USA - President Donald Trump said on Saturday that leftist organizations such as Antifa are responsible for the widespread rioting and looting on Friday after the death of George Floyd. “It’s ANTIFA and the Radical Left. Don’t lay the blame on others!” Trump wrote on Twitter. The president asserted that the violent protesters had nothing to do with protests of Floyd’s death after he was detained by police officers. “These are ‘Organized Groups’ that have nothing to do with George Floyd,” Trump wrote. “Sad!”

CHINA - China is "at war" with the US as tensions between the two world superpowers continue to escalate, a key ally of Donald Trump has warned. Relations between the US and China continue to worsen amid growing discontent over the origin of the coronavirus, the sovereignty of Hong Kong, the South China Sea and space programmes.

USA - President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States was terminating its relationship with the World Health Organization as he laid down the gauntlet against China. 'We will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and directing those funds to worldwide and deserving, urgent global public health needs,' he said during a press conference in the White House Rose Garden.

He blamed the move on China not being transparent enough about the 'Wuhan' virus, which is what he has called the coronavirus, and slammed Beijing's over reach in Hong Kong. 'China has total control over the World Health Organization, despite only paying $40 million per year compared to what the United States has been paying, which is approximately $450 million a year. We have detailed the reforms that it must make and engage with them directly, but they have refused to act,' Trump said.

GERMANY - News that the US has severed all ties with the World Health Organization (WHO) was met with criticism in Berlin, which called on the global body to reform in order to stay afloat. It also urged the EU to fill the funding void. German Health Minister Jens Spahn took to Twitter on Saturday, lamenting what he called “a disappointing backlash for International Health.” He called upon the WHO to change if it is to make “any difference for the future.” Berlin, whose turn to lead the European Union comes in July, will help the health body keep its head above water, Spahn assured: “And the EU must take a leading role and engage more financially. That’s one of our priorities for our EU presidency." While the evasive message didn’t name names, it marked a slight nod to US President Donald Trump who announced the termination of the US’ relationship with the WHO the day prior.

INDIA - Locals ran for shelter as 'billions and trillions' of locusts invaded a residential area of Jaipur, engulfing a staircase and blanketing the sky as they soared over rooftops. A man who filmed the swarm of locusts said the 'uncountable numbers of locusts flying in the sky' were 'something I have never ever seen in my life'. The locusts have already destroyed nearly 125,000 acres of crops, bringing further misery to farmers during the world's largest coronavirus lockdown. India has seen record numbers of virus cases in recent days, bringing the total past 150,000 in what is now one of the world's largest outbreaks. To add to India's problems, a heatwave has sent temperatures to 122F (50C) in some places while the capital New Delhi saw its hottest May day since 2002. The country of 1.3 billion people suffers from severe water shortages with tens of millions lacking running water - to say nothing of air conditioning.

USA - “This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private.” That’s what it says right under “Federal Reserve Note” and “The United States of America.” But legal tender won’t be accepted to play at one of the city of Los Angeles’ dozen public golf courses. Or for the $15 charge to enter the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in Arcadia. More than 30 Armstrong Garden Centers around California also ask for “touchless” payment options, as does the Beehive clothing boutique in Manhattan Beach and the Munch Company sandwich shop in South Pasadena.

USA - US President Donald Trump has vowed decisive action to quell unrest in Minneapolis, sparked by the police killing of an unarmed black man, threatening to get the military involved if the city’s mayor won’t do the job “right.” The ultimatum came early on Friday morning from the president’s Twitter handle, slamming Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as “very weak” and a “radical left mayor,” while warning that the federal government would take over the situation if local authorities don’t bring it under control.

USA - President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on social media censorship amid rapidly intensifying political bias from the Silicon Valley Masters of the Universe. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters aboard Air Force One that the president will shortly sign the executive order, although no further details were given about what it will consist of.

This comes after Trump warned social media companies that continued political bias would lead to action from the administration. “Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices,” said the President on Twitter earlier today. “We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen.”

CHINA - The Chinese parliament on Thursday passed a national security bill that ramps up security in Hong Kong. Anti-Beijing protests in the autonomous city were reignited by the draft’s introduction. The bill was approved by the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing and will now go to the country’s leadership to be enacted into law. The parliament session was attended by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

VATICAN - This Pope has given more interviews to journalists and biographers than any other. He has engaged with the press, the broadcast media and new social media platforms in a relatively open, proactive way, in contrast to the caution and wariness of his predecessors. Francis defends and trusts good journalism. He told reporters last year that freedom of the press was an important indicator of a country’s health.

To professionalise the Holy See’s content the Pope recruited Paolo Ruffini, a former television executive at Italian public broadcaster, RAI, to lead the Vatican’s dicastery for communication and appointed another trusted aide, Andrea Tornielli, Vatican reporter for La Stampa, as editorial director of Vatican Media. Marking World Communications Day last Sunday, the Pope stressed the importance of “sharing constructive stories that help us to understand that we are all part of a story that is larger than ourselves”.

GERMANY - Far removed from its official declarations of friendship and affinity with Israel, the German government appears to be pursuing increasingly harsh anti-Israel measures. Behind the scenes, in backrooms, and far from the official declarations of friendship and affinity, the German government is pursuing increasingly harsh anti-Israel measures. Beyond its regular funding of groups and activities that focus on delegitimizing the State of Israel, the German government, specifically its foreign ministry, is now intentionally targeting diplomatic relations between the countries.

GERMANY - Germany's interior secretary on Wednesday said anti-Semitic crimes in the country are increasing and reached their highest levels in 2019 since the country began recording them in 2001. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer called the rise in anti-Semitic crimes a "great concern," according to a report by ABC. "The largest threat, as in the past, is the threat from the right," Seehofer said. "Extreme-right politically motivated cases make up more than half of all of such recorded crimes — it is an order of magnitude that causes us concern, great concern."

GERMANY - Other Commands Should Take Heed. The German military sends its best to serve as an American general’s chief of staff, to everyone’s benefit. On VE Day this year, US Army Europe installed a new chief of staff: Brigadier General Jared Sembritzki — a German, and a Bundeswehr officer to boot. Though the transatlantic relationship may be sailing through choppy waters, the US and German armies are demonstrating collaboration that’s vital for both sides. Sembritzki is a hugely talented officer.

Then-Brigadier General Markus Laubenthal was the first German to hold the job. And last month was appointed Deputy Chief of Defense. The appointments of German chiefs of staff at US Army Europe have continued. And the success with foreign chiefs of staff in Wiesbaden raises the question: why not have more allied officers serve in high positions at US military headquarters?

GERMANY - The departure of US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell this week prompted a wave of accolades for his diplomatic work from important Israeli ambassadors based in continental Europe. Grenell’s robust diplomacy to advance human freedom will be deeply missed in Europe. He served as US president Donald Trump’s go-to ambassador for the continent. Within a mere two years, he quickly earned kudos as a “force of nature” who secured diplomatic results. Grenell used coercive diplomacy to reassert American interests and the interests of a democratic, capitalist system that seeks to blunt tyrannical assaults from communist China, Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the Islamic Republic of Iran...

Last year, Grenell launched an international campaign to decriminalize homosexuality across the globe and has met with Iranian dissidents in Berlin who seek to promote democracy in the highly repressive Iranian regime-controlled society. Grenell is believed to be the first openly gay member of a presidential cabinet in the history of the US government.

VATICAN - Pope Francis has said he shares the “impatience” of those eager to see full visible unity among the Christian churches. In a letter to Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, on the 25th anniversary the encyclical Ut Unum Sint [To Be One], Pope Francis said St John Paul II had wanted the Church to be “ever mindful of the heartfelt prayer of her Teacher and Lord” that all may be one. For this reason he issued the Encyclical that confirmed "irrevocably" the ecumenical commitment of the Catholic Church, publishing it on Ascension Day.