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This is VOA news. I'm David Byrd.
An elderly Chinese tourist has died in France from the new coronavirus. The 80-year-old man is the first person in Europe to die due to complications from the virus that originated in China. We get more from AP's Sarah Bassett. China has reported a death in new virus cases. The latest count of new cases came in just over 2,600, down nearly half in the previous day. The new figures raised the country's case to a total just over 66,000, with the death toll reaching just over 1,500. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, China's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Qin Gang says the number of confirmed cases outside China in less than one percent of the case count on the mainland. "... epidemic is controllable and the disease curable ..." France has reported Europe's first death from the new virus. A Chinese tourist from Hubei province where the disease emerged in December. I'm Sarah Bassett. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper urged world security leaders Saturday to "wake up" to China's efforts to influence world affairs, maintaining that Beijing plans to achieve its goals by any means necessary. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Esper emphasized the United States does not seek conflict with China but he voiced concern over what he said were China's goals to modernize its military by 2035 and to dominate Asia militarily by 2049. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said later that Esper and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who accused China of using what he called a "nefarious strategy" to win support for its next-generation wireless network equipment maker Huawei Technologies, were in Yi's words, telling "lies." For more, visit our website. This is VOA news. One day after meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Defense Secretary Mark Esper says a truce agreement between the United States and the Taliban is not without risk but looks "promising." We get more from AP correspondent Ben Thomas. "It looked very promising ...." Defense Secretary Mark Esper says it would involve a seven-day halt to Taliban attacks before signing. "... that means taking some risk ...." Peace talks between the Taliban and Afghanistan's government will begin within ten days of the signing. "We can only be governed in a democratic system ...." President Ashraf Ghani says as long as Afghanistan remains democratic, the Taliban is not much of a threat. "I think the society is being immunized against that type of radicalism because if the Taliban is at support, why would they be so afraid of the elections." It all could lead to an 18-month-phased withdrawal with U.S. forces. Ben Thomas, Washington. Diplomats from countries that lost citizens when Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner pressured Tehran's foreign minister for more cooperation on the investigation Saturday. The ministers met with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne said that they had pressed for swift compensation for families. "We pressed Iran on the need for swift compensation to be provided to the families of the victims in accordance with international standards." Of the 176 victims, 57 were Canadian citizens along with Ukrainians, Swedes, Afghans, Britons and Iranians. Canada and its allies are pushing Tehran to release the black boxes from the doomed 737 plane so the data can be analyzed in France. The incident took place January 8, the same day Tehran launched missile attacks against U.S. barracks in Iraq in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iran has said the shootdown was a mistake. Human Rights Watch on Saturday urged Europe's defense officials to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to put an end to the humanitarian crisis in Syria's Idlib province. Kenneth Roth is the director of Human Rights Watch. "It's time for Europe to start exercising that ??? and to insist that there will be severe consequences if Putin precedes in authorizing this blood bath in Idlib." Hundreds of thousands of civilians are scrambling to escape a widening multifront assault on rebel-held areas of Idlib by Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces who are supported by Moscow. Roth criticized what he called the shockingly little attention dedicated to the ongoing crisis in Syria at the Munich conference. I'm David Byrd, VOA news. |