North America

7 May 2020; MEMO: US President Donald Trump has vetoed a bipartisan resolution seeking to limit his powers to wage war on Iran, calling it “very insulting”.

In a statement yesterday, Trump said the measure was “based on misunderstandings of facts and law.” He swept away the bipartisan aspect of the resolution, saying that it was “introduced by Democrats as part of a strategy to win an election on November 3 by dividing the Republican Party.”

United Nations, May 7 (AP) The United Nations announced Thursday it is increasing its appeal to fight the coronavirus pandemic in fragile and vulnerable countries from 2 billion to 6.7 billion.

U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock reiterated that the peak of the pandemic is not expected to hit the world's poorest countries for three to six months.

UNITED NATIONS, May 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations has appealed for a further $4.7bn in funding to “protect millions of lives and stem the spread of coronavirus in fragile countries”.

It follows the $2bn requested when the UN launched its global humanitarian response plan in March, of which around half has been received.

In a statement, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said the “most devastating” effects of the coronavirus pandemic would be felt in the world’s poorest countries.

HAVANA, May 7 (NNN-Xinhua) — Cuba received a donation of medical supplies from the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee amid the Caribbean nation’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some 60,000 surgical face masks and 6,000 N95 face masks were handed over to Angel Arzuaga, deputy head of International Relations for the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee, by Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Chen Xi at a ceremony at the warehouse of Cuban medical supplies distributing company ENSUME on the outskirts of capital Havana.

WASHINGTON, May 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One hundred thirty-two civilians were killed last year in US global military operations, the army said, a number far lower than those published by NGOs.

The Department of Defense “assesses that there were approximately 132 civilians killed and approximately 91 civilians injured during 2019 as a result of US military operations in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia,” the Pentagon said in an annual report mandated by the US Congress.

7 May 2020; AFP: Mercenaries from the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization seen as being close to Vladimir Putin, are fighting in Libya, UN diplomats said Wednesday, citing an experts' report on the country's arms embargo.

It was the first time the UN has confirmed claims first made in US media that the group is supporting military strongman Khalifa Haftar. Moscow has denied being responsible for deploying the group.

The report also revealed that Haftar was being supported by Syrian fighters.

7 May 2020; AFP: Donald Trump has said the coronavirus pandemic is a worse "attack" on the United States than either Pearl Harbor or 9/11, taking aim once again at China, which he said should have stopped the disease in its tracks.

The president has ramped up his rhetoric against Beijing in recent weeks, as the death toll in the US has continued to climb, and as he agitates to re-open the shuttered -- and stuttering -- economy.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government will use “every tool” available to secure the return of Americans if they are being held in Venezuela, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed on Wednesday, after Venezuelan officials said they had captured two U.S. “mercenaries” in a failed armed incursion.

“There was no U.S. government direct involvement in this operation,” Pompeo told reporters, echoing President Donald Trump’s remarks a day earlier. He added: “(If) we’d have been involved, it would have gone differently.”

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada on Wednesday honored six members of its armed forces killed last week in a helicopter crash in a ceremony where the prime minister and military officials donned black cloth masks and practiced physical distancing because of the coronavirus.

One body was recovered and five are missing and presumed dead after a military helicopter flying from the warship Fredericton crashed in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece a week ago during a training exercise.

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone conversation on Wednesday, discussing issues of arms control and COVID-19, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

Pompeo and his Russian counterpart discussed next steps on arms control issues as well as several bilateral issues of mutual concern, including global efforts to respond to the spread of COVID-19, according to the statement.