USA

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Bobbie Harris, 79, lost her rental home, her job and her church when a deadly tornado struck her community in North Nashville. But all she could think about was her blessings.

“Through it all, God is good,” Harris said.

Harris joined other members of Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday to worship just outside the ruins of the church, which has been in the community for 135 years. The roofs of their two church buildings are gone, ripped away by strong winds early Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The photo of his father was barely recognizable. The old man looked unusually pale and tired, and his customary beard was shaved off. The son who received the photo over WhatsApp was immediately suspicious.

He hadn’t heard from his family in western China for two years while he studied at a U.S. university.

His family are Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group that has become the target of a massive crackdown in China. Since 2017, more than 1 million people have been confined to internment camps and many more are monitored in their own homes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The two top Democratic leaders in Congress are calling on President Donald Trump to support a series of steps to help Americans deal with the coronavirus outbreak — from paid sick leave to widespread and free testing and other moves.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday that Trump should put the health and safety of the public first and such steps should take priority over moves to help companies deal with financial losses — like tax cuts for corporations.

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices are plunging amid concern a dispute among producers could lead a global economy weakened by COVID-19 to be awash in an oversupply of crude.

Brent crude, the international standard, lost $11.44, or 25.3%, to $33.83 per barrel in electronic trading in London. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $10.77, or 26.1%, to $30.49.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 08 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned Friday’s deadly attack in Kabul and expressed solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.

More than 30 people were killed when gunmen opened fire during a commemorative event attended by the country’s Chief Executive, Abdullah Abdullah, and former President Hamid Karzai.

“The Secretary-General reiterates that attacks against civilians are unacceptable and those who carry out such crimes must be held accountable”, it said.

8 March 2020; AFP: A US-Taliban deal that was supposed to kickstart peace talks between the insurgents and the Kabul government is looking flimsier by the day, with fighting raging across Afghanistan and no one sure about what comes next.

The loosely worded, four-page agreement signed February 29 in Doha was meant to set the conditions for a complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan within just 14 months -- and end the longest war in US history.

08 Mar 2020; MEMO: UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths today has called for an immediate end to military action by Yemen’s warring parties as renewed violence between the Houthi movement and a Saudi-led coalition threatened peace efforts, Reuters reports.

UNITED NATIONS, March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations asked nine countries, including China, South Korea and France, to delay by three months the rotations of their UN peacekeeping forces due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The request was made to the countries “to maintain operational strength and execute their mandated tasks”, diplomatic sources at the UN said.

The nine countries also include Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal, India, Italy and Germany – all of which have experienced significant outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus.

PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - President Donald Trump praised the United States’ relationship with Brazil under Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday, but declined to say whether he would impose steel and aluminum tariffs on the South American country.

Ahead of a dinner between the two men at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump was asked if he would continue to hold off placing new tariffs on Brazilian steel and aluminum. Trump responded that the United States had helped Brazil, but said he would not make any promises regarding tariffs.

NEW YORK, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Governor of the U.S. state of New York declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the northeastern state rose to 76.

At a press conference, Governor Andrew Cuomo said that New York City, the most populous metropolis in the country, has seen 11 cases, and Westchester County now has 57, an increase of 23 overnight.

Long Island's Nassau County has four, Rockland County has two and Saratoga County has two new cases.