Tesla CEO Elon Musk has launched into an extraordinary tirade against lockdown orders in the United States, describing the rules as “fascist”.

“And he’s going to get re-elected.”

Not a day goes by without several friends — Republicans as well as Democrats — saying that to me. It’s the blunt coda to a bloated recitation of Donald Trump’s failures during this pandemic. It’s a whimper of surrender following a scream of disbelief.

Coronavirus and Germany: Why the world is looking to Angela Merkel

The German chancellor has been declared politically dead many times. But the current pandemic has boosted her reputation and popularity at home and abroad. DW explains why.

"Lame duck" is the usual term given to politicians who don't want to or can't run for office again. With their political shelf-life suddenly measurable, such figures are condemned to being considered weakened and less effective.

 

Australia's coronavirus tracing app, dubbed COVIDSafe, has been released as the nation seeks to contain the spread of the deadly pandemic.

At a press conference on April 22, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reacted to one of the latest diplomatic incidents between China and the USA in regard to the lawsuit filed by the State of Missouri against the Chinese government. 

The French suspend their Liberty

Global fear of coronavirus on the rise, new poll shows

 

People are taking the threat of COVID-19 increasingly seriously, according to a new Gallup survey. The pollster's president spoke to DW about how the world views the pandemic and its impact on democratic values.

 

Every American should realize: the heavily armed groups – funded and organized by rightwing oligarchs – whom the president is now praising for protesting the lockdowns – WILL be out on the streets, threatening and very possibly killing people if Trump, despite all the GOP vote rigging, loses in November. Yes, that is absolutely where we are now. That's WHY these groups have been funded by the rich, that's why they're being mobilized now.

Seen here with the strawman (Malcolm Roberts) and the tinman (Bernardi), both back in parliament, doing more damage about anything — Malcolm never had the courage of his own opinions.

Queen Elizabeth has scuttled plans for a public celebration of her 94th birthday, saying it would be inappropriate to mark the occasion with massed gun salutes as her subjects confront the coronavirus pandemic.