Headline News From Around the World on May 19th, 2020

Here is today’s headline news from around the world on May 19th, 2020.  The global coronavirus death toll at 320,335, with more than 4,624,817 confirmed cases around the world, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. remains the world’s worst-hit country, with more than 90,802 deaths.

USA

Laredo, TX – On Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paxton Warner, who is representing the government in their condemnation lawsuit against the city, wrote an email to the City Attorney’s Office regarding the bulkhead.

“… I have advised Border Patrol to cease negotiations with the City regarding the downtown retaining wall until such time as the Court decides the issue of authority and possession.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paxton Warner

Attorneys representing private landowners have been fighting the border wall and helping the city develop their argument in the condemnation suit.

If their argument proves sound before a judge, this would not only be an unprecedented win against the federal government in a right of entry case, it would also be an applicable defense for the rest of the landowners fighting against the wall in the Laredo Sector, which spans Webb and Zapata counties.

Washington, DC – The federal government has earmarked billions to help farmers. There will be winners and losers. Quick-fix programs to get billions to farmers, like the trade-war bailouts and PPP, have come with complications, critics say.

The federal government has earmarked $36 billion to help U.S. agriculture cope with losses caused by COVID-19, and over half the farmers in a recent national survey said they meant to apply for some relief. On Tuesday, the Department of Agriculture announced the details of the largest slice yet, a $19 billion bailout called the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

Canada

Toronto – Canada and the US have agreed to extend their agreement to keep the border closed to nonessential travel to June 21 during the coronavirus pandemic.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday the border is a source of vulnerability, so the agreement will be extended by another 30 days. The restrictions were announced on March 18 and were extended in April.

Thailand

Bangkok – Thailand’s flagship carrier will be restructured with the help of a bankruptcy court, making it the latest airline to succumb to pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.

Thai Airways announced Tuesday that the government has approved its proposal for a sweeping restructuring plan to be overseen by the country’s Central Bankruptcy Court. The plan is intended to prevent the company from being dissolved, forced into liquidation or formally declared bankrupt.

Netherlands

The Hague – The Dutch government reported its own taxation office to public prosecutors on Tuesday, seeking an investigation into possible discrimination in a long-running scandal centered on civil servants trying to track down parents fraudulently claiming child care benefits.

The case involves thousands of parents who had their child care benefit payments stopped or were ordered to repay money amid fraud investigations. In some cases, parents were plunged into financial problems after being wrongly accused of falsely claiming benefits.

Iraq

Al-Mada – Following the swearing-in of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s government, the Iraqi street breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the newly-installed government would finally find effective solutions to current issues on the Iraqi political agenda, especially those neglected by previous governments.

The hope is that Kadhimi’s government will finally establish stability and launch reforms in all parts of the state, clearing the animosity and strained relations among various political blocs, groups, and sects.

Syria

Beirut – The Syrian government ordered the seizure of assets belonging to President Bashar al-Assad’s cousin Rami Makhlouf, one of Syria’s richest men, as well as to his wife and children, according to a government document reviewed by Reuters.

The document, stamped May 19 and signed by the finance minister, said the “precautionary seizure” aimed to guarantee payment of sums owed to the telecom regulatory authority.