| How the Ivorian president stunned West Africa by calling it quits Posted: 17 Mar 2020 05:16 PM PDT  Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara confounds critics by announcing he will step down.
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| South Africa Steps Up Travel Bans Amid Rise in Coronavirus Cases Posted: 17 Mar 2020 03:56 PM PDT |
| Europe Shuts Its Borders in Desperate Effort to Stop Virus Posted: 17 Mar 2020 02:18 PM PDT |
| UN urges Libyans to halt fighting, battle virus Posted: 17 Mar 2020 02:13 PM PDT  The United Nations and nine countries on Tuesday called on Libya's warring parties to cease hostilities to allow health authorities to fight against the new coronavirus. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya joined the call, urging asking all parties "to join forces immediately before it is too late to face this overwhelming, fast-spreading threat". War-torn Libya is largely divided between forces backing the Government of National Accord (GNA) and those of eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar, who backs a rival administration in the country's east.
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| AP VoteCast: Biden chips away at Sanders coalition Posted: 17 Mar 2020 02:00 PM PDT  Joe Biden on Tuesday chipped away at Bernie Sanders' coalition of young, liberal and Latino voters to secure solid wins in the presidential primaries of Florida and Illinois. With concerns growing about the spread of the new coronavirus, more Florida and Illinois voters said they trusted the former vice president on health care issues than the Vermont senator. Most Democratic voters in Florida, Arizona and Illinois said they have anxieties about contracting the COVID-19, but their worries are notably measured considering the pandemic that has all-but shuttered public life across the U.S.
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| Hospitals fear shortage of ventilators for virus patients Posted: 17 Mar 2020 01:48 PM PDT  U.S. hospitals bracing for a possible onslaught of coronavirus patients with pneumonia and other breathing difficulties could face a critical shortage of mechanical ventilators and health care workers to operate them. The Society of Critical Care Medicine has projected that 960,000 coronavirus patients in the U.S. may need to be put on ventilators at one point or another during the outbreak. Also, many ventilators are already being used by other patients with severe, non-coronavirus ailments.
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| Italy struggles to make room for onslaught of virus patients Posted: 17 Mar 2020 12:04 PM PDT  Three weeks into Italy's coronavirus crisis, Dr. Sergio Cattaneo has seen an unused ward outfitted into an intensive care unit in six days, a hospital laundry room converted into a giant stretcher-filled waiting room and a tented field hospital erected outside to test possible new virus patients. "What is really shocking — something we had not been able to forecast and brought us to our knees — is the quickness the epidemic spreads," Cattaneo told The Associated Press during an exclusive tour of Brecia's newest ICU.
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| Putin orders Russian constitutional vote despite virus fears Posted: 17 Mar 2020 12:03 PM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday ordered a vote on changes to the constitution which could allow him to extend his rule to be held next month as planned, but warned it could be delayed if the coronavirus situation worsens. Putin issued a decree on holding the vote on April 22, a move that came a day after Russia's Constitutional Court approved a law on constitutional amendments that could allow him to remain in power for another 12 years after his current term ends in 2024. During a meeting with Russia's top election official, Putin warned, however, that the nationwide vote could be pushed back over the new coronavirus.
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| UK-Iranian woman temporarily freed from Tehran jail Posted: 17 Mar 2020 11:47 AM PDT  A British-Iranian woman serving a five-year prison term in Tehran for sedition was released from jail for two weeks on Tuesday, her husband said. "The Free Nazanin Campaign is pleased to confirm -- as has long been promised –- that Nazanin (Zaghari-Ratcliffe) was this afternoon released temporarily on furlough for two weeks until 4 April 2020," Richard Ratcliffe said in an emailed statement. The 41-year-old last month warned she was in danger of contracting the new coronavirus inside Evin Prison, as Iran struggles to contain the global epidemic within its own borders.
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| Coronavirus could be used by authoritarian leaders as excuse to undermine democracy, experts warn Posted: 17 Mar 2020 11:01 AM PDT  In the United States, a White House staffed by xenophobes is using the coronavirus to strengthen border controls it has long wanted to embrace. In Israel and Singapore, governments are invoking the crisis over Covid-19 to track movements of people on cell phones.In Iran, a government obsessed with control has used the epidemic to deploy security forces around the country to clear the streets. Meanwhile in Hungary, a right-wing leader who has built his political career on demonising immigrants told his counterparts there was a "clear link" between migrants and the coronavirus.
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| Iran weighs releasing detained Americans amid coronavirus outbreak -Pompeo Posted: 17 Mar 2020 10:35 AM PDT |
| Legalise online alcohol sales to help Russians self-isolating amid coronavirus - top banker Posted: 17 Mar 2020 10:11 AM PDT |
| Journalists travelling with Putin ordered to undergo mandatory coronavirus testing Posted: 17 Mar 2020 10:01 AM PDT |
| Dear Corona Diary: German patient gives updates on Twitter Posted: 17 Mar 2020 09:57 AM PDT  On the fifth day after she fell ill with COVID-19 respiratory disease, Karoline Preisler could breathe again without wincing through severe pain in her chest. Preisler, who practices law and is a local politician in the Baltic Sea town of Barth, started experiencing symptoms a few hours after she tested positive for the new coronavirus last week. The couple's 9-year-old twins and 11-year-old tested negative, but health authorities ordered the children quarantined at home with their mother.
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| Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe 'so happy' for temporary release due to coronavirus Posted: 17 Mar 2020 09:49 AM PDT  Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on Tuesday described being "so happy" after being temporarily released from the "hell" of Iranian prison she has been confined in for four years as part of emergency measures to curb the country's raging coronavirus epidemic. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian mother of one from north London who has been incarcerated since 2016 on charges of trying to overthrow the regime, was released on a two-week furlough from Tehran's Evin prison on Monday afternoon as authorities sought to clear crowded jails where the virus could spread. She is obliged to wear an electronic tag and her movements will be restricted to 300m from her parents' Tehran home, where she will spend the next fortnight. "I am so happy to be out. Even with the ankle tag, I am so happy. Being out is so much better than being in – if you knew what hell this place is. It is mental. Let us hope it will be the beginning of coming home," she said in a statement released by her family. "My thinking is that they want to keep me, but outside of prison until they sort out this thing. But to be honest, I just want to go home. I think they are showing a good gesture, as they are hoping to strike a deal. So they want to keep me out. If the deal won't happen, then they will drag me back in. But if it does, then they will let me go from here." Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary said: "While this is a welcome step, we urge the government now to release all UK dual nationals arbitrarily detained in Iran, and enable them to return to their families in the UK." It is unclear whether the move to grant furlough to Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe heralds a readiness to allow her to return home. Her family have previously been wary of offers of furlough in case it could be used by authorities as a tool to apply psychological pressure. The last time it was granted, for three days in in August 2018, she was subjected to harassing telephone calls from her interrogators and then denied a promised extension and returned to prison at short notice. Monday's decision followed months of back-and forth diplomacy and appears to be have been subject to weeks of internal debate inside the Iranian government.
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| US life with COVID-19: A state-by-state patchwork of rules Posted: 17 Mar 2020 09:35 AM PDT  As the nation struggles to reconcile itself to a new and spreading peril, it also struggles with a patchwork of rules that vary dizzyingly from place to place: For now, your life and lockdown in the shadow of COVID-19 depends on where you live. In some places, many ordinary Americans are making public health choices, searching their own conscience and deciding for themselves what risk they're willing to endure. In others, government has made at least some of those decisions.
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| AP PHOTOS: Around the world, classrooms are eerily empty Posted: 17 Mar 2020 09:22 AM PDT  Schools have shut their doors to students as tens of millions of people around the world are hunkered down in government-ordered isolation in hopes of stopping or at least slowing the advance of the coronavirus pandemic. Teachers have been sent home and have been preparing for online classes, while parents have begun using lesson plans that include flash cards, online learning, dog walks and creativity sessions. In Paris, pieces of a puzzle are scattered on a desk in an abandoned school; in Frankfurt, Germany, a chalkboard still reads "It's Corona Time!" in a high school classroom filled with empty desks.
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| Heavy fighting in central Yemen leaves at least 38 dead Posted: 17 Mar 2020 08:26 AM PDT |
| Ex-California Rep. Duncan Hunter gets 11 months in prison Posted: 17 Mar 2020 08:18 AM PDT  Former California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter was sentenced Tuesday to 11 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing campaign funds and spending the money on everything from outings with friends to his daughter's birthday party. The ex-Marine's attorneys had asked for most or part of his sentence be spent in home confinement, citing his military service fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his nearly six terms in Congress. Prosecutors ahead of Tuesday's sentencing submitted 87 pages to the judge that showed a corrupt congressman who intentionally and repeatedly stole from his campaign funds for a decade.
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| Where coronavirus cases are surging: more than 10,000 new cases in Europe, Italy hit hardest Posted: 17 Mar 2020 07:59 AM PDT  The bulk of new cases were diagnosed and reported on Monday in Italy (3,590), Iran (2,262), Spain (2,000), and Germany (1,043).
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| These Big Brother Contestants Are Oblivious To The Coronavirus Pandemic Posted: 17 Mar 2020 07:50 AM PDT |
| Judge in Lebanon appeals order to release Lebanese-American Posted: 17 Mar 2020 06:11 AM PDT  A Lebanese military judge Tuesday appealed a verdict by the military tribunal that ordered the release of a Lebanese-American held since September on charges of working for an Israeli-backed militia two decades ago, state-run National News Agency said. Judge Ghassan Khoury asked the Military Court of Appeals to strike down an earlier ruling in favor of Amer Fakhoury and issue an arrest warrant against him. On Monday, Fakhoury was ordered released because more than 10 years had passed since he allegedly tortured prisoners at a jail run by the so-called South Lebanon Army militia.
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| Green Science Alliance Co., Ltd. and Their 100% Nature Biomass Biodegradable Resin (no petroleum) and Their Molding Products "Nano Sakura", is Registered to Sustainable Technology Promotion Platform (STePP) of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Investment and Technology Promotion Office, Tokyo (ITPO Tokyo) Posted: 17 Mar 2020 05:33 AM PDT  Green Science Alliance Co., Ltd. technology (100% nature biomass biodegradable resin, no petroleum, and their molding products "Nano Sakura") is registered to Sustainable Technology Promotion Platform (STePP) of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Investment and Technology Promotion Office, Tokyo (ITPO Tokyo).
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| How Long Will the Coronavirus Outbreak and Shutdown Last? Posted: 17 Mar 2020 05:25 AM PDT  At a news conference Thursday, President Donald Trump addressed the question of the hour: How long will it take for things to go back to normal?"People are talking about July, August," he said.But that inquiry, many doctors and scientists say, is the wrong question."We need to change the conversation from: 'How inconvenient it is to me?' to 'Who are the people who are suffering most, and how can we help them?'" said Sarah Fortune, a professor and chair of the department of immunology and infectious diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "Think of it as a community service."Although life on lockdown is disruptive, experts say that it might be the only way to prevent mass death and infection.Public health officials say a coronavirus vaccine won't be ready for widespread public use for at least a year to 18 months, taking us well into 2021. The first trials started Monday, and it will take time to make sure the vaccine actually works."That's why all these interventions are taken to limit social mixing," said Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a contagion expert and a professor at Yale. "It's so we reduce the force of the epidemic as it crashes upon us."If we are relying on social or physical distancing to slow down infection, the prevailing optimistic guess among experts on when the virus will abate is about two months: significantly earlier than Trump's prediction."I'd say the beginning of May we're going to feel like we're coming out of this," said Morgan Katz, an assistant professor of infectious disease at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "That's my hope."To make loose predictions on how long this outbreak and societal disruption might last in the United States, she and many other experts are turning to China. There, after the first cases in December, reports of a strange new virus started bubbling up in early January. By late January, much of the country was in lockdown. Throughout February, there was an all-out war against the virus. Schools closed. Stores closed. Everyone basically stayed inside.But in early March, after about two months of aggressive containment measures, things started to change. The number of cases started decreasing; China's leader, Xi Jinping, paid a visit to Wuhan, the city at the epicenter of the outbreak; and life has started to slowly return to normal.Yaneer Bar-Yam, a physicist and the founding president of the New England Complex Systems Institute, a research institution that studies systems and networks, based his assessment partially off China's response. "It will take a month and a half, plus a logarithmic correction, once we start doing what's needed," he said.But most experts, Bar-Yam included, do not consider the United States to have started the appropriate clock. Although cities are shutting down school systems and restaurants, social distancing is still a recommendation, rather than an enforced policy, as it is in Italy."It's like a wrecking ball that's going to hit the building, but it hasn't hit yet," Bar-Yam said. "Every day that we don't do something, it's getting worse, and by a lot."There is also a question as to how the coronavirus will behave in the long term. It might be seasonal, abating with warmer weather.It might act like the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness that causes birth defects. For much of 2016, it devastated communities in South America and Southeast Asia. But for the past three years, there have been few cases.It might act like the 2009 swine flu pandemic, which infected millions and caused more than 10,000 deaths. But now that virus is just part of our annual flu cycle, according to Andrew Pekosz, a professor of microbiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.Or it might be like the 1918 Spanish flu, thought to be the deadliest in human history. That disease, which killed at least 50 million people worldwide (the equivalent of 200 million today), came in three waves. The second, which came in fall 1918, was by far the most deadly.Although much is still unknown about the timeline of the coronavirus outbreak, most experts agree: China and South Korea are on a downswing after aggressive testing and quarantine measures. The rest of the world would do well to follow suit."China showed us what it looked like to be able to act to stop it," Bar-Yam said. "They've stopped it. We have to choose whether we're going to do that."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company
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| Chad 'repaying $100m debt to Angola with cattle' Posted: 17 Mar 2020 05:18 AM PDT  The first batch of 74,000 animals, to be shipped over 10 years, has reportedly arrived in Luanda.
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| India's stringent virus testing criteria may mask toll Posted: 17 Mar 2020 04:06 AM PDT  A British citizen appeared at a public hospital in India's capital with a cough, difficulty breathing and a private clinic's referral for a coronavirus test. Indian authorities said Tuesday that they would not widely expand testing for the virus, as most affected nations are doing, despite mounting criticism from some experts that the limited tests could mask the true toll of the disease in the world's second most populous country. The World Health Organization has urged countries to test as many people as possible to curb the pandemic, but India has taken a different approach, limiting testing to those who have traveled from affected countries or come in contact with a confirmed case and shown symptoms after two weeks of quarantine.
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| 10 things you need to know today: March 17, 2020 Posted: 17 Mar 2020 03:53 AM PDT |
| Iran's death toll from coronavirus climbs to 988 - health official Posted: 17 Mar 2020 03:50 AM PDT |
| Asia’s Virus Battles Carry Hope and Warnings Posted: 17 Mar 2020 03:08 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- As Europe and the U.S. follow China's lead in imposing curbs on daily life to fight the coronavirus, Asia's experience of the pandemic provides both hope and caution.China appears to be getting a handle on the virus, but the rest of the region is far from in the clear. A wave of secondary effects is bad news for anyone expecting the Covid-19 crisis to pass quickly.In Malaysia, the number of cases jumped the most in Southeast Asia, prompting the government to ban all visitors and shut all places of worship, schools and businesses that don't sell daily supplies. That could hurt neighboring Singapore, which relies on commuters from Malaysia for about a tenth of its workforce.The Philippines widened a month-long quarantine in the capital Manila, while Indonesia, the world's fourth-most populous nation, saw a surge of infections this week, including a member of President Joko Widodo's cabinet.India, with some of the world's most densely populated cities, is bracing for what could be an "avalanche" of cases. Equally worrying, North Korea claims to have no cases at all.Even Hong Kong, which has seen success containing the outbreak, asked residents to avoid traveling and extended school closures until at least April 20.Three months after the virus appeared in Wuhan, Asia's experience shows the world's fight is just beginning.Global HeadlinesToo little? | U.S. President Donald Trump's coronavirus turnaround was swift, sudden — and behind the curve. When a subdued Trump took to the White House podium yesterday to say "it's bad," and to endorse "social distancing," he was following action by Congress, the Federal Reserve and state governors. Only after U.S. cases exceeded 4,000 and the stock market plunged again did Trump, who spent weeks playing down the virus's impact, acknowledge the outbreak is so severe it may cause a recession.Wild rides | The virus spread is wreaking all sorts of havoc in financial markets as investors parse the tea-leaves: Pledges of global cooperation to mitigate the economic hit are being offset by signs of go-it-alone approaches by some countries, and by warnings of the risk of a global recession. European Union leaders meet today by teleconference to discuss ways to shore up their economies.Political tests | In Spain, the scramble to pull together an effective response has exposed unexpected fault lines in the cabinet. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meanwhile, faces criticism he's been too slow to take aggressive action. Trump has for the first time on his Twitter feed used the phrase "Chinese Virus," stepping up friction between the economic giants as each tries to deflect blame for the pandemic.Click here for a look at all the ways the virus is upending politics around the world.Race goes on, sorta | Narrow victories by Joe Biden in three state primaries — Arizona, Florida and Illinois — would effectively end the Democratic presidential nomination fight, making it nearly impossible for Bernie Sanders to capture the delegates needed. Unlike Ohio, which canceled its contest, those states will vote today despite concerns about the risk of contagion from the virus.Off the menu | The U.S. dropped charges against a Russian company linked to Vladimir Putin that was accused of bankrolling a troll farm to influence the 2016 presidential election. Pursuing the case against Concord Management and Consulting, whose owner Yevgeny Prigozhin is nicknamed "Putin's chef" for his Kremlin catering contracts, risked exposing U.S. secrets, prosecutors said. Concord was the only Russian entity to respond to charges stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's election-meddling inquiry.What to WatchU.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is rallying Senate Republicans to quickly pass a package of virus-related economic measures, seeking to overcome any reservations by looking ahead to a next round of fiscal stimulus. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are scheduled to hold a teleconference this afternoon to discuss the situation in Syria.Tell us how we're doing or what we're missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally ... Dzimadzi Masilela sits in her living room and weeps as she speaks of her only son, Liwa, who died at the age of 44 from respiratory disease after a life in the shadow of a massive coal-to-fuels and chemicals plant run by South Africa's Sasol. Antony Sguazzin reports from the town of Embalenhle on the impact of Secunda, the complex that is the area's economic heartbeat but which environmental groups say is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases from a single site. \--With assistance from Karl Maier, Kathleen Hunter and Anthony Halpin.To contact the author of this story: Daniel Ten Kate in Hong Kong at dtenkate@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Rosalind Mathieson at rmathieson3@bloomberg.net, Alan CrawfordFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iraq ex-governor named PM-designate as Baghdad awaits curfew Posted: 17 Mar 2020 02:57 AM PDT  Iraq's president Tuesday named a former governor of the city of Najaf as prime minister-designate, following weeks of political infighting, as Baghdad residents rushed to stock up on supplies hours before a days-long curfew was set to take hold amid a global pandemic. Adnan al-Zurfi was appointed premier-designate by President Barham Saleh after tense meetings between rival political blocs. Hours after the announcement, Iraq's powerful Fatah parliamentary bloc rejected al-Zurfi's candidacy signaling a rocky path to government formation for the new premier-designate.
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| Coronavirus: Masks and test kits donated by Jack Ma arrive in US Posted: 17 Mar 2020 02:30 AM PDT  The first shipment of Chinese billionaire Jack Ma's donation of 1 million masks and 500,000 coronavirus test kits to the United States arrived in the US on Monday morning.The supplies, which will be distributed by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), were purchased in China since its factories have gradually resumed production. The shipment of a second batch will depend on availability, said a spokesman at the Jack Ma Foundation.Ma is the co-founder of Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post.The United States is facing a shortage of kits for diagnosing the deadly contagion, which has led to widespread criticism of the federal government for its slowness in preparedness and response. Public health officials have rebuked US President Donald Trump for playing down the seriousness of the rapidly spreading illness.Workers in China load donated medical supplies bound for the United States. Photo: Handout alt=Workers in China load donated medical supplies bound for the United States. Photo: HandoutShortages of laboratory equipment, reagents and swabs mean many people are still unable to be tested despite the CDC's guidance that anyone with a doctor's order can do so with no restrictions.The gift by Ma, who stepped down as the Chinese e-commerce giant's chairman last year, is the first by Chinese entrepreneurs to the United States amid the finger-pointing between officials and politicians from the two powers.Ma created a personal Twitter handle over the weekend and his first post was about the shipment's progress.The first shipment of masks and coronavirus test kits to the US is taking off from Shanghai. All the best to our friends in America. pic.twitter.com/LTn26gvlOl" Jack Ma (@JackMa) March 16, 2020His foundation has also donated medical supplies to Europe, Japan, South Korea, Iran and 54 African countries, and it has also pledged US$14 million to help develop a coronavirus vaccine.The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is based in Seattle, has pledged US$100 million to help global detection, isolation and treatment of the coronavirus.Amazon and Microsoft have also announced US$1 million donations to a fund to help the Seattle area, which is the US epicentre of the pandemic and where the two companies are based, combat the outbreak.Before the contagion took hold in the US, China was on the receiving end of America's charity, with Washington pledging US$100 million on February 7 to help it and other affected countries.US companies including Microsoft, General Motors, Boeing and the NBA donated funds and shipped supplies to China, especially to the city of Wuhan, where the global pandemic started.In the United States, more than 3,600 people have been infected and at least 68 have died. Worldwide, the number of cases has passed 170,000 with more than 6,650 deaths.Shelves at a grocery store in Maryland are nearly empty. Photo: Getty Images/AFP alt=Shelves at a grocery store in Maryland are nearly empty. Photo: Getty Images/AFPLast week, The New York Times reported that a CDC worst-case projection showed 160 million to 214 million Americans contracting the disease, with 2.4 million to 21 million needing hospitalisation and 200,000 to 1.7 million dying.In response to the report, Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious-disease expert, said the worst-case scenario could possibly be mitigated if containment and other means of mitigation were properly imposed.As multiple states ordered the closure of restaurants, bars and theatres, among other restrictions, thousands of Americans lined up outside grocery stores over the weekend, continuing the panic buying of essentials that have flown off shelves.Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A.; Offer valid until 31 March 2020.This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| The US will continue to face national security threats – and must be prepared Posted: 17 Mar 2020 02:12 AM PDT  While relevant officials must respond to the coronavirus pandemic first and foremost, others must begin preparing for national security contingenciesWhile the United States and governments around the world scramble to address the rapidly spreading coronavirus, officials are trying to keep people healthy and plan for the impacts on everyday life and the global economy. Governments must also urgently plan for the impact of the coronavirus on national security.The US will continue to face a wide array of national security threats – some of them exacerbated by the response to the pandemic, others created because of it.Existing national security challenges will be made worse as countries take extreme measures to respond to the coronavirus. The global crisis of displaced people – which is already at historic levels – could drive more instability as countries close their borders, if outbreaks occur in camps or if people flee countries incapable of handling the pandemic at home. The situation could deteriorate even further if leaders attempt to scapegoat refugees and foreigners, as we have already seen across Europe and the United States, where Donald Trump called it a "foreign virus".Governments must protect critical infrastructure such as cyber-networks. As large numbers of people attempt to telework, cyber-attacks could wreak havoc as countries attempt to keep their economies and essential functions going amid the crisis. And what happens if large parts of the CIA, defense department, and state department are told to telework, only to learn that the agencies don't have the capacity for that many people to do so at the same time?Tensions between countries could escalate. Trump's surprise announcement of a travel ban on Europe has angered America's transatlantic allies. South Korea has criticized Japan for a supposedly lax response to the pandemic, fueling tensions in a relationship between two key US allies that is already strained. And as friction between the United States and China grows, the Chinese Communist party's botched initial response to the disease has fueled anti-China rhetoric and conspiracies in the US, with some members of the Congress calling the disease "Chinese coronavirus" and one senator even suggesting the disease could be a Chinese bioweapon. China's slow and secretive response to the initial outbreak was dangerous, and there are many substantive criticisms of how China handled the response – but xenophobic and racist attacks are dangerous and wrong.As officials are consumed by the coronavirus response, there are numerous ongoing conflicts – including wars in Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria – that the US and other countries now will have far less time and energy to attempt to resolve.In addition to adding complexity to current threats, the measures governments take to try to stop the coronavirus will create new challenges. US military readiness is already being affected, as US navy ships in Asia have been quarantined, US-South Korea military exercises have been cancelled, and US soldiers around the world are just as susceptible to the disease as everyone else. The disruption in global supply chains will mean difficulty getting resources necessary for a national security emergency, whether it's an attack or a humanitarian disaster. And there are always countries looking to take advantage of a crisis: Iranian attacks that killed US and British soldiers in Iraq, North Korean missile tests and a Russian fighter jet that was intercepted near Alaska were recent reminders that national security threats don't disappear when countries are focused elsewhere.In countries hardest hit by the disease, political stability could even be at risk. While China is attempting to spin its response to the virus as a success, it has been censoring and hiding information about how it allowed the crisis to spread in the first place. If the crisis in China spikes again, widespread dissatisfaction could terrify the CCP, which is already perpetually anxious about its grip on power. The same goes for Iran and Italy – both of which are in full-blown crisis mode – and any country that experiences the pandemic in similar proportions. This could also upend politics in democracies that go to the polls in the coming weeks and months, as voters judge how their government has responded – and as governments attempt to ensure that elections can safely take place.This pandemic also poses a danger to the basic functions of government. With a number of members of Congress already self-quarantining – some of whom Trump has been in contact with – and senior officials in other governments already infected, all levels of government will have to ensure they have in place clear guidelines for continuity of government.> The longer and more devastating the pandemic is, the more threats to national security will growThe way in which the United States and others respond to coronavirus will also have an impact on geopolitics. Despite its early disastrous actions that allowed the disease to spread, China is now attempting to portray its subsequent response as a success at the same time that America flails. And the contrast of the US banning travel from Europe while China sends medical assistance to Italy has not gone unnoticed. Like after the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2008 global financial crisis, new perceptions of power could emerge based on how countries act now.While relevant officials must spend their time responding to the health aspects of the coronavirus first and foremost, others must begin preparing for national security contingencies. This is just the beginning of a massive global health crisis that could become far worse, and governments must learn the lessons quickly and begin changing policies that can help mitigate this pandemic as well as prevent the next one. To name just a few, governments should enhance multilateral coordination through the World Health Organization, ensure transparency with publics, establish pandemic prevention and response capabilities and boost assistance for health systems in developing countries.The longer and more devastating the pandemic is, the more threats to national security will grow. And so, stopping the spread of the pandemic as swiftly and effectively as possible will be essential to safeguarding national security, as well as saving lives and the economy.
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| Why Boris Johnson Reversed Britain’s Virus Response Posted: 17 Mar 2020 01:52 AM PDT |
| Iraqi officials say rockets strike Baghdad's Green Zone Posted: 17 Mar 2020 01:49 AM PDT  At least three rockets struck Baghdad's fortified Green Zone near the American Embassy late Tuesday, a day after an attack on a training base south of Baghdad where U.S.-led coalition troops and NATO trainers were present, Iraqi security officials said. At least three rockets struck the Green Zone, the seat of Iraq's government and home to several foreign embassies, two Iraqi security officials said.
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| Trump’s ‘Chinese Virus’ Tweet Adds Fuel to Fire With Beijing Posted: 17 Mar 2020 01:18 AM PDT |
| Iran warns virus could kill 'millions' in Islamic Republic Posted: 17 Mar 2020 12:52 AM PDT  Iran issued its most dire warning yet Tuesday about the new coronavirus ravaging the country, suggesting "millions" could die in the Islamic Republic if people keep traveling and ignore health guidance. A state TV journalist who also is a medical doctor gave the warning only hours after hard-line Shiite faithful on Monday night pushed their way into the courtyards of two major shrines that were finally closed due to the virus. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a religious ruling prohibiting "unnecessary" travel.
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| Macron and Merkel's 'War' on the Coronavirus Will Bite Posted: 17 Mar 2020 12:25 AM PDT |
| Macron and Merkel's 'War' on the Coronavirus Will Bite Posted: 17 Mar 2020 12:25 AM PDT |
| Sex workers face ruin amid virus fears, brothel closures Posted: 17 Mar 2020 12:15 AM PDT  It's 7 p.m. on a Friday night, a time when Aurel Johannes Marx's three-room brothel on the edge of Berlin would normally be preparing for its first customers. Sex for sale has long been a staple part of the German capital's freewheeling nightlife. Marx said he ordered staff to hot-wash all towels and sheets, and open the windows more often to let the warm, sticky air escape.
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| 'Virus at Iran's gates': How Tehran failed to stop outbreak Posted: 16 Mar 2020 11:11 PM PDT  Appearing before the cameras coughing and sweating profusely, the man leading Iran's response to the new coronavirus outbreak promised it was of no danger to his country. "Quarantines belong to the Stone Age," Iraj Harirchi insisted. Harirchi's story is a microcosm of what has happened in Iran amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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| State and local officials take a harder line on the virus Posted: 16 Mar 2020 11:07 PM PDT  Nearly 7 million people in the San Francisco area were all but confined to their homes Tuesday, while Florida put a damper on spring break and St. Patrick's Day by ordering the closing of all bars, as state and local officials took an increasingly hard line against the coronavirus. With the economy grinding to a halt, the White House proposed a roughly $850 billion rescue package — a sweeping stimulus not seen since the Great Recession of 2008 — and called for its rapid approval. "If we do this right, our country and the world, frankly, but our country can be rolling again pretty quickly," President Donald Trump said.
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| Coronavirus Could Very Well Slow by the Summer Posted: 16 Mar 2020 11:05 PM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- One great unknown about the coronavirus pandemic currently circling the globe is how it will respond as the weather gets warmer.The virus will "go away in April," President Donald Trump told a meeting of governors last month, "as the heat comes in." That over-confident assertion has attracted criticism from virologists and fact-checkers. Most respiratory diseases — such as influenza and the mundane rhinovirus and coronavirus strains that cause the common cold — do indeed spread more rapidly in the cold, dry conditions of the winter months. But it's been impossible to say for sure how Covid-19 would behave in summer and late spring for an obvious reason — the strain didn't exist until around November last year.At the same time, evidence is starting to emerge that temperature and humidity do make a difference in the ability of the virus to infect large numbers. That should give health services hope for some respite as summer spreads across northern temperate regions, aiding the ability to plan for renewed outbreaks once winter rolls around.We can't simulate summer conditions in countries currently in the grip of winter, but we can do something almost as good — look at what's happening in places closer to the equator where the climate is milder.There's been suggestive evidence on this front for some time. Iran, which accounts for about 90% of coronavirus cases in the Middle East, is unique in the region for mostly sitting on a plateau where winter conditions resemble those of more northerly countries. At the same time, some Southeast Asian nations with close business and tourism links to China have seen surprisingly few cases, even if you assume their less developed public health systems are missing infections. Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines have each seen fewer cases than Estonia, Slovenia or Iceland, despite a combined population more than 100 times as large.A study uploaded to medical pre-print server MedRxiv Monday plots recorded cases against climate conditions to suggest that there is indeed a significant correlation between outbreaks and the weather. In extreme cold and very hot and wet conditions the virus is "largely absent," the researchers from Spain, Portugal and Finland wrote, meaning that people in tropical and polar climates are unlikely to see local transmission of cases.Arid regions will see a higher rate of infections but the worst-hit areas will be temperate countries and high-altitude areas closer to the equator. The period between June and September should see a slowing rate of infections in much of Europe and North America, they wrote, although areas closer to the poles in Scandinavia, Russia and Canada may see worsening conditions as the climate warms enough to support local infections.Another pre-print study by four Beijing-based researchers uploaded to the arXiv server last week comes to a similar conclusion after analyzing the infection rates in 100 Chinese cities. That rate, known as the R0, is a key determinant of an infection's propensity to spread. For Covid-19 it's currently estimated to be around 2.2, but moving it below 1 should, if sustained, be enough to turn the current out-of-control epidemic into an outbreak that goes extinct on its own.Increasing the temperature by one degree centigrade reduces the R0 by 0.0383 and increasing humidity by 1% pushes it down by 0.0224, the researchers found. That should be particularly significant in places with hot, wet summers, they wrote: In the event the Tokyo Olympics goes ahead, the R0 in the city would likely be at extinction levels below 1, given normal summer conditions.The results shouldn't be too surprising. The mechanism that causes influenza and colds to spread faster in the winter isn't perfectly understood. It appears to relate to the way virus particles can stay active on surfaces such as elevator buttons and door handles for longer in mild weather; the way people show greater susceptibility to throat infections when breathing cold, dry air; and to our tendency to congregate in warm, close conditions where diseases spread easily during winter weather. Still, it would be remarkable if Covid-19 really behaved in a manner different from every other coronavirus, or indeed almost every other common respiratory virus.Don't start planning any summer holidays on the expectation this disease will vanish with the sun. For one thing, both studies are still just computer models, and neither has been through peer review. On top of that, even a reduced rate of infection will only slow, rather than halt the spread of this pandemic. In most places, it won't even be sufficient to push the R0 below 1, in the absence of other measures such as social distancing.Still, one worst-case scenario for this disease — where it rampages through lower-income regions of Africa and Southeast Asia, and there's no seasonal break for health services to catch a breath before the next wave — is looking less likely than it did a few weeks ago. That still leaves a range of very grim scenarios, but right now we should take what comfort we can get.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities, as well as industrial and consumer companies. He has been a reporter for Bloomberg News, Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and the Guardian.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UN report calls for political mission in Darfur Posted: 16 Mar 2020 10:37 PM PDT  A joint UN-African Union report released Monday on Sudan and Darfur called for a political mission to replace the peace operation there, raising fears by rights groups that civilians could lose all protection. The United Nations Security Council will meet on March 26 to decide whether or not to gradually withdraw by the end of October some 7,800 troops, known as the "Blue Helmets," from the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
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| Military faces limitations in responding to virus outbreak Posted: 16 Mar 2020 09:20 PM PDT  The Pentagon is already helping combat the coronavirus outbreak in the United States and is considering ways to do more. Its health care system is geared more toward handling combat casualties than infectious diseases. Defense officials also want to be careful not to do anything to weaken its ability to defend the nation.
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| Trump changes his tone, gets real on the coronavirus threat Posted: 16 Mar 2020 09:19 PM PDT  After weeks of trying to play down the risk posed by the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump struck a more urgent tone Monday as he delivered a sobering message to Americans grappling with a new reality that will dramatically alter their lives for months to come. Trump's more somber tone came as he addressed the public at a White House briefing and made a direct appeal to all Americans to do their part to halt the pandemic's spread. Gone were Trump's "do as I say, not as I do" handshakes that had continued even after health experts admonished people to avoid contact and practice social distancing.
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| Biden wins Florida, Illinois as coronavirus disrupts voting Posted: 16 Mar 2020 09:14 PM PDT  Joe Biden won the Florida and Illinois primaries on Tuesday, building on a remarkable surge as he barrels toward the Democratic presidential nomination at a time when the nation is gripped by concern about the new coronavirus. The former vice president's victories were another blow to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose early strength has evaporated as African Americans and working-class whites across the country have sided with Biden. It marked the third week in a row Biden piled up wins after his victory in South Carolina last month revived his once-flagging campaign.
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| Saudi Arabia’s Oil War Has Torpedoed Iraq Posted: 16 Mar 2020 08:59 PM PDT |
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