world news: 2020-05-17

Saturday 23 May 2020

Nursing home in Michigan lockdown unaware of elderly patient beating until viral video surfaced on Twitter

Police said a nursing home under strict Michigan coronavirus lockdown measures was unaware of an attack on an elderly patient until a viral video surfaced on Twitter, which prompted a response from Donald Trump."Is this even possible to believe? Can this be real?" the president wrote. "Where is this nursing home, how is the victim doing?"

Virginia high school banner groups students of color to make dark outline of logo

"If the picture were at all organized by skin color this is absolutely disgusting,” one student wrote in an email.

Iranian fuel starts arriving in Venezuelan waters despite U.S. warning

The first of five Iranian tankers carrying fuel for gasoline-starved Venezuela entered the South American country's exclusive economic zone on Saturday, despite a U.S. official's warning that Washington was considering a response to the shipment.

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Buenos Aires lockdown extended until June 7 after rise in coronavirus cases

Argentina extended until June 7 a mandatory lockdown in Buenos Aires on Saturday and tightened some movement restrictions, after a steady increase in the city's confirmed coronavirus cases in recent days.

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First fuel tanker from Iranian flotilla reaches Venezuela's economic zone: data

The first tanker from a flotilla of five Iranian fuel cargoes reached Venezuela's exclusive economic zone on Saturday, according to vessel tracking data from Refinitiv Eikon.

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Khashoggi's sons forgive Saudi killers, sparing 5 execution

The family of slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi announced on Friday they have forgiven his Saudi killers, giving legal reprieve to five government agents who had been sentenced to death for an operation that cast a cloud of suspicion over the kingdom's crown prince. “We, the sons of the martyr Jamal Khashoggi, announce that we forgive those who killed our father as we seek reward from God Almighty,” wrote one of his sons, Salah Khashoggi, on Twitter. Salah Khashoggi, who lives in Saudi Arabia and has received financial compensation from the royal court for his father's killing, explained that forgiveness was extended to the killers during the last nights of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in line with Islamic tradition to offer pardons in cases allowed by Islamic law.

Tankers carrying Iranian fuel approach the Caribbean: data

Iran is supplying about 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and alkylate to Venezuela, according to both governments, sources and calculations made by TankerTrackers.com based on the vessels' draft levels. The shipments have caused a diplomatic standoff between Iran and Venezuela and the United States as both nations are under U.S. sanctions. Washington is considering measures in response, according to a senior U.S. official, who did not elaborate on any options being weighed.

'We need answers': VA has given hydroxychloroquine to 1,300 vets with COVID-19 amid troubling studies

Democrats are raising concerns over the Department of Veterans Affairs using hydroxychloroquine to treat veterans diagnosed with COVID-19, a path of treatment that has been shown to increase mortality in some patients.

Fauci just made his first TV appearance in over 2 weeks and says we'll be 'seeing a little bit more' of him

"We've been talking with the communications people, and they realize we need to get some of this information out," Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN.

Brazil passes 20,000 virus deaths after record 24-hour toll

The novel coronavirus death toll in Brazil surpassed 20,000 on Thursday, after a record number of fatalities in a 24-hour period, the health ministry said. Brazil has now recorded more than 310,000 cases, with experts saying a lack of testing means the real figures are probably much higher. The death toll -- the sixth highest in the world -- has doubled in just 11 days, according to ministry data.

Argentina extends mandatory lockdown for city of Buenos Aires until June 7: Fernandez

Argentina extended a mandatory lockdown for the capital, Buenos Aires, until June 7, President Alberto Fernandez announced on Saturday, after the city saw a steady increase of coronavirus cases in recent days.

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Brazil registers 965 new coronavirus deaths, confirmed cases hit 347,398

Brazil registered 965 new coronavirus deaths on Saturday, taking the total number of fatalities to 22,013, the Health Ministry said.

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North Korea's Kim keeps low public profile in May: analysts

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made an unusually small number of public appearances in the past two months, once again going three weeks without state media reporting his attendance at a public event, according to analysts. Kim's low profile comes as North Korea imposes anti-coronavirus measures, although the country says it has no confirmed cases, and follows intense speculation about his health last month after he missed a key anniversary. Since coming to power in 2011, the previous fewest public appearances Kim has made during those months was 21 in 2017, according to a tally by Chad O'Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, a Seoul-based organisation that tracks North Korea.

Restrictions eased while virus deaths decline in New York

New Yorkers experiencing cabin fever after two months of coronavirus quarantine received an unexpected reprieve when Gov. Andrew Cuomo eased the state's ban on gatherings in time for the Memorial Day weekend. New York state on Saturday reported its lowest number of daily coronavirus deaths — 84 — in weeks in what Cuomo described as a critical benchmark. “In my head, I was always looking to get under 100,” Cuomo said.

Pompeo reportedly privately met with big Republican donors at taxpayer expense while on official State Department trips

Last year, Sen. Bob Menendez called for a special counsel investigation to see if Pompeo's frequent trips to Kansas were legal.

China gets 'promising' early results from COVID-19 vaccine trial

Within two weeks of getting the vaccine, some developed so-called neutralizing antibodies, which can block SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Malaysia says second virus cluster breaks out at migrant detention centers

A new cluster of coronavirus infections has broken out in Malaysia at a detention center for undocumented migrants, authorities said on Saturday. Malaysia has this month arrested more than 2,000 foreigners for not having permits that allow them to be in the country following raids in areas under lockdown. The United Nations and rights groups have called on Malaysia to stop the crackdown and criticized authorities for going after a vulnerable community during the pandemic.

Texas' Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called vote-by-mail a 'scam,' saying it's 'laughable' that people under 65 would be scared to vote in person

Patrick said an expansion of voting by mail was a "scam" by Democrats to steal the election and that it would "destroy America."

Coronavirus: New York state daily death toll drop below 100

A total of 84 people died in 24 hours, the lowest daily toll since March in the worst-hit US state.

Guatemala president scolds U.S. for deporting migrants with coronavirus

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei criticized the United States on Thursday for sending back migrants infected with the novel coronavirus to his Central American country and straining its weak health system. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, and Giammattei's attempts to curb deportation flights from the United States, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been sending Guatemalan migrants back to their home country.

US government health agency CDC revises guidance on spread of coronavirus on surfaces

The coronavirus is primarily spread from person-to-person and not easily from surfaces or objects, the US’s government health agency has said in revised guidance. Catching the virus from delivery boxes or takeout food bags, for example, is highly unlikely "because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) writes. The virus travels mostly through the droplets a person produces when talking or coughing, its website says. "It may be possible that a person can get Covid-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes," it adds. "This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, but we are still learning more about this virus." While this information is not new, the new phrasing calls more attention to how the disease is not likely to spread.

A haunting image of a body abandoned in the street in coronavirus-racked Rio shows how Brazil's health system is struggling to cope

Brazil is now the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in Latin America, with a rocketing death toll and leadership crisis.

Mississippi church fighting coronavirus restrictions burned to the ground

"Bet you stay home now you hypokrits" was written in parking lot at church that had sued the city over its public health orders.

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