*) 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.

Countries past their peak continue to ease Covid-19 restrictions, and human vaccine trials start in Australia

*)Countries lift Covid-19 restrictions

We start with the pandemic as several countries, including Japan, Germany, Greece,Italy and Spain, ease restrictions.

In the US, where the coronavirus death toll is nearly 100,000, Americans headed en masse to beaches and parks for Memorial Day weekend.

Latin America and Southeast Asia are slowly taking over as Covid-19 hotspots, with a massive uptick in cases in Brazil, India and Pakistan.

*)Hong Kong leader defends security law

Defending China’s proposal, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says Beijing’s national security law will not infringe on the city’s rights and freedoms.

China earlier unveiled plans for national security legislation for Hong Kong that it says aim to tackle secession, subversion and terrorist activity.

Protesters responded by taking to the streets, saying the proposed law goes against Hong Kong’s "one country, two systems" governance formula.

*)Afghanistan frees 100 Taliban prisoners as Eid truce holds

Afghanistan has freed 100 Taliban prisoners as part of the government’s response to a ceasefire offered by the insurgents to mark Eid al Fitr.

The government plans to release up to 2,000 Taliban inmates as a “goodwill gesture” in response to the ceasefire offer.

Violence has escalated since Washington signed a deal with the Taliban to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan by 2021.

*)Venezuela celebrates docking of Iranian fuel tanker

Venezuelan authorities celebrated as the first of five Iranian tankers loaded with gasoline docked in the South American country.

The tankers are delivering badly needed fuel to the crisis-stricken nation that sits atop the world’s largest oil reserves.

The shipments are arriving in defiance of sanctions imposed by the US against both nations.

And finally…

*)Novavax begins human trials with potential Covid-19 vaccine

US vaccine company Novavax has begun testing a prospective Covid-19 vaccine in Australia.

The company will inject 131 volunteers in the first phase of testing the safety of the vaccine and looking for signs of its effectiveness.

Novavax said animal testing suggested the vaccine is effective in low doses.

Hong Kong protesters slam China’s proposed security law, and first SpaceX astronauts break new ground for style

*) Hong Kong protesters slam China’s proposed security law

Hong Kong protesters rallied over the weekend against Beijing’s plans to impose a new national security law in the former British colony.

Police fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters and arrested more than 180 people during demonstrations which rocked the financial hub.

Protesters say China’s proposal goes against “the one country, two systems” framework.

Hong Kong’s security chief says the territory needs the law to tackle “terrorism”, referring to the protests.

*) Muslims celebrate Eid with social distancing

Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.

But in most places, celebrations have been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Restrictions and social distancing measures limited Eid traditions and many people were unable to travel home for celebrations.

*) Covid-19 pandemic continues its spread

India is now among the ten countries with the most coronavirus cases, with its confirmed infections nearing 139,000.

In Brazil, confirmed Covid-19 cases have risen past 360,000 over the weekend, second only to the US.

The pandemic has infected more than 5.5 million around the world, killing more than 345,000 people.

*) Russian fighters leave Libya after retreat of Haftar militia

A local mayor in Libya said Russia’s Wagner Group has left the country after the retreat of warlord Khalifa Haftar’s militia.

Salem Alaywan, the mayor of Bani Walid town, said fighters were flown out of western Libya to Jufra on three airplanes.

Haftar’s militias have recently suffered a string of setbacks while fighting Turkey-backed forces of the UN-recognised government in Tripoli.

And finally…

*) SpaceX’s first astronauts breaking new ground for style

The first astronauts to be launched by SpaceX are breaking new ground for style.

Nasa astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will have hip spacesuits, gull-wing Teslas, and a sleek rocketship, all of it white with black trim.

Wednesday’s will be the first astronaut launch from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center since 2011.

*) Brazil suffers record 1,188 daily coronavirus deaths

Brazil has confirmed a record of 1,188 daily coronavirus deaths, taking its total fatalities past 20,000.

Brazil now has more than 310,000 cases, the world’s third-highest number of infections after the US and Russia.

Most of the country's 27 states are under lockdown but many Brazilians are taking their lead from President Bolsonaro who is anti the restrictions.

*) Hong Kong activists call for protest against new security laws

In Hong Kong, activists have called for a protest march against China’s plans to impose national security legislation in the financial hub.

Beijing is moving to impose new national security legislation after last year's unrest which plunged Hong Kong into turmoil for months.

The introduction of Hong Kong security laws is on the agenda of the Chinese parliament, which begins its annual session today.

*) Libyan army continues advance against Haftar militia

Forces loyal to Libya's internationally backed government have recaptured the strategic town of Mizdah south of the capital, Tripoli.

The UN-backed government is now preparing to retake the city of Tarhuna, which has been a stronghold for warlord Khalifa Haftar's illegal militia.

If the government retakes control of Tarhuna, Haftar will lose his hold over western Libya.

*) Khashoggi family forgives his murderers

The family of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi says they have forgiven the people who killed their father.

The family’s decision effectively grants clemency to five convicted people on death row based on Saudi law.

Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice Cengiz says nobody has the right to pardon the men who killed and dismembered the journalist in Istanbul in 2018.

And finally…

*) Cher tweets joy as Pakistan decides to free elephant Kaavan

Cher has joined Pakistanis in celebrating a court’s decision to free a lonely elephant named Kaavan.

Outrage over the treatment of Kaavan went global with after it emerged he lived in chains at a zoo in the country’s capital Islamabad.

A high court ordered wildlife officials to consult with Sri Lanka to find Kaavan a “suitable sanctuary” within 30 days after, three decades of torture.

*) Brazil coronavirus outbreak worsens

We start in Brazil, which saw its worst single-day spike in Covid-19 cases on Wednesday – nearly 20,000 new infections.

With more than 291,000 cases and 18,000 deaths, Brazil has become the world’s third hardest-hit country by the pandemic after the US and Russia.

The total number of global coronavirus cases surged past five million on Wednesday.

*) UN envoy urges Israel to abandon annexation threats

UN's Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov says Israel must abandon its threat to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

"The dangerous prospect of annexation by Israel of parts of Occupied West Bank is a growing threat," Mladenov told the UN Security Council.

His remarks came after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced he is ending "all agreements" with Israel and the US over the plan.

*) Cyclone leaves deaths in India and Bangladesh

Cyclone Amphan has slammed into coastal India and Bangladesh, killing at least 22 people.

Up to eight people have died in Bangladesh as India’s West Bengal state saw at least 12 fatalities.

At the moment, Cyclone Amphan’s damages are impossible to assess accurately; most of the deaths appeared to be a result of collapsing walls and drowning.

*) Michigan dam failure displaces thousands

More than 10,000 residents have evacuated their homes in the US state of Michigan after two dams failed following heavy rain.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency in Midland County, the site of the breached dams.

The National Weather Service warned of life-threatening flash floods and urged people in the area to seek higher ground immediately.

And finally…

*) Global warning turns Antarctica's snow green

“Green snow” caused by blooming algae is expected to spread in the Antarctic Peninsula with increases in global temperatures.

Researchers combined satellite imagery with on-the-ground observations to detect the current extent of green algae in the continent.

They identified more than 1,600 separate green algae blooms on snow across the peninsula, with a combined surface area of 1.9 sq km.

Brazil suffers record daily coronavirus deaths, and Dutch farm worker contracts Covid-19 from mink

*)Brazil suffers record coronavirus deaths

Brazil's daily Covid-19 death toll jumped to a record 1,179 as President Jair Bolsonaro doubled down on chloroquine as a possible remedy.

The pandemic has killed at least 17,971 people and infected more than 270,000 others in Brazil, according to the Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he is considering a travel ban from Brazil.

*)Palestinian leader Abbas ends 'all agreements' with Israel, US

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ended “all agreements,” including security coordination with Israel and the United States.

The move comes in response to Israel's plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, which he said would ruin chances for peace in the Middle East.

The Palestinian leader also turned over responsibility of occupied territories back to Israel.

*)Haftar militias pull out of parts of Libya's Tripoli

Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar's illegal militia said it was retreating from parts of the capital, Tripoli.

The militia's pull out follows its loss of control over Watiya airbase to the UN-backed government in western Libya earlier this week.

Since then, the Libyan army has taken control of Badr, Tiji and Al Asabia towns.

*)Eight Afghan soldiers die fighting off Taliban attack on key city

At least eight Afghan soldiers were killed while repelling a fierce Taliban attack on Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan.

Officials said three civilians and 40 Taliban fighters were killed while 50 others were wounded in the assault.

In a separate incident in the north of Kabul, gunmen opened fire on worshippers at a mosque, killing at least seven people and wounding 12.

And finally…

*)Dutch farm worker contracted coronavirus from mink

A Dutch farm worker contracted the coronavirus from mink, the country's agriculture minister told the parliament in a letter.

Carola Schouten acknowledged that earlier advisories from her office, who alleged people could infect animals, but not the other way around, were wrong.

Outbreaks on mink farms in the Netherlands were first reported in April.

Trump threatens permanent freeze of WHO funding, and Rio launches pet delivery service for residents in isolation

*)Trump threatens permanent freeze of WHO funding

President Donald Trump has threatened to permanently stop funding to the WHO and reconsider US membership of the body.

Trump suspended US contributions to the WHO last month, accusing it of promoting China's "disinformation" about the coronavirus outbreak.

The UN-specialised agency is leading a global initiative to develop safe and effective vaccines, tests and drugs to prevent, diagnose and treat Covid-19.

*)Air strikes target militia escaping key base

Libyan air strikes are targeting militants loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar after they fled a key airbase retaken by the government, Anadolu news agency reported.

The Libyan army on Monday retook the strategic Al Watiya airbase, which was under Haftar’s control since 2014.

A Libyan official said the government’s regaining control of the airbase was the end of Haftar's “coup plot”.

*)Limited data on US coronavirus vaccine shows early promise

Early data from Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine shows it produced protective antibodies in eight healthy volunteers.

The results from a safety trial in March offer an early glimmer of hope that the vaccine could provide protection against the virus.

Moderna expects to start a larger late-stage trial for the vaccine in July.

*)Lesotho premier steps down over wife's alleged murder

Lesotho's embattled Prime Minister Thomas Thabane announced his resignation over his first wife's alleged murder.

The announcement ends months of political uncertainty gripping the African kingdom since he was accused of being an accomplice in the murder.

His coalition was disbanded in parliament last week, and a new government is due to be installed on May 22.

And finally…

*)Rio delivers pet companions to Brazilians in isolation

An animal shelter in Rio de Janeiro has launched a pet delivery service for residents who seek a furry friend to pass the long days in isolation.

Rio's undersecretary for animal welfare Roberto de Paula said the demand for animal companions has been surging.

The shelter has delivered more than 50 pets since early April.