David Brennan
Senior Reporter
David Brennan is currently a Senior Reporter for Newsweek covering world politics and current affairs. Prior to joining Newsweek in early 2018, he reported on British politics and global current affairs as a staff writer at International Business Times. He has also held reporting roles at a selection of trade publications covering the healthcare, transport and property industries. Originally from London, David graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2012 where he studied history. You can contact him at d.brennan@newsweek.com.
Jared Kushner Says He Is Not Involved in Any Plan to Postpone Election
Kushner had previously insinuated to Time that November's vote may be rescheduled if the pandemic has not been brought under control.
As Brazil's Bolsonaro Enjoys BBQ Despite COVID-19, the Poor Face Starvation
Few world leaders have been as dismissive of the coronavirus pandemic as Bolsonaro, but this has not stopped it from taking hold in Latin America's powerhouse.
Chinese Media Pushes Conspiracy Theory That Coronavirus Escaped From U.S.
Two state-backed newspapers claimed—with no evidence—that the pandemic may be linked to biological weapons projects at Fort Detrick, where research was put on hold last year.
Angela Merkel Under Pressure to Call Out Chinese Abuses at September Summit
German opposition lawmakers have called on the chancellor to prioritize human rights and transparency when President Xi Jinping comes to Europe in September.
Chinese, Indian Troops Engage in Border Brawl
The two nations share a border some 2,520 miles long, parts of which remain disputed and have prompted fighting in the past.
Iranian Navy Accidentally Fires on Own Ship in Training Exercise Gone Wrong
The accidental missile strike killed at least 19 sailors and injured another 15, according to state media reports.
China Threatens Retaliation Over New U.S. Visa Restrictions for Reporters
The new U.S. rules introduced last week are the latest development in a Chinese-American spat over press freedoms.
EU Complains of Censorship After China Media Deletes Pandemic Origins Note
The censored passage referred to the "outbreak of the coronavirus in China, and its subsequent spread to the rest of the world over the past three months."
China's Ambassador Urges Europe to Finalize Economic Deal Despite COVID-19
Zhang Ming argued that EU-China diplomatic and economic ties are even more important given the turmoil wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
Putin Approval Rating Drops to Historic Low Amid Coronavirus Crisis
The Kremlin is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic—which Putin claimed was under control in March—and the economic dislocation of national lockdown.
China Won't Support COVID-19 Probe Without Right Atmosphere: UN Ambassador
Ambassador Chen Xu told reporters Wednesday that politicization of the pandemic is "absurd and ridiculous."
EU Holds Coronavirus Summit to Woo Balkans, Push Back China and Russia
Balkan leaders have praised China and Russia for sending medical supplies to help the COVID-19 pandemic, but EU leaders are also providing funds and encouraging closer ties.
Putin Awards Kim Jong Un WW2 Medal Days After Public Re-Appearance
The honor was in recognition of Kim's "major personal contribution" to commemorating Soviet citizens who died liberating the Korean peninsula at the end of the war.
Chinese State Media Accuses Pompeo of 'Despicable' Coronavirus Lies
Pompeo and President Donald Trump say they are confident that COVID-19 came from a Wuhan research lab, but are yet to produce evidence supporting the assertion.
German Foreign Minister Urges Chinese Transparency Over Coronavirus
Beijing has so far rejected calls for an international investigation into the origin of the pandemic amid suggestions that it may have been caused by an accident at a Wuhan virology lab.
Esper Says China's 5G Push Is 'Malign,' Warns of Beijing's EU Influence
Esper said that nations including China and Russia "will try to use the pandemic as a way to invest in critical industry and infrastructure" in Europe.
Chinese State Media Demands U.S. Evidence That Coronavirus Came From Lab
The secretary of state said Sunday he had seen "enormous evidence" indicating that the COVID-19 virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
China's Coronavirus Diplomacy Could Worsen Europe's Fractures: Report
The French Institute of International Relations said Beijing is tailoring its outreach to individual European nations as Beijing wages its PR campaign amid the pandemic.
Kim Jong Un Thanks North Korean Propaganda Units for 'Powerful Work'
Kim has not been seen in public since April 11, prompting speculation that he may be dead or otherwise incapacitated, or that he is trying to avoid the coronavirus pandemic.
EU Chief Wants China to Join Investigation Into Coronavirus Origins
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that full transparency and international cooperation are needed to prevent a repeat of the pandemic.
Putin's Greatest Challenge—Russian Leader Paralyzed by the COVID-19 Crisis
Putin self-isolated early in the outbreak and has delegated key responsibilities while the number of infections in the country has started to spike.
China Dismisses Trump Claim That Beijing Wants Him to Lose Presidency
The president said Thursday that China "will do anything they can to have me lose this race" to former Vice President Joe Biden.
Shell Faces 'Crisis of Uncertainty,' Says CEO Amid Historic Oil Slump
The Anglo-Dutch energy giant said its Q1 net income had fallen by 46 percent as the industry grapples with a fall in oil demand driven by the coronavirus pandemic.
Russia Coronavirus Cases Pass 100,000 After Record Spike in Infections
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in March that the coronavirus outbreak was under control, but the number of infections is now accelerating rapidly.
China and Russia Unite to Condemn 'Hazardous' American Laboratories
China and the U.S. are currently locked in a PR war over the coronavirus pandemic, with each nation blaming the other for its worldwide spread.
Chinese State Media Says Trump 'Feels No Guilt' Over U.S. Coronavirus
China and the U.S. have repeatedly traded barbs over the coronavirus pandemic, both accusing the other of bungling their respective national responses.
South Korean Ministers Say There Are 'No Unusual Signs' in North Korea
Kim has not been seen in public since April 11, with some reports claiming that the dictator may have died or been incapacitated during failed heart surgery.
Coronavirus Dispute Highlights Growing EU Skepticism Towards China
An EU report published last week accused China of spreading disinformation about the COVID-19 coronavirus, which Beijing has been trying to dodge responsibility for.
China Suggests U.S. Is 'Hiding Something' About Its Coronavirus Response
Beijing and Washington, D.C. have been trading a range of allegations related to the coronavirus pandemic, each blaming the other for its devastating spread.
EU 'Caved In' to China Over Coronavirus Disinformation Report: Lawmaker
Dutch MEP Bart Groothuis demanded that foreign policy chief Josep Borrell give a "full explanation to the European parliament" over allegations of a watered down report regarding Chinese disinformation.
