Informing, engaging & connecting the people of the world. MAY 13, 2020

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Of the categories of activities restricted due to the coronavirus, religious services have been among the most contentious. Churches across the country have temporarily switched to online services to accommodate the restrictions, but some believe these mandates constitute a violation of their religious freedom.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On May 13, 1846, the United States Congress declares war on Mexico. At the center of the dispute was the U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico also claimed. After two years of fighting, the U.S. emerged victorious, leading to the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. The treaty made the Rio Grande the southern border of Texas and ceded vast swaths of formerly Mexican territory to the U.S., including some or all of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

VIDEO: Before the pandemic, street vendors could be found on nearly every corner of New York City selling everything from hot dogs to coffee and international fare. But with barely any foot traffic these days, business has dried up, and this largely immigrant community has struggled to make ends meet.

China’s sudden decision to ban Australian meat from four major suppliers is being seen as retaliation for Canberra’s push for a global investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus. Many experts say the virus first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

Business is booming for alcohol in the United States during the coronavirus pandemic as Americans on lockdown battle boredom and anxieties at home.

VIDEO: A massive fire broke out early Tuesday in an overcrowded camp that houses nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar district in southern Bangladesh. VOA was there and has more from the scene.