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A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 21 March 2020
China exonerates doctor reprimanded for warning of virus

BEIJING (AP) — China has about the emerging threat.
exonerated a doctor who China's supreme court later
was officially reprimand- criticized the police, but the
ed for warning about the ruling party continued to
coronavirus outbreak and tighten its grip on informa-
later died of the disease, tion about the outbreak.
a startling admission of er- The party has faced similar
ror by the ruling Communist accusations of bungling or
Party that generally bodes thuggish behavior follow-
no challenges to its author- ing previous disasters. They
ity. include the 2003 outbreak
The party's top disciplinary of Severe Acute Respirato-
body said the police force ry Syndrome, a 2005 chemi-
in Wuhan had revoked its cal spill that disrupted
admonishment of Dr. Li water supplies to millions
Wenliang that had includ- of people in China's north-
ed a threat of arrest. east, sales of tainted milk
It also said a "solemn apol- that sickened thousands of
ogy" had been issued to Li's children and the failure of
family and that two police private finance companies
officers, identified only by after the global economic
their surnames, had been In this Feb. 7, 2020, file photo, people wearing masks attend a vigil for Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, crisis.
issued "disciplinary punish- who was reprimanded for warning about the outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Hong Kong. In each case, officials were
ments" for the original han- Associated Press accused of trying to con-
dling of the matter. ceal or delay information
In death, Li became the journalists. new cases recorded Friday cial border remains closed people said they needed
face of simmering anger at After seeing thousands in China were brought from and Wuhan itself remains to protect themselves.
the ruling Communist Par- of new cases daily at the overseas, showing that rigid under lockdown. Officials The party often responds
ty's controls over informa- peak of the city's outbreak travel restrictions and social say they will only lift the by allowing the public to
tion and complaints that a month ago, Wuhan on distancing requirements quarantine after Wuhan vent temporarily, then uses
officials lie about or hide Friday had its second con- appear to have had their goes 14 consecutive days its control of media and the
disease outbreaks, indus- secutive day with no new desired effect. with no new cases. internet to stifle criticism.
trial accidents, natural di- confirmed or suspected China has loosened some Police in December had Critics who persist can be
sasters and financial frauds, cases. travel restrictions in Hubei, reprimanded eight doc- jailed on vague charges of
while punishing whistle- The National Health Com- the province surrounding tors including Li for warn- spreading rumors or mak-
blowers and independent mission said all of the 39 Wuhan, although its provin- ing friends on social media ing trouble. q

Blast in southwest At least 17 Afghan forces

Pakistan coalmine kills 7,

injures 3 killed in insider attack

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — explosions that have killed By TAMEEM AKHGAR month between the United States and
Seven Pakistani miners numerous mine workers in Associated Press the Taliban.
were killed and three in- recent years. In July, res- KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At least 17 The troop pullout is tied to promises by
jured in a explosion Friday cue teams struggled to police and army personnel were killed the Taliban to fight terrorism, including
inside a coalmine in south- save 10 miners trapped in in an apparent insider attack at a joint the Islamic State group's affiliate head-
west Pakistan, a local min- a coalmine in the Degari military and police base early Friday, Af- quartered in eastern Afghanistan.
ing official said. area after a methane gas ghanistan's Ministry of Defense said. The However, Washington has struggled to
Rescue workers pulled explosion. Seven of the attack took place in southern Zabul prov- get Afghanistan's squabbling politicians
the injured from the mine miners eventually died. The ince, a Taliban stronghold. to unite behind a single leader to start
and had recovered all the explosion occurred more The Defense Ministry statement said the intra-Afghan negotiations, a critical next
bodies, said Shafqat Mah- than 4,000 feet (1,220 me- Taliban carried out the attack, but with step in the U.S.-Taliban deal. Washington
mood, a mine inspector ters) below the surface. the assistance of Afghan police and has also been critical of the violent at-
in Baluchistan province, Miners often complain that army personnel inside the base. It said 11 tacks carried out be the Taliban target-
where the accident took owners fail to install safety soldiers and six police were killed. ing Afghan security forces, but not U.S. or
place. equipment. Despite the No one immediately took responsibility, NATO personnel.
He said investigators were danger and low wages, but Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Muja- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's spokes-
still working to determine hundreds of miners work hed said he would look into the allega- man said Friday's "heinous" attack called
the cause of the blast near in Baluchistan, where un- tion. into question the Taliban's commitment
Degari, a town about 100 employment is higher than Provincial council member Assadullah to the peace deal.
kilometers (60 miles) east of other parts of the country. Kakar had earlier given a higher toll of Ghani and his rival in last year's presiden-
Quetta, Baluchistan's capi- Separatists have for years 25 killed, and said it was a Taliban attack tial polls had both declared themselves
tal city. He provided no fur- waged a low-level insur- with help from inside. It was not immdi- president in rival ceremonies earlier this
ther details. gency in Baluchistan, com- ately possible to resolve the conflicting month. Since then, Washington's peace
Safety standards are com- plaining of discrimination accounts. envoy who brokered the U.S.-Taliban
monly ignored in the coal and demanding a fairer The attack comes as the U.S. and NATO deal has been meeting the two lead-
mining industry in Pakistan, share of the province's re- start a staged withdrawal of their troops, ers seeking a compromise. Until now the
leading to accidents and sources and wealth.q in keeping with a peace deal signed last squabbling has only intensified.q