Xi's early involvement in virus outbreak raises questions

A recent speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping that has been published by state media indicates for the first time that he was leading the response to a new virus outbreak from early on in the crisis. The publication of the Feb. 3 speech was an apparent attempt to demonstrate that the Communist Party leadership had acted decisively from the beginning, but also opens Xi up to criticism over why the public was not alerted sooner. In the speech, Xi said he gave instructions on fighting the v

Feb. 16, 2020

China toll leaps past 1,600 as first death reported outside Asia

BEIJING (AFP) -- The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak surpassed 1,600 in China on Sunday, with the first fatality reported outside Asia fuelling global concerns. More than 68,000 people have now been infected in China from a virus that emerged in central Hubei province in December before spreading across the country and some two dozen countries. Amid criticism over the handling of the crisis, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for tighter policing to protect social stability, whi

Feb. 16, 2020

China virus death toll nears 1,500 but new cases fall

BEIJING (AFP) - The death toll from China's coronavirus epidemic rose to 1,483 on Friday but the number of new infections in hard-hit Hubei province fell after a change in case definitions caused a massive increase the previous day. The central province's health commission reported 116 more deaths and 4,823 new cases, the majority involving "clinically diagnosed" patients. The province, the epicentre of the outbreak, had 242 more deaths and over 14,800 new cases on Thursday. More t

Feb. 14, 2020

Sanders, Buttigieg emerge as frontrunners in Democratic race

MANCHESTER (AFP) -- Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg stepped forward Wednesday as undisputed frontrunners in the race to take on President Donald Trump in November after finishing first and second in the New Hampshire primary. The 78-year-old leftist senator from neighboring Vermont and the young former mayor of South Bend, Indiana took 26 and 24 percent of the votes in Tuesday's voting. Last week in Iowa's caucuses they also finished as the top two -- with Buttigieg narrowly beating Sanders.

Feb. 13, 2020

China virus death toll reaches 1,110: govt.

BEIJING (AFP) -- The number of fatalities from China's new coronavirus epidemic jumped to 1,110 nationwide on Wednesday after hard-hit Hubei province reported 94 new deaths. In its daily update, Hubei's health commission also confirmed another 1,638 new cases in the central province, where the outbreak emerged in December. There are now more than 44,200 confirmed cases across China, based on previously released figures from the government. The new virus is believed to have emerged last year

Feb. 12, 2020

39 more on board Japan cruise ship have new coronavirus: minister

TOKYO (AFP) -- An additional 39 people on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the Japan coast have tested positive for the new coronavirus, Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said Wednesday, bringing the total to 174. "Out of 53 new test results, 39 people were found positive," he told reporters, adding that a quarantine official had also been infected with the virus. He added that: "At this point, we have confirmed that four people, among those who are hospitalised

Feb. 12, 2020

Trump under fire for intervening in Roger Stone case

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US President Donald Trump faced fresh accusations of abuse of power Tuesday after the Justice Department moved to override its own prosecutors who are seeking a stiff sentence of seven to nine years for Republican political operative Roger Stone. In new turmoil for the administration, the four prosecutors who tried the Stone case resigned as the Justice Department suggested a new sentence of less than half of what was originally recommended. The proposed reduction appeared

Feb. 12, 2020

Thailand yields to virus fears, bars docking of cruise ship

Thai health authorities have barred a cruise ship from docking that has already been turned away by the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan out of concern over a new virus, although no cases have been confirmed on board.    The chief of the Department of Disease Control, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, said Tuesday that the Public Health Ministry had rejected a request from the crew of the MS Westerdam to dock at Laem Chabang in eastern Thailand.    Prime Minister Prayuth Chano

Feb. 11, 2020

Ferocious storm in Europe kills 8, causes travel disruptions

Ferocious winds, with gusts over 200 kph (125 mph), lashed Corsica and whipped up a forest fire that flared overnight on the French Mediterranean island on Tuesday, after a storm with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains battered northern Europe for days, killing at least eight  people and causing severe travel disruptions.    More than 300 fire officers were involved in fighting the blazes and two ports were closed and flights suspended on Corsica. Power was cut to 2000 homes.

Feb. 11, 2020

[Graphic News] Online dating goes mainstream despite doubts: US survey

　Americans’ use of apps and dating websites to meet potential partners is growing despite concerns about such platforms, a survey showed. 　A report by the Pew Research Center showed 31 percent of US adults have used a dating app or service. The figure is close to half among adults under 30 years old and people who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. 　Twelve percent of those surveyed said they had married or been in a committed relationship with someone they met through a dating sit

Feb. 11, 2020

Thai mall gunman shot dead after deadly rampage

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand (AFP) -- The Thai soldier who killed at least 20 people and holed up in a mall overnight was shot dead Sunday morning by commandos, ending a near-17-hour ordeal which left dozens wounded and stunned the country. It was unclear how many people remained trapped inside the Terminal 21 mall in Nakhon Ratchasima -- also known as Korat -- where the gunman held out through the night, armed with assault weapons stolen from his barracks. Volleys of gunfire rang out as the

Feb. 9, 2020

China virus deaths rise past 800, overtaking SARS toll

BEIJING (AFP) - The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak soared to 803 in China on Sunday, according to official figures, overtaking the global toll for SARS. With 81 more people dying in Hubei -- the province at the centre of the outbreak -- the toll is now higher than the 774 killed worldwide by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002-2003, according to figures released Sunday. The latest data came after the World Health Organisation said numbers were "stabilising"

Feb. 9, 2020

Key takeaways from Democratic debate in New Hampshire

Three days before the critical New Hampshire Primary, seven Democratic presidential candidates debated, with many of them fighting to survive in the race to challenge President Donald Trump. Here are some key takeaways. MAYOR PETE MAKES HIS CASE Pete Buttigieg, the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend., Ind., was the candidate of the moment Friday. All eyes were on him Friday night to see if he could make his case. And he did _ with one significant stumble. Attacked for his thin resum

Feb. 8, 2020

Male North Korean refugee arrives in US in Feb: data

A North Korean male in his 50s or older arrived in the United States as a refugee this week, US government data showed Friday. He is the second North Korean refugee to resettle in the US this year. In January, a male aged 14-20 was placed in Richmond, Virginia, according to data from the State Department's bureau of population, refugees and migration. The new arrival was reported Thursday as a male aged 51-64. He now lives in Chicago, Illinois. No North Korean refugees were admitted last ye

Feb. 8, 2020

Pangolin identified as potential link for coronavirus spread

BEIJING (AFP) -- The endangered pangolin may be the link that facilitated the spread of the novel coronavirus across China, Chinese scientists said Friday. Researchers have long suspected that the virus, which has now killed more than 630 people and infected some 31,000, was passed from an animal to a human at a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. Researchers at the South China Agricultural University have identified the scaly mammal as a “potential intermediate

Feb. 7, 2020

Global shortage of anti-virus masks: WHO chief

  GENEVA (AFP) -- The world is running out of masks and other protective equipment against the novel coronavirus, the World Health Organization chief warned on Friday. “The world is facing a chronic shortage of personal protective equipment,”  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the WHO‘s executive board in Geneva. He said he would be speaking to members of the supply chain network for protective gear to try and resolve “bottlenecks” in the production. WH

Feb. 7, 2020

Death of Chinese doctor fuels anger, demands for change

BEIJING (AFP) -- The death of a whistleblowing doctor whose early warnings about China‘s new coronavirus outbreak were suppressed by the police has unleashed a wave of anger at the government’s handling of the crisis -- and bold demands for more freedom. Ophthalmologist Li Wenliang was among a group of people who sounded the alarm about the virus in late December, only to be reprimanded and censored by the authorities in central Hubei province. After Li‘s death was confirmed

Feb. 7, 2020

China virus death toll hits 636, more than 30,000 infections

BEIJING (AFP) -- The official Chinese death toll from the coronavirus outbreak rose on Friday to 636, with the government saying total infections had climbed past 30,000. The toll was raised by 73 new deaths from the epidemic, the National Health Commission said in its daily update. Another 3,143 new cases of infection were confirmed, bringing total infections in the country thus far to 31,161, it said. The central province of Hubei where the virus originated continued to be hardest-hit, acc

Feb. 7, 2020

Global panic deepens over China virus as whistleblower doctor dies

BEIJING (AFP) -- A Chinese doctor, among the first to raise the alert about China's new coronavirus, himself died from the pathogen on Friday,  emphasizing the depth of a worsening crisis that has killed at least 630 people. Global panic also spread, with thousands trapped on quarantined cruise ships. Ophthalmologist Li Wenliang died at 2:58 am, Wuhan Central Hospital said in a post on its verified account on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The 34-year-old sent out a message about

Feb. 7, 2020

In political triumph, Trump acquitted of all impeachment charges

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US President Donald Trump drew on staunch Republican support to defeat the gravest threat yet to his three-year-old presidency on Wednesday, winning acquittal in the Senate on impeachment charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Only the third US leader ever placed on trial, Trump readily defeated the Democratic-led effort to expel him from office for having illicitly sought help from Ukraine to bolster his 2020 re-election effort. Trump immediately claimed &

Feb. 6, 2020