135 million people globally were affected by acute malnutrition in 2019, the United Nations' food agency said in a report released Monday — the most since the agency was formed four years ago.
Driving the news: The planet is “on the brink of a hunger pandemic" as it grapples with the coronavirus outbreak, David Beasley, chief of the UN's World Food Program told the UN Security Council Tuesday, AP reports.
President Trump responded to unconfirmed reports that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is in "grave" condition following surgery, telling reporters at a press briefing Tuesday: "I just hope he's doing fine. I have had a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un."
Why it matters: Trump has often touted his close personal relationship with Kim, whom he met with twice in historic summits that ultimately failed to achieve the U.S. goal of denuclearization. The president did not confirm the reports about Kim's health or speculate about North Korea's line of succession.
Guidelines to cautiously reopen parts of Italy will likely be applied starting May 4, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Tuesday in a Facebook post.
Germany's Oktoberfest festival in Munich won't take place this year, the governor of Bavaria announced Tuesday.
“We are living in changed times,” said Markus Söder, the governor of Bavaria. “Living with corona means living cautiously.”
Why it matters: The iconic festival draws 6 million people a year and was supposed to start Sept. 19. Germany's ban on large public gatherings ends on Aug. 31, but authorities thought it would be difficult to enforce social distancing and require all attendees to wear masks.
Two-thirds of Americans now view China unfavorably, up from 47% two years ago, according to data from Pew that suggests the increasingly adversarial approach from Washington is spreading throughout the country.
The big picture: Americans have tended to view China negatively since 2013, but that sentiment has grown dramatically over the past two years amid the U.S-China trade war and, more recently, the coronavirus pandemic. In that time, the proportion of Americans who view China very unfavorably has more than doubled (15% to 33%).
The global economy has never faced a challenge like the coronavirus, but it’s in Africa that the pain could be deepest and recovery slowest.
Why it matters: Years of progress on alleviating extreme poverty will be undone, and economies that had been among the world’s fastest growing could face deep recessions. That’s even if Africa averts a Europe-style public health catastrophe.
A poll designed to test President Trump’s vulnerabilitieson foreign policy finds that 56% of voters in 12 battleground states believe he has made America less respected in the world, compared to 31% who say America is now more respected.
By the numbers: Among the 16% of voters who remain undecided ahead of November’s election, 59% agree that Trump is making the U.S. less respected, compared to 16% who say the U.S. is now more respected.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz signed a deal on Monday to form a “national emergency government,” ending more than a year of political deadlock in which Israel was forced to hold three elections.
Why it matters: Facing corruption charges and protests, Netanyahu will remain in office as prime minister — just weeks after it seemed like his political career was over. Netanyahu's trial has been postponed until May 24 as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday that South Korea is sending the state 5,000 coronavirus kits, which can be made into 500,000 tests, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Why it matters: A lack of reliable testing supplies has hindered efforts to understand how widespread the virus is both in Maryland and across the country. Increasing testing is also a key requirement states must reach before they can relax stay-at-home orders.
The anti-Huawei movement continues even as attention shifts to the coronavirus, with a group of tech firms urging the U.K. to find alternatives to using Huawei gear in 5G networks.
The big picture: The approach they propose has also been pursued by some in the White House, though many have cast doubt on its viability, especially in the short term.
With half the world's population on lockdown, wild animals are roaming freely in cities and regions usually bustling with people.
The big picture: From South Africa to the South Australian city of Adelaide, take a look at some of the species thriving in areas under restrictions from the novel coronavirus.
