Beijing warns new Covid-19 outbreak 'extremely severe' and UEFA to complete Champions League with 'Final Eight' tournament

*)Beijing warns new Covid-19 outbreak is 'extremely severe'

Beijing says the situation in China’s capital is "extremely severe" as a new outbreak of coronavirus cases prompts mass testing and lockdowns.

There are now over 100 confirmed cases, making the outbreak the most serious in China since February.

The outbreak has been traced to the city's largest wholesale food market and officials have since put several neighbourhoods under lockdown.

*)Trump to halve US troops in Germany, a key NATO ally

US President Donald Trump says he wants to halve the number of troops in Germany because Berlin has fallen behind in its contributions to NATO.

Trump says another reason for his decision is how badly Germany treats the US as a trading partner.

There are 52,000 US troops stationed in Germany and Trump wants to redeploy 25,000 of them.

*)North Korean army 'fully ready' for action against Seoul

North Korea says its army is "fully ready" to take action against the South.

The threats come after South Korea was accused of allowing defectors to send anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border.

Top North Korean military officials say they’ve been studying an action plan to re-enter zones currently demilitarised under a 2018 inter-Korean pact.

*)Seattle City Council votes to bar gas, spray

Seattle City Council has voted unanimously to ban police from using tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and several other crowd control devices.

It comes after officers repeatedly used them on mostly peaceful Black Lives Matter protests against racism and police brutality after the death of George Floyd.

The vote follows a federal court ruling which temporarily banned the same devices.

And finally…

*)UEFA to complete Champions League with 'Final Eight' tournament

UEFA is set to complete the Champions League with a 'Final Eight' tournament held over 11 days in Lisbon.

The competition will resume with the second leg of the last 16 games played at the scheduled venues.

The plan allows for quicker completion of the season but does mean the competition will have six fewer games, which will cost UEFA broadcast revenue.

*)Turkey launches new counter-terrorism operation against PKK

Turkey has launched Operation Claw-Eagle in northern Iraq against PKK terrorists.

The counter-terrorism operation allows Turkey to defend its borders and its people by destroying PKK hideouts and supply lines in the mountainous region.

The PKK has been using northern Iraq as its de-facto base after launching its decades-long armed campaign against Turkey.

The group is designated as a terror group by Turkey, US and EU.

*)Autopsy declares Rayshard Brooks killing a homicide

The killing of Rayshard Brooks has been declared as a homicide.
Atlanta's police chief resigned over the shooting and the white cop who killed Brooks was fired.

Brooks' killing has boosted already powerful global #BlackLivesMatter protests against racism and police brutality which reignited with the killing of George Floyd.

*) More lock downs as Beijing scrambles to contain new Covid-19 outbreak

China’s capital Beijing is trying to contain a new outbreak of coronavirus which originated from a food market.

Over 70 new cases were reported as a partial lockdown was reimposed across large parts of the city.

Other cities in the country are also warning their residents not to travel to the capital.

*)Philippine court finds news site chief guilty of libel

Award-winning journalist critical of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, was convicted of libel and sentenced to jail.

The verdict against Rappler CEO Maria Ressa is being called a major blow to press freedom.

The verdict stems from a 2012 article that linked a wealthy businessman to murder, drug dealing, human trafficking and smuggling.

And finally…

*)Old man hit with $1.1M medical bill after beating Covid-19

A 70-year-old US man who beat #Covid19 got a heart-stopping surprise after leaving the hospital... a whopping $1.1 million medical bill!

Michael Flor spent 62 days in the hospital and received a 181-page bill after he was discharged.

Thankfully, he’s covered by a government insurance programme for the elderly, and does not have to pay a cent.

US President Trump announces plans for modest policing changes and Microsoft joins Amazon and IBM in banning face-recognition software sales to police

*)Anti-racism protests force US states to consider reforms

Opposed to major reforms, US President Donald Trump has announced modest plans for an executive order on policing.

The move follows nationwide protests against racism and police brutality, triggered by the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd.

Trump has said the order will advise police departments to adopt national standards for the use of force.

*)Syria's Assad sacks PM over worsening economy

Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad has removed Prime Minister Imad Khamis amid an economic crisis and renewed protests in the country.

The pound has plunged to record lows, adding to the hardship Syrians face as war continues to devastate the country.

The economic crisis has triggered a rare outbreak of anti-Assad protests in regime-held areas.

*)Libya government captures Haftar's main supply line

Libya's UN-backed government says it has gained control of a 350-km-long main supply line used by warlord Khalifa Haftar’s militia.

Meanwhile, the UN has expressed horror over the reported discovery of mass graves in Tarhuna city after it was seized from Haftar’s forces.

Libya’s government recaptured Tarhuna last Friday as part of an ongoing operation against the warlord.

*)ICC says US sanctions ‘unprecedented attack’

The International Criminal Court has slammed US sanctions on its staff investigating possible war crimes by American forces in Afghanistan.

An executive order by President Trump authorised the blocking of assets of the ICC employees in the US and their entry into the country.

The ICC said Trump’s move amounted to threats and coercion and were "an unacceptable attempt to interfere with rule of law".

And finally…

*)Microsoft bans face-recognition sales to police

Microsoft joins Amazon and IBM to become the third big tech company this week to ban sales of facial recognition software to police.

The tech giants are stepping back from law-enforcement using their systems that faced criticism for misidentifying people with darker skin.

Ongoing protests following the death of George Floyd have focused attention on racial injustice and how police use technology to track people.

George Floyd's brother urges Congress for police reforms and stolen Banksy work recovered in Italy

*)George Floyd's brother urges Congress to pass police reform

The brother of George Floyd, whose killing by police sparked worldwide protests against racism, made an emotional plea to Congress to "stop the pain" as US lawmakers consider sweeping police reforms.

Philonise Floyd said his brother "didn't deserve to die over $20" in what he called a lynching.

He urged lawmakers to fix law enforcement problems, including systemic racism.

*)Mass graves found in Tarhuna after illegal militia retreat

Libya's UN-backed government has discovered another mass grave from an area retaken from warlord Khalifa Haftar’s militia.

The number of bodies found in Tarhuna, south of Tripoli, hasn't been made public yet, but officials say decomposition could interfere with identifying the remains.

Libya’s government recaptured Tarhuna last Friday as part of an ongoing operation against Haftar.

*)Syrian currency plummets and prices of food items soar

Hundreds of Syrians in the regime-run city of Suwayda took to the streets for a fourth day to protest against a decaying economy.

Food prices have doubled to an all-time high, the country is facing a fuel crisis and the value of its currency has plummeted to a record low.

The economic crisis is hitting the country hard and forcing citizens to take drastic measures to keep their families fed.

*)Egypt's female TikTok influencers in state's crosshairs

Egyptian women with thousands of followers on popular social media app TikTok have become the latest target of state authorities.

They’re accusing influencers of spreading immorality by posting satirical clips and encouraging other women to join and earn by getting more views.

Human rights groups say the situation shows how the conservative society is wrestling with the rapid rise of modern communications technology.

And finally…

*)Stolen Banksy work recovered in Italy

Italian police have retrieved artwork by Banksy, which commemorates victims of the November 2015 Paris terror attacks.

The piece was stolen from France’s Bataclan concert hall and was found in an abandoned Italian farmhouse.

The work is an image of a girl in mourning painted on one of the emergency doors of the Parisian venue.

George Floyd laid to rest and Pakistan battles locusts by turning them into chicken feed

*)George Floyd laid to rest

George Floyd was fondly remembered at his funeral as 'Big Floyd', a father, brother, athlete and neighbourhood mentor.

But he will always be remembered around the world as a catalyst for change after his death sparked a global reckoning over police brutality and racism.

More than 500 mourners packed a Houston church on Tuesday where the service took place before he was entombed next to his mother.

*)EU urges immediate ceasefire in Libya

The European Union is urging all parties involved in Libya's conflict to end violence and engage in peace talks.

The EU also called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces that are supplying mercenaries and military equipment.

The UAE and Russia are supplying weapons to warlord Khalifa Haftar's illegal militia.

*)Australia could be coronavirus-free by July

Australia is on course to be coronavirus-free by July, according to their health department.

The state of New South Wales has already announced the removal of restrictions on community sports.

The country logged an increase of seven cases overnight, bringing total nationwide cases to 7,274.

*)US theatre world accused of exploiting and excluding people of colour

Top celebrities signed their name on an open letter to the US theatre world decrying racism.

Viola Davis, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Cynthia Erivo joined some 300 actors and playwrights by saying theatres had exploited, excluded and diminished people of colour.

The signatories complained of tokenism, prioritising white theatre for white audiences and a failure to make promised changes in programming or leadership.

And finally…

*)Pakistan battles locusts by turning them into chicken feed

Chickens in Pakistan are feasting on captured locusts under an initiative to combat swarms that are threatening food supplies in the country.

The government is expanding a pilot project where villagers earn cash to gather locusts, dry them, shred them and add the powder into poultry feed.

Farmers are struggling as the worst locust plague in 25 years wipes out entire harvests.

*)George Floyd to be buried in Houston

The African American whose death has inspired a worldwide reckoning over racial injustice will be buried in Houston later today at 1600GMT.

George Floyd, who was 46 when he was killed by a white policeman, will be laid to rest next to his mother during a private service.

A public memorial service was held on Monday in Houston, where he grew up, and was attended by some 6,000 people.

*)Hong Kong marks a year since anti-Beijing protests erupted

Hong Kong is marking a year since anti-Beijing protests erupted.

Mass arrests, coronavirus bans on gatherings and a looming national security law is keeping a lid on any return to citywide unrest.

Seven months of massive and often violent rallies kicked off on June 9 last year when as many as one million people took to the streets to oppose a bill allowing extraditions to mainland China.

*)Haftar's illegal militia bombs field hospital in northwest Libya

Libya’s UN-backed government continues to take territory occupied by warlord Khalifa Haftar's illegal militia.

Government forces are advancing on the city of Sirte after taking control of all the warlord's former outposts in the west.

On Monday, Turkish President Erdogan said Turkey and the US were approaching a new era in ties over the handling of the situation in Libya.

*)Brazil accused of manipulating coronavirus data

Brazil has reported 679 new deaths from Covid-19 as controversy grows over the country's official data amid allegations of political manipulation.

Brazil's health ministry removed data from its website over the weekend and stopped releasing cumulative figures.

Brazil's death toll now stands at over 37,000, the world's third-highest.

And finally…

*)Fossil of 2 million-year-old frog found in Argentina

Argentine palaeontologists have uncovered fossilised remains of a rare species of frog which lived two million years ago.

The fossil was discovered 44 metres underground during the digging of a well in San Pedro.

Despite the fossil's size, it was possible to identify the frog because these amphibians have a unique structure where the upper arm meets the elbow joint.

*)New Zealand says coronavirus eliminated

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has declared her country coronavirus-free with the recovery of the last known patient.

All measures will be lifted starting Tuesday, except for border controls, in the southwestern Pacific island nation of over 4.8 million people.

New Zealand has won praise for its handling of the pandemic, which involved a strict seven-week lockdown that ended last month.

*)Minneapolis council vows to dismantle police department

A veto-proof majority of the Minneapolis City Council has pledged to phase out the police department to create a new way to ensure public safety.

It comes as a sign that the Black Lives Matter protests following the police killing of George Floyd are having a major impact.

The Minneapolis council has not yet formally discussed defunding or reimagining its police force, but its president, Lisa Bender, says a majority were in support.

*)Tropical Storm Cristobal makes landfall in Louisiana

Tropical Storm Cristobal made landfall in southeastern Louisiana, bringing strong winds, heavy rains and the threat of damaging storm surges.

The US National Hurricane Center has issued a storm surge warning for the area from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs.

President Donald Trump said he would be signing an emergency declaration for Louisiana, freeing up federal aid.

*)Former Argentinian president accused of spying on journalists

Argentina's intelligence agency says the administration of previous President Mauricio Macri spied on over 400 journalists.

Dozens of foreign journalists appeared on a list to be investigated in relation to the G20 and WTO summits held in Buenos Aires in recent years.

Around 100 academics, businesspeople and prominent figures from civil society are also on the list.

And finally…

*)New tennis tournament in France aims for a younger audience

A new digitally-friendly tennis tournament in southern France can change the way tennis is viewed.

The Ultimate Tennis Showdown aims to appeal to a younger audience in order to grow its fanbase community.

Matches will be streamed live and viewers will have access to all the emotional rawness that goes on in a game and will also include on-court coaching.