Of covid19 deaths in britain. And prosecutors say a man who tied two decades ago killed swedish Prime Minister roloff palalme in 1986. Welcome. We begin in the u. S. , where George Floyds brother urged politicians to, quote, stop the pain and pass reforms to end police brutality. Loneous floyd was testifying before the House Judiciary Committee and told members not to make his brother buster best death in vain. The death sparked weeks of protests in the u. S. And around the world. Heidi joe castro reports from washington. Floyd traveled from houston to the u. S. Capital. Waseorge call for help and ignored. Please listen to the call i am making to you now, the calls from our family and the calls ringing out from streets across the world. People of all backgrounds, genders and races have come together to demand change. House Democrats have passed sweeping legislation including increased accountability for mixed conduct misconduct for and Banning Police chokeholds. Im tired. Im tired of pain. Im tired of pain from watching Something Like this when you look at your big brother, who you looked up to your life, die. What we saw in minnesota was the slow, torturous murder george floyd by uniformed officer. It was an outrage and tragedy. And we have seen since then millions of americans marching in the streets to demand justice and call for reforms. It has been an inspiration. Heidi jo seven in 10 americans now say floyds death is part of a systemic problem of police to lysing and killing black americans. These have become a rallying cry for those demanding reform. But the meaning of the phrase is nuanced. Meanst, defund the police shifting money from police to social services. But the far left, it means abolishing police altogether. Seized on thate extremist interpretation, warning of anarchy. They know it is pure insanity to defund the police. And the fact that my democrat colleagues would speak out against this crazy policy is just that, frightening. Chanting]ters Senate Republicans are dropping their own legislation. Ideaso parties competing may reach a stalemate potentially resulting in nothing. No justice. No peace. but protesters have made clear they want except that and if congress doesnt take action than voters will, at the polls in november. Al jazeera, washington. Police Minneapolis Department is breaking off talks with the powerful police union. The chief says it is part of planned reforms. This source says the Union Contract needs to be restructured to provide more transparency. Critical incident protocol, our use of force, the significant role supervisors play in this apartment, and also the discipline process, to include both grievances and arbitration. I believe i speak for my chief peers in the state of minnesota as well as across our country, that there is nothing more debilitating to achieve from an employment perspective, then when you have grounds to terminate an officer for misconduct, and you are dealing with a thirdparty mechanism that allows that employee not only to be back on your department, but patrolling in your communities. 1 u. S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for the removal of confederate statues in washington dc. A statue of Christopher Columbus in the city of richmond became the latest torn down by protesters. They used ropes to drag the effigy off its pedestal, before setting at the fire and dumping it in a lake. The monument was toppled less than two hours after demonstrators gathered, chanting for it to go. Activists then vandalized the foundation that once held the statue. A senior British Health expert says the u. K. s coronavirus death toll could have cut in half had the lockdown been brought in a week earlier eerie former government advisor Neil Ferguson was giving evidence to earlier. Former government advisor Neil Ferguson was giving evidence to mps. Had we introduced our lockdown measures earlier, we would have reduced the final death toll by at least day half by at least a half. Given what we know about the virus then and its transmission, we were warranted. Im not trying to find fault, but if we had introduced the lockdown earlier, we would have had fewer deaths. Was professor it Neil Fergusons study for Imperial College that shock to the government into imposing the lockdown in lake march, when he said if the government did nothing come at 250,000 people would die. He is not an uncontroversial figure though. He had to resign from his government advisory position after it emerged he had opened the lockdown himself to visit his romantic partner. But he is still an influential figure, and when he speaks, people listen, certainly journalists have. They picked up on what he said earlier and pressed Prime MinisterBoris Johnson about it at the press conference this afternoon. And we can hear now what Boris Johnsons response was. We made the decisions at the thosen the guidance of including professor ferguson, that we thought were right for this country. Posede questions that are are still unanswered. And there is a lot of data that we still do not have. I know you want me to cast judgment now on everything that happened in the months that have gone by, that moment will come. And of course weve got to learn lessons. At thisst think that stage, it is premature. There is too much we dont know. Correspondent johnson also announced the latest easing of lockdown measures, saying as of monday all shots can reopen, zoos can open, and as of this weekend, People Living by themselves or raising families by themselves can start forming support bubbles. That is, they can form a connection with one other household, lightening the load of this increasingly long and drawn out coronavirus period. 1 come more barbara a majority of the Assembly Members in Rio De Janeiro, brazil, have voted to advance impeachment proceedings against the president. On wednesday, police raided the governor palace in a state in the governors home. Meanwhile, the number of infections keeps rising across the country. In sao paulo, retail shops opened despite a Record Number of deaths for two days. 1274 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to more than 39,000. Daniel,oss live now to in plano saris. Daniel, in buenos aires. We can see the death toll shows no sign of decreasing, but now you have the situation with governors. I was that affecting the handling of the coronavirus in brazil . Daniel this is a very political case. In the northern state, there were 23 rates there wednesday, several people arrested. The governor of Rio De Janeiro was arrested or detained late last month, and now you mentioned, being brought on impeachment charges. Both governors are from different ends of the political spectrum, the left wing governor of eight northern state, a former ally of president air balls in our and the other, former ally ofa bolsonaro. Air what they have in common is their opposition to coronavirus measures. Is now telling people to go back to work and support the economy, and calls the coronavirus a mild flu. So the govovernor of Rio De Janeiro is a possible rival to bolsonaro in the next election. So a lot of political shenanigans going on. One governor, when first investigated, called this a political case against him. This is what we are seeing. Both and have always said theymen have always said are innocent of the charges. Bolsonaro says he will go all out to stamp out corruption around brazil in relation to states buying equipment to try to fight the covid19 virus. But many people are leveling accusations against him, that he is removing potential political rivals under cover of these raids on their properties, on their government palaces. Very complicated and serious situation in brazil. Tell us about the rest of south america. Found itself has at the epicenter of the pandemic recently. Aniel it has the World Health Organization a few weeks ago was saying they thought latin america would come the epicenter. It does seem to be reaching that inge, with several countries the region reporting in the last 24 hours Record Numbers of daily. Eaths, 192 reported in chile there has been a lockdown incentive . For some weeks lockdown in antiago. In argentina, they managed to control the pandemic fairly effectively, 717 deaths in all. But they recently allowed people running on monday night. Tens of thousands of people came out onto the street, the president saying he may have to put restrictions acting place to control the virus. Barbara daniel, with the latest, thank you. And still to come in this halfhour, the netherlands questions some longtime traditions in light of the black lives Matter Movement. And hbo says, it does give they damn, temporarily removing a classic movie from its library following the george floyd tests. Floyd protests. The weather remains fine and dry across much of vice ,rillion, much of australia highpressure in charge, one or two showers eastern new south wales. These will ease the next couple of days. It will brighten up more. Highpressure, leaving it quiet in much of the southeast. It is on the western side of the country where we will see rain rolling through. This area of low pressure feeding into Western Australia and will roll across wa thursday. It makes its way through melbourne and some parts of South Australia through the weekend. Dry, neweast fine and zealand fine and dry, just muchneeded rainfall pushing across the north island through friday. Rainve lesswelcome continuing across central china. Seasonal downpours are continuing, more heavy showers rolling into central and southern china, nudging further northward, across the korean peninsula. Rain in japan. And sticky end tokyo sticky in tokyo at 29 degrees. Barbara welcome back. Here is a reminder of the top stories on al jazeera. George floyds rather urges congress to pass reforms on police talent and stop the pain. Floyd told members of the Judiciary Committee to make sure his brothers death was not in vain. Meanwhile, the Minneapolis Police chief is taking on the powerful police union, announcing his department is breaking off talks in the wake of floyds death. And a senior British Health expert says the u. K. Coronavirus death toll could have been cut in half if the lockdown had been brought in a week earlier. The british Prime Minister says decisions were based on scientific evidence. Italy is another country badly hit by the coronavirus, but Prime MinisterGiuseppe Conte is expected to be questioned by prosecutors friday over the pandemic. Prosecutors are looking at why a law was not enforced in february. Regional officials claim each other for the failure. Italy was the first coronavirus epicenter and reported over 34,000 deaths. The Moscow Health department 5,260 died in the city last month from the coronavirus. That is far higher than the 1500 last reported by the pressure Coronavirus Response center during may. Officials attribute the spike to a change in the way coronavirus deaths are certified. Russia recorded the third highest case count in the world, after the u. S. And brazil. But it is a relatively low number of deaths come at just over 6000, raising questions, but despite this the moscow mayor is pushing ahead with easing restrictions in the city. Worstrld is facing its peace time recession in a century. That is according to the organization for Economic Cooperation and development. It predicts the Global Economy will shrink by at least 6 in 2020 because of coronavirus lockdown spirit britain, france, italy and spain will be worst hit, with gdp decreases of at least 11 . The fallout will be worse if there is a second wave of the pandemic. Beenast 35 people have killed in northern nigeria. On on mortar bikes motorbikes attacked, hours after the killings of 69 people. Nigerian government blamed bandits for the attack. Violence by armed groups in the area has killed thousands and displaced about 2 million people. We have more now. Isrespondent the attack seen as an escalation of the violence we have seen in northwest nigeria. States,al northwest dozens have been killed, or hundreds have been killed in the past two months in that region. In northeast nigeria, we have seen militants stepping up attacks on rural, isolated communities, the latest on a community 100 kilometers from the regional capital. Nearly 70 people have been killed in that attack, because haramghters, who are boko members allied to the islamic state, a accused them of collaborating and launching attacks on their own fighters. So they went into town, shot people and ran them over with cars and motorcycles. This is part of a wider conflict niger,chad region, chad, nigeria and cameroon. , most conflicts have been neglected by the International Community and the media. There are major problems. First of all, the refugee crisis in central africa, especially from the Central African republic, and it is also suffering attacks from boko haram. Then there is the conflict between Security Forces and separatists in parts of cameroon , which has created a lodge of refugees in those countries. Barbara swedish prosecutors say they know who killed former Prime Minister all off all palme on stockholm street in 1969. 1986. But our correspondent reports the locking away of files is unlikely to get the country closer. Years, thent for 34 memorial to the murdered Prime Minister has been the most solid case the most solid thing of the case in sweden. Palme was shot and killed on stockholms busiest street as he walked with his wife. He had been to the cinema without a bodyguard, a decision that would end with one of the longest and biggest murder investigations in the world. Palme and his wife left the cinema in 1986, walking past of the churchyard where he would soon be buried. When they got to this corner, a gunman shot him in the back, leaving the Prime Minister dying on the ground. The murder scene was immediately contaminated by mourners laying flowers, a string of mistakes that cut chances of finding the killer. This man was convicted in 1989 but cleared the same year. On wednesday, the swedish prosecutor announced a new chief suspect. Enstrom, previously known as a witness. He opposed palmes socialist policies. Enstrom killed himself 20 years ago. Orwe cant interview him open proceedings, so my decision is to close the case because he is deceased. Correspondent without any physical evidence linking him to appears toweapon, it ignore the international leads the investigation followed, including the Kurdistan Workers Party that led to them being declared a terrorist organization. African990s, south intelligence agents set their colleagues were behind the Prime Ministers murder, following palmes support for the African National congress and condemnation of apartheid. The suspect was named as a likely suspect in a book in 2017. Im glad they came to the same conclusion i did, that he is the killer. Palme was an internationally and is seen asan perhaps the best of sweden. And this whole case has been dramatic. Olaf palme was an unusual swedish Prime Minister. He had an impact outside his country. His anticolonial views made him a fierce critic of superpowers. He welcomed immigrants. Those policies may have put him into the grave in which he has lain for more than three decades. The love many swedes have for him has endured, but since the case is closed, it looks as though the Unanswered Questions will endure as well. Paul reese, al jazeera, stockholm. Barbara more than 10,000 people have rallied in support of the black lives Matter Movement in the dutch capital of amsterdam. Protesters are highlighting the countrys colonial past. And that is not the only focus. Our correspondent explains. ]emergency sirens close correspondent the image of the netherlands has long been one of liberalism and tolerance, but protests have been throughout the country in the past week, calling for an end to systemic racism. In the area grew up where the protest was held, says its where more than 100 nationalities live. And if you look at job ratings, some people will get jobs at corporate companies. The rates could be between 1 and 5 , and it is a shame. We should be ashamed about it. We need to change that. Correspondent at the protest, he invited the Prime Minister to discuss solutions. Real structural change. That is what these protesters are demanding in amsterdam. Some say, compared to they knighted states, another lens with its own colonial history is still lagging behind about the impacts of racism. They hope that this will allow it to finally change. As the protests started last week, the Prime Minister said he thed change his stance on dutch traditional character of black feet. He said he understands some feel discriminated against by the way it is portrayed. It is a tradition. Said traditions are not racist at all. That is what he said. Well, there have been a lot of traditions which were racist and which have been abolished. He said, i have black friends who are happy they have black skin so they dont have to scrub off the paint after the festivities. It is a horrible thing to say, from a leader of a country where there are many black people. Correspondent a chief Magazine Editor says it is about time the netherlands reevaluate its traditions, and its own image. The netherlands became this country sending aid around the world, and we are nice, we are good to refugees and stuff like that. The level ofto where 400 years of colonialism settled in, inlaws and imagery and culture and the way we treat people in the way we talk. Correspondent wealth another lens may be starting painful conversations about its colonial past and attitudes towards racist traditions, in belgium, action is being taken. A statue of king leopold the second was removed from the city of antwerp after it was vandalized. This happened after thousands of signed a petition asking for removal of the statue of a man accused of mass murder. [applause] black lives matter. Correspondent protesters in the netherland say they are also concerned about statues honoring colonial leaders. Al jazeera, answer dam. Barbara the u. S. Civil war epic gone with the wind has been removed from the streaming platform hbo max, as protests against racism force companies to reassess their offerings. The film was made in 1931 1939 and one multiple oscars, but it has been criticized. Charlie angelo has more. Correspondent gone with the wind is one of the most popular films in history, another relic of tainted past pull down, this time by hbo max. The film set during the American Civil War depicted content slaves and romanticized to the confederate south. Hbo max says the removal is contemporary. The film made in 1939 will return with a disclaimer. In a statement they said, it is a product of its time and picks ethnic and racial prejudices that have been unfortunately commonplace in american society. We felt that to keep the title up without an explanation and date announcement of those depictions would be a responsible. In february, President Trump revealed the film is one of his favorites. Forocked the oscars promoting a south korean film. Know, can we get will get my gone with the wind back, please . Black lives matter. Correspondent black lives matter of just have sparked a larger, cultural conversation about systemic racism. But some say tinkering with the past is counterproductive. It comes after freedom of speech and art. If we censure people for giving the wrong opinion, what message does that give to anyone Going Forward . I have made two films. Do i need to remember do i need to worry about my films being removed in 100 years, because people will be thinking differently 100 years from now . I think it is an extreme move. corporations, usually silent on divisive issues come are scrambling to show support for the movement the paramount network canceled cops the longrunning police show that showed Police Chasing down suspects, kicking indoors doors, and arresting people. As the world reexamines not only how black people are treated in reality, announcer on this episode of earth focus, Ocean Acidification caused by Global Warming is dramatically affecting marine life. In california, partnerships are forming between cocommercial fisheries, scientists, and Community Members to helelp the endangered abalone adapt and survive. [slide projector clicking] different announcer earth focus is made possible in part by a grant from anne ray foundatia