Rebel forces confirm that former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia leader JesĂşs Santrich has been killed in a cross-border operation in Zulia, Venezuela, by the National Army of Colombia. Five others were also killed in the operation on May 17. Santrich's rebel group says that the troops also cut off his little finger before withdrawing back across the border. Santrich was wanted by the United States on charges of drug trafficking.
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May 19, 2021 (Wednesday)
3.7 minutes to read
Armed conflicts and attacks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian officials say that fighting between Israel and Palestine will continue while working toward a ceasefire.
The United States rejects a United Nations Security Council resolution that calls for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
A manhunt is ongoing for JĂĽrgen Conings, a far-right extremist, identified as a soldier, in Dilsen-Stokkem, Limburg, Belgium, after threatening virologist Marc Van Ranst. The suspect is heavily armed and considered as a serious threat. Four rocket launchers were found in his car.
Health and environment
Malaysia reports a record 6,075 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 485,496.
A tabular iceberg slightly larger than the size of Mallorca, dubbed A-76, calves from the Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica's Weddell Sea.
India reports a new world record of 4,529 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 283,248.
Taiwan raises its COVID-19 alert level to level 3 nationwide, which is the same level as Taipei and New Taipei City where masks are required to be worn at all times and gatherings of more than five people indoors and ten people outdoors are banned amid an increase in the number of locally transmitted cases.
An anti-fungal drug, Amphotericin B, used in the treatment of a rare infection called mucormycosis, or "black fungus", is in short supply across states in India. Immunity to this infection can be reduced by the use of steroids in severely ill COVID-19 patients.
Cyprus reports its first four cases of the Lineage B.1.617 variant, which was first discovered in India.
Argentina reports a record for the second consecutive day of 39,652 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the national total to 3.4 million.
International relations
Israel condemns an "antisemitic" report by China's state-owned China Global Television Network that claims that "wealthy Jews dominate the finance, media and internet sectors" in the United States. The report also claims that Israel is an American puppet state. The Israeli Foreign Ministry calls on CGTN to take down the video, citing its "racist and dangerous" ideas.
The Biden administration lifts sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project between Russia and Germany. Despite Joe Biden's personal opposition to the project, the U.S. State Department says that it concluded that it was in the "U.S. national interest" to waive the sanctions.
Law and crime
In Kuwait, protesters burn Israeli flags and rally in support of Palestine. Protesters also reject normalization agreements signed by Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The U.S. House of Representatives votes 252-175 to approve a commission that will investigate the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. The bill will head to the U.S. Senate.
The Spanish Audiencia Nacional summons the leader of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, to present himself in court on June 1 on accusations of multiple charges related to human rights violations by human rights groups and Western Sahara individuals. Ghali, who is currently hospitalized in northern Spain, refused to sign the summon, saying that he has to refer to the Algerian embassy first.
Pro-Palestinian protesters gather at a UAV factory in Leicester over its ties to Israel arms manufacture Elbit Systems.
The Federal Police of Brazil reveals an investigation against Environment Minister Ricardo Salles, IBAMA president Eduardo Bim and other high-ranking officials for facilitating illegal logging in the Amazon region. Salles's fiscal and banking secrecies are lifted, and Bim is suspended from his post.
Politics and elections
In the United States the Oregon counties of Baker, Grant, Lake, Malheur, and Sherman all approved measures that would require county officials to take steps to promote moving the Idaho border west to incorporate their populations. These counties join Jefferson and Union counties that have already passed similar measures, while Douglas and Harney counties are voting on similar measure in upcoming elections.
Politics and government
The Qatari cabinet approves a draft law scheduling elections to the Shura Council for October, after several years of delays. The law also provides guidelines for voter registration and campaigning, such as allowing government employees to run and limiting expenditures to QAR2 million per candidate.
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