Here are the top headlines in the world today.
The price of reopening the economy: tens of thousands of American lives
President Donald Trump now knows the price of the haunting bargain required to reopen the country — tens of thousands more lives in a pandemic that is getting worse not better.
TikTok is winning over millennials and Instagram stars as its popularity explodes
For TikTok-owner ByteDance, the coronavirus outbreak has been a boon to business.
Intel shared among US allies indicates virus outbreak more likely came from market, not a Chinese lab
Intelligence shared among Five Eyes nations indicates it is “highly unlikely” that the coronavirus outbreak was spread as a result of an accident in a laboratory but rather originated in a Chinese market, according to two Western officials who cited an intelligence assessment that appears to contradict claims by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
French doctors say they found a Covid-19 patient from December
There’s new evidence that the coronavirus may have been in France weeks earlier than was previously thought.
How Hong Kong contained its second wave of Covid-19
Hong Kong’s success in surviving multiple waves of the virus provides hard earned lessons to other cities around the world now looking to relax restrictions.
Billions of people could live in areas too hot for humans by 2070, study says
If the planet continues to warm at current levels over the next 50 years, up to 3 billion people could be living in areas that are too hot for humans, a new study has found.
Three family members charged in shooting death of security guard who told a customer to put on a face mask
Three family members have been charged in the killing of a security guard who told a customer at a Michigan Family Dollar store to wear a state-mandated face mask, officials said on Monday.
United Airlines COO says employees should ‘seriously consider’ voluntary separation from the airline
A top executive at United Airlines is telling employees to consider leaving the company voluntarily as it grapples with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus updates: Global deaths pass 250,000 as countries lift curbs – BBC News
A couple from West Yorkshire who drove more than 60 miles (100km) so they could “smell the sea” have been fined for flouting coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Whitby Neighbourhood Policing Team said the couple were stopped on Monday evening after driving from Boston Spa, near Leeds, to the North Yorkshire coast.
Premier League: Under 45-minute halves an option, says PFA chief Gordon Taylor
Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor has suggested halves of less than 45 minutes should be considered when football resumes. Discussions about the Premier League’s return are ongoing but Taylor says players are “concerned” about safety. “They are not stupid,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Is Mozambique the latest outpost of Islamic State?
A simmering Islamist rebellion in a remote corner of Mozambique has erupted into open warfare in recent weeks, with reports of massacres, beheadings and the brief seizure of two towns in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, writes BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding.
How do African countries compare on testing?
Testing plays a major role in the response to the coronavirus, as it helps us understand how far the disease has spread. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which co-ordinates pandemic responses across the continent, says there is a large gap in testing rates between nations.
New Zealand PM: No open borders for ‘a long time’
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the country will not have open borders with the rest of the world for “a long time to come”. Ms Ardern was speaking after attending part of Australia’s cabinet meeting via video link. The meeting discussed a possible “trans-Tasman bubble”, where people could go between Australia and New Zealand freely, and without quarantine.
Black author makes Pulitzer Prize history
US author Colson Whitehead has become only the fourth writer ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction twice. The African-American author was honoured for The Nickel Boys, which chronicles the abuse of black boys at a juvenile reform school in Florida.
Rick Parry: English Football League clubs face ‘£200m hole’ by September
English Football League chairman Rick Parry has said the current season needs to be concluded before 31 July and that clubs face a “£200m hole” by September. The former Liverpool chief executive admitted the EFL needed a “proper reset post-Covid”, with clubs currently “stacking up creditors”.
Premier League 2020-21 without fans? Eight charts on the impact
What impact could a full 2020-21 Premier League season without fans have on clubs’ finances? With matches likely to be played behind closed doors for an extended period because of bans on mass gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic, no fans means no matchday revenue.
Elon Musk announces the birth of his baby in the most Elon Musk way possible
Elon Musk and Grimes’s baby boy is here, and there are pics. Early on Tuesday, Musk posted a photo with his baby boy. “Mom & baby all good,” he tweeted. Of course, Musk wouldn’t be Musk if he didn’t goof around a little, so he posted this photo as well, saying you’re “never too young for some ink.”
Amazon VP quits over ‘chickensh*t’ firing of employees protesting warehouse conditions
After two Amazon employees were fired over speaking out about warehouse working conditions, a VP at the company quit with a fiery message. In a blog post, VP and engineer Tim Bray, who worked at the company for five years, said he “quit in dismay at Amazon firing whistleblowers who were making noise about warehouse employees frightened of Covid-19.”
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis crack themselves up in adorable, horrifying voice-swap game
We’ve reached the point of social distancing where we’re resorting to party games to keep ourselves amused. Fortunately, these simple games can still be very entertaining. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis joined Jimmy Fallon for a game of Voice Swap during Monday’s episode of the Tonight Show.
Chris Evans gave his good dog a terrible quarantine haircut
Chris Evans is a man of many talents, but giving his dog a fresh and stylish haircut is not one of them. On Monday, Evans told his newly acquired 2.6 million Instagram followers that he attempted to give his beloved rescue dog, Dodger, a quarantine haircut.
Taika Waititi will write and direct a new Star Wars movie
Walt Disney Studios gave Star Wars fans a May the Fourth surprise by announcing that Thor: Ragnarok and The Mandalorian director Taika Waititi will co-write and direct a new, untitled Star Wars movie. Waititi will co-write the movie, which was announced as a standalone film that will likely have no connection to the Skywalker Saga, with Krysty Wilson-Cairns.
Elon Musk wasn’t kidding, he’s actually selling his houses
A few days ago, Elon Musk tweeted he intends to sell all of his real estate. Now, it appears as if he’s actually doing it. “I am selling almost all physical possessions. Will own no house,” the Tesla CEO tweeted on May 1.
