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IN THE NEWS

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision to face antitrust test

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision to face antitrust test

Microsoft's $69 billion deal to buy video game powerhouse Activision Blizzard is expected to win out with regulators despite vows in Europe and the United States to rein in tech titans.

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Chinese rights lawyer detained for 'inciting state subversion'

Chinese rights lawyer detained for 'inciting state subversion'

A human rights lawyer has been detained in China on suspicion of "inciting state subversion", according to an official notice obtained by his wife weeks after he spoke out for a hospitalised teacher.

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French player Tan taken off court in wheelchair

French player Tan taken off court in wheelchair

France's Harmony Tan had to be helped off court in a wheelchair Wednesday after breaking down in agony with calf problems during her second-round Australian Open clash with Elina Svitolina.

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Flawless Barty employs serve as 'weapon' in Australian Open quest

Flawless Barty employs serve as 'weapon' in Australian Open quest

Top seed Ashleigh Barty said Wednesday she had been working hard to make her serve "a weapon" and it paid off as she raced into the Australian Open third round with another near-flawless performance.

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Pets, kids and Christmas: how White House has changed under Biden

Pets, kids and Christmas: how White House has changed under Biden

President Joe Biden transformed the White House in his first year with policies unrecognizable from the Trump era -- at least regarding the policy on pets, that is.

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Xi'an restarts some public transport after coronavirus lockdown

Xi'an restarts some public transport after coronavirus lockdown

The Chinese megacity of Xi'an has partially resumed public transport, according to official announcements, after millions were confined to their homes for weeks because of a coronavirus outbreak.

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Cambodia opposition leader calls for treason charges to be dropped as trial resumes

Cambodia opposition leader calls for treason charges to be dropped as trial resumes

Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha called Wednesday for treason charges against him to be dropped as his trial resumed after two years of delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Arabic oud icon seeks to 'change soul' of Iraq with music

Arabic oud icon seeks to 'change soul' of Iraq with music

Long uprooted from his native Iraq, Naseer Shamma, an icon of the Arabic oud, has returned home to help rekindle the flame of Iraqi music, snuffed out by decades of conflict.

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Austria gears up to fight EU 'green' nuclear energy plan

Austria gears up to fight EU 'green' nuclear energy plan

As the EU moves to label energy from nuclear power and natural gas as "green" investments, Austria is gearing up to fight this, including with a legal complaint.

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Pakistan's economic woes put PM Khan's future in doubt

Pakistan's economic woes put PM Khan's future in doubt

Housewife Maira Tayyab has considered begging for money to feed her family in inflation-hit Pakistan, while shop owner Mohammad Hanif finds his thoughts turning to crime.

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