U.S. PUSHING RELATIONS TO THE BRINK OF A NEW COLD WAR: CHINA

China on Sunday accused the US of pushing the bilateral ties to the brink of

a "new Cold War" by spreading "lies" about the coronavirus and said it was

open to international efforts to identify the source of the deadly virus.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi also said the lawsuits filed against China in the

US demanding compensation for Covid-19 is an attempt to blackmail a victim

with fabricated evidence. Under constant attack from US President Donald

Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the origin of the coronavirus

and failure to provide timely information, Wang launched a broadside against

Washington in his annual press conference.

He accused American politicians of spreading "political virus" to smear

China. "It is the most regrettable that while the coronavirus is still out

there, a 'political virus' is also spreading in the US and jumping at any

opportunity to attack and slander China," he said in a video media

conference on the sidelines of China's annual session of the National

People's Conference (NPC).

"Some political forces in the US are taking China-US relations hostage and

pushing our two countries to the brink of a new Cold War," Wang said. Some

politicians ignored the basic facts and made up countless lies and

conspiracy theories concerning China. "The longer the list, the more it says

about how low the rumour-mongers are willing to go and the more stains they

will leave in history," Wang, who is also the State Councillor, said.

HONG KONG POLICE FIRE TEAR GAS ON BIGGEST PROTESTS SINCE COVID-19 CURBS

The Hong Kong police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands

who, in defiance of curbs imposed to contain Covid, gathered on Sunday to

protest against Beijing's plan to directly impose national security laws on

the city.

In return of the unrest that roiled the financial hub last year, crowds

thronged the bustling shopping area of Causeway Bay, where chants of "Hong

Kong independence, the only way out," and other slogans echoed through the

streets.

To Communist Party leaders, calls for independence for the Chinese-ruled

city are anathema, and the proposed new national security framework stresses

Beijing's intent "to prevent, stop and punish" such acts. As dusk fell,

sporadic standoffs broke out between police and demonstrators in the bar and

nightlife district of Wan Chai near the heart of the business district. The

protest, the first since Beijing proposed the new laws on Thursday, had

mostly died down by then, but the day's events pose a fresh challenge to

Beijing's authority as it struggles to tame public opposition to its

tightening grip over the city.

The security laws have also sent a chill through financial markets and drawn

a rebuke from foreign governments.

CHINA TAKEOVER OF HONG KONG COULD LEAD TO US SANCTIONS, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

China's proposed national security legislation for Hong Kong could lead to

US sanctions and threaten the city's status as a financial hub, White House

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said on Sunday.

"It looks like, with this national security law, they're going to basically

take over Hong Kong and if they do ... Secretary (of State Mike) Pompeo will

likely be unable to certify that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of

autonomy and if that happens there will be sanctions that will be imposed on

Hong Kong and China," O'Brien said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

NETANYAHU CALLS GRAFT CHARGES 'FABRICATED'

A combative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced court on Sunday

for the start of his long-anticipated corruption trial after lashing out at

the "fabricated" charges against him. The veteran leader, who has just

forged a new unity government after more than a year of political turmoil,

became the country's first Premier to face criminal charges while in office.

Flanked by Ministers from his right-wing Likud party, Netanyahu addressed

reporters before entering the Jerusalem District Court to face charges of

bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

"I'm here with a straight back and my head held high," Mr. Netanyahu said,

labelling the charges "fabricated and ludicrous".

The trial is expected to last for months, if not years.

During Sunday's sessio, Mr. Netanyahu spoke only to identify himself, before

the court adjourned after one hour. He was not asked to enter a plea, which

will occur in a later session.

NEW ZEALAND PM CONTINUES TV INTERVIEW AS QUAKE STRIKES

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern barely skipped a beat when an

earthquake struck during a live television interview Monday morning.

She interrupted Newshub host Ryan Bridge to tell him what was happening at

the parliament complex in the capital, Wellington.

"We're just having a bit of an earthquake here Ryan, quite a decent shake

here," she said, looking up and around the room. "But, um, if you see things

moving behind me."

New Zealand sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is sometimes called the

Shaky Isles for its frequent quakes.

Monday's magnitude 5.6 quake struck in the ocean about 100 kilometers (62

miles) northeast of Wellington, according to the US Geological Survey.

The quake hit just before 8 am and was felt by thousands of New Zealanders

who were getting ready to start their work weeks. It was strong enough to

rattle food from shelves and stop train services.

But there were no reports of major damage or injuries.

Ardern continued on with her interview, telling the host the shaking had

stopped.

"We're fine Ryan," she said. "I'm not under any hanging lights, I look like

I'm in a structurally sound place."

BORIS JOHNSON BACKS KEY AIDE OVER LOCKDOWN BREACH CLAIMS

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's top aide is facing increasing

pressure to resign as further allegations emerged on Sunday of him breaching

the Covid lockdown rules.

Dominic Cummings, who is Johnson's Chief Strategy Adviser at No. 10 Downing

Street, on Saturday defended a 250-mile journey to his parents' home in

Durham, north-east England, as "reasonable and legal" and the UK Prime

Minister has so far stuck by him with Downing Street reiterating the same

line.

The PM said he believed Mr Cummings had "no alternative" but to travel from

London to the North East for childcare "when both he and his wife were about

to be incapacitated by coronavirus".

"In every respect, he has acted responsibly, legally and with integrity," Mr

Johnson said.

However, Johnson now faces a revolt from within his own Conservative MPs

over his decision not to sack Cummings as fresh allegations emerged of the

aide making repeated trips in breach of the government's stay-at-home

guidance to curb the spread of the deadly virus. The 'Observer' and 'Sunday

Mirror' reported that Cummings was seen in the north east of England on two

more occasions, after recovering from his COVID-19 symptoms and returning to

work in London. Downing Street has branded the reports as "inaccurate". But

backbench Tory MP and former chairman of the European Research Group (ERG)

Steve Baker called for Cummings to resign. "The country can't afford this

nonsense, this pantomime, Dominic should go and we should move on," he told

the BBC.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson said parents and teachers should prepare for the

phased reopening of schools in England to start on 1 June as planned.

He also announced that a further 118 people had died with coronavirus in the

UK, across all settings, bringing the total to 36,793.

AS COVID-19 CASES SURGE, US BANS TRAVELLERS FROM BRAZIL 'TO PROTECT COUNTRY'

The White House has announced a ban on travel to the US from Brazil due to

the spread of coronavirus in Latin America's hardest-hit country.

Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says in a statement Sunday evening that the

ban applies to foreign nationals who have been in Brazil in the 14 days

before they sought to travel to the United States.

McEnany cast it as a move by President Donald Trump "to protect our

country." Trump has already banned travel from the United Kingdom, Europe

and China, all of which have been hit hard by the virus. Trump had said last

week that he was considering imposing similar restrictions on Brazil.

Brazil had reported more than 3,47,000 Covid-19 cases, second behind the US

in the number of infections, according to a Johns Hopkins University count.

PRELIMINARY REPORT OF PIA CRASH RAISES QUESTIONS

A preliminary report on the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane

crash, in which 97 people were killed, has raised serious questions about

the pilot's handling of the aircraft and what prevented the crew in the

cockpit from informing the air traffic controllers about the troubles.

Pakistani investigators are trying to find out if the crash of the national

flag carrier's flight PK-8303 is attributable to a pilot error or a

technical glitch, with new leads raising fresh questions over the

circumstances of the incident, Geo News reported.

According to the report, prepared by the country's Civil Aviation Authority

(CAA), the Airbus A-320's engines had scraped the runway thrice on the

pilot's first attempt to land, causing friction and sparks recorded by the

experts.

After the third impact, the pilot took the aircraft off into the air again,

which officials found very strange as the crew in the cockpit did not inform

the ATC at the Jinnah airport of any problem.

The ATC's conduct is also being probed.

GHANI VOWS TO EXPEDITE PRISONER RELEASE

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani vowed Sunday to speed up the release of

Taliban prisoners, and said he was ready to hold peace talks with the

insurgents after accepting their surprise offer of a ceasefire.

The Taliban proposed a three-day truce over the Id al-Fitr holiday that

marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramzan starting Sunday,

which Mr. Ghani swiftly agreed to.

"As a responsible government we take one more step forward - I announce that

I will expedite the Taliban prisoner releases," Mr. Ghani said in an address

to the nation marking the holiday.

FAMILY OF EXILED TOP SAUDI OFFICER SAAD AL-JABRI 'TARGETED'

A senior Saudi security official who for years was the key go-between for

Britain's MI6 and other Western spy agencies in Saudi Arabia is now being

persecuted along with his family, according to former Western intelligence

officials.

Dr Saad al-Jabri, who helped foil an al-Qaeda bomb plot against the West,

fled into exile three years ago, ahead of a purge by the all-powerful Crown

Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Now his children have been seized as "hostages",

according to his eldest son, Khalid.

"Omar and Sarah were kidnapped at dawn on 16 March and taken out of their

beds by about 50 state security officers who arrived in 20 cars," says their

brother, Khalid al-Jabri.

The family house in Riyadh was then searched, the CCTV memory cards removed

and the pair, aged 21 and 20 respectively, held incommunicado at a detention

centre.

There have been no charges given and no reason offered to the family for

their arrest, Khalid tells me on a phone call from Canada where he and his

father live in self-imposed exile. "We don't even know if they are alive or

dead."

He believes they are being held as bargaining chips in an attempt to force

his father to return to Saudi Arabia where he fears he will face immediate

arrest and imprisonment.

"They can make up any lies they want about him but he is innocent."