BOJ says monitoring coronavirus impact, fully prepared for necessary action

RIYADH, Feb 23 (Reuters) – The Bank of Japan (BOJ) will ensure it is fully prepared to take necessary policy action as it scrutinises developments on the impact of coronavirus, its governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Sunday.

The BOJ is ready to ease without hesitation if needed, but sees no need to consider specific action now, he told a news conference in Riyadh.

The epidemic has cast a cloud over global recovery prospects, overshadowing a meeting of finance leaders of the world’s top 20 economies in Riyadh. (Reporting by Leika Kihara; Writing by Saeed Azhar; Editing by Jan Harvey)

Two wounded in Lebanon's Tripoli after bomb blast in residential building: sources

Beirut (Reuters) – Two people were wounded after a bomb exploded in a residential building in the Lebanese city of Tripoli on Sunday, security sources said.

The man accused of setting off the bomb has been arrested, the security sources said.

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews compares Bernie Sanders’s victory in Nevada to Nazi invasion — now people want him fired

That’s MSNBC’s Chris Matthews comparing the big win for Bernie Sanders at the Nevada caucuses to the Nazi invasion of France in 1940.

Here’s the clip:

Sanders, indeed, scored a massive win and cemented his status as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. We’ll get an even better idea next week in South Carolina and then on Super Tuesday on March 3.

For now, Sanders is the man, and the comments from Matthews aren’t going over well, starting with the Vermont senator’s communications director:

But not everybody thought his comments were worthy of him losing his job:

B. Smith Dies: TV Host, Entrepreneur, Model, Restaurateur, Author And Lifestyle Guru Was 70

Barbara Smith, whose broad range of endeavors and nationally syndicated TV show B. Smith With Style showcased her knack for defining lifestyle trends, has died. She passed from Alzheimer’s disease at her Long Island Home, according to her family.

Known throughout her career by her first initial, Smith had her own home collection at Bed Bath and Beyond and other retailers wrote three home entertaining books. She covered her battle with early onset Alzheimer’s in another book written with her husband, Before I Forget, and was an activist urging people to get tested before her illness overtook her.

“It is with great sadness that my daughter Dana and I announce the passing of my wife, Barbara Elaine Smith. B. died peacefully Saturday, February 22, 2020, at 10:50 pm, of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease in our home in Long Island, New York,” Smith’s husband, Dan Gasby, wrote on Instagram. “Heaven is shining even brighter now that it is graced with B.’s dazzling and unforgettable smile.

On TV, B. Smith focused on food, exploring everything from teen snacks to red snapper. Smith was also a regular and popular guest on the Today show. Roker saluted her today with an Instagram post that showed a photo with Smith and Gasby.

Armenia seals Iran border after coronavirus reports

YEREVAN (Reuters) – Armenia is closing its border with Iran for two weeks and suspending air traffic after reports of coronavirus cases there, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

Iran said it had confirmed 43 cases and eight deaths, with most of the infections in the Shi’ite Muslim holy city of Qom.

Al-Qaeda confirms death of AQAP leader Qassim Al-Raymi: Site Intelligence Group

Cairo (Reuters) – Al-Qaeda has confirmed the death of Qassim al-Raymi, the leader of Islamist group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Site Intelligence Group reported on Sunday.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that the United States had killed al-Raymi in a counterterrorism operation in Yemen.

The United States regards AQAP as one of the deadliest branches of the al Qaeda network founded by Osama bin Laden.

Al-Qaeda confirms death of AQAP leader Qassim Al-Raymi: Site Intelligence Group

CAIRO (REUTERS) – Al-Qaeda has confirmed the death of Qassim al-Raymi, the leader of Islamist group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Site Intelligence Group reported on Sunday (Feb 23).

US President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that the United States had killed al-Raymi in a counterterrorism operation in Yemen.

The United States regards AQAP as one of the deadliest branches of the al-Qaeda network founded by Osama bin Laden.

Kuroda Says Bank of Japan Will Be Prepared to Act on Coronavirus

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the monetary policy authority will be “well-prepared” to act when needed to address the impact of the coronovirus on the economy.

“We will monitor the impact of the coronavirus on the economy, inflation and financial markets with maximum attention,” Kuroda told reporters on Sunday in Riyadh, where he is attending a Group of 20 meeting. “We will continue to gather information by attending international meetings like the G-20 and we will be well-prepared to act when we need to act.”

The yen retreated to a 10-month low against the dollar last week as the spread of the coronavirus compounded concerns about the state of the Japanese economy, which last quarter suffered the biggest contraction since 2014.

Kuroda said he doesn’t expect a “big delay” in the recovery of the Japanese economy for now. The BOJ is not at a stage to discuss the specifics of a potential monetary policy response, he said.