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Why is Trump so restrained about the Biden sexual assault allegation?

The president rarely misses a chance to sling mud but he has been uncharacteristically quiet about Tara Reade’s claimSometimes Donald Trump portrays his election rival, Joe Biden, as a sleepy geriatric who should be in a care home because “he doesn’t know he’s alive”. At others, the president speaks of Biden as a wily manipulator who conspired with the deep state and China.But in this scattergun approach, the US president has been uncharacteristically reluctant to use what, in normal times, would seem standard political ammunition: an allegation of sexual assault.It took more than a month after Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer, alleged on a podcast that Biden sexually assaulted her in a Capitol Hill basement in 1993, for Trump to publicly address the matter.Even then, the US president’s comments on 30 April were unusually milquetoast. “I don’t know anything about it,” Trump said. “I don’t know exactly – I think he should respond. You know, it could be false accusations. I know all about false accusations. I’ve been falsely charged numerous times. And there is such a thing.”Then, speaking on Fox News’s Fox & Friends, usually a comfort zone, he again declined to go for Biden’s jugular. “Look, he’s got to fight that battle,” he said. “I’ve had battles, too, where I’ve had false accusations, many times. I’ve had many false accusations made, I can tell you that. Many. And maybe it is a false accusation. Frankly, I hope it is, for his sake.”The first and most obvious explanation for the president’s reticence is that he himself has been accused of assault and unwanted touching by a long list of women, some far more recently than Reade’s account. He also denies the allegations. On the other hand, Trump has never allowed perceived double standards to get in the way of his scorched earth tactics in the past.Monika McDermott, a political science professor at Fordham University in New York, said: “It’s surprising in a way because usually Trump doesn’t pull back on things even when they do seem hypocritical or ironic or choose your adjective. Yet he is in this particular instance. I don’t know if he’s waiting for something to happen or whether he’s waiting to see how it plays out before he does anything. He seems to be finding what seem to him more fruitful attack routes against Obama and other things and people than against Biden right now.”In 2016 Trump’s campaign was rocked by the release of an Access Hollywood tape in which he could heard bragging about using his fame to grab women’s private parts. Instead of quitting, he went on the offensive against his rival Hillary Clinton by highlighting sexual assault allegations against her husband, former president Bill Clinton, and even inviting those accusers to a press conference before a presidential debate.But this November will witness the first presidential election since the rise of the MeToo movement, which has encouraged women to come forward with allegations of sexual assault against prominent men in politics, show business and other industries.Biden has committed to picking a woman as his running mate and frequently cites his work as lead sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act. Both candidates are keenly aware that suburban women could be a pivotal demographic in the final vote.While Trump remains taciturn, Republicans have instead focused much of their response on Brett Kavanaugh, the supreme court justice whose nomination was nearly derailed by sexual misconduct allegations. The Trump campaign pointed to statements made by Democrats during the Kavanaugh episode to portray them as hypocritical.Erin Perrine, principal deputy communications director at the Trump campaign, said: “During Justice Kavanaugh’s hearings, Biden made clear that all women should be believed when they come forward with allegations of sexual assault. Biden’s own work during the Obama administration lowered standards for such accusations on college campuses as to effectively institute a presumption of guilt. In a dramatic shift, Biden now says ‘believe women’ doesn’t actually mean ‘believe women.’”Trump himself, however, has preferred to take aim at other targets, seeking to implicate Biden in a so-called “Obamagate” conspiracy that many seen as an attempt to deflect attention from the coronavirus pandemic – likely to prove a more significant issue in November.Amid Democratic alarm that the Reade allegation could dent Biden’s support among women, the former vice-president vehemently denied it in an interview on the MSNBC network on 1 May and repeated that position in a series of media appearances.The story has faded from prominence in recent days, especially after the PBS NewsHour interviewed 74 former Biden staffers, of whom 62 were women, and found none said that they had experienced sexual harassment, assault or misconduct by Biden, nor ever heard rumors or allegations to that effect.By pushing the case, Trump may have more to lose than to gain. Rich Galen, a former Republican strategist, said: “The case against Biden keeps getting thinner and thinner so I’m not sure that there’s much there. And all the people who’s accused Trump, it would be like listing the names of the people who died in Vietnam every night.”Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, added: “Trump, if nothing else, knows how to read his audience: ‘No, they’re not going to buy anything I sell on this point.’ There’s no need to even open that Pandora’s box because it’s a Pandora’s box for him, not Joe Biden. I think that’s why the president has largely decided not to engage at that level.“My sense is right now, despite what others in the campaign may want to do, there is no energy from the president himself to open up that door and go through it.”

Beijing says it will unilaterally impose national laws in Hong Kong 'without delay' as thousands take to the streets in protest

Critics worry that the new laws could hurt Hong Kong's independence and the city's position as a financial center.

Brazil police raid Rio governor's residences amid COVID-19 probe

Brazilian federal police on Tuesday raided the residences of Rio de Janeiro Governor Wilson Witzel as part of a COVID-19 corruption probe, targeting one of President Jair Bolsonaro's political foes as the pandemic sweeps the nation. Two sources and a statement from the federal police said the search warrants were part of an investigation into alleged corruption involving the use of public money destined to fight the coronavirus pandemic in Rio de Janeiro state.

Airbus experts probe plane crash that killed 97 in Pakistan

Pakistan announced Tuesday that Airbus experts have opened a probe into last week’s plane crash that killed 97 people when an Airbus A320 went down in a crowded neighborhood near the airport in the port city of Karachi. Initial reports have said the Pakistan International Airlines jet crashed after an apparent engine failure. The Airbus experts and engineers are also to visit the crash site, according to Abdul Hafeez, a spokesman for PIA.

Corruption prosecutions nearly double in China over last year

The number of prosecutions related to corruption in China nearly doubled last year, according to a report by Beijing's top prosecutor, as President Xi Jinping ramped up his crackdown on graft. According to the annual report from the Supreme People's Procuratorate submitted to the national parliament, 18,585 people were prosecuted for crimes related to corruption in 2019, a 90 percent year-on-year increase. Sixteen cases involved former provincial or ministerial-level Communist Party cadres, including former Yunnan party chief Qin Guangrong, who was accused of taking bribes.

India coronavirus: Chaos at airports as domestic flights resume

Nearly 100 flights have been cancelled after passenger planes restarted operations after two months.

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.

Dutch PM did not visit dying mother until end due to coronavirus rules: statement

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte did not visit his 96-year-old mother for more than eight weeks until hours before her death this month due to lockdown measures in the Netherlands, his office said on Tuesday. Mieke Rutte-Dilling died on May 13, Rutte's office announced on Monday. "The prime minister complied with all the coronavirus restriction measures and didn’t visit his mother for (more than 8) weeks," the premier's office said in a statement.

50 billion years of animal evolution under threat from human activity, study says

Fifty billion years of evolutionary history is under threat from human activity, according to a new study which suggests some of the most threatened areas contain the most unique animals. Branches of the tree of life will be cut by the loss of animals such as the Mary River turtle, native to Queensland, Australia, recognisable by its punk-like algae ‘hair’, whose evolution stretches back 40 million years. The turtle, which breathes out of its genitals underwater and doesn’t reach sexual maturity for 25 years, is threatened by the pet trade. Other highly evolutionarily distinct species include the Aye-aye lemur, which are found only on the island of Madagascar, where in 1990 Gerald Durrell embarked on a rescue mission to save dwindling numbers of the long-finger and bushy-tailed primate from the effects of deforestation.

Joe Biden questions my blackness one moment, defends racist 1994 crime bill the next

These are not gaffes. Democrats like Joe Biden are running scared because the Trump administration has been good for African Americans.

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

Russia denies that it has manipulated coronavirus data and maintains that its mortality rate from the virus is among the lowest in the world.

Husband of ‘Reopen North Carolina’ leader says he is ‘willing to kill’ in fight against lockdown

The husband of a leading protester campaigning to “reopen” North Carolina has said he and his fellow protesters are “willing to kill people” as they fight to overturn their state’s lockdown order.Adam Smith, whose wife Ashley was arrested at a recent protest in the state capital of Raleigh, said in his video that the only just response to the lockdown was to treat it as a fight against tyrannical government domination.

Latam Airlines seeks bankruptcy protection as travel slumps

Latam Airlines, South America’s biggest carrier, sought U.S. bankruptcy protection Tuesday as it grapples with a sharp downturn in air travel sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing underscores the severity of the financial challenges facing the travel industry as a result of the lockdowns, quarantines and other measures taken by governments the world over to stem the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Passenger and cargo flights will continue to operate during the reorganization, and employees will still be paid, the Santiago, Chile-based airline said.

Israel court rules Australia sex crimes suspect fit to stand trial

An Israeli court ruled Tuesday that an Orthodox Jewish teacher accused of child sex abuse in Australia was mentally fit to stand trial, bringing her closer to extradition after years of legal battles. The decision was hailed by alleged victims who have campaigned for years for Malka Leifer to be sent back to face trial. Jerusalem district court judge Chana Lomp said that she had "decided to accept the expert panel's opinion, the defendant is fit to stand trial".

India detains pigeon on suspicion of spying for Pakistan

An intrepid Pakistani ‘spy’ pigeon is facing a life behind bars in India. The allegation was made after Geeta Devi, a resident of the Kathua district of Indian-administered Kashmir, reported a bird - painted pink and carrying a coded ring tagged to its foot - flew into her home on Sunday night. The Indian Border Security Force passed the pigeon on to the police, who launched an investigation and logged the animal as a ‘Pak Suspected Spy.’ Officials in Kathua said the bird had flown across the border and they would try to decipher the message. “The pigeon, suspected to have been trained in Pakistan for spying, has a ring with alphabets and numbers written on it,” a police source told the Times of India. “Though birds have no boundaries and many fly across international borders during migration, a coded ring tagged to the captured pigeon’s body is a cause for concern as migratory birds don’t have such rings.”

Editorial: Nearly 100,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. As a nation, it's time to mourn and honor them

100,000 might be just a number, but it's a staggering amount of loss. America needs to find some way to mourn the dead, even as the pandemic still rages.

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.

Meet the dogs of war who run into danger to find hidden bombs and the US soldiers who have their backs

"We're on the front line most of the time," an Army sergeant said of herself and her dog.

Obama administration economist predicts 'best jobs and growth numbers ever' ahead of the election

An Obama administration economist has reportedly left Democrats concerned about President Trump's re-election prospects with his prediction about the state of the economy leading up to November.Speaking to a group of Republican and Democratic officials in early April, Politico reports Jason Furman, who was chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under former President Obama, surprisingly asserted that "we are about to see the best economic data we’ve seen in the history of this country."As the coronavirus pandemic takes a devastating toll on the U.S. economy, bringing the unemployment rate to the highest level seen since the Great Depression, Furman continues to predict a "partial rebound" on the horizon, comparing the situation to the economic aftermath following a natural disaster and telling Politico that "you could easily have one to two million jobs created a month in those four reports before November."He added, "And then toward the end of October, we will get GDP growth for the third quarter, at an annualized rate, and it could be double-digit positive economic growth. So these will be the best jobs and growth numbers ever." This assumes re-openings continue across the country and a second wave of coronavirus doesn't prompt major lockdowns. Although Politico notes that a "rebound won't mean that Trump has solved many underlying problems," Democrats are reportedly "spooked" by the idea that the president "could be poised to benefit from the dramatic numbers" ahead of the 2020 election, with one former Obama White House official pointing to Trump's positive polling on the economy and arguing, "This is the challenge for the Biden campaign. If they can't figure this out they should all just go home." Read the full report at Politico. More stories from theweek.com Trump shares disturbing meme of Biden's campaign in a coffin J.K. Rowling's new children's book is being released for free online Trump keeps falsely accusing Joe Scarborough of murder, and it's long past weird

Coronavirus: Americans flock to beaches on Memorial Day weekend

People are seen flouting restrictions on what is known in the US as the unofficial start of summer.

‘Fox & Friends’ Confronts Kayleigh McEnany With Chris Wallace Criticism

Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace didn’t get the chance to confront White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany directly this weekend. So Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade did it for him. About halfway through her appearance on that show Tuesday morning, Kilmeade brought up a comment McEnany made during her Friday press conference. “Boy, it’s interesting to be in a room that desperately wants to seem to see these churches and houses of worship stay closed,” she told reporters, some of whom objected in the moment to that blatant condescension.As Kilmeade put it, “Some of the press got insulted,” before reading McEnany part of what Wallace said about her comments on his Sunday show. “Let me just say, Sam Donaldson and me in the Reagan White House, we were pretty tough on the White House press secretaries and we never had our religious beliefs questioned or were lectured on what we should ask,” Wallace said. Kilmeade left out the part where Wallace said that in his six years covering the White House he “never saw a White House press secretary act like that.”Kayleigh McEnany: Trump Supports Vote by Mail ‘For a Reason’—Just Not a Pandemic“Were you questioning the religious beliefs of the press?” Kilmeade asked her directly. “No, I never questioned the religious beliefs of the press,” she insisted, before adding, “Many of our journalists are great men and women of faith.” McEnany said her comments were merely trying to draw attention to the fact that “it was a bit peculiar” that she was asked so many questions about why the Trump administration was pushing to reopen churches across the country during a pandemic. “I’ve never been asked why a liquor store was essential,” she added.  Of course, while Wallace likely would have thrown a few follow-up questions at McEnany’s nonsensical answer, the Fox & Friends hosts moved right along to the next topic.  Seth Meyers Exposes New Trump Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s Breathtakingly Stupid Coronavirus TakeRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

US couple waits 2 1/2 months in lockdown to visit Pompeii

An American couple waited a lifetime plus 2 ½ months to visit the ancient ruins of Pompeii together. Colleen and Marvin Hewson, retirees from Michigan, were first in line when the archaeological site reopened to the public Tuesday following Italy's coronavirus lockdown. “We have been patiently waiting since then for the ruins to open,” Colleen Hewson said as the couple got the chance to stroll through the ruins of the Roman city destroyed in A.D. 79 by a volcanic eruption, trailed by journalists capturing another milestone in Italy’s reopening.

Daytona beachside shooting wounds at least 5 people

About 200 young people were observed in a helicopter video dancing, partying and gathering on the sidewalk in the middle of the street.

US accuses Russia of deploying fighter jets in Libya

The United States has accused Russia of deploying jet fighters to Libya in what if confirmed would be a dramatic escalation of its military support for renegade field marshal Khalifa Haftar's war against the country's UN-recognised government. United States Africa Command said on Tuesday it had monitored several jet fighters flying from Russia to Libya via Syria, and that it expected them to be used to support Russian mercenaries fighting on the ground in support of Gen Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA). "We watched as Russia flew fourth generation jet fighters to Libya - every step of the way. Neither the LNA nor private military companies can arm, operate and sustain these fighters without state support - support they are getting from Russia," US Army Gen Stephen Townsend, the head of Africom, said in a statement. Africom said it had tracked the Russia and that they stopped en-route in Syria, "where it is assessed that they were repainted to camouflage their Russian origin." It did not say exactly how many aircraft were involved, but released several images of what appeared to be Mig-29 Fulcrum and Su-35 Flanker fighters in flight, as well as one Mig-29 being towed on a runway at the al Jufra airbase 300 miles southeast of Tripoli. The Russian ministry of defence did not immediately comment on the claims.

South Sudan: an unexplored Eden of biodiversity

The light plane banked sharply to circle back over the plains. "There's only a few hundred left in the world," said Albert Schenk, of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), surveying the landscape below. This is South Sudan: one of Africa's wildlife Edens, a global biodiversity hotspot wedged between the continent's tropical jungles and dry, desolate deserts.

India among 10 worst-hit COVID-19 nations as cases jump; air travel reopens

India on Monday posted its biggest single-day jump in cases of COVID-19, overtaking Iran to become one of the 10 worst-hit nations, even as the government allowed domestic air travel to restart. India reported another 6,977 cases, taking its total ot 138,845, according to government data, despite the world's longest lockdown imposed in March by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The rise in new cases came as some businesses and travel reopened under a new phase of the national coronavirus lockdown.

Virgin Orbit successfully dropped a rocket from a jumbo jet and ignited it, but its launch failed due to an 'anomaly'

Virgin Orbit's first rocket launch failed due to an unexplained problem after it had a "clean release" from the Cosmic Girl jumbo jet.

Brazil's Bolsonaro accepts little blame for his country's COVID-19 disaster, but he wears a face mask

Brazil now has the world's second-largest outbreak of COVID-19, with 375,000 confirmed cases, putting it a distant No. 2 to the U.S. and its 1.66 million cases. "President Jair Bolsonaro is deflecting all responsibility for the coronavirus crisis, casting blame on mayors, governors, an outgoing health minister, and the media," The Associated Press reports. With one notable exception, he "has avoided acknowledging the potential effects of his actions, particularly in undermining local leaders' stay-at-home recommendations."The exception was in mid-April. "Reopening commerce is a risk I run because, if it (the virus) gets worse, then it lands in my lap," Bolsonaro said while introducing his third health minister of the pandemic, a general with no previous health experience. Less than two weeks later, as Brazil's death toll shot up, AP notes, Bolsonaro told reporters: "You're not going to put on my lap this count that isn't mine." Brazil now has nearly 23,500 COVID-19 deaths, though that number is almost certainly a significant undercount, thanks to insufficient testing and skepticism that the coronavirus is a real threat, especially among Bolsonaro supporters, as AP records in this video.Brazil is "completely incapable of dealing with and responding to this crisis as this crisis should be responded to — with complete leadership, clear messages, political stability, and unity," says Miguel Lago, executive director of Brazil's Institute for Health Policy Studies. "That's not the case here. Basically, what we're seeing is a complete lack of seriousness and competence." For all his public attacks on local coronavirus mitigation measures, however, Bolsonaro often — though not always — wears a face mask in public.Embed from Getty ImagesPresident Trump, who barred most travel from Brazil to the U.S. on Sunday, won't let photographers capture him wearing a mask, in the rare instances he puts one on. On Monday, in fact, Trump retweeted a post by Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume mocking how former Vice President Joe Biden looked wearing a mask Monday.More stories from theweek.com Trump shares disturbing meme of Biden's campaign in a coffin J.K. Rowling's new children's book is being released for free online Trump keeps falsely accusing Joe Scarborough of murder, and it's long past weird

Trans Mountain pipeline: Protest ban is 'great time' to build, says minister

Alberta's energy minister cites a ban on protests when asked about a controversial project in Canada.

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

Talina Galloway, 53, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, was last heard from by her boss on March 27, 2020. Her last Facebook post was dated April 7. In the post, the posted stated she believed she had coronavirus but did not want to go to the hospital. Her purse and wallet were left at home. Her car was still in the driveway. She has a distinct tattoo of a sun symbol on her right wrist. The Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

Transgender bathroom ban heard by federal appeals court

A Virginia school board defended its transgender bathroom ban before a federal appeals court Tuesday, as a transgender man who was barred as a student from using the boys' bathrooms at his high school argued that the policy discriminated against him and violated his constitutional rights. A judge ruled last year that the Gloucester County School Board had discriminated against Gavin Grimm, but the board appealed that ruling to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond. David Corrigan, a lawyer for the school board, said school officials treated Grimm with respect after he began transitioning from female to male during high school, accommodating his request to use male pronouns and to be called by his new name.

Netanyahu becomes the first Israeli prime minister to stand trial over corruption and fraud cases

Last year, Netanyahu was indicted on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges as part of three separate corruption cases.

Xi Jinping says China strengthening armed forces amid tensions with US over coronavirus

Beijing says it will improve its preparedness for military combat. In the background: heightened U.S. tensions.

Biden makes first in-person appearance in over 2 months

Joe Biden made his first in-person appearance in over two months on Monday as he commemorated Memorial Day by laying a wreath at a veterans’ park near his Delaware home.

Fujifilm COVID-19 drug research spills into June, dashing hopes of quick approval

Fujifilm Holdings Corp will continue research on Avigan into June, Japan's government said on Tuesday, effectively dashing hopes by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the drug would be approved as a COVID-19 treatment this month. Abe had said he hoped the drug would be approved in May if its efficacy and safety could be confirmed. "The company will continue research into next month or so, and if an application for approval is received from the company, it will be promptly reviewed," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a regular briefing when asked about Avigan.

US urges probe into alleged ethics breach at African Development Bank

The US Department of the Treasury has called on the African Development Bank (AfDB) to carry out an independent probe into alleged ethics breaches by its president, Akinwumi Adesina. In a letter obtained by AFP on Monday, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed "deep reservations" about the outcome of an internal inquiry clearing Adesina, and urged the appointment of an independent outside investigator. The letter, dated May 22, was sent to the chair of the AfDB's board, Ivorian Planning and Development Minister Niale Kaba.

The UK is reviewing Huawei's role in its 5G network again, and it's a new sign it could still cave to US pressure

The UK defied pressure from the Trump administration in January by announcing it would allow Huawei to build "non-core" parts of its 5G network.

Trafficked Nigerian women rescued from Lebanon

The 50 return home a month after a woman working as a maid in Beirut was put up for sale on Facebook.

Kudlow: Trump admin ‘may well’ support back-to-work bonus

Republicans are aiming to offer an alternative to Democrats’ push to continue $600 weekly federal unemployment payments.

British farmers 'will go out of business' in UK-US trade deal, Theresa Villiers warns

British farmers “will go out of business” as a consequence of a trade deal with the United States, former environment secretary Theresa Villiers has warned. Admitting that she had "great fears" about "unfettered competition between domestic farmers and US imports", she said it would be very difficult for domestic farmers to compete on price. Ms Villiers, who left her Cabinet post in February’s reshuffle, said she was concerned about the impact of a deal on the rural economy and the union "because of the significance of livestock farming in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales". International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has insisted that she would not do a trade deal with the US if it “does not benefit every sector of UK agriculture”. However, opponents of practices such chlorine-washing chicken and hormone-injected beef fear farming standards may be bargained away in negotiations. The Government is being urged to enshrine guarantees into the Agriculture Bill by the opposition benches and many of its own MPs. Ms Villiers argued that an amendment to the bill would give certainty to farmers "that our negotiators wouldn't be able to give way” on standards.

Murder suspect with 'strong ties' to Newtown, Connecticut, is manhunt subject

Peter Manfredonia, 23, is being sought in a Friday attack that left one dead and one injured, as well as the death of an acquaintance.

Venezuela celebrates docking of tanker with Iran gasoline

Venezuelan authorities celebrated Monday as the first of five Iranian tankers loaded with gasoline docked in the South American country, delivering badly needed fuel to the crisis-stricken nation that sits atop the world’s largest oil reserves. The gasoline shipments are arriving in defiance of stiff sanctions by the Trump administration against both nations, and they mark a new era in the burgeoning relationship between Venezuela and Iran, which is expanding its footprint in the Western Hemisphere. “We keep moving forward and winning,” Venezuela’s Minister of Energy Tareck El Aissami tweeted.

CDC warns of aggressive cannibal rats facing shortage of garbage to eat

Officials say rats have resorted to open warfare and eating their young as closures reduce edible waste * Coronavirus – latest global updatesThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned of “unusual or aggressive” behavior in American rats as a consequence of more than two months of human lockdown for city-dwelling rodents who now find themselves unable to dine out on restaurant waste, street garbage and other food sources.Last month, according to the national health body, dumpster-diving rats were observed resorting to eating their young in the wake of urban shutdowns.“Community-wide closures have led to a decrease in food available to rodents, especially in dense commercial areas,” the CDC said in recently updated rodent-control guidelines.“Some jurisdictions have reported an increase in rodent activity as rodents search for new sources of food. Environmental health and rodent control programs may see an increase in service requests related to rodents and reports of unusual or aggressive rodent behavior.”Elevated levels of rat aggression has been observed in New York, where there are increased reports of cannibalism and infanticide, and New Orleans, where unusual rat behavior was caught on CCTV.“I turn the corner, there’s about 30 rats at the corner, feasting on something in the middle of the street,” Bourbon street tour guide Charles Marsala told CBS News.Complaints in Chicago have included reports of infestations in housing blocks as rodents seek new sources of food.Some rodent experts predicted increased urban rat aggression.“Many of these rats in our cities depend on their nightly food, which is the restaurants and hotels and bars and doughnut shops and everything that we consume on the go,” rodentologist Bobby Corrigan told The Washington Post.The overall rat-to-human ratio is notoriously hard to gauge. A 1949 study determined the ratio was 36 humans to one rat in New York. The estimate was increased to one to one in the 1950s, and then dropped again to four humans to one rat.The CDC noted that rodent population upheavals are common during natural disasters.“Preventive actions include sealing up access into homes and businesses, removing debris and heavy vegetation, keeping garbage in tightly covered bins, and removing pet and bird food from their yards,” the CDC said.

Brazil surpasses U.S. in daily coronavirus death toll

Brazil daily coronavirus deaths were higher than fatalities in the United States for the first time over the last 24 hours, according to the country's Health Ministry. Brazil registered 807 deaths over the last 24 hours, whereas 620 died in the United States. Brazil has the second worst outbreak in the world, with 374,898 cases, behind the U.S. with 1.637 million cases.

Isabel dos Santos seeks to revoke asset freeze over 'forged' passport

Angola's billionaire former first-daughter Isabel dos Santos and her husband are seeking to revoke a court order that froze their assets last year as part of a massive corruption probe, their lawyer said Tuesday. Dos Santos and her Congolese husband Sindika Dokolo are accused of diverting billions of dollars from Angolan state companies during ex-president Jose Eduardo dos Santos' 38-year rule. A court froze their bank accounts last December in the context of a crackdown on graft lead by President Joao Lourenco, hand-picked to succeed dos Santos in 2017.

The private jet version of the Boeing 787 can cost more than $200 million and fly over 18 hours. Take a look at some its most luxurious designs.

The BBJ 787 Dreamliner is like the hybrid of private jets costing over $200 million. The jet can fly over 18 hours with a bedroom and shower onboard.

Chinese media says Wuhan had live virus

The Chinese virology institute at the centre of US allegations it may have been the source of the COVID-19 pandemic has three live strains of bat coronavirus on-site, but none match the new global contagion, its director has said.

As coronavirus deaths near 100,000, Trump makes America exceptional in all the wrong ways

Trump has transformed America well beyond COVID-19 and the economy. He's eviscerated transparency, accountability, accuracy and competence, for a start.

Is international travel allowed yet? See when Spain, Mexico, Italy, UK plan to reopen borders

Spain has announced that it will reopen its borders to foreign tourists in July and Mexico will start reopening in June. See when others will follow.

Arbery case exemplifies abuse of 'stand your ground,' but the damage is broad and systemic

"The only advantage for the McMichaels is they are alive to tell their version of the story."