They had planned lives, families and careers in Hong Kong. Now at a gathering of young professionals, one topic dominated conversation — to stay or to flee. All but one was considering quitting the territory as China imposed sweeping new national security legislation on their homeland.

The clampdown, proclaimed without consultation on Tuesday night, was even more draconian than feared. Secret courts, unaccountable police units, worldwide reach and penalties of up to life in prison were among the provisions.

‘We can confirm that The Little Mermaid has been vandalised some time before 9:00 am this morning,’ Copenhagen police said in a statement.

‘An unknown person has written the words ‘Racist Fish’ on it. We are investigating the case.’

Brazil has registered more than 1.6 million cases since the pandemic began, while cumulative deaths total 64,867, according to the ministry.

Singapore’s government defended its stand on the testing of migrant workers, the biggest cluster of its coronavirus outbreak, issuing five corrective directions under its fake-news law to media outlets and a local graduate club that carried comments by an opposition leader on the topic, Bloomberg reports.

Regional health minister Jesus Vazquez Almuina told a news conference the biggest outbreaks were linked to several bars in the area.

The region is Spain’s second in just 24 hours to re-enter lockdown.

A couple died of bubonic plague in the western Mongolian province of Bayan-Ulgii after eating raw meat last year.

The news of Bubonic plague comes quickly after concerned Chinese researchers issued a warning over another potential pandemic caused by an influenza virus in pigs.