JAPAN Neither the Japanese organizers nor the International Olympic Committee has said what it will cost to delay the Tokyo Games for one year. Early estimates range between $2 billion and $6 billion. Although officials say the added costs are unknown, one thing is certain: Japanese taxpayers will pick up most of the bills.
IRAN The leader of the Revolutionary Guard warned yesterday he ordered his forces to potentially target the U.S. Navy after President Donald Trump’s tweet a day earlier threatening to sink Iranian vessels. Iran separately summoned the Swiss ambassador, who looks out for America’s interests in the country, to complain about Trump’s threat.
THAILAND It’s rare to see a threatened species of sea mammal in shallow waters in southern Thailand but thanks to travel restrictions that have stripped popular destinations of crowds of tourists, a large group of dugongs has made their presence known. Drone video footage released by the Department of National Parks shows a 30-strong herd of dugongs on Wednesday off Libong island in Trang province.
GERMANY Two former members of Syria’s secret police appeared in court in Germany yesterday accused of crimes against humanity for their role in a government-run detention center where large numbers of opposition protesters were tortured. The trial of Anwar R. and Eyad A. is the first time that two representatives of the Syrian government have faced trial abroad for war crimes.
TURKEY A Turkish Airlines plane flew over the country yesterday making the shape of the country’s flag with its flight path to mark centennial celebrations for the founding of Turkey’s parliament. The celebrations for Turkey’s National Sovereignty and Children’s Day were changed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with authorities replacing parades and school ceremonies with observances in line with social distancing efforts.
AUSTRALIA A cruise ship that is the subject of a criminal investigation after it became Australia’s largest single source of coronavirus infections set off from the country’s shores yesterday a month after it was ordered by police to leave. The Ruby Princess has been linked to 19 deaths in Australia and two in the United States.
EUROPEAN UNION leaders are set to weigh the damage the coronavirus has inflicted on health care systems and the lives of around half a billion citizens across the bloc as they struggle to devise a more robust plan to resuscitate their ravaged economies. The 27 leaders will endorse a series of urgent spending measures and debate a massive recovery plan they hope to introduce in coming weeks.
BELGIUM European countries are designing contact tracing apps for mobile phones to help locate outbreak sources. While they’re a powerful force for good, the various devices are raising concerns about privacy and just how intrusive they might become. The bracelets are worn like a watch and vibrate when they move to within three meters of each other.
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