World must prepare for potential COVID-19 pandemic says WHO
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom on Monday told countries to brace for a ‘potential pandemic’ of COVID-19.
EU
Al Qaeda confirms death of leader, appoints successor
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) confirmed the death of its leader, Qassim al-Raymi, and appointed his successor, a jihadist monitoring agency said Sunday.
Fedcoin? The U.S. central bank is looking into it
The Federal Reserve is looking at a broad range of issues around digital payments and currencies, including policy, design and legal considerations around potentially issuing its own digital currency, Governor Lael Brainard said on Wednesday.
Bloomberg presidential campaign reports $409 million in total spending so far
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg’s campaign spent $409 million through January, with most of the money funding a TV advertising blitz, according to campaign disclosures filed on Thursday.
Most evangelical Christians live outside of North America and Europe, researcher says
Evangelical Christians make up a huge swath of the world’s population. But most of them reside in Asia, Africa, and Latin America — not in North America, a new study has found.
EU Holding First Post-Brexit Summit
The European Union’s first post-Brexit summit Thursday in Brussels promises to be a contentious one. The subject is money — how to fill a nearly $65 billion budget gap left by Britain’s departure from the bloc.
Bloomberg qualifies for next debate after poll boost
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday qualified for this week’s Democratic presidential debate in Nevada, putting him on the same stage as his rivals for the first time in the race for the party’s nomination.
‘Jesus had walked into our midst that morning:’ Revival Breaks Out in Tennessee
Many churches are experiencing a revival in Tennessee as part of a prayer and fasting initiative begun by one church near Rogersville, TN in the eastern part of the state, as the pastor who launched it continues to express hope that the move of God’s Spirit will spread repentance across the nation.
Iran says it will strike U.S. and Israel if they make the ‘slightest error’
Iran is ready to strike the United States and Israel if they give it any reason to do so, the head of the elite Revolutionary Guards said in a live speech on state television.
Israel asks UK to include Judea, Samaria in future free trade agreement
PM Netanyahu and Economy Minister Eli Cohen appealed to the British government to include Judea and Samaria, the Golan Heights and Jerusalem in the free trade agreement between the two countries, which will come into effect with the completion of Brexit – Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union – in 2021.
China coronavirus cases pass 70,000 as WHO mission gets underway
The number of deaths from the coronavirus in China rose to more than 1,700 on Monday as international experts began a joint mission with their Chinese counterparts to tackle the epidemic.
Rockets hit U.S. coalition base in Baghdad, no casualties
Rockets hit a U.S.-led military coalition’s Baghdad headquarters early on Sunday but caused no casualties, a coalition spokesman said, in the latest attack to target U.S. facilities in Iraq.
U.S. Navy Seizes Suspected Iranian Weapons Cache In Arabian Sea
The U.S. Navy says that it seized advanced weapons and weapon components believed to be of Iranian ‘design and manufacture’ intended for Huthi rebels in Yemen.
Top EU diplomat wants European strategy for Middle East peace
In light of US President Donald Trump unveiling of his Middle East peace plan in January, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the bloc needs to formulate a European initiative to facilitate the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians.
China’s online censors tighten grip after brief coronavirus respite
While censorship in China has tightened under President Xi Jinping, questions of transparency around the current outbreak are especially sensitive after Beijing’s cover-up of the extent of the 2003 SARS epidemic fuelled suspicion and mistrust, and led to official calls for openness this time around.
Trump to Transfer $3.8B From Military to Fund Border Wall
The Trump administration is transferring $3.8 billion in recently passed military funding to finance construction of the president’s long-sought U.S.-Mexico border wall, angering not just Democrats but also GOP defense hawks.
415 million children grow up in war zones, Save the Children reports
Nearly one in six children around the world — 415 million children in all — were living in a conflict zone in 2018, more than double the figure recorded in 1995, according to a report released Thursday by Save the Children.
Israeli laser defense system successfully intercepts multiple drone targets
An Israeli-developed drone defense system successfully intercepted multiple targets and shot them down with a laser beam, aerospace company Rafael said Wednesday.
EU chief rejects Johnson’s idea of loose UK trade deal
The European Union will only offer Britain unique access to its vast single market if the U.K. agrees to stick to the bloc’s standards, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday, dismissing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s idea of brokering a loose trade deal with the EU.
Half-a-million insect species face extinction: scientists
Half of the one million animal and plant species on Earth facing extinction are insects, and their disappearance could be catastrophic for humankind, scientists have said in a ‘warning to humanity’.