virus-Nepal-Everest-mountaineering KATHMANDU Mount Everest guide Buddhi Bahadur Lama has spent days isolated in a tent after testing positive for coronavirus, as an outbreak that climbers say is putting lives at risk sweeps base camp. 650 words moved. File picture China-tourism-adventure GUANGZHOU Walking tightropes, rappelling down a four-storey-high rope tunnel, sitting in a dangling basket 58 floors high -- tourists have been steeling their nerves for adrenaline-filled challenges in a new assault course at the top of China's tallest TV tower. 350 words moved. Photo by Noel Celis. Video by Lillian Ding -- EUROPE -- Health-virus-EU-vaccines-Pfizer,3rdLead THE HAGUE The EU's drug watchdog approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus jab for 12 to 15-year-olds, the first vaccine to get the green light for children in the bloc. 550 words moved by Danny Kemp. Video Britain-politics-Johnson-finance LONDON British Prime Minister Boris Johnson acted "unwisely" over funding arrangements for a lavish makeover of his Downing Street flat, but was not guilty of any impropriety, his ethics advisor concludes. 520 words moved by Jitendra Joshi -- MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA -- Syria-vote-Assad,Q&A BEIRUT With the conflict mostly on hold but Syria's economy in ruins, what are President Bashar al-Assad's priorities likely to be after he won a fourth term in office? 750 words moved by Layal Abou Rahal. Picture. Video Iraq-conflict-Syria-jihadists,FOCUS MOSUL, Iraq The return of dozens of Iraqi families suspected of links to the Islamic State group from Syria to Mosul has sparked fears among residents who survived the horrors of IS rule. 650 words moved by Mohammad Salim. Picture. Video -- AFRICA -- Germany-Namibia-genocide,WRAP BERLIN Germany recognises it committed genocide in colonial-era Namibia and promises a billion euros in financial support to descendants of the victims, in a move welcomed as a "first step" by Windhoek but slammed as insufficient by activists. 700 words moved by Isabelle Le Page. Graphic. Picture. Video Also moved: Germany-Namibia-diplomacy-genocide,FACTS Germany-Namibia-Rwanda-Turkey-Myanmar-Sudan-genocide,FACTS Mali-politics-unrest-coup,WRAP BAMAKO Mali's constitutional court on Friday named Colonel Assimi Goita, leader of the post-coup junta, as the country's transitional president. 750 words moved by Serge Daniel with Laurent Lozano in Dakar Also moved: Mali-coup-army-conflict,Q&A afp