Most schools across Germany will now be shut from Monday after North Rhine-Westphalia joined Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg and other states in announcing closures.
Twelve of Germany's 16 states have now announced school closures as part of efforts to stem the coronavirus outbreak.
"The schools are closed from Monday," said Armin Laschet, premier of Germany's most populous state North Rhine-Westphalia, on Friday.
They will stay closed at least until the end of the Easter holidays on April 19, in line with announcements by other states.
In Germany's federalised system, education falls under the remit of individual states.
Berlin, Hamburg, Thuringia, Lower Saxony are among the other states to have announced school closures with more expected to follow.
North Rhine-Westphalia, with its 18 million residents, has been hardest hit by the virus outbreak so far.
Laschet said parents with no childcare solutions could still drop off their kids at school on Monday until alternatives are found, ...

Most German schools to close over coronavirus: officials

PTI Automatic

A top 'Ndrangheta clan member was arrested in Italy after police, helped by the anti-coronavirus lockdown, spotted the fugitive smoking inside a seemingly deserted safe house, authorities said Friday.
Cesare Cordi, described by police as a "leading figure of the 'Ndrangheta of Locri" in southern Calabria, had been on the run since August, when a judge issued a warrant for the 42-year-old's arrest.
Thanks to the empty streets and stay-at-home orders imposed throughout the country due to the coronavirus risk, the police, who had been tracking Cordi for days, found him at a house in the town of Bruzzano Zeffirio, at the tip of Italy's boot, late on Thursday.
"The faint glow of a cigarette -- caught through the crack of a shutter -- was enough to give the carabinieri the certainty that in that house was the wanted man," the police of the province of Reggio Calabria, who staged the raid, said in a statement.
About a dozen people linked to the Locri clan were arrested in August on suspicion 

Coronavirus lockdown helps Italian police nab 'leading' mobster

President Donald Trump is "very close" to reaching a stimulus agreement with US lawmakers to fight the economic damage from the coronavirus outbreak that has sent markets plunging and disrupted businesses, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday.
The fears surrounding the virus has pushed Wall Street indices into a bear market, shut down Disneyland and Broadway, and led major sports leagues to cancel or postpone their seasons, but Mnuchin called the slowdown a "short-term issue."
The president is committed to getting a "major stimulus package" through Congress, Mnuchin told CNBC, but he did not provide specifics. Options include a payroll tax cut and other ways to provide funds for people who cannot work because of the virus.
"There's no question there's a short-term economic issue, but we will get through this." Mnuchin spoke after the Dow had dived 10 percent in Thursday trading, even as the US Federal Reserve moved to inject $1.5 trillion of cash into markets this week and ...

Coronavirus impact on economy 'short-term issue': Mnuchin

France announced Friday it was limiting gatherings to no more than 100 people in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus, a day after closing schools until further notice in its toughest measures yet.
"The idea is that we can slow the progression and the circulation of the virus," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told TF1 television, adding the limit would come into force immediately and nationwide.  France previously limited gatherings to 1,000 people, and the tightened measures could squeeze venues even further.
"100 people -- that means that there will inevitably be signficant consequences for the theatres and the cinemas," the premier added.  Educational establishments in France will be shut for the next two weeks "at least", a minister said earlier Friday, describing the move as part of a nationwide "applying of the brakes" to halt the spread of COVID-19.
In an address to the nation late Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron announced a range of stringent measures to slow the ...

France limits gatherings to 100 after closing schools

Changes to Singapore's electoral boundaries were announced Friday, setting the stage for polls soon, with an opposition party saying any move to conduct elections during the coronavirus outbreak would be "irresponsible".
There had been doubts the election, which must happen by April 2021 at the latest, would take place in the near future due to the virus -- the city-state has so far reported 200 cases.
Boundary changes are seen as a key step on the path to holding elections in Singapore, as in the past polls have come within months of the alterations being announced.
The government had accepted recommendations made to it by a boundaries review committee, according to a report submitted in parliament Friday.
The People's Action Party (PAP) has ruled Singapore for decades and is expected to comfortably win, with a weak opposition seen as little real challenge.
The polls are viewed as important as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the son of Singapore's founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, has ...

Singapore sets stage for polls despite virus

Ukraine on Friday reported its first death from the coronavirus as authorities said the country was closing its borders to foreigners in a bid to keep the pandemic at bay.
"A woman who was diagnosed with the coronavirus yesterday... has died," Ukraine's deputy health minister Viktor Lyashko told reporters. The ex-Soviet country, which has a population of 42 million, has so far reported three confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

Ukraine reports first death from novel coronavirus

Global stock markets went on a rollercoaster ride Friday over the surging coronavirus crisis that is upending events across the planet and affecting people from all walks of life, including sports stars, celebrities and world leaders.
The death toll from COVID-19 jumped over 5,000 on Friday as the number of cases around the world topped 134,000, according to an AFP tally.
Europe is bearing the brunt of increasing infections, but Iran clocked more deaths on Friday and cases were reported in Kenya and Ethiopia, the first in east Africa.
Across the globe, governments are imposing draconian measures never before seen in peacetime -- sealing off borders, closing schools and cancelling public gatherings.
The virus has also torn up the sporting and cultural calendar, with top-flight events from Broadway to English Premier League football scrapped.
Financial markets are reeling on fears that the pandemic will catapult the world into a deep recession, with central banks taking emergency ...

Virus sparks wild stock market swings as closures spread A

Kenya and Ethiopia on Friday announced their first confirmed cases of coronavirus, as East Africa, which has so far been unscathed by the global pandemic, scaled up emergency measures to contain its spread.
In Kenya, a 27-year-old Kenyan woman tested positive for the virus on Thursday in Nairobi, a week after returning from the United States via London.
She was in a stable condition and recovering, Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe told reporters.
"We wish to assure all Kenyans that the government will use all the resources available to fight coronavirus," he said, as the government rolled out a raft of new containment measures.
The government had traced all the contacts of the patient since she arrived back in Kenya on March 5, he said.
"At the moment, there is absolutely no need for panic and worry," he said.
Kenya, with a population of 50 million people, saw a spree of panic buying among the middle-class in Nairobi supermarkets, in the wake of the announcement.
Meanwhile Ethiopia, ...

Ethiopia, Kenya confirm first virus cases in East Africa

The EU on Friday offered member states "maximum flexibility" to boost spending and subsidies beyond normal rules to help fight the coronavirus.
"The shock is temporary, but we must work together to ensure that it is as short, and as limited as possible," EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.
"Therefore member states should be encouraged and they should feel comfortable to take all the necessary measures to support the most effective sectors."
The outbreak that began in China has now spread across the globe, with Italy -- the bloc's third biggest economy -- one of the worst hit countries.
The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, has limited firepower to fight an economic downturn, with loosening public spending rules its most powerful tool.
"What we need now is to use flexibility within EU fiscal rules to allow member states to fully respond to the crisis," said EU executive vice president Valdis Dombrovskis.
The message was meant for heavily-indebted Italy, which has .

EU offers 'maximum' bugdet flexibilty to fight virus

EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned Friday against imposing unilateral travel restrictions to fight the coronavirus epidemic, as some member states have done.
She spoke after the Czech Republic announced that it would ban all foreigners from entering the country and all Czechs from leaving as of Monday.
Other member states including Austria, Slovenia and Hungary have suspended the rules of the passport-free Schengen travel zone and reimposed border checks, particularly with worst-hit Italy.
"Certain controls may be justified, but general travel bans are not seen as being the most effective by the World Health Organization," von der Leyen said, calling instead for health screening at borders.
"Any measure that is taken must be proportionate. What we can do and what we should do is to carry out health screening measures." Such tests could be carried out either at borders or within member state territory, she said.
Home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson will present ...

EU chief warns against unilateral virus travel bans

Iranian forces will clear the streets nationwide within 24 hours and all citizens will be checked for the new coronavirus in a bid to halt its spread, the military said Friday.
A newly formed commission has been charged with overseeing the "emptying of shops, streets and roads" within that timeframe, armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri said.
"During the next 10 days, the entire Iranian nation will be monitored once through cyberspace, by phone and, if necessary, in person, and those suspected of being ill will be fully identified." The measures were brought into force after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the armed forces to lead the battle against the new coronavirus.
They are the most stringent to be imposed in Iran to combat what is the one of the world's deadliest outbreaks of COVID-19 outside China.
The Islamic republic on Friday reported that the novel coronavirus claimed another 85 lives, its highest single-day toll since the first deaths ...

Iran to clear streets, check everyone for coronavirus

The Kremlin on Friday asked journalists feeling unwell to stay away from events with President Vladimir Putin over fears of infecting Russia's leader with the coronavirus.
"I want to urge all members of the Kremlin press pool, chief editors of all media, journalists who cover the president's work at the Kremlin to be especially vigilant when it comes to any signs of the coronavirus," said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
"If you have a runny nose, if you cough, if you have chills...please do not come to the Kremlin. Do not take part in journalistic work in the Kremlin!"
He said Putin's schedule had not been affected by the spread of the coronavirus so far, adding that "the president is working full throttle, as always."
Peskov declined to say whether Putin had been tested for the coronavirus.
The 67-year-old Russian president made an unscheduled appearance in parliament this week where he stunned the establishment by backing legislation that would allow him to stay in power until ..

Kremlin urges sick journalists to stay away from Putin due to virus

Romania's Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said Friday he would self-quarantine after attending the same meeting as a senator from his party who tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
"I will put myself in isolation (...) while continuing to exercise my duties," Orban told journalists.
Orban, 56, and his ministers will all be tested for Covid-19 Friday, possibly leading to a decision to put the whole government in quarantine, government spokesperson Ionel Danca told AFP.
Apart from the premier, most cabinet members and all senators on Monday attended the meeting with the senator who was later found to be infected.
The quarantine comes amid a political crisis in Romania, with President Klaus Iohannis set to name Friday evening a new premier-designate after consultations with political parties.
Orban's cabinet was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament last month.
Romania, which has reported 70 cases of coronavirus infection, has ordered the closure of schools, universities and ...

Romanian PM self-quarantines after possible virus contact

Greece's first woman president began her term on Friday with a pledge to protect the country's borders and defend human rights, whilst warning Greeks to follow health rules as the country grapples with over 100 coronavirus cases.
Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a 63-year-old former senior judge, said she would "walk together" with Greeks to create a "prosperous" and "cosmopolitan" future "that includes all of us."
The new head of the Greek state begins her five-year term in a terse standoff with neighbouring Turkey, which has allowed tens of thousands of refugees to mass at the border.
Sakellaropoulou said Greeks had to "repulse the aggression of those who make designs on our national sovereignty by making use of human pain."
The new president also insisted that Greece had a "humanitarian duty" to defend "defenceless and desperate people."
Greece has so far announced 117 cases of the coronavirus, one of whom died on Thursday after 10 days in hospital.
Three people are in intensive care and .

Greece's first woman president vows to defend borders, rights, warns on virus

Iran's security forces have been ordered to clear the streets nationwide within 24 hours in a bid to stop the novel coronavirus spreading, the armed forces chief said Friday.
A newly formed commission will be charged with overseeing the "emptying of shops, streets and roads" as part of a nationwide decision to be implemented within the next 24 hours, Major General Mohammad Bagheri said in televised remarks.

Security forces in virus-hit Iran to clear streets within 24 hours

The Czech government said Friday it would ban all foreign travellers from entering and all Czechs from leaving the country as of March 16 in a bid to stem the coronavirus spread.
"As of midnight Sunday-Monday, we ban all foreigners from entering the Czech Republic and, at the same time, all Czech citizens from leaving the Czech territory," Interior Minister Jan Hamacek told reporters.
"It's a very tough measure but we think it may fundamentally contribute to stemming the spread of the coronavirus." The measure does not concern foreigners with permanent residence or a residency permit for over 90 days in the EU member state, which has 117 confirmed cases of the virus and no deaths.
The government also ordered a mandatory two-week quarantine for people coming to the Czech Republic from 15 "risk countries" as of Friday at noon, with the exception of transit travellers.
These countries include China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, the ...

Czechs close borders from March 16 over virus spread

Hundreds of thousands of Islamic worshippers gathered in eastern Pakistan this week amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, ignoring government warnings that such events could propagate the disease.
Organisers late Thursday curtailed the annual Tablighi Ijtema congregation, which had drawn people from across the country, but cited rainy weather as the cause.
The early closure came after about 250,000 people had already congregated in camps near Lahore since Wednesday for the five day festival.
"Most of the people have returned to their homes but still tens of thousands of people are here. They will return today," one of the event's organisers Ehsanullah, who goes by one name, told AFP on Friday.
Pakistan has only recorded 21 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and no deaths, but officials have tested fewer than 500 potential cases in the country of about 215 million, where health care is frequently inadequate.
Many countries are advising against large gatherings in a bid to slow the 

250,000 pilgrims mass in Pakistan despite coronavirus warnings

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche announced Friday it had received emergency approval from US regulators for a new and much faster test for diagnosing the deadly new coronavirus.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light to commercialise the SARS-CoV-2 Test to detect the virus that has sparked the global COVID-19 pandemic, Roche said in a statement.
The test can be run in high volumes on fully automated equipment, Roche said, suggesting it could provide more results far faster than other tests available.
"We are increasing the speed definitely by a factor of 10," Thomas Schinecker, head of Roche's diagnostics unit, said in an interview with Bloomberg News.
Widespread testing is essential in the race to rein in the spread of the virus, which has so far infected more than 130,000 people and killed nearly 5,000 worldwide.
The new Roche tests, which will also now be available in markets that accept the European CE-mark certification, are run on Roche's widely ...

US regulators approve Roche's new and faster COVID-19 test

European stocks and oil prices recovered Friday on US stimulus hopes, while Asian equities experienced wild swings, with traders closing out a week of carnage for world markets as the coronavirus pandemic fuels fears of a global recession.
After Wall Street's Dow index dived 10 percent Thursday, its worst session since 1987, Sydney won 4.4 percent and Tokyo tumbled 6.1 percent.
Nearing the half-way mark in Europe, London surged 6.7 percent, Frankfurt rallied 6.2 percent, Paris soared 7.2 percent, Milan won a massive 14.4 percent and Madrid recovered 7.1 percent.  Yet the gains were not enough to overturn a bloodbath Thursday, which saw leading European indices suffer their worst falls for decades.
The Paris CAC 40 dived more than 12 percent Thursday to record its biggest one-day loss since the index was created at the end of 1987.
London's FTSE 100 and the Frankfurt DAX 30 indices meanwhile had their biggest one-day drops since the late 1980s, with losses of around 10-12 percent.
By ..

European stocks, oil prices recover after rout

Iran on Friday warned US President Donald Trump against taking "dangerous actions" after American forces launched air strikes that they said targeted a pro-Iranian armed group in neighbouring Iraq.
"The United States cannot blame others... for the consequences of its illegal presence in Iraq and the nation's reaction to the assassination and killing of Iraqi commanders and fighters," foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.
"Instead of dangerous actions and baseless accusations, Mr Trump should reconsider the presence and behaviour of his troops in the area," he added.
The statement was issued hours after the Pentagon said the US had launched strikes against the Kataeb Hezbollah armed faction.
The United States said the strikes targeted five weapons facilities across Iraq.
It said they were carried out in response to the killing on Wednesday of two Americans and a Briton in a rocket attack on Taji air base.
Wednesday's attack was the 22nd on US installations in Iraq, including ..

Iran warns Trump over 'dangerous actions' after Iraq strikes

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara's ruling party has named the country's prime minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly as its candidate for the October presidential election.
The move late Thursday comes after Ouattara announced earlier this month that he would not run in the election, ending months of speculation over whether he would seek a third term.
"The political council of the Rally of Humphoutists for Democracy and Peace has unanimously designated me as the party's candidate for the October 2020 presidential election," Coulibaly said in his acceptance speech.
"I am aware of the magnitude of the responsibility and the magnitude of the burden," he added.
The presidential election will be a major challenge for the west African country after its 2010 vote ended in violence between political rivals which killed 3,000 people.

AFP

AFP

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