World News Roundup: Global downturn looms and countries struggle; Coronavirus slams, Italy, paralysis, and anxiety spread and more


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 29-02-2020 05:56 IST | Created: 29-02-2020 05:24 IST
World News Roundup: Global downturn looms and countries struggle; Coronavirus slams, Italy, paralysis, and anxiety spread and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Global downturn looms as countries struggle to contain coronavirus outbreak

The coronavirus spread further on Friday, with cases reported for the first time in at least six countries across four continents, battering markets and leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise its impact risk alert to "very high." Hopes that the epidemic that started in China late last year would be over in months, and that economic activity would quickly return to normal, have been shattered.

As coronavirus slams, Italy, paralysis, and anxiety spread

At the epicenter of Europe's worst outbreak of coronavirus to date, daily lives have taken on an eerie, aimless calm. It's at night that the worry takes over. "You can hear the ambulances coming and going, and maybe they're going to sick people who have nothing to do with the coronavirus but it worries you just the same," said Davide Benelli from his home in Casalpusterlengo, a town of around 15,000 in Italy's quarantined "red zone" where the disease broke out a week ago.

Turkey says it will let refugees into Europe after its troops killed in Syria

Refugees in Turkey headed toward European frontiers on Friday after an official said the borders had been thrown open, a response to the escalating war in Syria where 33 Turkish soldiers were killed by Russian-backed Syrian government troops. Moscow and Ankara traded blame over Thursday's strike in northwest Syria, the deadliest attack on Turkish forces in nearly 30 years. The U.N. Security Council called an emergency meeting to avert open conflict between Russia and NATO member Turkey.

North Korea's Kim guides military drills, warns 'serious consequences' if virus breaks out: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw military drills on Friday, state media KCNA said on Saturday, a rare public outing amid efforts to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus in the isolated country. North Korea has not confirmed any cases of the virus, but state media said a month-long quarantine period had been imposed for people showing symptoms and "high-intensity" measures were taken including reinforcing checks in border regions and at airports and seaports.

Cape Verde court finds Russians guilty in record cocaine bust

The Russian captain and crew of a cargo ship captured last year in Cape Verde with the biggest cocaine haul ever seized in the country were found guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced to jail on Friday. The 9.5 tonnes of cocaine were seized in February 2019 after the ship, which was traveling to Morocco from South America, docked at the port of Praia for legal reasons following the death of a crew member.

Polanski wins best director at Cesar awards, several actresses leave in protest

Roman Polanski, who faces accusations of rape, won France's Cesar Award for best directing for his film "An Officer and a Spy" on Friday, prompting several actresses to walk out of the ceremony in protest. Polanski was not at the event, the biggest night in French cinema's calendar, saying earlier that he feared for his safety.

Pompeo to attend signing of U.S.-Taliban troop withdrawal pact

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will witness the signing of a U.S.-Taliban agreement on a withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, President Donald Trump said on Friday, heralding an agreement that could help his re-election campaign. The deal, part of a wider push for Afghan reconciliation and an end to the longest U.S. war, faces many obstacles, including an election feud between Afghanistan's two leading politicians. It is expected to be signed in Qatar's capital Doha on Saturday.

Slovaks poised to oust ruling Smer party in election clouded by graft

Voters look poised to oust the center-left Smer party that has dominated Slovakia's political landscape for more than a decade in a national election on Saturday overshadowed by anger over high-level graft. Opinion polls ahead of a two-week moratorium before the ballot pointed to a rapid rise for anti-corruption movement Ordinary People (OLANO), increasing chances it may form a center-right majority with smaller conservative and liberal parties to outmaneuver Smer.

Exclusive: U.S. postpones summit with ASEAN leaders amid coronavirus fears - sources

The United States has decided to postpone a meeting with leaders of Southeast Asian countries it had planned to host on March 14 due to worries about the coronavirus outbreak, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said on Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump had invited leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to meet in Las Vegas after he did not attend a summit with the group in Bangkok in November.

Trump willing to meet leaders of Russia, China, Britain, France on arms control

U.S. President Donald Trump is willing to hold a summit with the leaders of Russia, China, Britain, and France - the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council - to discuss arms control, a senior administration official said on Friday. Trump wants to use the meeting to try to make progress on a three-way arms control deal with Russia and China, the official said. The timing for a summit was unclear.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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