Factbox: Airlines suspend China flights due to coronavirus outbreak
Airlines are suspending flights to China in the wake of the new coronavirus outbreak.
Ireland’s Sinn Fein says ‘very, very tricky’ to form all-left government
It would be “very, very tricky” to form a government that does not include one of Ireland’s two large center-right parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, the head of left-wing nationalist party Sinn Fein said on Thursday.
Turkey to hit groups who violate Idlib ceasefire: agency
Turkey will use force against rebel groups violating a ceasefire in Syria’s northwest Idlib region, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying on Thursday in an apparent response to Russian criticism.
Slovak opposition gains, two government parties would be out of parliament: poll
Slovakia’s opposition parties could command a constitutional majority in an election on Feb. 29, according to an opinion poll published on Thursday, and two junior parties of the current coalition, led by center-left Smer, would fall short of the thres…
Greenpeace activist applies for top job at Poland’s coal-burning utility
Greenpeace activist, Pawel Szypulski, said on Thursday he was applying for the chief executive job at Poland’s biggest utility PGE, with a plan to eliminate polluting coal from the group’s power production by 2030.
Syrian to be tried for plotting attack on U.S. embassy in Lebanon: agency
A Syrian man held on suspicion of plotting an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon was referred to trial on Thursday along with 20 other people, the Lebanese state news agency NNA said.
Lebanon’s president asks cabinet to start drafting 2021 budget
Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun asked ministers to start working on the 2021 state budget, the information minister said after the new cabinet convened on Thursday at the presidential palace.
Lebanon studying its options on Eurobonds, finance minister says
Lebanon is studying options for dealing with its forthcoming Eurobond maturities, including whether to pay the debt, the finance minister said on Thursday after meeting with the president and central bank governor.
Japan records first coronavirus death, two taxi drivers test positive
A woman has died from the coronavirus in Japan, the first such death in the country since the epidemic spread from China, the health minister said on Thursday.
Meet Rishi Sunak, Britain’s fast-track finance minister
Five years ago Britain’s new finance minister Rishi Sunak wasn’t even a member of parliament, now he is running the world’s fifth largest economy.
