Iran has re-emerged as the hardest-hit country by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East region, as the country is witnessing a respike of the pandemic with its confirmed cases going beyond 173,000. ....

New Zealand has lifted almost all of its coronavirus restrictions after reporting no active cases in the country. ....

The Minneapolis ex-policeman accused of killing unarmed black man George Floyd has made his first court appearance, where his bail was set at $1.25m. ....

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has presided over a politburo meeting of the Workers' Party and discussed measures to develop the chemical industry, but inter-Korean issues and other external matters were not on the agenda, state media reported on Monday. ....

Brazil has removed months of data on the COVID-19 pandemic from a government website amid criticism of President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the outbreak which has so far infected over 645,700, the media reported on Sunday. ....

After several studies revealed the side effects of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), new research has found that HCQ did not reduce the risk of ventilation or death in Covid-19 patients and was associated with longer length of hospital stay. ....

Tens of thousands of people staged mass Black Lives Matter protests across Australia on Saturday in support of the movement. ....

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday updated its guidance on the use of masks for control of COVID-19, advising all people aged 60 years or over, or those with underlying conditions, to wear a medical mask in situations where physical distancing is not possible. ....

Australian flag carrier Qantas and its low-cost budget airline Jetstar were resuming domestic and regional flights in June and July as travel restrictions have started to ease across the country. ....

Breaking his silence over the nationwide protests in the US against the death of African-American George Floyd, former Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said that President Donald Trump "tries to divide" the American people, instead of uniting. ....