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COVID-19: Travel Restrictions Top Priority as Trump Re-opens US Economy

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U.S. President Donald Trump has said border control and travel restrictions would be top priority as the country prepares to reopen its economy after a costly coronavirus shutdown.

Trump said during his daily news briefing on COVID-19 at the White House on Thursday where he announced a three-phased plan for the reopening process.

“As we begin a science-based reopening, we must be extra vigilant in blocking the foreign entry of the virus from abroad.

“Border control, travel restrictions and other limitations on entry are more important than never before to keep the virus in check and allow Americans to get back to work,” he said.

Citing expert advice, the president said the pandemic curve had flattened and the peak in new cases behind, hence the need for Americans to “start our lives again”.

However, he said the States would decide on when to reopen, but the guidelines recommend criteria that would have to be met in this regard.

“America wants to be open.

“Based on the latest data, our team of experts agree we can start the next front in our war, which we are calling ‘Opening up America Again”.

“And that is what we are doing, opening up our country and we have to do that,” he said.

Trump said that a prolonged shutdown combined with “a forced economic depression” could deeply hurt the country and its economy.

The document lays out the guidelines to be followed for reopening of businesses across the country badly hit by the economic impact of the pandemic.

One of the key recommendations for the first phase is the avoidance of groups of more than 10 people where appropriate social distancing is impossible.

The first phase also discourages non-essential travel, and encourages telework (working from home) and closure of common areas in offices.

Also recommended is the need for States to achieve a 14-day “downward trajectory” in coronavirus cases before beginning the re-opening process.

Under the plan, States are expected to set up screening and testing centres in addition to develop contact tracing capabilities.

It also recommends that hospitals should have a “robust testing programme,” in place for healthcare workers, among others.

While acknowledging that there would be challenges ahead, Trump said the goal was to quickly identify and address new cases.

“If the virus returns in the fall as some scientists think it may, possibly, these guidelines will ensure that our country is up and running so that we can likewise put it out quickly,” he said. (NAN)

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Russian Army Fires Ballistic Missiles at Kiev from Crimean Peninsula

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The Russian Army has hit the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, with ballistic missiles, injuring four people and damaging an uninhabited three-storey building, according to officials.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said  that two of the injured  people were in a central neighbourhood and  had been taken to hospital.

Rocket debris also fell in two other neighbourhoods.

According to the Ukrainian air force, two ballistic missiles were fired at the city of millions, from the Russian-controlled Crimea Peninsula.

Both were shot down.

Half a dozen explosions from anti-aircraft missiles had previously been heard in the city centre.

The air raid warning was only triggered a few seconds beforehand, it said.

Ukraine has been facing  Russian invasion for over two years.

Since then, the Ukrainian air defence system has been massively reinforced with Western systems. (dpa/NAN)

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Cambodia Arrests 2 Foreigners for Smuggling 2.27 kg Narcotics

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Cambodian customs police at the Phnom Penh International Airport said they have arrested two South Korean nationals for an attempt to smuggle 2.27 kg narcotics to South Korea.

The duo, a man and woman, were caught Sunday night while they checked in for a ZA215 flight bound for Seoul.

The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia said in a news release on Monday.

In their body searches, our customs officials found many packs of drugs wrapped around their waists, the news release said.

“As a result, some 1.29 kg of crystal methamphetamine and 0.98 kg of ketamine were seized from the two suspects’ possession.’’

The Southeast Asian country has no death sentence for a drug trafficker.

Under its law, someone found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grammes of illicit drugs could be jailed for life.

According to the country’s Anti-Drug Department (ADP), Cambodia nabbed 3,899 drug-related suspects, including 106 foreigners, in 1,659 cases from Jan. 1 to March 3, 2024.

According to the report they confiscated a total of 2.79 tonnes of narcotics.

Most of the seized drugs were ketamine, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine tablets, heroin, ecstasy, and cocaine. (Xinhua/NAN)

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February Ends with Extreme Heat – WMO

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The UN weather agency, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), says February saw more extreme heat and unusually high temperatures in both hemispheres.

Summarising the state of the climate, it said the month ended with extreme heat in the southern hemisphere where it is summer, while high temperatures atypical of the northern hemisphere winter prevailed.

Parts of North and South America, northwest and southeast Africa, southeast and far eastern Asia, western Australia and Europe all saw record-breaking temperatures, either on a daily basis or for all of February.

“The anomalous heat is consistent with the persisting warming observed since June 2023, with seven consecutive new global monthly temperature records, including January 2024,” Alvaro Silva, a climatologist working with the WMO, said in a statement.

Global sea surface temperatures were record high. While the El Niño weather pattern “has stoked temperatures in some parts of the world, human induced climate change is the long-term major contributing factor,” he added.

Conversely, a large part of northwestern Canada, central Asia – and from southern central Siberia to southeastern China – witnessed exceptional cold during the last week of the month.

The meteorological winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the southern hemisphere finished officially at the end of February.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) raised increasing concern on Friday that more refugees would cross into Chad from Darfur in the coming weeks amid a worrying lack of food and other essentials.

Almost a year since the start of the civil war between rival militaries in Sudan, neighbouring Chad urgently needs more humanitarian aid and significant development investment, the agency reported, especially in its eastern areas which are hosting the refugee influx.

This investment will allow the country to continue its generous open-door stance towards refugees.

“Chadian officials are concerned that many more hungry Sudanese families will come in the next weeks,” said Kelly Clements, UNHCR’s Deputy High Commissioner, who is in the country to review the relief operation.

“The country is committed to keeping its borders open, despite the fragility of this region.

“But, doing so will put even more strain on Chad, which has so graciously been hosting refugees from Sudan’s war – now raging almost a year – and other refugees still here from earlier emergencies.” (NAN)

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