WATCH: Chinese Ambassador Asked If Coronavirus Came From Biological Warfare Program; Coronavirus Has Killed More People Than SARS

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By Daily Wire. The Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, appeared to not deny that the coronavirus came from China’s biological warfare program on Sunday and instead suggested that the deadly virus could have come from a military lab in the U.S.

Tiankai made the remarks on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” in response to China’s struggle to stop the coronavirus from continuing to spread. It has now infected at least 37,198 and killed at least 811 in China.

“This week, Senator Tom Cotton, who sits on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committee, suggested that the virus may have come from China’s biological warfare program,” CBS News’ Margaret Brennan said. “That’s an extraordinary charge. How do you respond to that?”

“I think it’s true that a lot is still unknown and our scientists, Chinese scientists, American scientists, scientists of other countries are doing their best to learn more about the virus, but it’s very harmful,” Cui responded. “It’s very dangerous to stir up suspicion, rumors and spread them among the people. For one thing, this will create panic. Another thing that it will fend up racial discrimination, xenophobia, all these things, that will really harm our joint efforts to combat the virus.”

“Of course, there are all kinds of speculation and rumors,” Cui continued. “There are people who are saying that these virus are coming from some — some military lab, not of China, maybe in the United States. How — how can we believe all these crazy things?”

(Read more from “WATCH: Chinese Ambassador Asked If Coronavirus Came From Biological Warfare Program” HERE)

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Coronavirus Has Killed More People Than SARS

By Market Watch. Two months into the epidemic, the coronavirus has proven to be more deadly than the SARS virus, but the fatality rate of the coronavirus is still less than one-quarter that of SARS. That, however, may also help explain why it’s spreading so quickly.

There are now 37,198 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide and at least 811 people have died, according to the latest figures from China’s National Health Commission released Sunday; 89 deaths and 2,656 new cases were reported over the previous 24-hour period.

The majority of illnesses and deaths are in Hubei Province where Wuhan — believed to be the epicenter of the outbreak — is located. The illness has now spread to 25 countries. (The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency.)

There are 12 confirmed cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An additional 14 Americans were confirmed to have contracted the virus; they are passengers on the quarantined cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, which arrived at a port in Yokohama, Japan on Sunday morning, Japan’s health ministry said. One of the 14 is a woman in her 70s who has joint Hong Kong residency and U.S. citizenship. Several cruise lines have issued quarantines for ships currently at sea, and have tested passengers for coronavirus. (Read more from “Coronavirus Has Killed More People Than SARS” HERE)

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U.N. Warns: ‘Most Devastating Plague of Locusts’ in Recent History Could Come Within Weeks

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. . .Small and wingless, the hopping young locusts are the next wave in the outbreak that threatens more than 10 million people across the region with a severe hunger crisis.

And they are growing up in one of the most inaccessible places on the planet. Large parts of Somalia south of this semi-autonomous Puntland region are under threat, or held by, the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group. That makes it difficult or impossible to conduct the aerial spraying of the locusts that experts say is the only effective control.

Somalia has declared the outbreak a national emergency. Across the region, it has the potential “to be the most devastating plague of locusts in any of our living memories if we don’t reduce the problem faster than we’re doing at the moment,” U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said. (Read more from “U.N. Warns: ‘Most Devastating Plague of Locusts’ in Recent History Could Come Within Weeks” HERE)

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China’s Daily Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 100 for 1st Time; Total Deaths Top 1,000

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By Fox News. The death toll from coronavirus topped 1,000 and the daily death toll reached a record high of 100 on Monday, according to China’s National Health Commission (NHC).

The World Health Organization said in a daily briefing that there are at least 40,235 confirmed cases of the virus in mainland China, where 99 percent of the infected people reside. There are also 319 cases in 24 other countries outside of China, including 12 in the U.S.

The epidemic has killed more people than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in China in 2003, when 774 people died and 8,000 were infected. (Read more from “China’s Daily Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 100 for 1st Time; Total Deaths Top 1,000” HERE)

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AI Predicts Coronavirus Could Infect 2.5 Billion And Kill 53 Million

By Forbes. An AI-powered simulation run by a technology executive says that Coronavirus could infect as many as 2.5 billion people within 45 days and kill as many as 52.9 million of them. Fortunately, however, conditions of infection and detection are changing, which in turn changes incredibly important factors that the AI isn’t aware of. . .

From 50,000 infections and 1,000 deaths after a week to 208,000 infections and almost 4,400 deaths after two weeks, the numbers keep growing as each infected person infects others in turn.

In 30 days, the model says, two million could die. And in just 15 more days, the death toll skyrockets. . .

One important change: the mortality rate.

“If a high proportion of infected persons are asymptomatic, or develop only mild symptoms, these patients may not be reported and the actual number of persons infected in China may be much higher than reported,” says Professor Eyal Leshem at Sheba Medical Center in Israel. “This may also mean that the mortality rate (currently estimated at 2% of infected persons) may be much lower.” (Read more from “AI Predicts Coronavirus Could Infect 2.5 Billion And Kill 53 Million” HERE)

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In Switzerland, You Can Now Go to Jail for Being Publicly Homophobic

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Swiss voters agreed on Sunday to penalize public homophobia, greenlighting an amendment to an antidiscrimination law that had not provided protection for lesbians, gay men and bisexual people. . .

Voters were asked in a referendum whether they wanted to extend Switzerland’s racism statutes to sexual orientation, and on Sunday 63.1 percent voted in favor of it. The extension was backed by the government and most of Switzerland’s political parties.

Unlike most countries in Western Europe, Switzerland did not have a law that specifically protects lesbians, gay men and bisexual people from discrimination. Publicly denigrating someone’s sexual orientation, or inciting hatred against someone in public, could not be prosecuted. (Read more from “In Switzerland, You Can Now Go to Jail for Being Publicly Homophobic” HERE)

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US Doc Claims “Close to 100,000” Coronavirus Cases Now in China; China Reports, Deletes, Then Again Reports Death of Wuhan Virus Whistleblower Doc

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By Breitbart. Several Chinese state media outlets reported the death of Dr. Li Wenliang on Thursday, only to delete their reports a few hours later and publish new bulletins indicating he remains in critical condition at Wuhan Central Hospital.

No explanation was offered for why the death of Li, who was arrested for “spreading rumors” after providing one of the earliest warnings about the true danger of the coronavirus epidemic, was incorrectly reported by state-controlled media.

Li was one of eight people notoriously arrested in December for “rumor-mongering” by warning colleagues about the highly contagious nature of the Wuhan virus. He went on to contract the virus in January from one of his patients and has been hospitalized for several weeks.

His death was widely reported on Thursday morning, to the great dismay of the Chinese public, which expressed anger that a heroic whistleblower died from the coronavirus after suffering mistreatment by the authorities, and fear that a 34-year-old man in seemingly good health could die from the disease. According to official Chinese government reports, most of the roughly 560 people who have died from the Wuhan virus to date were elderly or had serious medical conditions before they contracted the disease.

The first indication of Li’s death was a Twitter post from China’s state-run Global Times, which would have been intended for an international audience since Twitter is banned in China. The tweet has since been deleted, along with various stories in Chinese media about his death including a post by the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, the People’s Daily.

(Read more from “China Reports, Deletes, Then Again Reports Death of Wuhan Virus Whistleblower Doctor” HERE)

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Doctor Claims There Are ‘Probably Close to 100,000’ Coronavirus Cases in China

By Fox News. Fox News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel joined “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Thursday to give an update on the coronavirus outbreak following the death of a Chinese doctor who first brought public attention to the virus.

Wuhan Central Hospital ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, 34, reportedly shared his concerns about the illness via private chat with medical school graduates in December after several patients exhibited symptoms similar to SARS before he was visited and warned by authorities. He was then summoned to the local Public Security Bureau where he was forced to sign a letter stating that he made false comments about the virus, the BBC reported. Authorities later apologized. . .

The novel coronavirus has sickened more than 31,000 people worldwide and resulted in at least 638 deaths. About 99 percent of cases have occurred in mainland China, although one death has been reported in the Philippines and a second has been reported in Hong Kong.

Siegel told Carlson that he believed the death toll to be much higher than the number Chinese authorities have reported, offering a number close to “100,000” cases. (Read more from “Doctor Claims There Are ‘Probably Close to 100,000’ Coronavirus Cases in China” HERE)

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Coronavirus Patient Gives Birth to Healthy Baby; Princess Cruises Quarantines 3,700 for Two Weeks After Coronavirus Outbreak

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By Fox News. A medical team equipped with hazmat suits celebrated the healthy birth of a baby girl whose mother was diagnosed with the coronavirus late last week. The woman, who was not named in the AsiaWire report, went into labor on Jan. 30 shortly after being diagnosed with the virus, which has sickened over 20,000 and been linked to at least 425 deaths.

The woman had been in contact with relatives who were reportedly diagnosed with coronavirus after returning from Wuhan, which is considered the virus epicenter. She was taken to Harbin Sixth People’s Hospital in Heilongjiang, and doctors decided to deliver the baby via caesarian section.

“The patient was anxious as we brought her to the operating theater,” said Dr. Yu Dan, an obstetrician from Harbin Red Cross Central Hospital, according to AsiaWire. “She had only just been told of her confirmed diagnosis, so she was concerned for her child. In addition to that, she was accompanied by no family members, as all had been placed in quarantine as either confirmed or suspected cases.”

The baby was born healthy and placed in isolation, and both she and the mother are in stable condition, according to AsiaWire. The infant has twice tested negative for the virus but will remain under observation for 14 days. (Read more from “Coronavirus Patient Gives Birth to Healthy Baby” HERE)

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Princess Cruises Quarantines 3,700 for Two Weeks on Ship After 10 Passengers Test Positive for New Coronavirus

By CNBC. Princess Cruises said it has placed 3,700 passengers and crew under mandatory quarantine for two weeks after ten passengers aboard a cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan tested positive for the new coronavirus.

The company said Monday that a previous guest, who didn’t have any symptoms while aboard the ship, tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday — six days after leaving the ship. The ship was being held in Japan for 24 hours while Japanese health authorities assessed the 3,700 passengers and crew on board.

“These 10 persons, who have been notified, will be taken ashore by Japanese Coast Guard watercraft and transported to local hospitals for care by shoreside Japanese medical professionals,” the company said.

The ship will be quarantined for at least 14 days, the company said, as is required by the Japanese Ministry of Health.

“The first phase of health screening of all guests and crew onboard Diamond Princess, by the Japanese Ministry of Health, has been completed,” the company said in a statement. “We were notified that amongst the samples that have completed testing, 10 people have tested positive for coronavirus.” (Read more from “Princess Cruises Quarantines 3,700 for Two Weeks on Ship After 10 Passengers Test Positive for New Coronavirus” HERE)

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North Korea Stops Reclaiming Escaped Citizens From China Due to Coronavirus Fears

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By Breitbart. North Korea on Friday temporarily suspended “all air and train routes” to China due to the coronavirus outbreak, in addition to closing off its land border.

Pyongyang has also taken steps to close its border with South Korea, fearing the virus could spread there from China. According to South Koreans who work with North Korean defectors, the North is also temporarily halting the repatriation of defectors due to infection concerns.

Voice of America News reported that North Korea asked South Korea to close the liaison office in the border town of Kaesong and postpone operations to dismantle resort facilities on Mount Kumgang until the Wuhan coronavirus has been “completely erased.”

South Korea is planning to demolish the Mount Kumgang tourist complex on orders from North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, who declared the long-unused resort an “eyesore” with “no national character at all” in October. The resort fell into disuse due to international sanctions and the shooting of a South Korean tourist who wandered off the grounds by a North Korean soldier in 2008.

The movement of people and goods across the North-South Korean border has reportedly halted. South Korean pastor Kim Sung-eun, noted for his work with North Korean refugees, said North Korea has asked China to stop repatriating defectors until the coronavirus epidemic has passed. Chinese sources said they expected even black-market shipping into North Korea would be sharply curtailed, despite serving as a major component of the North Korean economy. (Read more from “North Korea Stops Reclaiming Escaped Citizens From China Due to Coronavirus Fears” HERE)

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Washington State Businesses Brace for Impact of the Coronavirus

By The Seattle Times. As worries over the spread of the new coronavirus intensify, many businesses in Washington state said they’re monitoring the situation closely, taking precautions to protect their employees’ health and adjusting other plans.

Some major employers are halting travel or postponing opening new offices in Asia. Real estate brokers say they’re seeing fewer Chinese home shoppers.

And local industries already hard-hit by the U.S.-China trade war, like agriculture and tourism, are forecasting continued strain on profits. Nearly 18 months of retaliatory tariffs have cut exports through Washington state to China, its biggest trading partner, by nearly 40% since 2018.

The coronavirus outbreak — which public health experts predict could soon be a global pandemic — may send trade volumes plummeting further, said J. Norwell Coquillard, executive director of the nonprofit Washington State China Relations Council.

The new coronavirus, which seems to be less lethal than SARS but spreads more easily, has infected more than 17,000 people in at least 23 countries, leaving more than 400 dead, as of Monday. Nearly all the deaths are in China, where the new virus originated. (Read more from “Washington State Businesses Brace for Impact of the Coronavirus” HERE)

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Catholic Church in Nigeria Appeals to the West: ‘Make Known the Atrocities’

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The president of the Nigerian bishops’ conference has launched an appeal to the West to “make known the atrocities” being suffered by Christians throughout the country.

Nigeria is living in an unprecedented climate of insecurity not seen since the civil war of 1967-1970, which is particularly affecting Christians, said the President of the Bishops’ Conference, Augustine Obiora Akubeze, Archbishop of Benin City.

While “in the past security problems were limited to the north-east of Nigeria, now there is insecurity throughout the whole country,” the archbishop said in an interview with the papal foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

In the face of this “serious lack of security and the increase in anti-Christian attacks,” the prelate called on Western governments and media to “make known the atrocities” taking place in Nigeria. “In this way our government may feel pressure and act,” the archbishop said, and in this way the other nations of the international community may “feel a moral obligation to protect the lives of Christians and all Nigerians who are constantly attacked and killed by Boko Haram and the Islamist Fulani herdsmen.” . . .

Catholics are not the only victims of religious violence in the country, however. This past month, the Rev. Lawan Andimi, a local leader of the Christian Association of Nigeria, was beheaded by jihadists in the northeast after having been kidnapped in early January by an armed group of the so-called Islamic State. (Read more from “Catholic Church in Nigeria Appeals to the West: ‘Make Known the Atrocities’” HERE)

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U.S. Troops Who Recently Traveled to China Quarantined in South Korea; China Reports Bird Flu Outbreak Near Epicenter of Coronavirus

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By Washington Examiner. U.S. troops who traveled to China in the last two weeks were ordered to self-quarantine amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to American military officials in South Korea.

“The 14-day quarantine applies to any service members returning to South Korea from mainland China since Jan. 19, regardless of whether they show any symptoms,” officials said Sunday. There are not any known cases of American military personnel being infected with the deadly virus.

U.S. Forces Korea also encouraged family members, Pentagon civilians, contractors, South Korean employees, and United Nations military personnel to quarantine themselves “in the interest of public health safety.” (Read more from “U.S. Troops Who Recently Traveled to China Quarantined in South Korea” HERE)

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China Reports Bird Flu Outbreak Near Epicenter of Coronavirus

By New York Post. China has detected an outbreak of the bird flu near the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus, according to a report.

The bird flu outbreak was reported Saturday in Hunan, which borders the province of Hubei where the coronavirus broke out last month, according to the South China Morning Post.

“The outbreak occurred in a farm in the Shuangqing district of Shaoyang city,” officials said. “The farm has 7,850 chickens, and 4,500 of the chickens have died from the contagion.” (Read more from “China Reports Bird Flu Outbreak Near Epicenter of Coronavirus” HERE)

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Muslim Goes on Stabbing Spree in London Terror Attack

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Law enforcement officials in London shot and killed a man on Sunday who allegedly went on a mass stabbing spree in a “terrorist-related” attack. . .

“As part of a proactive Counter Terrorism operation, armed officers were in immediate attendance and shot a male suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene,” D’Orsi continued. “A device was found strapped to the body of the suspect and specialist officers attended. Cordons were put in place and it was quickly established that this was a hoax device.”

“The situation has been contained and officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are now leading an investigation into the incident,” D’Orsi added. “The incident was quickly declared as a terrorist incident and we believe it to be Islamist-related.”

British Prime Minister responded to the attack by tweeting, “Thank you to all emergency services responding to the incident in Streatham, which the police have now declared as terrorism-related. My thoughts are with the injured and all those affected.”

Johnson later added: “An investigation is taking place at pace to establish the full facts of what happened, and the Government will provide all necessary support to the police and security services as this work goes on.” (Read more from “Muslim Goes on Stabbing Spree in London Terror Attack” HERE)

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