Coronavirus outbreak declared a global emergency as virus spreads from one person to another for first time in U.S. - CBS News

An American citizen stuck in Wuhan says panic is rising in the quarantined city of 11 million as the U.S. government works to get about 1,000 Americans reportedly stuck in the locked down metropolis out.

"I just wish I could get my family off," Justin Steece told CBS News on Monday.  "We need to go to America." 

He and his wife Ling have lived in Wuhan for about a year and a half. Just three weeks ago she gave birth to their baby boy, Colm.

"Ling can't move because she had a c-section, so she can only do so much at the moment while she recovers fully," he said. "I have to go out; I have to get food, I have to do stuff like that, and my biggest fear is that I would go out, get sick not knowing it, and then come home and spread it to Ling and the baby."

U.S. embassy evacuates American citizens from Wuhan amid coronavirus outbreak

His wife doesn't yet have a U.S. visa, and Steece can't leave Wuhan to finish her paperwork under the lockdown. "Otherwise I would have evacuated with the rest of the people and gotten my wife and kid outta here," he told CBS News.

As the Chinese government races to try and contain the deadly virus, Steece said the efforts aren't really making anyone feel any better. "What you see, what the Chinese government is saying; 'oh it's calm, resolute,' the citizens are actually freaking out a little bit more than that," he said.

The State Department has chartered a flight to evacuate Americans from Wuhan on Tuesday, but Steece and his family won't be on it. It will carry U.S. consulate staff from Wuhan and some other U.S. citizens. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said passengers on that flight to San Francisco should "anticipate" being screened when they land.

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2020-01-31 10:42:00Z
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Britain is leaving the European Union today. The hard part comes next - CNN

Despite this cataclysmic event, almost all of the immediate changes will be invisible to the public. The United Kingdom will enter the transition period that was agreed between the British government and the EU. And the terms of that agreement mean that for the next 11 months, the UK remains an EU member state in all but name.

What actually happens tonight?

The UK formally leaves the EU. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the nation in what can be presumed to be an optimistic message. Other Brexiteers will be celebrating in grander style, as parties are being held across the country -- including one opposite the Houses of Parliament, the body that thwarted Brexit so many times in 2019.

Remain voters will be holding similar protest events all over Britain.

The mood in Brussels will be somber. The Union flag will be removed from all EU institutions (one of which will be placed in a museum in Brussels) and senior EU politicians will probably make statements expressing that this is a sad day for Europe and that they want to remain the closest of friends with Europe.

What actually changes tonight?

In theory, quite a lot; in practice, very little. The UK might be leaving the EU, but as of 11:01 p.m., it will continue to obey all EU law and European courts. In the coming months, it will continue to pay into the EU budget and comply with any changes to EU law. That means that the only things that will change are largely symbolic. The UK will cease to have any meaningful representation in EU institutions and will no longer attend any meetings of EU leaders. So it will be obeying EU rules while having no say in EU policy.

What doesn't change?

Most things that actually affect you. Businesses will be able to operate as normal, meaning that you as a customer will not be affected. People traveling to Europe will not be affected during the transition period, and EU citizens will still be able to move freely around the bloc.

What comes next?

The end of phase one marks the start of phase two. And if the past three and a half years have been anything to go by, phase two is going to be far more of a nightmare than phase one.

The Brexit transition period is due to end on December 31 of this year. That means the UK has to negotiate its future relationship with Europe in just 11 months. Failure to reach an agreement would mean the hardest Brexit possible, causing economic damage for both sides and possibly the wider world. This is a scenario that both sides are eager to avoid -- even as they continue to engage in their game of high-stakes brinkmanship.

Formal negotiations will begin on March 3. In the meantime, both sides will outline their priorities and draw their red lines. If history tells us anything, the UK will be more likely to back down than Brussels.

Trade-off on trade

The bulk of these negotiations will focus on the UK and the EU's future trading relationship. Trade deals normally take years, if not decades, to negotiate. The EU's deal with Canada, for example, took seven years to hammer out. And the EU is famously difficult to negotiate with because of its complicated internal politics. The Canada deal, for example, almost fell at the last hurdle when Wallonia, a region of Belgium, refused to ratify the deal. However, it is worth pointing out that the UK-EU deal starts from a place of total alignment, meaning comparisons to other trade deals are not fair.

But that's just trade. There are still many unanswered questions about exactly how much money the UK would pay the EU in exchange for access to its market and what, if any agreement might be reached on intelligence sharing security, aviation and fishing. And the controversial issue of what will happen on the Irish border is likely to feature heavily in any final deal.

Johnson has not formally announced his red lines yet, but it's safe to say that his priority will be sealing a free trade agreement that makes both importing and exporting as straightforward as possible, while freeing the UK from strict EU rules. If this is achievable, it would mean the UK continuing to trade in the EU but being flexible on regulations -- a situation that could come in handy when striking trade deals with other nations like the US and China.

"With the EU, we need a close partnership based on zero tariffs and quotas as well as regulatory recognition, adequacy and equivalence in all areas including services and financial services," says Shanker Singham, a competition and trade lawyer. "We won't be immediately diverging all over the place, but we must reserve the right to do so."

This issue of divergence is alarming many in Brussels. In short, if the UK is willing to diverge from the EU in areas like tax, food standards and financial regulation, it risks undermining the EU's precious single market -- the EU's most valuable asset and top bargaining chip. And if Brussels thinks that Johnson has plans to undercut the EU, it won't hesitate to restrict access to the world's largest economic bloc.

"For the EU, the trade-off is simple: if the UK diverges and no longer meets EU standards, or British businesses gain an unfair competitive advantage over EU business, then it will have less access to the EU market," says Georgina Wright, an EU expert at the Institute for Government think tank.

This concern in Brussels is not unreasonable. When the UK points to trading relationships that the EU has with countries like Canada and Japan, it misses two crucial points. First, agreements reached with external countries were about increasing engagement. As the UK leaves, it is about reducing engagement. Second, the UK shares a common border with the EU. And as one EU diplomat points out, "There is a direct relationship between trade and distance: the further you are away the less trade you do. So when we talk trade with Canada, we know that their undercutting of standards will not have the same effect as the UK."

Notwithstanding this cold reality, it's clear that both sides desperately want to accommodate one another. The question is whether their competing aims are compatible. "Both sides want to maintain reasonably strong relations, but on the EU side this clearly has to be appropriate with existing structures and agreements," says David Henig, the UK director of the European Center For International Political Economy.

"On the UK side it will be about allowing regulatory flexibility while still facilitating trade. Defining that in great detail will be a challenge for both sides, though the EU is concerned that the UK doesn't understand this sufficiently."

Calm before -- and after the storm

The gloves are already off. France's Europe minister, Amelie de Montchalin, said in a news conference on Wednesday that "France is ready to sign a Brexit deal very quickly if the UK commits to full regulatory alignment that could guarantee no dumping."

That lack of understanding is the reason this could all get ugly. Regardless of what both sides might say about reaching a mutually beneficial agreement, in negotiations with the EU, there is always a winner and a loser.

The UK will see winning as having its cake and eating it: near-frictionless trade with the EU while enjoying the freedom to so as it pleases at home. It could use state aid to give British businesses a competitive edge or slash tax rates to attract foreign investment in ways that would flout EU rules on competition.

For the EU, hugging the UK tight and stopping it from drifting toward an economic rival, e.g. the US, would be a victory. Brexiteers have long talked up global trade deals as being the upside of Brexit, and no victory would be sweeter than a wide-ranging deal with the world's only hyperpower.

But for the UK, it will ultimately find that in trade deals with both the EU and the US, it is going to be the smaller partner and to some extent will be expected to sign on the dotted line.

Time is running out. Johnson has said that he has no intention of extending the transition period. If he is to extract concessions from the EU and get a deal that looks like Brexit was worth it, he's going to have to hope that European fears of divergence and the relatively short period to get a deal done will focus minds in Brussels.

For virtually all of 2019, the British establishment was tearing its hair out over whether or not it would avoid a no-deal Brexit. Getting a Brexit deal through Parliament sucked the life out of British politics. When Boris Johnson finally won his majority last December, a certain degree of calm fell as the key obstacle to getting Brexit done had been cleared.

Now, Johnson finds himself facing 11 months of hellish negotiations with another threat of no deal at the end of the tunnel.

He does have other bargaining chips at his disposal: the EU is very keen to reach agreement on areas other than trade, such as fishing rights, data sharing and security. Johnson could concede on these to get a more attractive trade deal.

But ultimately, Brexit is now weeks away from hurtling towards its next critical deadline. And for the UK more than anyone else, to get what it wants could require shutting its eyes and hoping for the best.

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2020-01-31 09:44:00Z
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Five key developments this week on the spread of coronavirus in the US - CNN

The number of cases skyrocketed this week, and the US warned its citizens not to go to China as a wave of panic and infections increase. Even the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency Thursday, saying the virus is now a risk beyond China.

Here are the key developments in the US this week and what's next:

A Chicago woman infects her husband

An Illinois woman who has coronavirus infected her husband -- the first confirmed case transmitted from person to person in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The couple are in their 60s, and the husband has underlying medical issues, the CDC said. The husband's infection makes him the sixth person with coronavirus in the US, including patients in Washington state, California and Arizona.

"We understand that this may be concerning, but based on what we know now, our assessment remains that the immediate risk to the American public is low," Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, told reporters.

Coronavirus has killed 213 people and infected nearly 10,000 others in China, most of them in the hardest-hit city of Wuhan. Outside mainland China, there are 108 confirmed cases, including the six in the United States.

More Americans will be evacuated from Wuhan

The State Department is planning more evacuation flights for US citizens in Wuhan leaving around Monday. No more details were immediately available.

Just days earlier, it evacuated nearly 200 Americans Wednesday from Wuhan. They are being monitored for symptoms for at least three days at the March Air Reserve Base near Riverside, California.

If health officials determine they don't pose a danger and can go home, they will be monitored by local officials for the 14-day incubation period. They can choose to remain at the base for the two weeks.

US issues its highest-level warning for China

US officials are warning citizens not to travel to China after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global health emergency.

Those currently in China should consider leaving, the State Department said. Meanwhile, the White House announced a new task force that's meeting daily to discuss the threat of the coronavirus. The task force will help monitor and contain the spread of the virus, and ensure Americans have accurate and up-to-date health and travel information, it said.

The department has tried to dissuade Americans' travel to China in recent weeks in response to the outbreak. It raised the travel advisory on Monday from Level 2 to Level 3. It's now at Level 4.

Hoaxes are spreading along with the panic

As the coronavirus outbreak grows, officials in several US states are cracking down on false information about the spread of the disease.

Most of the false information is originating online, spreading fear about the virus that has sickened thousands worldwide.

In Los Angeles County, public health officials warned residents Thursday that a letter claiming a potential coronavirus outbreak in Carson City is fake. In a suburb north of Los Angeles, a high school in Santa Clarita also issued a statement warning against false social media reports on the coronavirus outbreak.

School districts in San Diego and Arizona are also warning residents about fake images of news stories claiming the coronavirus is spreading locally.

Faceook has said it's taking steps to prevent the spread of misinformation on the disease. It plans to remove content with false claims or conspiracy theories, and is urging leading global health organizations and local authorities to flag such information.

"This includes claims related to false cures or prevention methods — like drinking bleach cures the coronavirus — or claims that create confusion about health resources that are available," Facebook said in a statement.

States are pushing for more action

Some states are calling for tougher measures to help combat the virus.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee asked US federal health officials to expand screenings to passengers returning to the United States from China at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where the country's first confirmed case of the deadly virus entered. Inslee wants the CDC to collect passengers' health history and temperature readings.

In Hawaii, the state closest to the coronavirus outbreak, officials are urging residents to avoid discretionary trips to China. There are currently no cases of coronavirus in Hawaii, and officials said there's minimal risk to people on the islands.

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2020-01-31 09:15:00Z
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Brexit Day - The UK leaves the European Union - The Sun

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2020-01-31 07:31:43Z
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Is Huawei a threat to cyber security? I Inside Story - Al Jazeera English

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2020-01-30 17:30:03Z
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What Brexit will mean for travelers - CNN

(CNN) — Britain's departure from the European Union is finally upon us, but after all the warnings of chaos for inbound tourists and problems for UK travelers heading to the continent, what will situations will travelers actually face after January 31?

The arrival of Brexit comes three and a half years after the country held a referendum that set it in motion and follows a series of missed deadlines, each one carrying the threat of the UK leaving with "no deal" -- a scenario that raised the prospect of a shortage of medical supplies and food, as well as long border queues.

What will change?

Travel between the UK and the EU will stay the same during the 11-month transition period.

Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images

Although the UK exits the EU on January 31, it will remain part of the single market and customs union under the terms of the implementation period or transition.

This lasts until December 31, 2020, when it's hoped a new trade deal, security arrangements and immigration laws will be enacted.

Failure to reach an agreement could lead to "no deal" becoming a live prospect once more. For now, that remains an issue for another day.

In April 2019, the European Parliament confirmed it had agreed a deal for UK citizens to travel visa-free on a short stay (90 days in any 180 days) within the borderless Schengen Area that covers most of western Europe.

"The transition period, which kicks off from February 1, will mean that travel between the UK and Europe will stay exactly the same until December 31, 2020. "According to the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office), UK nationals can continue to travel to the EU exactly as they do now," says Tom Jenkins, chief executive of the European Tourism Association.

"You won't need a visa or six months left on your passport or evidence of a return ticket."

Frank Marr, Travel and Tourism Chairman for the PRCA and MD of AM+A, a travel marketing company based in the UK, agrees.

"Based on current agreements we expect a large chunk of things to stay the same -- access to EU countries should not change for visitors looking to stay in Europe for less than a month," he says.

However, as the UK and EU cannot legally start negotiations over their future relationship until February, it's unclear how travelers will be treated come 2021.

Priti Patel, the UK Home Secretary, has said that whatever happens, freedom of movement, and the ability to work in the UK without a visa for EU citizens, will end.

There are currently plans for the UK to be part of the new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) from next year (although there remains a chance ETIAS may not be up and running by then).

Similar to the ESTA visa waiver used by UK tourists traveling to the United States, this will allow UK citizens to travel into the Schengen Area without a visa, as long as they pay €7.

The waiver will last three years and can be bought online. However, the UK's participation in ETIAS is dependent on the UK Parliament ensuring EU citizens can travel on holiday without a visa to the UK using a similar, electronic system.

Jonathan Smith, from the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), says people were receptive to the idea when the travel association conducted research into what was known about ETIAS.

"The majority of people we spoke with were quite happy with it, as long as it wasn't too expensive or wouldn't take them too long to do," says Smith.

One exception to ETIAS will be the Republic of Ireland. Since 1923, the Common Travel Area has meant people from the UK and Ireland have been able to travel between the two countries without a visa.

"Brexit doesn't change the ease of getting to Ireland or the warmth of the welcome," says Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland.

However, the very real chance of the UK and EU not reaching an agreement by the end of 2020 means that frictionless travel across the English Channel could be over for good in 11 months' time.

"It could well be that we're back communicating on the issues we were talking about at previous deadlines," adds Smith.

"Such as the need for passports to have extra validity, what would happen with changes to driving rules and the validity of European Health Insurance Cards."

What will airports and ferry terminals be like?

Travelers may have to use different queues when arriving at airports and ferry terminals.

Oli Scarff/Getty Images

"In the initial transition period visitors traveling in the UK and the southeast of England are unlikely to see much of a change, with flights continuing to run smoothly, European visitors continuing to travel on ID cards and e-passport gates still permitted for all international visitors," explains Fran Downton, chief executive of Tourism South East, which promotes the English region that's geographically closest to continental Europe.

However, even if an agreement on the future relationship is reached by the end of the year, there's a chance travelers will have to use different lines on arrival at airports and ferry terminals, with additional checks in place.

This could cause major delays, especially at already clogged airports such as Heathrow, with major concerns about traffic at busy ports like Dover in the UK and Calais in France. Issues could arise around EU citizens traveling to the UK on ID cards rather than passports, something they can currently do but may be banned from doing next year.

"The difficulty lies in the fact that EU countries have a binding obligation to treat non-EU/EEA visitors differently," adds the European Tourism Association's Tom Jenkins.

"This could lead to delays at borders, as no country has yet built immigration capacity sufficient to cope with full scrutiny of big volumes of arrivals."

Kelly Cooke, leisure director at Advantage Travel Partnership, the UK's largest independent travel agent consortium, expresses similar concern.

"The government also needs to give clarity, as deals are finalized, that the process of entering the EU from the end of December 2020 will not lead to long queues on arrival as this will deter travelers."

What about driving in the EU?

Travelers driving from the UK to the EU via the Channel Tunnel may need and International Driving Permit.

Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

While taking a car from the UK to the EU via the Channel Tunnel or on a ferry service will remain as simple after January 31, it's likely that by 2021, things will have changed.

Drivers may also need a special "green card" from their insurance company and a GB sticker on their bumper.

This issue may be resolved during the upcoming negotiation, with an easier, EU-wide set of rules for UK drivers potentially being put in place.

Will you need travel insurance?

Holidaying in the EU could become more costly for those with long-term illnesses.

Savo Prelevic/AFP/Getty Images

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which guarantees carriers access to free medical care, will still be valid during the transition. As with so much else surrounding Brexit, the real conundrum comes in 2021.

According to official UK guidance: "After Brexit your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) card may not be valid."

It's doubtful the UK will remain part of the EHIC system, meaning UK travelers will need a comprehensive insurance policy to ensure they get healthcare in case of an emergency.

As EHIC covers pre-existing conditions, this could make holidaying in the EU more costly for those with long-term illnesses. ABTA, however, says its guidance remains the same as ever.

"ABTA has always advised holidaymakers and business travelers to make sure they have appropriate travel insurance, whether they have an EHIC card or not, as there are limitations to EHIC," it says on its website.

Will mobile phone bills soar?

Mobile phone roaming charges are likely to soar for UK travelers to Europe.

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Agreements, which came into force in 2017, outlawed punitive roaming charges for European citizens when using their mobile phone within the European Union.

However, while these are set to stay in place during the implementation period, the lack of clarity over the UK's future relationship means they could be back for British travelers in 2021.

"Mobile roaming charges are likely to re-appear in Europe, so we'd advise travelers to check carefully with their providers, to avoid the potential for large unexpected bills," says James Lynn from Currensea, a pre-paid travel card provider.

While no network in the UK has said it will reintroduce roaming charges, a lack of EU regulation from 2021 means that divergence could lead to higher prices for travelers.

"After Brexit, the guarantee of free mobile phone roaming throughout the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will end," says the official UK government website.

A cheap bet for US travelers?

The weakening of the pound against the dollar will benefit US visitors to the UK.

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Since the Brexit vote, the value of the pound has plunged considerably against both the euro and US dollar.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's re-election in December 2019, and the prospect of stable government, saw a brief rebound, but as 2020 wears on and uncertainty over an agreement grows, that weakness is likely to remain a theme.

"In the short term, we expect to see a continued recovery of the pound, but predict continued exchange rate volatility until the final withdrawal agreement is in place," adds Lynn.

"Going into 2021, we see far greater uncertainty about the pound at this stage.

"A compromised withdrawal deal could lead to a far weaker pound, leading to a strong focus on cheaper destinations for holidaymakers as a result."

However, a weak pound does mean that inbound tourism to the UK from outside the EU could be boosted.

Visit Britain forecasts that spending by inbound tourists will have grown by 9.1% in 2020, to £25 billion ($32 billion), with inbound visits topping 38 million.

It seems that while Brexit will have a very real effect on travel from the UK, the weakening of sterling has had a positive on the at home tourism industry.

"The US remains the top-ranking country for inbound visitors to the UK and southeast in terms of visits and spend, although it's hard to predict the long-term strength of the pound," says Downton.

"It is unlikely that it will impact the position of US inbound visitors."

However, for UK travelers, higher prices for EU trips, especially after the transition period ends, are a growing concern.

"The need for clarification on cross border movement will become a priority when companies launch their holidays for 2021," explains Cooke.

"Currently we know that there will be changes, but not what they will look like and this could impact pricing."

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2020-01-30 12:40:49Z
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Coronavirus: Flight taking Britons out of Wuhan is delayed - BBC News - BBC News

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2020-01-30 10:52:16Z
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