Live updates: Coronavirus fears reverberate as U.S. officials widen states of emergency; South Korea condemns Japan - The Washington Post

A prominent scholar involved in finding alternative remedies for coronavirus patients through the use of traditional Chinese medicine has predicted that new infections in Wuhan — the epicenter of China’s coronavirus outbreak — could fall to “near zero” by the end of March.

“Judging from the overall epidemic development … the new infections in Wuhan could hopefully be reduced to near zero by the end of March,” Professor Zhang Boli, who is president of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, told Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily this week.

“For other cities in Hubei province, the ‘near zero’ is expected to come in mid-March," Zhang said. "However, the near zero here is not an absolute value, and there could still be a few new infections occasionally.”

Zhang, an award-winning scholar known for his contribution to modernizing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and integrating TCM remedies with Western medicine, has led a team of 209 experts to treat mild cases of coronavirus pneumonia at a quarantine facility in Wuhan since Feb. 12.

China’s National Health Commission and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine have recommended that TCM remedies can be used to help alleviate symptoms of coronavirus, although they note they likely do not cure the virus.

The 72-year-old internist expects that by the end of April, the Chinese would be able to eventually take off their face masks in public places. For Wuhan and the wider Hubei province, the no-mask moment would be at least one month later in May, he added.

“But personally, I don’t recommend removing masks too soon. People should continue to reduce gatherings, wash hands frequently, and keep a masks on a little bit longer,” Zhang said, pointing to a sustained risk of virus spread around the world.

Zhang’s team has also joined two hospitals in Wuhan in reducing reinfections and treating immunity disorder among newly discharged patients. China’s daily infections outside Hubei have fallen to double digits for nearly two weeks, compared with hundreds or even thousands of confirmed cases every day in early February.

On Friday, China reported 143 new infections, with only 17 of them being in provinces and regions outside Hubei.

“It is hard to say if the novel coronavirus would come to stay [as a chronic disease], because we now know so little about it,” Zhang said. “The impact on human society from coronavirus, however, is not going to end here and now."

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2020-03-06 08:16:00Z
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Live updates: Coronavirus fears reverberate as U.S. officials widen states of emergency; South Korea condemns Japan - The Washington Post

A prominent scholar involved in finding alternative remedies for coronavirus patients through the use of traditional Chinese medicine has predicted that new infections in Wuhan — the epicenter of China’s coronavirus outbreak — could fall to “near zero” by the end of March.

“Judging from the overall epidemic development … the new infections in Wuhan could hopefully be reduced to near zero by the end of March,” Professor Zhang Boli, who is president of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, told Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily this week.

“For other cities in Hubei province, the ‘near zero’ is expected to come in mid-March," Zhang said. "However, the near zero here is not an absolute value, and there could still be a few new infections occasionally.”

Zhang, an award-winning scholar known for his contribution to modernizing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and integrating TCM remedies with Western medicine, has led a team of 209 experts to treat mild cases of coronavirus pneumonia at a quarantine facility in Wuhan since Feb. 12.

China’s National Health Commission and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine have recommended that TCM remedies can be used to help alleviate symptoms of coronavirus, although they note they likely do not cure the virus.

The 72-year-old internist expects that by the end of April, the Chinese would be able to eventually take off their face masks in public places. For Wuhan and the wider Hubei province, the no-mask moment would be at least one month later in May, he added.

“But personally, I don’t recommend removing masks too soon. People should continue to reduce gatherings, wash hands frequently, and keep a masks on a little bit longer,” Zhang said, pointing to a sustained risk of virus spread around the world.

Zhang’s team has also joined two hospitals in Wuhan in reducing reinfections and treating immunity disorder among newly discharged patients. China’s daily infections outside Hubei have fallen to double digits for nearly two weeks, compared with hundreds or even thousands of confirmed cases every day in early February.

On Friday, China reported 143 new infections, with only 17 of them being in provinces and regions outside Hubei.

“It is hard to say if the novel coronavirus would come to stay [as a chronic disease], because we now know so little about it,” Zhang said. “The impact on human society from coronavirus, however, is not going to end here and now."

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2020-03-06 07:04:00Z
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Pompeo slams International Criminal Court decision to authorize Afghanistan war crimes investigation - CNN International

"This is a truly breathtaking action by an unaccountable political institution masquerading as a legal body," Pompeo said Thursday during remarks at the State Department. "It is all the more reckless for this ruling to come just days after the United States signed a historic peace deal on Afghanistan, which is the best chance for peace in a generation."

"The United States is not a party to the ICC, and we will take all necessary measures to protect our citizens from this renegade, so-called court," he said.

Chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda sought authorization in November 2017 to open an investigation into crimes connected to the conflict in Afghanistan. According to a statement from the time, Bensouda's office "determined that there is a reasonable basis to believe" that members of the Afghan National Security Forces, the US armed forces and the CIA had committed "war crimes," and that members of the Taliban had committed both war crimes and crimes against humanity.

On Thursday, the ICC Appeals Chamber ruled unanimously in favor of allowing the investigation. Bensouda's initial request for authorization to open the investigation was denied in April 2019. At that time, the three judge panel "concluded that an investigation into the situation in Afghanistan at this stage would not serve the interests of justice."

However, the appeals judges disagreed with this conclusion.

"Having considered the Prosecutor's grounds of appeal against the Pre-Trial Chamber's decision, as well as the observations and submissions of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, representatives of victims and other participants, the Appeals Chamber found that the Pre-Trial Chamber erred in considering the 'interests of justice factor' when examining the Prosecutor's request for authorisation to open an investigation," an ICC media release about the decision said.

Pompeo on Thursday claimed that the US had "evidence suggesting that there have been efforts to provide misinformation to the court by foreign parties," but did not elaborate on this claim.

The Trump administration had taken a series of steps to deter the investigation. Last March, Pompeo warned that the US would deny or revoke visas for International Criminal Court staff, and last April, prior the appeals court decision, the US revoked the chief prosecutor's entry visa

Asked Thursday whether the US would take similar actions against the ICC appeals court judges, Pompeo said he didn't "want to get in front of what actions we might take."

"We're going to take all the appropriate actions to ensure that American citizens are not hauled before this political body to settle a political vendetta," he said.

The Coalition for the ICC on Thursday called on the US to respect the appeals court decision and not to take punitive action against ICC officials. The American Civil Liberties Union praised the ICC decision to authorize the investigation.

"While the road ahead is still long and bumpy, this decision is a significant milestone that bolsters the ICC's independence in the face of the Trump administration's bullying tactics," Jamil Dakwar, the director of the ACLU's Human Rights Program, said in a statement. "Countries must fully cooperate with this investigation and not submit to any authoritarian efforts by the Trump administration to sabotage it. It is past time perpetrators are held accountable for well-documented war crimes that haunt survivors and the families of victims to this day."

CNN's Richard Roth and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.

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2020-03-05 16:44:00Z
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I.C.C. Allows Afghanistan War Crimes Inquiry to Proceed, Angering U.S. - The New York Times

LONDON — The International Criminal Court ruled on Thursday that its chief prosecutor could open an investigation into allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan including any that may have been committed by Americans, a step that infuriated the Trump administration.

The ruling by an appeals court in The Hague reversed a lower court’s decision that had halted an inquiry into the behavior of forces from the United States, which does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction. Washington revoked the visa of the court’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, last year after she had signaled her intentions to pursue the case.

The decision on Thursday is the first by the I.C.C. involving American forces. The I.C.C. was established more than 15 years ago to seek justice for victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking to reporters in Washington, called the ruling a “truly breathtaking action by an unaccountable, political institution masquerading as a legal body.”

He reiterated that the United States was not a party to the treaty that created the I.C.C., and that “we will take all necessary measures to protect our citizens from this renegade, unlawful, so-called court.”

Having spent years collecting information on the Afghanistan war, Ms. Bensouda requested permission to open an investigation into claims of war crimes and crimes against humanity attributed to United States military and intelligence forces, the Taliban and Afghan forces.

The prosecutor has said that the court had enough information to prove that U.S. forces had “committed acts of torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, rape and sexual violence” in Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004, and later in clandestine C.I.A. facilities in Poland, Romania and Lithuania.

The wide-ranging investigation would also look into allegations against the Afghan government forces, which are accused of torturing prisoners; as well as those against the Taliban and antigovernment forces.

The United Nations’ mission in Afghanistan has documented the killings of more than 17,000 civilians by the Taliban since 2009, including nearly 7,000 targeted killings. Yet, last April, a U.N. report found that U.S. and Afghan forces had killed more civilians in the first three months of 2019 than the Taliban did.

A pretrial chamber at the court rejected Ms. Bensouda’s request in April, arguing that a successful prosecution was unlikely because the United States and the Afghan government, which has set up its own investigation unit, were unlikely to cooperate. An investigation, it ruled at the time, “would not serve the interests of justice.”

Prosecutors appealed the ruling, and appeals judges at the court ruled on Thursday that the investigation could proceed.

“The prosecutor is authorized to commence an investigation into alleged crimes committed on the territory of Afghanistan since May 1, 2003, as well as other alleged crimes that have a nexus to the armed conflict in Afghanistan,” said Piotr Hofmanski, the presiding judge of the appeals panel.

The ruling came days after the United States signed a deal with the Taliban to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan after nearly two decades of conflict.

American officials have long sought to pressure the court not to prosecute United States citizens, arguing that doing so would threaten American sovereignty and national security interests. In 2018, John R. Bolton, then the national security adviser, denounced the court as “illegitimate.”

He said: “We won’t cooperate with the I.C.C. We will provide no assistance to the I.C.C. And we certainly will not join the I.C.C. We will let the I.C.C. die on its own.” He added, “If the court comes after us, we will not sit quietly.”

Mr. Pompeo vowed last year to revoke visas for anyone involved in an investigation against American citizens.

Human rights organizations, however, welcomed the court’s ruling as a sign of its willingness to press ahead despite the Trump administration’s efforts to squelch the inquiry.

“This decision vindicates the rule of law and gives hope to the thousands of victims seeking accountability when domestic courts and authorities have failed them,” said Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Human Rights Project.

He added, “Countries must fully cooperate with this investigation and not submit to any authoritarian tactics by the Trump administration to sabotage it.”

The A.C.L.U. represents three detainees who said they were tortured in Afghanistan between 2003 and 2008: Khaled El Masri, Suleiman Salim and Mohamed Ben Soud.

Shaharzad Akbar, the head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, said the court had made the right decision. “We will advocate for victims regardless of the group affiliation of the perpetrator — whether U.S. actors, Taliban or Afghan forces,” Ms. Akbar said.

It remained unclear how prosecutors would further investigate the allegations without the cooperation of the Trump administration or the Afghan government. Afghan officials have objected to the inquiry, arguing that they had set up their own special unit to look into possible war crimes.

Although the United States is not a state party to Rome Statute, the treaty that created the court, American citizens can be subject to its jurisdiction if the court is investigating crimes in countries that have joined. Those countries include Afghanistan, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.

Katherine Gallagher, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, a New York-based legal advocacy group, said the crimes had been documented for the prosecutors to move quickly. “In the case of U.S. torture, who bears responsibility has been well-documented,” said Ms. Gallagher, who attended the overruling at The Hague on Thursday.

“Hopefully this will move very quickly,” she added.

For some Afghan civilians, the ruling brought hope that a court with international jurisdiction could bring them justice.

Masih Ur-Rahman Mubarez, whose wife, seven children and four other relatives were killed in an American airstrike targeting members of the Taliban in Wardak Province in September, said he felt some relief after knocking “every single door for justice.”

“I will never find peace of mind,” Mr. Mubarez said. “But if the I.C.C. punishes Americans who killed my children, I will be happy.”

Elian Peltier reported from London, and Fatima Faizi from Kabul, Afghanistan.

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2020-03-05 15:52:00Z
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The Vox guide to Covid-19 coronavirus - Vox.com

The Covid-19 coronavirus disease, which originated in Wuhan, China, has swiftly spread around the world since it was first detected in December. With thousands of cases now being reported globally and significant outbreaks in China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy, the disease is rapidly approaching pandemic status, and the World Health Organization has declared it a global health emergency.

You might be wondering: How do I protect myself from the coronavirus? How dangerous is it? What are the symptoms? Is it safe to travel internationally? This Vox guide will provide answers to your biggest questions about the disease and help you better understand the scale and scope of the outbreak, its economic impact, and how to prepare and protect yourself if you live in or have to travel to an area affected by the outbreak.

Start here

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2020-03-05 13:27:17Z
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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 12:45:00Z
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I.C.C. Allows Afghanistan War Crimes Inquiry to Proceed - The New York Times

LONDON — An international court ruled on Thursday that its chief prosecutor could open an investigation into allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan, including any that may have been committed by Americans, setting up a potential showdown with Washington.

The ruling by the International Criminal Court in The Hague is likely to draw a strong rebuke from the United States, which does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction. Washington revoked the visa of the body’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, last year after she signaled her intentions to pursue the case.

The decision on Thursday is the first involving American forces by the court, which was established more than 15 years ago to seek justice for victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The State Department could not immediately be reached for a response.

Having spent years collecting information on the Afghan war, Ms. Bensouda requested permission to open an investigation into claims of war crimes and crimes against humanity attributed to United States military and intelligence forces, the Taliban and Afghan forces.

The prosecutor has said that the court had enough information to prove that U.S. forces had “committed acts of torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, rape and sexual violence” in Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004, and later in clandestine C.I.A. facilities in Poland, Romania and Lithuania.

The wide-ranging investigation would also look into allegations against the Afghan government forces, which are accused of torturing prisoners; as well as those against the Taliban and antigovernment forces.

The United Nations’ mission in Afghanistan has documented the killings of more than 17,000 civilians by the Taliban since 2009, including nearly 7,000 targeted killings. Yet, last year, a U.N. report found that U.S. and Afghan forces had killed more civilians than the Taliban did.

A pretrial chamber at the court rejected Ms. Bensouda’s request in April, arguing that a successful prosecution was unlikely because the United States and the Afghan government, which has set up its own investigation unit, were unlikely to cooperate.

Prosecutors appealed the ruling, and appeals judges at the court ruled on Thursday that the investigation could proceed.

“The prosecutor is authorized to commence an investigation into alleged crimes committed on the territory of Afghanistan since May 1, 2003, as well as other alleged crimes that have a nexus to the armed conflict in Afghanistan,” said Piotr Hofmanski, the presiding judge of the appeals panel.

The ruling came days after the United States signed a deal with the Taliban to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan after nearly two decades of conflict.

American officials have long sought to pressure the court not to prosecute United States citizens, arguing that doing so would threaten American sovereignty and national security interests. In 2018, John Bolton, then the national security adviser, denounced the court as “illegitimate.”

He said: “We won’t cooperate with the I.C.C. We will provide no assistance to the I.C.C. And we certainly will not join the I.C.C. We will let the I.C.C. die on its own.” He added, “If the court comes after us, we will not sit quietly.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed last year to revoke visas for anyone involved in an investigation against American citizens.

Human rights organizations, however, welcomed the court’s ruling as a sign of its willingness to press ahead despited the Trump administration’s efforts to stymie the inquiry.

“This decision vindicates the rule of law and gives hope to the thousands of victims seeking accountability when domestic courts and authorities have failed them,” said Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Human Rights Project.

He added, “Countries must fully cooperate with this investigation and not submit to any authoritarian tactics by the Trump administration to sabotage it.”

The A.C.L.U. represents three detainees who said they were tortured in Afghanistan between 2003 and 2008: Khaled El Masri, Suleiman Salim and Mohamed Ben Soud.

It remains to be seen how prosecutors would investigate allegations without the cooperation of the Trump administration or the Afghan government. Afghan officials have objected to the inquiry, arguing that they had set up their own special unit to look into alleged war crimes.

For some Afghan civilians, however, the ruling brought hope that a supranational jurisdiction could bring them justice.

Masih Ur-Rahman Mubarez, whose wife, seven children and four other relatives were killed in an American airstrike targeting members of the Taliban in Wardak Province in September, said he felt some relief after knocking “every single door for justice.”

“I will never find peace of mind,” Mr. Mubarez said. “But if the I.C.C. punishes Americans who killed my children, I will be happy.”

Fatima Faizi contributed reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan.

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2020-03-05 11:41:00Z
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