Live updates: Coronavirus turmoil widens as U.S. death toll mounts; Xi cancels Japan trip - The Washington Post

The passenger airline business could see losses of between $63 billion and $113 billion due to the novel coronavirus depending on the severity and length of the outbreak, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in an updated analysis published Thursday.

Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO, said the outbreak amounted to a “crisis” for the industry.

The IATA had previously published an estimate on Feb. 20 that lost revenue would hit $29.3 billion, but that was based on a scenario confining the fallout to markets associated with China. “Since that time, the virus has spread to over 80 countries and forward bookings have been severely impacted on routes beyond China,” the industry body said.

Airlines across the world have begun canceling flights due to lower demand and complicated travel restrictions of coronavirus, with airlines outside of Asia suffering amid a global pullback.

On Thursday, Norwegian Air announced it would cancel 22 long-haul routes between Europe and the U.S., between March 28 and May 5. Flybe, a British regional airline, grounded all flights and entered bankruptcy protection on Thursday, though the airline had been struggling before the novel coronavirus outbreak began.

The two main airlines in the United Arab Emirates, Etihad and Emirates, have both asked employees to move up leave in light of the slowdown in business. Emirates even suggested employees take unpaid leave for up to a month at a time because of “the availability of additional resources” according to Chief Operating Officer Adel al-Redha.

IATA said that the range of its newest estimate was based on the different scenarios, with the lower estimate reflecting the costs if coronavirus is contained in current markets with over 100 cases as of March 2 and the higher end if a the outbreak spreads further.

The analysis noted that financial markets were already pricing in a shock to industry revenue greater than its worst prediction, with airline share prices falling nearly 25 percent since the outbreak began.

Though falling oil prices may help airlines offset some of the cost, IATA suggested the industry would need government help.

“Governments must take note. Airlines are doing their best to stay afloat as they perform the vital task of linking the world’s economies. As governments look to stimulus measures, the airline industry will need consideration for relief on taxes, charges and slot allocation,” de Juniac said.

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2020-03-05 12:45:00Z
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ICC authorises investigation into alleged Afghanistan war crimes - Al Jazeera English

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has authorised an investigation into possible war crimes committed in Afghanistan, which would include allegations against US, Afghan and Taliban armed fighters.

"The Appeals chamber considers it appropriate to ... authorise the investigation," said presiding Judge Piotr Hofmanski on Thursday.

More:

The decision, which comes days after the US and the Taliban armed group signed a peace deal, overturns a lower court decision and opens the way for prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to launch a full investigation, despite US government opposition.

The US is not a member of the Hague-based court.

Judge Hofmanski noted that Bensouda's preliminary examination found reasonable grounds to believe war crimes had been committed in Afghanistan, which is a member of the court, and that the court has jurisdiction.

Washington rejects the Hague-based court's jurisdiction and, last year, US President Donald Trump's administration imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions on ICC employees.

A pretrial panel last year had rejected Bensouda's 2017 request to open an investigation, arguing that the odds of success were low, given the passage of time, a lack of cooperation from Kabul and Washington, and because it would not "serve the interests of justice".

But Hofmanski said Bensouda should proceed and not limit her investigation to preliminary findings, as that would "erroneously inhibit the prosecution's truth-seeking function."

Bensouda believes there are grounds to open an investigation into abuses committed between 2003 and 2014, including alleged mass killings of civilians by the Taliban, as well as the alleged torture of prisoners by Afghan authorities and, to a lesser extent, by US forces and its spy agency, the CIA.

US forces have been fighting the Taliban armed group, which has waged an armed rebellion since it was toppled from power in a US-led military invasion in 2001.

The Trump administration signed a deal with the Taliban, aimed at ending America's longest war, on February 29.

The deal, signed in the Qatari capital Doha, will see the withdrawal of thousands of US troops from the country in return for a guarantee from Taliban that Afghan soil will not be used for attacks on US interests.

But Washington carried out an air attack on Taliban fighters on Wednesday after West-backed Afghan forces came under deadly attacks.

The violence has cast a pall on the nascent Afghan peace process, with the Taliban demanding that President Ashraf Ghani government should release nearly 5,000 prisoners agreed as part of the deal.

Ghani's refusal to release the prisoners has angered the Taliban, and likely put the so-called intra-Afghan talks slated for March 10 in jeopardy.

The ICC, which began operations in The Hague in 2002, is a court of last resort for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity when committed by nationals of a signatory state, or if they took place on the territory of one of its member states.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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2020-03-05 11:16:00Z
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Live updates: Coronavirus turmoil widens as U.S. death toll mounts; Xi cancels Japan trip - The Washington Post

The passenger airline business could see losses of between $63 billion and $113 billion due to the novel coronavirus depending on the severity and length of the outbreak, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in an updated analysis published Thursday.

Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO, said the outbreak amounted to a “crisis” for the industry.

The IATA had previously published an estimate on Feb. 20 that lost revenue would hit $29.3 billion, but that was based on a scenario confining the fallout to markets associated with China. “Since that time, the virus has spread to over 80 countries and forward bookings have been severely impacted on routes beyond China,” the industry body said.

Airlines across the world have begun canceling flights due to lower demand and complicated travel restrictions of coronavirus, with airlines outside of Asia suffering amid a global pullback.

On Thursday, Norwegian Air announced it would cancel 22 long-haul routes between Europe and the U.S., between March 28 and May 5. Flybe, a British regional airline, grounded all flights and entered bankruptcy protection on Thursday, though the airline had been struggling before the novel coronavirus outbreak began.

The two main airlines in the United Arab Emirates, Etihad and Emirates, have both asked employees to move up leave in light of the slowdown in business. Emirates even suggested employees take unpaid leave for up to a month at a time because of “the availability of additional resources” according to Chief Operating Officer Adel al-Redha.

IATA said that the range of its newest estimate was based on the different scenarios, with the lower estimate reflecting the costs if coronavirus is contained in current markets with over 100 cases as of March 2 and the higher end if a the outbreak spreads further.

The analysis noted that financial markets were already pricing in a shock to industry revenue greater than its worst prediction, with airline share prices falling nearly 25 percent since the outbreak began.

Though falling oil prices may help airlines offset some of the cost, IATA suggested the industry would need government help.

“Governments must take note. Airlines are doing their best to stay afloat as they perform the vital task of linking the world’s economies. As governments look to stimulus measures, the airline industry will need consideration for relief on taxes, charges and slot allocation,” de Juniac said.

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2020-03-05 12:05:00Z
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Live updates: Coronavirus turmoil widens as U.S. death toll mounts; Xi cancels Japan trip - The Washington Post

The death toll of the novel coronavirus reached 11 in the United States on Wednesday as the epidemic spread, resulting in the first fatality outside of Washington state, that of a 71-year-old in northern California.

As of Wednesday evening, health officials had reported at least 153 cases of the virus across the country, including 45 people who had been on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Most domestic deaths so far have been linked to a nursing home near Seattle.

While no additional states reported patients on Wednesday, both New York and California experienced serious upticks in the spread of the virus. Health officials confirmed nine more cases in New York and six in Los Angeles County, which has also declared a local health emergency.

Elsewhere in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced a state of emergency while asking that another cruise ship be held off its coast. The vessel had recently carried several coronavirus patients, including the 71-year-old who died, and Newsom said he wanted passengers and crew members to undergo testing first.

Meanwhile, hospitals and public health labs are bracing for the impact of the growing outbreak.

Following a declaration from Vice President Pence earlier this week that any American can get tested with a doctor’s order, 60 labs are now running the test for the novel coronavirus. That capacity is expected to increase as more labs come online and private companies ship thousands of test kits, but CDC guidelines have nonetheless created panic.

In Kirkland, Wash., which has emerged as center of the epidemic, Pence’s order has become a rallying cry: Some residents with even mild symptoms of a common cold are demanding a coronavirus test, as others elsewhere in the country say they have not been able to get tested at all.

Many hospitals and doctors, meanwhile, have been forced improvise emergency plans daily without a clear sense of how bad the crisis will become. Doctors in Rhode Island have been testing patients in a hospital parking lot, officials in Washington state are buying a motel to house patients in isolation, and small hospitals in rural Texas worry they may not be able to reach central testing labs hours away.

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2020-03-05 08:32:00Z
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Live updates: Coronavirus travel curbs grow as China death toll tops 3,000; Xi cancels Japan trip - The Washington Post

The death toll of the novel coronavirus reached 11 in the United States on Wednesday as the epidemic spread, resulting in the first fatality outside of Washington state, that of a 71-year-old in northern California.

As of Wednesday evening, health officials had reported at least 153 cases of the virus across the country, including 45 people who had been on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Most domestic deaths so far have been linked to a nursing home near Seattle.

While no additional states reported patients on Wednesday, both New York and California experienced serious upticks in the spread of the virus. Health officials confirmed nine more cases in New York and six in Los Angeles County, which has also declared a local health emergency.

Elsewhere in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced a state of emergency while asking that another cruise ship be held off its coast. The vessel had recently carried several coronavirus patients, including the 71-year-old who died, and Newsom said he wanted passengers and crew members to undergo testing first.

Meanwhile, hospitals and public health labs are bracing for the impact of the growing outbreak.

Following a declaration from Vice President Pence earlier this week that any American can get tested with a doctor’s order, 60 labs are now running the test for the novel coronavirus. That capacity is expected to increase as more labs come online and private companies ship thousands of test kits, but CDC guidelines have nonetheless created panic.

In Kirkland, Wash., which has emerged as center of the epidemic, Pence’s order has become a rallying cry: Some residents with even mild symptoms of a common cold are demanding a coronavirus test, as others elsewhere in the country say they have not been able to get tested at all.

Many hospitals and doctors, meanwhile, have been forced improvise emergency plans daily without a clear sense of how bad the crisis will become. Doctors in Rhode Island have been testing patients in a hospital parking lot, officials in Washington state are buying a motel to house patients in isolation, and small hospitals in rural Texas worry they may not be able to reach central testing labs hours away.

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2020-03-05 08:16:00Z
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U.S. Launches 'Defensive Strike' At Taliban As Fragile Afghan Peace Deal Teeters - NPR

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Militants linked with the Afghan Taliban gather Monday for a ceremony in Laghman province, celebrating the agreement the group signed with the U.S. over the weekend. Since the deal was announced, the Taliban has resumed its attacks in Afghanistan. Noorullah Shirzada/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Noorullah Shirzada/AFP via Getty Images

Just days after the U.S. and Taliban announced the terms of a deal lauded as a foundation for peace, Afghanistan is once more embroiled in deadly violence.

On Wednesday, the U.S. carried out its first airstrike on the Islamist militant group since announcing the agreement. A U.S. military spokesman said the "defensive strike" in Helmand province was aimed at disrupting Taliban fighters "who were actively attacking an [Afghan security] checkpoint."

"Taliban leadership promised the [international] community they would reduce violence and not increase attacks," Col. Sonny Leggett of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan said in a series of tweets, noting that Tuesday alone saw the militant group launch 43 attacks on checkpoints across Helmand.

"We call on the Taliban to stop needless attacks and uphold their commitments. As we have demonstrated, we will defend our partners when required."

In a span of just 24 hours, a wave of Taliban assaults has left civilians and security forces dead in more than a dozen provinces, according to a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Interior. Local media report that at least 16 Afghan soldiers were killed in an attack in the province of Kunduz.

Amid the Taliban offensive, President Trump spoke on the phone Tuesday with the group's chief negotiator, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, making history with what is thought to be the first direct call between a president and a top Taliban official since the U.S. invaded Afghanistan nearly two decades ago.

"We had a good conversation. We've agreed there's no violence. We don't want violence," Trump told journalists Tuesday after the Taliban publicized the call. "We'll see what happens. They're dealing with Afghanistan, but we'll see what happens."

The White House has not officially released a readout, but the Taliban, in its own summary of the 35-minute conversation, says the president commended Baradar.

"You are a tough people and have a great country, and I understand that you are fighting for your homeland," Trump told the Taliban official, according to the group's readout. "We have been there for 19 years and that is a very long time, and withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan now is in the interest of everyone."

More than 2,400 Americans have died in Afghanistan since the U.S. invaded the country with the intent to overthrow the Taliban — which had harbored Osama bin Laden, leader of al-Qaida and orchestrator of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The financial cost of the war has been estimated at roughly $1 trillion.

Now, the Trump administration is seeking an exit from the longest war in U.S. history. The deal announced Saturday lays the groundwork for the withdrawal of all American troops and supporting personnel within 14 months, beginning with a 135-day window to reduce its troop levels in Afghanistan to 8,600.

U.S. officials, though, have insisted that the drawdown is conditioned on the Taliban's commitment to severing ties with — and preventing operations by — other insurgents, such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State. And Leggett, the U.S. forces spokesman, said Wednesday that American troops have the responsibility of defending their partners in the Afghan security forces.

Taliban fighters "appear intent on squandering this [opportunity] and ignoring the will of the people for peace," Leggett added.

Other signs of trouble for the deal have surfaced in the capital, Kabul, where Afghan President Ashraf Ghani earlier this week rejected the timeline of another key element of the agreement: a prisoner swap that includes the release of up to 5,000 Taliban fighters in exchange for up to 1,000 Afghan security forces.

"It can be part of the negotiations," Ghani told a news conference Sunday, "but it cannot be a precondition."

International observers, including the United Nations, have called for the Taliban to halt its offensive and resume the "reduction in violence" deal that lapsed late last month.

The partial truce, according to the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, is necessary to maintain "an environment conducive to the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, which should lead to a permanent ceasefire and a lasting political settlement."

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2020-03-04 16:57:00Z
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Marco Rubio offers chilling scenario for Afghanistan after US-Taliban peace deal - Fox News

<br>

Ed Henry and Sen. Marco Rubio discuss the

Reacting to the “defensive” airstrike against Taliban forces after signing a peace deal, Sen. Marco Rubio on Wednesday warned that the Taliban will retake Afghanistan and implement sharia law as soon as U.S. troops withdraw.

“No, I don’t think we can trust them,” the Florida Republican told “America’s Newsroom.”

“The bottom line is that the Taliban will institute a severe version of sharia Law and no elections. That’s what they want, they have the battlefield advantage over the government of Afghanistan," said Rubio.

US MILITARY TARGETS TALIBAN FORCES IN 'DEFENSIVE' AIRSTRIKE, FIRST STRIKE SINCE HISTORIC PEACE DEAL

The U.S. military conducted a “defensive” airstrike against Taliban forces in Afghanistan, less than a week after signing a historic peace deal with the militant group.

U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett said in a tweet that the airstrike Wednesday was conducted against four Taliban fighters in Nahr-e Saraj, in the Helmand province, who he said were “actively attacking” an Afghan National Defense and Security Force (ANDSF) checkpoint.

“This was a defensive strike to disrupt the attack,” he added. “This was our 1st strike against the Taliban in 11 days.”

Leggett, who called on the militant group to uphold their commitments to the peace deal signed on Feb. 29, added that Taliban forces had conducted 43 attacks on Afghan troops on Tuesday in the same province.

Though withdrawing troops does not bode well for Afghanistan, the problem is that an “enduring presence” of the U.S. military there is also not “feasible," Rubio explained.

“I hope this works out but I want to be frank with everybody: I think the likeliest outcome at the end of the day is that once the U.S. leaves, within a short period of time, the Taliban will retake the country, will reinstitute sharia, will not have elections.”

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Rubio said that the only way to keep the Taliban at bay would be for U.S. troops to stay "forever." Host Ed Henry called it a "chilling scenario," especially if the Taliban harbors terrorist organizations who plot attacks on the U.S. and Western targets.

President Trump said Tuesday he spoke on the phone to a Taliban leader, making him the first U.S. president believed to have spoken directly to the militant group responsible for the deaths of thousands of U.S. troops in nearly 19 years of fighting in Afghanistan.

"I spoke to the leader of the Taliban today," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn. "We had a very good talk."

He didn't provide any more details, but Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed Trump spoke with Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Fox News' Brie Stimson, Lucia I. Suarez Sang contributed to this report.

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2020-03-04 16:03:23Z
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