Countries past their peak continue to ease Covid-19 restrictions, and human vaccine trials start in Australia

*)Countries lift Covid-19 restrictions

We start with the pandemic as several countries, including Japan, Germany, Greece,Italy and Spain, ease restrictions.

In the US, where the coronavirus death toll is nearly 100,000, Americans headed en masse to beaches and parks for Memorial Day weekend.

Latin America and Southeast Asia are slowly taking over as Covid-19 hotspots, with a massive uptick in cases in Brazil, India and Pakistan.

*)Hong Kong leader defends security law

Defending China’s proposal, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says Beijing’s national security law will not infringe on the city’s rights and freedoms.

China earlier unveiled plans for national security legislation for Hong Kong that it says aim to tackle secession, subversion and terrorist activity.

Protesters responded by taking to the streets, saying the proposed law goes against Hong Kong’s "one country, two systems" governance formula.

*)Afghanistan frees 100 Taliban prisoners as Eid truce holds

Afghanistan has freed 100 Taliban prisoners as part of the government’s response to a ceasefire offered by the insurgents to mark Eid al Fitr.

The government plans to release up to 2,000 Taliban inmates as a “goodwill gesture” in response to the ceasefire offer.

Violence has escalated since Washington signed a deal with the Taliban to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan by 2021.

*)Venezuela celebrates docking of Iranian fuel tanker

Venezuelan authorities celebrated as the first of five Iranian tankers loaded with gasoline docked in the South American country.

The tankers are delivering badly needed fuel to the crisis-stricken nation that sits atop the world’s largest oil reserves.

The shipments are arriving in defiance of sanctions imposed by the US against both nations.

And finally…

*)Novavax begins human trials with potential Covid-19 vaccine

US vaccine company Novavax has begun testing a prospective Covid-19 vaccine in Australia.

The company will inject 131 volunteers in the first phase of testing the safety of the vaccine and looking for signs of its effectiveness.

Novavax said animal testing suggested the vaccine is effective in low doses.