SWITZERLAND - Left-wing billionaire George Soros on Thursday reportedly warned that the 2020 election will determine the “fate of the world” and lashed out at President Donald Trump during a private dinner event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Soros, the 89-year-old founder of the progressive advocacy organization Open Society Foundations, accused the president of being a “con man” and a “narcissist” who wants the world to “revolve around him,” according to CNBC. Soros, who has yet to endorse a 2020 Democrat candidate, then said that this year’s election will decide the “fate of the world,” CNBC reports.

IRAQ - A massive demonstration – called for by a prominent Shia cleric – has flooded the streets of Iraq's capital Baghdad, with thousands voicing their anger at the US military presence there. Early on Friday morning, throngs of protesters – men and women, young and old – began amassing at al-Hurriya Square in central Baghdad, near the city's main university. The anti-America rally, dubbed the "Million-man March," was called by Moqtada al-Sadr, Iraq's top Shiite cleric. Some were wearing white robes, symbolizing their readiness to die for a religious cause, while others were pictured holding signs that read: "To the families of American soldiers – insist on the withdrawal of [your] sons from our country or prepare their coffins!" The march comes just weeks after Iraq was shaken by an American drone strike near Baghdad airport, which killed Iran's top General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy chief of Iraq's Shia militia, along with other officers.

TURKEY - Earthquakes have hit Turkey, Peru and Papua New Guinea, with one a staggering magnitude-6.9. A powerful earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Friday, killing four people and damaging buildings near the epicentre of the quake. The earthquake was so significant it was also felt in several neighbouring countries. The quake had a magnitude of 6.9 and struck at a depth of 6.2 miles, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

CHINA - Scientists warned in 2017 that a SARS-like virus could escape a lab set up that year in Wuhan, China, to study some of the most dangerous pathogens in the world. Now, a SARS-like coronavirus has infected more than 800 there, spread to at least 10 other countries and killed 25 in Wuhan and nearby provinces. China installed the first of a planned five to seven biolabs designed for maximum safety in Wuhan in 2017, for the purpose of studying the most high-risk pathogens, including the Ebola and the SARS viruses. Tim Trevan, a Maryland biosafety consultant, told Nature that year, when the lab was on the cusp of opening, that he worried that China's culture could make the institute unsafe because 'structures where everyone feels free to speak up and openness of information are important.' In fact, the SARS virus had 'escaped' multiple times from a lab in Beijing, according to the Nature article.

KENYA - The hum of millions of locusts on the move is broken by the screams of farmers and the clanging of pots and pans. But their noise-making does little to stop the voracious insects from feasting on their crops in this rural community. The worst outbreak of desert locusts in Kenya in 70 years has seen hundreds of millions of the bugs swarm into the East African nation from Somalia and Ethiopia. Those two countries have not had an infestation like this in a quarter-century, destroying farmland and threatening an already vulnerable region with devastating hunger. “Even cows are wondering what is happening,” said Ndunda Makanga, who spent hours Friday trying to chase the locusts from his farm. “Corn, sorghum, cowpeas, they have eaten everything.”

UK - The concept of a close-knit family is quickly becoming an antiquated notion. A recent survey of 1,000 British parents found that the average parent spends a mere five hours per week communicating face-to-face with their children. More than half of surveyed moms and dads with children under the age of 18 said they feel “distant” from their kids. In all, 43% blamed their measly family time on their kids spending too much time in front of the television, with another 51% saying their kids spend too much time in their bedrooms. Another 44% said their familial disconnect is a result of their kids logging inordinate amounts of time on their phones during traditional “family time” in the evening. The study, commissioned by Cadbury Heroes, also found that the average youngster starts to really avoid his or her parents around the age of 13. A significant 73% of respondents said their relationship with their children really changed once their sons and daughters became teenagers.

EUROPE - European Union bosses have signed the Brexit withdrawal treaty confirming the United Kingdom's departure from the bloc. The EU commission's Ursula von der Leyen and Council's Charles Michel put their signature to Boris Johnson's Brexit deal at a sombre ceremony today in Brussels. A copy will now be sent to Downing Street to allow the Prime Minister to complete the process ahead of its ratification in the EU Parliament next week.

USA - US President Donald Trump will finally unveil his ‘great’ plan for peace in the Middle East before Israeli leaders visit Washington next week. While the Palestinians may not like it, it will be good for them, Trump said. Trump has long teased the existence of a plan that would resolve the long-running dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, reportedly developed by his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Its release, however, has been repeatedly delayed. On the way to an event in Florida on Thursday, Trump told reporters on board Air Force One that he intends to make the plan public ahead of next week’s visit to Washington by Israel’s caretaker prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his chief rival Benny Gantz. "It's a great plan," said Trump, "It's a plan that really would work." The US president noted that Palestinians might react negatively to it at first, but added that the proposal would be to their benefit.

MIDDLE EAST - The new multibillion US investment plan unveiled without the political solution part is beneficial to Israel, but not to Palestine, experts told RT. The so-called “opportunity of the century,” which US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, presented to media on Saturday, is entitled to create a million jobs in the West Bank and Gaza, while doubling Palestine’s GDP in 10 years. It would be achieved through donors, mainly the Gulf States, pouring $50 billion into the West Bank and Gaza as well as into Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon where several million Palestinian refugees are staying. The plan is basically an ultimatum for Palestine, which may be coerced into accepting it due to the lack of other options, former US diplomat Jim Jatras told RT.

ITALY - Italy’s far right leader, Matteo Salvini, is hoping to cause a political shock by winning Sunday’s regional election in Emilia Romagna, a stronghold of the left since the Second World War. That could topple the government and sweep him to national power.

CHINA - China's deadly coronavirus outbreak could have been caused by people eating bat soup - a popular dish in the city at the epicentre of the health crisis. Experts believe fruit bats which feature in the local delicacy could host the flu-like virus which has now spread to humans. Most of the first group of coronavirus patients either worked or shopped at Wuhan seafood wholesale market where live consumable animals including poultry, donkeys, sheep, pigs, camels, foxes, badgers, bamboo rats, hedgehogs, civets, wolf cubs and reptiles were all readily available. The market was shut down in late December at the start of the outbreak and is now under surveillance by security staff. Scientists are also looking into theories the consumption of live baby mice or snakes could be behind the outbreak.

UK - BINGO fans cried foul at moves to replace traditional calls with woke phrases about avocado and gluten. Younger players are said to be tired of much-loved favourites such as “two fat ladies, 88”, now deemed potentially offensive. The wishy-washy “Wills and Kate, 88” has instead been suggested, alongside other snowflake-friendly phrases such as “74, recycle more” and “48, not another Brexit debate”. Health-conscious foodie slogans are also popular, such as “83, gluten-free”, “38, avocado on a plate” and “52, brunch for two”. Foxy Bingo said it was considering redesigning its game later this year after millennials demanded fresh phrases. Blake Robson, 54, who works in South Shields, said his players would end up confused. The 12-time winner of Bingo Caller of the Year went on: “It would be a real shame to see traditional calls disappear.

PHILIPPINES - TAAL volcano threatens to erupt any moment now, geologists have warned, as NASA satellites track ground deformation around the active Philippines volcano. The alert level for Taal volcano is 4, meaning the fiery mountain on Luzon Island could erupt within “hours to days”. The volcano has been steadily rumbling since it erupted twice this month, on January 12 and January 13. The two eruptions coated Luzon Island in a thick blanket of ash but have mostly spared its inhabitants from major destruction. Geologists, however, fear hundreds of localised earthquakes around Taal suggest magma is moving deep underground – a potential processor to an explosive eruption. Using radar data collected by satellites passing over the Philippines volcano, NASA scientists have been able to detect changes in local ground deformation.

SPAIN - The Catalan coast and Balearic Islands have been ravaged by Storm Gloria. The storm brought wind, rain and flooding. Inland, towns in higher altitudes were overcome with heavy snow. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power and at least 13 people have been killed.

EUROPE - For historical reasons, Europe has long resided in the strategic shadow of the United States, which itself has underwritten decades of globalization and rapidly expanding prosperity. But the global balance of power is rapidly shifting, leaving Europe increasingly exposed. The European Union, and particularly Germany, have yet to rise to the challenge posed by the United States’ retreat from global leadership. But, given the new competition from China, together with Russia’s renewed great-power aspirations, Western countries must find a way to cooperate more closely.