It is revealed that the Ganges river in India has had hundreds of human bodies floating in its waters and buried in its banks in recent days, including some thought to have died of COVID-19. (BBC News)
An anti-fungal drug, Amphotericin B, used in the treatment of a rare infection called mucormycosis, or "black fungus", is in short supply across states in India. Immunity to this infection can be reduced by the use of steroids in severely ill COVID-19 patients. (BBC News)
India reports a new world record of 4,529 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 283,248. (The Straits Times)
Malaysia reports a record 6,075 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 485,496. (Free Malaysia Today)
Taiwan raises its COVID-19 alert level to level 3 nationwide, which is the same level as Taipei and New Taipei City, where masks are required to be worn at all times and gatherings of more than five people indoors and ten people outdoors are banned amid an increase in the number of locally transmitted cases. (The Guardian)
Restaurants, bars, and cafés are reopened in France for outdoor dining for the first time in six months. Museums, theatres, and other cultural venues are also reopened as the curfew is changed to 9:00 p.m. as part of an easing of restrictions. (The Washington Post)(France 24)
Argentina reports 39,652 new cases of COVID-19, a record for the second consecutive day. This subsequently brings the national total to 3.4 million. (Big News Network)
Zimbabwe reports its first cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant. The variant had been detected among a group of people in the central town of Kwekwe after a student returned from India on April 29. (Reuters)
Morocco closes its border with Spain following the escalation of diplomatic tensions generated by the massive influx of migrants into Ceuta on Tuesday. (Euractiv)
The Spanish Audiencia Nacional summons the leader of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, to present himself in court on June 1 on accusations of multiple charges related to human rights violations by human rights groups and Western Sahara individuals. Ghali, who is currently hospitalized in northern Spain, refused to sign the summon, saying that he has to refer to the Algerianembassy first. (Reuters)
The Qatari cabinet approves a draft law scheduling elections to the Shura Council for October, after several years of delays. The law also provides guidelines for voter registration and campaigning, such as allowing government employees to run and limiting expenditures to QAR2 million per candidate. (Al Jazeera English)