US HAS FLATTENED CORONAVIRUS CURVE, NOW IN NEXT STAGE OF BATTLE, SAYS TRUMP

Amid the rising coronavirus COVID-19 cases in the US, President Donald Trump

on Tuesday (May 5) said that the US had managed to flattened the curve of

the deadly virus mainly due to the profound commitment of its citizens. He

added that the flattening of curve has helped in saving countless American

lives and the US has now entered the next stage of its fight against the

coronavirus, which includes a a very safe phased and gradual reopening of

the country.

"Thanks to the profound commitment of our citizens, we have flattened the

curve and countless American lives have been saved. Our country is now in

the next stage of the battle - a very safe phased and gradual reopening,

reopening our country," said President Trump.

Talking about the progress made by the US in developing the coronavirus

vaccine, President Trump expressed confidence that something in this regard

will happen soon as tremendous progress has been made in this direction.

According to the John Hopkins University, which tracks coronavirus patients,

by Tuesday, more than 71,000 Americans had died due to the deadly virus and

over 12 lakh had tested positive.

However, there has been a sharp decline in the number of new cases and

deaths in the country in the last one week, prompting Trump to say that the

country has been able to flatten the curve. This pandemic, he said, has

underscored the vital importance of reassuring U.S. supply chains and

constructing a powerful domestic manufacturing base.

"I have been talking about that for a long time. Oftentimes, you would see a

plant like this at a different country doing the work you can be doing, and

you will do it better," the President said.

"The people of our country are warriors. With your help, we will vanquish

the virus and build a future of greatness and glory with American heart,

American hands, American pride and American soul," he said.

CHINESE STATE MEDIA CALLS POMPEO CORONAVIRUS CLAIMS 'INSANE'

China's state broadcaster CCTV has attacked recent remarks from US Secretary

of State Mike Pompeo on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, calling

them "insane and evasive".

Pompeo, speaking on Sunday, said "enormous evidence" showed the virus

originated in a lab in Wuhan, the central Chinese city where cases of the

illness were first recorded, doubling down on previous claims from US

officials and right-wing groups, which have been repeatedly denied by the

World Health Organization (WHO) and various scientific experts.

The theory has been heavily pushed by the administration of President Donald

Trump, who has been increasingly critical of China's handling of the

outbreak that first emerged in Wuhan late last year, continuing to ratchet

up a war of words between the two countries.

Titled "Evil Pompeo is wantonly spewing poison and spreading lies", the

harshly worded commentary on CCTV referred to statements by WHO Executive

Director Mike Ryan and Columbia University virologist W Ian Lipkin, who has

repeated that all indications are the virus is natural in origin and was not

man-made or leaked from a laboratory.

Two further commentaries published on Monday by state newspaper People's

Daily attacked Pompeo and former White House strategist Steve Bannon as a

"pair of lying clowns", and blasted Bannon as a "Cold War living fossil".

PFIZER, BIONTECH BEGIN VIRUS VACCINE TRIAL

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE said on Tuesday they have begun delivering doses

of their experimental coronavirus vaccines for initial human testing in the

U.S.

The U.S. drugmaker and German partner said if the vaccine proves to be safe

and effective in trials, it could potentially be ready for wide U.S.

distribution by the end of the year, shaving several years off the typical

vaccine development timeline.

The vaccine, which uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, has the potential

to be among the first vaccines against the virus that has infected more than

1 million people in the U.S. and killed some 68,000.

There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for the new

coronavirus, though some drugs are being used on patients under an emergency

use authorisation.

The U.S. study is part of a broader, global programme already underway in

Germany, where BioNTech is based. Dosing there began last month.

Moderna Inc is using similar technology for its vaccine being developed

along with the U.S. government. Phase I testing of that vaccine candidate

has also begun, with mid-stage trials planned in the current quarter.

Pfizer said last week it hopes to receive emergency authorisation from the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration as early as October, and could distribute

up to 20 million doses by the end of 2020, with an eye toward producing

hundreds of millions of doses next year.

OUSTED WHISTLEBLOWER SAYS TRUMP HEALTH OFFICIAL PLAYED DOWN CORONAVIRUS

THREAT

The ousted director of a U.S. agency responsible for developing drugs to

fight the coronavirus pandemic filed a whistleblower's complaint on Tuesday

accusing President Donald Trump's administration of retaliating when he

raised concerns.

Rick Bright says in the complaint filed with a government watchdog that he

warned about the virus in January and was met with hostility from Secretary

of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and other high-ranking officials in

the agency.

"Dr. Bright acted with urgency to begin to address this pandemic but

encountered resistance from HHS leadership, including Secretary Azar, who

appeared intent on downplaying this catastrophic threat," reads the

complaint, which his lawyers filed with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.

Mr. Bright's lawyers argue that his removal as director of the Biomedical

Advanced Research and Development Authority, a division of HHS, violated a

federal law protecting government whistleblowers.

Mr. Bright will testify before a U.S. House of Representatives panel on May

14, a spokeswoman for Mr. Bright said on Twitter on Tuesday.

NETANYAHU LASHES OUT AT TOP COURT, THREATENS NEW ELECTIONS

Israel's Prime Minister urged the country's Supreme Court on Monday not to

interfere in his efforts to build a coalition government, threatening that a

decision against him could drag the country toward an unprecedented fourth

straight election in just over a year.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his comments shortly after the court

heard a second day of arguments in a series of legal challenges to the

coalition deal.

The court's rulings, expected by the end of the week, will dictate whether

Israel breaks out of its prolonged political paralysis with Netanyahu and

his former political rival Benny Gantz joining forces in government, or

whether the country is plunged into another election.

The court is looking into two key questions: whether a politician facing

criminal corruption charges, such as Netanyahu, can form a new government;

and whether his coalition deal with Gantz violated the law.

"We hope the court doesn't interfere. It doesn't need to interfere. There is

the will of the people, the clear expression of the will of the people,"

Netanyahu said.

If a court ruling picks apart the coalition deal, it increases the chances

that we will be dragged to fourth elections, something that will be a

catastrophe, he said.

CORONAVIRUS: UK WARNED TO AVOID CLIMATE CHANGE CRISIS

The UK must avoid lurching from the coronavirus crisis into a deeper climate

crisis, the government's advisers have warned.

They recommend that ministers ensure funds earmarked for a post-Covid-19

economic recovery go to firms that will reduce carbon emissions.

They say the public should work from home if possible; and to walk or cycle.

And investment should prioritise broadband over road-building, the Committee

on Climate Change (CCC) says.

People should also be encouraged to save emissions by continuing to consult

GPs online.

The government will reply later, although the Energy Secretary Alok Sharma

has already spoken in favour of a green recovery to the recession.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, the committee says jobless people should

be re-trained for work in geographically-spread labour-intensive "green"

industries such as home insulation; tree-planting; and peatland restoration.

It makes a veiled reference to the current discussions over a potential

government bailout to save jobs in aviation, which is struggling in the

crisis.

The letter says: "Many sectors of the UK economy do not currently bear the

full costs of emitting greenhouse gases. Revenue could be raised by setting

or raising carbon prices for these sectors."

Green groups say any bailout should include a condition that the industry

shrinks until it finds a technological solution to its carbon emissions.

The letter also tackles broader social themes of fairness and risk.

CHINA TO LAUNCH NEW SPACECRAFT AS IT EYES MOON TRIP

China said Tuesday it will launch a new spacecraft at 6pm (1000 GMT), in a

test of its ambitions to operate a permanent space station and send

astronauts to the Moon.

The new large carrier rocket -- Long March 5B -- is expected to make its

maiden flight from the Wenchang launch site in the southern island of

Hainan, the China Manned Space Agency said in a statement.

Long March 5B is supposed to one day transport astronauts to a space station

that China plans to complete by 2022, and eventually to the Moon.

U.S., U.K. LAUNCH VIDEO TRADE TALKS, PLEDGE QUICK WORK IN POST-BREXIT ERA

The United States and Britain on Tuesday launched a first round of

negotiations for a free trade agreement, with their trade representatives

pledging to work quickly online to reach a deal that will "significantly

boost trade and investment."

The talks, to be conducted virtually, will involve over 300 U.S. and U.K.

staff and officials in nearly 30 negotiating groups, U.S. Trade

Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.K. Trade Minister Liz Truss said in a

joint statement.

"We will undertake negotiations at an accelerated pace and have committed

the resources necessary to progress at a fast pace," they said. "A Free

Trade Agreement would contribute to the long-term health of our economies,

which is vitally important as we recover from the challenges posed by

COVID-19."

One U.K. official told journalists in a background briefing that London's

goal was to expeditiously complete both negotiations, and there could be a

positive dynamic between them, although they were headed by different lead

negotiators.

Both countries are trying to shore up domestic supply chains as they grapple

with the effects of the coronavirus crisis.

VLADIMIR PUTIN AWARDS COMMEMORATIVE WWII MEDAL TO KIM JONG UN

Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded Kim Jong Un a commemorative war

medal marking the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, the

Russian embassy in Pyongyang said Tuesday.

The medal was awarded to the North Korean leader for his role in preserving

the memory of Soviet soldiers who died on North Korean territory, the

statement said.

Russia's ambassador in North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, presented the award

to the country's Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon on Tuesday. Kim, who was

rumored earlier this month to have fallen ill, didn't attend the ceremony.

Photos of the meeting in Pyongyang showed Russian and North Korean officials

wearing face masks despite the fact that North Korea so far has not reported

a single case of the new coronavirus.