Trump rages at criticism while governors craft their own plans to reopen the economy
Updated 0736 GMT (1536 HKT) April 14, 2020
With 23,000 Americans dead and millions without a paycheck, President Donald Trump dimmed the lights in the White House briefing room, fired up a misleading propaganda video and boiled over.
In one of the most unchained presidential tantrums ever captured on television, Trump's Monday display flouted every notion of calm leadership by the commander in chief in a crisis.
He claimed powers never envisioned by the Constitution and insisted his "authority is total" to order states and cities to get moving again to break out of the frozen economy. His warning came as two blocs of Eastern and Western hot-spot states banded together in an implied challenge to his vow to get people back to work soon, setting off a brewing confrontation over the power of the federal government.
Growth in surveillance may be hard to scale back after pandemic, experts say
Coronavirus crisis has led to billions of people around the world facing enhanced monitoring
The coronavirus pandemic has led to an unprecedented global surge in digital surveillance, researchers and privacy advocates around the world have said, with billions of people facing enhanced monitoring that may prove difficult to roll back.
Governments in at least 25 countries are employing vast programmes for mobile data tracking, apps to record personal contact with others, CCTV networks equipped with facial recognition, permission schemes to go outside and drones to enforce social isolation regimes.
Mexican governor orders closure of US factory after it refuses to sell ventilators to Mexico
Row is the latest in a series of stand-offs between US companies and foreign countries over sale of medical supplies to fight coronavirusRichard HallNew York
A governor in Mexico has ordered the closure of a factory run by an American health care firm for refusing to sell ventilators to Mexican hospitals treating coronavirus patients.
Jaime Bonilla, governor of the border state of Baja California, said he closed the Smiths Medical facility because it was not providing an essential service to Mexicans, which is a requirement for factories to stay open during the pandemic.
"We said to them 'if you want us to consider you essential, you have to provide some benefit to the people of Baja California, by selling us ventilators, because we need them,'" Mr Bonilla said.
Scythes and monsters: Indonesian artists teach coronavirus care
From scythe-wielding monsters to a globe fending off coronavirus with an umbrella, a group of Indonesian artists has turned to wall murals to help stem a growing number of infections.
The Jakarta-area artists saw orders for their work dry up as the pandemic hit and decided to use that extra time to paint the walls of their neighbourhoods and educate the public about the deadly disease.
"This unnecessary panic moved me to do these murals. I wanted to rebuild our spirit so we've got the positive energy back to fight against coronavirus," said artist Sulis Listanto.
North Korea 'fires multiple suspected cruise missiles'
South Korea says the projectiles were fired from the North's eastern Kangwon province on Tuesday morning.
North Korea has fired a salvo of suspected cruise missiles towards the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea's military, in a major show of force on the eve of a key state anniversary in the North and parliamentary elections in the South.
The back-to-back launches from the ground and air on Tuesday were the most high-profile among a series of weapon tests that North Korea has conducted recently amid stalled nuclear talks and outside worries about a possible coronavirus outbreak in the country.
ERIK PRINCE OFFERED LETHAL SERVICES TO SANCTIONED RUSSIAN MERCENARY FIRM WAGNERMatthew Cole, Alex Emmons
ERIK PRINCE, FOUNDER of the private security firm Blackwater and a Trump administration adviser, has sought in recent months to provide military services to a sanctioned Russian mercenary firm in at least two African conflicts, according to three people with knowledge of the efforts.
Prince, who is the brother of Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, met earlier this year with a top official of Russia’s Wagner Group and offered his mercenary forces to support the firm’s operations in Libya and Mozambique, according to two people familiar with Prince’s offer.
Wagner officials said they are not interested in working with Prince, three people familiar with their decision told The Intercept.
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