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Kamis, 12 Maret 2020

Iraq base attack: Strikes 'kill 25' Iran-backed fighters after troops killed - BBC News

Air strikes in eastern Syria killed 26 Iraqi fighters from an Iran-backed paramilitary force after a deadly attack on US-led coalition forces in Iraq, a monitoring group has said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Popular Mobilisation camps near the border town of Albu Kamal were hit.

It was not clear who carried out the strikes. The coalition did not comment.

But it followed a rocket attack on the Taji military base in Iraq that killed a British soldier and two Americans.

Another 12 coalition service personnel were injured by the 18 Katyusha rockets that were launched from a lorry later discovered a few kilometres from the base.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the attack on the base "deplorable", while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said those responsible would be held accountable.

No-one claimed they launched the rockets, but the US has accused Iran-backed militias of 13 similar attacks on Iraqi bases hosting coalition forces in the past year.

The killing of an American civilian in one such incident in December triggered a round of violence which ultimately led US President Donald Trump to order the assassination of the top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani while he was meeting the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilisation in Baghdad the following month.

A retaliatory Iranian ballistic missile strike on an Iraqi air base left more than 100 US troops suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

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2020-03-12 10:05:04Z
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With Trump’s Europe Travel Ban, World Economy Takes Another Hit - The New York Times

By temporarily banning most European travelers from the United States, President Trump has struck at the lifeblood of global commerce, further restricting the flow of business people and tourists across borders and putting the world’s economy in greater jeopardy.

The abrupt halt will shake tourism-dependent industries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, from airlines to hotels to museums and amusement parks. It will disrupt ambitious business plans. It will add to the problems of world leaders already wrestling with the relentless coronavirus outbreak and the threat it poses to jobs and livelihoods.

It adds to the world’s growing isolation as governments around the world tighten and even close their borders to stop the outbreak. It will also hammer the confidence of the world’s spenders, who are watching the news of the pandemic and increasingly choosing to stay home and keep their wallets closed.

Mr. Trump late Wednesday announced that he would suspend travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days, with the exception of Britain. The State Department also warned Americans that they should reconsider all international travel, the most severe caution it can offer short of “do not travel.”

The move worsened a stock market slump in Asia and sent airlines and other industries scurrying for answers. European visitors to the United States, excluding those from Britain, totaled nearly 11 million in 2018, accounting for more than a quarter of all travelers.

Travel and tourism between the United States and Europe, including areas not covered by the ban, is a business totaling roughly $130 billion annually, according to U.S. data. The blow will be felt in both regions, as airlines that cannot bring European travelers to the United States are unlikely to maintain a large number of flights going the other way.

Airlines had already been cutting routes across the Atlantic as travelers increasingly chose to stay home. Still, the industry will take an immediate hit.

Air France KLM’s revenue from North American business, which includes destinations outside the United States, totaled $4 billion last year, or about 13 percent of its sales. Lufthansa’s totaled $3.7 billion for the first nine months of last year, or about 15 percent of its sales.

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both reaped about $7.4 billion from flights over the Atlantic last year, which includes business beyond the countries affected by Mr. Trump’s order. For United, that totaled 17 percent of revenue. For Delta Air Lines, it represents about 15 percent.

United wasn’t immediately available for comment. Delta said it was in contact with the government and working to comply with the ban. Delta said in a statement that it would “quickly make adjustments to service, as needed, in response to government travel directives.”

The Association of Flight Attendants called the ban “irresponsible” and accused the Trump administration of announcing the ban for political reasons. “Without any consultation with the industry, we don’t even know what this means,” said Sara Nelson, president of the union.

It is far from clear whether Mr. Trump’s order will help stop the outbreak in the United States. The virus is now being spread by Americans who have had no contact with regions that have high rates of infection. Italy was one of the first countries to cut off all travel from China and Hong Kong after the coronavirus first publicly emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in January. It is now the center of Europe’s outbreak.

Still, the order adds to the barriers being erected around the world. India on Wednesday put a halt to all tourist visas. China since January has restricted the ability of its own people to travel, and it has added growing restrictions for visitors as well. Anti-immigrant groups in Europe have called for even tighter borders.

Such barriers undermine the confidence of the world’s consumers. In the United States, in Europe, in China and around the world, consumers have emerged as a major economic force, as more countries grow more prosperous and as widespread internet access encourages them to buy even more.

They have grown even more important since the United States launched a trade war with China, shaking global manufacturing. Consumers helped pick up the slack.

Now that essential engine is sputtering.

Consumer spending “has effectively held up the economy in what has been a manufacturing recession. Anything that jeopardizes that will be problematic,” said Shaun Roache, chief economist at S&P Global.

“Probably the biggest effect will be on confidence,” Mr. Roache said, referring to Mr. Trump’s ban. “The more you see these kinds of measures, the less you’ll have people willing to venture out of the house. That hits consumer spending.”

For the business world, the effects will go beyond consumer demand. The ban on travel will hurt cooperation on research and development for big companies that have laboratories around the world. It will throw a wrench into bankers’ ability to do audits for mergers and acquisitions.

“Just imagine as a businessman, you cannot visit the largest market in the world and the second-largest market in the world. How much worse can it get?” said Jörg Wuttke, president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China.

Teleconferencing and working from home are only short-term fixes, he said: “The world cannot operate online.”

Ben Casselman contributed reporting.

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2020-03-12 08:13:09Z
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China says it's passed peak of coronavirus epidemic: Live updates - Al Jazeera English

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic as Italy tightened its quarantine and the US imposed a ban on flights to Europe.

As US President Donald Trump announced new measures to address the US's growing outbreak, Italy further tightened the nationwide quarantine it imposed earlier this week - with all but essential services and shops to close for two weeks - after leaders from the European Union promised to do "whatever it takes" to tackle the coronavirus.

More than 126,000 have been infected globally, according to the WHO. Of those, over 68,000 have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the virus.

Here are the latest updates:

Thursday, March 12

10:07 GMT - Austria reports first coronavirus death

A 69-year-old man has died in Vienna after contracting the new coronavirus, Austria's first death in the rapidly spreading epidemic, city authorities said.

Austria has confirmed 302 cases so far, and four people have recovered.

10:05 GMT - Spanish officials affected by coronavirus

Spain's Equality Minister Irene Montero was diagnosed with the new coronavirus. The country's Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias was quarantined.

Spanish cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday will be attended only by ministers whose presense is needed to approve the new coronavirus measures.

All other meetings of the country's prime minister will be held through a video conference.

09:55 GMT - Qatar takes additional measures to contain virus

Qatar National Library was closed to the public until further notice. Also in Doha, the Muaither Health Centre of the Primary Health Care Corporation was turned into COVID-19 test and hold facility.

Qatar National Library is closed to the public until further notice #ILoveQatar #Qatar #dohanews #qatarnews #QNL https://t.co/ekxggROEni
— ILoveQatar - Live (@ILQLive) March 12, 2020

09:45 GMT - Lewis Hamilton questions F1 start

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has questioned the sport for continuing as normal with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday despite the global impact of the coronavirus.

"I am very, very surprised we are here," the Mercedes driver told a news conference. "It's great we have races but it's shocking we are sitting in this room."

Hamilton pointed to the most recent developments in sport and the greater world such as basketball's NBA halting its season and the United States shutting its border to travellers from Europe.

"It is very difficult having a fair judgement, but I do realise a lot of sporting competitions get cancelled and it is fair to ask the question why you are here," Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel said.

09:30 GMT - Spanish government considering locking down Madrid

The president of the Madrid region Isabel Diaz Ayuso said that the Spanish government was considering locking down Madrid as a measure to stem the coronavirus spread in the country.

The Spanish government denied on Wednesday that it had any plan for such a lockdown.

"From what we have seen in the past hours, the possibility of closing down Madrid is under consideration," Diaz Ayuso said on Tele 5 local TV channel.

09:27 GMT - China coronavirus adviser expects global pandemic to be over by June

The global coronavirus pandemic is likely to be over by June, Zhong Nanshan, the Chinese government's senior medical adviser, said.

A lot of imported cases into China are asymptomatic patients and the re-infection rates among recovered patients is low, Zhong, an 83-year-old epidemiologist renowned for helping combat the SARS outbreak in 2003, told a news conference.

09:05 GMT - Iran asks IMF for $5bn emergency funding

Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for emergency funding to help it fight the coronavirus outbreak, which has hit the Islamic Republic hard, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet.

The IMF managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, "has stated that countries affected by #COVID19 will be supported via Rapid Financial Instrument. Our Central Bank requested access to this facility immediately", Zarif said.

Iran's Central Bank chief Abdolnaser Hemmati wrote on his Instagram page that "in a letter addressed to the head of IMF, I have requested $5bn from the RFI emergency fund to help our fight against the coronavirus".

08:32 GMT - California bans mass gatherings to slow spread of coronavirus

California is banning mass gatherings of 250 people or more until the end of March in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the office of Governor Gavin Newsom said.

Health experts in the state advised that smaller events could be held if organisers implemented social distancing of six feet (two metres) per person, the governor's office said in a statement.

Worker in protective suit sprays disinfectant inside a classroom of a primary school, as students’ return has been delayed, in Donghai county of Lianyungang, Jiangsu

A worker in protective suit sprays disinfectant inside a classroom in China [China Daily via Reuters]

08:26 GMT - South Africa reports first case of local transmission

South Africa's health ministry reported the first case of local coronavirus transmission, saying a 32-year-old man had contracted it after coming into contact with a Chinese businessman.

"All others (cases) have been by patients who had travelled abroad," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the number of confirmed cases had risen to 17 from 13 on Wednesday.

08:14 GMT - Three infected Britons on cruise on Cambodia's Mekong

Cambodia has found three British nationals infected with the coronavirus on a tourist boat on the Mekong River, bringing its tally of cases to five, the health ministry said.

A 73-year old British tourist, his 69-year old wife and a 65-year-old woman were on Viking Cruise Journey, docked in Kampong Cham province, north of the capital, Phnom Penh, the ministry said.

It also said 61 people from the vessel had tested negative and had been put in isolation on land and were being monitored.

08:02 GMT - Czech Republic introduces controls on German, Austrian borders

The Czech Republic is introducing controls on its borders with Germany and Austria and banning crossings away from official frontier border posts to help fight the spread of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said.

The country, which is part of the European Union's Schengen area, will start the checks on Friday, news agency CTK reported.

07:20 GMT - China says it has passed peak of coronavirus epidemic

China's National Health Commission said the country has passed the peak of the coronavirus epidemic.

Coronavirus: US bans all travel from Europe

06:55 GMT - Tokyo chief: Cancelling Olympics 'impossible'

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said cancelling the summer Olympic Games was "impossible", saying Japan was "not thinking of changing directions nor changing plans at all".

Koike said Tokyo was coordinating and closely discussing with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and organisers "toward holding the games".

The president of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee said he had received an apology from an executive board member who said the Games should be delayed a year to two because of the coronavirus.

06:15 GMT

I'll be handling over this blog to my colleague Tamila Varshalomidze in Doha shortly.

Here's a quick summary of this morning's developments:

US President Donald Trump spoke to Americans earlier from the White House, announcing a European travel ban and a series of measures to tackle the virus.Democrats in Congress have also drawn up a bill that they aim to pass later on Thursday to provide sick pay, financial support and other benefits to those affected by the virus.

The NBA has suspended the basketball season, while Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, have both been hospitalised in Australia with the virus.

In the Philippines, there is growing anxiety within political circles with President Rodrigo Duterte being tested and the parliament sealed off for disinfection after a top transport official was diagnosed with COVID-19. The Asian Development Bank, which has its headquarters in Manila, has also been closed for deep cleaning.

Meanwhile, in China, the number of new cases fell to the lowest since the outbreak began.

06:10 GMT - Johns Hopkins changes Taiwan designation after outcry

Johns Hopkins University, has changed the way it refers to Taiwan on a map detailing the spread of the new coronavirus, after the institution began referring to the self-ruled island as part of China prompting objections from the government of the self-ruled island.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own, has been exerting pressure on foreign companies and organisations to identify the territory as part of China, and often to name it as a Chinese province.

Taiwan has objected saying it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name, that has never been part of the People's Republic of China.

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists Taiwan's coronavirus case numbers under China's, referring to the island as "Taipei and environs".

That same designation appeared on the Johns Hopkins interactive map earlier this week, but has now reverted to calling the island "Taiwan".

05:50 GMT - Kazakhstan suspends all public events

Kazakhstan is suspending all public events and taking special preventive measures because of the coronavirus, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

Separately, the Interfax news agency quoted deputy prime minister Alikhan Smailov as saying that the World Trade Organisation ministerial conference that was supposed to take place in Kazakhstan in June had been cancelled because of the outbreak.

05:40 GMT - Singapore, Malaysia tracking people who attended religious gathering

Health officials in Malaysia and Singapore are trying to trace thousands of people who attended a mass religious gathering in Malaysia after a number of participants were confirmed with COVID-19.

Malaysia's Director General of Health Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah says about 10,000 people were thought to have taken part in the event at a mosque on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, including a man from Brunei who was later confirmed to have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The ministry is tracking down the Malaysians who were present and urging them to contact the authorities. Singapore, meanwhile, is looking for 95 people from the city-state who were at the event, the local Straits Times reported.

With the WHO designation of a pandemic, Malaysia is also advising that all mass gatherings and events be postponed.

All mass gatherings should be postponed to minimise the spread of #COVIDー19 .
Those experiencing respiratory infection symptoms were advised not to attend programmes that involved crowded places including religious activities.
Read for more. https://t.co/2fQ7hjm4sJ
— KKMPutrajaya (@KKMPutrajaya) March 12, 2020

04:40 GMT - Saudi Arabia suspends travel, flights to EU, several other countries

Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended travel of citizens and residents and halted flights with several states, state news agency SPA said on Thursday citing an official source at the Interior Ministry.

The ban includes the European Union, Switzerland, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, and Somalia, the source added, saying the Kingdom had also suspended entry to those coming from these countries.

The decision excludes health workers from the Philippines and India, and evacuation, shipping and trade trips taking necessary precautions.

Noon prayers outside the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which has expanded a travel ban to tackle the coronavirus [Amr Nabil/AP Photo]

04:35 GMT - Thailand reports 11 new cases, bringing total to 70

Thailand reported 11 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian nation to 70, health officials said.

All the new patients had socialised and shared drinks, health officials said, adding that a tourist from Hong Kong had been the source of the infection.

"The Hong Kong tourist came alone and already went back. The 11 infected are all Thai," said Sopon Iamsirithawon, director-general of the Communicable Diseases Department.

04:30 GMT - Greece reports first death from COVID-19

Greece has reported its first fatality from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The health ministry says the man who died was 67 and had recently returned from a religious pilgrimage to Israel and Egypt. He also had underlying health issues.

04:15 GMT - US House leaders unveil coronavirus bill

Democrats in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday unveiled a broad package of proposals to help Americans affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

The legislation, which Democratic leaders aim to push through on Thursday, would grant workers 14 days paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave, a summary of the bill shows.

Other provisions in the 124-page "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" introduced late on Wednesday include unemployment insurance, hundreds of millions of dollars for nutrition programmes and assistance for pregnant women.

It will also guarantee free coronavirus testing for anyone who requires it, including those who don't have health insurance.

04:00 GMT - Japan must plan for Olympic cancellation risk

Japan must plan for any postponement or cancellation of the Tokyo Olympic Games, even if it seems unlikely, Shigeru Ishiba, a ruling party heavyweight seen as a leading candidate to be the next prime minister told Reuters.

Ishiba, an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said on Wednesday the fate of the summer games was a decision best left to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He declined to comment on what the best move might be.

"Not thinking about worst-case scenarios won't eliminate the risk of them materialising," Ishiba said.

"The government must start thinking now about what to do" in case the Olympics Games is cancelled or postponed, he added.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike says there has been no change in plans for the Olympics despite the WHO declaration of a pandemic [Jiji Press/EPA-EFE]

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Thursday there has been no change to plans for the games, which are supposed to start on July 24.

03:10 GMT - State department urges US citizens to reconsider all overseas travel

The State Department is urging all US citizens to reconsider travel overseas amid the deepening coronavirus outbreak.

02:50 GMT - New York postpones annual St Patrick's Day parade

New York's annual St. Patrick's Day parade has been postponed because of the coronavirus, governor Andrew Cuomo said.

Hundreds of thousands usually line the streets of Manhattan for the parade, which was due to take place on March 17 this year.

NEWS: The organizers of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in NYC have agreed to postpone the parade given the evolving #Coronavirus situation.
I thank the parade's leadership for working cooperatively w/ us.
We believe postponing the parade is in the best interest of public health.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 12, 2020

02:40 GMT - Hanks and wife, Rita Wilson, in isolation in Gold Coast hospital

Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson are in isolation in a hospital on Australia's Gold Coast after being confirmed to have the coronavirus, Queensland state health officials said.

Hanks and Wilson, who are both 63, are in Australia to shoot an Elvis Presley biopic. Work on the film has now been suspended.

02:30 GMT - South Korea expresses concern over cases at Seoul call centre

Authorities in South Korea warned a new cluster of cases in a Seoul call centre could see the coronavirus spread in the capital.

Around 100 people linked to a call centre in the city have tested positive for the virus in recent days.

"This could lead to a 'super spread' in the metropolitan area, where half of the entire population are concentrated," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a meeting on Thursday.

So far, about 90 percent of the country's cases have been in the southern city of Daegu and the neighbouring province of North Gyeongsang.

02:05 GMT - NBA suspends US basketball season after positive test

The National Basketball Association said on Wednesday that it was suspending the season until further notice after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus.

The test result was reported shortly before the start of the Utah Jazz game with Oklahoma City Thunder.

The league said the affected player was not in the arena.

"The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight's schedule of games until further notice," the league said.

"The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic."

01:55 GMT - Asian Development Bank, Philippine Senate closed

The Philippines Senate has been sealed off and the Manila headquarters of the Asian Development Bank closed after visitors to both buildings were confirmed to have the coronavirus.

The parliament building is being disinfected and President Rodrigo Duterte will be tested for the virus as a precaution, his office said.

ADB staff have been told to work from home, while the building is deep-cleaned and disinfected.

"The safety of staff, visitors to the Bank, and their families is of utmost importance to us. We are providing support to staff who interacted with the visitor,” ADB Vice President for Administration and Corporate Management Deborah Stokes said in a statement posted on the ADB's website.

01:40 GMT - Guyana, French Polynesia record coronavirus cases

Guyana, and French Polynesia have announced their first cases of coronavirus.

The person with the virus in Guyana was diagnosed after a trip to the US last week, while the case in French Polynesia involves Maina Sage, one of the islands' representatives in the National Assembly. She returned from Paris at the weekend.

01:25 GMT - Actor Tom Hanks says he has been diagnosed with coronavirus

The Hollywood actor Tom Hanks says he and his wife have been diagnosed with the coronavirus after feeling a bit tired and having a slight fever while visiting Australia.

"To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus," he wrote in a statement posted on social media.

pic.twitter.com/pgybgIYJdG
— Tom Hanks (@tomhanks) March 12, 2020

01:20 GMT - South Korea reports 114 new cases

South Korea has given the first of its two daily updates of the coronavirus. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there were 114 new cases, as well as six more deaths.

With the new cases, South Korea has 7,869 people with the virus, and a total death toll of 66.

01:15 GMT - China announces 15 new cases of coronavirus, 11 deaths

China, the country where it all began, has given its daily update on the situation there.

The National Health Commission says it had 15 new cases - the lowest since the outbreak began at the end of December - and 11 deaths.

The hardest-hit province of Hubei and its capital Wuhan continue to account for the bulk of the country's 80,793 cases and 3,169 deaths.

01:10 GMT - US to suspend all travel from Europe, except for UK

US President Donald Trump is speaking on the coronavirus from the White House.

He's suspending all travel from Europe to the United States, with the exception of the United Kingdom, from midnight on Friday.

The ban will remain in force for a month.

He also announced a range of other measures, seeking to rebuff those who've criticised his response to the outbreak, which he attributed to a "foreign" virus.

"This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history," he said. Our team at Impact has been writing about the measures. You can read more here.

President Donald Trump speaks on the coronavirus from the Oval Office at the White House. He said all travel between the US and Europe, with the exception of the UK, would be suspended [Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP Photo, Pool]

00:15 GMT - Australia announces $11.4bn stimulus plan

Australia announced a 17.6 billion Australian dollars ($11.41bn) economic stimulus plan on Thursday that includes wage subsidies and cash payments for small businesses to counter the effect of the coronavirus.

"Both this financial year and in the next two financial years, the gross impact of that stimulus is A$22.9 billion ($14.82 billion). That's 1.2 percent of GDP (gross domestic product)," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.

I'm Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.

You can read all the updates from yesterday (March 11) here.

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2020-03-12 09:52:35Z
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Italy closes most shops and restaurants as coronavirus death toll jumps 30% in 24 hours - CNBC

A general view of a semi-deserted ancient open-air market La Vucciria on March 11, 2020 in Palermo, Italy. The Italian Government has taken the unprecedented measure of a nationwide lockdown, in an effort to fight the world's second-most deadly coronavirus outbreak outside of China.

Tullio Puglia

Italy has tightened its nationwide lockdown further in response to the rising death toll from coronavirus, ordering all non-essential shops and services to close.

Announcing the measures Wednesday evening, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said supermarkets and pharmacies will be the only retailers to remain open in Italy.

The latest restrictions come as the virus death toll surged over 30% on Wednesday to more than 800 — the biggest daily jump since the start of the outbreak. Italy is already under a national lockdown restricting citizens' movement and activities until April 3.

Conte said it was time to "go one step further" as he announced the closure of most commercial and retail activities with bars, restaurants and beauty salons among those ordered to shut. Public services remain in place and industrial production is allowed to continue, on condition that companies adopt safety measures to protect workers and prevent contagion.

The prime minister said the world was watching to see how Italy, now the country worst hit by the virus outside China, responds: "At this moment the whole world is certainly looking at us for the numbers of the contagion, they see a country that is in difficulty, but they also appreciate us because we are showing great strictness and great resistance," Conte said in a Facebook address.

"I have a deep conviction. I would like to share it with you. Tomorrow not only will they look at us again and admire us, but they will take us as a positive example of a country that, thanks to its sense of community, has managed to win its battle against this pandemic."

As of Wednesday evening, Italy recorded 12,462 confirmed cases of the virus, and 827 deaths, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University and Italy's Civil Protection agency. The death toll from the virus a day earlier had been 631 people.

Pandemic plans

Conte had already announced earlier on Wednesday that the government will set aside even more money to tackle the outbreak, raising spending to 25 billion euros ($28.3 billion) — up from 7.5 billion euros announced last week.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on Wednesday. There are at least 118,381 confirmed cases of the virus worldwide, according to the latest figures from the WHO. At least 4,292 people have died globally, the WHO said.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. will suspend all travel from Europe to the U.S. for 30 days, starting Friday night.

The measures will affect 26 European countries but the U.K. and Ireland are exempted from the restrictions, as are American citizens who have undergone virus screening.

"These restrictions will be adjusted subject to conditions on the ground," Trump said, calling the coronavirus a "foreign" virus and blaming Europe for not taking adequate action to control its spread.

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2020-03-12 08:12:15Z
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Trump address sparks chaos as coronavirus crisis deepens - CNN

Trump spoke to the nation at a fearful moment, when the rhythms of everyday American life are starting to shut down -- with schools closing, the NBA suspended, hospitals on high alert and movie icon Tom Hanks saying he and his wife have the disease.

"The virus will not have a chance against us. No nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United States," the President said, before painting a rosy picture of an economy that is already taking a beating from the virus fallout. The President unveiled several measures to help on that score, to help workers who have to self-isolate and hard-hit by shutdowns, though his call for a payroll tax cut is not popular in Congress.

Trump's big announcement for keeping the virus at bay -- what he said was a 30-day ban on travel to the US by Europeans and restrictions on cargo -- was immediately engulfed in confusion.

The President later rushed to clarify on Twitter that he was stopping travel and not trans-Atlantic trade in goods, and officials said his plan did not apply to Americans or US permanent residents -- though such travelers would face mandatory quarantines.

Trump also caused a muddle when he said he had convinced health insurance providers to waive all copayments for coronavirus treatments.

A White House official later said the President had meant to say that the copayments would be waived for coronavirus tests -- but would still apply to treatments for the disease.

Sowing confusion

READ: Trump's Oval Office speech on the coronavirus outbreak

The confusion was symptomatic of an administration that has often struggled to frame detailed policies and present them coherently. Trump's top assignment on Wednesday was to show that he was in charge and that he appreciated, finally, the grave nature of the weeks that lie ahead. But the confusion over the travel ban turned his speech into something of a debacle and may up exacerbating uncertainty over his leadership.

And his travel ban announcement was made apparently without consultation with the travel industry or US allies and seems set to cause massive disruption that will deepen already cascading economic damage unleashed by the crisis.

The move could cause mass cancellation of trans-Atlantic flights, which could throw the aviation industry into an moment of existential challenge. It is likely to do nothing to quell investor panic after Wall Street on Wednesday dipped into a bear market. For example, Dow Futures plunged more than 1,000 points after Trump's speech.

"This is not a financial crisis. This is just a temporary moment of time that we will overcome together as a nation and as a world," Trump said in his address.

On a more fundamental level, the travel ban plan raised basic questions about the President's understanding of a crisis he has minimized, blamed on Democrats and predicted will just go away soon.

Department of Homeland Security guidance suggested the restrictions exempted US nationals and permanent residents, who would face quarantine when they came home. And the President did not explain why his ban did not include citizens of the UK -- where the virus has also taken root.

But the biggest problem facing the US is not more cases of coronavirus coming from Europe -- it is that the disease has taken root on US soil itself by community spread.

Pressing issues now revolve around how Americans should respond to the situation and to what extent they should change their daily patterns. Trump did advise halting nonessential visits to care homes for the elderly -- the highest risk group from the virus.

But he didn't explain how he would alleviate what health officials fear will be a crowding of hospitals, the continuing lack of proper testing or the coming strain on resources such as breathing machines needed to keep the sickest patients alive.

He argued that the threat was still "very low" for all but the old and infirm, on a day when one of his top public health officials, Dr. Anthony Fauci, predicted the current scenario -- with more than 1,200 people sick in the US and 38 dead, is "going to get worse."

Trump speech likely to split the nation

To Trump's supporters, his address likely came across as a decisive and bold move to face up to a national challenge.

But to critics it followed a familiar playbook -- as he blamed others for the crisis, basked in self-congratulation and xenophobia, and misled the country about his actions so far.

"This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history," Trump said, misrepresenting his own and his administration's catalog of missteps.

The President did not mention, for example, the shortage of testing kits, which means officials cannot even get a strong read on how far the disease has spread across the nation.

Presidents use Oval Office addresses in moments of extremis, to bind Americans together to confront a challenge that threatens their collective security.

But Trump's toneless, almost resentful address as he faces a challenge from outside that could threaten his reelection hopes is unlikely to fulfill the soaring mission of the presidency.

His central remedy -- blaming China, where the crisis was spawned, and Europe for becoming afflicted with it -- was consistent with his political mantra of demonizing foreigners.

The idea that a virus that affects all humans and is a naturally occurring force was some kind of foreign-brewed threat sent to attack Americans is in itself staggering in its conception.

The President did announce a raft of measures to support businesses and individuals with tax relief and low interest rates as the virus tightens its grip on the US.

But Trump's plan to self-isolate the US from Europe appears to be a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted -- the virus is already here and infecting more Americans by the day.

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2020-03-12 08:02:43Z
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Trump restricts travel from Europe as coronavirus disrupts life in U.S. - Reuters

WASHINGTON/GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will suspend all passenger travel from continental Europe on Friday to limit the spread of the coronavirus after the outbreak was formally declared a pandemic, sending global markets into a tailspin.

Trump announced the travel ban on live television along with emergency funds to boost the U.S. economy, saying: “This is not a financial crisis. This is just a temporary moment of time that we will overcome together as a nation and as a world.”

Global markets plunged immediately after the announcement, with the U.S. S&P500 futures ESc1 down more than 3%, and Japan’s Nikkei and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 down more than 4%. The dollar lost 1% against the yen.

Trump’s announcement came after Italy, the worst-affected country in Europe, enacted the most severe controls on a Western nation since World War Two, shutting bars, hairdressers and restaurants along with other restrictions already in place.

Other countries closed schools and canceled sports events and other big gatherings. The National Basketball Association suspended the season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive.

U.S. actor Tom Hanks said he and his wife, actress Rita Wilson, had tested positive after they felt tired with slight fevers in Australia, where he is working on a film.

“To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus and were found to be positive,” Hanks, 63, said in a tweet.

He said that he and Wilson, also 63, would be “tested, observed and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires.”

The virus sent the Dow into a bear market for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis as the massive financial stimulus promised by governments around the globe failed to reassure investors.

The United States, which has reported 1,281 cases and 37 deaths, has yet to enact any large-scale containment measures, but major sporting and music events have either been canceled or postponed.

The St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City has been canceled, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday. The parade, usually held on March 17th, attracts millions of spectators along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland. The tradition dates back to 1762.

The U.S. travel restrictions on Europe would apply from midnight on Friday, Trump said, adding that similar restrictions on travelers from China and South Korea had helped limit the spread of the virus. The curbs would not apply to travelers from the United Kingdom nor to cargo from Europe.

“We are at a critical time in the fight against the virus. We made a lifesaving move with early action on China. Now we must take the same action with Europe. We will not delay,” said Trump, who had previously downplayed the risks from coronavirus.

There are 126,000 coronavirus cases globally, including more than 4,600 confirmed fatalities, according to a Reuters tally. There were almost 7,000 cases reported in the past day, far surpassing the average daily amount reported in China during the virus’ initial peak.

Wall Street stocks plunged almost 5% before Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, and already skittish investors awaiting details on U.S. measures were unnerved by news that the White House ordered federal health officials to treat dozens of virus-related meetings as classified.

Meanwhile in Europe, Denmark shut all schools and universities after a 10-fold rise in cases since Monday, and strain is mounting on Italy’s healthcare system despite all efforts to contain the outbreak.

The new restrictions in Italy came after confirmed cases rose to 12,462 on Wednesday, from a previous 10,149, with the death toll jumping by 196 in 24 hours to 827.

The country’s 60 million people are under lockdown. “We will only be able to see the effects of this great effort in a couple of weeks,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said.

People walk through the international terminal at LAX airport in front of a Korean Air plane in Los Angeles, California, U.S., amid reports of the coronavirus, March 11, 2020. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said up to 70% of the population was likely to be infected as the virus spreads around the world in the absence of a cure.

Cuba confirmed its first case and, in the Middle East, Qatar reported 238 more coronavirus infections among expatriates under quarantine in a residential compound.

PANDEMIC

While China has seen its outbreak slow dramatically, the number of cases outside China has risen 13-fold in the past two weeks, and the number of countries affected tripled, with Iran and Italy the worst-hit countries in the Middle East and Europe.

“Italy and Iran are in the frontline and are suffering but other countries will be in that situation very soon,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) described the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic for the first time on Wednesday but use of the word pandemic does not change the agency’s response, said Dr. Mike Ryan, the head of the Geneva-based agency’s emergencies program.

He also said there was “a strong element of controllability” and “a real chance to blunt the curve... and reduce the number of cases”.

In Tokyo, the pandemic classification fueled concern over how the coronavirus will affect the Summer Olympic Games, scheduled to start July 24.

For now, cancellation remained unthinkable, Kyodo News quoted Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike as saying.

Slideshow (6 Images)

EMERGENCY SPENDING

Trump said he would provide financial relief for workers who are ill, quarantined or caring for others due to the illness, among other financial measures to prop up businesses and individuals affected.

He said more than $200 billion of additional liquidity to the economy would come from the Treasury Department deferring tax payments without interest or penalties for certain individuals and businesses negatively impacted by coronavirus.

Britain launched a 30 billion-pound ($38.54 billion) economic stimulus plan as new finance minister Rishi Sunak said the economy faced a “significant impact” from the spread of the virus, even if it was likely to be temporary.

Australia’s government said it would pump A$17.6 billion ($11.4 billion) into the economy, about 1.2% of GDP, to prevent the coronavirus outbreak from pushing the country into its first recession in nearly 30 years.

Additional reporting by Kate Kelland, Paul Sandle and David Milliken in London; David Lawder, Alexandra Alper and Steve Holland in Washington; Dan Whitcomb and Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, Chris Gallagher in Tokyo; Thomas Escritt and Paul Carrel in Berlin; Giuseppe Fonte and Giulia Segreti in Rome; Ryan Woo in Beijing; Renju Jose in Sydney; Writing by Lisa Shumaker and Stephen Coates; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and XX

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-03-12 07:38:07Z
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