New coronavirus losing potency, top Italian doctor says

The new coronavirus is losing its potency and has become much less lethal, a senior Italian doctor said on Sunday. "In reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy," said Alberto Zangrillo, the head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan in the northern region of Lombardy, which has borne the brunt of Italy's coronavirus contagion. Italy has the third highest death toll in the world from COVID-19, with 33,415 people dying since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21.

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SpaceX's historic launch hurled a sequined plush dinosaur into space with NASA astronauts

The plushie indicates when the Crew Dragon spaceship has reached a state of zero gravity, but neither NASA or SpaceX have explained how it was chosen.

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China says 2 new coronavirus cases, asymptomatic case on German charter

China announced on Sunday two new confirmed cases of coronavirus and four new asymptomatic cases, including one person without symptoms of COVID-19 on a chartered flight from Germany. The two confirmed cases in Shandong province on Saturday compared with four cases the day before, data from the country's health authority showed. The National Health Commission (NHC) confirmed three new asymptomatic cases on Saturday.

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Israeli forces shot and killed an autistic Palestinian man in Jerusalem as he walked to special needs school

Israeli forces shot and killed an unarmed autistic Palestinian man on his way to a special needs school in Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday, prompting comparisons to the police violence in the US and accusations of excessive force by Israeli forces. In a statement, Israeli police said they spotted a suspect “with a suspicious object that looked like a pistol” and opened fire on 32-year-old Iyad Halak, when he failed to stop. No weapon was found on him. Israel’s Channel 12 news station said members of the paramilitary border forces fired at Mr Halak’s legs and chased him into an alley. A senior officer was said to have called for a halt to fire as they entered the alley, but a second officer ignored the command and fired six or seven bullets from an M-16 rifle. Mr Halak’s father told AP that police later came and raided their home, but didn’t find anything. The shooting has caused widespread outcry on social media with many comparisons to the racially-charged shooting and killing of George Floyd in the US last week. Benny Gantz, Israel’s ‘alternate’ prime minister and defence minister apologised for the death of Mr Halak in a cabinet meeting on Sunday morning. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, made no mention of the incident in his opening remarks. Both officers were taken into custody and interrogated for several hours and an investigation has been opened. “We must resist the expected cover-up and make sure that the police will sit in jail,” Ayman Odeh, the leader of the main Arab party in parliament, wrote on Twitter. “Justice will be done only when the Halak family, their friends and the rest of the Palestinian people know freedom and independence.” Mr Halak had been on his way to the school for students with special needs when he was shot and killed, a trip that he made every day. According to the Times of Israel, his father told public broadcaster, Kan, that he suspected Mr Halak had been carrying his phone when he was spotted by the police. “We tell him every morning to keep his phone in his hand so we can be in contact with him and make sure he has safely arrived at the educational institution,” his father reportedly said. In west Jerusalem, about 150 protesters, some pounding drums, gathered to demonstrate against police violence on Saturday. “A violent policeman must stay inside,” they chanted in Hebrew. At a smaller protest in Tel Aviv, one poster read “Palestinian lives matter.”

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Long-haul carrier Emirates says it fires staff amid virus

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Coronavirus' latest target? Rural counties.

The number of COVID-19 cases is dropping nationally. But for rural counties, the worst appears yet to come.

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Australia eases social distancing restrictions as economic recovery efforts intensify

Several Australian states eased social distancing restrictions further on Monday, allowing restaurants to host more people and public attractions to reopen, as Canberra moves to revive the country's ailing economy.

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Nasa SpaceX launch: What is the Crew Dragon?

A guide to SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehicle, which carried astronauts to the space station.

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SpaceX crowds came in droves despite downpours, tornado warning, pandemic

The crowd launched early, even though the SpaceX Crew Dragon didn't rise from Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A as scheduled.

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'They didn't start the situation': NYC mayor defends police after NYPD trucks drive into protesters

“If a police officer is in that situation, they have to get out of that situation,” di Blasio said.

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George Floyd autopsy shows no signs of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation, attributes death to 'being restrained, his underlying health conditions, and any potential intoxicants in his system'

Floyd was "non-responsive" for nearly three minutes before the police officer took his knee off his neck, the report said.

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Burkina Faso gunmen 'kill dozens' at cattle market in Kompienga

The gunmen arrived on motorbikes, shooting into the crowded market, reports say.

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NASA is broadcasting live radio chatter from the astronauts on Saturday's historic SpaceX launch. Here's how to listen.

Listen to the NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon as they launch into orbit.

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France, Britain, Germany 'regret' U.S. end to Iran nuclear waivers

France, Germany and Britain on Saturday criticised a U.S. decision to end sanctions waivers allowing work on Iranian nuclear sites designed to prevent weapons development. "We deeply regret the U.S. decision to end the three waivers," the three European countries said in a joint statement. "These projects, endorsed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, serve the non-proliferation interests of all and provide the international community with assurances of the exclusively peaceful and safe nature of Iranian nuclear activities."

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George Floyd death: Northwestern University voices support for alumnus Omar Jimenez arrested during live CNN report on Minneapolis unrest

Northwestern University officials are speaking out after an alumnus was arrested in Minneapolis Friday while reporting live on CNN.

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Louisville PD apologizes for targeting news crew at protest

Kentucky’s governor on Saturday called in the National Guard to “help keep the peace” in Louisville after a second night of protests sparked by the police shooting of a black woman led to widespread damage. Gov. Andy Beshear said he didn’t want to silence protesters but decided to activate the Guard to quell the actions of “outside groups” that are “trying to create violence.” Police said six people were arrested during Friday’s protest, which began peacefully but grew more destructive as the night went on.

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Watch SpaceX, NASA, and 2 astronauts perform an historic private spaceship docking live online

When NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley dock SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship to the International Space Station, they'll make history.

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As Minneapolis rioters set buildings ablaze, grocer pleads to save his stores

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In this swing state, Latino Democrats call for fighting back on Trump's 'socialist' attacks

"The campaign needs to push back strong and quick," said a Democratic state senator, adding that she's confident it will.

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Labour whip resigns after breaking lockdown rules to meet married boyfriend

A Labour MP has stepped down from her front bench position as whip after admitting she broke lockdown rules to meet her married lover. Rosie Duffield met her boyfriend for a long walk in April, while it was still against the lockdown rules to meet people from different households, the Mail on Sunday reported. She resigned as a whip on Saturday night and said she was “attempting to navigate a difficult personal situation". Ms Duffield, 48, was living separately from married father-of-three James Routh, pictured below, a TV director, when they went for a long walk in her constituency and he visited her home, it was reported. The MP for Canterbury told the Mail on Sunday the pair observed the two-metre social distancing rules, but these incidents were before meetings between people from different households were allowed.

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Tanker truck drives into protesters on Minneapolis highway: Reuters witness

A tanker truck drove into protesters on interstate highway 35 West in Minneapolis, but none of the marchers were injured, according to a Reuters Witness.

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Democrat Biden visits site of police brutality protest in Delaware

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Sunday toured the site of one of the protests that ripped through U.S. cities overnight and called for protesters against police brutality not to turn to violence.

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Australia's stalled migrant boom derails golden economic run

Australia's three decades of uninterrupted prosperity are coming to an abrupt end as the global coronavirus pandemic crashes one of its most lucrative sources of income – immigration.

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In pictures: Peru's most catastrophic natural disaster

On 31 May 1970 an earthquake struck in Peru, triggering a landslide and leading to the deaths of 70,000.

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George Floyd: ‘As a black American I am terrified’

After the death of George Floyd, young African-Americans in Minneapolis say they are scared for their safety.

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George Floyd death: Violence breaks out amid US protests

Images from street protests across the US on Saturday following the death of black man George Floyd.

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Coronavirus: The self-isolation choir with worldwide members

This weekend thousands of people will gather as an online choir to perform Handel’s Messiah.

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In the middle of the Pacific with nowhere to land

A group of performers were halfway across the ocean in a 75ft boat when the pandemic erupted - leaving them with nowhere to go.

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Coronavirus: 'I'm high risk but made a full recovery'

Positive stories from people considered at high risk who have made a full recovery from coronavirus.

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My Money: 'Our alternative quarantine holiday'

Alyssa Hulme from Utah in the US takes us through her weekly spending during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Coronavirus: Independent cinemas unlikely to open before September

An Independent Cinema Office survey found only a quarter of venues planned to open before autumn.

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Coronavirus doctor's diary: Why does Covid-19 make some healthy young people really sick?

Dr John Wright tells the story of Marium Zameer, who became very unwell with Covid-19 despite being young and healthy.

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FBI's top lawyer, Dana Boente, ousted amid Fox News criticism for role in Flynn investigation

Boente was asked to resign on Friday and two sources familiar with the decision to dismiss him said it came from high levels of the Justice Department rather than directly from FBI Director Christopher Wray.

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EU urges U.S. to reconsider decision to cut ties with WHO

The European Union urged the United States on Saturday to reconsider its decision to cut ties with the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. "In this context, we urge the U.S. to reconsider its announced decision," they said a day after President Donald Trump announced the move, accusing the U.N. agency of becoming a puppet of China. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also condemned the move and pledged intensive talks with Washington on the issue.

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George Floyd death: Ex-officer charged with murder in Minneapolis

An ex-police officer in Minneapolis is detained over the death of unarmed black man George Floyd.

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SpaceX heading for ISS on historic private crewed flight

A SpaceX rocket carrying two veteran NASA astronauts was headed for the International Space Station on Saturday on the first ever crewed flight by a private company, ushering in a new era in space travel. The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley aboard blasted off flawlessly in a cloud of bright orange flame and smoke from Florida's Kennedy Space Center for the 19-hour voyage to the orbiting space station. "Let's light this candle," Hurley, the spacecraft mission commander, told SpaceX mission control in Hawthorne, California, before liftoff at 3:22 pm (1922 GMT) from NASA's fabled Launch Pad 39A.

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U.S. high court rejects church challenges to state pandemic rules

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected challenges on Friday to curbs on religious services in California and Illinois during the coronavirus pandemic. In the California dispute, the nine justices split 5-4 in rejecting a bid by South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista to block the rules issued by Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court's four liberal justices in the majority.

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Powell: Fed to soon begin 'challenging' Main Street lending

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged Friday that the Fed faces a major challenge with the launch in the coming days of a program that will lend to companies other than banks for the first time since the Great Depression. The Fed's Main Street Lending is geared toward medium-sized companies that are too large for the government's small business lending program and too small to sell bonds or stock to the public. Powell said that Main Street will make its first loans in a “few days.”

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SpaceX launch: Nasa astronauts begin historic mission on private spaceship

Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken head out on a mission to initiate a new, commercial era in spaceflight.

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Wife of officer charged with murder in George Floyd's death files for divorce

Kellie Chauvin's lawyer said she is "devastated" over Floyd's death.

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Deleting Facebook, downloading VPNs: How Hong Kongers are preparing for a draconian law

Hong Kongers are preparing for a new reality as China moves to impose new national security powers over Hong Kong that are seen by many as a "death knell" for the former British colony's freedoms.

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Airlines schedule major increase in flights in July as pressure mounts on ministers to ease quarantine

Airlines have scheduled a dramatic increase in flights in July in anticipation that Governments will lift travel restrictions for holidaymakers and save the industry from potential collapse, according to data seen by The Sunday Telegraph. The companies which have already laid off tens of thousands of workers are banking on a “V-shaped” recovery by scheduling 161,200 passenger flights and 29.5 million seats for July, just eight per cent down on last year’s July timetables. The strategy to open up business travel and holiday routes to hotspot favourites like Greece, Italy, France and Spain comes as most European countries are preparing to lift their quarantines or open their borders in mid June or at least by July 1. It will increase pressure on Boris Johnson to make good his suggestion last week that the UK’s quarantine - to be introduced on June 8 - could be replaced with “air bridges” to low-risk holiday destinations when it is reviewed on June 29. One senior industry source claimed: “The sense is that they might quietly do a U-turn after the first review period. Grant Shapps [the Transport Secretary] is against quarantine, the Treasury are against it, Beis is against it and DCMS hate it.” The exclusive data, from Cirium, a travel analytics firm, shows how the coronavirus pandemic devastated the aviation industry as it tore across the world. Scheduled passengers were 22.5 million in February, 10 per cent up on last year before it slumped by 93 per cent in April and May. It has risen in June to 38.5 per cent down on last year, as the Far East has opened up, and rises to just minus eight per cent in July as airlines anticipate Europe unlocking. June and July are “scheduled” rather than actual flights, which will depend on quarantines easing in June and July. Germany has lifted restrictions, Italy wants to resume travel on June 15, and Spain and Portugal are aiming for July 1. France hopes to drop border controls to and from EU countries after June 15 except with countries that impose quarantine on a “reciprocal” basis, namely the UK. Greece has excluded the UK from a “white list” of 29 countries it judges are low-risk enough from which to accept tourists from June 15 without quarantine although it will open up to more countries after it reviews their infection rates at the end of June. British Airways says it is aiming for a “meaningful return” to flying in July, RyanAir plans to ramp up flights to at least 40 per cent of its normal July schedule and EasyJet, which has laid off one in three staff, hopes to operate 30 per cent of its pre-crisis timetable from July to September. Paul Charles, chief executive of PC Consultancy, which advises the tourist industry, said Britain’s quarantine risked “killing” the economy. “Travel companies have not had any bookings for April or May. They are worried that if they don’t get them in June, they will go under,” he said. The Airport Operators’ Association (AOA) has urged ministers to aim for the first “air bridges” to “low risk” destinations by June 8 so that holidaymakers can sidestep quarantine and the requirement to self-isolate for 14 days on their return to the UK. The Department for Transport will shortly publish new guidelines for “safe” travel which will include face coverings or masks throughout the journey, temperature checks, social distancing in airports and contactless travel including for check-ins and payments. An AOA spokesman said: “Once these guidelines are agreed and given that they are based on a common European baseline, this puts in place the right conditions for opening up air bridges to low-risk countries.” The Home Office which has led the moves to introduce quarantine has, however, warned that it will block attempts to lift the quarantine unless it is safe and there is no risk of it sparking a second wave of coronavirus. A Department for Transport source said: “There is certainly a willingness in Government to do as much for this Summer as is safe.” Post-coronavirus air travel: No travel if you have symptoms If ill, no cost re-booking or refunds up to six hours before flying Face masks or coverings from arrival at airport to leaving terminal at destination Only passengers in the terminal, no tearful goodbyes at departure gates Contact-less electronic check-in and boarding Social distancing and one-way systems for waiting and queuing passengers Airports' association pressing for temperature checks Exemption from two-metre rule on plane No on-board duty free, reduced food and drink service, pre-packaged food and cashless payments

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GOP eyes flipping Michigan senate seat

As Republicans work to maintain their control of the Senate in November, they're looking to flip seats in some key battleground states. That includes Michigan, where two challengers are looking to unseat incumbent Democratic Senator Gary Peters. Riley Beggin, a political reporter for Bridge Magazine, spoke with CBS News about the contest.

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Amy Klobuchar under scrutiny for 2006 case involving officer charged in George Floyd death

Klobuchar was elected to the Senate in 2006 around the time that Derrick Chauvin was involved in the shooting that killed Wayne Reyes.

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New report alleges killings, mass detentions in Ethiopia

A new report by the rights group Amnesty International accuses Ethiopia’s security forces of extrajudicial killings and mass detentions even as the country’s reformist prime minister was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The report issued Friday says security forces killed at least 25 people in 2019 in the East Guji and West Guji zones of the restive Oromia region amid suspicions of supporting a rebel group, the Oromo Liberation Army, and a once-exiled opposition group. The government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was awarded the peace prize in December for sweeping political reforms and restoring ties with neighboring Eritrea after two decades of hostilities, acknowledged that “the reform process has at times experienced bumps” but called the report “a one-sided snapshot security analysis that fails to appropriately capture the broader political trajectory and security developments."

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A partygoer who attended the now-infamous Lake of the Ozarks pool party has tested positive for COVID-19, meaning hundreds could have been exposed

The individual began showing symptoms on Sunday and was likely "incubating illness and possibly infectious at the time of the visit."

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U.S. businesses awake to 'sad day' in Hong Kong as Trump moves to squeeze economic ties

The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong said on Saturday it was a sad day for the global financial centre, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump moved toward stripping the city of its special treatment in a bid to punish China.

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