Headline News From Around the World on May 14th, 2020

Here is today’s headline news from around the world on May 14th, 2020. Global coronavirus cases top 4.31 million as Russia sees spike in cases, Brazil and Mexico suffer the deadliest day yet.

United States of America

Washington DC – A leaked White House coronavirus task force report showed that some rural areas of the U.S. are seeing infections spike by more than 1,000% in a week. President Donald Trump said on Monday that cases are coming down “very rapidly” across the country, but the report shows the top 10 areas recorded surges of 72.4% or more over a seven-day period compared with the week earlier.

The mixed messages coming from the government and the half hazard approach to containing the pandemic has pushed the US infection rate to the highest in the world. The disproportionate infection and fatality rate that plague our poor and colored communities is reflected in the disproportional health care in America.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday rejected the advice of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, on how cautious governors and local officials need to be when reopening. The President seems dead set on causing the most destruction that can be achieved.

Fremont, California – Tesla’s standoff with California’s Alameda County officials has come to an end after the county agreed to let Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California, reopen.

Alameda County gave Tesla its blessing on the condition that it maintain “minimum business operations” and implement additional safety recommendations, according to a company statement that was released on Tuesday.

Farmingdale, N.Y. – Police on Long Island revealed on Wednesday that an off duty NYPD officer shot and killed his childhood friend. Sources said a fight broke out Tuesday night on a wooded path involving former schoolmates just steps from the intersection of Langdon Road and Cornell Place in South Farmingdale.

The 26-year-old cop who is assigned to the 109th Precinct in Queens and lives in North Massapequa allegedly pulled his off duty weapon and shot his buddy in the head, police said.

United Kingdom

London, UK – The British government is finalizing a brutal austerity agenda, which could be rolled out within weeks, to claw back from the working class the cost of its bailout of big business. The offensive is being prepared as the government is attempting to force millions back to work in unsafe conditions.

The United Kingdom / Northern Ireland – The UK government will erect Brexit border posts with Northern Ireland as Brexit proceeds forward. The posts are a requirement of the Brexit deal signed between the UK and the EU as well as Johnson’s insistence that the UK must leave the Single Market and Customs Union. Under the terms of the deal, Northern Ireland will continue to follow EU rules and customs procedures, in order to avoid controversial border checks with the Republic of Ireland.

Israel

Tel Aviv, Israel – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Israel Wednesday for talks on regional security and the country’s plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

The talks were also expected to cover common arch foe Iran after Israel is believed to have launched strikes against Iranian bases in neighbouring Syria in recent weeks, and the Jewish state’s trade relations with China.

The ministry announced that Zaid Qaysia, 15, was “killed by a live bullet in the head fired by the Israeli soldiers in Al-Fawar camp” near Hebron in the southern West Bank, with a further four Palestinians injured during the protests.

Russia

Moscow, Russia – Though the country performed about 6 million tests, doctors have said results are inaccurate in about 20% of cases, and Russian officials today announced a halt in the use of ventilators linked to two recent hospital fires, made by a company that had been designated as Russia’s sole supplier and was to supply 5,700 more.

China

Beijing, China – Today China reported seven new cases, six local cases from Jilin province, which is experiencing an outbreak in the city of Shulan, and one imported case, according to the National Health Commission. China’s state media said the six local cases are all related to previous clusters. The country also reported eight more asymptomatic cases, seven of them local and one imported.

Brazil

Brasília, Brazil – The Brazilian government reported 881 deaths in a single day, taking its total number of fatalities to 12,400, according to the Guardian. President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticized for repeatedly playing down the dangers of the illness, publicly and repeatedly dismissing it as “sniffles,” and resisting the kind of restrictions on movement that public health experts say are essential to contain the spread.

Mexico

Mexico City, Mexico – Mexican officials continue to downplay the pandemic as the coronavirus count rose another 353 deaths and confirmed 1,997 new cases in a 24-hour period, disappointing hopes following a lower tally earlier in the week that the illness was coming under control.