| Change of plans | Trump threatened to move the Republican National Convention from North Carolina unless the state's democratic governor guarantees the party will be allowed full attendance, regardless of coronavirus restrictions. Trump took aim at Governor Roy Cooper in a series of Twitter posts, saying he wanted to be assured that Republicans would be permitted to gather in Charlotte in August. - As Trump presses states to reopen, government workers and their unions say they're increasingly concerned that their bosses will force them back to the office without sufficient protection.
Aide's defiance | Boris Johnson's most senior adviser refused to apologize following allegations that he broke the government's virus lockdown rules, deepening pressure on the U.K. prime minister. Dominic Cummings said he had not considered stepping down, and it was up to Johnson to decide if he should lose his job amid a public outcry over his actions during the peak of the coronavirus outbreak. Looming protests | Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam defended China's plan to impose sweeping national security laws in the city, a move that could further anger protesters who plan major rallies tomorrow. Local residents support the proposed legislation, she told reporters, rejecting criticism from foreign governments. Lam also vowed that Hong Kong's freedoms would be preserved, despite growing concerns over its autonomy. Bailout price | The EU's executive body has put a price on Germany's offer of financial aid to Lufthansa: The stricken air carrier must give up free flight slots at airports in Frankfurt and Munich. As the coronavirus punctures a decade-long aviation boom, the Lufthansa package will be the first instance of state recapitalization to be weighed by the EU after it loosened rules that usually prevent governments from pumping money into favored firms. Targeting the poor | As the spread of the pandemic in Brazil makes it the world's second-worst hotspot, the coronavirus is moving to regions of extreme poverty that lack intensive care units, and often, clean water. As Julia Leite and Martha Beck report, this is taking place as President Jair Bolsonaro continues to stand out for his belittling of the pandemic's significance. What to Watch: - Prime Minister Viktor Orban has vowed to move by today toward giving up his right to rule Hungary indefinitely by decree, which some critics had warned would herald a de facto dictatorship.
- French President Emmanuel Macron is set to announce measures to support auto companies before other European governments, highlighting the crucial role the industry plays in the economy.
- The U.K. government is launching a review into Huawei Technologies as officials draw up a plan to reduce the Chinese tech giant's involvement in new generation mobile networks.
And finally ... India's skies opened up for domestic flights after two months of a virus lockdown in the most surreal fashion. Which planes took off, and when, came down to the wire, reports Muneeza Naqvi, who took one of the first flights between New Delhi and Mumbai. No one quite knew what was happening, who needed to go into quarantine, or if planes would even be allowed to land at their destinations.  Travelers rest on benches at Delhi Airport on May 25. Photographer: T. Narayan/Bloomberg | 
Post a Comment