U.S. Ambassador to Germany Grenell to step down: dpa

U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell is planning to step down in the coming weeks after little more than two years in the job, German news agency dpa reported on Sunday, without saying where it obtained the information. Robin Quinville, deputy chief of mission at the embassy, is expected to replace Grenell on an interim basis, the report said. The news comes only days after the U.S. Senate confirmed Representative John Ratcliffe, like Grenell a staunch political ally of President Donald Trump, as the permanent director of national intelligence (DNI).

FBI investigating Ahmaud Arbery shooting as possible hate crime, lawyer says

The FBI is investigating the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a black jogger, by two white men as a possible hate crime, the Arbery family's attorney said Monday, claiming that federal authorities had launched a criminal inquiry into two district attorneys and the police department involved in the case. Lee Martin, who represents the family of Arbery, 25, whose 23 February killing in Brunswick, Georgia, was captured on a graphic video recording that sparked national outrage, said he met with officials from the Department of Justice last Thursday. Martin said they told him federal investigators were looking into potential “criminal and civil” violations by two officials who later recused themselves from the case.

Taiwan offers people of Hong Kong 'necessary assistance' after protests over new security laws

Taiwan will provide the people of Hong Kong with "necessary assistance", President Tsai Ing-wen said, after thousands in the Chinese ruled territory protested against Beijing's plans to impose new national security laws. Taiwan has become a refuge for a small but growing number of pro-democracy protesters fleeing Hong Kong, which has been convulsed since last year by anti-Beijing and anti-Hong Kong government protests. Hong Kong police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of people who rallied on Sunday to protest against Beijing's move to introduce new national security laws.

• 
  Hong Kong's security, police chiefs warn of growing 'terrorism' as national laws loom

  Reuters
• 
  District councillors pepper sprayed in Hong Kong crackdown

  Newsflare

Charlamagne Tha God Reacts to Joe Biden’s ‘You Ain’t Black’ Apology

MSNBC's Joy Reid opened her interview with Charlamagne Tha God on Sunday morning by congratulating him on his interview this past week with former Vice President Joe Biden—even if all anyone wants to talk about are the final few seconds. “You've got more questions?” Biden asked. Shortly after that interview, Biden apologized for his remarks on a conference call with the Black Chamber of Commerce.

Kim Jong Un makes first public appearance in weeks

North Korean state-run media KCNA reported Sunday that Kim Jong Un attended a meeting of military leaders. Kim presided over the Workers' Party of Korea Central Military Commission, discussing "new policies for further increasing the nuclear war deterrence of the country," state-run KCNA media reported. It's his first public appearance since May 1, when state-run media reported he attended at a factory opening after rumors flew that he was gravely ill.

Russia records its highest daily death toll from the coronavirus as its number of new cases appears to decline

Lev Fedoseyev\TASS via Getty Images Russia recorded 8,599 new cases 153 new deaths on Sunday linked to the coronavirus, raising its overall death toll to 3,541. The country has recorded 344,481 coronavirus cases and is the third-worst hit country in its total number of coronavirus cases behind Brazil and the US, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. While its daily death toll continues to increase, its number of new daily cases appears to be on the decline.

• 
  UK coronavirus death toll rises by 118 to 36,793

  The Independent
• Philippines' coronavirus cases surpass 14,000, death toll rises to 868

  Reuters

Oklahoma woman missing since April following Facebook post that indicated she believed she had coronavirus

Nearly two months have passed since 53-year-old Talina Galloway vanished from her home in Wagoner, Oklahoma, leaving behind her purse and vehicle. “We're really worried about her,” Talina's niece, Chantel Jones, told Dateline. Chantel told Dateline she spent most of her summers living with her Aunt Talina in Indiana.

Baby gorilla injured at Seattle Zoo

A baby gorilla was badly injured at a Seattle zoo on Saturday when he was caught in a skirmish between his family group members, zookeepers said.

Singapore warns of worst economic contraction since independence

Singapore's embattled economy could shrink by as much as seven percent this year, which would be the worst reading since independence, with the government saying Tuesday the coronavirus pandemic had throttled the key export sector. The city-state is seen as a bellwether of the global economy and the historic contraction highlights the extreme pain being wrought on countries by the killer disease. The warning also came hours before Singapore's deputy prime minister is expected to unveil another stimulus package for the troubled city, which has been crippled by months of lockdowns around the world.

China says opposes all U.S. restrictions on Chinese airlines

China said on Monday it opposes all U.S. restrictions imposed against Chinese airlines, responding to a report that the U.S. Transportation Department has demanded Chinese carriers file their schedules and other flight details by May 27. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said flight restrictions imposed by Beijing treated all airlines equally and were due to efforts to curb COVID-19 related risks. The U.S. government late on Friday accused the Chinese government of making it impossible for U.S. airlines to resume service to China.

Letters to the Editor: Why is the Trump administration working so hard to deport immigrant children?

To the editor: The appalling actions taken by the Trump administration against immigrant children is incomprehensible and is the clearest reflection of its moral decay. Trump and his allies have claimed again and again that they welcome immigrants who enter the country legally, yet while lawyers and sponsors struggle to follow the rules, our government moves these children from place to place without warning, will not disclose their whereabouts, and fast-tracks deportations to places so dangerous that they were willing to walk thousands of miles to escape them. To the editor: Compassion is yet another presidential quality that is missing in our current president.

Italy to recruit army of 60,000 volunteers to enforce social distancing rules

Italy wants to recruit an army of 60,000 volunteers to help enforce social distancing rules, amid fears that a second wave of infections could be looming. The volunteers would not have any policing powers but would patrol piazzas, parks, playgrounds, markets, bar areas and beaches, asking people not to congregate in large groups. They would be drawn from the ranks of the unemployed, those on income support and those who have been furloughed as a result of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.

Shunned by his party, Iowa's Steve King fights for his seat

Rep. Steve King is fighting for his political life — but not because he's compared immigrants crossing the border illegally to cattle. Instead, the nine-term congressman known for his nativist politics is fighting to prove he can still deliver for Iowa's 4th Congressional District. Since Republican leaders stripped him of his committee assignments, in a rare punishment, King has been dogged by questions over whether he's lost all effectiveness.

Joe Biden forced to make his fundraisers fully virtual – bar the price tag

The coronavirus pandemic may have driven Joe Biden into his basement and forced his campaign online, but one crucial factor is still the same: his run for the White House still needs to raise giant amounts of money. A fundraising invite for a 14 May event for the New Hampshire Republican congressional candidate Matt Mowers featuring the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie starts at $250 for the “individual” level and goes all the way to $1,000 for the chair level.

Defiant protesters chanting 'liberate Hong Kong' flood the streets to oppose China's grab for control

REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Hong Kong police fired tear gas and pepper spray to disperse thousands of protesting on Sunday, against Beijing's plan to impose national security laws. China has launched new efforts to increase its control over Hong Kong after mass protests in 2019 hampered its efforts to roll back the city's autonomy. Critics fear the provisions of the law will lead to the end of Hong Kong's independence.

Coronavirus outbreak: Caribbean tourism struggles as visitors stay home

Seagulls are the only ones using the pool at a resort fringing one of Antigua's most popular beaches. The absence of holidaymakers due to the Covid-19 pandemic is keenly felt on this Caribbean island for which, like many of its counterparts, tourism has long been its breadbasket. Often dubbed the "most tourism-dependent region in the world", the Caribbean attracted more than 31 million visitors last year.

Alabama's Easing of Restrictions Has Given 'A False Sense of Security,' Says Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed

Cases of coronavirus are on the rise in Alabama, where Gov. Kay Ivey has allowed summer camps, movie theaters, casinos and more to reopen as part of recently expanded “Safer at Home” orders. Speaking on CNN, Reed said the spike in cases was due in part to people deciding on their own that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, and called the easing of restrictions a “mistake.” “They are ready to get back to their normal way of doing things, and that's a mistake that we've been making over the last few weeks, is we have kind of eased restrictions in this community and across the state,” he said.

Russian prosecutors seek 18 years for ex-US marine in spy trial

Russian prosecutors on Monday called for a former US marine charged with spying to be sentenced to 18 years in prison, after a closed-door trial denounced by Washington and his family. Paul Whelan, 50, was detained in Moscow in December 2018 for allegedly receiving state secrets, but he insists he was framed when he took a USB drive from an acquaintance thinking it contained holiday photos. His trial, which caused tensions between Moscow and Washington and sparked speculation of a prisoner swap, concluded with closing arguments on Monday.

Americans spend holiday at beaches and parks as virus death toll nears 100,000

This year it has also become a time to mourn the loss of more than 97,000 people due to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. The New York Times filled its entire front page with the names and selected details of 1,000 victims on Sunday seeking to illustrate the humanity of the lives lost. Among the victims, drawn from obituaries and death notices in hundreds of U.S. newspapers: Lila Fenwick, 87, the first black woman to graduate from Harvard Law; Romi Cohn, 91, saved 56 Jewish families from the Gestapo; Hailey Herrera, 25, budding therapist with a gift for empathy.

Brazil stands by hydroxychloroquine despite WHO

Brazil's health ministry said Monday it would not change its recommendation to treat coronavirus with hydroxychloroquine, despite the World Health Organization deciding to suspend trials of the drug over safety concerns. Like his US counterpart Donald Trump, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has touted the supposed benefits of hydroxychloroquine and a related drug, chloroquine, against the new coronavirus. Studies, however, have questioned their safety and efficacy against the disease, including one published Friday in respected medical journal The Lancet that found the drugs actually increased the risk of death.

• 
  Hydroxychloroquine: WHO suspends clinical trial of drug touted by Trump as 'coronavirus cure' over safety fears

  The Independent
• 
  UN virus therapy trial pauses hydroxychloroquine testing

  Associated Press

Trump commemorates Memorial Day and defends his decision to play golf

President Trump paid tribute to fallen members of the American military on Monday to commemorate Memorial Day while defending his decision to spend most of the holiday weekend playing golf as the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in the United States neared 100,000.

• 
  Trump Flips Out After Biden Ad Rips Him For Golfing Amid Growing Death Toll

  HuffPost
• 
  U.S. COVID-19 death toll nears 100,000

  NBC News

China denies using virus to grow presence in South China Sea

A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple territorial disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons. China's foreign minister is dismissing claims that the country is exploiting the coronavirus outbreak to expand its footprint in the South China Sea, labeling such accusations as “sheer nonsense.” State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters at a news conference on Sunday that China was cooperating closely on anti-virus efforts with Southeast Asian countries, several of whom have overlapping territorial claims with China in the strategically vital waterway.

Warren reportedly turning back to wealthy donors in effort to boost Biden

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is reportedly reaching back into her old toolbox in an attempt to help former Vice President Joe Biden. Warren has agreed to host a gathering of big money donors for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, The New York Times reports. During Warren's own presidential campaign, which ended shortly after Super Tuesday in March, the progressive Democratic senator vowed not to attend private events or call wealthy potential donors for contributions.

Oxford scientists working on a coronavirus vaccine say there is now only a 50% chance of success because the number of UK cases is falling too quickly

YouTube/University of Oxford Oxford scientists working on a coronavirus vaccine say the chances of success are now 50%. They say that's because the number of people with the virus in the UK is falling too quickly. "At the moment, there's a 50% chance that we get no result at all," scientist Adam Hill said this weekend.

• 
  Coronavirus: AstraZeneca boss confident Covid-19 vaccine can succeed

  Yahoo Finance UK
• 
  Declining infection rate provides challenge for Oxford coronavirus vaccine

  The Week

India coronavirus: Chaos at airports as domestic flights resume

Long queues and chaos greeted passengers at Indian airports as flights resumed two months after they were halted to help stop the spread of coronavirus. Maharashtra state, which has India's highest number of Covid-19 cases, said it would only allow 50 flights a day, leading to several cancellations. Several fliers also took to Twitter to complain that Air India, the national carrier, had not informed them of cancellations, and had mixed up departure schedules.

• 
  Confusion, jitters as Indian domestic flights resume

  AFP
• 
  Race, wealth and public spaces: US beaches are a new flashpoint of the lockdown

  The Guardian