Nigerian Christians lose hope

NIGERIA: Militants executed the kidnapped chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, pastor Lawan Andimi, only weeks after they distributed a proof-of-life video following his Jan. 3 abduction. The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) and its Boko Haram affiliates also claimed to have killed another abducted Christian, who they did not identify.

CHINA: With Wuhan and other cities under lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, latest figures show at least 17 people have died and close to 600 others are confirmed infected by the new virus.

SWITZERLAND: Climate refugees don’t exist in international law, but UN officials attending the World Economic Forum in Davos are making the case for treating those who flee climate events as refugees deserving resettlement.

LEBANON: A newly formed government will take up emergency measures to quell an economic and political crisis, as French President Emmanuel Macron this week pledged to do “everything” to help.

SYRIA: Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani smiled politely in his first meeting (at Davos) with President Donald Trump, who said the Turkish invasion of Kurdish-held areas of neighboring Syria has “worked out great.” In Syria, dueling roadblocks raise tension between U.S. and Russian forces as Turkey continues its advance. Turkish forces have displaced more than 300,000 people and confiscated property while imposing Islamist rule.

ISRAEL: World leaders gathered in Jerusalem to commemorate the Holocaust on the 75th anniversary this month of the liberation of Auschwitz.

ANGOLA: Isabel dos Santos, daughter of former President José Eduardo dos Santos, is Africa’s richest woman, but there’s growing scrutiny over how she built her $2 billion empire.

UNITED STATES: Next time you feel lost on impeachment proceedings, here’s your explainer on key themes.

GLOBAL: A breakdown of the countries where it’s most dangerous to be a Christian, from Open Doors’ 2020 World Watch List.

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