Prince Andrew won't voluntarily cooperate in Epstein inquiry, prosecutor says

Despite public offer to help with investigation Andrew has ‘completely shut the door’, and New York attorney general is now considering other optionsPrince Andrew has “completely shut the door” on cooperating with US investigators in the Jeffrey Epstein case and they are now “considering” further options, a New York prosecutor said on Monday.Andrew was a friend of Epstein, the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender whose death in custody while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in New York last year was ruled a suicide.Andrew denies all claims of sexual misconduct relating to the Epstein case but has stepped back from public duties as a result of his connection to it.Speaking to reporters on Monday, the Manhattan US attorney Geoffrey Berman said: “Contrary to Prince Andrew’s very public offer to cooperate with our investigation into Epstein’s co-conspirators, an offer that was conveyed via press release, Prince Andrew has now completely shut the door on voluntary cooperation and our office is considering its options.”In November, Andrew said he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations if required”.Berman made a similar claim in January, which former sex crimes prosecutors told the Guardian was most likely a move designed to win political support for the investigation.Buckingham Palace said then it would not comment and the matter was being dealt with by the prince’s legal team. Contacted on Monday, a Palace spokeswoman said: “The issue is being dealt with by the Duke of York’s legal team.”Buckingham Palace has consistently refused to reveal any details of Andrew’s legal team but the Duke has reportedly hired Clare Montgomery, a senior barrister at Matrix Chambers, whose clients have included Augusto Pinochet, Chile’s former dictator, and Shrien Dewani, charged with and acquitted of murdering his wife in South Africa. She also prosecuted the Metropolitan police over the death of Jean Charles de Menezes, shot dead in a failed anti-terror operation.Andrew has been accused of having sex with a young woman provided by Epstein, a claim he categorically denies.In a December interview with the BBC, the accuser, Virginia Giuffre, now 35, called Andrew’s denial “BS”.“He knows what happened,” she said. “I know what happened, and there’s only one of us telling the truth, and I know that’s me.”The Guardian has reported that according to flight logs, Andrew was among nine people on Epstein’s plane for a trip from the US Virgin Islands to Florida in February 1999.A lawsuit filed by the US territory’s attorney general in January cites new evidence that Epstein “held captive underage girls” there as recently as 2018.Montgomery declined to comment to an inquiry from the Guardian. She is reportedly briefed by Gary Bloxsome, a criminal defence solicitor who has defended British troops against war crime allegations. It has been reported he was appointed directly by Andrew, though this has not been confirmed by the palace.

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Thousands of people in Italy panicked and tried to flee its 16-million-person coronavirus quarantine after the plan leaked

"Some of those who fled will be infected with the disease," said one virus expert — increasing the risk it will spread further.

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Oil crash sparks 'Black Monday' meltdown on virus-hit markets

World oil prices crashed Monday, fueling a vicious selloff on stock markets which were already buckling from the spreading coronavirus outbreak.

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Trump feuds with airlines over coronavirus after White House asks for passenger information

Requests by the Trump administration to the airline industry to collect more passenger information to help stem the spread of coronavirus have resulted in heightened tensions between the industry and the White House.The administration - at the urging of the Centers of Disease Control - has asked airlines to begin collecting data on travellers to help the government slow the spread of coronavirus. Airline industry officials claim they don’t have the technology available to meet the government’s requests, but the CDC is sceptical.

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The Trump Administration Is Stalling an Intel Report That Warns the U.S. Isn’t Ready for a Global Pandemic

An intelligence report postponed by President Trump’s administration warns the U.S. is unprepared for a global pandemic, officials say.

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Delta ups the ante, announces no change fees for all flights through April amid coronavirus

Delta and others previously relaxed change fee policies for new tickets. This covers all tickets for travel in March and April.

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As Lawmakers Report Exposure, Congress Grapples With Virus Response

By BY CARL HULSE AND NICHOLAS FANDOS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2VUkIpI

If Indian Wells Can Be Canceled, Is Any Sporting Event Safe?

By BY MARC STEIN, CHRISTOPHER CLAREY AND MATTHEW FUTTERMAN from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2Q1xgbb

In a Plan to Bring Yoga to Alabama Schools, Stretching Is Allowed. ‘Namaste’ Isn’t.

By BY RICK ROJAS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/38Em0b3

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Had Been Laying Low. That’s Over.

By BY DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK from NYT World https://ift.tt/3cEx5fz

In Egypt, Tourists Torn Between Ancient Temples and Coronavirus Tests

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Roosevelt who? 2020 Democrats steer clear of talking history

Modern politicians talk less and less about the traditions and legacy of their own political parties. Joe Biden’s rise in the Democratic primary shows this might be a misjudgment. 

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Experts: Rapid testing helps explain few German virus deaths

Germany has confirmed more than 1,100 cases of the new coronavirus but — so far — just two deaths, far fewer than other European countries with a similar number of reported infections. Experts said Monday that rapid testing as the outbreak unfolded meant Germany has probably diagnosed a much larger proportion of those who have been infected, including younger patients who are less likely to develop serious complications. “We in Germany were simply at the forefront in terms of diagnostics,” said Christian Drosten, the director of the Institute for Virology at Berlin's Charite hospital.

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A GOP congressman's tweet about quarantining himself from the 'Wuhan coronavirus' sparks debate about racism surrounding the disease

After Rep. Paul Gosar announced his self-quarantine from the "Wuhan coronavirus," people were torn about whether the term is inherently racist.

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Italy's prime minister just placed the entire country on lockdown in a nationwide extension of its coronavirus restriction zone

The number of coronavirus cases in Italy surpassed 9,000 on Monday, prompting the government to quarantine the whole country. Over 460 people are dead.

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As markets plummet, Trump says White House to seek possible payroll tax cuts

President Trump on Monday evening said he will speak with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Republicans about a possible payroll tax cut that would provide "very substantial relief" amid the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic."We have a great economy, a very strong economy, but this has blindsided the world," Trump said. The coronavirus epidemic, as well as Saudi Arabia cutting oil export prices by nearly 10 percent, is worrying investors, and on Monday, U.S. stocks fell more than 7 percent in the Dow's worst day since 2008. Trump said he wants to meet with McConnell on Tuesday, and in addition to discussing a payroll tax cut, he will also bring up "hourly wage earners getting help so they can be in a position where they are not ever going to miss a paycheck."Trump said the COVID-19 epidemic is "not our country's fault, this is something we've been throw into," and the government is working with the airline, cruise, and travel industries as they will feel the effects of people staying home. "The main thing is we are taking care of the American public," he said.More stories from theweek.com Washington nursing home with coronavirus outbreak reported shocking escalation from 'no symptoms to death' Trump retweets White House photo of him fiddling, says he doesn't know 'what this means' GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz self-quarantines for coronavirus exposure just 1 hour after flying with Trump

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Turkey issues new arrest warrant for jailed businessman Kavala

A Turkish court issued a new arrest warrant on Monday against Turkish businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala, who was re-arrested last month after being acquitted in a separate trial, one of his lawyers told Reuters. Kavala had been cleared of charges related to nationwide protests in 2013, but was re-arrested the following day, accused of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order in a failed coup in 2016. On Monday, a second arrest warrant was issued in relation to the coup attempt, this time for espionage.

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Nazi salutes, Molotov cocktails rock massive Mexico women's march

A group of women outside Mexico City's main cathedral clashed on Sunday with men protesting abortion who made Nazi salutes, among scuffles that left dozens injured during a protest of tens of thousands of people on International Women's Day. The incidents reflected an undercurrent of anger throughout the day, in which the city government said 80,000 people marched through Mexico City's historic core to the public square fronting the cathedral and National Palace. Wearing green bandanas symbolizing support for abortion rights, at least a dozen women ripped down banners describing abortion as femicide and set them on fire.

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Italy Prison in Flames in Coronavirus Lockdown Riot Among Cut-Off Inmates

ROME—As least six inmates have died, and at least 50 others have escaped from an Italian prison in the southern region of Puglia on Monday amid extensive rioting in 27 prisons across the country after visitation rights were curtailed due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus. Italy Locks Down 16 Million People To Contain CoronavirusRiots broke out Sunday afternoon in half a dozen prisons after the Italian government enacted a draconian decree that has locked down 16 million people and curtailed movement across the entire country to try to contain the spread of COVID-19. By Monday, the riots had spread to nearly 30 detention facilities.The number of coronavirus cases in Italy reached 9,172 on Monday, the highest number outside of China. At least 463 people have died in Italy with the virus, the second highest number of fatalities after China. In Modena, now part of the extended outbreak red zone designated by the government, prisoners were able to take two guards hostage Sunday and steal keys before climbing a barrier fence to try to escape. They were eventually pushed back by riot police, but the prison had been so damaged that all inmates had to be moved to temporary facilities. In a prison in Pavia, inmates lit mattresses on fire, causing a wing of the facility to be evacuated Sunday. Flames coming from the prison could be seen more than a half-mile away.On Monday, prisoners were seen on top of the San Vittore Prison in Milan, at the heart of the outbreak. There, fires were burning in some areas after all visitation rights were banned after the city was put on lockdown Sunday. During morning recreational time, inmates charged guards and gained access to the roof.In Rome, where nearly 90 people have tested positive for the disease across the province, prisoners have been prohibited from congregating in open areas for recreation. In the Regina Coeli prison in central Rome, inmates could be heard yelling and banging objects in their cells on Monday. Prisoners in the city’s Rebibbia prison also set that facility on fire on Monday afternoon, after which around 30 prisoners escaped. Helicopters were flying low over the city center, and sirens wailed for most of the afternoon as the inmates were apprehended. Most criminal trials that have not been suspended across the country will be held in closed courtrooms without prisoners present—out of fear of them contracting the virus in court and spreading it to other inmates. The murder trial involving American teens Finnegan Elder and Gabe Natale for the stabbing death of an Italian police officer last July was in session behind closed doors Monday, but the suspects were not allowed to leave the prison to attend the hearing. Italian prisons are severely overcrowded, with 61,230 inmates in detention centers meant to hold a capacity of no more than 50,950. Inmate-rights groups have complained that testing is not being conducted inside prisons across the country and that a lack of confirmed cases among the incarcerated is not reflective of the current situation. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Bernie Sanders asks Elizabeth Warren and her supporters for backing

Attempt to reverse Joe Biden’s surging momentum two days before crucial votes in six states * Kamala Harris endorses Joe BidenBernie Sanders made a pitch for the backing of Elizabeth Warren and her supporters on Sunday in an attempt to reverse his rival Joe Biden’s surging momentum towards the Democratic party’s presidential nomination.In a series of appearances on political talk shows two days before crucial primary votes in Michigan, Missouri and four other key states, Sanders highlighted the alignment of his progressive policies on a range of issues to those of the liberal Massachusetts senator, who dropped out of the race on Thursday and who has yet to announce an endorsement.His move came on the same day as another former rival, the California senator Kamala Harris, announced that she was backing Biden to win the nomination and beat Donald Trump in November, adding to other candidates who have dropped from the race and swung their support to the former vice-president, including Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg and Mike Bloomberg.“We would love to have Senator Warren’s support, we would love to have the millions of people who supported Senator Warren,” Sanders said on CNN’s State of the Union.“Senator Warren talked about a wealth tax, something I think is enormously important. We also have a wealth tax, nuanced different from hers but the same principle at a time of massive income and wealth inequality.“We’ve reached out, we’re looking and asking for the support of Senator Warren’s supporters, and hope they come onboard.”The Vermont senator, 78, also picked up one notable endorsement on Sunday, that of Jesse Jackson, the veteran civil rights leader who won the Michigan caucuses in his unsuccessful 1988 run at the Democratic presidential nomination.“A people far behind cannot catch up choosing the most moderate path,” Jackson said in a statement. “The most progressive social and economic path gives us the best chance to catch up and Bernie Sanders represents the most progressive path.”Sanders, who raced to an early lead in the Democratic nomination process with successes in Nevada and New Hampshire, but fell behind last week in Biden’s extraordinary Super Tuesday comeback, cannot afford to lose more ground this Tuesday when primary voters in the delegate-rich midwestern states of Michigan and Missouri, plus Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota and Washington go to the polls.On NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Sanders addressed concerns expressed by Warren two days ago over “online bullying and organized nastiness” by his supporters, but did not directly answer if he thought Warren was holding back her support because of it.“I am concerned about the kind of ugliness that exists on the internet and the Twitter world in general, it is very ugly,” he said.“And I will not deny for a second that we have some people who claim to be supporters, although I have a hard time understanding why they think they can support me and make vicious personal attacks against people. That’s not what our campaign is about.”Asked by host Chuck Todd if he thought he could win the nomination without Warren’s support, Sanders replied: “Of course we can. We can win this because we are going to win the support of working people all over this country.”Sanders had two rallies planned on Sunday in Michigan, the rust belt state he won narrowly from Hillary Clinton in a 2016 Democratic primary upset, but in which he trails Biden by almost nine points in FiveThirtyEight’s latest polling.With an eye to securing the support of working class voters, Sanders attacked Biden’s policies and voting record on trade. “In Michigan the people here have been devastated, in Flint, in Detroit, by these disastrous trade agreements that Joe Biden voted for,” he said on CNN, referring to the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement and deals with China, which he said cost millions of American jobs.He also criticized Biden for supporting the Wall Street bailout, and said the vice-president had overplayed his role in the Obama-era $80bn rescue package for the struggling American auto industry that kept production plants open in Michigan and elsewhere.“Well the auto bailout was done by the Obama administration and it was a step forward, but I sometimes think Joe is taking credit as vice-president for initiatives that were led by President Obama and by many members of Congress,” he said.“If Joe is the candidate, believe me, Trump will and has already talked about Joe’s record on trade. We have a voting record that speaks to the needs of working families. If you’re going into the industrial base of the United States of America, the heartland of America, and you voted for agreements that have devastated communities like Flint and Detroit it’s hard to make [a] case when Trump has made trade such an important part of his agenda.”Sanders did, however, pledge his support to Biden if he won the nomination. “We’ve got to do everything possible to defeat Trump. I’ll support Joe if he wins, he’ll support me if I win,” he said.Biden, 77, was planning to appear at rallies in Grand Rapids and Detroit on Monday to help secure the majority of the Michigan’s 125 delegates to the Democratic national convention in July that will determine the nominee. Nationally, he leads Sanders 664-573 in delegates pledged so far, with 1,991 needed to win outright.The two will go head to head on 15 March in Arizona in their first televised debate since Warren’s withdrawal made it a two-person race.

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From silencing medics to banning 'rumors': Here's why Iran is struggling to contain its coronavirus outbreak

Iran's government is accused of downplaying the outbreak's severity and withholding key information. Many top politicians have also caught the virus.

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South Korea sees coronavirus 'stable phase' but 'too early to be optimistic'

South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed guarded hope for the country's fight against the coronavirus on Monday, saying a downward trend in new infections could lead to a phase of stability, but he warned that it was too early to be optimistic. The numbers showed the rate of increase in new infections fell to its lowest level in 11 days in one of the most severely affected countries outside mainland China. Moon said South Korea can enter the "phase of stability" soon if it continues to reduce the number of new cases.

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Report: Pilots restarted software, causing fatal nosedive

Ethiopian investigators are mostly blaming Boeing for last year’s crash of a Ethiopian Airlines jet shortly after takeoff, saying in an interim report Monday that there were design failures in the jet and inadequate training for pilots. The update from Ethiopian investigators — timed to beat the anniversary of the crash on March 10, 2019 — pointed to the role played by a new flight-control system that Boeing installed on the 737 Max and which repeatedly pushed the nose of the plane down. The system, called MCAS, overwhelmed the pilots’ attempts to control the plane.

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