Daily News Brief for Thursday, June 4th:

*) Additional charged filed against policemen in Floyd case

The Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on the neck of George Floyd until he died will now be charged with second-degree murder.

Three other officers will face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

The police killing of the African American man triggered widespread protests in the US and several other countries, including Greece where firebombs were lobbed at the US Embassy.

Thousands took to the streets in London to demand justice for Floyd.

*) Covid-19 pandemic surges in South America

Brazil hit another grim coronavirus record, 1,300 deaths in 24 hours, which pushed the national death toll to over 32,000.

Mexico also reported its highest toll in one day so far, with close to 1,100 virus deaths.

Peru and Chile recorded more than 4,000 infections each on Wednesday, despite the former implementing strict early measures.

*) Hong Kong lawmakers to vote on China national anthem bill

A Hong Kong legislative debate on a national anthem bill was suspended after anti-China lawmakers protested, one of them dropping a pot of pungent liquid in the chamber.

The bill proposes criminal charges for disrespecting China’s national anthem.

A final vote on the bill is expected later on Thursday as people in Hong Kong mark the bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown by China.

*) UN office denounces human rights violations in Philippines

The UN human rights office has called on the Philippine government to end police violence targeting suspected drug offenders.

Tens of thousands of suspects may have been killed by the Philippine police with “near impunity” since mid-2016, according to the UN report.

The report also called on the Philippines to disband private and state-backed paramilitary groups operating in the country.

And finally…

*) Facebook signs licencing deal with century-old Indian music label

Facebook has signed a global licencing deal with one of India’s largest music labels – Saregama.

The partnership will allow users to choose from a large catalogue of Bollywood music for Facebook and Instagram posts.

Shares of Saregama India Limited shot up 20 percent on the deal.

Daily News Brief for Wednesday, June 3rd:

*) Minneapolis police face civil rights probe over Floyd death

The US state of Minnesota has launched a civil rights investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department after the killing of George Floyd.

The investigation aims to identify short-term ways to address the police department's history of racial discrimination.

Unarmed black man George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody, sparked global protests as demonstrations continue across the US.

*) Brazil Covid-19 death toll crosses 30,000

Brazil has crossed 30,000 coronavirus deaths, overtaking France and Spain as the disease rips through the South American country.

Figures released by the health ministry showed some 1,200 deaths in the past 24 hours, as well as over 28,000 new infections.

The overall number of cases –– over 550,000 –– makes Brazil the second most affected country by the crisis after the United States.

*) Hong Kong debates national anthem bill

Hong Kong lawmakers are set to resume a debate over a controversial bill that would make disrespecting China's national anthem a criminal offence.

The ban comes on the heels of China's plan to directly impose another set of laws on Hong Kong which would crack down on secession and dissent.

The move has drawn international condemnation and revived anti-government demonstrations in the former British colony.

*) Mumbai braces for cyclone

The streets of Mumbai are emptying as Cyclone Nisarga heads for India's megacity Mumbai.

The cyclone is expected to make landfall between the coastal region of Maharashtra and Gujarat states, with winds up to 120km per hour.

Maharashtra and Gujarat have evacuated more than 100,000 people from coastal areas, especially those staying in slums and makeshift houses.

And finally…

*) Social media, music world go dark for #BlackOutTuesday

Major stars muted themselves on social media on #BlackOutTuesday to amplify black voices in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Instagram and Twitter accounts were full of black squares posted in response to the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in the US.

Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Radiohead, Coldplay, Kelly Rowland and the Beastie Boys were among celebrities who participated in Black Out Tuesday on social media.

Daily News Brief for Tuesday, June 2nd:

*) Trump threatens to deploy military to quell US protests

US President Donald Trump has threatened to send in the military if governors do not stamp out #BlackLivesMatter protests.

The protests were triggered by the death of George Floyd, who died when a white police officer pressed his knee into the black man’s neck.

His announcement came as police forced back peaceful demonstrators with tear gas so he could walk to a nearby church and pose with a Bible.

*) Brazil registers over 11,000 cases in 24 hours as cities reopen

Brazil’s health ministry has confirmed more than 11,000 new cases of the coronavirus and over 600 new deaths in the last 24 hours.

Some of Brazil’s hardest-hit cities, including Manaus and Rio de Janeiro, are reopening despite a national tally of some 529,000 infections and 30,000 deaths.

The World Health Organization says four of the 10 countries showing the highest number of virus cases in the last 24 hours were in South America.

*) Libyan warlord Haftar agrees to ceasefire talks – UN

Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar has agreed to the resumption of ceasefire talks with the UN-backed government.

This was announced by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya on Twitter.

Libya's UN-recognised government has been under attack by Haftar's militants since April 2019, with more than 1,000 people killed in the violence.

*) Plane carrying Iranian scientist jailed in US has taken off – Zarif

Iran's foreign minister says a plane had taken off from the US carrying Iranian scientist Sirous Asgari after his apparent release from a US prison.

Asgari, a materials science professor, was accused by a US court in 2016 of stealing trade secrets while on an academic visit to Ohio.

He was acquitted in November.

And finally…

*) Zimbabwean film industry makes Netflix debut with ‘Cook Off’

Zimbabwean movie “Cook Off”, a romance about a struggling single mother who finds love during a cooking competition, has premiered on Netflix.

Zimbabwe often makes headlines for its economic woes and political crises, but producer Joe Njagu said the film sought to project a different image.

The low budget film was shot in 2017 but very few people in Zimbabwe had heard of it despite the fact that it had won several awards at

Unrest overshadows peaceful #BlackLivesMatter protests for another night in the US, and SpaceX’s astronaut-riding Dragon arrives at the ISS.

*)US protests against police brutality continue despite curfews

US police fired tear gas outside the White House late on Sunday as anti-racism protesters voiced fury at police brutality against mostly black Americans.

At least 40 cities were put under curfew as #BlackLivesMatter protests continued for the sixth consecutive day, following the death of George Floyd.

Throughout the country, police used tear gas, pepper spray and flash grenades to disperse crowds and members of the press.

Some 4,100 people have been arrested since the start of protests.

*)Brazil passes 500,000 Covid-19 cases

The number of novel coronavirus cases in Brazil, the second-worst hit country after the US, has crossed the half-million mark.

Confirmed cases in South America have surged past one million.

The virus has infected more than 6.2 million people around the world, with a death toll of close to 374,000.

*)Thousands face homelessness in Greece refugee relocation push

Thousands of recognised refugees in Greece are about to lose the temporary homes they were given under an asylum seeker scheme.


Authorities are relocating more than 11,200 people out of their homes on the mainland to make room for others living in dismal island camps.

The step follows the Greek government’s decision to reduce the period refugees get to keep their accommodations from six months to only one month.

*)At least 50 die in Burkina Faso attacks blamed on militants

At least 50 people have died over the weekend in Burkina Faso in a string of attacks that officials have blamed on militants.

An aid convoy ambush in the northern town of Barsalogho saw at least 10 people killed.

Another attack on a livestock market in the east of Burkina Faso claimed 25 lives.

And finally…

*)SpaceX’s astronaut-riding Dragon arrives at space station

SpaceX has delivered two astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Sunday after a historic lift-off.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule pulled up to the station with test pilots Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on board, no assistance needed.

This is the first time a privately built and owned spacecraft has carried astronauts to the orbiting lab in nearly 20 years.

Brazil sees record increase in daily coronavirus cases and a cat in France might be the first known pet feline to survive Covid-19

*)Brazil registers record increase in daily Covid-19 cases

Brazil has registered a new record in Covid-19 cases and more than 1,000 dead in a 24 hour period, according to official figures from Thursday.

With over 438,000 cases, Brazil is second to the US in confirmed infections but its testing rate is 12 times lower.

The lack of widespread testing in Brazil has led some experts to believe the country’s actual number of cases could be higher.

*)Minneapolis burns over racially charged killing of George Floyd

Peaceful rallies gave way to a third night of arson and vandalism in Minneapolis, US, as protesters raged over the death of a black man.

George Floyd was seen on video gasping for breath as a white police officer knelt on his neck, a cop with many complaints and reprimands against him.

Authorities in the US city have acquired reinforcements from the National Guard as they brace for fresh protests over the racially-charged killing.

*)China parliament adopts plan to impose security law on Hong Kong

China’s parliament has endorsed plans to impose a national security law on Hong Kong that critics say will destroy the city’s freedoms.

The law, once enacted, will punish secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and acts that endanger national security.

Hundreds of people were arrested in Hong Kong on Wednesday as thousands protested against pro-China law.

*)Trump escalates war on Twitter, social media protections

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to scrap a law that protected social media companies.

If enforced, the action would upend decades of precedent and treat internet platforms as "publishers" potentially liable for user-generated content.

With the move, Trump aims to rally supporters after he lashed out at Twitter for applying fact checks to claims he made in two of his tweets.

And finally…

*)French cat survives coronavirus infection

A nine-year-old cat in France is the first known case of a pet having recovered from the coronavirus.

There have only been a handful of other known cases globally, with infected owners being the likely source of the disease.

There are no known cases of humans getting infected from their pets.

*) US Covid-19 death toll tops 100,000 as new hotspots emerge

More than 100,000 people have died of Covid-19 in the US, the highest death toll in the world.

The pandemic has infected more than 5.7 million people in the world as countries struggle to contain the virus.

South America, the Indian subcontinent and Africa are now emerging as new areas of concern, with 118,000 coronavirus cases across the 54 nations of Africa.

*) China parliament adopts plan to impose security law on Hong Kong

China’s parliament has endorsed plans to impose a national security law on Hong Kong that critics say will destroy the city’s freedoms.

The law, once enacted, will punish secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and acts that endanger national security.

Hundreds of people were arrested in Hong Kong on Wednesday as thousands protested against pro-China laws.

*) Protests continue over US police killing black man

Demonstrators have filled the streets of Minneapolis for a second night to protest the death of an unarmed black man in police custody.

George Floyd died after being pinned down to the ground as a police officer drove his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly seven minutes.

Prosecutors say they have called in the FBI to help investigate the case, which could involve a federal felony and civil rights violation.

*) US ends waivers for nations in Iran nuclear deal

The US says it is ending waivers in sanctions clauses for nations that remain in the Iran nuclear accord.

The waivers allowed Russian, Chinese and European companies to continue work on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Trump’s administration has been applying maximum pressure on Tehran since the US abandoned the 2015 Iran deal two years ago.

And finally…

*) SpaceX, NASA delay mission over lightning fears

SpaceX's landmark launch carrying two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station has been postponed due to poor weather.

The first crewed mission to blast off from American soil in nearly a decade is the first-ever manned space flight facilitated by a private company.

Another attempt will be made this weekend.

*) Brazil leads daily virus deaths for fifth straight day

Brazil has reported the highest daily coronavirus death toll in the world, with 1,039 people killed.

It is the fifth straight day the country has topped the list as its daily death toll surge past that of the US.

Brazil has recorded more than 391,000 infections. The US still has by far the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world, with over 1.68 million people infected.

*) Hong Kong police fire tear gas at protesters

Hong Kong police have fired pepper ball rounds and tear gas at protesters in the city's commercial district.

The protests erupted ahead of a debate in the legislature over a law that bans insulting China's national anthem.

If the bill passes, any person who insults the anthem could face jail time of up to three years or a fine of more than 6,000 dollars.

*) Four Minneapolis officers fired after death of black man

Four police officers in the US state of Minnesota have been sacked for the death of a black man in police custody.

The move came hours after a bystander’s video showed the man pleading that he could not breathe as a white officer knelt on his neck.

Protesters filled the intersection in the street where Floyd died and called for justice.

*) Child labour, marriages on rise in Yemen – UN agency

The UN refugees agency says rising numbers of families are resorting to begging, child labour and marrying off children as Covid-19 spreads in Yemen.

The UNHCR provides cash assistance programmes to some one million those who rely on the money for food, medicine and shelter in Yemen.

Last week, the UN said the country’s healthcare system “has in effect collapsed”.

And finally…

*) JK Rowling publishes new fairy tale for kids

British author JK Rowling has published the first chapters of a fairy tale about a monster known as the Ickabog online during coronavirus lockdown.

The Ickabog is the writer’s first children story that is not linked to Harry Potter.

Rowling announced on Twitter that further chapters will be published every weekday until July 10.