Names and faces
■ Japanese Emperor Naruhito, marking his 60th birthday, offered his sympathy to those affected by the new virus that emerged in China and said he hopes to see the outbreak contained soon. Today’s birthday is a special one for Naruhito, his first since becoming emperor. Sixty is considered a landmark age in the Japanese zodiac calendar. Festivities surrounding the emperor’s birthday, however, have been toned down amid concerns about the virus. Birthday celebration plans had called for Naruhito to wave from the palace balcony to tens of thousands of well-wishers, but the plans were canceled as a precautionary anti-infection measure. “As we face concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, I offer my sympathy to the patients and their families,” Naruhito told reporters at a news conference held ahead of his birthday. “I hope that the escalation of the infections will be contained as soon as possible.” Experts say the infection in Japan is in the early stages of acceleration, prompting the government to prepare for a further spread of the virus. A series of activities, including concerts, athletic events and festivals, have been canceled, with some people starting to question whether Japan can host this summer’s Tokyo Olympics as planned. Naruhito said he hopes to see this summer’s games carried out successfully.
■ A yellow school bus with a banner depicting the face of Britain’s Prince Andrew drove past Buckingham Palace on Friday, urging him to testify in the investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The stunt organized by American lawyer Gloria Allred sought to pressure Queen Elizabeth II’s son to reveal what he might know about the deceased financier. Allred represents some of Epstein’s victims and has demanded that Andrew cooperate. The message, featuring pictures of Andrew, said: “If you see this man please ask him to call the FBI to answer their questions.” Andrew has stepped back from royal duties after a BBC interview in which he categorically denied having sex with a teenager who says she was trafficked by Epstein. Britain’s newspapers and social media commentators slammed the royal for defending his friendship with Epstein and for failing to show empathy for the convicted sex-offender’s victims. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman told reporters in January that Andrew has provided “zero cooperation” to the FBI and U.S. prosecutors seeking to speak with him about Epstein. The statement by Berman, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, was the first official confirmation that the leading U.S. law enforcement agency had sought — and failed — to obtain evidence from Andrew, despite his pledge to cooperate with legitimate law enforcement agencies.