Bedugul Coffee: Tuesday Briefing: Witness to deadly arrest of George Floyd returning to stand

Today's top stories

A dire COVID warning for America, PayPal launches a crypto checkout service, and Nike sues over shoes with a touch of blood

A professional mixed martial arts fighter who witnessed the deadly arrest of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May is due to return to the stand for the second day of testimony in the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

Donald Williams can be heard on a bystander’s cellphone screaming at Chauvin, who kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes during the arrest on May 25, 2020, shortly after Floyd was accused of passing a fake $20 bill.

U.S. President Joe Biden urged states to pause reopening efforts and a top health official warned of “impending doom”, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, New York will expand eligibility for the vaccine to people 30 and older today, and make it available to anyone 16 and above on April 6.

U.S. prosecutors expanded their criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell, saying the British socialite helped procure a fourth underage girl for the late financier Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse.

↑ Witness Donald Williams testifies during the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., March 29, 2021 in this courtroom sketch

WORLD

↑ Residents use trash to block streets as a form of protest in Thaketa township, Yangon, Myanmar, March 30, 2021

Rubbish piled up on the streets of Myanmar’s main city after activists launched a 'garbage strike' to oppose military rule as the toll of pro-democracy protesters killed by the security forces since the coup rose to more than 500.

China has finalized a sweeping overhaul of Hong Kong's electoral system, drastically curbing democratic representation in the city as authorities seek to ensure "patriots" rule the global financial hub.

Shipping is on the move again in Egypt’s Suez Canal after tugs refloated a giant container ship which had been blocking the channel for almost a week, causing a huge build-up of vessels around the waterway.

Leaders of 23 countries and the World Health Organization have backed an idea to create an international treaty that would help the world deal with future health emergencies. The treaty would ensure universal and equitable access to vaccines, medicines and diagnostics.

Business

Global banks may lose more than $6 billion from the downfall of Archegos Capital, sources say, and regulators and investors fear the episode could reverberate more widely. We look at how the debacle at Archegos throws excessive risk-taking into the spotlight.

PayPal will announce later today that it has started allowing U.S. consumers to use their cryptocurrency holdings to pay at millions of its online merchants globally, a move that could significantly boost use of digital assets in everyday commerce.

When food delivery firm Deliveroo joins the London stock market tomorrow, it will be Britain’s biggest listing in a decade, even though some of the country’s leading investors - worth over $1 trillion between them - will be conspicuous by their absence.

Athletic shoe maker Nike sued a New York-based company that produced 'Satan Shoes' purported to contain a drop of human blood as part of a collaboration with 'Old Town Road' rapper Lil Nas X.