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 by Staff Writers Washington (AFP) April 30, 2020
The US intelligence community said Thursday it had concluded that the novel coronavirus that has swept the globe originated in China but was not man-made or engineered. "The entire Intelligence Community has been consistently providing critical support to US policymakers and those responding to the COVID-19 virus, which originated in China," the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a statement. "The intelligence community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified." The statement came after US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that he might seek damages from China over the outbreak. News reports say Trump has tasked US spies to find out more about the origins of the virus, at first blamed on a Wuhan, China wet market selling exotic animals like bats, but now thought possibly to be from a virus research laboratory nearby. Suggesting that Beijing has not been forthcoming about the disease, which has infected about 3.2 million people and killed over 227,000, Trump said Monday that there were many options to "hold them accountable." "We are not happy with China," he said. "We are not happy with that whole situation because we believe it could have been stopped at the source." The US intelligence directorate said it always boosts resources for study and analysis during national security crises. The intelligence community "will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan," it said. The idea that the virus was man-made has circulated since the epidemic erupted in China in December and January. In a survey released April 8, the Pew Research Center said 29 percent of Americans believed the virus was created in a laboratory, either purposely (23 percent) or by accident (six percent). No evidence has been offered to support the theory, and scientists say there is no indication in the virus's genetic makeup that it was manipulated in a laboratory.
US, China block UN resolution in spat over WHO handling of pandemic The stalemate -- over a mention of the World Health Organization -- leaves little hope of a quick vote as the Security Council struggles to find a response to the global crisis, remaining largely mute since the once-in-a-century pandemic began killing tens of thousands of people and shutting down economies across the world. "It's a major stalemate, nobody's moving," one diplomat told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We're treading water," said another. At a news conference, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres deplored the impasse. "It's absolutely essential that countries come together and that the big powers are able to overcome their difficulties in order to allow for the Security Council to be more active and more effective," he said. "We need unity and strength from the international community. All our efforts depend on strong political backing." The text, authored by France and Tunisia and obtained by AFP, has been under discussion for weeks. It calls for a 90-day humanitarian pause to bring aid to the most vulnerable populations caught in conflicts around the globe, including in places such as Afghanistan and Yemen. The draft also supports a March 23 plea by Guterres for a worldwide ceasefire to facilitate the fight against the coronavirus. But Washington and Beijing remain at loggerheads over how to refer to the World Health Organization (WHO) in the text. The WHO's role in dealing with the pandemic has been vilified by US President Donald Trump, who complained it had not been transparent about the coronavirus and suspended US funding to it. China responded by offering additional funding. China "insists on a mention of the World Health Organization" in the text, while the United States does not want it, several diplomats explained, asking for anonymity. "We don't comment on ongoing negotiations" at the Security Council, the US State Department said when asked about the stalemate. No reaction could be obtained from the Chinese mission to the UN. The co-authors of the text, like the rest of the Security Council, are reduced to waiting for a compromise between the two permanent members, each of which has a right of veto. There has been no progress since the beginning of the week, other diplomats added. - Blank paragraph - A vote had been expected this week, and Guterres has been pressing for one for more than a month. But this seems less and less likely over the short term because of the disagreement between the US and China. "I am particularly worried about the lack of sufficient solidarity with developing countries -- both in equipping them to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which risks spreading like wildfire, and to address the dramatic economic and social impacts," Guterres said. One diplomat said there will probably not be a vote this week."Let's see if next week will bring something new," this diplomat said. The stalemate could end quickly if the US and China find a compromise, one Western ambassador said. The WHO mention is just a side issue in a draft centered on support for a ceasefire in some 20 war or conflict zones around the world, this ambassador said. As it stands, the resolution now has a blank space where the WHO mention is supposed to go and how to fashion it will be decided at the end of the negotiations. France and Tunisia could simply decide to scrap such a mention altogether, although this idea might be vetoed by China, with support from Russia. Except for a virtual meeting on April 9, the Security Council has remained silent on the biggest global crisis since World War II.
German court tries IS jihadist over Yazidi genocide Frankfurt Am Main (AFP) April 24, 2020 An Iraqi man believed to have belonged to the Islamic State group went on trial in Germany on Friday accused of genocide and murdering a child belonging to the Yazidi minority who he held as a slave. Taha al-Jumailly, 27, also stands accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes and human trafficking in the case which is being heard before judges in Frankfurt. Wearing a white shirt in court, he gave no initial response after being formally advised of the charges against him. Jumailly's wife ... read more
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