U.S. officials: 210 citizens departed Wuhan, arrived in California

U.S. officials said a flight with 210 U.S. citizens departing from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, has landed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, Calif. Officers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are screening and monitoring passengers, who are being asked to stay in housing on the base for now. Any passengers with symptoms may be taken to a hospital. Five U.S. residents have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, which has since sickened an estimated 6,000 people and killed more than 125 worldwide.

Brexit: Nigerians in London hope for split

Many African expatriates in London are pleased with the prime minister’ visit to both Kenya and Nigeria last May.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has warned her critics are putting democracy at risk if they can’t unite behind her Brexit deal.

MPs are due to vote on May’s divorce agreement next week.

But while Westminster remains divided, there’s an unexpected surge of support from one of London’s multicultural neighbourhoods.

Al Jazeera’s Laurence Lee reports.

Gold Futures Settle Flat After Lackluster Session

Gold prices edged up slightly on Wednesday after moving in a tight range right through the session.

While lingering worries about the potential impact of the coronavirus spread on the global economy prompted investors to go for the safe-haven asset, a recovery in stock markets and a steady dollar limited its uptick.

The dollar gained modest ground in positive territory, ahead of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy announcement. The Fed is widely expected to hold rates. The central bank’s views on the economy and future interest rate moves are likely to set the trend for the market in the near term.

The dollar index was up $0.10 at $98.12.

Gold futures for February ended up $0.60, or 0.04%, at $1,570.40 an ounce.

On Tuesday, gold futures for February ended down $7.60, or 0.5%, at $1,569.80 an ounce.

Silver futures for March ended up $0.029 at $17.487 an ounce, while Copper futures for March settled at $2.5540 per pound, down $0.0255 from previous close.

According to a report released by the National Association of Realtors on Wednesday, pending home sales in the U.S. unexpectedly showed a sharp pullback in the month of December. NAR said its pending home sales index plunged by 4.9% in December after jumping by 1.2% in November. Economists had expected pending home sales to rise by 0.5%.

After the Fed left its key short-term interest rate unchanged in the 1.5% and 1.75% range, gold futures edged down slightly to $1,569.90 an ounce.

Iranian official dismisses Trump peace plan as one-sided 'imposition'

DUBAI (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan is solely a deal between the United States and Israel, an adviser to Iran’s president said on Tuesday, dismissing the proposal as one of “imposition and sanctions”.

“This is a deal between the Zionist regime (Israel) and America. Interaction with Palestinians is not on its agenda. This is not a peace plan but a plan of imposition and sanctions,” Hesameddin Ashena tweeted after Trump unveiled details of plan in Washington.

U.S. stocks hold gains after Fed signals plan to hold rates steady for foreseeable future

U.S. equity benchmarks were trading solidly higher on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve’s rate-setting committee left its benchmark Fed-funds rate unchanged and signaled its intention to keep rates steady in the near future. . The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.52% rose 160 points, or 0.6% to 28,882, the S&P 500 index SPX, +0.41% rose 14 points, or 0.4% to trade around 3,290 and the Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, +0.51% gained 48 points, or 0.5% to about 9,317. The central bank said in a statement accompanying its decision that a strong labor market and rising household spending were offset by weak business investment and muted inflation, conditions that argued for no change in policy. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will deliver a press conference explaining the decision at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Colombia protests over deadliest attack in 16 years

Government blames Colombia’s rebel group, the ELN, for the attack that killed 21 people, including 20 police cadets.

Colombia’s President Ivan Duque has led a demonstration in the capital Bogota, condemning Thursday’s car bomb attack that killed 21 people.

The government blames Colombia’s last remaining rebel group, the ELN, for carrying out the attack.

Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti reports from Bogota.

Gold futures settle modestly higher, then hold ground after the Fed decision

Gold futures finished with a slight gain on Wednesday, then held ground close to that settlement after the U.S. Federal Reserve left its benchmark short-term interest rate unchanged in a range between $1.5% and $1.75%. February gold GCG20, +0.17% was at $1,569.90 an ounce in electronic trading, shortly after the Fed policy statement. The contract settled up 60 cents, or 0.04%, at $1,570.40 on Comex, ahead of the Fed news.

Sudan unrest: Omar al-Bashir refuses to step down

The protests in Sudan started over the state of its economy with people complaining of food shortages and high prices.

Sudan’s President Omar Al Bashir has promised to push through economic reforms – as he defies calls from protesters and the opposition to step down.

Two parties have withdrawn from the governing coalition as anti-government demonstrations continue – but President Bashir is refusing to budge.

Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reports from the capital Khartoum.