Crackdown on militants as US and Afghan Taliban seek deal - BBC News

In the past two weeks, three influential Pakistani militants based in Afghanistan have been assassinated, whilst another Pakistani militant group has been targeted in a deadly raid by Afghan special forces.

The apparent crackdown comes as negotiations between US and Afghan Taliban officials, aimed at bringing an end to the 18-year-long conflict, appear to be leading towards an agreement.

One militant source told the BBC he believed the deaths were the result of a secret pact between American and Pakistani forces. Pakistan is believed to have played an important role in facilitating the discussions.

In the latest incident, Shehryar Mehsud, leader of a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, was killed in the eastern province of Kunar when a remote control bomb exploded close to his home.

He had numerous rivals within militant circles, but they have denied involvement in his death, whilst members of his group told the BBC they believed Pakistani intelligence services were responsible.

The Pakistani Taliban and Afghan Taliban are separate organisations - focussed on carrying out attacks only within their own countries.

Various factions of the Pakistani Taliban established bases in eastern Afghanistan, following military operations against them in Pakistan.

It is alleged that the Afghan security services developed links to some of the groups - to counteract Pakistani support for the Afghan Taliban, which has been waging a long-running insurgency aimed at forcing out the Afghan government, backed by US-led forces.

Both countries officially deny supporting militant groups.

Earlier this month, two senior Pakistani Taliban commanders were killed in mysterious circumstances in the Afghan capital Kabul.

Meanwhile, on Monday reports emerged of a raid on the Hizbul Ahrar Pakistani militant group by Afghan forces in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Members of Hizbul Ahrar were shocked at the raid, saying they previously believed they would not be targeted by Afghan security forces, as they have not carried out attacks within Afghanistan.

'Game rules' seem to be changing

The confusion in Pakistani militant circles comes as a high-profile former Pakistani Taliban spokesman appears to have escaped from the custody of Pakistan's intelligence services.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, who had claimed some of the groups most notorious attacks, including the shooting of schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, surrendered in 2017. However, he was never presented in court, nor charged with an offence.

An audio message, purporting to be from Ehsanullah Ehsan was released last week, claiming that he had escaped, because Pakistani authorities had not been faithful to the terms of "a deal" he had made with them.

He later told reporters he had arrived in Turkey, but has so far refused to give further details, or video proof of where he is.

Many in Pakistan are sceptical that Ehsanullah Ehsan could have actually "escaped", suggesting instead he was released as part of an opaque deal.

There has been no comment from the Pakistani military or government as to what happened.

However, journalists have reported being directed to broadcast claims, attributed to "sources", that Ehsanullah Ehsan had provided "top level information" to the security services that led to successful operations against other militants.

Members of militant groups often refer to "games" being played by regional security forces. The rules of those "games" seem to be changing.

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2020-02-15 08:24:56Z
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Beijing orders mandatory coronavirus quarantine as US moves to evacuate passengers from cruise ship - CNN

Beijing authorities announced Friday night local time that all people returning to the Chinese capital would be required to stay at home or under observation for 14 days in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.

Those who violate the new quarantine rules may face legal repercussions.

The order comes as authorities across the country attempt to contain the spread of the deadly virus, known officially as Covid-19. The past week has seen a huge spike in numbers, partially due to the government's broadening of the definitions for a confirmed case.

China's National Health Commission said on Saturday that the nationwide death toll had increased by 143 and the number of cases had jumped 2,641 from the previous day.

The commission's new numbers also reveal that medical workers in China have been hit hard; 1,716 medics have been infected so far, including six who have died.

That brings the total number of cases globally to 67,097, and the global death toll to 1,526. The vast majority of these figures are within mainland China and concentrated in Hubei Province, where the virus originated.

Outside of China, more than 600 cases have been confirmed, including 200 cases on a cruise ship docked in Japan; the United States government is sending a charter plane on Sunday to evacuate Americans on board who wish to leave.

The virus will continue "beyond this season, this year"

Friday marked the first confirmed coronavirus case in Africa, with a single patient in Egypt. Countries worldwide have implemented stringent emergency measures in the wake of the outbreak -- but these containment efforts may only slow down the spread of the virus, not end it, said US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield on Thursday.

Instead, these efforts may buy precious time for scientists, who are racing to develop a vaccine. There is currently no treatment or cure for Covid-19.

The fight against the virus is made more complicated by how little we know -- researchers are still learning more about how it survives, transmits, and replicates.

"This virus is probably with us beyond this season, beyond this year, and I think eventually the virus will find a foothold and we will get community-based transmission (in the United States)," warned Redfield. "The containment phase is really to give us more time."

The CDC has offered to send experts to China, but the offer has not yet been accepted. Instead, a World Health Organization-led joint mission to China is expected to touch down this weekend, bringing together international and WHO experts and their Chinese national counterparts.

The joint mission will review data and make field visits to decide what the next steps of response and containment should be, both in China and globally.

Toll of outbreak felt globally

The coronavirus has now spread to 28 countries -- with Japan reporting the highest number of cases outside China.

There has been one death and 258 confirmed cases in Japan, 219 of which are from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that is currently docked in Yokohama Bay under quarantine.

The cruise has been quarantined with more than 3,700 people on board since February 4, and the quarantine is scheduled to end on February 19.

Countries are working to assist and retrieve their citizens from the ship; The United States is sending charter planes to evacuate US citizens and their families Sunday evening local time. Those who choose to fly back on the evacuation planes will be quarantined for 14 days once they arrive.

Hong Kong has also sent four officials to the ship, to deliver supplies to 11 infected citizens on board.

Another cruise ship, the Westerdam, also found itself stranded for several days this week after being turned away from four Asian ports over coronavirus fears -- despite there being no suspected cases on board. Passengers were finally allowed to dock and disembark in Cambodia on Friday.

The coronavirus has also sent reverberations through the global economy. China is struggling to return to work after businesses were shut and schools suspended for weeks. Millions are now working from home, with Chinese President Xi Jinping warning on Monday that the country needed to stabilize its economy and avoid mass layoffs.

But it's not just China affected -- the closing of Chinese plants has disrupted supply chains globally, threatening to cause a recession in Germany and smartphone shortages worldwide.

"This is continuing to grow in scope and magnitude. It could end being really, really big, and really, really serious," said William Reinsch, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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2020-02-15 08:03:00Z
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U.S. Will Evacuate Americans From Cruise Ship Quarantined in Japan - The New York Times

YOKOHAMA, Japan — The United States will evacuate Americans from the cruise ship that has been quarantined for more than a week in Japan because of coronavirus infections on board, the United States Embassy in Tokyo told Americans aboard the ship on Saturday.

A chartered flight will arrive on Sunday for those who want to return to the United States, according to an email from the embassy to American passengers and crew members. Hundreds of Americans are on the ship.

“We recognize this has been a stressful experience, and we remain dedicated to providing all the support we can and seeing you safely and expeditiously reunited with family and friends in the United States,” the email read.

Buses will move Americans and their belongings from the ship to the chartered plane, and the evacuees will be screened for symptoms before boarding, the email read. The plane will land at Travis Air Force Base in California. Some passengers will then continue onward to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

Symptomatic Americans who cannot board the flight will remain in Japan for care, according to the email. At least 40 Americans have already been taken off the ship after being infected with the virus.

The Coronavirus Outbreak

• What do you need to know? Start here.

  Updated Feb. 10, 2020

  • What is a Coronavirus?
    It is a novel virus named for the crown-like spikes that protrude from its surface. The coronavirus can infect both animals and people, and can cause a range of respiratory illnesses from the common cold to more dangerous conditions like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.
  • How contagious is the virus?
    According to preliminary research, it seems moderately infectious, similar to SARS, and is possibly transmitted through the air. Scientists have estimated that each infected person could spread it to somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 people without effective containment measures.
  • Where has the virus spread?
    The virus originated in Wuhan, China, and has sickened tens of thousands of people in China and at least two dozen other countries.
  • How worried should I be?
    While the virus is a serious public health concern, the risk to most people outside China remains very low, and seasonal flu is a more immediate threat.
  • Who is working to contain the virus?
    World Health Organization officials have praised China’s aggressive response to the virus by closing transportation, schools and markets. This week, a team of experts from the W.H.O. arrived in Beijing to offer assistance.
  • What if I’m traveling?
    The United States and Australia are temporarily denying entry to noncitizens who recently traveled to China and several airlines have canceled flights.
  • How do I keep myself and others safe?
    Washing your hands frequently is the most important thing you can do, along with staying at home when you’re sick.

---

The evacuated Americans will then have to undergo two weeks of additional quarantine in the United States. “We understand this is frustrating and an adjustment, but these measures are consistent with the careful policies we have instituted to limit the potential spread of the disease,” the email read.

It said that those who chose not to take the flight would be “unable to return to the United States for a period of time,” though it did not specify how long; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would decide the timeline.

The Americans were asked to notify the embassy if they wanted to travel with immediate family members who were not American citizens.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that the government was preparing to evacuate Americans.

The ship, the Diamond Princess, was placed under quarantine at the city of Yokohama early last week, with about 3,700 passengers and crew members aboard, after the coronavirus was diagnosed in a man who had disembarked in Hong Kong. Since then, at least 218 new cases have been confirmed aboard the ship.

Many passengers have expressed fear that the quarantine, meant to protect Japan and keep the virus from spreading, was putting them at risk. Experts have said that infections could have spread aboard the ship despite measures taken to isolate people.

Japan has more confirmed coronavirus cases — the vast majority from the Diamond Princess — than any country outside China, where the outbreak began, and it reported its first death from the virus on Thursday.

On Friday, the Japanese government said an official who had helped transfer infected patients from the cruise ship had tested positive for the virus. A Health Ministry official who had been tending to passengers on board also tested positive.

At a news briefing on Friday, an official with the C.D.C., Dr. Nancy Messonnier, said officials were discussing a plan to ensure the Americans’ safety.

“It’s really important to all of us that these people are safe and taken well care of,” Dr. Messonnier said. “We are also concerned that the data coming out of Japan suggests there’s a higher risk among the people on the ship, and therefore their safety is of utmost importance.”

On Saturday, before the embassy announced the evacuation plan, Americans were waiting anxiously for confirmation of news reports about it. One said the ship felt like a “pressure cooker.”

Sarah Arana, a medical social worker from Paso Robles, Calif., said Americans were particularly worried about the extra quarantine period in the United States. “If you add two weeks and we have to miss work, what does that mean for us?” she asked.

But Ms. Arana, a grandmother of two, said she was prepared to submit to it, out of concern that the virus had spread on the ship since the quarantine was imposed.

“If we can prevent this from spreading any further, then I am OK and I will go sit in a military base for two weeks so I don’t become a superspreader,” she said. “I feel like I have some civic responsibility.”

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2020-02-15 06:58:00Z
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Let's move on from impeachment, visiting U.S. Senators tell Ukraine's leader - Reuters

KIEV (Reuters) - A group of three U.S. Senators visited Kiev on Friday to convey a message of continued bipartisan support for Ukraine after it got entangled last year in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.

U.S. Senators Ron Johnson, John Barrasso and Chris Murphy attend a news briefing following their meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kiev, Ukraine, February 14, 2020. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

The United States has been the most powerful backer of Ukraine in its standoff with Russia over Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and support for separatist fighters in a simmering conflict in the eastern Donbass region.

But their relationship was tested after Trump froze nearly $400 million in security aid and pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate one of the Republican president’s Democratic rivals, former vice president Joe Biden.

Trump was impeached by the Democratic-led House of Representatives but was acquitted this month in the Republican-led Senate.

“I think we all are confident that President Zelenskiy does not want to be involved in U.S. politics, and we hope that any pressure (that) existed in the past to do so is over,” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said after meeting the Ukrainian leader..

“Our message is we want to put this impeachment question behind us, and we want to be moving together, Republicans and Democrats, in supporting Ukraine.”

Murphy was accompanied to Kiev by Republican Senators Ron Johnson and John Barrasso.

In a statement, posted on his office’s website, Zelenskiy said he wanted to change Ukraine’s global image so that people did not associate the country with corruption.

At the heart of the impeachment case was a transcript of a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to work with U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to investigate Biden.

The fallout from the impeachment trial continued in Washington this week, as Trump said the military may consider disciplining former National Security Council aide Alexander Vindman, who testified in the case.

Asked if he regretted sending Giuliani to Ukraine last year, Trump said on Thursday in a radio interview: “No, not at all.” He also defended engaging Giuliani, a former New York mayor.

“Rudy is a high-quality guy,” he said in an interview that aired on iHeart Radio.

Trump also said he may stop allowing government aides to listen in on his telephone calls with foreign leaders.

Barr this week acknowledged that the U.S. Department of Justice was accepting and reviewing information from Giuliani ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, sparking concern from Democrats and some legal experts.

Additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington; writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Gareth Jones

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-02-14 15:32:00Z
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Coronavirus live updates: China tries to get back to work; Beijing sets a 14-day quarantine rule for arrivals - CNBC

This is a live blog. Please check back for updates.

Total confirmed cases: More than 64,000
Total deaths: At least 1,380

10:14 am: Beijing authorities issue self-quarantine order for returning residents

Beijing officials charged with responding to the virus issued an order for all those returning to Beijing to remain in quarantine at home for 14 days, Chinese state media The People's Daily reported. Those who refuse to quarantine themselves or follow the official rules on virus containment will be punished according to law, the newspaper said in a post on Chinese social media site Weibo. —Feuer

10:00 am: WHO holds briefing on coronavirus

World Health Organization officials are holding a press conference to update the public on the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed more people than the 2003 SARS epidemic. Watch the conference live here. —Feuer

9:03 am: Virus risk to US is 'very low,' but that could change 'rapidly,' Azar says

The American public's risk of getting infected with the new coronavirus is "very low" but that could change "rapidly," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC. "We're deploying the full force of the U.S. government to protect the health and safety of the American people," Azar said. Health officials have confirmed 15 U.S. cases of COVID-19. Azar said people can protect themselves from the virus by washing their hands with soap and water, avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth. — Lovelace

8:48 am: Drugmaker says outbreak will likely continue for a few months and drag on its revenue

8:20 am: IMF chief says next two weeks will be critical for China

The next two weeks will be crucial in determining the economic impact of the coronavirus, says International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. In that time, factories are due to reopen in China, which would give a "better understanding on the resilience of China and on that basis, the spillover for the rest of the world," Georgieva said. She said the IMF was also watching how the new coronavirus was spreading outside of China, stating that it was "not a major issue for now" but if it spreads into "weak health system countries, for example in Africa" that may change. — McKeever

7:20 am: Businesses in China try to return to work

Two weeks after the Lunar New Year holiday was originally supposed to end, Chinese businesses are still hobbling as the country deals with disruptions from a highly contagious virus. The new coronavirus that began to grab national attention in mid-January has killed more than 1,300 people in mainland China. More than half of the provinces delayed the resumption of work from the first week of February by at least a week in an effort to keep people from interacting and spreading the virus. In many places, businesses were scheduled to resume work last Monday, but a variety of data indicates progress has been slow as the virus remains an unresolved concern. Many local governments have also imposed strict restrictions on entering certain areas and requiring quarantines of at least two weeks for people who have returned from out of town. — Cheng

7:10 am: Hong Kong pledges $3.2 billion to contain virus

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Friday pledged handouts totaling $3.2 billion to the Hospital Authority and businesses grappling with the coronavirus outbreak that has piled further pressure on the Chinese-ruled city's battered economy. Lam said the government would provide $605 million to the Hospital Authority in addition to a series of one-off payments to retailers and others impacted by the outbreak. Hong Kong has 56 confirmed cases of the virus, including one death. The package will need to be approved by the city's Legislative Council. — Reuters

This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (orange)—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells (green) cultured in the lab.

Source: NIAID-RML

6:30 am: China's Xi says country must fix loopholes exposed during coronavirus outbreak

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the ruling Communist Party to repair loopholes and weaknesses exposed during the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reported Friday, citing state television. His comments came shortly after China's National Health Commission reported an additional 121 deaths nationwide, with 5,090 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The flu-like COVID-19 virus was found to have killed a total of 1,380 people in mainland China as of Thursday evening after the health commission said it had removed 108 deaths from the total figure due to a double-count in Hubei province — the epicenter of the outbreak. It is the second day in a row that the province made significant changes to its count, fueling doubts many have about the accuracy of China's tally. The White House does "not have high confidence in the information coming out of China," a senior U.S. administration official told CNBC on Thursday.

5:50 am: China's top auto industry body reportedly expects auto sales to tumble more than 10% in the first half of 2020

Auto sales in China are expected to fall more than 10% in the first six months of the year as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reported Friday, citing China's top auto industry body. "We predict auto sales will drop more than 10% in the first half of this year, and around 5% for the whole year if the epidemic is effectively contained before April," Fu Bingfeng, executive vice chairman at China's Association of Automobile Manufacturers, told Reuters in an interview published Friday. CAAM's latest forecast reflects a much weaker outlook for auto sales in the world's largest auto market than it had initially projected. Last month, the industry body said it expected auto sales were likely to dip 2% in 2020.

Read CNBC's coverage from CNBC's Asia-Pacific team overnight here: China says six health workers have died, Singapore warns of recession. All times above are in Eastern time.

— Reuters and CNBC's Hannah Miller, Vicky McKeever, Sam Meredith, Weizhen Tan, Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.

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2020-02-14 13:19:00Z
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Cruise from hell finally disembarks in Cambodia amid coronavirus fears - New York Post

The cruise from hell finally ended in Cambodia Friday for elated and relieved passengers whose ship had been turned away from ports around Asia amid fears they could be carrying the coronavirus.

After being rejected from docking at five ports, passengers on the MS Westerdam were welcomed to Cambodia, a staunch Beijing ally whose authoritarian leader handed them flowers when they disembarked.

Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed to let the Holland America Line vessel dock at the port of Sihanoukville after Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Guam had barred the ship earlier.

“Today, although Cambodia is a poor country, Cambodia has always joined the international community to solve the problems that the world and our region are facing,” the strongman said as the first passengers emerged after two weeks at sea.

“How wonderful it is to be here. Thank you very much to the prime minister. He has a wonderful heart,” said Anna Marie Melon, from Queensland, Australia, who was among the roughly 100 tourists who were greeted warmly after their ordeal.

Waving a rose she received from the leader, she added: “I’m very excited (to be here)!”

The Westerdam, with 2,257 passengers and crew on board, was supposed to go on a 14-day cruise around East Asia — beginning in Hong Kong on Feb. 1 and ending on Saturday in Yokohama, Japan.

But despite having no confirmed cases of coronavirus, the ship was turned away over fears it was carrying someone with the new virus, which has now killed almost 1,400 people and infected over 64,000, mostly in China.

Dozens of ecstatic passengers took advantage of their new-found freedom by visiting a nearby beach, hugging the country’s ruler and cheering as they headed to waiting buses.

One man even kneeled down and kissed the ground.

“Cambodia pays more attention to human rights… we respect the rights of the more than 2,000 people on the boat,” Hun Sen said, adding that all the passengers would be allowed to disembark after no cases of the coronavirus were found aboard.

Some 20 passengers had reported stomach aches or fever, but tests for the virus done at the Pasteur Institute in Phnom Penh showed none had the illness.

“We don’t have wealth like a rich country but we have sympathy for the passengers stranded on the ship,” he said. “If Cambodia did not allow this ship to dock here, where should this ship go?

“I want to inform Cambodians and the world that I coming here even for a short time means this is no time for discrimination and to be scared, but a time for everyone to be in solidarity to solve the problems we are facing now,” added Hun Sen, who has been in power for 35 years.

Joe Spaziani, 74, from Florida, said: “Your country did a great job. Did a wonderful job. Thank you very much. We appreciate it very much,”

He and many fellow passengers wore a krama, a traditional Cambodian scarf, around their necks.

“Cambodia alone, even the United States, Guam, did not let us land, but Cambodia did, so that’s wonderful. Absolutely wonderful,” Spaziani added. “We appreciate it very, very much. It’s been a long struggle and we appreciate everyone being here.”

US Ambassador to Cambodia W. Patrick Murphy called the disembarking activities “heartwarming sights … with Cambodian hospitality on full display.”

He tweeted that “joint operation ‘Homeward Bound’ is underway!”

With Post wires

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2020-02-14 14:43:00Z
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Coronavirus death toll mounts in China as U.S. braces for long fight, more cases - CBS News

The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the new coronavirus, which has killed almost 1,400 people and is still spreading in China, could be around for at least another year. With the Chinese government reporting 121 more deaths and more than 5,000 new cases Thursday alone, the illness dubbed COVID-19 didn't even appear to have peaked.

Chinese health officials in the epicenter province of Hubei changed the way they officially diagnosed the disease this week, leading early Thursday to a sudden, alarming jump of about 14,000 new cases recorded in the region. But the person in charge of managing emergencies for the World Health Organization said that jump in the Chinese statistics did not indicate "a significant change in the trajectory of the outbreak."

It wasn't necessarily the "tip of an iceberg," said the WHO's Mike Ryan.

While the disease takes a fast-mounting toll, and sparks increasing scenes of draconian control measures being enforced in mainland China, there have been only three deaths blamed on it elsewhere; one each in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. The U.S. has 15 confirmed cases, but none are said to be suffering serious symptoms.

A couple wear masks as they embrace amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus on Valentine's Day in Hong Kong, China, February 14, 2020. TYRONE SIU/REUTERS

Meanwhile, in the U.S. and around the world, evacuees flown back to their countries from Hubei province and put under immediate two-week quarantines continue to be released back into public life after being cleared of the disease.

Passengers from a cruise ship that was denied entry by five countries over fears of the virus finally disembarked Friday in Cambodia, expressing deep gratitude to the country's leader as he welcomed them with roses.

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2020-02-14 12:08:00Z
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