WORLD
Former Chinese soccer player Hao Haidong allies with party critic
In the video, Hao reads out an 18-point manifesto demanding an end to the current power structure, calling the ruling party a “terrorist organisation” that “tramples on democracy,” violates the rule of law and makes contracts it doesn’t intend to keep.
BUSINESS
European Central Bank nearly doubles coronavirus pandemic support scheme
The central bank for the 19 countries that use the euro also extended its monetary stimulus program to at least the end of June next year, from the end of 2020 currently.
WORLD
Focus shifts to Hong Kong’s fate on Tiananmen anniversary
With democracy all but snuffed out in mainland China, the focus has shifted increasingly to semi-autonomous Hong Kong, where authorities for the first time banned an annual candlelight vigil marking the anniversary of the 1989 crackdown.
WORLD
Showdown: Law-and-order president versus protesters
In New York City, nonviolent demonstrations were punctuated by people smashing storefront windows near Rockefeller Center and breaching the doors into the storied Macy’s store on 34th Street, littering parts of Manhattan with broken glass.
WORLD
Kylie Jenner, Forbes spar over story on billionaire status
Forbes magazine, which once declared Kylie Jenner a billionaire on its cover, says she no longer deserves the title, but Jenner is pushing back.
WORLD
Can Donald Trump feel your pain? US nears haunting coronavirus milestone
As diverse as they were in eloquence and empathy, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama each had his own way of piercing the noise of catastrophe and reaching people.
WORLD
Virus expands grip in many areas, as US nears 100,000 deaths
Still, optimism over reopening economies from business shutdowns to fight the virus spurred a rally on Wall Street, even as the official U.S. death toll approached 100,000.
WORLD
JK Rowling publishes first chapters of new story online
J.K. Rowling is publishing a new story called “The Ickabog,” which will be free to read online to help entertain children and families stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic.
WORLD
Coronavirus pandemic | Death and denial in Brazil’s Amazon capital
Manaus is one of the hardest hit cities in Brazil, which officially has lost more than 23,000 lives to the coronavirus.
WORLD
Risks complicate reopenings as WHO warns 1st wave not over
“Right now, we’re not in the second wave. We’re right in the middle of the first wave globally,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, a World Health Organization executive director.
WORLD
UN coronavirus therapy trial pauses hydroxychloroquine testing
The World Health Organization said Monday that it will temporarily drop hydroxychloroquine — the anti-malarial drug US President Trump says he is taking
WORLD
Donald Trump honors war dead in events colored by pandemic’s threat
President Donald Trump honored America’s war dead Monday in back-to-back Memorial Day appearances colored by an epic struggle off the battlefield, against the coronavirus.
BUSINESS
Branson’s Virgin Orbit fails on first rocket launch attempt
The inaugural launch had appeared to be going well until moments after the rocket was dropped from beneath the left-wing of the jumbo jet dubbed Cosmic Girl.
WORLD
Alligator rumored to have been Hitler’s dies in Moscow
An alligator that many people believe once belonged to Adolf Hitler has died in the Moscow Zoo.
BUSINESS
Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky: "My world’s gotten really small”
The Associated Press spoke with Chesky about Airbnb and the future of travel. Answers have been edited for length.
INDIA
Desperate Indian girl bikes 745 miles home with disabled dad
From her village in eastern India, 15-year-old Jyoti Kumari reflected on her desperate 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) bicycle journey home with her disabled father that has drawn international praise.
WORLD
Mexico finds a kilo of meth hidden in wheel of cheese
The National Guard said the “artisanal” cheese was apparently not produced in a factory. It was found at a package shipping warehouse near Mexico City and was being sent to an address in the United States.
WORLD
Japanese Author Haruki Murakami DJs ‘Stay Home’ radio show to lift spirits
Murakami opened the two-hour late night show “Murakami Radio Stay Home Special” with “Look for the Silver Lining” by the Modern Folk Quartet, followed by 18 other songs, selected from classical to jazz, pop and rock. Their common thread: smile, sunshine, rainbow, birthday memories and other happy sides of life.
WORLD
These reporters get under Trump's skin
The reporters symbolise the test of covering a White House like none other, with a president who views the press as an enemy yet is accessible almost daily. A question may elicit a candid response, misdirection, falsehood or attack — you never know what’s coming.
BUSINESS
Disinfected dice: Las Vegas casinos getting ready to roll
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has set a tentative June 4 date for reopening casinos. The Democratic governor said in a statement Friday that Nevada has continued to see decreasing cases of the coronavirus and hospitalisations of COVID-19 when some restrictions began to be eased nearly two weeks ago.
WORLD
Donald Trump lashes out at scientists whose findings contradict him
Twice this week, Trump has not only dismissed the findings of studies but suggested — without evidence — that their authors were motivated by politics and out to undermine his efforts to roll back coronavirus restrictions.
WORLD
Astronauts arrive for NASA’s 1st home launch in decade
The two astronauts who will end a nine-year launch drought for NASA arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, exactly one week before their historic SpaceX flight.
WORLD
Joe Biden warns of ‘abuse of power’ in measured Donald Trump critique
His comments come amid escalating rhetoric from Trump and his allies pushing conspiracy theories and alleging improper behaviour during the Obama administration.
INDIA
Cyclone batters India and Bangladesh coasts, millions flee
Cyclone Amphan, the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane, was packing sustained winds of up to 170 kilometers (105 miles) per hour with maximum gusts of 190 kph (118 mph).
