International

• Wednesday, February 26th 2020 - 09:40 UTC

  First case of Covid-19 confirmed in Sao Paulo, Brazil

  

  Brazil's Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the state and municipal departments of São Paulo, has confirmed a case of Coronavirus disease in the municipality of São Paulo. The business man had travelled this month to the north of Italy.

• Wednesday, February 26th 2020 - 09:38 UTC

  Sour relations: EU ministers warn London must respect treaty that eased terms of Brexit

  

  EU ministers gathering on Tuesday to adopt a joint negotiating stance on future ties with Britain warned London it must first respect a treaty struck last year that eased the terms of its Brexit. They also stressed that mirroring EU standards will be crucial for British goods to be allowed tariff-free access to the huge European single market.

• Wednesday, February 26th 2020 - 09:30 UTC

  Leonardo da Vinci's exhibition at the Louvre in Paris received 1.1 million visitors

  

  Nearly 1.1 million people flocked to see a blockbuster Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Louvre in Paris before it closed on Monday - an all-time record - the museum said. The huge show to mark the 500th anniversary of the artist's death in France, drew twice the numbers of the previous biggest show at the world's most visited museum.

• Wednesday, February 26th 2020 - 09:22 UTC

  “Doomsday vault” in Norway adds seeds from India, Mali, Peru and Cherokee Indians

  

  The sealed vault in the Arctic built to preserve seeds for rice, wheat and other food staples contains one million varieties with the addition on Tuesday of specimens grown by Cherokee Indians and the estate of Britain's Prince Charles.

• Wednesday, February 26th 2020 - 09:01 UTC

  Iran's deputy health minister confirmed coronavirus infection, one of 95 cases

  

  Iran's deputy health minister confirmed on Tuesday that he has been infected with the new coronavirus, amid a major outbreak in the Islamic republic that have fuelled fears of a contagion in the region. Iraj Harirchi coughed occasionally and appeared to be sweating during a press conference on Monday with government spokesman Ali Rabiei.

• Tuesday, February 25th 2020 - 07:29 UTC

  Covid-19 “peaked” in China but countries should prepare for “a potential pandemic”, warns WHO

  

  The World Health Organization on Monday said the new coronavirus epidemic had “peaked” in China but warned that a surge in cases elsewhere was “deeply concerning” and all countries should prepare for a “potential pandemic”.

• Tuesday, February 25th 2020 - 06:42 UTC

  China fast-tracks ban on the trade and consumption of wild animals

  

  China's top legislature said it will immediately ban the trade and consumption of wild animals, in a fast-track decision it says will allow the country to win the battle against the coronavirus outbreak.

• Tuesday, February 25th 2020 - 06:40 UTC

  Goldman Sachs facing charges in Malaysia for misleading investors on a US$ 6,5bn bond sale

  

  Three units of Goldman Sachs pleaded not guilty to charges of misleading investors regarding US$6.5 billion in bond sales that the U.S. investment bank helped raise for state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Bernama state news agency reported on Monday.

• Tuesday, February 25th 2020 - 06:38 UTC

  Trump receives a hero's welcome in Gujarat, India, Prime Minister Modi's home state

  

  Emerging in a stadium to the appropriate strains of the Village People's “Macho Man” as 100,000 people cheered on, US President Donald Trump looked like he was at a campaign rally in America's Midwest.

• Monday, February 24th 2020 - 07:59 UTC

  Argentina will allow IMF to inspect its accounts under Article IV consultations

  

  Argentina agreed to start consultations with the International Monetary Fund that could lead to a new financing program, days after the global lender said the country’s debt situation had become “unsustainable”.