AFP

The leaders of Japan, India, Australia and the United States meet in Tokyo on Tuesday seeking common ground on countering China’s growing regional economic and military clout.

The summit of the so-called Quad grouping takes place with Beijing beefing up its military and carrying out exercises and manoeuvres around disputed territory, including Taiwan.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden warned China it was “flirting with danger” as it steps up military activity around the self-ruled island, which Beijing considers part of its territory.

Biden said Washington would be ready to intervene militarily to defend Taiwan, prompting China to warn the United States it was “playing with fire” and not to underestimate the country’s “firm resolve, staunch will and strong ability”.

Japan too has gradually upped its rhetoric on Beijing’s military moves, cautioning China against attempts to “unilaterally change the status quo by force”.

Tokyo is partnering with Washington to monitor Chinese naval activity, and is particularly concerned about movement around the disputed territory that Japan calls the Senkaku islands and Beijing the Diaoyu islands.

Against this backdrop, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will welcome Biden, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australia’s newly elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Among some of the four, there are hopes that the loose alliance is being transformed into a more formidable bloc capable of presenting a unified front to Beijing.

“The Quad is showing the world that cooperation among democracies can get big things done,” Biden said Monday after talks with Kishida.

But that unity is complicated by divisions with India — the only Quad member that has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

– ‘A neutral stance’ –

Biden and his allies have linked a strong response to Moscow’s war to Beijing’s regional ambitions, insisting sanctions on Russia are a deterrent to other powers considering unilateral military action.

That has made India’s pointed refusal to pick sides in the conflict all the more delicate a subject.

And India is likely to push for a softer overall tone to any joint Quad statement, shying away from the more muscular language employed by Washington, Canberra and Tokyo in recent months.

Past statements have focused on calling for a “free and open Indo-Pacific” and warnings against “unilateral” moves in the region — without directly naming China.

“The Quad gives the impression that it is focused on ways to counter China. But India will likely take a neutral stance,” Kazuhiro Maeshima, a professor of US politics at Tokyo’s Sophia University, told AFP.

“In order not to pressure India, (Japan and the US) might focus on things like economy and climate change,” he added.

The meeting will be something of a diplomatic trial by fire for Australia’s Albanese, who flew to Tokyo within hours of being officially inaugurated as prime minister.

The 59-year-old centre-left Labor Party leader said the Tokyo talks would be “a good way to send a message to the world that there’s a new government in Australia”.

Biden arrived in Japan on Sunday after a stop in Seoul as he tries to reassure Asian allies his administration has not been distracted by the war in Ukraine.

Hanging over the regional tour has been the threat that North Korea could be planning fresh missile launches or even a nuclear test.

Speculation that a launch could happen when Biden was in Seoul did not materialise, but Washington has said it remains “prepared” and Pyongyang’s missile programme is also likely to be on the Quad agenda.

The United States is preparing to give monkeypox vaccines to close contacts of people infected and to deploy treatments, with five cases now either confirmed or probable and the number likely to rise, officials said Monday.

There is one confirmed US infection so far, in Massachusetts, and four other cases of people with orthopoxviruses — the family that monkeypox belongs to, senior officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at a press briefing. 

All the suspected cases are presumed to be monkeypox, pending confirmation by testing at CDC headquarters, said Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the division of high consequence pathogens and pathology.

One orthopoxvirus case is in New York, one in Florida and two in Utah. All those infected so far in the United States have been men who had a relevant travel history.

Genetic sequencing of the Massachusetts case matched that of a patient in Portugal and belonged to the West African strain, the milder of the two monkeypox strains.

Monkeypox has symptoms similar to smallpox but is far less severe, with most people recovering within weeks.

“Right now we are hoping to maximize vaccine distribution to those that we know would benefit from it,” said McQuiston. 

“Those are people who’ve had contacts with a known monkeypox patient, health care workers, very close personal contacts, and those in particular who might be at high risk for severe disease.”

– Greater risk to immunocompromised – 

In terms of supply, the United States has around one thousand doses of JYNNEOS, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccine for smallpox and monkeypox “and you can expect that level to ramp up very quickly in the coming weeks as the company provides more doses to us,” said McQuiston. 

It also has around 100 million doses of an older generation vaccine, ACAM2000.

Both use live viruses but only JYNNEOS is non-replicating, making it the safer option, said McQuiston.

People who are immunocompromised or have particular skin conditions, including eczema, are at greater risk, added John Brooks, a medical epidemiologist.

Transmission of monkeypox occurs through close, sustained skin-to-skin contact with someone who has an active rash, or through respiratory droplets in someone who has lesions in their mouth and is around another person for an extended period of time.

The virus causes a rash, with skin lesions focused on certain areas of the body, or spread more widely. In some cases, during early stages, a rash can start on the genital or perianal areas.

While scientists are concerned that the growing number of cases worldwide may potentially indicate a new type of transmission, so far there is no hard evidence to back that theory, said McQuiston.

Instead, the uptick in cases might be linked to specific spreader events, such as recent raves in Europe that might explain the higher prevalence among gay and bisexual men.

But, warned Brooks, “by no means is the current risk of exposure to monkeypox exclusive to the gay and bisexual community.”

The CDC is also developing treatment guidance to allow the deployment of antivirals tecovirimat and brincidofovir, both of which are licensed for smallpox.

The high-profile defamation case between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard is poised to get another dash of celebrity — British model Kate Moss is expected to testify.

The 48-year-old Moss, Depp’s former girlfriend, is scheduled to make an appearance by video link on Wednesday, the New York Post reported.

Moss, who went out with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star from 1994 to 1997, is being called to the witness stand by Depp’s legal team.

The 36-year-old Heard, during her testimony earlier this month, mentioned a reported incident in which Depp was alleged to have pushed Moss down a flight of stairs.

That reference provided an opening to Depp’s lawyers to call Moss as a witness to address the allegation.

The 58-year-old Depp filed suit against Heard over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”

Heard, who had a starring role in “Aquaman,” did not name Depp in the op-ed, but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking $50 million in damages.

The Texas-born Heard countersued, asking for $100 million and claiming she suffered “rampant physical violence and abuse” at his hands.

Depp, during his four days on the witness stand, denied ever striking Heard or any other woman and claimed that she was the one who was frequently violent.

– ‘Narcissistic traits’ –

On Monday, the seven-person jury heard from two doctors called as expert witnesses by Heard’s team.

Richard Moore, an orthopedic surgeon, testified that it was unlikely that a finger injury sustained by Depp during a fight with Heard occurred in the manner in which Depp said it did.

Depp said the tip of his middle finger on his right hand was severed when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him while the couple were in Australia, where he was filming the fifth installment of the “Pirates” franchise.

Moore, who reviewed the medical records, said the wound was not consistent with that explanation.

David Spiegel, a psychiatrist, testified that Depp had “narcissistic traits” and behavior that indicated he had a substance use disorder.

Spiegel engaged in a testy exchange with one of Depp’s lawyers when pressed about the American Psychiatric Association’s so-called Goldwater Rule, which says it is “unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination.”

Spiegel acknowledged that he did not personally examine Depp but said his opinions were valid as an expert witness.

Depp’s lawyers put experts on the stand earlier in the trial who testified that the actor lost millions because of the abuse accusations, including a $22.5-million payday for a sixth installment of “Pirates.”

Depp filed the defamation complaint in the United States after losing a separate libel case in London in November 2020 that he brought against The Sun for calling him a “wife-beater.”

Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, and Heard were married in February 2015. Their divorce was finalized two years later.

Judge Penney Azcarate has scheduled closing arguments in the case for Friday, after which it will go to the jury.

A Ukrainian court found a young Russian soldier guilty of war crimes Monday for killing a civilian and handed him a life sentence, in the first verdict of its kind since Russia’s invasion three months ago.

The judgement came as President Volodymyr Zelensky urged political and business elites at the World Economic Forum to end all trade with Russia and keep supplying his country with weapons.

Russian attacks have been pummelling eastern Ukraine for weeks, but all eyes Monday were on the capital Kyiv, in the landmark trial against 21-year-old Russian serviceman Vadim Shishimarin.

The sergeant from Siberia had admitted in court to killing a 62-year-old civilian, Oleksandr Shelipov, in the village of Chupakhivka in northeast Ukraine.

He claimed he shot Shelipov under pressure from another soldier as they tried to retreat and escape back into Russia in a stolen car on February 28.

Shishimarin apologised and asked Shelipov’s widow for forgiveness, adding: “I was nervous about what was going on. I didn’t want to kill.”

But prosecutors claimed he shot between three and four bullets with the intention of killing the civilian.

Judge Sergiy Agafonov announced the life sentence for war crimes against Shishimarin as the Russian looked on from the glass defence box.

– Davos appeal –

He was also found guilty of premeditated murder, which Agafonov said had been committed with direct intent.

Shishimarin’s lawyer Viktor Ovsyannikov said he would appeal the “most severe” verdict, adding that “you can feel societal pressure” on the decision.

The landmark ruling is expected to be followed by others. Ukraine has opened thousands of war crimes cases since Moscow’s invasion.

International institutions are also probing abuses allegedly committed by Russian forces in places such as Bucha and Mariupol, which have become emblematic of the destruction and suffering of the war.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, from which Russians have been barred this year, Zelensky made a fresh appeal to Western gatherings and parliaments for them to maintain support for his country.

He revealed that 87 people had been killed in a Russian attack earlier this month on a military base in northern Ukraine, in what would be one of the largest single recorded strikes of the war.

Ukraine, he said via videolink, “is paying dearly for freedom and independence and for this struggle”. 

– Destroying territory –

Western countries have sent huge amounts of weapons and cash to Ukraine to help it repel Russia’s assault, and punished Moscow with unprecedented economic sanctions.

But Zelensky said tens of thousands of lives would have been saved if Kyiv had received “100 percent of our needs at once back in February”, when Russia invaded.

“This is why Ukraine needs all the weapons that we ask (for), not just the ones that have been provided,” said Zelensky.

Later Monday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that 20 nations pledged arms, ammunition and other supplies to support Kyiv.

Others, he said, were offering training for Ukraine’s military.

Zelensky also called for an oil embargo on Russia, punitive measures against all its banks and the shunning of its IT sector, adding that all foreign companies should leave the country.

Numerous firms have already abandoned Russia, and US coffee giant Starbucks on Monday said it would close all its 130 cafes there, following a similar move by McDonald’s last week.

Western support has helped Ukraine in many areas hold off Russia forces which, after initially moving on Kyiv, are now focused on securing and expanding their gains in the eastern Donbas region and on Ukraine’s southern coast.

Ukraine’s defence ministry on Monday reported “active hostilities” as Russia advanced with artillery and aircraft towards the eastern city of Severodonetsk and said there was also heavy fighting towards nearby Bakhmut.

In Kherson, the first major city to fall, the local administration announced the introduction of the ruble as the official currency, alongside the Ukrainian hryvnia.

– Morning prayer –

More than six million people have fled Ukraine and eight million have been internally displaced since the war broke out, according to the United Nations.

For the civilians left behind near the front, prayer is often the only comfort left.

In Bakhmut, Maria Mayashlapak scanned the devastation of her home, where a missile imploded her kitchen and cratered her vegetable garden.

“I was reciting my morning prayer for God to keep me from getting hurt,” the 82-year-old recalled, as the family’s kitten mewed from somewhere in the rubble.

The impact of the war is also being felt far beyond Ukraine, particularly the impact of a Russian blockade that has left one of the world’s breadbaskets unable to export its grain.

“It’s savagery for one country to have food spoiling like this and for other people to be left poor and hungry,” said Dmitriy Matulyak, a farmer near the Black Sea port of Odessa.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week that the war threatened food insecurity for “tens of millions of people”.

On Monday, the African Development Bank said it had approved a $1.5-billion emergency programme to alleviate the impact of worsening food insecurity, as the continent faces a shortage of at least 30 million metric tonnes of food.

burs-jj/imm

A Ukrainian court found a young Russian soldier guilty of war crimes Monday for killing a civilian and handed him a life sentence, in the first verdict of its kind since Russia’s invasion three months ago.

The judgement came as President Volodymyr Zelensky urged political and business elites at the World Economic Forum to end all trade with Russia and keep supplying his country with weapons.

Russian attacks are pummelling eastern Ukraine as they have for weeks, but all eyes Monday were on the capital Kyiv, in the landmark trial against 21-year-old Russian serviceman Vadim Shishimarin.

The sergeant from Siberia had admitted in court to killing a 62-year-old civilian, Oleksandr Shelipov, in the village of Chupakhivka in northeast Ukraine.

He claimed he shot Shelipov under pressure from another soldier as they tried to retreat and escape back into Russia in a stolen car on February 28, the fourth day of Moscow’s invasion.

Shishimarin apologised and asked Shelipov’s widow for forgiveness, adding: “I was nervous about what was going on. I didn’t want to kill.”

But prosecutors claimed he shot between three and four bullets with the intention of killing the civilian.

“The court has found that Shishimarin is guilty (of war crimes) and sentences him to life imprisonment,” Judge Sergiy Agafonov announced, as the Russian looked on from the glass defence box.

– Davos appeal –

He was also found guilty of premeditated murder, which Agafonov said was “committed with direct intent.”

“Shishimarin violated the laws and customs of war,” the judge said.

Shishimarin’s lawyer Viktor Ovsyannikov said he will appeal the “most severe” verdict, adding that “you can feel societal pressure” on the decision.

The landmark ruling is expected to be followed by others, with Ukraine opening thousands of war crimes cases since Moscow’s invasion.

International institutions are also probing abuses allegedly committed by Russian forces in cities like Bucha and Mariupol, which have become emblematic of the destruction and suffering of the war.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, from which Russians have been barred this year, Zelensky made the latest in a string of appeals to Western gatherings and parliaments in a bid to maintain support for his country.

He revealed that 87 people were killed in a Russian attack earlier this month on a military base in northern Ukraine, in what would be one of the largest single recorded strikes of the war.

Ukraine, he said via videolink, “is paying dearly for freedom and independence and for this struggle”. 

– Destroying territory –

Western countries have sent huge amounts of weapons and cash to Ukraine to help it repel Russia’s assault, and punished Moscow with unprecedented economic sanctions.

But Zelensky said tens of thousands of lives would have been saved if Kyiv had received “100 percent of our needs at once back in February”, when Russia invaded.

“This is why Ukraine needs all the weapons that we ask (for), not just the ones that have been provided,” said Zelensky, flanked by Ukrainian flags and wearing an olive-green T-shirt.

He also called for an oil embargo on Russia, punitive measures against all its banks and the shunning of its IT sector, adding that all foreign companies should leave the country.

Numerous firms have already abandoned Russia, and US coffee giant Starbucks on Monday said it would close all its 130 cafes there, following a similar move by McDonald’s last week.

Western support has helped Ukraine in many areas hold off Russia forces which, after initially circling Kyiv, are now focused on securing and expanding their gains in the eastern Donbas region and on Ukraine’s southern coast.

Ukraine’s defence ministry on Monday reported “active hostilities” as Russia advanced towards the eastern city of Severodonetsk, and said there was also heavy fighting towards nearby Bakhmut.

“Popasna (near Severodonetsk), Bakhmut, Mariupol: Russia is simply destroying territory with artillery and aircraft, and then (Russian) troops enter,” spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk told reporters.

In some areas taken by the Russians, Moscow is seeking to enforcing its authority. In Kherson, the first major city to fall, the local administration announced the introduction of the ruble as the official currency, alongside the Ukrainian hryvnia.

– Morning prayer –

More than six million people have fled Ukraine and eight million have been internally displaced since the war broke out, according to the United Nations.

For the civilians left behind near the front, prayer is often the only comfort left.

In Bakhmut, Maria Mayashlapak scanned the devastation of her home, where a missile imploded her kitchen and cratered her vegetable garden.

“I was reciting my morning prayer for God to keep me from getting hurt,” the 82-year-old recalled, as the family’s kitten mewed from somewhere in the rubble.

Zelensky’s wife, Olena Zelenska, warned at the World Health Organization’s annual assembly that the mental health effects of Russia’s war could last for decades.

“Following what Ukrainians have experienced during the occupation, at the front, in bomb shelters, under shelling… they need rehabilitation in the same way as those who are physically wounded,” she said.

The impact of the war is also being felt far beyond Ukraine, particularly the impact of a Russian blockade that has left one of the world’s breadbaskets unable to export its grain.

“It’s savagery for one country to have food spoiling like this and for other people to be left poor and hungry,” said Dmitriy Matulyak, a farmer near the Black Sea port of Odessa.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week that the war “threatens to tip tens of millions of people over the edge into food insecurity”.

On Monday, the African Development Bank (AfDB) said it had approved a $1.5 billion emergency programme to alleviate the impact of worsening food insecurity, as the continent faces a shortage of at least 30 million metric tonnes of food.

burs-ar/ach