*) HK lawmaker: China's national security law 'evil'

Hong Kong’s legislators have spoken out against China's new national security law for the semi-autonomous city.

The small group of lawmakers said the bill undermines the city's independent judiciary and stifles freedoms.

Fernando Cheung, a moderate, described the law as "evil" – many opponents in Hong Kong use this phrase to express their dissent.

Meanwhile, Australia is considering offering visas to Hong Kong citizens threatened by the security bill.

*) US cases hit 52,000 in one day, buys up Covid-19 drug

The US has seen a record number of new coronavirus cases – more than 52,000 in one day.

More than half of new US cases every day come from Arizona, California, Florida and Texas, home to 30 percent of the population.

In the meantime, Washington announced it has purchased 92 percent of all remdesivir production by Gilead laboratory until the end of September.

*) Palestinians in West Bank protest annexation plans

Thousands of Palestinians protested against Israel's plan to annex the Jordan Valley and all of Israel's far-flung West Bank settlements.

Originally set for July 1 by Prime Minister Netanyahu, the annexation plan for occupied West Bank did not begin on Wednesday.

The delay cast further uncertainty over whether Israel will ultimately follow through on the controversial annexation initiative.

*) Hagia Sophia is Turkey's internal affair

A Turkish court is set to decide whether the Hagia Sophia will be converted into a mosque.

The Byzantine cathedral-turned-mosque is currently a museum in Istanbul.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy has said the fate of Hagia Sophia is an internal matter after a US statement requested Turkey to maintain it as a museum.

And finally…

*) Sheeran, Stones back call to aid UK live music

Around 1,500 acts like Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones are asking the UK to save the live music industry from collapsing because of the coronavirus.

They cited new research showing that live music added $5.6 billion to the British economy and supported 210,000 jobs across the country last year.

UK’s live music has been one of its biggest social, cultural, and economic successes, the artists wrote in a letter to the culture minister.

*)Israel says annexation of occupied West Bank unlikely on Wednesday

Israel's foreign minister has said in an announcement that the proposed annexation of occupied West Bank land was unlikely on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set July 1 as the date from which it can begin implementing US President Trump's controversial Mideast proposal dubbed “Deal of the Century”.

Palestinians have rejected the Trump plan calling it the “slap of the century”. But they say they are willing to discuss alternatives with the Israelis.

*)Hong Kong makes first arrest under new national security law

Hong Kong police have made their first arrest under the new security legislation and warned of punishment for anti-Beijing material.

Riot police used pepper spray to arrest at least two people, while one metro station was closed as hundreds of protesters gathered for an annual rally.

Police earlier banned the rally, citing the law for the first time.

*)Russians set to back reforms allowing Putin to extend rule

Russians are casting their ballots this week in a vote on constitutional reforms that could prolong President Putin's hold on power.

Putin proposed the changes in January and they were quickly approved by Russia's two houses of parliament and regional lawmakers.

A nationwide vote to approve the reforms planned for April was postponed as Russia registered a surge in coronavirus infections.

*)Slaying of Ethiopian singer sparks protests, leaving at least 10 dead

At least 10 people were killed and more than 80 wounded after the killing of a popular singer triggered blasts and protests in Ethiopia's capital and the surrounding Oromiya region.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called the killing of musician Haacaaluu Hundeessaa "an evil act" in a televised address.

Police said several suspects have been arrested, without giving more details, except that Hundeessaa was targeted.

And finally…

*)Facebook boots far-right network and boosts original news

Facebook has disrupted a "violent US-based anti-government network" and vowed to give original news priority.

The decision comes as Facebook faces an advertiser boycott that has morphed into a global digital activist campaign aimed at curbing hateful and toxic content.

The disrupted network was loosely affiliated with the "Boogaloo" movement, whose followers have appeared at recent protests while heavily armed, the company said.

*)China passes controversial Hong Kong security law

We start in China, where the parliament has passed a controversial national security legislation for Hong Kong. State media is expected to publish details of the law soon.

The law comes in response to last year's often violent anti-China protests in Hong Kong.

The legislation is aimed at curbing subversive, secessionist and terrorist activities as well as foreign intervention in the city’s affairs.

*)Hong Kong activists quit democracy group Demosisto

Hong Kong activists Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Jeffrey Ngo and Agnes Chow ended their involvement with Demosisto party, founded by leaders of the protests in 2014.

The move comes hours after China passed a sweeping national security law for the city.

Wong said he would be a “prime target” of Beijing’s new law. All four activists said they would continue to campaign in a personal capacity.

*)White House aware of intelligence on Russian bounties on US troops

President Donald Trump received a written briefing about alleged Russian bounties offered to Taliban militants to kill US troops as early as February.

Notes on bounties were included in a written version of the president's daily briefing in late February, The New York Times reported, citing two officials.

Trump has denied being informed of the assessment, while the White House said the claim had been kept from him.

*)Maduro gives EU ambassador 72 hours to leave Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has given the head of the European Union mission in Caracas 72 hours to leave the country.

The move follows the bloc’s announcement of financial sanctions against 11 Venezuelan officials.

The EU said the Venezuelan officials are "responsible for acting against the National Assembly's democratic functioning."

And finally…

*)TikTok denies sharing Indian user data with China

TikTok denied sharing Indian user data with the Chinese government after New Delhi banned the popular app.

The company said user privacy is very important to them and would never share any such information even if asked in the future.

TikTok is owned by China's ByteDance and was one of 59 Chinese mobile apps banned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

*)Mississippi removes Confederate symbol from its flag

Mississippi's legislature voted on Sunday to remove the controversial Confederate symbol from the state flag.

Protesters across the US have torn down dozens of Confederate statues and symbols of racism in recent weeks.

Civil rights leaders say it serves only to intimidate Black people and has nothing to do with honouring the state's history.

*)Gunmen attack Pakistani stock exchange

Gunmen have attacked the Pakistani stock exchange building situated in the heart of Karachi’s financial district.

Karachi police say at least four attackers have been killed in Monday’s attack. Local media reported at least two civilian casualties with multiple injuries.

The assailants attacked the building with grenades and guns, local media reported.

*)Poland's Duda, rival Trzaskowski face tight run-off

Voting has ended in Poland's presidential election.

Exit polls show President Andrzej Duda has won the majority of votes but has fallen short of a first-round victory.

The elections could reshape Poland’s tense relationship with the European Union.

Duda has pledged to maintain the status quo of more conservative Catholic values, while his main challenger Rafal Trzaskowski presented himself as progressive.

*)Vietnam grounds Pakistani pilots over licence concerns

Vietnam's aviation authority said it had grounded all Pakistani pilots working for local airlines.

This comes after concerns from global regulators that some pilots may have been using "dubious" licences.

The suspension will be in effect until further notice from the authority, which is coordinating with Pakistani authorities to review pilot profiles.

*)Starbucks joins companies in pausing social media ads

Starbucks will pause advertising on all social media platforms as it explores the best ways to help stop the spread of hate speech, the company said in a statement.

Starbucks said it will "have discussions internally and with media partners and civil rights organisations to stop the spread of hate speech."

The statement said though Starbucks is pausing advertising, it is not joining the "Stop Hate For Profit" boycott campaign kicked off earlier this month.

*)US health officials estimate 20M Americans have been infection

US officials estimate that 20 million Americans have been infected with the coronavirus since it first arrived in the United States

Officials have long known that many cases are being missed because of gaps in testing.

About a dozen states are seeing worrisome increases in cases as the Trump administration faces accusations of ignoring the spike.

*)Big explosion near Iran's capital Tehran

An explosion has taken place at an Iranian gas storage facility in an area which houses a sensitive military site near the capital Tehran.

A defence ministry spokesman said the explosion took place in the "public area" of Parchin as opposed to the military site.

The fire was brought under control and there were no casualties.

*)Police reform bill clears US House, heads for Senate showdown

The US House of Representatives has approved a controversial Democratic police reform bill, sending the measure to the Senate.

The bill opposed by President Donald Trump, would mandate concrete changes in law and policy to rein in police misconduct.

The bill follows George Floyd's death in Minneapolis police custody which sparked worldwide protests against racism and police brutality.

*)Mexico tops 25,000 coronavirus deaths and 200,000 cases

Mexico now has more than 25,000 Covid-19 deaths and 200,000 cases, the government has said.

Despite an increase in new cases and deaths, the government began gradually reopening the economy on June 1.

The capital Mexico City is still under a strict lockdown with more than 77,000 cases there and in its greater metropolitan region.

*)Liverpool clinches Premier League title after 30 years

Liverpool fans gathered at Anfield football stadium at night to celebrate the club's first Premier League title in 30 years.

Chelsea's 2-1 win over Manchester City confirmed the Reds as champions in England's Premier League for the 19th time.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp dedicated the win to the fans and took a moment to recognise the part played by former players and managers in building the club.

*)UN, Arab league Israel to drop annexation plans

UN, European and Arab powers have all warned Israel that its imminent plan to annex Palestinian land would deal a major blow to peace.

The US, at a UN meeting, declined to criticise the move which comes off the back of President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan.

Arab League secretary general Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned the annexation could ignite “a religious war in and beyond” in the Middle East.

*)Trump says US moving troops to Poland

US President Donald Trump and his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, have met at the White House, saying they look forward to signing a defence cooperation agreement.

Trump has promised to send US troops from Germany to Poland, a move he says sends a strong message to Russia.

Duda is the first world leader to visit the US since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

*)Beijing officials declare outbreak ‘under control’

China has reported 19 newly confirmed cases of coronavirus amid mass testing in Beijing.

Authorities have raced to contain the outbreak, which has been linked to the largest wholesale food market in Beijing.

The city increased its daily testing capacity to 300,000 from 100,000 per day in early June and has tested nearly 3 million people since.

*)Three men indicted in Ahmaud Arbery case

A prosecutor in Georgia has indicted three men on murder charges in the killing of another black man.

Ahmaud Arbery was shot while running in a suburban neighbourhood in February.

It was only when a video of the killing went viral on social media at the beginning of May that the investigation began in earnest.

*)Smaller Toronto film festival plans virtual red carpets

The Toronto film festival is going ahead in September despite the coronavirus pandemic, organisers announced.

However, the red carpets will be virtual and far fewer movies will be premiered.

North America's largest film festival usually screens 300 to 400 feature and short films from dozens of countries each year.

*)Warring Libyan factions get ready for battle

Warring factions in Libya are mobilising to seize Sirte amid calls for de-escalation.

Ankara's backing helped the internationally recognised government drive warlord Khalifa Haftar’s militias from Tripoli and the northwest.

Libya’s deputy defence minister says Turkey has been coordinating action with the US, which took early action in confirming Russian air support for Haftar.

*)North Korea suspends military retaliation against South

North Korea has decided to suspend military action plans against South Korea, the official KCNA news agency reported.

A report suggested North Korean troops were taking down propaganda loudspeakers recently reinstalled in a tit-for-tat move at the fortified border.

Tensions between the rival Koreas has risen over Pyongyang's objections to defector groups in the South sending propaganda leaflets into the North.

*)China, India agree to disengage forces after deadly clash

China and India have agreed to reduce tensions a week after clashes on the disputed Himalayan border left 20 Indian troops dead in brutal hand-to-hand fighting.

The military commanders reached an agreement in their first meeting since the June 15 confrontation, the countries said on Tuesday.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views over necessary de-escalation measures.

*)Washington makes face masks mandatory as infections surge

Washington’s governor has ordered residents to wear face masks in public after the US recorded a 25 percent rise in coronavirus cases last week.

Arizona, California, Mississippi and Nevada have all reported a record numbers of new Covid-19 cases.

The virus is now taking hold in rural areas in the US, including Arizona and Texas.

*)Twitter slaps warning on another Trump tweet

Twitter has slapped a warning on a tweet by US President Donald Trump in which he threatened "serious force" against BLM protesters in the US capital.

This is the second time Twitter has used a warning label on the president’s tweets which it said violated policy against abusive behaviour.

Trump posted the message after anti-racism protesters on Monday set up a "black house autonomous zone", barricading streets near the White House.