US  –    Thousands took to the streets of downtown Chicago on Tuesday calling McDonald’s the “Donald Trump of corporations” and protesting low wages and sexual harassment at the world’s largest fast food chain a day before the company’s annual shareholder meeting.

The protest, coordinated by pressure groups including Fight for $15, a union-backed lobby group calling for a hike in US minimum wage, plan a second day of protests at McDonald’s annual shareholder meeting in Chicago on Wednesday morning. The marchers, many of them in red ponchos in the driving rain, marched between Trump Tower and the Rock’n’Roll McDonald’s, the company’s flagship restaurant in its hometown.

“McDonald’s just like Donald Trump steals wages from its workers. McDonald’s just like Donald Trump avoids paying taxes. McDonald’s just like Donald Trump supports low wages. McDonald’s just like Donald Trump harasses women,” Fight For $15 national campaign organizer Kendall Fells said.(The guardian)[+]

SOMALIA  –   Somaliland’s foreign minister has said that the international community’s refusal to recognize the republic 26 years after it declared independence means aid is taking far longer to reach people on the brink of famine.

Though Somaliland, on the Gulf of Aden, has 4.4 million inhabitants and its own currency, army and parliament, in the eyes of the world it is part of war-torn Somalia. More than 1.5 million people have been affected by the drought afflicting the state, and most of its livestock has been wiped out. In recent days, the drought has been compounded by an outbreak of cholera in the east.

Saad Ali Shire, Somaliland’s foreign minister, said: “Lack of recognition is proving a major problem. We do not receive bilateral aid. All aid goes to the third parties via the UN. The UN has very professional people, but the bureaucracy that goes with these many channels is huge, and there is a high administrative cost. If we were recognized, we could receive aid bilaterally, and attract international investors – so creating a more resilient economy that is less dependent on livestock.(The guardian)[+]

TURKEY – Turkey has summoned the US ambassador in the aftermath of last week’s brawl in Washington DC which left nine people hospitalized.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry protested to John Bass on Monday to object to the way the situation was handled by US officials. In a statement, the ministry said Turkey was protesting against the aggressive and unprofessional actions taken by US security personnel. Turkey said that the lapses of security during Erdogan’s stay were caused by the inability of US authorities to take sufficient precautions at every stage of the official program.(CNN)[+]

PHILIPSBURG, St Maarten (CMC) – Participants from over twenty countries in the Caribbean and around the world are scheduled to attend the target airlift conference to be held in St Maarten next month.The upcoming Caribbean Aviation Meetup, scheduled for June 13-15 that is being hosted by Princess Juliana International Airport will bring parties from all industry perspectives and geographical areas together.

“The Caribbean Aviation Meetup sets itself apart from any other political summit or industry association meeting that emphasises one particular theme or subject only, be it airline routing, tourism sustainability, or a business sector. These meetings often miss an important point. If one focusses on one segment but cannot bring it in perspective to other segments, it becomes a matter of, popularly”, said the organisers.(Jamaica observer)[+]

CARACAS – Doctors rallied in Venezuela yesterday in the latest street protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, as a young man lay in hospital after being set on fire by an angry crowd. The death toll climbed to 48 over the weekend, with hundreds injured and thousands detained, as the unrest entered its eighth week, according to authorities and rights groups.

In the latest gruesome unrest on Sunday, a man was beaten, doused in petrol and set alight during a protest in the capital Caracas, an eyewitness video and photographs showed. The crowd parted as he ran away in flames. Some reports said the man was accused of being a thief but the government alleged he was attacked for being a Maduro supporter.(Jamaica observer)[+]

USA – Hip hop star Wyclef Jean came to Miami to help Haitians celebrate their pride and their Little Haiti neighborhood. But the Haiti-born star, concerned about the plight of tens of thousands of Haitians who could face deportation as the Trump administration decides whether to extend the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program or terminate it, also turned his high energy eclectic performance into a plea.

Shortly after taking the stage after midnight Friday at the same Little Haiti Cultural Complex where Trump, on a campaign stop in September, promised to be Haitians biggest champion, Jean, rapped, “Donald Trump renew TPS.”

Then minutes later to the Fugees’ hit “Ready or Not,” rapped: “You need to renew that TPS; too many Haitians are feeling that stress.” Haitian advocates like Marleine Bastien had been hoping that Haiti’s biggest celebrity, known for rocking Haitian pride and peppering his rap and song lyrics with Creole narrations, would say something about TPS. “We are so encouraged,” she said, “by his strong stance for renewal…I know it warmed the heart of thousands of TPS recipients. (miamiherald)[+]

COLOMBIA – The fiancé of accused drug mule Cassandra Sainsbury has fled Colombia ahead of an explosive interview to be aired on Seven’s Sunday Night. Lawyers for the Australian prisoner tried to stop the interview from being shown, but late Sunday afternoon their injunction application made to the Supreme Court was dismissed.

As lawyers fight for Cassie Sainsbury in Colombia, it was an advertisement for Seven’s Sunday Night programme that ignited her legal team back home – specifically, comments from the alleged drug mule herself. Her lawyers argued comments made by Ms Sainsbury would jeopardise not only her life, but also her family’s. The 22-year-old South Australian’s lawyers also tried to suppress comments made in phone conversations with fiancé Scott Broadbridge, who was also interviewed by Sunday Night.

Details of Ms Sainsbury’s comments were so sensitive that Justice John Sackar closed the court so arguments could be made in private. He said if there was even a shred of suggestion airing the material would endanger her life, he would shut it down. He did not. “I propose to dismiss the application,” the judge ruled. Scott Broadbridge left Colombia on Sunday fearing for his life while fleeing a country that has reportedly identified him as a person of interest in his fiancée’s drugs case. (Yahoo7)[+]

USA – As the weekend approached, the question lingered if “Alien: Covenant” would be able to unseat “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” from the top spot at the domestic box office.

Now, we have an answer. As of Sunday morning, “Covenant,” from 20th Century Fox and Scott Free Productions, looks to be the winner with a three-day estimate of just over $36 million from 3,761 locations. That’s just above Disney’s “Guardians” sequel which is raking in an additional $35.3 million from 4,347 spots. The super sequel is seeing only a 46% drop from last weekend, and its total domestic earnings now exceed $300 million.

While “Alien” may have won, the film’s price tag in the $100 million range and marketing costs detract from the victory. The sixth installment in the Alien franchise (not counting the two Alien vs. Predator films) was directed by Ridley Scott and stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, and Danny McBride. It holds a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is in line with 2012’s “Prometheus.” Although it came in already having made $42 million overseas and $36 million was enough to land in the top slot, “Alien” grossed less during its first weekend in the U.S. than “Prometheus” did in 2012 ($51 million). Its final domestic earnings also came in below earlier projections, which pegged the horror flick at at least $40 million. (Variety)[+]

PORTUGAL    –  People who are obese run an increased risk of heart failure and stroke even if they appear healthy, without the obvious warning signs such as high blood pressure or diabetes, according to a major new study.

The findings, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Porto, Portugal, may be the final death knell for the claim that it is possible to be obese but still metabolically healthy or “fat but fit” say scientists.  Several studies in the past have suggested that the idea of “metabolically healthy” obese individuals is an illusion, but they have been smaller than this one. The new study, from the University of Birmingham, involved 3.5 million people, approximately 61,000 of whom developed coronary heart disease.(The guardian)[+]

GERMANY   –  The German Air Force this month sent the U.S. military a written request for classified data on the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jet as it gears up to replace its current fleet of fighter jets from 2025 to 2035.

The letter, sent by the Air Force’s planning command and seen by Reuters, makes clear that the German government has not yet authorized a procurement program and is not committed to any particular aircraft to replace its current warplanes. It said the defense ministry would carry out “an in-depth evaluation of market available solutions, including the F-35, later this year,” with a formal “letter of request” to be issued in coming months.

Germany’s interest in the F-35 – the Pentagon’s most advanced warplane and its costliest procurement program – may surprise some given that it is part of the four-nation consortium that developed the fourth-generation Eurofighter Typhoon, which continues to compete for new orders.(Reuters)[+]