Sanders and Buttigieg lead again

Early results from the New Hampshire primary to find a Democratic Party candidate for the 2020 US presidential election show it could be another two-horse race between the left wing Bernie Sanders and more moderate Pete Buttigieg, Reuters reports. CNN says Amy Klobuchar is also up there challenging. Many of the live blogs seem to think that Elizabeth Warren’s campaign is in trouble as she was polling single figures, and a defiant Joe Biden left early for South Carolina according to Politico. Michael Bennet and entrepreneur Andrew Yang both withdrew from the race. NPR, the BBC, The Guardian and Fox News have live coverage.

Bashir may be handed to ICC

Sudan’s military council says it will hand over former dictator Omar al-Bashir to face trial at the international criminal court in The Hague, The Guardian reports. The move came after the country’s transitional authorities and rebel groups from Darfur met for peace talks in South Sudan, Al Jazeera reports. But, as Vox says, nothing is guaranteed and some officials are suggesting that problems could arise if Bashir were extradited to the Hague, and say they would prefer an ICC delegation to come to Sudan.

Coronavirus named Covid-19, vaccine on way

The BBC, Scientific American and Wired report that the World Health Organization has officially named the disease caused by the new coronavirus as Covid-19, and that the virus that causes it is SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile, The New York Times (paywall) and Fox News report that a vaccine to combat the virus could be ready in 18 months. Reuters reports that Asian shares and Wall Street futures were bouncing back amid hopes that the worst of the virus outbreak was over. CNBC and The Guardian have live updates from around the world.

Irish coalition talks prove tricky

The Irish Times reckons that Sinn Féin’s attempts to form a government with minor left-leaning parties in Ireland is facing scepticism from potential allies. The traditional parties of power, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, have both acknowledged the shift in Irish politics, but don’t want to be side-lined, according to an RTE report. Meanwhile, The Irish Examiner takes a look at what is and what is not achievable from the Sinn Féin election manifesto. And The Guardian reports on police warnings that two of the party’s members in Northern Ireland, including deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill, may be targeted by republican dissidents over their attendance of a police recruitment event. The party has also had to deal with controversy surrounding members shouting pro-IRA slogans at victory rallies, says The Telegraph.

Yemen crisis worsens

The BBC and France 24 report that assistance required by some 6.7 million Yemenis is being obstructed by Houthi authorities. A major meeting in Brussels on Thursday will seek to find a solution to the impasse.

UK growth stagnates

The UK’s gross domestic product flatlined between October and the end of December amid Brexit and election uncertainty, the FT (paywall), Independent and Daily Mail report. The Guardian’s Larry Elliott reckons the economy will bounce back but he is not expecting a return of “boom-boom Britain” in the immediate future.

SoftBank soars as telecoms merger gets go ahead

Japan’s SoftBank Group saw its shares rocket after a merger of Sprint, in which it is a major shareholder, and T-Mobile appears to have been greenlighted by a US district judge, CNBC reports.

Morrison promises new Indigenous polices

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has pledged to deliver new policies aimed at improving the lives of its Indigenous people, Reuters reports. He said Indigenous communities must be given more autonomy and influence in efforts to improve their lives, the Brisbane Times reports. The current policy has met just two of its seven targets as the country’s 700,000 Indigenous people perform poorly in economic and social indicators.

Buyer splashes out on Hockney

David Hockney’s iconic 1966 painting “The Splash” fetched £23.1 at a Sotheby’s auction in London on Tuesday, Reuters, the BBC and The Guardian report. In 2006 the same painting sold for £2.9m.

Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts