World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is meeting with Chinese officials (Guardian) in Beijing today to discuss measures to address a new coronavirus that has killed eighty people.
 
Researchers from Hong Kong University found that self-sustaining human-to-human transmission (SCMP) of the virus is occurring in all major cities in mainland China. The virus has spread to at least ten countries, with five cases in the United States. Infectious disease experts estimate the number of total cases in China is likely far higher (STAT) than the official numbers of 2,700, and could be in the tens of thousands. The mayor of Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, said today he was willing to resign (SCMP) over his administration’s mishandling of the crisis.

Government forces conducted a series of ground and air attacks over the weekend that killed fifty-one Taliban militants (Reuters), Afghanistan’s defense minister announced.
 
India: India and Brazil signed fifteen cooperation agreements (Reuters) on issues including defense and oil exploration, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tweeted.

Forces commanded by rebel commander Khalifa Haftar advanced toward Libya’s second-largest city of Misrata, prompting clashes that broke a temporary cease-fire (AP) in the country’s civil war.
 
CFR’s Global Conflict Tracker looks at the most recent developments in the fight between Libya’s rival governments.
 
Iraq: A rocket attack hit the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, injuring one person, a U.S. official told CNN.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization called for $70 million worth of emergency funding to combat the swarms of desert locusts (FT) threatening farming regions in the worst locust invasion that Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia have experienced in decades.
 
Mali: Nineteen army soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base (AP) near the border with Mauritania, Mali’s military said.

The far-right League party, led by Matteo Salvini, lost a local election (Guardian) in the historically left-wing region Emilia-Romagna despite extensive campaigning that aimed to weaken Italy’s ruling coalition.
 
UK: The United Kingdom will begin a new program next month to fast-track visas (BBC) for leading scientists, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced.

Several centrist parties led in early results of yesterday’s Peruvian legislative elections (AP), which were called after President Martin Vizcarra dissolved Congress. Opposition leader Keiko Fujimori’s Popular Force party appeared set lose many of its seats in the legislature.
 
Brazil: The country’s minister for human rights, family, and women introduced an abstinence-only sex education campaign (NYT) amid high teenage pregnancy rates and rising HIV infections.

President Donald J. Trump told former National Security Advisor John Bolton that he wanted to freeze aid to Ukraine until officials there helped investigate Democrats, according to an unpublished book manuscript by Bolton. The manuscript reportedly contradicts accounts (NYT) from Trump administration officials such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr regarding their knowledge of actions that led to the current impeachment trial.
 
CFR’s James M. Lindsay demystifies the Senate impeachment trial.