Colombia will have to resume aerial spraying to destroy coca crops, US President Donald Trump has said. Mr Trump made the remarks at a joint press conference with Colombian President Ivan Duque in Washington. Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine, while the US is the world’s largest consumer.

Aerial spraying of crops was suspended in 2015 after a court ruled that the herbicide used – glyphosate – could cause cancer and pollute land. “Well, you’re going to have to spray. If you don’t spray, you’re not going to get rid of them. So you have to spray, with regard to the drugs in Colombia,” the US president told Mr Duque. Mr Duque said that the country would “combine all the options available” in order to combat the problem, including the manual destruction of crops.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) issued statistics in September that showed coca production acreage in Colombia in 2017 was the highest ever recorded. The total surface area used for cultivation – about 171,000 hectares – was an estimated 17% higher than 2016.(BBC)…[+]

At least seven people have died after two tornadoes ripped through central Tennessee, including the state’s biggest city Nashville. Officials said the tornadoes also caused widespread damage to buildings in the city. Nashville Mayor John Cooper said the city was “devastated”, and urged people to “lend a helping hand” to neighbours. Neighbourhoods throughout the city have been plunged into darkness amid infrastructure damage.

About 44,000 people have been left without power, Nashville Electric said. There was also “significant damage” to John C Tune Airport, about eight miles from the city centre, the airport said.  Police in the Mt Juliet suburb, east of Nashville, said: “There are gas lines that are leaking, power lines that are on the ground, and multiple emergency responders are responding to those who are injured.” Nashville’s Emergency Operations Centre said it had opened a shelter with running water in a farmer’s market to help displaced residents. The city’s schools, courts and transport lines will be closed on Tuesday due to the damage, officials said. Election polling sites located at schools will be open, but four polling stations have been moved. Tennessee is one of 14 US states voting in Super Tuesday for a Democratic nominee to stand in November’s presidential election.(BBC)…[+]

At least 33 Turkish soldiers have died in a Syrian government attack in opposition-held north-western Syria, in a major escalation of the conflict. Turkey, which backs the opposition, says it hit 200 government targets in response, “neutralising” 309 soldiers.

Russia, Syria’s key military ally, says Turkish troops were attacked in Idlib province by Syrian forces while operating alongside jihadist fighters. The EU has warned the crisis could escalate further. “There is a risk of sliding into a major open international military confrontation,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted. “It is also causing unbearable humanitarian suffering and putting civilians in danger.”

The Turkish and Russian presidents spoke by phone on Friday. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin both expressed concern and agreed on the need for “additional measures” to normalise the situation, with the possibility of a summit in the near future, the Kremlin says. Russian and Turkish officials are due to meet at the Turkish foreign ministry. Russia also says top Russian and US military officials have discussed the situation in Idlib.

Russia denies its own forces were involved in the fighting in the Balyun area. Government forces, supported by Russia, have been trying to retake Idlib from jihadist groups and Turkish-backed rebel factions based there. The attack came after Turkish-backed rebels retook the key town of Saraqeb, north-east of Balyun. Idlib is the last Syrian province where Syrian rebel groups still control significant territory.(BBC)…[+]

The acting White House chief of staff says US media is stoking a coronavirus panic because they hope it will take down President Donald Trump. “The reason they are paying so much attention to it today is that they think this is going to bring down the president,” Mick Mulvaney said.

Speaking to a group of conservatives on Friday, he added people should ignore the media in order to calm the markets. Global markets have continued to fall as the virus infects over 50 countries. There have been 82,000 reported cases of Covid-19 worldwide and 2,800 deaths since the disease emerged late last year. All but 3,664 cases and 57 of the deaths have been reported in China.

“We took extraordinary steps four or five weeks ago,” Mr Mulvaney said, referring to the Trump administration order to close the border to foreign travelers coming from China, where the virus originated. The move was widely covered in the media at the time. “Why didn’t we hear about it? What was going on four or five weeks ago? Impeachment. And that’s all the press wanted to talk about,” he told a gathering of conservatives outside Washington on Friday.(BBC)…[+]