News: World

Iraq's president issues deadline to choose next PM

• World
• 2020-01-29 18:33:03Z

Iraq's president has given rival political blocs a deadline to select a prime minister nearly two months after the outgoing premier resigned under pressure from mass demonstrations, his office said in a statement Wednesday. Violence continued for a second week in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the popular protests, with security forces using pellet guns to disperse protesters. President Barham Saleh asked parliamentary blocs to select a candidate to replace outgoing premier Adel Abdul-Mahdi by Feb. 1.

Nigel Farage cut off during final address to European Parliament for waving British flags

• World
• 2020-01-29 18:01:00Z

And with that Nigel Farage is on his way out of Brussels.Farage, a British Member of the European Parliament and leader of the U.K.'s Brexit Party, at long last got to say good bye to the European Union after MEPs ratified U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's withdrawal agreement Wednesday, setting up the country's departure from the governing body at the end of the week. And, boy, did he enjoy it.Farage and his bellow Brexity Party members stood up and proudly waved the Union Jack as a farewell before getting cut off for breaking parliamentary rules, and he didn't seem to mind one bit. His allies then began a "hip-hip-hooray" chant.> "We are going to wave you...

Warren Demands Tech Companies Fight Disinformation

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 17:56:39Z

(Bloomberg) -- Senator Elizabeth Warren called on big tech companies to fight disinformation as both foreign and domestic actors continue to try to change the course of U.S. elections by spreading falsehoods via social media.In a policy proposal released just days before the first nominating contest in Iowa, Warren said she would push to create new civil and criminal penalties for knowingly spreading disinformation that jeopardizes or suppresses voting. Warren demanded that the companies share more information about their algorithms, which she argues would provide transparency and insight for researchers, policy makers and the public as to how they contribute to spreading false or...

Deployment of new US nuclear warhead on submarine a dangerous step, critics say

• World
• 2020-01-29 17:53:11Z

First submarine to go on patrol armed with the W76-2 warhead makes a nuclear launch more likely, arm control advocates warnThe US has deployed its first low-yield Trident nuclear warhead on a submarine that is currently patrolling the Atlantic Ocean, it has been reported, in what arms control advocates warn is a dangerous step towards making a nuclear launch more likely.According to the Federation of American Scientists, the USS Tennessee - which left port in Georgia at the end of last year - is the first submarine to go on patrol armed with the W76-2 warhead, commissioned by Donald Trump two years ago.It has an explosive yield of five kilotons, a third of the power of the "Little Boy"...

11 Beautiful Examples of When Historic and Modern Architecture Come Together

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 17:50:00Z

Johnson to Hail Hope and Opportunity of Brexit Just as U.K. Leaves EU

• World
• 2020-01-29 17:46:58Z

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a speech to the nation at 10 p.m. on Friday -- an hour before the country leaves the European Union.After three years of political turmoil over Brexit, Johnson said finally leaving the bloc will be "a great moment for our country". It will be a time of "hope and opportunity" and a chance to come together, he said in a Facebook broadcast released by his office.The prime minister said he will mark the moment in a way that's "mindful" of the nation's divisions over breaking with the bloc. His Conservative Party has spent decades divided over the U.K.'s relationship with the EU and even Johnson's own family has been split. Last year...

EU Parliament Backs Brexit Deal, Clearing Way for U.K. Departure

• World
• 2020-01-29 17:36:23Z

(Bloomberg) -- The European Parliament approved Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, clearing the way for the U.K. to leave the EU on Jan. 31 with an agreement that, for the time being, will avoid a chaotic rupture.Officials on both sides say the fight over the divorce deal was the easy part. Over the next 11 months, the U.K. and the European Union will argue over the terms of their future relationship, which could be even tougher than the negotiations that began after Britain voted to leave in June 2016.The parliament's backing in Brussels on Wednesday, a legal requirement for Britain to leave the EU with a deal, means the country will leave the bloc it joined in 1973 with an...

US expands troop, fighter jet presence at Saudi base

• World
• 2020-01-29 17:25:48Z

Across the vast expanse of this desert air base, hundreds of tents have popped up and a newly arrived squadron of U.S. Air Force F-15E fighters is lined up on the tarmac, flying daily missions over Iraq and Syria. Off in the distance, two American Patriot missile batteries are scanning the skies, prepared to knock down any Iranian attack against the Saudi kingdom. The return of U.S. forces to Prince Sultan Air Base is one of the more dramatic signs of America's decision to beef up troops in the Middle East in response to threats from Iran.

John Bolton will not be the next John Dean

• World
• 2020-01-29 17:17:04Z

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton is the man of the hour. His forthcoming book, as summarized by The New York Times and other media outlets, appears to undermine the "no quid pro quo" defense of President Trump. He may have pried loose the Republican votes necessary to hear from additional witnesses and keep the Senate trial going. We may even get testimony from Bolton himself.Bolton is now getting fulsome praise in quarters where he was previously dismissed as a mustachioed menace. The Resistance recognizes that he may give them their best shot to take Trump down. But is Bolton, a creature of the conservative movement who relies on the Republican Party for influence,...

Human spread of virus in 3 countries outside China worrying - WHO chief

• World
• 2020-01-29 17:10:54Z

The person-to-person spread of the new coronavirus in three countries - Germany, Vietnam and Japan - is worrying and will be considered by experts reconvened to consider declaring a global emergency, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking to a news conference in Geneva on return from China, said of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping: "I was very encouraged and impressed by the President's detailed knowledge of the outbreak and his personal involvement in the outbreak, this for me is real leadership". Tedros, asked about an international team agreed to be sent to China, said it would be composed of WHO staff...

British officials: Vessel on fire in Gulf off Sharjah in UAE

• World
• 2020-01-29 17:00:28Z

The United Kingdom's Maritime Trade Operations said the fire struck a vessel northwest of Sharjah, an Emirati sheikhdom. Emirati officials said they were working to put out the blaze on the vessel, some 21 miles (34 kilometers) off the coast of Sharjah. The blaze comes amid heightened tensions in the region after the U.S. killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad and Iran fired ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops.

Sanders builds a deeper Jewish identity on the 2020 trail

• World
• 2020-01-29 16:38:07Z

Bernie Sanders is approaching next week's Iowa caucuses in a position to become the first major-party Jewish presidential nominee in the nation's history. Soon after the one-year anniversary of the massacre at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue, Sanders penned a column on combating anti-Semitism that outlined how his family's history underpins his commitment to fight bigotry. After five New York Jews were stabbed while celebrating Hanukkah last month, Sanders used an Iowa menorah-lighting stop to connect his immigrant father's journey to America, "fleeing anti-Semitism and fleeing violence," to ideals he described as imperiled by attacks on Jews -- and other minority groups.

EU executive sets fair competition as condition of post-Brexit trade deal

• World
• 2020-01-29 16:02:09Z

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Britain on Wednesday that solid guarantees of free competition were a precondition to a new trade agreement with the EU after Brexit. Speaking at a plenary session of the European Parliament that was due to give its final approval for Britain's divorce deal later on Wednesday, von der Leyen said the two should go on working hand-in-hand on climate and security.

GOP Rep. Doug Collins announced a Senate bid. The Republican Party was not thrilled.

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 15:23:00Z

Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) launched his Senate bid Wednesday, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee was far from pleased.It's not a surprise that Collins, a staunch President Trump supporter, is entering the ring and forcing a standoff with the incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), who was appointed to finish the term of former Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) after Isakson resigned last year for health reasons.But the Republican Party doesn't want a race within its own ranks. Per Politico, a standoff in Georgia could jeopardize the Republican effort to hold the Senate majority, and the establishment is sticking with Loeffler. The NRSC released an angry statement in response to...

U.K. Will Take Northern Rail Franchise Back Into State Ownership

• World
• 2020-01-29 14:23:17Z

(Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnson's U.K. government said it will take the troubled Northern Rail franchise back into state ownership from March 1, in the latest sign that his Conservative administration is willing to intervene in the running of ailing private companies."The service provided by the rail network in the north has failed to meet the needs of passengers," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said as he made the announcement in a written statement to Parliament on Wednesday. "People across the north deserve better, their communities deserve better and I am determined to achieve that."The Northern franchise is currently run by Arriva group, part of Deutsche Bahn. From March, it will be...

A look at Israel's settlements ahead of possible annexation

• World
• 2020-01-29 14:07:21Z

President Donald Trump's plan for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict paves the way for Israel to annex most or all of its settlements in the occupied West Bank. The settlement enterprise began immediately after Israel captured east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war and accelerated through much of the decades-long peace process. The Palestinians view the settlements as illegal and the main obstacle to resolving the conflict, saying they make the establishment of a contiguous, viable Palestinian state virtually impossible.

The Latest: Putin tells officials to prepare for new virus

• World
• 2020-01-29 14:02:04Z

Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the country's government to be prepared to deal with a possible outbreak of a new virus from China. "It is a new phenomenon, and the question is how well we are prepared for this challenge," Putin said during a meeting with several Cabinet members. Russia shares a long border with China.

Trump rages against John Bolton: 'If I listened to him, we would be in World War Six'

• World
• 2020-01-29 13:45:01Z

President Trump would like everyone to know that his former national security adviser nearly got us into four world wars.Trump on Wednesday lashed out at former National Security Adviser John Bolton following a report in The New York Times that Bolton in his upcoming book describes how Trump linked Ukraine aid to investigations into Democrats.As this report sparks new calls for witnesses in the impeachment trial, Trump mocked Bolton for his "many" mistakes and declared that if he "listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now."> For a guy who couldn't get approved for the Ambassador to the U.N. years ago, couldn't get approved for anything since, "begged" me...

'Now they can chase their dreams': Bangladesh allows Rohingya children to study

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 13:39:28Z

Rohingya refugees reacted with surprise and joy on Wednesday to the news that Bangladesh would provide formal education to their children, two and a half years after they were forced to flee Myanmar. Human rights groups have long campaigned for the nearly half a million effectively stateless Rohingya children in Bangladesh's refugee camps to be allowed access to quality education, warning of the costs of a 'lost generation'.

Islamophobia in the US did not start with Trump, but his tweets perpetuate a long history of equating Muslims with terrorism

• World
• 2020-01-29 13:21:25Z

President Donald Trump retweeted a doctored image of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wearing a hijab and Senator Chuck Schumer wearing a turban on Jan. 13. In the fake photo, both were seen standing in front of an Iranian flag with a caption saying: "The corrupted Dems trying their best to come to the Ayatollah's rescue." Trump was again criticized for promoting anti-Muslim sentiments and for being a social media troll who spreads false information. The image was, presumably, meant to criticize Pelosi and other Democrats for questioning Trump's order to kill the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani by positioning Pelosi and Schumer as defending America's "enemy" - Iran. The image portrays the...

Britain is about to leave the EU - what's next?

• World
• 2020-01-29 13:21:15Z

Britain will shortly leave the European Union. So that's it. Brexit is over, right?Wrong. To channel former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill - as every leading Brexit supporter seems to want to do - "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."Although Britain formally leaves the European Union on Jan. 31, little will change until the end of the year. Britain will still adhere to the four freedoms of the tariff-free single market - free movement of goods, services, capital and people - as well as rulings from the European Court of Justice. This transition period is intended to give Britain and the EU time to arrange...

GOP Senators Urge Barr to Declassify Footnotes in Russia-Probe IG Report: 'The American People Have a Right to Know'

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 13:19:38Z

Two Republican senators on Tuesday urged Attorney General William Barr to declassify four footnotes in the inspector general's report on the FBI's Russia investigation."We are concerned that certain sections of the public version of the report are misleading because they are contradicted by relevant and probative classified information redacted in four footnotes," Senators Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) wrote in a letter to Barr. "This classified information is significant not only because it contradicts key statements in a section of the report, but also because it provides insight essential for an accurate evaluation of the entire...

EU's Barnier eyes loose association deal as basis for new British ties

• World
• 2020-01-29 13:05:52Z

Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told the 27 EU states staying on together that a loose so-called association agreement like the one the bloc has with Ukraine should serve as the basis for a new relationship with Britain, diplomatic sources said. Barnier met Brussels envoys of the 27 countries earlier on Wednesday as part of preparations for looming talks on a new EU-UK deal that will start after Britain leaves the bloc on Friday. Diplomats briefed on the closed-door meeting told Reuters Barnier stressed the bloc would not give ground on its key principles and was ready to hold negotiating rounds with Britain every three weeks on a dozen-or-so issues in parallel.

Restaurant honors 'Good Samaritan' who helped stop abduction

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 13:01:21Z

North Carolina A&T graduate student Cody Byrd, 24, received a "Good Citizen Award" at a ceremony presented by the Biscuitville restaurant chain. Byrd will eat free for a year, and he shared his first free meal with his mother on Tuesday, news outlets reported. Byrd was dining at the Greensboro location in December when he noticed a man watching the child, he told news outlets and police.

Germany Lifts Growth Outlook, Pushes Investment to Keep Its Edge

• World
• 2020-01-29 12:58:56Z

(Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. Germany's government raised its 2020 growth projection and pledged investment to keep Europe's largest economy competitive as it turns more digital and climate-aware, and its population ages.The administration's first major assessment of the economic situation this year comes amid signs that Germany is putting the worst of its troubles behind it. Surveys of activity have picked up, reinforcing the view that the pace of growth may slowly pick up through 2020.That's good news for an economy where a car industry slump and a manufacturing recession held expansion to just 0.6% last...

The Ugliest Part of Trump's Impeachment Defense

• World
• 2020-01-29 12:53:16Z

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Get Jonathan Bernstein's newsletter every morning in your inbox. Click here to subscribe.President Donald Trump's legal team wrapped up its three-day defense presentation in the Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday. The president's lawyers wound up taking up less than half of their allotted time, which doesn't necessarily mean anything - after all, the House managers who played the prosecutorial role took up all 24 hours in part by making many of their points multiple times. Keeping the defense short might be thought of as a strategy, rather than an indication of a lack of anything useful to say.In this case, however? It's really astonishing how unimpressive their...

The Ugliest Part of Trump's Impeachment Defense

• World
• 2020-01-29 12:53:16Z

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Get Jonathan Bernstein's newsletter every morning in your inbox. Click here to subscribe.President Donald Trump's legal team wrapped up its three-day defense presentation in the Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday. The president's lawyers wound up taking up less than half of their allotted time, which doesn't necessarily mean anything - after all, the House managers who played the prosecutorial role took up all 24 hours in part by making many of their points multiple times. Keeping the defense short might be thought of as a strategy, rather than an indication of a lack of anything useful to say.In this case, however? It's really astonishing how unimpressive their...

Israeli president: Germany must win anti-Semitism fight

• World
• 2020-01-29 12:50:42Z

Lamenting rising anti-Semitism in Europe, Israel's president said Germany "must not fail" in fighting it as he addressed German lawmakers Wednesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the Auschwitz death camp's liberation. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's address to parliament capped a three-day

Erdogan Warns Russia Risks Split With Turkey on Syria Attack

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 12:31:59Z

(Bloomberg) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced rare recent criticism of Russia for its conduct in Syria, saying his "patience is running out" over the ongoing bombing of opposition Islamist forces in Idlib province."As of now, Russia is loyal to neither Astana nor Sochi" agreements, Erdogan told reporters on his way back from a visit to African countries, according to Anadolu Agency.He was referring to accords struck by the two countries in recent years to curtail fighting in northern Syria. Russia and Turkey have stepped up their cooperation in the Syrian conflict while finding themselves on opposite sides of other Middle Eastern conflicts, such as the one in Libya."If we...

10 things you need to know today: January 29, 2020

• World
• 2020-01-29 11:49:00Z

1.President Trump on Tuesday unveiled a Middle East peace plan that would give Israel control of a unified Jerusalem as its capital, and let it hold onto settlements in the West Bank. The proposal also called for a Palestinian state, but one with limited sovereignty and a capital in "eastern Jerusalem" cut off from the rest of the city by an Israeli military barrier. "My vision presents a win-win opportunity for both sides," Trump said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood by Trump's side as he announced the long-awaited plan. There was no Palestinian representative present. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Trump's proposal the "slap of the...

U.S. hopes to discuss 'entire strategic framework' with Iraq soon

• World/Africa
• 2020-01-29 11:15:33Z

The United States hopes to discuss the entire strategic framework of its relationship with Iraq soon, a U.S. envoy said on Tuesday, as the fate of a U.S. military mission there remains in doubt after a drone strike that killed an Iranian general. Iraq's parliament has voted to ask the United States to withdraw its 5,000-strong force after the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, which killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and the Iraqi leader of a powerful pro-Iran armed faction. Washington has paused some of the military activity of its troops in Iraq, which were invited back into the country in 2014 as part of a mission to fight the Islamic State militant group in both Iraq and...

Containing Paranoia as Well as a Deadly Virus

• World
• 2020-01-29 10:58:09Z

(Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every day? Sign up for the Balance of Power newsletter, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more.China's unprecedented decision to quarantine a city bigger than New York has prompted travel curbs that have spread around the world nearly as fast as the deadly virus they're intended to stop.Many of those measures have found Chinese travelers - healthy or otherwise - facing suspicion, a sideways glance, or an awkward shuffle away. With nearly 6,000 cases in China alone and at least 132 deaths, the virus presents a major challenge for governments to limit the contagion.British Airways has stopped all flights to and...

The 3 kinds of Republicans that Bolton's testimony would reveal

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 10:55:01Z

With it looking increasingly likely that Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won't be able to prevent a vote in favor of calling witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Trump, the GOP finds itself in a tight spot.Everyone agrees that there's something close to a zero chance that 20 - and only a tiny chance that any - Republicans will join with 47 Democrats to vote in favor of convicting and removing the president from office, no matter what Trump's former National Security Adviser John Bolton says under oath. (Conviction and removal would require an affirmative vote of 67 senators.) Yet allowing Bolton to testify about what's apparently in his forthcoming book - namely, that in...

Bangladesh to improve schools for Rohingya refugee children

• World
• 2020-01-29 10:41:43Z

Authorities in Bangladesh in partnership with the United Nations will expand educational programs for hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya children living in refugee camps who are currently receiving only basic lessons, officials said Wednesday. The children, who fled with their families from neighboring Myanmar to the camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, now attend about 1,500 learning centers run by UNICEF that provide basic education, drawing and other fun activities. Under the new program starting in April, they will receive a formal education using a Myanmar curriculum from grade 6 to 9, the U.N. said in a statement.

Israeli Cabinet postpones vote on West Bank annexation

• World
• 2020-01-29 10:10:41Z

A senior Israeli minister said on Wednesday that a Cabinet vote to endorse annexation of parts of the West Bank will not take place early next week, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pledge a day earlier to act quickly after the U.S. released a plan to end the conflict that was rejected by the Palestinians. Netanyahu said he would ask the Cabinet to advance the extension of Israeli sovereignty over most Jewish settlements and the strategic Jordan Valley, a move that would likely spark international outrage and complicate the White House's efforts to build support for the plan.

Say hello to invisible Brexit

• World
• 2020-01-29 10:02:51Z

Brexit arrived with a thunderclap, but it is leaving with a whimper.

Why Brexit Opponents Lost the Vote and the Argument

• World
• 2020-01-29 09:58:44Z

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Britain will leave the EU at 11 pm London time on Friday, following Boris Johnson's victory at last month's general election. Much has been written, including in this column, about the results of the election, and in particular how the Labour Party lost it so badly. But Brexit also means another postmortem - why did the efforts to stop Brexit fall short?There were effectively two routes by which Brexit could have been stopped - either for parliament to legislate for a referendum with a "remain" option during last year's standoff, or by electing a parliament that would do this. Neither succeeded.The Remainers were unable to convince enough lawmakers to back a...

Why Brexit Opponents Lost the Vote and the Argument

• World
• 2020-01-29 09:58:44Z

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Britain will leave the EU at 11 pm London time on Friday, following Boris Johnson's victory at last month's general election. Much has been written, including in this column, about the results of the election, and in particular how the Labour Party lost it so badly. But Brexit also means another postmortem - why did the efforts to stop Brexit fall short?There were effectively two routes by which Brexit could have been stopped - either for parliament to legislate for a referendum with a "remain" option during last year's standoff, or by electing a parliament that would do this. Neither succeeded.The Remainers were unable to convince enough lawmakers to back a...

Mexican Narcos, More Brazen by the Day, Land Coke Plane on a Highway and Shoot a General

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 09:37:32Z

CALI, Colombia-Talk about a tough commute. Traffic was backed up for miles early Monday morning in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo after drug traffickers landed a twin engine prop plane on Highway 307, near the resort town of Bacalar.Mexican Police Chief Arrested in Mormon Massacre CaseThe flight-which originated in South America and had been tracked by radar since entering Mexican airspace-touched down at about 4:30 a.m. A task force led by the senior commander of military operations in that state moved out to intercept.When soldiers worked their way through the traffic jam caused by the plane they were met by a light cavalry force consisting of some 50 vehicles belonging to...

Merkel Cabinet Approves Coal Exit Bill Setting RWE Compensation

• World
• 2020-01-29 09:21:08Z

(Bloomberg) -- Want the lowdown on European markets? In your inbox before the open, every day. Sign up here.Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet on Wednesday approved delayed coal exit legislation that sets a time plan and compensation for closing over 100 hard coal and lignite plants owned by RWE AG,

Confined at home, Chinese get creative to beat boredom

• World
• 2020-01-29 09:08:31Z

Chinese around the country confined to their apartments either by choice or by order are making the best of the situation as cities remain in lockdown in a desperate bid to contain a new, dangerous virus. A couple from Shantou, a coastal city in Guangdong province, recreated a childhood game at home

Syrian troops capture key town in rebel-held Idlib province

• World
• 2020-01-29 08:32:13Z

Syrian troops are in full control of a key rebel-held town in the country's northwest after days of intense fighting and airstrikes that displaced tens of thousands of people, the Syrian army said Wednesday. The capture of the town of Maaret al-Numan in Idlib province marks another victory for President

Americans Trapped in Wuhan Aren't Angry at the Chinese Government. They're Angry at Their Own

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 08:19:58Z

As the deadly coronavirus continues to spread, Americans feel abandoned by their government

Japanese evacuated from Wuhan describe fear in virus epicentre

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 07:02:27Z

Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan, the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak, described an atmosphere of confusion and fear in the Chinese city and expressed relief as they arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday. A total of 206 Japanese citizens landed at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Wednesday morning, with health professionals carrying out checks on board and at the airport, but no mandatory quarantine was planned.

RPT-WHO weighs science and politics in global virus emergency decision

• World
• 2020-01-29 06:49:51Z

GENEVA/LONDON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Most of the World Health Organization's (WHO) criteria for declaring a global emergency have been met, but it is awaiting clear evidence of a sustained spread of the new coronavirus outside China before doing so, some experts and diplomats said. The U.N. agency

No hot meals, blankets, magazines as airlines step up fight on virus

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 06:38:55Z

Passengers on some flights to China will have to make do without hot meals or blankets and newspapers, as airlines step up measures to protect crew and travelers from a coronavirus that has killed more than 130 in the country. Seeking to contain the spread of the new virus by reducing personal contact, Taiwan's China Airlines said it is encouraging passengers to bring their own beverage bottles and would limit re-usable items by replacing them with disposables. The airline and its regional arm Mandarin Airlines have stopped from Monday serving hot meals and replaced tablecloths and napkins with paper towels on cross-strait and Hong Kong flights.

Israel headed for clash with ICC over West Bank settlements

• World
• 2020-01-29 06:26:12Z

Emboldened by a supportive White House, Israel appears to be barreling toward a showdown with the international community over its half-century-old settlement enterprise in the West Bank. With the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court poised to launch a war crimes probe of Israel's settlement

NPR, federal watchdog demand answers on Pompeo's evident retaliation over testy NPR interview

• World/Latin America
• 2020-01-29 06:18:00Z

President Trump may think it amusing and laudatory that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo berated and cursed out NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly last week after she asked him tough questions about Ukraine and whether he supports his diplomats, but NPR isn't laughing at Pompeo's behavior.The State Department informed NPR diplomatic correspondent Michele Keleman on Sunday, without explanation, that she will no longer be traveling with Pompeo on this week's trip to Britain, Ukraine, and Central Asia. NPR CEO John Lansing demanded an explanation Tuesday and told the State Department if NPR doesn't get satisfactory answers by Wednesday, when Pompeo is scheduled to depart, NPR "will have no...