What you need to know about the coronavirus right now
Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
Activists call for Hong Kong to rise up against new security laws
Hong Kong activists called on Friday for people to rise up against Beijing’s plans to impose national security legislation in the city, prompting alarm that the new laws could erode its freedoms through “force and fear”.
China defence spending rise at three-decade low, still to grow 6.6%
China’s defence spending this year will rise at the slowest rate in three decades but will still increase by 6.6% from 2019, as the country grapples with what it sees as growing security threats and a wilting economy.
Delegates at China’s virus-delayed congress tested and masked
China’s top leaders took the stage in front of a sea of masked delegates for the opening of parliament on Friday, the culmination of intensive planning at a time when gatherings around the world have been curtailed by the new coronavirus.
Final round of French local elections due on June 28: BFM TV
The final round of France’s local mayoral elections will be scheduled for June 28, BFM TV reported on Friday.
Thailand reports no new coronavirus cases, no new deaths
Thailand on Friday reported no new coronavirus infections or deaths, maintaining the total of 3,037 confirmed cases and 56 fatalities since the outbreak started in January.
As big cats go hungry, Indonesia zoo considers ‘worst-case’ deer cull
A zoo in Indonesia may slaughter some of its animals to feed others, such as a Sumatran tiger and a Javan leopard, if it runs out of food in coming months after the coronavirus pandemic forced its to shut it doors.
How South Korea turned an urban planning system into a virus tracking database
When a man in Seoul tested positive for the new coronavirus in May, South Korean authorities were able to confirm his wide-ranging movements in and outside the city in minutes, including five bars and clubs he visited on a recent night out.
North Korea’s Kim keeps low public profile in May: analysts
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made an unusually small number of public appearances in the past two months, once again going three weeks without state media reporting his attendance at a public event, according to analysts.
New Zealand opposition leader ousted as PM Ardern’s popularity soars
The leader of New Zealand’s main opposition party was ousted on Friday after opinion polls showed he was no match for the soaring popularity of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as the country heads toward a general election.
