Morgan Stanley says coronavirus could drag on global, Chinese GDP growth
Morgan Stanley said on Wednesday that assuming the coronavirus peaks in February and March, global economic growth could be hit by 0.15 to 0.3 percentage point during the first quarter.
U.S. agriculture secretary unsure whether coronavirus will slow Chinese buys of U.S. farm goods
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Wednesday he does not know whether China’s coronavirus outbreak will affect Beijing’s pledge to radically increase purchases of American farm goods under an initial trade deal.
Top Chinese, U.S. diplomats discuss coronavirus situation
China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi discussed the coronavirus outbreak with U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday, telling him that Beijing has the confidence and ability to win the battle against the virus, state news agency Xinhua said.
Gaps emerge between Britain and EU over Trump Middle East plan
Days before it leaves the European Union, Britain put itself at odds with European allies on Wednesday in warmly welcoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan while France and the wider EU warned that it must respect international law….
Defense minister pushes to extend Israeli sovereignty to West Bank settlements
A leading government hawk called on Wednesday for Israel to establish sovereignty over nearly a third of the occupied West Bank, hours after U.S. Donald Trump announced a Middle East peace plan that Palestinians said amounted to apartheid.
Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian flights suspended to and from China
Lufthansa is suspending its own, Swiss and Austrian Airlines flights to and from China until Feb. 9, the German airline said on Wednesday.
In bid to reinvigorate independence drive, Spain’s Catalonia gets set for snap regional election
The pro-independence head of the Catalonian government said on Wednesday he planned to call a snap regional election in a move that could have a major impact on Spain’s national politics.
UNICEF sends six tonnes of masks and other gear to help fight China virus
A six-tonne shipment of respiratory masks and protective suits for health care workers landed in China on Wednesday for distribution in Wuhan, the epicenter of a spreading coronavirus outbreak, the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said.
UK to evacuate around 200 of its citizens from China on Thursday
Britain expects around 200 passengers to be on board a charter flight evacuating its citizens from China which is due to leave the country on Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s political spokesman said.
Into the Brexit unknown, a dis-United Kingdom exits the European Union
The United Kingdom leaves the European Union an hour before midnight on Friday, casting off into an uncertain Brexit future that also challenges Europe’s post-World War Two project of forging unity from the ruins of conflict.
