Diane is a perfectionist. She enjoys searching the internet for the hottest events from around the world and writing an article about it. The details matter to her, so she makes sure the information is easy to read and understand. She likes traveling and history, especially ancient history. Being a very sociable person she has a blast having barbeque with family and friends.
The number of confirmed cases of
coronavirus in the US has surpassed any other affected country’s on March 26.
With more than 86,000 positive tests, the US has overtaken China (81,782 cases) and Italy (80,589), according to the latest figures collated by Johns Hopkins University.
However, with almost 1,300
Covid-19-related fatalities, the US death toll lags behind China (3,291) and
Italy (8,215).
The grim milestone came as President
Donald Trump predicted the nation would get back to work “pretty
quickly”.
Asked about the latest figures at a
White House briefing on March 26, President Trump said it was “a tribute
to the amount of testing that we’re doing”.
VP Mike Pence said coronavirus tests
were now available in all 50 states and more than 552,000 tests had been
conducted nationwide.
President Trump also cast doubt on
the figures coming out of Beijing, telling reporters: “You don’t know what the numbers are in China.”
Later, the president tweeted that he
had had a “very good conversation” with China’s President Xi Jinping.
He said: “China has been through much & has developed a strong
understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much
respect!”
President Trump has set a
much-criticized goal of Easter Sunday, 12 April, for reopening the country.
That plan seemed to gather impetus on March 26 as it emerged an unprecedented
3.3 million Americans have been laid off because of the virus.
At March 26 briefing, he said: “They [the American people] have to go back to work, our country has to go back, our country is based on that and I think it’s going to happen pretty quickly.
“We may take sections of our
country, we may take large sections of our country that aren’t so seriously
affected and we may do it that way.”
He added: “A lot of people
misinterpret when I say go back – they’re going to be practicing as much as you
can social distancing, and washing your hands and not shaking hands and all of
the things we talked about.”
President Trump promised more details next week.
In a letter to state governors on
March 26, President Trump said his team plans to release federal social
distancing guidelines that may advise some regions to loosen restrictions.
He wrote of a “long battle
ahead” and said “robust” testing protocols might allow some
counties to lift their safeguards against the coronavirus.
President Trump said the “new
guidelines” would create low, medium and high risk zones that would allow
the government to advise on “maintaining, increasing, or relaxing social
distancing and other mitigation measures they have put in place”.
On March 26, President Trump phoned
in to Fox News host Sean Hannity’s program and said he believed Iowa, Idaho,
Nebraska and parts of Texas could reopen earlier than other states.
The plan emerged as new research on
March 26 estimated Covid-19-related deaths in the US could top 80,000 over the
coming four months – even if people observe strict social distancing.
According to the study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, as many as 2,300 patients could be dying every day by April.
Russia has postponed a vote on
constitutional change that would allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in
power, because of coronavirus concerns.
President Putin said the public vote
– previously due to be held on April 22 – would be delayed until a “later
date”.
The proposed changes include
scrapping a ban on allowing Vladimir Putin to run for office again.
The changes have already been
approved by parliament and Russia’s constitutional court.
They would give Vladimir Putin – who
is serving his fourth presidential term and has dominated Russian politics for
two decades – the right to serve two more consecutive terms.
Later on March 25, Russia confirmed
the deaths of two people who had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus.
According to Ria Novosti, the 88- and 73-year-olds had pre-existing conditions.
Russia has a total of 658 cases.
President Putin said: “The absolute priority for us is the
health, life and safety of people. Therefore I believe that the vote should be
postponed until a later date.”
He also announced that Russians would not work next week “to slow the
speed” of the infection.
However, the Russian leader warned that it was impossible to prevent any
spread of the virus at all in Russia because of the country’s size.
The Russian economy was also under serious pressure because of the virus, he
said.
During their week off, employees would continue to be paid and key services
would continue, Vladimir Putin said.
The president also announced extended welfare support, including for families
with children and those who had lost jobs.
Russia has already taken measures such as 14-day quarantine for people
arriving from abroad, school closures and warning for elderly people in Moscow
to self-isolate.
It has also stopped cultural and sporting events and closed gyms, theaters
and nightclubs, although cafes and restaurants have been allowed to stay open.
Russia has so far stopped short of imposing the kind of lockdown seen in
some European countries.
There have been more than 435,000 confirmed cases worldwide. Europe is now the center of the global outbreak.
Spain’s deaths number from the
coronavirus has surpassed the official figure from China, becoming the second
highest in the world.
The death toll has risen by 738 in
just 24 hours to a total of 3,434 – a record spike for Spain.
In comparison, China has officially
reported 3,285 deaths, while Italy – the worst affected country – has 6,820.
Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez will later
ask lawmakers to extend his country’s state of emergency for another two weeks.
Lawmakers are expected to agree to
the prime minister’s request for lockdown measures to stay in place until April
11. Under the rules, people are banned from leaving home except for buying
essential supplies and medicines, or for work.
According to data compiled by Johns
Hopkins University, globally there are nearly 440,000 cases of the virus, with
deaths approaching 20,000 and more than 100,000 people having recovered.
On March 25, the UN said the virus
was “threatening the whole of humanity” as it launched a $2 billion appeal
for the world’s poorest people.
UN Secretary-General António
Guterres said: “Global action and
solidarity are crucial. Individual country responses are not going to be
enough.”
On March 25, figures released by the
health ministry show that in just 24 hours, Spain’s national death toll rose by
738. The country’s number of cases soared by 7,973.
These are the highest figures for Spain in a single day. Spain now has 47,610 confirmed cases. Catalonia accounts for close to 10,000 of those, while the Basque Country and Andalusia both have more than 3,000 cases. However, the worst affected region is the area around the capital Madrid, which has recorded 14,597 cases.
In his address, PM Modi also stressed
that the 21 day lockdown was “very necessary to break the chain of
coronavirus”. He emphasized the seriousness of the situation and said that
even developed countries had faced problems in combating it. He also said that
“social distancing was the only way to stop” the virus spreading.
The prime minister announced that
nearly $2 billion would be made available to boost India’s health
infrastructure.
He called on people not to
“spread rumors” and to follow instructions.
The prime minister’s announcement
came after several Indian states introduced measures of their own, such as
travel restrictions and the closure of non-essential services.
India has already issued a ban on international arrivals and grounded domestic flights. The country’s rail network has also suspended most passenger services.
Germany has extended its restrictions
on social interactions to try to contain the coronavirus outbreak, banning
public gatherings of more than two people.
People will not be allowed to form
groups of three or more in public unless they live together in the same
household, or the gathering is work-related. Police will monitor and punish
anyone infringing the new rules.
In a TV address, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel said “our own behavior” was the “most effective
way” of slowing the rate of infection.
The measures included closing hair,
beauty and massage studios. Other non-essential shops had already been shut.
Restaurants will now only be allowed
to open for takeaway service. All restrictions apply to every German state, and
will be in place for at least the next two weeks.
Shortly afterwards, Chancellor
Merkel’s office said she would quarantine herself.
A doctor who vaccinated Angela
Merkel on March 20 against pneumococcus, a pneumonia-causing bacteria, had
tested positive for coronavirus.
The 65-year-old chancellor will be
tested regularly in the next few days and work from home, her spokesman said.
Germany, Europe’s largest economy,
has so far confirmed 18,610 cases and 55 deaths from Covid-19, the disease
caused by the virus.
Chancellor Merkel urged citizens to
keep contact outside their own household to an absolute minimum and to ensure a
distance of at least 1.5m (5ft) from another person when in public.
She said: “The great aim is to gain time in the fight against the virus.”
Italy’s worst-hit region of Lombardy has
introduced stricter measures in a bid to tackle the spread of coronavirus.
Under the new rules announced on March 21, sport and physical activity
outside, even individually, is banned. Using vending machines is forbidden.
The move comes as Italy reported nearly 800 coronavirus deaths on March 21
and saw its toll for the past month reach 4,825, the highest in the world.
Lombardy is the worst-affected region in the country with 3,095 deaths.
The region’s President Attilio Fontana announced the new measures in a
statement.
Businesses have been asked to close all operations excluding “essential”
supply chains. Work on building sites will be stopped apart from those working
on hospitals, roads and railways.
Across Italy there have been 53,578 total cases to date, with about 6,000
people having recovered.
The region of Lombardy has been under a lockdown since March 8 and the
government had hoped to see results there first.
On March 21, Italian PM Giuseppe Conte ordered the closure of all
“non-essential” businesses in the country. However, the prime
minister did not specify which businesses would be considered essential.
Supermarkets, pharmacies, post offices and banks will remain open and public
transport will continue to run.
During a TV address to the nation, PM Conte said: “We will slow down the country’s productive engine, but we will
not stop it.”
He described the situation as “the most difficult crisis in our
post-war period”.
Despite the measures introduced so
far, the number of new cases and deaths in Italy has continued to grow.
Meanwhile, Spain’s health ministry
has reported a 32% spike in new deaths from Covid-19 with 1,326 confirmed
deaths, the second highest in Europe after Italy.
In a news conference on March 21, PM
Pedro Sánchez warned “the worst is yet to come” and that “very
difficult days lay ahead”.
The Spanish government has issued a
lockdown for some 46 million people who are only allowed to leave their homes
for essential work, food shopping, medical reasons or to walk the dog.
Global cases pass 300,000 with more than 13,000 deaths around the world; 92,000 people have recovered.
India is observing a 14-hour long curfew to try
to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
PM Narendra Modi announced the Janata curfew last week, telling citizens that it would be a test in order to assess the country’s ability to fight the virus.
The prime minister urged citizens to stay indoors from 07:00 until 21:00 on
March 22.
India has so far recorded 315 cases.
Narendra Modi tweet: “Let us all
be a part of this curfew, which will add tremendous strength to the fight
against Covid-19 menace. The steps we take now will help in the times to
come.”
According to NDTV, transport across India has been affected by the curfew. No long-distance or suburban trains are running; however, those already running before the curfew will not be stopped.
Images from various cities in India show roads and towns mainly empty.
In Delhi, all stores were closed apart from those selling essentials, and
pharmacies. Religious places canceled activities as part of the curfew.
PM Modi has asked people at 17:00 on March 22 to stand at balconies or near
windows and clap or ring bells to show their appreciation for medical
professionals and sanitation workers.
Some parts of India have already enforced shutdowns.
Rajasthan ordered a shutdown until March 31. Four cities in the state of
Gujarat have introduced similar measures until March 25.
India has barred entry to everyone, including citizens, flying from certain
countries, including most European nations. It has also canceled most entry
visas for people flying in from other countries.
Popular Indian monuments – such as the 16th Century Red Fort in Delhi – have
been shut to visitors to prevent large gatherings.
The Taj Mahal, India’s most iconic monument, closed its doors on March 17, along with more than 140 other monuments and museums.
California governor has issued a
“stay at home” order to residents as the state tries to stem the
march of the coronavirus across the most populous US state.
Governor Gavin Newsom told residents
they should only leave their homes when necessary during the pandemic.
He earlier estimated more than half
of the 40 million people in his state would contract Covid-19 in just the next
two months.
Speaking from the state’s emergency operations centre in Sacramento – a
place that is normally used to coordinate the response to wildfires or
earthquakes – Governor Newsom called on people here to only leave their homes
if it was absolutely necessary, to get food, collect medicines, or care for a
friend or relative.
Citing
a model that state planners here have been using, the governor predicted that
more than half of California’s population will contract the virus over the
course of the next eight weeks – a staggering total of around 25 million
people.
Governor Newsom said that cases of the virus were doubling every four hours
in some areas, and – based on projections – nearly 20,000 more hospital beds
would be needed to deal with the effects of the outbreak than the state could
currently provide.
The virus has claimed 205 lives in the US and infected more
than 14,000.
Globally nearly 250,000 patients
have tested positive for the respiratory illness and more than 10,000 have
died.
Governor Newsom said on March 19: “This is a moment we need to make tough
decisions. We need to recognize reality.”
California is among the first states
to bring in blanket restrictions. Earlier this week Nevada said non-essential
businesses should close for 30 days.
The governor’s order will allow
residents to leave their homes to buy groceries or medicine, or walk a dog or
take exercise, but seeks to limit public interactions.
It will force businesses deemed
non-essential to close, while allowing others including grocery stores,
pharmacies, banks and petrol stations to stay open.
About half of California’s
population is already subject to similar stringent measures, including the city
of San Francisco.
Speaking at a press conference in Sacramento, Governor Newsom said the virus
“will impact about 56% of us – you do the math in the state of California,
that’s a particularly large number”.
The governor did not clarify how his officials had calculated that figure,
which would amount to nearly 22.5 million infected people.
However, his spokesman acknowledged the estimate did not take into account
the mitigation measures being implemented state-wide.
Governor Newsom is asking Congress for a billion dollars in federal funding to support California’s response to the crisis, and calling for a navy hospital ship to be deployed to the Port of Los Angeles to help deal with the anticipated surge in patients.
All 50 states in the US have been
hit by the deadly coronavirus as West Virginia reported its first case of the
infection on March 17.
Announcing the state’s first
Covid-19 patient, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said: “We knew this was coming.”
So far, there are 108 deaths in the
US from coronavirus and more than 6,300 confirmed cases nationwide.
Globally, there are 217,325 cases and
8,917 people have died as of March 18.
As the Trump administration seeks a $1
trillion stimulus package, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reportedly warned
Republican senators privately on March 17 that if Congress failed to act, US
unemployment could hit 20% – almost double the jobless rate during the Great
Recession after the 2008 financial crisis.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would decide within two days whether to
order the city’s 8.5 million residents to “shelter in place”.
Such a move could largely confine people to their homes, while allowing them
to make necessary trips to buy groceries or medicine, walk a dog or exercise as
long as they avoid public interaction.
The mayor said: “It’s a very,
very difficult decision.
“We’ve never been here before. I
have never heard of anything like this in the history of New York City.”
However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has suggested he would reject such a
plan.
Meanwhile, officials in the San Francisco Bay area have already ordered 6.7 million residents to stay home for all but the most crucial outings until April 7.
In an unprecedented move, the
European Union will ban travelers from outside the bloc for 30 days in order to
seal its borders amid the coronavirus crisis.
The measure is expected to apply to
26 EU states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. UK
citizens will be unaffected.
The travel ban came as deaths
continued to soar in Italy and Spain, and France began a strict lockdown.
Europe, which is now the “epicenter
of pandemic”, has been badly hit by the coronavirus, which has killed 7,500
globally.
Meanwhile, the Euro 2020 soccer
championship has been postponed by a year.
According to the WHO, the virus has
infected more than 185,000 people worldwide.
The travel ban will affect all
non-EU nationals from visiting the bloc, except long-term residents, family
members of EU nationals and diplomats, cross-border and healthcare workers, and
people transporting goods.
Free travel is a cherished principle
within the European border-free Schengen area. However, in recent days many
countries have unilaterally imposed full or partial border shutdowns in a bid
to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This prompted the EU Commission to
propose that the bloc act in a more unified fashion and restrict entry to the
union as a whole, at the urging of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The measures were agreed in a video-summit between EU leaders on March 17
and will now have to be implemented by member states.
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference: “They said they will immediately do
that.
“This is good, so that we have a
unanimous and united approach [where] the external borders are concerned.”
The UK and the Republic of Ireland – which is part of the EU but not Schengen – will be invited to join the measure.
The US coronavirus emergency could
last until the end of the summer or even longer, President Donald Trump told reporters
at the White House on March 16.
The US has so far had 4,100 cases of
the virus and 71 deaths.
The president said over the next 15
days, Americans should not gather in groups of more than 10 people and avoid
bars, restaurants, food courts and crowds.
Donald Trump said the US is facing
“an invisible enemy” that is “so contagious”.
According to a tally from Johns
Hopkins University, there have been more than 174,000 confirmed cases of
coronavirus globally and over 6,700 deaths.
Under the US coronavirus task
force’s new guidelines, President Trump urged all older Americans to stay home.
Work and schooling should be at home.
Discretionary travel, shopping trips
and social visits should be avoided.
Anyone in a household who tests
positive for the virus should stay at home along with everyone who lives there.
Asked how long the emergency will
last, President Trump said: “People
are talking about July, August, something like that, so it could be right in
that period of time where I say, it washes through.”
The president continued: “They think August, could be July,
could be longer than that.”
He said he was not considering a
national curfew or lockdown, though added:
“We may look at certain areas, certain hot spots as they call them.”
President Trump said he had not yet
decided to close the US-Canada border, but told reporters it was something the
administration was considering.
He also addressed issues of testing,
as the US has been criticized for lagging far behind smaller countries in
getting tests out to the states.
Officials said on March 16 that a
million tests were currently available and more would be coming this week.
“A lot of testing has been going on,” President Trump said, though he also noted that those
without symptoms should not get the test.
“Not everybody should run out and get the test, but
we’re able to handle tremendous numbers.”
Health officials also said they are
due to add 30 million masks to the US supply and are shipping out gear and
health workers to bolster local testing efforts.
Asked how he would score his
administration’s response to the crisis on a scale of one to 10, President
Trump said: “I’d rate it a 10. I
think we’ve done a great job.”
White House coronavirus response coordinator
Dr. Deborah Birx, who joined the president, issued an appeal directly to
millennials, asking them to limit social contact.
She said: “They are the core people that will stop this virus.
“We really want people to be separated.”
Dr. Birx also warned against
socializing even if people feel well.
She said: “We know that there is a large group of infected people who are
asymptomatic, who continue to spread the virus.”
VP Mike Pence, who is leading the
coronavirus taskforce, told reporters he had not been tested yet.
He said: “I’m in regular consultation with the White House physician and he said I’ve not been exposed to anyone for any period of time that has had the coronavirus and that my wife and I have had no symptoms.”
President Donald Trump has declared a national
emergency to help handle the growing outbreak of COVID-19.
The move allows the federal government to tap up to $50 billion in emergency
relief funds.
It loosens regulations on the provision of healthcare and could speed up
testing – the slow pace of which has been criticized widely.
There are 1,701 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US, and 41 deaths.
Several states have taken measures to stem the infections rate, including
banning large gatherings, sporting events and closing schools.
The new coronavirus originated in China last December, but Europe is now the
“epicenter” of the global pandemic, the head of the World Health
Organization (WHO) said on March 13, as several European countries reported
steep rises in infections and deaths.
Italy has recorded its highest daily toll yet – 250 over the past 24 hours,
taking the total to 1,266, with 17,660 infections overall.
The Trump administration has come
under recent scrutiny over its failure to provide Americans with widespread
coronavirus testing.
The decision on the state of
emergency was announced by President Trump in a live address from the White
House Rose Garden.
The “next eight weeks are
critical,” President Trump said.
What are the measures envisaged as part of the emergency
response?
The US Health Secretary Alex Azar
and health officials can waive certain laws and license requirements, giving
more flexibility to healthcare providers.
Hospitals have been asked to
activate their emergency preparedness plans.
Up to 500,000 additional coronavirus
tests will be available by early next week, though authorities are not
recommending tests without clear need; private labs and vaccine developers will
be able to provide five million coronavirus tests within the month, though
authorities are not recommending tests for those without symptoms.
Interest on all student loans is to
be waived until further notice as a measure to ease the burden for students as
universities and colleges across the country shut their doors.
Democrats in Congress and heavily-affected
states had been urging President Trump to issue the order, which will also
allow more people to qualify for government health insurance.
Urged again to explain why he hasn’t
taken a coronavirus test following reports that he has been in the company of
people who have tested positive recently, President Trump said he had no
symptoms and there was no need for a test. But he added that he was likely to
have one “fairly soon”, anyway.
President Trump’s travel ban on 26 European countries, which was met with
anger and confusion this week, will go into effect on March 13 at midnight EDT.
The 1988 Stafford Act gives the president alone the ability to direct the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to co-ordinate a national response
to “natural catastrophes” within the US.
There are currently more than 30 national emergencies in effect.
President Trump has declared several national emergencies in his presidency, including one last year to redirect military funds to build a southern border wall to prevent illegal immigration.
The EU will pay €2,000 ($2,225) each to refugees
in overcrowded camps on the Greek islands willing to go back to their home
countries.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson announced the scheme in Athens
on March 12.
The scheme was agreed with the Greek government.
Ylva Johansson said it was temporary – open for one month only – and only for
refugees who arrived before January 1.
The commissioner said 5,000 migrants would be eligible for the
“voluntary return”.
This month, hundreds of immigrants and refugees have reached Greek islands near Turkey by boat, increasing the pressure on struggling reception centers. The camps on those islands already have nearly 42,000 asylum seekers, though they were designed for about 6,000.
Aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which is working on the Greek islands,
says more than 14,000 of the refugees are children.
Ylva Johansson said seven EU member states had agreed to take in at least
1,600 unaccompanied children from the camps, seen as especially vulnerable.
Many of the refugees are Syrians
fleeing the civil war, but there are also Afghans, Pakistanis and West
Africans. It is not clear how many would qualify for refugee status.
Aid agencies consider Syria too
dangerous for refugees to be sent back there, but some other countries of
origin, such as Pakistan, are considered safe enough.
Greece has temporarily suspended its
processing of new asylum applications – a move condemned by aid groups.
The latest surge in numbers at the Greek border came after Turkey announced
that it would no longer stop them trying to enter Greece. Turkey, which is
hosting 3.7 million Syrian refugees already, accuses the EU of not doing enough
to help.
Ylva Johansson said repatriation of refugees from the islands would be
coordinated with the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) and
the EU border force Frontex.
The situation is also acute on the Greece-Turkey land border, where Greek police have used tear gas and water cannon to keep immigrants out.
Italy is now facing its biggest crisis since World War Two. The government
has pledged to spend €25 billion ($28 billion) to tackle it – three times more
than it estimated it would need just a week ago. The economy is now expected to
slide into deep recession.
However, the foreign minister sounded a note of optimism, with a message to
the international community that “Italy will make it and Europe will make
it – I’m sure”.
He offered to share the experience and knowledge that the Italian government
had built up since the outbreak began with any country that needed it.
Italy has now seen 1,016 deaths, amid a total number 15,113 infections.
Civil protection officials say 1,258 have recovered, although the number of cases
has gone up by 2,651 since March 11. Italy is the world’s worst-hit country
after China.
Countries across the world have grounded flights to Italy or banned entry to
Italians or anyone travelling from Italy. Austria and Slovenia are placing
restrictions on their borders with Italy.
Italian nationals living in other countries have also reported individual
acts of hostility towards them, deplored by the foreign minister as
“unacceptable discrimination”, prompting “interventions”
from his government.
A handful of politicians here have been infected with the virus or are in
preventative self-isolation, including the leader of the Democratic Party, part
of the governing coalition.
Italian authorities say it could take two weeks for the impact of the
restrictions to be seen on the coronavirus outbreak nationwide, which is still
surging in towns and cities outside the initial red zone.
It is placing exceptional strain on Italy’s healthcare system – one of the
best in Europe.
The government has named a new commissioner to deal with the virus, Domenico Arcuri. He will co-ordinate the program to resupply hospitals with equipment they urgently need.
President Donald Trump has announced travel
restrictions on 26 European countries in a bid to combat the spread of the
coronavirus.
The travel ban applies to travelers from countries which are members of the
Schengen border-free travel area.
The UK, Ireland and other non-Schengen countries (e.g. Bulgaria, Croatia and
Romania) are unaffected. US citizens are also exempt.
The European Union condemned the measures, which it said were taken
“unilaterally and without consultation”.
The new rules go into effect on March 13 at midnight EDT and mark a major
escalation from President Trump, who has been accused of inaction over
coronavirus.
There are 1,135 confirmed cases of the virus across the US, with 38 deaths
so far.
President Trump said: “This is
the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in
modern history.”
Justifying the travel restrictions, Donald Trump accused the EU of failing
to take “the same precautions” as the US in fighting the virus.
The president’s speech said all travel from Europe would be suspended but a
presidential proclamation later said it would only apply to anyone who had been
in the EU’s Schengen border-free area in the 14 days before their arrival in
the US.
President Trump also said the suspension would also apply to cargo coming
from Europe into the US. He later tweeted to say that trade would “in no
way be affected”.
The speech included plans to provide billions of dollars in loans to small
businesses and the president urged Congress to free up more funds.
He said for most Americans the risk was “very, very low” adding
“no nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United
States”.
In its response, the EU said the coronavirus was “a global crisis, not
limited to any continent and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral
action.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and European Council
President Charles Michel said in a statement: “The EU disapproves of the fact that the US decision to impose a
travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation.”
Senior Democrats said it was “alarming” that President Trump did
not address a shortage of coronavirus testing kits in the US.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in
a statement: “The best way to help
keep the American people safe and ensure their economic security is for the
president to focus on fighting the spread of the coronavirus itself.”
On the travel ban, Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown
University, tweeted: “Most of Europe
is as safe as US. This will have no impact on US … germs don’t respect
borders.”
Concern over the coronavirus outbreak rose after a number of new cases were
confirmed earlier this month.
Containment efforts have begun in earnest. Troops have been deployed to New
Rochelle, just north of NYC, where one outbreak is believed to have originated.
The National Guard will deliver food to some individuals who have been told
to self-isolate there.
The governor of Washington state has
also banned large gatherings in several counties. The north-western state is
the focal point of the outbreak in the US, accounting for 24 of at least 38
deaths across the country.
In an unprecedented move, the NBA
announced that it would suspend the season after the March 11 games. The
decision came after one player for the Utah Jazz tested positive for the virus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases, told Congress that the outbreak is “going to get worse”,
and that depended on the ability to contain those infected.
High medical costs make the virus particularly problematic – many Americans
avoid visiting their doctor because of unaffordable charges. A lack of paid
sick leave is another concern, as are fears about the number of available
tests.
Vice-President Mike Pence, who is in charge of the task force co-ordinating the response to the crisis, has said that “any American can be tested, no restrictions, subject to doctor’s orders”, and that insurers had promised to offset the charges.
Joe Biden has strengthened his position as
front-runner in the Democratic race to take on President Donald Trump in
November’s White House election.
On March 10, he won Michigan, the biggest prize of primary voting, extending
his lead over main rival Senator Bernie Sanders.
Five other states – Washington, Missouri, Mississippi, Idaho and North
Dakota – voted on March 10.
The former vice-president also swept aside Bernie Sanders in Missouri,
Mississippi and Idaho.
The Vermont senator won North Dakota, with results from Washington state
still outstanding on March 11.
It is unclear if Bernie Sanders would fight on until the party convention in
July.
The Democrats’ next big election milestone is in a week’s time when 577
delegates are up for grabs.
To secure the nomination, a candidate needs the support of 1,991 delegates.
Before March 10 vote, Joe Biden had 648 to Bernie Sanders’ 563.
Joe Biden had lagged behind his Democratic rivals in early voting states,
but rebounded after big wins on Super Tuesday and endorsements from several
former nomination rivals.
His campaign looked all but lost at
the start of the primary season in February. The 77-year-old finished a poor
fourth in the Iowa caucuses and fifth in the New Hampshire primary.
However, the turn came with South Carolina – where he won due to the support of the large African-American community – and on the Super Tuesday he won 10 out of 14 states at stake, establishing a sizeable lead over Bernie Sanders.
Thanking supporters from
Philadelphia on March 10, Joe Biden said Democrats, including supporters of
Bernie Sanders, could beat Donald Trump.
Bernie Sanders, 78, enjoys
widespread support among young voters, but has so far failed to turn that into
electoral success.
The Democratic Party has been involved in a lengthy internal debate aimed at
deciding which candidate has the best chance of denying President Trump a
second term in office this autumn.
Once a crowded field of more than two dozen, celebrated for its women and
candidates of color, the Democratic contest is now a race between two white
male septuagenarians.
Joe Biden, a moderate, and Bernie Sanders, a staunch left-winger, offer starkly different visions for America’s future.
Elizabeth Warren said she needed
some time to decide who to support.
Her departure may clear the path for
Bernie Sanders in particular – the sole progressive candidate left in the race.
Despite early momentum for her
campaign, Elizabeth Warren failed to convert enthusiasm into votes in the first
primary contests of 2020, not winning a single state.
With Elizabeth Warren’s departure, a Democratic race that began with a
record high of female candidates is now effectively left to two male
front-runners, who praised her and her campaign.
Asked how she made the decision to drop out, Elizabeth Warren said she
returned to the issues that anchored her campaign – the vast costs of student
loan debt, healthcare, and childcare that plague millions of Americans.
The former Harvard law professor was vaulted into the political arena more
than a decade ago as she pushed for tougher regulation of the financial sector
after the 2008 economic collapse.
In 2010, Elizabeth Warren helped the Obama White House set up the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau, a Wall Street watchdog agency she championed.
Two years later, Elizabeth Warren rode that momentum to a seat in the Senate for Massachusetts.
In a remarkable rebound for his campaign, Joe
Biden has won nine of the 14 states that voted to pick a Democratic White House
candidate on Super Tuesday.
The former vice-president to Barack Obama overturned predictions to narrowly
take the key state of Texas from his main challenger, Bernie Sanders.
However, Bernie Sanders is projected to win California – the biggest prize
of the night – as well as three other states.
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders lead the race to face Republican President
Donald Trump in November.
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent more than $500 million of his
own money on his campaign, but did not win a single state.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, once the frontrunner in the race, suffered a
humiliating defeat to Joe Biden in her home state of Massachusetts.
Super Tuesday awards more than 1,300 of the 1,991 delegates needed to clinch
the Democratic White House nomination in July.
As things stand, Joe Biden has 402 delegates and Bernie Sanders 314.
However, results from California, which has 415 delegates, could affect the
current standing.
Only last month, Joe Biden’s campaign was all but written off by some
observers after he finished a poor fourth in the Iowa caucuses and fifth in the
New Hampshire primary.
Joe Biden won Texas – the second biggest state with 228 delegates – along
with Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, North
Carolina and Virginia.
Maine, which has 24 delegates, is also yet to declare but partial results put
Joe Biden slightly ahead of Bernie Sanders.
Virginia and North Carolina are crucial because they are key swing states in
the 2020 election.
Exit polls across the board suggested Joe Biden attracted large majorities
of African-American voters, a crucial bloc for the Democratic Party.
Joe Biden, 77, also appears to have won among the type of suburban voters
who pollsters say have been turning away from the current president.
If Bernie Sanders, 78, does win California, as the Associated Press news
agency projects, he will pick up the lion’s share of the whopping 415 delegates
that the Golden State sends to the party convention.
The left-wing senator also won his home state of Vermont, along with
Colorado and Utah.
Bernie Sanders had been heavily favored to win Texas, but it was finally
claimed by Joe Biden.
In a victory speech, Bernie Sanders lambasted President Trump, but also took
a shot at Joe Biden.
He said: “We’re taking on the political
establishment.
“You cannot beat Trump with the
same-old, same-old kind of politics.”
The next primaries take place on March 0 in Michigan, Washington state, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri and North Dakota, with 352 delegates available.
Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has
announced he is ending his campaign for the White House.
Pete Buttigieg, 38, became the first openly gay presidential candidate from
a major party when he announced he was running for the Democratic nomination.
However, despite a successful start, his campaign lost momentum in recent
weeks.
Pete Buttigieg’s decision to drop out comes ahead of Super Tuesday, March 3,
in the Democratic race to take on Donald Trump.
Fourteen states will vote on Super Tuesday, by the end of which staunch
left-winger Bernie Sanders could have an unbeatable lead and be a step closer
to the nomination.
Pete Buttigieg’s departure leaves six Democrats still in the running – Joe
Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Kobluchar and
Tulsi Gabbard.
Speaking to supporters in his hometown of South Bend, Indiana, Pete
Buttigieg stressed the values he said his campaign had hoped to promote.
He said: “And so we must recognize
that at this point in the race, the best way to keep faith with those goals and
ideals is to step aside and help bring our party and our nation together.
“So tonight I am making the
difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the presidency.”
Pete Buttigieg pledged he would do “everything in my power” to
ensure a Democratic win in November’s election.
He won the first event of the primary season, the caucuses in Iowa on February
3. But he failed to repeat that success and win the delegates needed to make
him the front- runner and later confirm his nomination. On February 29, he
finished a distant fourth in South Carolina.
Joe Biden praised Pete Buttigieg’s campaigning effort in a tweet.
Pete Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten,
also addressed crowds of supporters in South Bend, saying: “About a year and a half ago, my husband came home from work and
told me – well he asked me: ‘What do you think about running for president?’
And I laughed! Not at him, but at life.
“Life gave me some interesting experiences, on my way
to find Pete. After falling in love with Pete, Pete got me to believe in
myself… and I told Pete to run [for office] because I knew there were other
kids sitting out there in this country who needed to believe in themselves,
too.”
Pete Buttigieg’s only political
experience had been as the centrist mayor of the 306th largest city in the US,
South Bend, Indiana between 2012 and January this year.
Before then, he had served as a US
Navy intelligence officer and in the Afghan war.
Pete Buttigieg was the first
millennial to run for the White House, and would have been the youngest
president to take office had he won.
The son of a Maltese immigrant, he had long been rumored as a possible
candidate in the 2020 election. But after announcing his candidacy in April
last year, he was able to break through a crowded group to become one of the
most recognizable faces in the campaign.
In that time, Pete Buttigieg raised more than $82 million, according to the
Federal Election Commission, one of the highest totals of all the candidates.
Pete Buttigieg – pronounced Boot-Edge-Edge – came out as gay aged 33 and
married his husband Chasten in June 2018.
He also struggled to build support among African-American voters, a point
emphasized by his poor showing in South Carolina.
Pete Buttigieg’s record as mayor came under fire among minority voters – he had fired South Bend’s first African American police chief and was criticized over how he handled the case of a white police officer who shot dead a black man last year.
France’s ex-PM François Fillon has appeared in
court for his role in a “fake jobs” scandal.
The politician is accused of paying his Welsh wife Penelope Fillon hundreds of thousands of euros for work she allegedly never did when employed as his assistant.
Both appeared on February 24, but made no statement. They deny the
allegations.
Though the trial was due to start on February 24, the court delayed it until
February 26, as there is currently a lawyers’ strike in France.
The former prime minister has been
in politics for decades. After serving as lawmaker and in a number of
ministerial roles, he became France’s prime minister between 2007 and 2012
under former President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Ahead of the 2017 presidential election, Francois Fillon won the center-right
Republican party’s presidential primary, and in January 2017 was the clear
frontrunner in the polls.
However, Fillon’s bid for the top job fell apart later that month.
Le Canard Enchaîné, a satirical
magazine, alleged that Penelope Fillon – formally employed as her husband’s
parliamentary assistant for about six years in the 1990s and 2000s – never
actually did her job. What’s more, she was paid €831,400 ($900,000) in the
role.
Francois Fillon denied the allegations. He said his opponents were trying to
sabotage his campaign through his wife, and vowed to press on with the
election.
As the scandal grew the former prime minister apologized
“profusely” for employing family members, saying that though legal
the practice had caused “mistrust”.
However, his poll ratings dropped sharply. He came third in the first round
of voting, missing out on the second-round run-off.
Le Canard Enchaîné published
numerous allegations against Francois Fillon and his family.
According to the publication, Penelope Fillon made €100,000 writing just a
handful of articles for a literary publication La Revue des Deux Mondes. The magazine is owned by a billionaire
friend of the family, Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière.
From 2002 to 2007, Penelope Fillon worked for her husband’s successor as a
lamaker, Marc Joulaud. He has also been placed under formal investigation.
During a brief stint working for her husband between 2012 and 2013, Penelope
Fillon allegedly did not have a work email or parliamentary pass.
Two of the Fillons children have also been caught up in the scandal.
Marie and Charles Fillon were both paid for legal work by their father’s office – yet Le Canard Enchaîné reported that neither were qualified lawyers at the time.
According to recent reports, US intelligence
agencies have warned that Russia is attempting to help President Donald Trump
get re-elected in November.
It appears the comments came in a closed-door briefing to the House
Intelligence Committee on February 13.
President Trump was reportedly enraged, complaining that Democrats would use
the information against him.
Donald Trump replaced his acting intelligence chief, Joseph Maguire, on
February 20.
The New York Times reported that
President Trump was particularly angry that Adam Schiff, the Democrat who led
the impeachment proceedings against him, was at the briefing.
Donald Trump, impeached by the House of Representatives for abuse of power
and obstruction of Congress, was acquitted after a two-week trial in the
Republican-controlled Senate.
During the House intelligence briefing, President Trump’s supporters argued
that he had taken a hard stance with Russia, and that European ties and
security had been strengthened as a result, the newspaper added.
Adam Schiff later tweeted that if Donald Trump was in any
way “interfering” with the sharing of information between US
intelligence agencies and Congress regarding foreign interference in the
election process, the president was “jeopardizing” attempts to stop
it.
Joseph Maguire was a favorite to be nominated for the permanent Director of
National Intelligence (DNI) post, the Washington
Post said.
However, the publication said President Trump changed his mind when he found
out about the briefing, and what he called the “disloyalty” of his
staff.
The president announced this week that Joseph Maguire would be replaced by
Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany and a Trump loyalist.
Two Trump administration officials
told the New York Times that the
replacement of Joseph Maguire, so soon after the contentious briefing, was a
coincidence.
US intelligence officials say Russia
interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost Donald Trump’s campaign
and cause chaos within the US electoral process.
Democrats criticized the president
for appointing Richard Grenell, who has previously played down the extent of
Russian interference in the last election, and has celebrated the rise of
far-right politicians in Europe.
Ned Price, a former aide to President Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, said the president had “dropped the charade that he has any use for intelligence”.
A gunman shot dead nine people
“of migrant background” at two shisha bars Hanau, Germany, on
February 19.
The suspect and his mother were
later found dead in his flat.
Germany’s federal prosecutor Peter
Frank said material the suspect Tobias R had posted online showed a
“deeply racist mindset”.
Tobias R, 43, had also been influenced
by conspiracy theories, Peter Frank said.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said there
were many signs Tobias R had acted out of racism.
Speaking in Berlin, the chancellor
said: “Racism is a poison. Hate is a
poison and this poison exists in our society and is already to blame for many
crimes.”
Turkey says at least five of the
dead were Turkish citizens. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he
expected Germany to “throw light on all aspects” of the attack.
According to the prosecutor, the investigation into the
deadly gun attack in Hanau is focusing on whether others knew about or helped
organize it.
Peter Frank said six people had also been injured in the attack, one of them
seriously.
Shortly after the attacks the suspect and his 72-year-old mother were found
in his apartment, both also shot. A gun was found next to the suspect’s body.
The prosecutor said investigators wanted to establish any links the suspect
may have had in Germany or potentially also abroad.
The shootings took place around 22:00 on February 19, and the first target
was the Midnight shisha bar in the city centre of Hanau. Witnesses reported
hearing about a dozen gunshots.
The suspect then traveled by car to the Kesselstadt neighborhood, some 1.5
miles away, and opened fire at the Arena Bar & Cafe.
Shisha bars are places where people gather to smoke a pipe known as shisha
or hookah. Traditionally found in Middle Eastern and Asian countries, they are
also popular in many other parts of the world.
The shootings sparked a manhunt. Police identified the gunman through
information from witnesses and surveillance cameras. On February 20, they
stormed the suspect’s home, near the scene of the second shooting.
Hanau, in Hesse state, is a city of 100,000 residents about 15 miles east of
Frankfurt.
The victims included German citizens and foreigners aged between 21 and 44,
Germany’s federal prosecutor said.
Among the dead were “several victims of Kurdish origin”, the
Kon-Med association of Kurds in Germany said. It said it was
“furious” that authorities were not doing more to fight extremism.
Tobias R had posted videos and a kind of manifesto on his website, Peter
Frank said.
In the manifesto he wrote that people from more than 20 countries including
Turkey and Israel should be “destroyed”, AFP reported.
In her statement, Chancellor Merkel said there were “many indications
at the moment that the perpetrator acted on right-wing extremist, racist
motives, out of hatred towards people of other origins, religion or
appearance”.
Hesse state Interior Minister Peter Beuth said the suspect had not
previously been known to the authorities.
The Bild tabloid reports the
suspect had a firearms license, and that ammunition and gun magazines were
found in his car.
Gun laws in Germany are among the most stringent in the world, and were tightened further in recent years after other mass shootings.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama with The Right Honorable Motsoahae Thomas Thabane, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)
The prime minister of Lesotho, Thomas Thabane, is
to be charged with the murder of his estranged wife Lipolelo Thabane, police
announced.
The 80-year-old announced he would be stepping down in July because of old
age, without commenting about the case.
Thomas Thabane’s current wife, Maesaiah, has already been charged with the
murder.
The prime minister would be the first leader in southern Africa to be
charged with murder while in office, in a case that has shocked the tiny
mountain kingdom.
Lipolelo Thabane, 58, was shot dead two days before her husband became prime
minister in 2017.
At the time, Thomas Thabane described his wife’s killing as
“senseless” but police now accuse him of being involved in her
killing.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Paseka
Mokete was quoted by Reuters as saying: “The
prime minister is going to be charged with the murder.
“The police are preparing directives and he will probably
be charged tomorrow [February 21].”
Thomas Thabane said on state radio
that he had served the nation “diligently” and he would retire at the
end of July, Reuters reports.
He was quoted as saying: “I’ve worked for a peaceful and stable
Lesotho. Today… at my age, I have lost most of my energy.”
The ruling All Basotho Convention
had given Thomas Thabane a deadline of February 20 to resign.
Lipolelo Thabane was gunned down at close range on the side of a dirt road
while returning to her home in a small village on the outskirts of the capital,
Maseru.
She was involved in bitter divorce proceedings with Thomas Thabane when she
was killed.
At the time, the prime minister was living with Maesaiah, 42, as if she were
his wife.
However, Lipolelo Thabane had already won a separate legal battle to be
recognized as first lady, as opposed to Maesaiah.
Maesaiah Thabane accompanied the prime minister to his inauguration,
following his estranged wife’s death.
Two months later Maesaiah and Thomas Thabane got married in a Catholic
ceremony held at a packed stadium in Maseru.
Maesaiah Thabane was charged with her rival’s murder on February 5, and is
out on bail of about $67.
The prime minister’s current wife has also been charged with the attempted
murder of a family friend Thato Sibolla, who was with Lipolelo Thabane at the
time of the shooting and is expected to be a key witness in the murder case.
Maesaiah Thabane has not yet been asked to enter a plea.
Troy Price, the chairman of the Democratic
Party in Iowa, has resigned after last week’s caucus was beset with technical
issues, questions over accuracy and delays.
In his resignation letter, he said that “the precinct and satellite
caucus meetings themselves went well”.
However, Troy Price conceded that the process of reporting results was
“unacceptable”.
At the last week’s caucuses, Pete Buttigieg won with a narrow 0.1% victory
over Bernie Sanders in terms of delegates, while Senator Sanders won the
popular vote.
Since then, the Sanders campaign has asked for a “recanvassing”
check of the vote.
Iowa Democratic leaders will elect a new local leader on February 15.
Troy Price said in his letter:
“While it is my desire to stay in
this role and see this process through to completion, I do believe it is time
for the Iowa Democratic Party to begin looking forward.
“My presence in my current role makes that more
difficult.”
He then added that the Iowa
Democrats were “not the only party to blame”, and mentioned the
partners and vendors who were also involved.
The Iowa caucus is the important first step in choosing the challenger to
the incumbent president.
Primaries and caucuses are a string of nationwide state-by-state votes,
which culminate in the Democratic nominee being chosen at the party convention
in July.
Although Iowa awards only 41 of the
1,991 delegates required to become the Democratic White House nominee, the
state’s vote is usually considered the first clear indication of each
candidate’s standing within the race.
This year the Iowa Democratic Party
distributed a new app, called Shadow,
to precinct officials that was supposed to help them report results more
quickly.
It was an issue with this app, which
the party said was a coding error that led to the delay in results and ultimate
chaos on February 3.
Pete Buttigieg declared victory for
himself that same day, before any of the results were released.
In the end, the results were finally released three days later than
expected.
By that time the chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) had
already weighed in, calling for a review of the vote totals.
The second vote that took place – the primary in New Hampshire on February
11 – was more clear-cut. Bernie Sanders came in first, with Pete Buttigieg
second and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar in third place.
Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, previously considered frontrunners, came in fourth and fifth – each with zero delegates.
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