World coronavirus dispatch: Big Tech's big plans for the post-Covid world

From first drone deliveries in the US, to how South Korea crushed its second outbreak, and the impact of Covid-19 on militant activity in Africa - read these and more in today's world dispatch

American ‘Big tech’ players are already making plans for the post-Covid world. The world’s biggest e-tailer, Amazon Inc, is in talks to buy autonomous vehicle start-up Zoox Inc, last estimated to be worth $3.2 billion. It’s not difficult to see the rationale: Amazon is a delivery company that might one day like to use autonomous vehicles for shipping e-commerce parcels. In all probability, the pandemic now seems to have hastened the move. Read more here.

Let’s look at the global statistics

• Total confirmed cases: 5,593,148
• Change over previous day: 41,610
• Total deaths: 350,509
• Total recovered: 2,288,034
• Nations hit with most cases: The US (1,681,212), Brazil (391,222), Russia (362,342), the UK (266,599) and Spain (236,259).

Source: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center

Global energy spending to fall $400 billion due to coronavirus crisis: The coronavirus pandemic is estimated to slash energy-sector investment by about $400 billion this year — the biggest ever annual fall. Spending is due to plunge in every major sector, from oil, gas and coal to renewables, according to International Energy Agency. Read more here

Japan to unveil another $1 trillion in stimulus: Japan will unveil new economic stimulus worth more than $1 trillion. Its second major package in just over a month includes a raft of loan guarantees and private-sector contributions. Read more here

Drone deliveries begin in US state of North Carolina: On Friday, a six-foot-long drone that took off from North Carolina flew 15 miles west to Novant Health’s Huntersville Medical Center and dropped a box of protective masks in a designated spot next to the parking lot. The flight, about 30 minutes round-trip, marked the first US delivery for Zipline Inc, a California-based drone start-up. Read more here

Amazon denies outbreaks at German warehouses: On Tuesday, it came to light that 53-68 cases of Covid-19 had been traced to the Amazon warehouse in Winsen, Lower Saxony. At least another seven had been discovered at another location in the city of Pforzheim in southern Germany. Without explicitly denying the outbreak at its facilities, the company said it had implemented a host of safety protocols for its workers. Read more here

Mexico sees Covid-19 toll climb with record 501 daily deaths: Mexico reported record 501 Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday, bringing its total to 8,134. The country had announced earlier this month that it would reopen its economy, lifting lockdowns in rural municipalities with few reported cases, and restarting its auto, mining and construction sectors. Read more here

New virus-linked blood disorder in kids: South Korean health authorities are investigating if two minors are suffering from a serious and rare inflammatory paediatric disease linked to the novel coronavirus. If confirmed, these could be the first reported cases in Asia of the blood disorder that has afflicted children in Italy and the US. Read more here

Google to re-open offices in July: Google said it would reopen some of its offices in early July, with occupancy levels limited to 10 per cent, rising to 30 per cent during the autumn if health conditions allowed. A small number of employees in essential jobs would be required to return to the office, though most could look forward to one day every two weeks, depending on need, the company said. Read more here

Specials

Coronavirus’ impact on militant activity in Africa: Islamic State has dubbed the outbreak “the crusader’s worst nightmare”, urging adherents to take up arms. The leader of Nigeria’s Boko Haram terrorist group says his fighters are immune to the virus, and described the pandemic as a “God-sent soldier” after an April attack in Mali. Academics who study jihadist groups say that terrorist activity in Africa has picked up in recent months. Read more here

How South Korea crushed its second outbreak: Within two weeks of the new outbreak, believed to have begun on May 2, South Korea had recorded 257 new cases of Covid-19, more than double the number in the previous fortnight. But there are signs that the rigorously efficient contact-tracing regime deployed by the country is bringing this new outbreak under control. The most notable of these is a method that utilises credit card records, mobile phone tracking, and GPS location data to track previous movements of infected individuals. Read more here

In the US, child hunger is a major problem: Child hunger in the US is soaring while an emergency programme funded by the Congress to replace school meals has reached only 15 per cent of eligible children. Among pandemic-related hardships, child hunger stands out for its urgency and symbolic resonance — after decades of exposes and reforms, a country of vast wealth still struggles to feed its young. So vital are school meals in some places that states are issuing replacement benefits in waves to keep grocers from being overwhelmed. Read more here