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Hay shines as New Zealand beat Pakistan for ODI series win
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Israel says expands Gaza offensive to seize 'large areas'
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Curry drops 52 as Warriors win, Jokic bags career-high 61 in Denver loss
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South Korea mobilising 'all resources' for violence-free Yoon verdict
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Myanmar quake victim rescued after 5 days as aid calls grow
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Real Madrid coach Ancelotti tax fraud trial set to begin
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Warner showcases 'Superman' reboot, new DiCaprio film
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'Incredible' Curry scores 52 as Warriors down Grizzlies, Bucks edge Suns
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Asian markets edge up but uncertainty rules ahead of Trump tariffs
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Nintendo's megahit Switch console: what to know
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Nintendo to unveil upgrade to best-selling Switch console
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China practises hitting key ports, energy sites in Taiwan drills
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Oil, sand and speed: Saudi gearheads take on towering dunes
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All eyes on Tsunoda at Japan GP after ruthless Red Bull move
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'Image whisperers' bring vision to the blind at Red Cross museum
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Hay shines as New Zealand make 292-8 in Pakistan ODI
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Other governments 'weaponising' Trump language to attack NGOs: rights groups
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UK imposes online entry permit on European visitors
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How a Brazilian chief is staving off Amazon destruction
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Meme politics: White House embraces aggressive alt-right online culture
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China launches military drills in Taiwan Strait
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US senator smashes record with 25-hour anti-Trump speech
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Brazil binman finds newborn baby on garbage route
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US senator smashes record with marathon anti-Trump speech
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Trump advisor Waltz faces new pressure over Gmail usage
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Niger junta frees ministers of overthrown government
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Trump set to unleash 'Liberation Day' tariffs
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Boeing chief to acknowledge 'serious missteps' at US Senate hearing
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Real Madrid hold Real Sociedad in eight-goal thriller to reach Copa del Rey final
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Nuno salutes 'special' Elanga after stunning strike fires Forest
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PSG survive scare against Dunkerque to reach French Cup final
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Sundowns edge Esperance as crowd violence mars quarter-final
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Nottingham Forest beat Man Utd, Saka scores on Arsenal return
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Elanga wonder-goal sinks Man Utd as Forest eye Champions League berth
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Stock markets mostly advance ahead of Trump tariffs deadline
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US movie theaters urge 45-day 'baseline' before films hit streaming
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Saka scores on return as Arsenal beat Fulham
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Third-division Bielefeld shock holders Leverkusen in German Cup
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Ball-blasting 'Torpedo bats' making waves across MLB opening weekend
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Newsmax shares surge more than 2,000% in days after IPO
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GM leads first quarter US auto sales as tariffs loom
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Tesla sales tumble in Europe in the first quarter
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NFL club owners back dynamic kickoffs, delay tush push vote
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Trump 'perfecting' new tariffs as nervous world braces
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Trump nominee says to press UK on Israel arms
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French court says Le Pen appeal ruling could come before presidential vote
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The battle to control assets behind Bosnia crisis
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Prabhsimran powers Punjab to IPL win over Lucknow

How Facebook slipped -- in key points
Facebook-parent Meta saw investors flee on Thursday rather than buckle-up for what could be a long ride towards the firm's metaverse vision for the internet's future.
While the tech titan has previously seen shares climb despite fines, regulatory threats, misinformation woes and harassment troubles -- this time they plummeted in what one analyst called "a perfect storm."
Here are key factors shaking confidence in the social media giant:
- TikTok to Telegram -
Facebook growth that had been on a seemingly perpetual upward trend slipped at the end of last year, with the number of people using the social network daily declining.
Meta executives warned of increased competition, particularly from video star TikTok as well as messaging services such as Telegram and Slack.
The firm is making a priority of investing in its Reels short-form video feature as well as apps such as WhatsApp and Instagram to stay in tune with users.
That means spending big on services that are harder to make money from than the Facebook social network with its digital ad machine.
- Apple bite -
Meta executives told analysts that Facebook's ad-targeting efficiency is being undermined by a change Apple implemented to the software running iPhones.
In the update of iOS, Apple required application publishers to ask permission before collecting data, much to the regret of companies like Meta that rely on it for ad targeting.
As iPhone users opt out of sharing data for targeting ads in Facebook apps, marketing messages become less precisely targeted and thus less profitable.
"We believe the impact of iOS, overall, as a headwind on our business in 2022 is on the order of $10 billion," Meta chief financial officer David Wehner said on an earnings call.
"So, that is a pretty significant headwind for our business."
Advertising at Meta also suffered with the broader market, as businesses curtailed budgets in the face of supply troubles, labor turnover, and pandemic woes.
Meta is facing a "perfect storm" countering growth, according to Baird Equity Research analyst Colin Sebastian.
"Our concerns about the near-term growth outlook for Meta were not only realized, but worse than we thought," Sebastian said in a note to investors.
- Bet on the metaverse -
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg portrays the metaverse as the future of life on the internet. In that spirit, the tech company changed its name to "Meta."
Making the immersive online world of the metaverse is expected to take many years and cost many billions.
A "Reality Labs" unit at Meta devoted to technology for intermixing actual and virtual worlds reported a loss of $10 billion last year, according to an earnings release.
Major investors in the stock market are notoriously averse to waiting a long time for big returns, tending to trade shares based on potential for quick gains.
- Regulatory crosshairs -
As Meta looks to make a "transformation" to better compete with the likes of TikTok, a hit with younger users, regulators in the United States and elsewhere have vowed to curb its power.
A federal judge in January ruled that US regulators' re-worked anti-trust case against Facebook can go ahead, saying the complaint was more robust and detailed than the version denied in 2021.
The US Federal Trade Commission has alleged Meta holds an illegal monopoly by acquiring potential competitors that it now owns like Instagram and WhatsApp.
The lawsuit, which could take years to go through the courts without a settlement, called for the "divestiture of assets," including WhatsApp and Instagram, to restore competition.
Y.Aukaiv--AMWN