Latest world news

Here are some of the latest world news stories:

Politics

• The United States and China have reached a trade deal, with China agreeing to increase its purchases of US goods and services by $200 billion over the next two years. (Source: BBC)
• The UK and EU have agreed on a revised Brexit deal, which will allow for a transition period to avoid a no-deal Brexit. (Source: The Guardian)
• The Democratic Party in the US has launched an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, following allegations that he pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rival. (Source: CNN)

Health

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a global health emergency. (Source: Al Jazeera)
• A new study has found that the use of face masks can reduce the transmission of flu viruses by up to 50%. (Source: The New York Times)
• The number of measles cases worldwide has increased by 300% in the past year, according to the WHO. (Source: The Guardian)

Business

• The global economy has slowed down, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicting a 3.3% growth rate for 2020, down from 3.6% in 2019. (Source: The Financial Times)
• The US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the third time this year, in an effort to boost the economy. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)
• The world's largest oil company, Saudi Aramco, has gone public with an initial public offering (IPO) that raised $29.4 billion. (Source: Bloomberg)

Environment

• The Amazon rainforest is burning at a record rate, with over 9,000 fires reported in the past week. (Source: The Washington Post)
• The European Union has agreed to ban single-use plastics by 2021, in an effort to reduce pollution. (Source: The Guardian)
• The world's oceans are warming at a rate of 0.7 degrees Celsius per decade, according to a new study. (Source: The New York Times)

Conflict

• The conflict in Syria has escalated, with reports of airstrikes and shelling in the city of Idlib. (Source: Al Jazeera)
• The Taliban has launched a series of attacks in Afghanistan, killing dozens of people. (Source: The New York Times)
• The Israeli military has launched airstrikes in Gaza, in response to rocket attacks from the territory. (Source: The Guardian)

These are just a few of the latest world news stories.