Countries Take Tough Steps
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
COLLEGE BASKETBALL FACES MILITARY Azubuike leading Kansas Davidson revisits ‘SNL’ Pentagon alters policy back to prominence, playing Crenshaw controversy to give spouses higher like Jayhawks’ all-time greats in new comedy special priority for child care Back page Page 17 Page 3 Marines to bar ‘Confederate-related paraphernalia’ on bases » Page 4 Volume 78, No. 225 ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Afghans get look at peace during pause in fighting BY SUSANNAH GEORGE The Washington Post MARJAH, Afghanistan — The Afghan army sergeant pulled down his shirt collar to reveal a thick, jag- ged scar across his neck. Five years ago, he said, the Taliban kidnapped him, slit his throat and left him for dead. But that’s the past, Sgt. Abul Rashid Karwan said. Now, he’s ready for peace. And so, in one of Afghanistan’s most volatile provinces, cautiously optimistic about a peace deal set to be signed between the U.S. and the Taliban on Saturday, Karwan and his men did something that would have been unthinkable even a week ago: They invited Taliban fighters to lunch. “We’ll bring a good chicken for you!” one of his soldiers shout- ed across the rocky farmland of Helmand province, toward a fighter on a motorcycle, rifle slung over his shoulder. The lunch offer came on the fourth day of a seven-day period of reduced violence between U.S.-backed Af- AHN YOUNG-JOON/AP ghan forces and the Taliban. The Taliban controls or contests more A worker cleans his goggles as he prepares to spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus in a Seoul, South Korea, than half of Helmand’s districts, and shopping district Thursday. Countries around the world are taking tougher measures as the number of sick and dead rises. this once-active front line, like half a dozen others around the province, had fallen almost completely silent. Countries take tough steps SEE PAUSE ON PAGE 6 World leaders attempt to keep citizens, economies safe as illness spreads BY MATT SEDENSKY Trump urges calm; new case that bordered on panic in some quarters, AND JON GAMBRELL and a sense that no part of the world was Associated Press is discovered in California immune to the disease’s spread. Page 7 “Viruses don’t know borders and they BANGKOK — Saudi Arabia cut trav- don’t stop at them,” said Roberto Spe- el to Islam’s holiest sites, South Korea US, South Korea delay drills; ranza, the health minister in Italy, where toughened penalties for those breaking northern towns were on army-guarded quarantines and airports across Latin Japan bases hold town halls lockdowns and supermarket shelves America looked for signs of sick passen- were bare. LORENZO TUGNOLI/For The Washington Post gers Thursday as the new virus troubled Page 8 As growing parts of Europe and the a mushrooming swath of the globe. Afghan police officers guard the With the illness pushing its way onto In Italy, US Army preparing Middle East saw infections and a first Ali Nazar outpost just outside of a sixth continent and the number of sick case was found in South America, air Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, the and dead rising, the crisis gave way to for prolonged precautions routes were halted and border control provincial capital of Helmand political and diplomatic rows, concern Page 9 SEE STEPS ON PAGE 7 province, on Feb. 22. PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Friday, February 28, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9696 Utility to pay $53M for gas explosions in Boston Euro costs (Feb. 28) ..........................$1.1256 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.68 Dollar buys (Feb. 28) ....................... €0.8884 Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.1738 British pound (Feb. 28) ........................$1.32 Associated Press (Military exchange rates are those said. any gas pipeline and gas distribu- Japanese yen (Feb. 28) ......................108.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (Feb. 28) ..........1,186.00 T he company sa id in an ema iled tion activities in Massachusetts, Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance BOSTON — A utility company for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the statement that it takes full respon- according to court documents. Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3767 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For blamed for a series of natural gas British pound .....................................$1.2951 sibility for the disaster. The explosions and fires in the nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., explosions in Massachusetts that Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3371 purchasing British pounds in Germany), “Today’s resolution with the Merrimack Valley communities China (Yuan) ........................................ 7.0061 killed one person and damaged check with your local military banking Denmark (Krone) ................................6.8070 U.S. Attorney’s Office is an im- of Lawrence, Andover and North facility. Commercial rates are interbank dozens of homes will plead guilty Egypt (Pound) ...................................15.6088 rates provided for reference when buying to breaking federal pipeline safe- portant part of addressing the Andover injured about 25 people Euro .........................................$1.0977/0.9110 impact,” the company wrote. and damaged or destroyed doz- Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7926 currency. All figures are foreign currencies ty laws and pay a $53 million fine, to one dollar, except for the British pound, “Our focus remains on enhanc- ens of buildings. Hungary (Forint) .................................308.98 federal officials said Wednesday. Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.4461 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, Columbia Gas of Massachu- ing safety, regaining the trust of Federal investigators blamed Japan (Yen) ...........................................109.95 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) our customers and ensuring that the explosions on overpressur- Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3062 INTEREST RATES setts will plead guilty to violating Norway (Krone) ...................................9.4032 the Pipeline Safety Act following quality service is delivered.” ized gas lines, saying the com- Philippines (Peso).................................50.87 Prime rate ................................................4.75 a federal investigation into the The company’s parent, Ni- pany failed to account for critical Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.94 Discount rate ..........................................2.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7520 Federal funds market rate ...................1.58 September 2018 explosions, the Source Inc., has also agreed to pressure sensors as workers re- Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3949 3-month bill .............................................1.49 U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston try to sell the company and cease placed pipes in Lawrence. South Korea (Won) ..........................1,211.53 30-year bond ...........................................1.80 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 34/29 Kabul 55/43 Seoul 47/39 Baghdad 68/50 Kandahar 58/44 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 53/47 47/37 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 49/32 39/29 54/42 Iwakuni 49/43 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 67/64 Brussels 39/34 Guam 69/55 49/31 Ramstein 53/47 79/76 Lajes, 41/30 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 74/47 74/53 62/59 42/32 43/36 Aviano/ Vicenza 48/30 Naples 59/51 Okinawa Morón 71/68 69/47 Sigonella Rota 65/44 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 85/70 64/50 58/54 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 18 Comics ...................... 21 Crossword ................. 21 Faces ........................ 17 Opinion ................ 22-23 Sports .................. 25-32 Friday, February 28, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 MILITARY Pentagon alters child care priority policy BY CAITLIN M. KENNEY not verify his or her status, he or Stars and Stripes she could lose his or her spot on a child care center’s waitlist. WASHINGTON — A Pentagon The last priority is “space avail- policy change will ensure more able” that includes spouses of ac- military families have priority tive-duty service members who access at base child care centers are not working but need child as high demand for spots has cre- care, Defense Department con- ated long waitlists. tractors and military retirees. Due to frequent moves and only Starting June 1, spouses who a few years at each installation, are seeking work or are in school many military families face chal- full time will now be put in Prior- lenges finding consistent child ity 1 for waitlists. They will still care, according to Nicole Russell, have to verify their status every the deputy director of govern- 90 days or their child will be re- ment relations at the National moved from care, however instal- Military Family Association, a lation commanders can authorize private nonprofit advocacy group an extension. This new prior- based in Alexandria, Va. ity will help families and spouses “When you’re moving from one have more opportunities, Russell duty station to the next, a service said. member needs to make sure that MARY DAVIS/U.S. Army “I think by placing them in a