oann--2020-01-07--Wall Street dips as investors focus on Middle East, but chipmakers climb

NEW YORK ( Reuters ) – Wall Street ’ s major indexes declined on Tuesday as investor caution persisted amid a dispute between the United States and Iran , while energy shares fell as oil prices gave back some recent gains .
After the bell , S & P 500 futures fell 1 % following reports that rockets were fired at an airbase in Iraq hosting U.S. forces .
The late-day drop in S & P 500 futures suggests investors expect Wall Street to open at a loss on Wednesday .
During Tuesday ’ s trading session , Exxon Mobil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ < CVX.N > declined with oil prices , which had rallied in recent days on escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran following the killing of a top Iranian military commander by the United States last week .
Chipmakers gained and helped to limit market losses , especially in the Nasdaq .
The Philadelphia Semiconductor index < .SOX > rose 1.8 % with Micron Technology Inc < MU.O > gaining 8.8 % after brokerage Cowen & Co upgraded the chipmaker to “ outperform.
” Equity investors have been jittery since late last week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Major General Qassem Soleimani , taking major indexes off record highs .
“ We ’ re trying to digest the Middle East action ” and other news on the political front , said Jack Janasiewicz , portfolio manager at Natixis Investment Managers ’ Multi-Asset Portfolio Solutions group in Boston .
“ It ’ s a little bit of a step back , take a breath , consolidate a little bit , ” he said .
“ But we ’ re going to start to head into earnings , and that ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market.
” Major U.S. companies begin reporting fourth-quarter results next week , with S & P 500 earnings forecast as of Tuesday to have declined 0.6 % in the quarter from a year ago , according to IBES data from Refinitiv .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average < .DJI > fell 119.7 points , or 0.42 % , to 28,583.68 , the S & P 500 < .SPX > lost 9.1 points , or 0.28 % , to 3,237.18 and the Nasdaq Composite < .IXIC > dropped 2.88 points , or 0.03 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boeing Co < BA.N > shares climbed 1.1 % after it said it was recommending that airline pilots undergo simulator training before they resume flying the 737 MAX , a shift from its previous position that pilots only needed computer-based training on new software following two fatal crashes .
Also , Microchip Technology Inc < MCHP.O > rose 6.7 % after raising the midpoint of its third-quarter sales forecast .
Apache Corp < APA.N > soared 26.8 % after it made a major oil discovery , with France ’ s Total SA < @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suriname .
On the economic front , data showed new orders for U.S.-made goods fell in November , pulled down by steep declines in demand for machinery and transportation equipment .
However , a reading on non-manufacturing sector activity for November came in better than expected .
Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 1.30-to-1 ratio ; on Nasdaq , a 1.22-to-1 ratio favored decliners .
The S & P 500 posted 37 new 52-week highs and one new low ; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 94 new highs and 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was 6.89 billion shares , compared with the 6.94 billion-share average for the full session over the last 20 trading days .

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oann--2020-01-07--Japan seeks arrest of Ghosn’s wife amid efforts to snare him

TOKYO/BEIRUT ( Reuters ) – Japanese prosecutors on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for Carlos Ghosn ’ s wife for alleged perjury , as officials stepped up efforts to bring the fugitive car industry boss back to face trial on financial misconduct charges .
The former Nissan Motor , and Renault chairman fled to Lebanon last month from Japan , where he has alleged there was a government-backed coup to oust him .
A senior Japanese Ministry of Justice official said staff were poring over Lebanese laws to find a way to bring back Ghosn and that Japan “ will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him on trial .
In Beirut , the justice minister confirmed that prosecutors had received a “ red notice ” arrest warrant from Interpol in respect of Ghosn and would take the necessary action .
The ministry said nothing had been received from Japanese prosecutors relating to an arrest warrant for his wife , Carole , who is in the Lebanese capital .
The Japanese warrant accuses her of falsely claiming not to know , or to have met , people connected to a company that received payments from Nissan Motor , part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm owned by Ghosn .
Japan ’ s ambassador to Lebanon , Takeshi Okubo , met President Michel Aoun on Tuesday to request “ greater co-operation on this in order to avoid negative repercussions for our friendly relations ” , according to Aoun ’ s office .
Ghosn is scheduled to hold a news conference on Wednesday , his first such appearance since his arrest in November 2018 and his dramatic flight to Lebanon , his childhood home.. “ Last time Carlos Ghosn announced a press conference and got re-arrested .
This time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to speak out freely for the first time , they issued an arrest warrant for his wife Carole Ghosn , ” a spokeswoman for Ghosn told Reuters in Beirut .
“ The issuance of this warrant is pathetic.
” Ghosn is expected to detail some of the claims he has made against Nissan since his arrest .
Citing an interview with Ghosn , Fox Business reported that he said he has “ actual evidence ” and documents to show there was a Japanese government-backed coup to “ take him out ” .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the broadcaster said .
In earlier court filings seen by Reuters and statements released by his lawyers , Ghosn says he was unseated to destroy any possibility of a merger between Nissan and Renault , accusing Nissan executives of colluding with prosecutors and Ministry of Economy , Trade and Industry officials .
Ghosn ’ s legal team also said prosecutors withheld evidence , citing concerns voiced by Nissan that it included sensitive information about operations and employees .
Nissan said that despite Ghosn ’ s flight from Japan the company still held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The company will continue to take appropriate legal action to hold Ghosn accountable for the harm that his misconduct has caused to Nissan , ” the automaker said in a statement .
Japan ’ s Chief Cabinet Secretary , Yoshihide Suga , on Tuesday described Ghosn ’ s escape to Beirut via Istanbul as “ regrettable ” and said Tokyo had asked Lebanon for help .
“ It ’ s necessary to carefully consider the legal systems of both countries , ” he told a news conference .
Lebanon does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jet , operator of the private planes Ghosn used to escape , said half of the $ 350,000 flight contract was paid from Dubai by a company called Al Nitaq Al Akhadar , which it did not know .
MNG said last week it was not aware Ghosn used its jets and has blamed an employee it said falsified documents to transport him from Osaka to Beirut .


oann--2020-01-07--Stampede kills 56 at slain general’s funeral as Iran vows revenge on U.S.

BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) – At least 56 people were killed in a stampede in Iran on Tuesday as tens of thousands of mourners packed streets for the funeral of an Iranian military commander whose killing has plunged the Middle East into a new crisis and sparked fears of a wider war .
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the United States should anticipate retaliation from Iran over last week ’ s killing of elite Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq .
“ I think we should expect that they will retaliate in some way , shape or form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Pentagon , adding that such retaliation could be through Iran-backed proxy groups outside of Iran or “ by their own hand.
” “ We ’ re prepared for any contingency .
And then we will respond appropriately to whatever they do.
” Soleimani , a pivotal figure in orchestrating Iran ’ s long-standing campaign to drive U.S. forces out of Iraq , was also responsible for building up Tehran ’ s network of proxy armies across the Middle East .
He was a national hero to many Iranians , whether supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but viewed as a dangerous villain by Western governments opposed to Iran ’ s arc of influence running across the Levant and into the Gulf region .
A senior Iranian official said Tehran was considering several scenarios to avenge his death .
Other senior figures have said the Islamic Republic would match the scale of the killing when it responds , but that it would choose the time and place .
“ We will take revenge , a hard and definitive revenge , ” the head of Iran ’ s Revolutionary Guards , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kerman , Soleimani ’ s hometown in southeastern Iran .
Soleimani ’ s burial went ahead after several hours of delay following the stampede , in which more than 210 people were also injured , according an emergency official quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency .
“ Today because of the heavy congestion of the crowd unfortunately a number of our fellow citizens who were mourning were injured and a number were killed , ” emergency medical services chief Pirhossein Kolivand told state television .
Soleimani ’ s body had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities in Iraq and Iran , as well as the Iranian capital , Tehran , before arriving for burial in the city cemetery ’ s “ martyrs section ” , according to the semi-official news agency ISNA .
In each place , huge numbers of people filled thoroughfares , chanting : “ Death to America ” and weeping with emotion .
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wept as he led prayers in Tehran .
Representatives from groups including the Palestinian Islamist Hamas and Lebanon ’ s Hezbollah attended funeral events in Tehran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as those have fueled conflicts , killing and displacing people in Iraq , Syria and beyond .
Tehran says any operations abroad are at the request of governments and that it offers “ advisory support ” .
Prompted by the strong public backlash over Soleimani ’ s killing on Iraqi soil , lawmakers in Iraq voted on Sunday to demand a removal of all foreign forces from the country .
Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has told the U.S. ambassador to Baghdad that the parliamentary resolution must be implemented .
But Esper said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq to withdraw and noted that the resolution was non-binding .
U.S. Army General Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said on Monday that a leaked letter from the U.S. military to Iraq that created the impression that a U.S. withdrawal was imminent was a poorly worded draft meant only to underscore an increased movement of forces in the region .
Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday the Iraqi military joint operations command had received a letter from the U.S. Army concerning a possible U.S. withdrawal .
But he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabic language versions were not identical and so Iraq had requested clarifications .
More than 5,000 U.S. troops remain in the country along with other foreign forces as part of a coalition that has trained and backed up Iraqi security forces against the threat of Islamic State militants .
A NATO official told Reuters it would move some of its several hundred trainers out of Iraq .
Canada said on Tuesday some of its 500 Iraq-based forces would be temporarily moved to Kuwait for safety reasons .
French President Emmanuel Macron , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s president , Hassan Rouhani , urged Tehran to avoid any actions that could worsen regional tensions .
Friction between Iran and the United States has risen since Trump withdrew in 2018 from a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers , approved by his predecessor , Barack Obama , and reimposed sanctions on Tehran slashing its vital oil exports .
Iran ’ s coastline runs along a Gulf oil shipping route that includes the narrow Strait of Hormuz .
U.S. officials have said Soleimani was killed because of solid intelligence indicating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. targets in the region , although they have provided no evidence .
Ali Shamkhani , secretary of Iran ’ s Supreme National Security Council , said 13 “ revenge scenarios ” were being considered , Fars news agency reported .
Even the weakest option would prove “ a historic nightmare for the Americans ” , he said .
Reuters has reported that Iranian missile forces have been put on a heightened state of alert .
On the U.S. side , the Pentagon has been moving thousands of additional forces into the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 82nd Airborne Division .
Despite its strident rhetoric , Iran will want to avoid any conventional military conflict with superior U.S. forces , analysts say .
On Saturday , U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington had singled out 52 Iranian sites , including ones important to Iranian culture , as targets to strike if Iran attacked Americans or U.S. assets in response to Soleimani ’ s death .
The suggestion , which would break international conventions and treaties , caused consternation around the world and warnings from the Pentagon that it would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law .
Trump told reporters on Tuesday he would reluctantly abide by the law .


oann--2020-01-11--Washington spurns Iraqi call to remove troops

BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) – Washington on Friday spurned an Iraqi request to prepare to pull out its troops , amid heightened U.S.-Iranian tensions after the U.S. killing of an Iranian commander in Baghdad , and said it was exploring a possible expansion of NATO ’ s presence there .
Seeking to tighten pressure on its foe , the United States meanwhile imposed more sanctions on Iran , responding to an attack on U.S. troops in Iraq launched by Tehran in retaliation for the death of General Qassem Soleimani .
Iraq could bear the brunt of any further violence between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , its leaders caught in a bind as Washington and Tehran are also the Iraqi government ’ s main allies and vie for influence there .
President Donald Trump said Iran had probably planned to attack the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and was aiming to strike four U.S. embassies when Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike .
“ We will tell you probably it was going to be the embassy in Baghdad , ” Trump said in a clip of an interview with Fox News .
“ I can reveal that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embassies.
” Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi made his request for preparations for a U.S. troop withdrawal in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday in line with a vote in Iraq ’ s parliament last week , his office said .
Abdul Mahdi asked Pompeo to “ send delegates to put in place the tools to carry out the parliament ’ s decision , ” his office said in a statement , adding that the forces used in the killing had entered Iraq or used its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said any U.S. delegation would not discuss the withdrawal of U.S. troops as their presence in Iraq was “ appropriate.
” “ There does , however , need to be a conversation between the U.S. and Iraqi governments not just regarding security , but about our financial , economic , and diplomatic partnership , ” spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement .
Trump said in the Fox News interview that if Iraq wanted the United States to leave , he would tell them : “ You have to pay us for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States has $ 35 billion of Iraq ’ s money “ sitting in an account.
” “ I think they ’ ll agree to pay .
Otherwise we ’ ll stay there , ” Trump said .
Pompeo told reporters a NATO delegation was in Washington on Friday to discuss the future of the Iraq mission and a plan to “ get burden-sharing right in the region ” .
Separately , the State Department said Pompeo had discussed Iran with Canadian Foreign Minister Francois‑Philippe Champagne as well as “ the opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and appropriate burden sharing ” .
The latest flare-up in the long covert war between Iran and the United States began with the U.S. killing of Soleimani , Iran ’ s top general , in a drone strike on Jan. 3 .
Iran responded on Wednesday by firing missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq .
In the aftermath , both sides backed off from intensifying the conflict but the region remains tense .
Iraq ’ s top Shi ’ ite Muslim cleric condemned the U.S.-Iranian struggle happening on Iraqi soil , saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East into deeper conflict .
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said it was Iraqis who stood to suffer most from the U.S.-Iranian conflict .
In a message delivered through a representative at Friday prayers in the holy city of Kerbala , Sistani said no foreign powers should be allowed to decide Iraq ’ s fate .
“ The latest dangerous aggressive acts , which are repeated violations of Iraqi sovereignty , are a part of the deteriorating situation ” in the region , Sistani said .
“ Iraq must govern itself and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its decision-making.
” Iraq has suffered decades of war , sanctions and sectarian conflict , including the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 .
At Friday prayers in Tehran , mid-ranking Iranian cleric Mohammad Javad Haj Aliakbari said U.S. interests across the world were now exposed to threats .
Since Soleimani ’ s killing , Tehran has stepped up its calls for U.S. forces to leave Iraq , which like Iran is a mainly Shi ’ ite Muslim nation .
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said the retaliatory strikes were not enough and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region was Tehran ’ s main goal .
But Pompeo said on Friday Washington had specific information about an imminent Iranian threat including to U.S. embassies , adding : “ American lives were at risk.
” As part of his most recent activities in Iraq , Soleimani had encouraged pro-Iranian Iraqi militias to quash months of protests by Iraqis opposed to the influence in their country of foreign powers such as Iran and the United States .
In Iraqi cities , demonstrators took to the streets again on Friday , determined to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention turning to the threat of a U.S.-Iran conflict .
Gunmen killed two local journalists covering protests in the southern city of Basra , security sources and state media said .
Ahmed Abdulsamad , Basra correspondent of Dijla TV station — owned by senior Sunni politician Mohammed al-Karbouli — was killed immediately while his camera operator succumbed to his wounds in hospital , a medical source told Reuters .
“ Politicians and clerics…are either with Iran , the U.S. or other countries .
Our allegiance is to Iraq only , not to factions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 54 , a demonstrator in Baghdad .


oann--2020-01-12--Canada’s Trudeau wins plaudits at home as Iran admits causing crash

EDMONTON , Alberta ( Reuters ) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ’ s diplomacy was vindicated on Saturday when Iran admitted that it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner as Trudeau had suggested , and his handling of the incident may increase support at home , Canadian political observers said .
The crash on Wednesday killed 176 people , including 57 from Canada .
Iran insisted for days that it did not down the plane , but Trudeau said on Thursday he had received intelligence that suggested it did .
In a sharp reversal , Iran said on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the airliner while on alert following Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq .
“ It helps ( Trudeau ) to demonstrate and assure Canadians that Canada will do its utmost to get explanations , gather the evidence and get justice for families that have lost loved ones , ” said Paul Thomas , professor emeritus of political studies at University of Manitoba .
U.S. President Donald Trump and United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson had voiced similar suspicions .
But before Iran ’ s admission , the Middle East state demanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pressure had been mounting on Trudeau to respond strongly after he avoided more aggressive language immediately after the crash .
“ His cautious reaction in the days after the crash has been vindicated , ” said Roland Paris , Trudeau ’ s former foreign policy adviser and professor of international affairs at University of Ottawa .
“ He resisted the temptation to lash out .
That might have provided space for the Iranian government to face the reality that it had shot down an airliner.
” Trudeau ’ s Liberal Party was re-elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that leaves him dependent on other parties to hold government .
On Saturday , Trudeau said he was “ outraged and furious ” about the tragedy and spoke with Iran President Hassan Rouhani .
[ L1N29G05K ] This response won praise from one of his fiercest critics , Alberta Premier Jason Kenney .
“ Thank-you to Prime Minister @ JustinTrudeau for his strong words denouncing the revelation that the Iranian military shot down UIA Flight 752 , ” Kenney tweeted .
Kenney ’ s province was hard-hit , suffering more than a dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Everybody is saying thanks to Canada for creating that environment of pressure to pursue the facts , to pursue justice , ” said Reza Akbari , president of the Iranian Heritage Society of Edmonton .
Canadian investigators are among the international officials involved in the crash probe .
Canada also said on Friday that it had established a global coordination group including Ukraine , Sweden , Afghanistan and the United Kingdom to support victims ’ families .
“ If Canada is able to play a prominent role , I think Trudeau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Thomas said .
The Conservative Party of Canada , the main opposition , said Trudeau still needs to hold Iran to account by listing Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group , and by imposing sanctions if Iran does not fully cooperate with the investigation .


oann--2020-01-12--‘Disastrous mistake’: Iran acknowledges shooting down Ukrainian airliner

DUBAI ( Reuters ) – Iran said on Saturday its military had shot down a Ukrainian plane killing all 176 aboard in a “ disastrous mistake ” , saying air defenses were fired in error while on alert after Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq .
Iran had denied for days after Wednesday ’ s crash that it had brought down the airliner , although a top Revolutionary Guards commander said on Saturday that he told authorities about the unintentional missile strike the day it happened .
Even as top Iranian officials and the military issued apologies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the capital Tehran , Shiraz , Esfahan , Hamedan and Orumiyeh .
Foreign governments condemned Iran ’ s shootdown , with Ukraine demanding compensation .
Canada , Ukraine and Britain , however , called Tehran ’ s admission an important first step .
“ What Iran has admitted to is very serious .
Shooting down a civilian aircraft is horrific .
Iran must take full responsibility , ” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , whose country had 57 citizens on board , told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the accountability , justice , and closure that the families deserve.
” Trudeau said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani committed to collaborating with Canadian investigators , working to de-escalate tensions in the region and continuing a dialogue .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Iran ’ s acknowledgement was a step in the right direction but added , “ The perpetrators must be held accountable.
” Writing on Twitter , Zelenskiy said Rouhani had apologized to him on behalf of his country .
Zelenskiy demanded that the victims be identified and returned to Ukraine at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , until now silent about the crash , said information about the incident should be made public .
Up to 1,000 protesters chanted slogans in Tehran against the authorities , the semi-official Fars news agency said in a rare report on anti-government unrest .
Demonstrators ripped up pictures of Qassem Soleimani , a prominent Iranian military commander who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq on Jan. 3 .
Iranian missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq on Wednesday in retaliation for the killing led to Iran being on a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hours when the plane was downed .
A British envoy to Tehran was arrested for several hours in front of Amir Kabir University for inciting anti-government protesters , the Tehran-based Tasnim news agency said .
On Twitter , videos showed protesters demanding that Khamenei step down because of the disaster .
“ Commander-in-chief resign , resign , ” hundreds chanted in front of Tehran ’ s Amir Kabir university .
Reuters could not verify the footage .
The crash heightened international pressure on Iran after months of friction with the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States had both said early on that they believed an Iranian missile brought down the aircraft , probably in error .
“ The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake , ” Rouhani wrote on Twitter , promising that those responsible would be prosecuted .
“ My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families.
” In the first official U.S. statement after Iran ’ s admission , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posted on Twitter a video of the protests in Tehran with the caption , “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are fed up with the regime ’ s lies , corruption , ineptitude and brutality ” of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps , a branch of the Iranian military , under what he called Khamenei ’ s “ kleptocracy.
” Experts said mounting international scrutiny would have made it all but impossible to hide signs of a missile strike in any investigation and Iran may have felt a U-turn was better than battling rising criticism abroad and growing grief and anger at home , as many victims were Iranians with dual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranians asked why the plane was allowed to take off with tensions in Iran so high .
The plane , a Boeing 737-800 en route for Kiev , came down shortly after take-off from Tehran , when Iran was alert for U.S. reprisals after launching rockets at U.S. troops in Iraqi bases .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Iran ’ s admission was “ an important first step ” and that it was “ vital that all leaders now pursue a diplomatic way forward ” to avoid conflict .
Iran ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , apologized to the nation and accepted full responsibility .
Senior Guards commander Amirali Hajizadeh said he had informed Iran ’ s authorities on Wednesday about the unintentional strike , a comment that raised questions about why officials had publicly denied it for so long .
Speaking on state television , Hajizadeh said he wished “ I could die ” when he heard about the incident .
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter that “ human error at time of crisis caused by U.S. adventurism led to disaster ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crash .
A military statement said the plane flew close to a sensitive Revolutionary Guards site at a time of high alert .
Ukraine said the plane was in a normal flight corridor and Iran ’ s Civil Aviation Organisation said the airliner had not veered off its normal course .
Ukraine International Airlines said Iran should have closed the airport .
The carrier said it had received no indication it faced a threat and was cleared for take off .
Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said his country will pay 200,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the families of those who died in the disaster .
Honcharuk also said Ukrainian diplomats were working on how to receive compensation from the Iranian authorities .
European airlines should avoid Iranian airspace until further notice , the EU Aviation Safety Agency said , expanding on earlier advice that airlines should not overfly Iran below 25,000 feet ( 7.6 km ) .
The disaster was reminiscent of a 1988 incident in which the American guided-missile cruiser USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner , killing 290 people .
Washington said it was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iran ’ s admission stands in contrast to Russia ’ s denials of responsibility in the 2014 shootdown of a Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukrainian territory held by Russia-backed separatists .
All 298 people aboard died .
A Dutch-led investigation concluded that the missile that hit the aircraft came from a launcher transported from a Russian military base just across the border .


oann--2020-01-13--‘Our enemy is here’: Iran protesters demand that leaders quit after plane downed

DUBAI ( Reuters ) – Protests erupted across Iran for a second day on Sunday , increasing pressure on the Islamic Republic ’ s leadership after it admitted its military shot down a Ukrainian airliner by accident , despite days of denials that Iranian forces were to blame .
“ They are lying that our enemy is America , our enemy is right here , ” one group of protesters chanted outside a university in Tehran , according to video posted on Twitter .
Other posts showed demonstrators outside a second university and a group of protesters marching to Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as protests in other cities .
Some state-affiliated media carried reports of the university protests , which followed demonstrations on Saturday sparked by Iran ’ s admission that its military mistakenly shot down the plane on Wednesday , killing all 176 aboard , at a time when Tehran feared U.S. air strikes .
The Ukraine International Airlines plane was downed minutes after taking off from Tehran bound for Kiev on Wednesday .
Many on board were Iranians with dual citizenship , while 57 were holders of Canadian passports .
Residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were out in force on Sunday .
Some protesters in Azadi Square first called on officers there to join them , then turned their anger on the authorities , chanting anti-government slogans including “ Down with the dictator ” – a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , according to social media posts and Iranian media reports .
The semi-official ILNA news agency said police moved to disperse the protesters , who it said numbered as many as 3,000 .
Videos posted online showed demonstrators running from police who used batons and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videos .
Public anger boiled up following days of denials by the military that it was to blame for the crash , issued even as Canada and the United States said it appeared that Iranian air defenses had shot down the airliner , probably in error .
“ Apologise and resign , ” Iran ’ s moderate Etemad daily wrote in a banner headline on Sunday , saying the “ people ’ s demand ” was that those responsible for mishandling the crisis quit .
The latest unrest adds to mounting pressure on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep the crippled economy afloat under stringent U.S. sanctions .
Demonstrations against a hike in fuel prices turned political last year , sparking the bloodiest crackdown in the 40-year history of the Islamic Republic .
About 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest that started on Nov. 15 , three Iranian Interior Ministry officials told Reuters , although international rights groups put the figure much lower and Iran called the report “ fake news.
” After saying on Saturday that he was “ inspired ” by the courage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday : “ To the leaders of Iran – DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS .
Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you , and the World is watching .
More importantly , the USA is watching .
Turn your internet back on and let reporters roam free !
” About 2,000 people packed a vigil for the air-crash victims in Toronto on Sunday , and a similar number attended a memorial in Edmonton , Alberta , where Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke .
His voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would “ pursue justice and accountability ” for the victims .
“ We will not rest until there are answers , ” he said .
The downing of the plane came as Iranian forces were on high alert for U.S. reprisals following tit-for-tat strikes .
A U.S. drone strike in Iraq on Jan. 3 killed prominent Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani , responsible for building up Iran ’ s network of proxy armies in Iraq and beyond .
Tehran responded with missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq .
No U.S. soldiers were killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tense hours that followed , the Boeing 737-800 was cleared to take off from Tehran airport and brought down by a missile fired by mistake .
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani apologized for what he said was a “ disastrous mistake ” .
But a top Revolutionary Guards commander added to public anger when he said he had told the authorities on the same day as the crash that an Iranian missile had brought down the plane .
The Guards ’ top commander , Hossein Salami , said that “ we are more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” state media reported .
Another commander said Iran did not intend to conceal the cause .
But others said Iran ’ s enemies , a term usually used to refer to Washington and its allies , were exploiting the incident .
“ Iran ’ s enemies want to take revenge on the Guards for a military mistake , ” said Ali Shirazi , Khamenei ’ s representative to the Quds Force , the elite overseas Guards unit that Soleimani headed , state media reported .
Iranian officials sought to portray the plane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation mourning after Soleimani ’ s death .
His funeral prompted huge public gatherings , which the authorities described as a show of national unity .
But the displays of emotion have been swiftly overshadowed and protesters on Saturday tore up pictures of the slain general .
The killing of Soleimani dramatically escalated tensions between Tehran and Washington , following months of hostilities since Trump withdrew from a nuclear pact between Iran and world powers in 2018 and then toughened up sanctions .
Britain protested after its ambassador in Iran was briefly detained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was inciting protests .
The envoy said he attended a vigil for plane victims .
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned the arrest and said Iran “ can continue its march towards pariah status … or take steps to de-escalate tensions ” with diplomacy .


oann--2020-01-13--Australian prime minister’s approval rating goes up in flames

MELBOURNE ( Reuters ) – Public support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison has slumped to its lowest levels amid widespread anger over his government ’ s handling of Australia ’ s bushfire crisis , according to a survey released by Newspoll on Monday .
At least 28 people have been killed in the fires that have destroyed 2,000 homes , and razed 11.2 million hectares ( 27.7 million acres ) , nearly half the area of the United Kingdom Morrison has come under attack for being slow to respond to the crisis , even taking a family holiday to Hawaii @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a television interview on Sunday that he had made some mistakes .
“ We have heard the message loud and clear from the Australian people , ” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Monday , when asked about the poll result as he announced a A $ 50 million ( $ 34.56 million ) wildlife protection fund .
“ They want to see a Federal Government adopt a very direct response to these natural and national disasters , ” Frydenberg said .
The Newspoll survey showed Morrison ’ s approval rating dropped 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 to stand at 37 % , scoring lower than opposition Labor leader Anthony Albanese .
It is Morrison ’ s worst showing in the poll since he took over leadership of the ruling Liberal Party in August 2018 when a backbench uprising ousted former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull .
No margin of error was provided for the poll , which surveyed 1,505 people from Wednesday to Saturday , although it was about 2.5 % points in previous Newspolls .
The poll was taken after Morrison announced a A $ 2 billion bushfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reservists to back up state emergency workers – responses that were viewed as belated .
Morrison said on Sunday he would take a proposal to Cabinet to hold a Royal Commission national inquiry into the bushfires , including examining the response to the crisis , the role and powers of the federal government and the impact of climate change .
After weeks of raging fires whipped up by erratic winds and temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius ( 104 degrees Fahrenheit ) , conditions eased over the weekend with showers forecast for New South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit state , over the next few days .
“ If this BOM ( Bureau of Meteorology ) rainfall forecast comes to fruition then this will be all of our Christmas , birthday , engagement , anniversary , wedding and graduation presents rolled into one .
Fingers crossed , ” the NSW Rural Fire Service said on Twitter .
Here are key events in the crisis : -Australia ’ s pristine ‘ AAA ’ sovereign rating is not at “ immediate risk ” from the fiscal and economic impact of bushfires raging across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ S & P said on Monday .
-The Reserve Bank of Australia ( RBA ) said on Monday bushfire victims can submit damaged banknote claims to redeem their lost money .
-The Australian government committed A $ 50 million to an emergency wildlife recovery program on Monday , calling the bushfires crisis engulfing the country “ an ecological disaster ” that threatens several species , including koalas and rock wallabies .
-German engineering giant Siemens < SIEGn.DE > said it would fulfill its contract to provide signaling for a rail line to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India ’ s Adani Group < ADEL.NS > in Australia ’ s outback , drawing criticism from green groups on Monday .
-Frydenberg announced A $ 50 million in funding on Monday for protecting wildlife and restoring damaged habitat , with a focus on threatened species , like koalas , with heartbreaking images of rescues of burned animals having gone viral around the world .
-Since October , thousands of Australians have been subjected to repeat evacuations as huge and unpredictable fires scorched more than 11.2 million hectares ( 27.7 million acres ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the United Kingdom .
-Across New South Wales , 111 fires were still burning late on Sunday , 40 of them not yet contained , but none at emergency level .
-A number of fires burning in the Snowy Mountains region in New South Wales and into Victoria have merged across more than 600,000 hectares ( 1.5 million acres ) of land .
They do not pose a threat , authorities say , despite being in an area hard to reach .
-The government said on Sunday it would provide A $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for mental health counseling and healthcare consultations to firefighters , emergency workers , individuals and communities .
-Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services said on Sunday an out-of-control and unpredictable fire that is moving slowly in the state ’ s south , poses a possible threat to lives and homes in the area .
-South Australia said on Sunday that more than 32,000 livestock animals , mostly sheep , had died in recent fires on Kangaroo Island , while fire services are working to strengthen containment lines ahead of expected worsening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australians took to the streets on Friday to protest against government inaction on climate change , and were supported by protesters in London .
-Australia ’ s wildfires have dwarfed other recent catastrophic blazes , with its burnt terrain more than twice the extent of that ravaged by 2019 fires in Brazil , California and Indonesia combined .
-Westpac estimated total bushfire losses to date at about A $ 5 billion , higher than the 2009 bushfires in Victoria but smaller than the Queensland floods in 2010/11 .
It forecast a hit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic product .
-The Insurance Council of Australia increased to more than A $ 900 million its estimate of damage claims from the fires , and they are expected to jump further .
-About 100 firefighters from the United States and Canada are helping , with 140 more expected in coming weeks .
-The fires have emitted 400 megatons of carbon dioxide and produced harmful pollutants , the European Union ’ s Copernicus monitoring program said .
-Smoke has drifted across the Pacific , affecting cities in South America , and may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ World Meteorological Organization said .


oann--2020-01-14--Iran makes arrests in plane shootdown, police crack down on protests

DUBAI ( Reuters ) – Iran said on Tuesday it had arrested people accused of a role in shooting down a Ukrainian airliner and had also detained 30 people involved in protests that have swept the nation for four days since the military belatedly admitted its error .
Wednesday ’ s downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 , which killed all 176 people aboard , has created a new crisis for the Islamic Republic ’ s clerical rulers .
President Hassan Rouhani promised a thorough investigation into the “ unforgivable error ” in an address on Tuesday .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apologies by the leadership that has done little to quell public anger .
Britain , France and Germany also increased diplomatic pressure on Iran , launching a dispute mechanism to challenge Tehran for breaching limits on its nuclear programme under an agreement which Washington abandoned in 2018 .
Tehran has faced an escalating confrontation with the West and a wave of unrest since the United States killed Iran ’ s most powerful military commander in a drone strike on Jan. 3 .
Iran shot down the plane on Wednesday when its military was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missiles at U.S. targets in Iraq .
It admitted the mistake on Saturday after days of denials .
New security camera footage shows two missiles , fired 30 seconds apart , hitting the plane after takeoff , the New York Times reported on Tuesday .
U.S. intelligence officials said on Jan. 9 that the heat signatures of two surface-to-air missiles were detected near the aircraft .
A person who posted a video online last week of a missile striking the plane has been taken into custody by the elite Revolutionary Guards , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq , a military camp at Taji , north of Baghdad , was hit by Katyusha rockets Tuesday night but no casualties were reported , an Iraqi military statement said .
Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said some of those accused of having a role in the plane disaster had been arrested , although he did not say how many or identify them .
Since the official admission , protesters , many of them students , have held daily demonstrations , chanting “ Clerics get lost !
” and calling for the removal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in power for more than 30 years .
Police have responded to some protests with a violent crackdown , video posts on social media showed , with police beating protesters with batons , wounded people being carried , pools of blood on the streets and the sound of gunfire .
A video that emerged on Tuesday showed an officer using an electric baton to shock a man as he writhed on the ground .
Iran ’ s police have denied firing at protesters and said officers were ordered to act with restraint .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained in the unrest but authorities would show tolerance towards “ legal protests ” .
Protests on Tuesday appeared peaceful , with scores gathering at two Tehran universities .
“ Where is justice ?
” some shouted .
The extent of the unrest is difficult to assess because of limits on independent reporting .
Demonstrations tend to gather momentum into the night .
The domestic unrest triggered by the plane crash comes just two months after the most violent crackdown on protests since the revolution .
The authorities killed hundreds of people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators torched banks and petrol stations .
Adding to international tension , the judiciary spokesman branded Britain ’ s ambassador an “ undesirable element ” , after he was briefly detained on Saturday , accused of inciting protests .
The ambassador said he had been attending a vigil for victims .
London said it had not been notified of any move to expel its envoy , Rob Macaire , and said such a step would be regrettable .
Iran ’ s Foreign Ministry , rather than the judiciary , would be responsible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hosts a meeting on Thursday of Canada , Ukraine , Britain and other nations who had citizens on the plane .
Ukraine said they would consider legal action against Tehran .
Rouhani said the government would be accountable to Iranians and those nations who lost citizens .
Most of those on board the flight were Iranians or dual nationals .
A team of Canadian experts joining the investigation visited the crash site on Tuesday , an Iranian news agency reported .
It followed a meeting in Tehran between experts from Canada , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine and Iran .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked for Kiev ’ s help in talking to Iran about identifying the bodies of the Canadian citizens who were killed , the Ukrainian president ’ s office said .
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police ( RCMP ) , which operates Interpol ’ s national bureau in Canada , said it was working with Canadian police to collect some DNA samples from Canadian victims ’ families within Canada to assist with identification .
“ Currently no on-site disaster victim identification assistance from Canada is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
The shootdown and subsequent unrest comes amid one of the biggest escalations in tensions between Tehran and Washington since 1979 .
Missiles launched at a U.S. base in Iraq killed an American contractor in December , an attack Washington blamed on an Iran-backed group .
Confrontation eventually led to the U.S. drone strike on Jan. 3 that killed General Qassem Soleimani , architect of Iran ’ s regional network of proxy militias .
Iran ’ s government was already reeling from the reimposition of sanctions by the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers under which Tehran would secure sanctions relief in return for scaling back its nuclear programme .
Since Washington withdrew , Tehran has stepped back from its nuclear commitments and has said it would no longer recognise limits on enriching uranium .
After months of threatening to act , European signatories to the deal , France , Britain and Germany , activated the agreement ’ s dispute mechanism on Tuesday .
Iran criticised the move and said it wanted constructive steps to save the nuclear deal .


oann--2020-01-18--Trump adds legal heavyweights Starr, Dershowitz to impeachment team

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) – President Donald Trump turned to some legal heavyweights to help defend him in his Senate impeachment trial with the addition on Friday of former independent counsel Ken Starr , who paved the way for former President Bill Clinton ’ s 1998 impeachment , and prominent lawyer Alan Dershowitz .
The team defending the Republican president will be led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump private attorney Jay Sekulow , the White House said .
Trump adviser and former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi and former independent counsel Robert Ray will also be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ familiar with the team ’ s composition .
The White House also said Jane Raskin , one of Trump ’ s private lawyers , and Eric Herschmann , another former independent counsel , would be on the president ’ s legal team .
The trial in the Republican-led Senate formally got underway on Thursday , though it will start in earnest on Tuesday with opening statements .
The trial will determine whether Trump is removed from office .
The Democratic-led House of Representatives voted on Dec. 18 to impeach Trump on two charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – after an investigation that centered on his request that Ukraine investigate political rival Joe Biden , the president ’ s possible Democratic opponent in the Nov. 3 election .
The Senate is expected to acquit him , as none of its 53 Republicans has voiced support for removing him , a step that requires a two-thirds majority .
Trump has denied wrongdoing and has called the impeachment process a sham .
Starr is a former federal judge who held a senior Justice Department post under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Starr ’ s voluminous investigative report on Clinton ’ s sexual affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky served as the basis for his impeachment in the House on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice .
The Senate in 1999 acquitted Clinton , a Democrat .
Starr had recommended impeachment on 11 grounds .
In 2016 , Starr was ousted as president of Baylor University , a private Baptist institution in Texas , after an investigation by an outside law firm determined that university leaders had mishandled accusations of sexual assault by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time accused him of turning a blind eye to sexual violence on his campus after pursuing Clinton for a sexual relationship .
Both Starr and Dershowitz also served as lawyers for financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , who was found dead in his New York jail cell last year where he was being held on new sex trafficking charges .
In 1999 , Trump made unflattering comments about Starr , saying in an interview on NBC ’ s “ Today ” show after Clinton ’ s acquittal : “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” In a 1999 interview with New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd , Trump said , “ Starr ’ s a freak .
I bet he ’ s got something in his closet.
” Dershowitz has been a well-known figure in U.S. legal circles for decades .
He was a long-time Harvard Law School professor and was part of the so-called “ Dream Team ” of lawyers who won a 1995 acquittal of former National Football League star and actor O.J .
Simpson on charges of murdering his wife and a friend of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have included boxer Mike Tyson and televangelist Jim Bakker .
Both Starr and Dershowitz were defenders of Trump in media interviews during the impeachment process .
Sources working with the Trump legal team said the president wanted Dershowitz because of his background as a constitutional scholar .
A statement provided by Dershowitz from Trump ’ s legal team said he will present oral arguments at the trial to address the constitutional arguments against impeachment and removal from office .
“ While Professor Dershowitz is non-partisan when it comes to the constitution – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton and voted for Hillary Clinton – he believes the issues at stake go to the heart of our enduring Constitution , ” the statement said .
Ray succeeded Starr as independent counsel during the Clinton investigation .
On the day before Clinton left office , Ray announced that he would not criminally prosecute him in connection with perjury and obstruction .
One person who was not added to the team that will defend Trump at the trial is his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani , who played a key role in the Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team of seven House members who will serve as prosecutors .
Schiff , chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , is a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles .
Still to be determined is whether the Senate will allow witness testimony and new evidence or whether senators will decide the case as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Republican , has suggested using only the material amassed by House investigators .
Trump involved the national collegiate champion Louisiana State University football team in the impeachment drama during its celebratory visit to the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some good , some not so good , ” Trump told the team .
“ But you ’ ve got a good one now , even though they ’ re trying to impeach the son of a bitch .
Can you believe that ?
” Citing themes he has raised in his bid to win re-election on Nov. 3 , Trump then touted the economy and the U.S. military , adding , “ We took out those terrorists like your football team would have taken out those terrorists , right ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Trump ’ s firing of Marie Yovanovitch last year as U.S. ambassador in Kiev , a move encouraged by Giuliani , who was pressing Ukraine to investigate Biden .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo broke his silence on Friday on documents released this week that suggested that Lev Parnas , a Giuliani associate , was involved in monitoring Yovanovitch ’ s movements before Trump removed her , raising questions about her security .
“ We will do everything we need to do to evaluate whether there was something that took place there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cooperate in the House impeachment inquiry , told conservative radio host Tony Katz .
“ I suspect that much of what ’ s been reported will ultimately prove wrong , but our obligation , my obligation as secretary of state , is to make sure that we evaluate , investigate , ” Pompeo said .


oann--2020-01-19--Foreign powers back Libya ceasefire as commander’s forces choke oil flows

BERLIN ( Reuters ) – Foreign powers agreed at a summit in Berlin on Sunday to shore up a shaky truce in Libya , but the meeting was overshadowed by blockades of oilfields by forces loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar that could cripple the country ’ s crude production .
Haftar , whose self-styled Libyan National Army ( LNA ) is bearing down on the capital , Tripoli , with the backing of Egypt , the United Arab Emirates , Russian mercenaries and African troops , attended the one-day summit in the German capital despite having abandoned talks over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops to Tripoli , as well as Turkish-backed fighters from Syria , to help Libya ’ s internationally recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj resist eastern commander Haftar ’ s assault .
Although there has been a lull in air strikes and less fighting over the past 10 days , heavy exchanges of artillery fire could be heard from some front lines south of Tripoli late on Sunday , residents said .
Libya has had no stable central authority since dictator Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown by NATO-backed rebels in 2011 .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had two rival governments , in the east and the west , with streets controlled by armed groups .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that the Berlin summit , attended by the main backers of the rival Libyan factions , had agreed that a tentative truce in Tripoli over the past week should be turned into a permanent ceasefire to allow a political process to take place .
A special committee made up of five military officials from each side will monitor the truce , she said .
Foreign powers active in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing U.N. arms embargo and stop shipping weapons there , she added .
Serraj and Haftar did not meet in Berlin , Merkel said , highlighting the gulf between the two .
“ We know that we have not solved all of Libya ’ s problems today but we were aiming for fresh momentum , ” she said .
Haftar , the east ’ s most powerful figure , has won backing from a range of foreign allies for an assault to capture Tripoli in the west , while Turkish support for Tripoli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned the conflict into a proxy war .
More than 150,000 people have been displaced by the fighting for the capital .
Haftar quit a Turkish-Russian summit a week ago and escalated the conflict on Friday when eastern oil ports were shut down .
Libya ’ s National Oil Corporation ( NOC ) said the shutdown was directly ordered by Haftar ’ s forces .
On Sunday , NOC said the major southwestern fields of El Sharara and El Feel were closing after forces loyal to Haftar shut a pipeline .
The closures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 72,000 barrels a day ( bpd ) from 1.2 million bpd in just a few days ’ time unless the blockages are lifted , the NOC said .
Any lasting closure could hit Tripoli hard since the government relies on oil revenues to fund its budget .
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was very worried about the closure .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Serraj and Haftar had “ in general ” agreed to solve the output blockage , without giving a time frame .
U.S. Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been made towards reaching a full-fledged ceasefire in Libya ’ s war , adding that he hoped Libyan oil facilities would reopen as a result of the talks .
The east under Haftar has tried to export oil , bypassing the NOC , to gain a greater share of oil revenues .
A call for a ceasefire from Russia and Turkey helped reduce fighting a week ago , Russian President Vladimir Putin said ahead of a meeting with Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the conference .
“ We don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the conflict will be solved , ” Putin said .
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio called the summit a “ point of departure ” for achieving a ceasefire and blocking a flow of arms into Libya that has accelerated with Haftar ’ s offensive .
Italy , the former colonial power , has a particular interest in Libyan security as the main destination of hundreds of thousands of African migrants sent across the Mediterranean by smugglers until a sharp downturn in flows in 2017 .
But since the NATO bombing campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have stepped back from playing a decisive role in Libya , allowing Russia , Turkey and Arab states to take the lead as outside powers with the most clout .
Pompeo and European and Arab leaders attended the summit , and Haftar ’ s forces published pictures of him meeting Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron .
United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash tweeted on Sunday night that the UAE supported efforts by the Berlin conference to seek a political solution to the crisis in Libya .
Both Serraj and Haftar met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be also seen hugging Erdogan , while Macron and Haftar were both seen smiling in pictures when they met in a corridor .


oann--2020-01-20--Prince Harry seeks ‘more peaceful life’ as reluctantly ends royal role

LONDON ( Reuters ) – Britain ’ s Prince Harry has spoken of his sadness at being forced to give up his royal duties in a deal with Queen Elizabeth and senior Windsors , saying there was no other option if he and his wife Meghan were to seek an independent future .
Buckingham Palace and the queen announced on Saturday that Harry and Meghan would no longer be working members of Britain ’ s monarchy , no longer use their “ Royal Highness ” titles and would now pay their own way in life , freeing them to forge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role ” .
The new arrangement was struck to end a crisis the couple sparked by announcing earlier this month they wanted to cut down on official engagements and spend more time in Canada and the United States , while remaining active royals .
In a speech to the Sentebale charity on Sunday , a clearly upset Harry said the final outcome was not what he and his American wife , a former actress , had wanted .
“ Our hope was to continue serving the queen , the Commonwealth and my military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t possible , ” the prince , the sixth-in-line to the throne , said .
“ I ’ ve accepted this knowing it doesn ’ t change who I am , or how committed I am .
But I hope that helps you understand what it had come to , that I would step back from all I have ever known to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life.
” Under the arrangement , Harry will remain a prince and the couple will keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sussex as they begin a new life split between Britain and North America , where they will spend the majority of their time .
But they will not take part in any future ceremonial events or royal tours .
Royal commentators said it amounted to an “ abdication ” from the “ firm ” – as the royals are known – and showed that , beneath the warm words in which she said Harry and Meghan were much loved , the queen had taken a decisive line by insisting on a clean break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it has come to this , ” said Harry .
He said the decision to step back had followed months of talks and had not been a decision he had come to lightly .
They were not walking away , he explained .
“ As far as this goes , there really was no other option.
” He told the audience at the charity he co-founded to help children with HIV in Africa that he wanted them to hear the truth from him “ not as a prince , or a duke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person that many of you have watched grow up over the last 35 years but with a clearer perspective ” .
“ The UK is my home and a place that I love .
That will never change , ” he said .
The couple ’ s plans for independence , announced after a long break over the Christmas period in Canada , caught the rest of the royal family by surprise and left the queen and other senior members hurt and disappointed , according to royal sources .
However , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had made it clear how they were struggling with the immense media attention .
The couple had also started legal action against a newspaper for printing a letter she sent to her estranged father , Thomas Markle .
Harry said he felt his wife had faced “ bullying ” from some tabloids similar to that faced by his mother Princess Diana who died in a car crash while trying to escape paparazzi photographers .
“ When I lost my mum 23 years ago , you took me under your wing .
You ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long but the media is a powerful force and my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us , ” he said .
Buckingham Palace have said the couple would no longer receive public money and that they would repay the cost of refurbishing their cottage in Windsor , which official figures show amounted to 2.4 million pounds ( $ 3.1 million ) .
But certain details , such as their future security arrangements or whether the couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Royal ” title for their website and branding , have either not been finalised or publicly revealed .
Meghan is currently in Canada with their baby son Archie and Harry is expected to join her soon .
The royal crisis , which has dominated the British news agenda for almost two weeks , overshadowing Brexit and tensions over Iran , exposed a deep rift among the Windsors and poses questions about its role in the modern world .
The Sun newspaper said Harry and his elder brother William , with whom he acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their feud but he remained at loggerheads with his father Prince Charles , the heir-to-the-throne .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he believed the whole of Britain would want to wish the couple the very best .
However , Meghan ’ s father was less generous , accusing them of damaging the monarchy .
“ They are destroying it , they are cheapening it , they ’ re making it shabby , ” Markle told Britain ’ s Channel 5 .


oann--2020-01-20--As virus spreads to more Chinese cities, WHO calls emergency meeting

BEIJING ( Reuters ) – An outbreak of a new coronavirus has spread to more Chinese cities , including the capital Beijing and Shanghai , authorities said on Monday , and a fourth case has been reported beyond China ’ s borders .
China ’ s National Health Commission confirmed that the virus , which causes a type of pneumonia , can pass from person-to-person , the official Xinhua News Agency said .
President Xi Jinping said curbing the outbreak and saving lives was a top priority as the number of patients more than tripled and a third person died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , hundreds of millions of Chinese will be traveling domestically and abroad during the Lunar New Year holiday that starts this week .
Authorities around the globe , including in the United States and many Asian countries , have stepped up screening of travelers from Wuhan , the central city where the virus was first discovered .
“ Wuhan is a major hub and with travel being a huge part of the fast approaching Chinese New Year , the concern level must remain high .
There is more to come from this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a specialist in infectious disease epidemics and director of the Wellcome Trust global health charity .
Authorities confirmed a total of 217 new cases of the virus in China as of 6 p.m. local time ( 1000 GMT ) on Monday , state television reported , 198 of which were in Wuhan .
Five new cases were confirmed in Beijing and 14 more in Guangdong province , the report said .
Another statement confirmed a new case in Shanghai , bringing the number of known cases worldwide to 222 .
“ People ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top priority and the spread of the outbreak should be resolutely curbed , ” President Xi was quoted as saying by state television .
The virus belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) , which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002/03 outbreak that also started in China .
Its symptoms include fever and difficulty in breathing , which are similar to many other respiratory diseases and pose complications for screening efforts .
Zhong Nanshan , a respiratory expert and head of the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that two cases of infection in Guangdong province were due to human-to-human transmission , Xinhua said .
Some medical staff have been infected , it added , but gave no number .
South Korea on Monday confirmed its first case , a 35-year-old Chinese national who had traveled from Wuhan , the fourth patient reported outside China .
Last week , two cases were reported in Thailand and one in Japan .
All three involved people from Wuhan or who recently visited the city .
A report by London Imperial College ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimated that by Jan. 12 there were 1,723 cases in Wuhan City with onset of related symptoms .
Chinese health authorities have not commented directly on the report .
“ This outbreak is extremely concerning .
Uncertainty and gaps remain , but it is now clear that there is person to person transmission , ” Farrar said .
The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) said on Monday “ an animal source ” appeared most likely to be the primary source of the outbreak and that some “ limited human-to-human transmission ” occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency later convened an emergency committee for Wednesday to assess whether the outbreak constitutes an international health emergency and what measures should be taken to manage it .
So far , the WHO has not recommended trade or travel restrictions , but a panel of independent experts could do so or make other recommendations to limit spread .
China ’ s state council reiterated the government will step up prevention efforts and find the source of infection and transmission channels as soon as possible , state television said on Monday .
Shares in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surged Monday because of the outbreak .
“ Who knows how many people who have been to Wuhan may be unaware that they have already been infected ?
, ” said one commentator on Chinese social media platform Weibo The state-run Global Times newspaper said in an editorial the government needs to disclose all information and not repeat the mistakes made with SARS .
Chinese officials covered up the SARS outbreak for weeks before a growing death toll and rumors forced it to reveal the epidemic .
“ Concealment would be a serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and might trigger greater social panic , ” the editorial said .


oann--2020-01-24--Actress Annabella Sciorra testifies she tried to fight Weinstein during alleged rape

NEW YORK ( Reuters ) – Actress Annabella Sciorra testified on Thursday that Harvey Weinstein pinned her hands behind her head and violently raped her more than 25 years ago , becoming the first accuser to take the stand against the former Hollywood producer in his sexual assault trial .
“ He had intercourse with me as I tried to fight , but I couldn ’ t fight anymore because he had my hands locked , ” she told the New York jury of seven men and five women .
Weinstein , sitting at the defense table , took notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the testimony .
Weinstein , 67 , has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting two women , Mimi Haleyi and Jessica Mann .
He has said all of his sexual encounters with women were consensual .
Sciorra ’ s allegation from the winter of 1993-94 is too old to be charged as a separate crime , but prosecutors hope it will show that Weinstein was a repeat sexual predator , a charge that could put him in prison for life .
As the trial wrapped for the day , prosecutors said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify that Sciorra told her about the alleged attack , a request the defense opposed .
James Burke , the judge presiding over the case , said he would rule on the issue “ soon enough.
” The trial is a watershed moment for the # MeToo movement , in which women have gone public with allegations against powerful men in business and politics .
Since 2017 , more than 80 women , including many famous actresses , have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct .
Weinstein reshaped the independent film industry with critically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patient ” and “ Shakespeare in Love.
” Actresses Ellen Barkin , Mira Sorvino and Rosanna Arquette sent Twitter messages of support to Sciorra , best known for her role in HBO ’ s “ The Sopranos.
” Barkin was in the courtroom for her testimony .
Sciorra told the jury that the evening of the alleged rape had started with Weinstein giving her a ride home from an Irish restaurant .
After dropping her off , he knocked on her door and came inside uninvited .
She testified that after forcing intercourse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on her as she protested .
“ It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was very unusual , ” she said .
“ It was like a seizure or something.
” One of Weinstein ’ s attorneys , Donna Rotunno , methodically sought to undercut Sciorra ’ s account .
Rotunno repeatedly asked Sciorra if she had tried to get away from Weinstein and whether she had fought back during the alleged rape .
Sciorra said she did not recall the details of the struggle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not escape .
“ He was frightening , ” she said .
During rapid-fire questioning , Rotunno grilled Sciorra about whether she had called the police , gone to the hospital or immediately told anyone she had been raped .
Sciorra said she had not .
“ At the time , I didn ’ t understand that it was rape , ” she said .
Sciorra told jurors that she saw Weinstein several weeks later at a dinner where she tried to confront him and told him she fainted during the alleged attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ That ’ s what all the nice Catholic girls say.
” She said Weinstein leaned in and said : “ This remains between you and I.
” Though he laughed , his tone was “ very menacing , ” Sciorra said .
On Friday , prosecutors are expected to call Barbara Ziv , a Temple University psychology professor , as an expert .
Ziv will testify about “ rape trauma syndrome , ” including why rape victims might not report what happened to them or show obvious signs of trauma , @ @ @ @ @ @ @


oann--2020-01-24--China shuts transport, temples, part of Great Wall as virus toll hits 26

BEIJING , China ( Reuters ) – China ramped up measures to contain a virus that has killed 26 people and infected more than 800 , suspending public transport in 10 cities , shutting temples over the Lunar New Year and even closing the Forbidden City and part of the Great Wall .
The week-long holiday to welcome in the Year of the Rat began on Friday , raising fears that the infection rate could accelerate as hundreds of millions of people travel to their homes and abroad .
The risks also persuaded Shanghai Disneyland theme park to close from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organisation ( WHO ) has declared the new coronavirus an emergency for China but stopped short of declaring the epidemic of international concern .
While most of the cases and all of the deaths have been in China , the virus has been detected in Thailand , Vietnam , Singapore , Japan , South Korea , Taiwan and the United States .
It was highly likely Britain also had cases , a health official said .
In Wuhan , the central Chinese city where the outbreak began last month , pharmacies were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flooded with nervous resident seeking medical checks .
“ There ’ s so much news , so much data , every 10 minutes there ’ s an update , it ’ s frightening , especially for people like us in a severely hit area , ” said Lily Jin , 30 , a resident of the city .
“ Even if you ’ re not ill you ’ ll frighten yourself into getting sick.
” As of Thursday , there were 830 confirmed cases and 26 people had died , the National Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wuhan , where the virus is believed to have originated in a market that traded illegally in wildlife .
Preliminary research suggested it crossed to humans from snakes .
The city of 11 million people , and neighbouring Huanggang , a city of about 7 million , were in virtual lockdown .
Rail stations were largely shut , with few trains stopping , flights suspended and checkpoints on main roads in and out .
About 10 people got off a high-speed train that pulled into Wuhan on Friday afternoon but nobody got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I need to be with my family , ” said one passenger , dragging two large cases out of the station .
He declined to give his name .
Wuhan was rushing to build a 1,000-bed hospital for the infected by Monday , the official Changjiang Daily reported .
Prefabricated buildings were going up around a holiday complex originally intended for workers , set in gardens by a lake on the outskirts of the city .
Television footage showed about 30 mechanical diggers clawing at brown earth preparing the site .
Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as masks and suits , as supplies ran low .
Several airlines have suspended flights to Wuhan while airports worldwide have stepped up the screening of passengers from China .
The WHO said on Thursday it was a “ bit too early ” to designate the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern , which would require countries to step up their response .
“ Make no mistake , though , this is an emergency in China , ” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus .
The previously unknown virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through respiratory transmission , has created alarm because there are a number of unknowns .
It is too early to know just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads .
Symptoms include fever , difficulty breathing and coughing .
Most of the fatalities have been elderly , many with pre-existing conditions , the WHO said .
Three research teams are to start work on vaccines , the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said .
The plan is to have at least one in clinical trials by June .
Some experts believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one that caused the 2002-03 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome , which also began in China and killed nearly 800 people , or the one that caused Middle East Respiratory Syndrome , which has killed more than 700 people since 2012 .
Chinese authorities have advised people to avoid crowds and 10 cities in the central province of Hubei , where Wuhan is located , have suspended some transport , the Hubei Daily reported .
Some sections of the Great Wall near Beijing will be closed from Saturday , state media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Beijing ’ s Lama Temple where people make offerings for the new year , have also been closed as has the Forbidden City , the capital ’ s most famous tourist attraction .
Shanghai Disneyland will close from Saturday .
The theme park has a 100,000 daily capacity and sold out during last year ’ s Lunar New Year holiday .
The virus is expected to dent China ’ s growth after months of economic worries over trade tensions with the United States , unnerving foreign companies doing business there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ’ s gross domestic product growth for the first quarter could be hit by about 1 percentage point .
Shares in luxury goods firms have suffered from the anticipated drop in demand from China , and on Friday French spirits group Remy Cointreau said it was “ clearly concerned ” about the potential impact .


oann--2020-01-24--China heads into Lunar New Year on shutdown as virus spreads to Europe

BEIJING ( Reuters ) – A new coronavirus that has killed 26 people in China was confirmed in Europe for the first time on Friday as it spreads despite Chinese attempts to quarantine the city at the heart of the outbreak .
China closed Shanghai Disneyland and part of the Great Wall and suspended public transportation in 10 cities as it rushed to contain the virus , stranding millions of people at the start of the country ’ s Lunar New Year holiday .
France reported two cases on Friday evening , the first ones discovered in Europe .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Wuhan , a city of 11 million where the virus was first identified , is in virtual lockdown .
Nearly all flights at Wuhan ’ s airport have been canceled and checkpoints block the main roads leading out of town .
As the city slides into isolation , pharmacies have begun to run out of supplies and hospitals have been flooded with nervous residents .
The city is rushing to build a 1,000-bed hospital by Monday , state media said .
Despite the lockdown , the virus is already spreading further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases and all of the deaths have been in China , but it has also been detected in Thailand , Vietnam , Singapore , Japan , South Korea , Taiwan , Nepal and the United States .
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the new virus .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it had 63 patients under investigation , with two confirmed cases , both in people who had traveled to Wuhan .
Following a congressional briefing by health officials , Republican U.S .
Senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said people in the United States with the virus may have been infected up to 14 days ago in China .
“ We want to try to stop and prevent people from coming to the United States if they have it , ” Barrasso told reporters , without providing details of how that might be accomplished .
Airports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers from China .
The newly identified coronavirus has created alarm because there are still many unknowns surrounding it such as how dangerous it is and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can cause pneumonia , which has been deadly in some cases .
Symptoms include fever , difficulty breathing and coughing .
Most of the fatalities have been in elderly patients , many with pre-existing medical conditions , the World Health Organization said .
As of Thursday , China ’ s National Health Commission said there were 830 confirmed cases and 26 deaths .
Most cases have been in Wuhan , where the virus is believed to have originated in a market that traded illegally in wildlife .
As China scrambles to contain the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 cities in the central province of Hubei , where Wuhan is located , the Hubei Daily reported .
The country will take further , more targeted measures , state television reported , citing a State Council meeting on Friday .
It did not give further details .
“ Local authorities should take more responsibility and have a stronger sense of urgency , ” state broadcaster CCTV said .
Week-long celebrations to welcome the Year of the Rat began on Friday , raising fears that the infection rate could accelerate as hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home and abroad .
In Wuhan , a handful of people got off a high-speed train that pulled into the city ’ s station on Friday but nobody boarded .
“ What choice do I have ?
It ’ s Chinese New Year .
We have to see our family , ” said a man getting off the train who gave his family name Hu .
As part of the restrictions , some sections of the Great Wall near Beijing will be closed from Saturday , state media said .
Beijing ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make offerings for the new year , has closed , as have some other temples and the Forbidden City , the capital ’ s most famous tourist attraction .
Shanghai Disneyland will close starting on Saturday .
The theme park has a 100,000 daily capacity and sold out during last year ’ s new year holiday .
Film premieres have been postponed and McDonald ’ s suspended business in five cities in Hubei province .
“ There ’ s so much news , so much data , every 10 minutes there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially for people like us in a severely hit area , ” Lily Jin , 30 , a resident of Wuhan , told Reuters by phone .
The WHO said on Thursday it was a “ bit too early ” to designate the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern , which would require countries to step up their response .
That decision could well be reassessed in coming days as the situation evolves , said Anthony Fauci , the U.S. National Institutes of Health ’ s top infectious disease official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to question ” whether shutting down travel would have a major effect .
“ The mass involuntary quarantine in Wuhan and its neighboring cities is counterproductive , ” added Lawrence Gostin , a public health expert at Georgetown University Law School in Washington .
“ A lockdown of Wuhan will drive the epidemic underground , provoking fear and panic.
” Some experts believe the virus is not as dangerous as the one that caused the 2002-03 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) , which also began in China and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that caused Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( MERS ) , which has killed more than 700 people since 2012 .
Three international research teams – using different approaches – have begun work on vaccines , the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said .
Markets have been roiled this week on fears that the outbreak will curb travel and hurt economic demand .
Shares in luxury goods companies have been particularly hard hit on fears of a drop in demand from China .


oann--2020-01-25--Xi says China faces ‘grave situation’ as virus death toll hits 42

BEIJING ( Reuters ) – President Xi Jinping said China was facing a “ grave situation ” as the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak jumped to 42 , overshadowing celebrations of the Lunar New Year that began on Saturday .
With more than 1,400 people infected worldwide , most of them in China , Hong Kong declared a virus emergency , scrapped celebrations and restricted links to mainland China .
Australia confirmed its first four cases on Saturday , Malaysia confirmed four and France reported Europe ’ s first cases on Friday , as health authorities around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States is arranging a charter flight on Sunday to bring its citizens and diplomats back from Wuhan , the central Chinese city at the epicenter of the outbreak , the Wall Street Journal reported .
In Hong Kong , with five confirmed cases , the city ’ s leader Carrie Lam said flights and high speed rail trips between the city and Wuhan will be halted .
Schools in Hong Kong that are currently on Lunar New Year holidays will remain closed until Feb. 17 .
Xi held a politburo meeting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accelerating ” outbreak , state television reported .
As of 8 p.m. local time ( 1200 GMT ) on Saturday , the death toll in China had risen to 42 , authorities reported .
Some 1,372 people in China had been infected with the virus – traced to a seafood market in Wuhan that was illegally selling wildlife .
The virus has also been detected in Thailand , Vietnam , Singapore , Japan , South Korea , Taiwan , Nepal , and the United States .
In Hubei province , where Wuhan is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective suits .
“ We are steadily pushing forward the disease control and prevention … But right now we are facing an extremely severe public health crisis , ” Hu Yinghai , deputy director-general of the Civil Affairs Department , told a news briefing .
The newly identified coronavirus has created alarm because there are still many unknowns surrounding it , such as how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people .
It can cause pneumonia , which has been deadly in some cases .
Ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Beijing from Sunday , while the capital will also stop running inter-province shuttle buses .
State broadcaster CCTV , citing an announcement from China ’ s tourism industry association , said the country would halt all group tours , both at home and abroad , from Monday .
Wuhan said it would ban non-essential vehicles from its downtown starting Sunday , further paralyzing a city of 11 million that has been on virtual lockdown since Thursday , with nearly all flights canceled and checkpoints blocking the main roads leading out of town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on nearly all of Hubei province , which has a population of 59 million .
Australia confirmed its first four cases in two different cities on Saturday , and the country ’ s chief health official said he expected more cases as Australia is a popular destination for Chinese tourists .
State-run China Global Television Network reported on Saturday that a doctor who had been treating patients in Wuhan , 62-year-old Liang Wudong , had died from the virus .
U.S. coffee chain Starbucks said it was closing all its outlets in Hubei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday , following a similar move by McDonald ’ s in five Hubei cities .
Workers in white protective suits checked temperatures of passengers entering the subway at Beijing ’ s central railway station on Saturday , while some train services in the eastern Yangtze River Delta region were suspended , the local railway operator said .
There are fears transmission could accelerate as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel during the holiday , although many have canceled their plans .
Airports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers from China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have questioned the effectiveness of such screenings .
In an illustration of how such efforts could miss cases , doctors at a Paris hospital said that two of the three Chinese nationals in France who have been diagnosed with the virus had arrived in the country without showing symptoms .
The World Health Organization this week stopped short of calling the outbreak a global health emergency .
A report by infectious disease specialists at Imperial College , London on Saturday said that despite this , the epidemic “ represents a clear and ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is uncertain at the current time whether it is possible to contain the continuing epidemic within China.
” While China has called for transparency in managing the crisis , after cover-up of the 2002/2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome spread , officials in Wuhan have been criticized for their handling of the current outbreak .
In rare public dissent , a senior journalist at a Hubei newspaper run by the ruling Communist Party called on Friday for a “ immediate ” change of leadership in Wuhan on the Twitter-like Weibo .
The post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where authorities are rushing to build a 1,000 bed hospital in six days , announced on Saturday that there were 658 patients affected by the virus in treatment , 57 of whom were critically ill. Shanghai Disneyland was closed from Saturday .
Beijing ’ s Lama Temple , where people make offerings for the new year , has also closed , as have some other temples .


oann--2020-01-26--Defense at Senate trial says ousting Trump would be ‘massive interference’ in election

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) – Lawyers for U.S. President Donald Trump told his Senate impeachment trial on Saturday that Democrats ’ efforts to remove the president from office would set a “ very , very dangerous ” precedent in an election year .
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone , the head of the defense team , told senators they would be denying voters their right to give their opinion on Trump at the Nov. 3 presidential election if they found him guilty and ousted him now .
In only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history , Democrats argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed for encouraging Ukraine to interfere in the election by pressuring its leader to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden , a leading 2020 Democratic presidential contender .
The defense tried to turn that election interference line against the Democrats in its opening argument on Saturday by warning against removing a president less than 10 months before Americans vote on whether to give him a second term .
“ For all their talk about election interference … they ’ re here to perpetrate the most massive interference in an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t allow that to happen .
It would violate our Constitution .
It would violate our history .
It would violate our obligations to the future , ” he said in a session that ran two hours , far shorter that the Democratic arguments of the preceding days .
The Democratic-led House of Representatives impeached Trump last month on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress , setting the stage for the trial in the Republican-led Senate .
Trump is expected to be acquitted in the Senate , where a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove a president from office .
No Republican senator has voiced any support for his ouster .
Democrats rejected Cipollone ’ s concerns about impeaching a president in an election year .
“ They argue that we must not impeach the president and remove him from office , because this would upset the election , and after all , there ’ s another election coming up .
That argument would say that the impeachment process does not belong in the Constitution , ” said Representative Jerrold Nadler , part of the team that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main thrust of the defense ’ s argument on Saturday was to warn about the consequences of ejecting Trump from the White House , his lawyers also tried to chip away at the Democrats ’ portrayal of a president who put U.S. national security goals at risk by trying to enlist a foreign country to help his own political career .
A major focus of the Democrats ’ case is a phone call last July in which Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Biden on unsubstantiated corruption allegations .
Democrats contend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Biden and his son Hunter Biden , who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company , to help the president win a second term .
Democratic Representative Adam Schiff , the head of the prosecution , told Senators this week that the campaign of pressure on Ukraine was a “ corrupt scheme ” in which Trump also temporarily froze almost $ 400 million in military aid to Ukraine .
Cipollone said removing Trump and taking him off the ballot in November would mean having to “ tear up all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your own initiative , take that decision away from the American people.
” “ They are asking you to do something very , very consequential and , I would submit to you … very , very dangerous , ” he said .
The articles of impeachment — or formal charges — against Trump call not only for his removal from office but also his “ disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor , trust , or profit under the United States.
” Schiff wrote on Twitter that the defense was trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described as Trump ’ s pressure campaign against Ukraine .
“ They don ’ t contest the facts of Trump ’ s scheme .
They ’ re trying to deflect , distract from , and distort the truth .
And they are continuing to cover it up by blocking documents and witnesses , ” he wrote .
Trump denies any wrongdoing .
He wrote on Twitter on Saturday : “ Any fair minded person watching the Senate trial today would be able to see how unfairly I have been treated and that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that EVERYBODY , including the Democrats , truly knows it is .
This should never be allowed to happen again !
” Mike Purpura , part of Trump ’ s team , said most of the witnesses who testified in the House inquiry that led to Trump ’ s impeachment had never actually spoken to the president .
Democrats counter that argument by saying the only reason the Senate did not hear from first-hand witnesses , such as former National Security Adviser John Bolton , was because Trump blocked them from testifying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ opening arguments on Friday , Schiff urged Republican senators to show “ real political courage ” and subpoena witnesses and new documents .
Trump ’ s defense said on Saturday that subpoenas issued by Democratic-run committees for witnesses and documents in the inquiry were not valid , alleging that the probe itself lacked authority .
“ All of those subpoenas were invalid , ” lawyer Patrick Philbin said .
“ That was the reason for not responding to them.
” No president has ever been removed through impeachment , a mechanism the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president for treason , bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors .
One , Richard Nixon , resigned in the face of a looming impeachment .


oann--2020-01-26--Hong Kong bans entry of visitors from China virus province

BEIJING/SHANGHAI ( Reuters ) – Residents of China ’ s Hubei province , where the new coronavirus outbreak was first reported , will be banned from entering Hong Kong from Monday as China tries to halt the rapid spread of the outbreak .
China ’ s Cabinet also announced it will extend the week-long Lunar New Year holiday by three days to Feb. 2 and schools will return from their break later than usual , state broadcaster CCTV said .
Health authorities around the world are racing to prevent a pandemic of the virus , which has infected more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A handful of cases of infection have been reported in other countries , including Thailand , Australia , the United States , France and Canada .
No fatalities have been recorded outside China .
The mayor of Wuhan , which is the capital of Hubei province and at epicenter of the outbreak , said he expected another 1,000 new patients in the city , which was stepping up construction of special hospitals .
The newly identified coronavirus has created alarm because much about it is still unknown , such as how dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between people .
It can cause pneumonia , which has been deadly in some cases .
China ’ s National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei said the incubation period for the virus can range from one to 14 days , during which infection can occur .
The Lunar New Year holiday , traditionally celebrated by hundreds of millions of Chinese traveling around the country and abroad to see family , began on Friday but has been severely disrupted by the outbreak .
Ma said China would intensify its containment efforts , which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cancellation of big events .
The virus , believed to have originated late last year in a seafood market in Wuhan that was illegally selling wildlife , has spread to cities including Beijing and Shanghai .
Alibaba ’ s Taobao online marketplace said it has removed sales of face masks from shops that show “ unstable prices or false advertising ” , as prices for the products surged .
The World Health Organization this week stopped short of calling the outbreak a global health emergency , but some health experts question whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was on his way to Beijing to meet officials and health experts dealing with the coronavirus .
Chinese-ruled Hong Kong , which has six confirmed cases , will also ban entry from Monday to people who have visited Hubei province in the past 14 days , the city ’ s government said .
The rule does not apply to Hong Kong residents .
Hubei ’ s governor , Wang Xiaodong , said on Sunday he felt “ agonized ” and responsible for the outbreak .
He described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies were still tight .
China confirmed 2,051 cases of infection as of 7 p.m. ( 1100 GMT ) on Jan. 26 , while the death toll from the virus remained at 56 , state broadcaster CCTV reported .
Airports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers from China , although some health officials and experts have questioned the effectiveness of these efforts .
Health officials in Orange County , California , said a third case had been registered in the United States in a traveler from Wuhan , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Sunday , China temporarily banned nationwide the sale of wildlife in markets , restaurants , and e-commerce platforms .
Wild and often poached animals packed together in Chinese markets are blamed as incubators for viruses to evolve and jump the species barrier to humans .
The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society called on China to make the ban permanent .
The U.S. State Department said it will relocate personnel at its Wuhan consulate to the United States , while Japan was working with China to arrange a charter flight for Japanese nationals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italians in Wuhan and the Hubei region were offered transport out .
The outbreak has prompted widening curbs on movements within China , with Wuhan , a city of 11 million , on virtual lockdown and transport links all-but severed except for emergency vehicles .
Health authorities in Beijing urged people not to shake hands but instead salute using a traditional cupped-hand gesture .
The advice was sent in a text message that went out to mobile phone users in the city on Sunday morning .
Beijing also postponed the reopening of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lunar New Year holiday , state radio reported .
Hong Kong had already delayed the reopening of schools to Feb. 17 .
China has called for transparency in managing the crisis , after public trust was eroded by a cover-up of the spread of SARS , a coronavirus that originated in China and killed nearly 800 people globally in 2002 and 2003 .
But officials in Wuhan have been criticized for their handling of the current outbreak .
“ People in my hometown all suspect the real infected patients number given by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lives in the Wuhan district where the seafood market is located .
Illustrating the extent of disruption to life in China , overall passenger travel declined by nearly 29 % on Saturday , the first day of the Lunar New Year , from a year earlier , with air passengers down nearly 42 % , a transportation ministry official said .
Many cinemas across China were closed and cruise ship operators canceled some sailings that had been due to leave Chinese ports .
In Hong Kong , Disneyland and Ocean Park were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which expected 100,000 visitors daily over the holiday , has already closed .