George Floyd laid to rest in Houston

A four-hour funeral service for George Floyd in Houston, Texas, was broadcast live on US television on Tuesday. Floyd’s niece Brooklyn Williams, one of several family members to deliver a eulogy at the Fountain of Praise Church in Houston, called for justice. And the Rev. Al Sharpton called Floyd an “ordinary brother” whom God had made “the cornerstone of a movement that is going to change the whole wide world.” He also said that there was “wickedness in high places” when referring to president Donald Trump’s infamous Bible photo op. Reuters, The Washington Post, Politico and New York Times report, while Fox News has a picture report.

Fauci’s “worst nightmare”

Dr Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday that the global covid-19 pandemic “isn’t over yet” and that the world is going need “billions and billions of doses” of any vaccine that is developed. Speaking at a conference of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Fauci said the coronavirus had been his “worst nightmare” and that he was surprised by how “rapidly it just took over the planet”. The Guardian, CNN and Forbes have more.

Centeno steps down at Eurogroup

Eurogroup president Mário Centeno has said he will inform the group of Eurozone finance ministers on Thursday of his decision not to seek a second mandate, “as by 15 June I will step down as finance minister of Portugal.” His current tenure ends on 13 July. Luxembourg’s finance minister, Pierre Gramegna (DP) is being talked of as a lead candidate for the position. More in Delano’s noon briefing.

Kersch optimistic on partial unemployment extension

Employment minister Dan Kersch (LSAP) has said he is convinced a solution can be found to extend the partial unemployment scheme until the end of the year. RTL Lëtzebuerg reports that Kersch emerged from a 3-hour meeting with unions and bosses saying that all partners had had to compromise. Cabinet will discuss the outcome of the negotiations when it meets later today.

WHO expert backtracks on asymptotic transmission claim

World Health Organization covid-19 technical lead Dr Maria Van Kerkhove on Tuesday admitted that a comment she made on Monday that asymptomatic transmission was “very rare” may have led to misunderstanding. Van Kerkhove said she did not mention estimates that up to 40% of coronavirus infections could be transmitted by people who have the virus but no symptoms because they were from models. “What I was referring to was a subset of studies. I was also referring to some data that isn’t published,” she said. Time, and CNBC report.

Study suggests China may have had virus last August

Harvard researchers say satellite images showing an apparent surge in traffic outside Wuhan hospitals from late August 2019 suggests coronavirus may have affected the city much earlier than initially reported. China has dismissed the study as “ridiculous.” The BBC, Aljazeera and CNBC have more.

Chaos and long lines at Georgia polls

Long queues and problems with voting machines caused consternation at Georgia polling stations on Tuesday. Reports suggest the problems were most pronounced in two counties that are reportedly Democratic strongholds. Reuters, Politico and CNN report.

Deadly terrorist attack in Nigeria

At least 59 people are feared dead following a suspected jihadist attack on a remote village in Borno state in Nigeria, the BBC reports.

Arctic oil spill reaches lake

Some of the oil leaked from a collapsed fuel tank outside the city of Norilsk in Siberia last week has begun seeping into a glacial lake. Lake Pyasino is the source of the Pyasina River that is vitally important to the entire Taimyr peninsula. Vladimir Putin had declared a state of emergency last Wednesday following the initial leak. The Moscow Times, New York Times and Reuters have more.

Leopold II statue removed

Authorities in Antwerp took down a statue of former Belgian king Leopold II on Tuesday. The move followed mass protests in support of Black Lives Matter in Belgium at the weekend. Officials say the statue was taken down to be “restored”, but it is unlikely to be put on public display again. Leopold II, who reigned from 1865 to 1909, oversaw a regime of ruthless terror in the Congo, which he ran as a personal colony. Petitions are underway to have similar statues of Leopold II removed in Brussels and Arlon. Politico, New York Times and the Daily Mail report.

“Cops” cancelled

Long-running reality TV show “Cops”, which first aired in 1989, has been permanently cancelled by Paramount Network. The show's 33rd season had been scheduled to premiere on Monday, but had already been postponed in the wake of protests against police violence. The Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post and USA Today all report.

Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts