TRUMP SAYS US TERMINATING RELATIONSHIP WITH WHO; ANNOUNCES MILD SANCTIONS

AGAINST CHINA

President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. will terminate its relationship

with the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus

outbreak in China and will begin the process of withdrawing special trade

benefits for Hong Kong because of the Chinese government's imposition of a

new security law in the semi-autonomous city.

The two measures, combined with the cancellation of visas for some Chinese

citizens, come as a rift between the two countries widens.

Trump, who has complained for weeks about the World Health Organization as

the virus death toll surged in the United States, said the global health

body failed to adequately respond to the outbreak because China has "total

control" over the global organization.

"We have detailed the reforms that it must make and engaged with them

directly, but they have refused to act," the president said from the White

House. "Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed

reforms, we will be today terminating the relationship."

The U.S. is the largest source of financial support for the WHO and its exit

is expected to significantly weaken the organization.

He noted that the U.S. contributes about $450 million to the world body

while China provides about $40 million.

Trump said the administration would begin eliminating the "full range" of

agreements that had given Hong Kong a relationship with the U.S. that

mainland China lacked, including on trade and extradition. He said the State

Department would begin warning U.S. citizens of the threat of surveillance

and arrest when visiting the city.

The president also said the U.S. would be suspending entry of certain

Chinese citizens. He didn't provide specifics, but officials said this week

that the administration was considering expelling thousands of Chinese

graduate students enrolled at U.S. universities.

STAY OUT OF HK AFFAIRS, CHINA TELLS NATIONS

China has lodged diplomatic protests with the US, the UK, Canada and

Australia for "interfering" in its internal matters by criticising its new

security law for Hong Kong and also warned America of countermeasures if it

did not stop the "frivolous" political manipulation over the issue.

China's parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a new controversial

security law for Hong Kong, a move that critics say threatens the

fundamental political freedoms and civil liberties in the semi-autonomous

territory, also a major global trading hub.

The security legislation bans secession, subversion of state power,

terrorism, foreign intervention and allows mainland China's state security

agencies to operate in Hong Kong. "China's decision to impose the new

national security law on Hong Kong lies in direct conflict with its

international obligations under the principles of the legally binding,

UN-registered Sino-British Joint Declaration," the joint statement released

by the four countries said.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian told a media briefing on

Friday that China has lodged diplomatic protests with the four countries.

JOE BIDEN URGED TO PICK BLACK VP, NOT KLOBUCHAR AS MINNEAPOLIS KILLING

STOKES RACIAL TENSIONS

Former Vice President Joe Biden is facing fresh calls to choose a black

woman as his running mate amid rising racial tensions after this week's

videotaped death of an unarmed black man as a white Minneapolis police

officer knelt on his neck.

Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee to take on President Donald

Trump in the Nov. 3 election, has promised to pick a woman. Several black

candidates are on the short list, including Senator Kamala Harris, former

Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams and Representative Val Demings.

The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which has led to raging protests

there and elsewhere, is the latest in a string of U.S. incidents involving

unarmed black men, including the shooting of a jogger in Georgia in February

and numerous high-profile police killings that gave rise to the Black Lives

Matter movement.

Some African-American leaders and activists said a black woman on the ticket

would help demonstrate to black voters, a crucial component of the

Democratic base, that Mr. Biden is committed to addressing issues like

criminal justice reform and police misconduct.

Several said choosing Senator Amy Klobuchar, a former White House rival also

being vetted by Mr. Biden's team, would have the opposite effect.

"Amy Klobuchar is an absolute no-go," said Keith Williams, chairman of the

Democratic Party Black Caucus in Michigan, a battleground state Biden hopes

to win back after Trump's 2016 victory there. "A black woman would give him

an instant boost."

PAKISTAN PLANS TO RAISE $1.5BN IN EUROBONDS, OFFICIALS SAY

Pakistan plans to raise $1.5 billion through Eurobonds to bridge a balance

of payments gap for the financial year beginning July 1, two government

officials said on Friday.

With the country's fiscal deficit likely to rise as high as 9.4% and a

shortfall in revenues due to Covid-19 economic losses, Pakistan desperately

needs funds to stave off balance of payment pressure caused by dwindling

foreign reserves and a current account deficit.

"Pakistan plans to launch these bonds in next fiscal year. Exact dates and

amount can't be confirmed at the moment as it depends on market situation,"

an official at the finance ministry told Reuters.

Another official at Pakistan's ministry of economic affairs said Pakistan

wants to raise an estimate $1.5 billion. Both officials requested anonymity.

The Pakistani economy is likely to contract -1% to -1.5% in the current

financial year, which ends in just over a month, on June 30, according to

the International Monetary Fund and the country's finance ministry.

The plan is subject to approval from Pakistan's cabinet. Its terms would be

made public at launching.

MALAYSIA'S MAHATHIR OUSTED FROM PARTY

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been

ousted from his ethnic Malay political party in the latest twist of a power

struggle with his successor, but he has vowed to challenge the move. The

94-year-old Malaysian leader Mahathir, along with his son and three other

senior members, were expelled from the Bersatu party on Thursday.

OZ COURT ALLOWS RELEASE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II LETTERS

Canberra: An Australian court on Friday ruled in favour of historian Jenny

Hocking and allowed her access to letters between Queen Elizabeth II and her

representative in the country during the dismissal of former PM Gough

Whitlam in 1975 following a political crisis. The release of the 211 "Palace

Papers" exchanged between the Queen and then Governor-General John Kerr are

expected to shed light on how much the monarch knew about the biggest

constitutional crisis in Australia's history.

SPACEX LAUNCH: NASA ASTRONAUTS SET FOR SECOND TRY

Rocket company SpaceX will make a second attempt in the coming hours to get

Nasa astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken into orbit.

Their flight to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday was

postponed because of poor weather at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

Saturday's forecast is not brilliant. The meteorologists say conditions will

probably be touch and go again.

The lift-off is scheduled for 15:22 EDT (19:22 GMT).

There's huge focus on Hurley's and Behnken's mission because it will mark

the first time that the United States has been able to launch its astronauts

to the ISS since the retirement of Nasa's space shuttles in 2011.

It will also be the first occasion that the US space agency has used a

private company to transport one of its crews to orbit.

But people were wrong if they thought this attention added to the pressure

to get the astronauts off the ground, said Nasa Administrator Jim

Bridenstine.

"We will launch when we are ready," he told reporters. "I'll tell you, the

President (Donald Trump) and the Vice President (Mike Pence) were proud of

the Nasa team and the SpaceX team for making the right call for the right

reasons (on Wednesday)."

CORONAVIRUS: DENMARK AND NORWAY EXCLUDE SWEDEN FROM TOURISM

Norway and Denmark say they will open up tourism between their two countries

from 15 June but will maintain restrictions for Swedes.

Sweden did not impose a lockdown, unlike its Nordic neighbours, and its

Covid-19 death toll - above 4,000 - is by far the highest in Scandinavia.

Danish PM Mette Frederiksen said Denmark and Sweden were in different places

regarding the pandemic.

Denmark is also opening up tourism with Germany and Iceland, within limits.

Tourists from those countries cannot stay the night in Copenhagen, which has

the most coronavirus cases. Danes can travel to those two countries too,

without having to go into quarantine on their return.

The announcement dashes the hopes of Danes hoping to travel to Southern

Europe for their holidays and Denmark's foreign minister said they should

avoid big cities and stick to the countryside.

At a joint video news conference, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said

"we can't open too suddenly, that would jeopardise everything we've

accomplished".