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.

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.