China accuses US of ‘malicious fabrication’ over efforts at UN to state coronavirus originated in Wuhan - Fox News

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The Chinese government is accusing the United States of engaging in “malicious fabrication” over its efforts to get the U.N. Security Council to state explicitly that the coronavirus pandemic began in Wuhan, China -- part of an escalating battle between the two countries on the matter.

NBC News first reported Thursday that talks at the council over a joint declaration or resolution on the global pandemic have stalled over the U.S. demand that it explicitly name Wuhan as the source of the virus.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION URGES UN SECURITY COUNCIL TO STATE CORONAVIRUS ORIGINATED IN CHINA 

A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. suggested language that would name Wuhan, China, and that the Chinese were unhappy about the push.

“All members of the Security Council must recognize the threat that China’s mishandling of the outbreak poses to international peace and security,” a State Department official later told Fox News. “The People’s Republic of China has been more interested in saving face than saving lives.”

The Chinese Mission to the U.N., when asked by Fox News about the effort, said on Thursday that it was “astonished by the choice of the United States to use whatever venue and opportunity for politicizing the COVID-19 and blaming China, which we strongly oppose.”

“The groundless accusations and malicious fabrication from the United States aim at shirking its own responsibilities, which severely poisoned the atmosphere of the global cooperation in containing the outbreak,” a spokesperson said. “We strongly urge the United States to stop such irresponsible practices and listen to the voice of the American people. The United States should indeed shoulder its responsibilities to save lives instead of going further down the wrong path.”

The U.S. State Department official said on Thursday that the U.S. backs a resolution that would praise first responders and medical personnel and reinforce the importance of international cooperation, as well as the need for all member states to act quickly and with full transparency to end the pandemic. It would also back a resolution that demands a pause to all hostilities to enable the international community to quickly tackle the spread of the virus.

But the official also noted that, since the virus broke in China, Beijing has a “special responsibility” to be fully transparent about the virus: “Instead they suppressed information and punished doctors and journalists who raised the alarm.”

TRUMP SAYS US WORKING CLOSELY WITH CHINA ON CORONAVIRUS AFTER CALL WITH XI

“We call on PRC authorities to provide accurate and prompt public health reporting, timely access to all relevant information, and respect for freedom of expression so that lessons learned, best practices, and innovations can be shared freely between peoples to facilitate the most globally effective response to minimize deaths,” the official said.

President Trump has repeatedly named the coronavirus “the Chinese virus” and has blamed the Chinese for its “secretive” approach in the early days of the crisis. That was after Chinese officials began dabbling in conspiracy theories that the U.S. Army was the cause of the virus.

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But Trump has also taken a conciliatory approach to Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he says he has a good relationship.

"Just finished a very good conversation with President Xi of China. Discussed in great detail the CoronaVirus that is ravaging large parts of our Planet. China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much respect," Trump tweeted Friday.

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2020-03-27 16:33:24Z
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How can Boris Johnson run the UK while suffering from coronavirus? - CNN

In a video posted to his official Twitter page, Johnson said that "thanks to the wizardry of modern technology," he would continue to lead the effort remotely from the prime ministerial quarters above 11 Downing Street, next door to one of the most famous addresses on earth.

But how can the leader of a country with a population of over 66 million carry on as normal while self-isolating during a global health crisis? Especially as his health secretary also tested positive for the virus, and that his chief medical officer self-isolated with symptoms.

Isolating the Prime Minister is not that difficult, in itself. The Downing Street premises are actually considerably bigger than they look from the outside. Behind that famous black door at Number 10 lies a warren of rooms and offices that extend sideways into 11 and 12 Downing Street -- the three addresses are all that survive from a longer terrace constructed at the end of the 17th century -- and back into a much larger 18th-century building at the rear.

Johnson lives in a rather modest apartment above Number 11, which is easily shut off from Number 10. (A Downing Street spokesman said earlier on Friday that the connecting door between the two buildings would be shut.) Anything that the Prime Minister needs, whether official papers or deliveries of food and drink, will be left outside a door for him to collect. However, in an effort to contain the virus, Downing Street will try to keep even this level of contact at a minimum.

Meetings will take place via video conference. While this might sound unusual, some of Johnson's most important regular appointments had already stopped being personal interactions. For example, recent meetings of the UK's Cabinet have taken place virtually. And Johnson's spokesperson confirmed that it had been at least two weeks since the Prime Minister's traditional weekly audience with the Queen had switched from being an in-person meeting at the Palace to a down-the-line phone call.

Inside 10 Downing Street itself, considered a place of work more than a place of residence, the roughly 250-strong teams of civil servants and political advisers has been stripped back to only essential workers, with approximately 70 people on site at any given time. Johnson's official spokesperson said that inside No 10, staff had been "observing the advice on social distancing" and using video conferencing wherever possible.

However straightforward that sounds, there are legitimate questions at how sustainable it is to run a country in this manner.

First, there are the Prime Minister's daily commitments.

At the moment, Johnson's day has a familiar pattern. At 8:15 a.m, a team meets to discuss the latest coronavirus updates without the Prime Minister. That team consists of the chief medical officer (CMO), the chief scientific adviser (CSA), the Health Secretary and other Cabinet ministers whose presence might be relevant on a given day.

At 9:15 a.m, Johnson holds a meeting with secretaries of state, the CMO, CSA and various political advisers. That's when the government's daily agenda starts to take shape. The Prime Minister's day will typically be full of meetings with experts and advisers, leading up to a daily press conference, held at around 5 p.m. local time, where the government updates the UK's estimated 66 million citizens on the latest government guidelines and policy. The Prime Minster has so far led most of these events -- which in the past few days have been conducted with journalists dialing in via video link.

Much of this work can be done effectively using technology -- or, in the case of the Prime Minister's absence from these press conferences, by deploying surrogates. However, shortly after Johnson's statement, one of his prominent stand-ins, Health Secretary Matt Hancock, confirmed that he too had the virus and would also be self-isolating. And later on Friday afternoon, Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, who has been at the center of the country's coronavirus response, confirmed that he had COVID-19 symptoms and would be self-isolating for seven days. He will also continue to work remotely.

Just how many more people around the Prime Minister are at risk of having coronavirus? Despite its size, Downing Street is crammed full of small offices and narrow corridors. Top officials insist they have been taking the government's social distancing guidelines seriously, pointing journalists to a video from Thursday night of Johnson leaving Downing Street to take part in a national moment of applause for NHS workers, showing him standing a safe distance from his finance minister, Rishi Sunak, as he did so.

However, others inside Downing Street privately complain that it is impossible fully to adhere to the 6ft social distance rules and that some people have coming to work clearly displaying symptoms.

For weeks, there had been speculation about how long it would take before coronavirus would hit heart of the British establishment. Westminster politics takes place in a small physical space in the SW1 postal district of London, rammed full of politicos, journalists, lobbyists and the rest. It's an insular network of people who, by the nature of what they do, rely on a huge amount of social interaction.

The team around Boris Johnson were some of the last people standing in the wake of this crisis. Now we will see exactly how effectively a country like the UK can be run remotely.

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2020-03-27 17:24:52Z
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Israel's Gantz angers supporters with move toward unity government - Reuters

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel appeared headed for a unity government on Friday after opposition leader Benny Gantz moved toward an agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, disappointing voters who had hoped to bring down the right-wing premier.

FILE PHOTO: A banner depicts Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White party, and Israel Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as part of Blue and White party's campaign ahead of the upcoming election, in Tel Aviv, Israel February 17, 2020. REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File Photo

Gantz was elected parliamentary speaker on Thursday with support from Netanyahu’s Likud and allied parties, angering many of his own partners over the possibility he could form an alliance with a leader who is under criminal indictment.

Gantz cited the coronavirus epidemic as the reason for his decision. Israel, with 3,000 cases of the disease and 10 deaths, is under partial lockdown.

The shock move splintered Gantz’s centrist Blue and White coalition of three parties just 13 months after it came into existence as a grouping of Netanyahu opponents intent on bringing down Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.

It also drew an angry response from some among the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who turned out to support Gantz’s coalition in three elections in the past year. Some commentators accused the former general of caving in to Netanyahu.

“It makes me feel terrible. It’s exactly what I did not want to happen, to see Gantz actually partner with Netanyahu,” said Tami Golan, 46, who voted for Gantz in all three elections.

“I understand the coronavirus makes for a special situation, but I can’t help but feel disappointed - we might not be done with Netanyahu,” Golan said.

Gantz, 60, expressed regret on Friday his decision had split his centrist alliance but said dragging the country toward a fourth election would distract from fighting the coronavirus and aiding the economy.

“(We) will make every effort to establish a national emergency government. We will take care of the health crisis. We will lift the country out of economic trauma,” Gantz wrote on his Facebook page.

At least one member of Gantz’s own Israel Resilience party came out against him on Friday - a lawmaker from Israel’s Arab Druze minority.

“A leader does not betray his principles and his electorate ... I will not sit one day under the corrupt (premier),” Gadeer Mreeh wrote on Twitter.

But with Netanyahu’s coalition of right-wing parties needing only three more seats to reach a majority in the 120-member parliament, the early defection from Gantz’s 15-strong faction was unlikely to put a dent in moves toward a unity government.

During the campaign for the March 2 election, Gantz had ruled out serving with Netanyahu, citing the prime minister’s looming trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu denies the charges.

But Gantz has lacked enough support on the center and left to form a coalition after being asked by President Reuven Rivlin to try to form a government following the election.

Netanyahu, 70, had proposed a unity government to tackle the coronavirus, promising to step down as prime minister within an agreed period, with Gantz then taking over.

Gantz’s move on Thursday opened up the possibility of such a “rotation” deal, but there has been no formal announcement that such an agreement had been reached.

Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Frances Kerry and Nick Macfie

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2020-03-27 15:55:57Z
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As coronavirus cases spike worldwide, China is closing itself off - CNN

In a statement late Thursday, the government said that "in view of the rapid spread of Covid-19 across the world, China has decided to temporarily suspend the entry into China by foreign nationals holding visas or residence permits" as of March 28.

Anyone wishing to enter the country will have to apply for a new visa at their local Chinese embassy or consulate. The announcement did not say how long this would take.

The decision to effectively seal off the country to foreigners is the latest in a series of moves intended to safeguard against infection from international travel, after more than 500 imported cases of the coronavirus were confirmed.

On Monday, Beijing city authorities announced that all international arrivals would be quarantined and tested for the virus at designated government facilities. Other cities have implemented stringent home quarantine requirements on international arrivals. Last week, a Chinese Australian woman was deported after neighbors recorded her breaching isolation controls to go jogging.

The number of new domestic infections has slowed to a trickle in recent weeks. While Wuhan, the city previously at the epicenter of the outbreak, remains on lockdown, much of the rest of the country is returning to normal.

There are fears imported cases could lead to a renewed outbreak.

Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese city, already had to backtrack on relaxing restrictions after a spike in new infections, many of which were imported by international travelers.

No 'foreign friends'

Across China, reports have appeared in recent days of businesses banning foreign nationals from entering their premises. Accounts have even emerged of housing estates and office complexes barring non-Chinese from the premises.

All of that is despite the fact 90% of imported cases are linked to Chinese citizens returning from overseas, particularly the hundreds of thousands of students forced home by university closures.

While the backlash against foreigners in China has not reached anything near the level of violence and open racism experienced by many Asians living in parts of Europe and the US, it appears to be part of a broader rise in xenophobia, seen in a number of Asian countries battling the outbreak.

Elizabeth Rodewald, an American working in Beijing, said she was stopped by her security guard from entering her own home this week. She said the guard asked if she was Russian and refused to let her pass even after she showed her residential ID card, even though Chinese residents continued to enter freely. She said she had to wait for the manager to arrive before she could go in.

At a Beijing gym popular with expats, managers posted a sign saying "foreign friends" would no longer be allowed to enter, "because of (the) overseas epidemic threshold." CNN also saw doormen at a bar in Sanlitun, a popular Beijing nightlife area, refusing entry to non-Chinese-looking patrons.

These restrictions are not government backed and enforcement of them appears to not be rigorous.

At the bar in Sanlitun, for example, security staff did not check IDs, so ethnically Chinese foreign residents could enter. Jim Boyce, a Beijing resident who posted on Twitter about restrictions on foreigners, said that one barber shop which put up a sign barring non-Chinese still allowed at least one expat to get his hair cut there.

Some 900,000 foreigners live in China, according to state media, with the largest non-Chinese population in Shanghai. While the government has gradually made it easier for foreigners to apply for permanent residency, as it attempts to attract more overseas talent and investment, the number of foreigners who gain this status is still exceptionally small.

In 2010, when the last census was carried out, there were just 1,448 naturalized citizens in China, a nation of over 1.3 billion people.

CNN intern Shawn Deng contributed reporting.

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2020-03-27 13:41:32Z
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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus - CNN

On his Twitter account, Johnson said he had developed mild symptoms and was self-isolating.

"Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government's response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this," Johnson wrote.

In a video, Johnson said he was experiencing a temperature and a persistent cough, which are key symptoms of the virus, and that he took a test on the advice of the country's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty.

"I've taken a test. That has come out positive," he said, adding that he was working from home and self-isolating. "And that's entirely the right thing to do."

"But be in no doubt that I can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fightback against coronavirus," he said.

A government spokesperson said that the test was carried out in Downing Street by staff from the NHS, the country's public healthcare system.

Johnson joins a long list of government officials around the world who have been infected with the coronavirus.

Few heads of government, however, have contracted it.

The positive test comes just two days after the 71-year-old Prince Charles, heir to the throne, tested positive.

Johnson last met with Queen Elizabeth II on March 11, Buckingham Palace said Friday.

"The Queen last saw the PM on the 11th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regards to her welfare," the palace said in a statement.

The development also comes just over a week after a top government adviser on the virus, Neil Ferguson, said he believed he had been infected and warned: "There is a lot of Covid-19 in Westminster."

Ferguson had met with the Prime Minister, as well as Whitty, and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance. It was not clear, however, where Johnson may have contracted the virus.

The infection also raises concerns over Johnson's fiancee, Carrie Symonds, who is pregnant.

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2020-03-27 13:30:05Z
52780690487176

As coronavirus cases spike worldwide, China is closing itself off - CNN

In a statement late Thursday, the government said that "in view of the rapid spread of Covid-19 across the world, China has decided to temporarily suspend the entry into China by foreign nationals holding visas or residence permits" as of March 28.

Anyone wishing to enter the country will have to apply for a new visa at their local Chinese embassy or consulate. The announcement did not say how long this would take.

The decision to effectively seal off the country to foreigners is the latest in a series of moves intended to safeguard against infection from international travel, after more than 500 imported cases of the coronavirus were confirmed.

On Monday, Beijing city authorities announced that all international arrivals would be quarantined and tested for the virus at designated government facilities. Other cities have implemented stringent home quarantine requirements on international arrivals. Last week, a Chinese Australian woman was deported after neighbors recorded her breaching isolation controls to go jogging.

The number of new domestic infections has slowed to a trickle in recent weeks. While Wuhan, the city previously at the epicenter of the outbreak, remains on lockdown, much of the rest of the country is returning to normal.

There are fears imported cases could lead to a renewed outbreak.

Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese city, already had to backtrack on relaxing restrictions after a spike in new infections, many of which were imported by international travelers.

No 'foreign friends'

Across China, reports have appeared in recent days of businesses banning foreign nationals from entering their premises. Accounts have even emerged of housing estates and office complexes barring non-Chinese from the premises.

All of that is despite the fact 90% of imported cases are linked to Chinese citizens returning from overseas, particularly the hundreds of thousands of students forced home by university closures.

While the backlash against foreigners in China has not reached anything near the level of violence and open racism experienced by many Asians living in parts of Europe and the US, it appears to be part of a broader rise in xenophobia, seen in a number of Asian countries battling the outbreak.

Elizabeth Rodewald, an American working in Beijing, said she was stopped by her security guard from entering her own home this week. She said the guard asked if she was Russian and refused to let her pass even after she showed her residential ID card, even though Chinese residents continued to enter freely. She said she had to wait for the manager to arrive before she could go in.

At a Beijing gym popular with expats, managers posted a sign saying "foreign friends" would no longer be allowed to enter, "because of (the) overseas epidemic threshold." CNN also saw doormen at a bar in Sanlitun, a popular Beijing nightlife area, refusing entry to non-Chinese-looking patrons.

These restrictions are not government backed and enforcement of them appears to not be rigorous.

At the bar in Sanlitun, for example, security staff did not check IDs, so ethnically Chinese foreign residents could enter. Jim Boyce, a Beijing resident who posted on Twitter about restrictions on foreigners, said that one barber shop which put up a sign barring non-Chinese still allowed at least one expat to get his hair cut there.

Some 900,000 foreigners live in China, according to state media, with the largest non-Chinese population in Shanghai. While the government has gradually made it easier for foreigners to apply for permanent residency, as it attempts to attract more overseas talent and investment, the number of foreigners who gain this status is still exceptionally small.

In 2010, when the last census was carried out, there were just 1,448 naturalized citizens in China, a nation of over 1.3 billion people.

CNN intern Shawn Deng contributed reporting.

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2020-03-27 13:25:08Z
52780690708741

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus - CNN

On his Twitter account, Johnson said he had developed mild symptoms and was self-isolating.

"Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government's response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this," Johnson wrote.

In a video, Johnson said he was experiencing a temperature and a persistent cough, which are key symptoms of the virus, and that he took a test on the advice of the country's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty.

"I've taken a test. That has come out positive," he said, adding that he was working from home and self-isolating. "And that's entirely the right thing to do."

"But be in no doubt that I can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fightback against coronavirus," he said.

A government spokesperson said that the test was carried out in Downing Street by staff from the NHS, the country's public healthcare system.

Johnson joins a long list of government officials around the world who have been infected with the coronavirus.

Few heads of government, however, have contracted it.

The positive test comes just two days after the 71-year-old Prince Charles, heir to the throne, tested positive.

Johnson last met with Queen Elizabeth II on March 11, Buckingham Palace said Friday.

"The Queen last saw the PM on the 11th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regards to her welfare," the palace said in a statement.

The development also comes just over a week after a top government adviser on the virus, Neil Ferguson, said he believed he had been infected and warned: "There is a lot of Covid-19 in Westminster."

Ferguson had met with the Prime Minister, as well as Whitty, and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance. It was not clear, however, where Johnson may have contracted the virus.

The infection also raises concerns over Johnson's fiancee, Carrie Symonds, who is pregnant.

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2020-03-27 12:56:28Z
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