Feb 10, 2018

Kim Jong-un invites South Korea's president to Pyongyang

Axios

South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes the hand of Kim Yong-jo, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Photo: Jean Catuffe / Getty Images

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un extended an invitation to South Korean President Moon Jae-in for talks in Pyongyang, which South Korean officials said Moon "practically accepted," per Reuters. The invitation — which proposed meeting "at an early date" — came via Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, who met with Moon in Seoul as a part of North Korea's Winter Olympics delegation.

Why it matters: The meeting, which would be the first between Korean leaders since 2007, could accelerate the thaw in tensions between North and South Korea. It's also likely to be poorly received by the United States, which is set to unveil the toughest sanctions ever against the North Korean regime.

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Axios

South Korea and Italy step up measures as coronavirus cases spike

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The novel coronavirus has spread to more nations as South Korea and Italy in particular scramble to deal with spikes in their countries.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed at least 2,446 people and infected almost 79,000 others, mostly in mainland China. South Korean President Moon Jae-said country would increase its infectious disease alert to red, the highest level possible, the New York Times reports, as the number of cases in the country soared to 556 and the death toll to five. Italy's government announced emergency measures Sunday after infections rose to 79.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 14 mins ago - Health
Axios

Bernie Sanders wins Nevada caucus

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders waves to supporters at a campaign rally on Friday in Las Vegas. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Sen. Bernie Sanders is projected to handily win the Nevada Democratic primary caucus, becoming the clear frontrunner among 2020 Democratic presidential primary election candidates.

Why it matters: Nevada is the first state with a diverse population to hold a nominating contest, highlighting candidates' abilities to connect with voters of color — particularly Latino voters.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 40 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Rebecca Falconer

Heat wave melts 20% of snow cover from Antarctic island in days

The effects of February's record heat wave on Eagle Island in Antarctica. Photo: NASA

Antarctica's Eagle Island now has a side that's almost ice-free following this month's searing heat wave in the region, images released by NASA show.

Why it maters: "The warm spell caused widespread melting on nearby glaciers," NASA said in its report. It's the third major melt event of the 2019-2020 Southern Hemisphere summer, following warm spells in January and last November, according to the United Nation's World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Go deeperArrow3 hours ago - Energy & Environment