Explainer: Brexit ‘done’ at last – now for the hard part
At the stroke of midnight in Brussels on Friday, Britain will leave the European Union and Prime Minister Boris Johnson will deliver on his election promise to “Get Brexit Done”.
South Korea’s Moon urges calm amid protests over virus quarantine sites
President Moon Jae-in urged South Koreans not to give in to fear on Thursday, as the government prepared to evacuate the first of about 700 citizens from the epicenter of a new coronavirus epidemic in China’s central city of Wuhan.
China urges food producers to resume production amid virus outbreak
China’s agriculture ministry on Thursday urged feed producers and slaughter houses to speed up the resumption of production, in a bid to increase supplies amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
Australia defends choice of remote detention center to house locals evacuated from Wuhan
Australia’s conservative government on Thursday defended its decision to use a detention center thousands of kilometers from the mainland to quarantine locals evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
Policymakers fret over global growth risks from China virus outbreak
A rapidly spreading virus outbreak in China is emerging as a potentially major new risk to the global economy and leaving policymakers, still grappling with the impact of the Sino-U.S. trade war, fretting over the widening fallout.
Japan issues arrest warrants for ex-U.S. soldier, two others for Ghosn escape
Japanese authorities on Thursday issued arrest warrants for a former U.S. special forces soldier and two other men on suspicion of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn out of Japan.
Japan’s former emperor Akihito recovers from brief loss of consciousness
Japan’s former emperor Akihito, who stepped down last year, has recovered after a brief loss of consciousness on Wednesday, a palace spokesman said.
China says will punish officials who slack off in fighting virus
China’s anti-corruption watchdog said on Thursday it will severely punish officials who slack off on the job in fighting a new virus that is spreading across the country.
Heatwave and high winds threaten to rekindle Australian wildfires
Large swathes of southeast Australia were bracing on Thursday for a days-long heatwave that threatens to stoke bushfires that have been burning for months.
Factbox: Commodity market impact from the coronavirus in China
A new coronavirus that has killed 170 people in China and spread to over a dozen other countries has roiled global commodity markets, raising fears of weaker demand and disrupting raw material supply chains in the world’s most populous country.
