German Chancellor Angela Merkel's response to the coronavirus pandemic has won widespread approval even as other high-profile leaders face growing frustrations, according to polling from Kekst CNC, shared with Axios.
The big picture: Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's truly terrible ratings have been driven largely by economic concerns, while rising case counts have seen President Trump slump to new lows in the poll. Merkel, meanwhile, is winning high marks on both the public health and economic fronts.
America has an image problem. A Gallup poll of 135 countries finds virtually equivalent rates of approval for U.S. (median of 33%), Chinese (32%) and Russian (30%) global leadership.
Breaking it down: The U.S. approval rate is down from 48% in 2016, and it slides even lower among democratic allies like Canada (20%) and Germany (12%). Any significant improvements, the report notes, have tended to come in "some of the world's least democratic societies."
Chinese officials announced they've lowered the American flag and taken over the U.S. consulate in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, per AFP.
The big picture: The closure marks a tit-for-tat move by Chinese authorities after the forced shuttering of China's consulate in Houston by U.S. officials. Chengdu is a secondary diplomatic outpost for the U.S. — much like Houston was for China.
Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine are set to begin a "full and comprehensive" ceasefire at midnight on Monday, AP reports.
Why it matters: The Ukrainian government says that the ceasefire, if upheld, could “pave the way for implementing other clauses” of the 2015 Minsk peace deal, which largely ended major combat but hasn't stopped sporadic clashes between the sides.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tweeted Saturday that he has tested negative for the coronavirus after three positive test results since July 7.
Why it matters: Bolsonaro, who has long downplayed the effects of COVID-19 as it ravages Brazil, is one of only a handful of world leaders known to have contracted the virus.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered Kaesong City, near the border with South Korea, to be placed on lockdown and declared a "maximum emergency" because of a suspected coronavirus case, state media reported on Sunday.
Why it matters: If the person is found to have COVID-19, it would mark the first time Pyongyang has publicly confirmed having a case in the country. The isolated state has previously insisted it's free of the pandemic, although experts have cast doubt on the claim.
