On this July Thursday, these are the top headlines from around the world.
Japan’s air force faces a ‘relentless’ burden, imposed by China
Japanese fighter pilot Lt. Col. Takamichi Shirota says his country is under increasing pressure from the air. Analysts say it’s a pressure faced by few other nations.
Japan announces plans for new stealth fighter
Japan has announced plans to build one of the world’s most sophisticated stealth jet fighters, likely a twin-engine aircraft designed to take over the country’s critical air defense role sometime in the next decade.
Trump undermines his pandemic response with more misinformation and self-obsession
President Donald Trump’s return as the face of the Covid-19 response has deteriorated into a misinformation masterclass that explains why America is in such a mess.
Russia aims to approve Covid-19 vaccine by mid-August, but questions remain
Russia intends to be the first in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine, in less than two weeks — despite concerns about its safety, effectiveness and over whether the country has cut essential corners in development, CNN has learned.
Slave dealer in New Zealand sentenced to 11 years in jail but experts say he is just the tip of the iceberg
Experts warn that more people in New Zealand could become vulnerable to trafficking in the post-pandemic world.
1,000-year-old medieval remedy could be potential antibiotic, scientists say
A medieval remedy concocted from onion, garlic, wine and bile salts and detailed in a 1,000-year-old text could help in the fight against infections that resist treatment with antibiotics, UK researchers have said.
This president said Covid-19 was ‘psychosis.’ Now he’s had it
The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has said he contracted coronavirus but recovered without suffering any symptoms, state-run news agency Belta reported Tuesday.
Brad Pitt scores Emmy nomination for playing Dr. Fauci on ‘SNL’
Dr. Anthony Fauci’s “SNL” dream has become Brad Pitt’s nomination reality.
Australia names new species after Deadpool, Thor, and other Marvel favorites
As it turns out, Australian scientists are Marvel fans too.
Trump defends unproven coronavirus treatment again
US President Donald Trump has again defended the use of hydroxychloroquine to ward off coronavirus, contradicting his own public health officials. He argued the malaria medication is only rejected as a Covid-19 treatment because he is the one who suggested it.
‘My family is split over coronavirus’
BBC Tanzania reporter Sammy Awami writes that President John Magufuli’s faith-based approach to coronavirus has caused tension in his family. Since the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Tanzania in March, I have been bombarded with messages and phone calls from colleagues, friends and family members living abroad.
Coronavirus updates: US deaths rise as six states see record new cases – BBC News
On the banks of the Daintree river, our tour guide pointed out crocodiles lazing in the early afternoon sun. Croc-spotting is one of the most touristy things you can do in north Queensland. But while the boat operators can rely on finding the scaly reptiles, tourist numbers are less predictable.
Manchester City showed ‘blatant disregard’ in Uefa FFP case, but didn’t breach FFP says Cas
Manchester City showed a “blatant disregard” to Uefa’s investigation into potential Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches, says the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), even though it found “no conclusive evidence that they disguised funding from their owner as sponsorship”.
A day of reckoning for US tech giants’ CEOs
Unprecedented is a dangerous word in journalism, but this really hasn’t happened before. On Wednesday, four of the biggest names in tech will give evidence to members of the US Congress. Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Sundar Pichai (Google), Tim Cook (Apple) and Jeff Bezos (Amazon) will all be grilled.
Camera firm Kodak turns to drugs to fight virus
Better known for making cameras, Kodak has moved into drug making and has just secured a $765m (£592m) loan from the US government. The fallen giant of the photography industry will make ingredients used in generic drugs to help fight the coronavirus.
YouTube channel perfectly ruins perfectly good songs
Do you like good things? Of course you do! Good things are good. Well, sorry, because this YouTube channel is here to ruin good things. There I Ruined It has posted just two videos in its brief existence, but both posts great. The idea is simple: take something good and hilariously mess it up.
The largest-ever map of the universe bends the mind
This map looks back in time. Astronomers working on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey – a decades-long project to map the universe – recently released a new 3D map of the cosmos. It encompasses 11 billion years (out of 13.8 billion) of the universe’s history.
Lucid’s driver assistance system will watch you more than Tesla’s Autopilot
DreamDrive is Lucid’s version of Tesla’s Autopilot. But unlike Tesla’s Autopilot with Full-Self Driving, which costs an extra $8,000, it’ll come standard in every Lucid Air from the new electric carmaker. The advanced driving system in Lucid’s four-door luxury all-electric sedan will help drivers on the highway, while parking, and in unsafe situations.
The weirdest moments from baseball’s fan-less opening weekend
These are truly strange times and, oh man, was that fact really on display during MLB’s opening slate of games over the weekend. In what now seems like an ill-considered move – considering the Miami Marlins have had a massive coronavirus outbreak – Major League Baseball played a whole host of games without fans over the past few days but also without an attempt of an isolation “bubble” like the NBA has done.
