The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • Coronavirus in 18 U.S. states as California declares emergency

    Coronavirus in 18 U.S. states as California declares emergency

    Our Reporter

    •Italy, Iran close schools as deaths rise

    California has declared a state of emergency after announcing its first coronavirus death, bringing the United States (U.S.) death toll from the disease to 11.

    The 71-year-old man had underlying health conditions and had been on a cruise ship, said officials.

    Eleven passengers and 10 crew members are potentially infected on board the Grand Princess now being held off the coast of California.

    There are now at least 150 reported US patients with Covid-19 in 16 states.

    Tennessee and New Jersey have each confirmed their first cases of Covid-19, raising the total number of affected states to 18, according to the New York Times.

    Officials in New Jersey said on Wednesday that a 32-year-man from the New York City area was being isolated in hospital after he was tested for the virus.

    The patient is Tennessee is a 44-year-old man who recently returned home from out of state travel, according to the state’s governor. He is now remaining at home while authorities try to trace everyone with whom he had contact.

    Worldwide, authorities have confirmed more than 92,000 cases of the virus, of which more than 80,000 are in China.

    More than 3,000 people have died globally, the vast majority in China where the virus originated.

    Ten of the 11 US deaths were in Washington State.

    Meanwhile, Washington and Florida both declared states of emergency over the weekend to help prevent the coronavirus.

    Such a declaration gives cities and counties the ability to ask the state or other municipalities for aid if and when their own resources are depleted. Officials have said that a state of emergency is meant to expedite the distribution of resources and should not be cause for panic.

    It is believed that the deceased California man became infected aboard the Grand Princess, a cruise ship which made a round trip from San Francisco to Mexico last month.

    After the ship docked in San Francisco on 21 February, thousands more passengers boarded and thousands disembarked. The vessel then began a round-trip to Hawaii.

    Some 62 passengers were on both the Mexico and the Hawaii trips. They have been restricted to their rooms for testing.

    United Kingdom (UK) officials are speeding up preparations for the next stage of dealing with the outbreak, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

    He spoke after Johnson was updated on the coronavirus situation by England’s chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser.

    “We will continue to try to contain this virus,” the PM’s spokesman said. “However, it’s now highly likely that the virus is going to spread in a significant way.

    He spoke after Johnson was updated on the coronavirus situation by England’s chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser.

    Italy has confirmed that it will shut all schools from Thursday for 10 days as it battles to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

    Read Also: Expert leading UK’s battle aginst coronavirus was raised in Nigeria

    And all professional sport, including Serie A football matches, will be played behind closed doors for a month.

    A total of 107 people have now been killed by the coronavirus in Italy, which has the most serious outbreak in Europe.

    PM Giuseppe Conte said the health service risked being overwhelmed.

    Most of the more than 3,000 cases are in the north but others have been confirmed in 19 of Italy’s 20 regions.

    Schools and universities in Iran will remain closed until early April, the country’s health minister Saeed Namaki has said.

    Namaki told reporters that schools and universities would remain closed until the end of the current Iranian year.

    The Iranian year ends on 19 March 19, and there are then national holidays until early April.

    “People should not consider this as an opportunity to go travelling,” Namaki said. “They should stay home and take our warnings seriously. This virus is highly contagious – it is a serious matter, do not joke about it.”

  • Nigeria re-elected UN peacekeeping panel chair

    Nigeria re-elected UN peacekeeping panel chair

    By Our Reporter

    Nigeria has been re-elected, for the 48th time, to chair the United Nations Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, regarded as the global body’s most strategic committee.

    Charge d’Affaires, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Ambassador Samson Itegboje was elected chair of the committee also known as C-34 by acclamation at the United Nations Headquarters in New York during opening of the 2020 Session.

    According to a statement made available to The Nation yesterday by the mission, Nigeria has chaired the special committee on peacekeeping operations from 1972 till date and was always re-elected to continue to lead the most critical committee of the UN.

    The committee is the only UN committee mandated to review comprehensively the whole question of United Nations Peacekeeping operations in all its aspects.

    It also makes recommendations on enhancing the global body’s peacekeeping operations across the world, particularly, some of the pressing issues facing the more than 100,000 military, police and civilian personnel from 125 countries presently serving in 14 operations.

    Nigeria is among the world’s 15th largest troops contributor to UN Peacekeeping operations and the eighth in Africa, according to a data from the UN Peacekeeping Department.

    The data showed that Nigeria contributed 2,170 peacekeeping personnel in 2016, made up of 403 policemen, 46 military experts and 1, 721 troops, out of which 232 were females.

    These include in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Central African Republic and Lebanon, among others.

    Read Also: United Nations World Food Programme unveils ‘Bintu’ for Northeast

    Canada was also re-elected as vice chair. Argentina, Poland Japan and Egypt were elected as Bureau members.

    Speaking after his election, Itegboje said: “I thanked the members for the confidence reposed on me and Nigeria. I promise to ensure that the committee delivers on its mandate during my tenure.”

    The Nigerian envoy’s election was a demonstration of confidence reposed by the UN in Nigeria regarding the envoy’s ability, personality and charisma within the diplomatic community.

    Itegboje’s election also re-enforced Nigeria’s standing within the comity of nations in the realm of peacekeeping and contribution to international peace and security.

  • Probe into war crimes by U.S., others in Afghanistan can proceed, say ICC judges

    Probe into war crimes by U.S., others in Afghanistan can proceed, say ICC judges

    By Our Reporter

    Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have ruled that an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, Afghan military and United States (U.S.) forces may proceed.

    The decision came days after the United States agreed to pull its troops from the long-running conflict, overturns a lower court decision and opens the way for prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to launch a full investigation, despite U.S. government opposition.

    “The Appeals chamber considers it appropriate to authorise the investigation,’’ said presiding Judge Piotr Hofmanski.

    Hofmanski noted that Bensouda’s preliminary examination had found reasonable grounds to believe war crimes were committed in Afghanistan and that the court has jurisdiction.

    Afghanistan is a member of the Hague-based court, though the United States is not and U.S. President, Donald Trump’s administration imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions against ICC employees a year ago.

    A pretrial panel last year had rejected Bensouda’s 2017 request to open an investigation.

    The panel had argued that the odds of success were low, given the passage of time, a lack of cooperation from Kabul and Washington, and because it would not serve the interests of justice.

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

    Read Also: Sudan agrees to send ex-president al-Bashir to face ICC

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

    U.S. forces and other foreign troops entered Afghanistan in 2001 after the Sept. 11 al Qaeda attacks on the U. S. and overthrew the Taliban government, which had been protecting al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

    In what has become U. S. longest war, about 13,000 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan.

    The U.S. and the Taliban signed an agreement on Saturday to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops still in the country, but Washington carried out an air strike on Taliban fighters on Wednesday.

  • IMF announces $50B emergency fund for COVID-19 fight

    IMF announces $50B emergency fund for COVID-19 fight

    By Our Reporter

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) plans to provide $50 billion to help low income and emerging market countries deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

    According to the global lender, the amount will be raised through a rapid-disbursing emergency financing facility and $10 billion of it will be available at zero interest for the poorest members.

    Speaking about the rapid spread of the disease, IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said over one-third of the fund’s member countries were directly affected.

    “This is no longer a regional issue, it’s a global problem calling for a global response,” she stressed.

    Georgieva explained that one-third of the economic losses from the COVID-19 outbreak would be direct costs such as loss of life, workplace closures, and quarantines.

    Two-thirds, she added, would be indirect, including impacts on consumer confidence, business behavior, and financial markets.

    “The good news is that financial systems are more resilient than before the global financial crisis. However, our biggest challenge right now is handling uncertainty,” Georgieva said.

    She added that global growth in 2020 would be below last year’s level.

    “How far it will fall, and for how long, is difficult to predict, and would depend on the epidemic, but also on the timeliness and effectiveness of our actions,” the IMF chief noted.

    On Tuesday, the World Bank announced $12 billion as immediate intervention for countries coping with the health and economic impacts of COVID-19.

    READ ALSO: Nigerian, from France, in isolation over suspected COVID-19

    The new coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, last December and has now spread to over 75 countries, with the global death toll estimated at 3,500 and more than 92,000 confirmed cases.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO), which had declared the outbreak an international health emergency, has updated the global risk level to “very high”.

  • Countries indifferent to COVID-19, says WHO

    Countries indifferent to COVID-19, says WHO

    By Our Reporter

    SOME countries have not taken the COVID-19 epidemic seriously, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Thursday.

    The United Nations (UN) agency said such nations’ level of political commitment and actions is not commensurate to the level of the threat faced globally.

    WHO’s Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus sounded the warning yesterday during the daily media briefing on COVID-19.

    Dr. Ghebreyesus stressed that the epidemic was a threat for every country, rich or poor, adding that even high-income countries should expect surprises.

    “The solution is aggressive preparedness,” he said.

    According to him, countries have been planning for scenarios like this for decades, saying, now is the time to act on those plans.

    READ ALSO: Nigerian, from France, in isolation over suspected COVID-19

    He said: “These are plans that start with leadership from the top, coordinating every part of government, not just the health ministry – security, diplomacy, finance, commerce, transport, trade, information and more – the whole government should be involved.

    “Activate your emergency plans through that whole-government approach. Educate your public, so that people know what the symptoms are and know how to protect themselves and others.

    “Increase your testing capacity; get your hospitals ready; ensure essential supplies are available.

    “Train your health workers to identify cases, provide careful and compassionate treatment, and protect themselves from infection.”

    He emphasised that if countries act aggressively to find, isolate and treat cases, to trace every contact, they can change the trajectory of the epidemic.

    “If we take the approach that there is nothing we can do, that will quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is in our hands,” he said.

    Ghebreyesus said that WHO has published a step-by-step guidelines for countries to develop their national action plans according to eight key areas, which are supported by detailed technical guidance.

    “We call on all countries to accelerate those plans, and we stand ready to work with them to do that.

     

  • Coronavirus: Research reveals where it lingers, how to kill it

    Coronavirus: Research reveals where it lingers, how to kill it

    New research from Singapore published shows that patients with the novel coronavirus extensively contaminate their bedrooms and bathrooms, underscoring the need to routinely clean high-touch surfaces, basins and toilet bowls.

    The virus was, however, killed by twice-a-day cleaning of surfaces and daily cleaning of floors with a commonly used disinfectant — suggesting that current decontamination measures are sufficient as long as people adhere to them.

    The research letter was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and comes after Chinese cases in which the pathogen spread extensively through hospitals, infecting dozens of health care workers and other patients.

    This led scientists to believe that, beyond catching the infection through coughing, environmental contamination was an important factor in the disease’s transmission, but its extent was unclear.

    Researchers at Singapore’s National Center for Infectious Diseases and DSO National Laboratories looked at the cases of three patients who were held in isolation rooms between late January and early February. They collected samples from the rooms on five days over a two-week period.

    The room of one patient was sampled before routine cleaning, while the rooms of the other two patients were sampled after disinfection measures.

    READ ALSO: Prince William’s joke about spreading coronavirus

    The patient whose room was sampled before cleaning had the mildest symptoms of the three, only experiencing a cough. The other two had moderate symptoms: Both had coughing and fever, one experienced shortness of breath and the other was coughing up mucus.

    Despite this disparity, the patient whose room was sampled before cleaning contaminated 13 of 15 room sites tested, including a chair, the bed rail, a glass window, the floor and light switches. Three of the five toilet sites were also contaminated, including the sink, door handle and toilet bowl — more evidence that stool can be a route of transmission.

    Air samples tested negative, but swabs taken from air exhaust outlets were positive — which suggests that virus-laden droplets may be carried by air flows and deposited on vents.

    The two rooms that were tested after cleaning had no positive results.

    “Significant environmental contamination by patients with SARS-CoV-2 through respiratory droplets and fecal shedding suggests the environment as a potential medium of transmission and supports the need for strict adherence to environmental and hand hygiene,” the authors wrote. SARS-CoV-R is the official name of the pathogen.

    (www.newsnow.co.uk)

  • Iran deploys new military reinforcements in Syria

    Iran deploys new military reinforcements in Syria

    Iran has deployed new military reinforcements in the strategic town of Saraqib in Idlib, northern Syria, to support the regime forces, Turkish media reported.

    Yesterday, Turkey’s Yeni Safak newspaper reported that Iran had deployed 2,000 members of its proxy militias and the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force to Saraqib while its Fatemiyoun Brigade deployed a convoy of 200 vehicles to Ma’arat Al-Numan.

    The paper noted that Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group also deployed new fighters in Saraqib, after withdrawing dozens of its militants against the backdrop of killing at least 15 of its fighters and wounding 50 others.

    READ ALSO: US bans travels to Iran

    It pointed to reports that a Hezbollah delegation had arrived from Lebanon and sought to implement a ceasefire in order to withdraw its members from the region.

    According to the paper, the Syrian regime also deployed reinforcements in the region, adding that Russia provided the new reinforcements four hours of non-strop aerial cover, forcing opposition forces to withdraw from some locations.

    The newspaper also quoted local sources as saying that the Turkish drones killed nearly 40 members of the Syrian regime forces in the village of Jubas.

    (www.newsnow.co.uk)

  • Seminar on visa-free access to 152 countries holds tomorrow

    Seminar on visa-free access to 152 countries holds tomorrow

     

    A firm, the Fairway Condominium Development Ltd, in conjunction with Punuka Consulting Incorporated, will hold a seminar tomorrow in Lagos, on how to obtain the St. Kitts and Nevis passport.

    The Lagos event will hold at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja by 10am.

    The seminar will also hold in Abuja on March 9 and will explore investment opportunities to Nigerians on the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship By Investment (CBI) Programme.

    Read Also: South Africa grants Ghana visa-free status, denies Nigeria

     

    The seminars are designed for professionals and entrepreneurs interested in having a second passport to enhance their access to travel, business, financial and lifestyle freedom.

    The St. Kitts and Nevis passport is ranked as one of the top 25 passports in the world and provides its holder with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 152 countries, amongst other benefits.

    Chief Executive Officer of the Citizenship by Investment Unit, the Permanent Secretary and Special Advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and other notable dignitaries will be present at the seminar.

    The Fairway team from St. Kitts & Nevis will also be available in Nigeria from March 5 to 10 to meet one-on-one with Nigerians interested in obtaining a second passport.

  • Prince William’s joke about spreading coronavirus

    Prince William’s joke about spreading coronavirus

     

     

    Britain’s Prince William has joked with healthcare workers about “spreading” the coronavirus, on the first evening of his three-day visit to Ireland.

    The Duke of Cambridge made the comments on Tuesday while meeting emergency workers at a reception in Dublin hosted by Britain’s ambassador to Ireland.

    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and his partner, Matthew Barrett, in Dublin on March 3, 2020.

    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and his partner, Matthew Barrett, in Dublin on March 3, 2020.

    Speaking to Joe Mooney, an advance paramedic with the National Ambulance Service, William quipped: “I bet everyone’s like ‘I’ve got coronavirus, I’m dying,’ and you’re like ‘no, you’ve just got a cough.’”

    Read Also: The Coronavirus conundrum

     

    According to the UK’s PA Media news agency, the prince, who is second in line to the throne, also questioned whether media coverage of the infection was excessive.

    “It does seem quite dramatic about coronavirus at the moment. Is it being a little hyped up, do you think, by the media?” he said.

    Queen Elizabeth wears gloves during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday.

    Queen Elizabeth wears gloves during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday.

    In another video clip from the event the duke was heard saying: “By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading coronavirus, Sorry. We’re keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop.”

    According to the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care, a total of 16,659 people have been tested for the coronavirus in the UK, of whom 85 have been confirmed as positive.

     

  • Saudi Arabia suspends Umrah pilgrimage for citizens, residents

    Saudi Arabia suspends Umrah pilgrimage for citizens, residents

     

     

    Saudi Arabia yesterday temporarily halted citizens and foreign residents from carrying out the Umrah pilgrimage in Makkah to prevent coronavirus spread, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

    According to SPA, the suspension is part of the precautionary measures the government has taken to reduce the spread of the infection.

    The measure is coming after Riyadh banned people from travelling to Saudi Arabia to complete the Umrah pilgrimage to Makkah or to visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.

    Millions travel to Saudi Arabia every year to perform Umrah, a smaller pilgrimage than the Hajj, and it could be undertaken at any time during the year.

    However, the 2020 bigger Hajj was expected to commence in July.

    A total of 94 countries and territories were imposing entry restrictions or stricter quarantine procedures on people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns, Seoul’s foreign ministry said on yesterday.

    As of 2 p.m., 33 countries and territories imposed an outright entry ban for travellers who have visited Korea in the past two weeks, according to the ministry website.

    Qatar began to enforce an entry ban starting Monday on foreigners with a record of visits to South Korea, China, Iran, Italy or Egypt over the past month.

    Foreigners who have residential permits in the Middle Eastern country will face a 14-day quarantine at a designated facility.

    Five other countries, the Maldives, Vietnam, Japan, Fiji and the Philippines were barring the entry of those with a record of visits to South Korea’s Daegu city and nearby North Gyeongsang Province, the main clusters of COVID-19 infections.

    Read Also: Coronavirus: Nature, big pharma, US/China at play

     

    Including 15 provinces in China, 22 countries and regions were imposing a mandatory 14-day quarantine for travellers from Korea. The Chinese island province of Hainan was added to the list.

    Italy prepared new emergency measures yesterday to try to slow the spread of coronavirus in Europe’s worst hit country, including the possible closure of all schools, universities, cinemas, theaters and most public events.

    Seventy-nine people had died of the new coronavirus in Italy as of Tuesday, with more than 2,500 confirmed cases since the outbreak surfaced 13 days ago.

    Costa Rica now requires all passengers from Korea, China, Italy and Iran to undergo separate health screenings inside the airport.

    Denmark recommends a two-week home quarantine for those who came from Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, as well as a few other virus-affected locations.

    Venezuela has been moved to the list of those requiring foreigners from Korea, China, Japan, and Singapore to be quarantined at a facility if they are suspected of infection.

    The South American nation had been carrying out temperature checks upon arrival and monitoring thereafter.

    That puts the number of countries with less strict quarantine procedures or quarantine recommendations at 34, including Nepal, which has announced a halt to issuing arrival visas for foreigners from virus affected countries starting next Tuesday.

    The U.S. is yet implemented entry restrictions.

    But U.S. President, Donald Trump said Tuesday (U.S. time) that Washington is looking closely at South Korea over the coronavirus outbreak and will decide whether to impose travel restrictions on its Asian ally at the right time.

    All South Korean passengers on flights bound for the U.S. currently undergo temperature checks before boarding.