Somalia on Wednesday reported its first death of a patient suffering from COVID-19 and also said transmission was occurring among people who had no history of foreign travel.
Though the Horn of Africa country officially has just 12 positive cases, Wednesday's announcement highlights concerns that the coronavirus may in fact be more widespread and could soon overwhelm the health system of a country that has been mired in conflict for nearly three decades.
"The first death from COVID-19 was recorded today as a 52-year-old Somali who had the virus died," the health ministry said in a statement.
The statement also documented four new cases among patients "with no record of travelling outside the country".
"The ministry confirms that the spread of the disease has started in the community," it said.
Somalia was plunged into chaos with the fall of the autocrat Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, and it endures regular attacks from the militant group Al-Shabaab which is linked to Al-Qaeda.
The ...

Somalia reports first coronavirus death

PTI Automatic

Two million protective masks purchased by Finland from China have turned out to be unsuitable for use in hospitals, the Finnish government admitted on Wednesday.
On Tuesday Finland's Health minister Aino-Kaisa Pekonen had tweeted a picture of the first shipment of two million surgical masks and 230,000 respirator masks being unloaded at Helsinki airport on a Finnair flight from Guangzhou in China, saying they would be "checked and tested" before use.
But by Wednesday, officials discovered that the face masks did not meet the required standards of protection against the coronavirus for use in medical environments.
"Of course this was a bit of a disappointment for us,"  health ministry permanent secretary Kirsi Varhila told a news conference.
However, she said that it would be possible to use the masks in residential care facilities and for carers making home visits.
Other European countries had met similar problems after  ordering equipment from China, due to the "extremely chaotic" ...

Finland discovers masks bought from China not hospital-safe

World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday urged leaders to stop politicising the coronavirus pandemic following stinging criticism of the WHO from US President Donald Trump.
The WHO director-general urged the US and China to join forces in fighting the disease rather than indulging in a blame game.
Tedros hit back after Trump took aim at the UN health body, accusing it of taking US money but favouring China, where the outbreak emerged in December.
"The WHO really blew it. For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China centric. We will be giving that a good look," Trump said on Twitter.
"Fortunately I rejected their advice on keeping our borders open to China early on. Why did they give us such a faulty recommendation?" Tedros issued a stern defence of the WHO's handling of the pandemic, which has killed more than 80,000 people, while more than 1.4 million people have tested positive.
"The United States and China should come together .

WHO urges virus unity after Trump attack

A British lorry driver on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 39 people found dead in a refrigerated truck in southeast England.
Northern Ireland man Maurice Robinson, 25, was arrested shortly after the bodies of 31 men and eight women from Vietnam were discovered in the truck in an industrial zone in Grays, east of London, in October.
The lorry arrived on a ferry from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge in the early hours of October 23, carrying the victims, who included two 15-year-old boys.
They died from lack of oxygen and overheating, according to post-mortem examinations.
Police charged five men, who appeared at a virtual hearing via Skype at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.
Robinson had already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property.
British Romanian Gheorghe Nica, 43, and Romanian national Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 27, Northern Ireland man Christopher Kennedy, 23, all deny the charges against them.
Valentin Calota, 37, was ..

UK driver pleads guilty to manslaughter of 39 found dead in truck

Police in Italy tightened lockdown controls Wednesday as cabin fever and a slowing in the coronavirus death toll and infection rate tempted Italians out in increasing numbers.
Italy's "Phase 2" plans for easing the lockdown have gripped the nation but also divided it.
There are those who insist the economically crippling measures must end and those who fear the deadly disease could rebound.
In the wealthy northern Lombardy region, hardest-hit by a virus that has claimed over 17,000 lives nationwide, traffic was up over 10 percent compared to a week ago. Local authorities described that as "alarming".
Milan's mayor Beppe Sala said road blocks would be increased.
Officials there fear that the coming Easter weekend might encourage people to flout the ban on leaving the house except to shop for essential food or medicine, or for work.
Experts have warned the lockdown will cause a long and devastating recession, and see millions lose their jobs -- despite a 25-billion-euro (USD 27 billion) 

Police up virus controls as Italians lower their guard

With the world's largest HIV-positive population, South Africa is moving to protect this particularly vulnerable group from the coronavirus.
As soon as COVID-19 started spreading in China last December, experts pointed to the devastating possible impact the deadly virus could have on AIDS patients, whose immune systems are weakened by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
In South Africa, where coronavirus was first detected in March, doctors have scrambled to organise testing and treatment for the some 7.5 million people who are thought to be HIV-positive.
Only around two-thirds of people with HIV and AIDS are on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment, according to health experts.
The rest are either unaware of their condition or are opposed to taking medication.
As coronavirus has spread through South Africa -- infecting 1,749 and killing 13 so far -- scientists are still uncertain about the specific risks faced by people living with HIV.
"We really don't know in actual fact what will ...

South Africa's explosive cocktail: Coronavirus and AIDS

An EU effort to put together a 20-billion-euro aid package to help poor countries fight coronavirus came under fire on Wednesday, and the bloc's diplomatic chief admitted it contained "no fresh money".
Brussels plans to redirect money from existing funds to help countries with weak healthcare systems tackle the pandemic and aid their long-term economic recovery.
EU officials fear that beating the pandemic in Europe alone will not be enough because, if it continues to rage elsewhere in the world, the virus will simply return in time.
German Development Minister Gerd Mueller said after talks with his 26 EU counterparts that the proposals did not go far enough.
"I do not consider the proposals to be sufficiently far-reaching but an important first step," Mueller said.
"It can't just be a matter of reprogramming funds -- we need a rescue umbrella for Africa as well and fresh money for that." Africa has been identified as a particular concern because of its links to Europe and the poor ...

EU plan for virus aid package under fire

The Afghan government released 100 low-risk Taliban prisoners on Wednesday, officials said, a day after the insurgents announced they were walking out of talks with Kabul.
The two foes have been negotiating in the Afghan capital since last week to try to finalise a prisoner swap that was originally supposed to have happened by March 10 and pave the way for "intra-Afghan" peace talks.
But the exchange has been beset with problems, with Kabul claiming the Taliban want 15 of their "top commanders" to be released, while the insurgents have accused Afghan authorities of needlessly wasting time.
In a statement, Afghanistan's Office of the National Security Council (NSC) said the 100 prisoners freed on Wednesday were "thoroughly vetted" and had all taken an oath never to return to the battlefield.
The government "has received the same assurance from the (Taliban's) leadership in Doha," the statement read.
An NSC spokesman earlier said the 15 commanders were not among those being released, ...

Afghan government releases 100 Taliban prisoners

France on Wednesday reported 541 more deaths from COVID-19 in hospital over the last 24 hours, bringing its total official toll from the coronavirus epidemic to 10,869.
Top health official Jerome Salomon told reporters that there were now 7,148 people in intensive care, a net increase of 17 from the day earlier, the lowest increase recorded in recent weeks.
He said that due to a technical fault there was no daily data available Wednesday from nursing homes, meaning that the overall death toll is likely incomplete.

France reports 541 more coronavirus deaths in hospital

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said it was not the time to criticize the early response to the coronavirus pandemic, after US President Donald Trump attacked the World Health Organization.
"Once we finally turn the page on this epidemic there must be a time to look back fully ... But now it is not that time," Guterres said in a statement.
"Now is the time for unity, for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences."
Trump, whose own response to the crisis has been widely criticized, on Tuesday accused the WHO of reacting slowly.
"They called it wrong. They really missed the call. They could have called it months earlier," he said.
He questioned why the WHO had given "such a faulty recommendation," apparently referring to its earlier advice against curtailing international travel to stop the virus which first spread from China.
Guterres said the WHO "is on the front lines, supporting member states and .

UN chief calls for unity after Trump slams WHO

The World Health Organisation chief on Wednesday thanked the United States for its "generosity" in funding global health initiatives like the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the US for its generous support so far," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in a virtual briefing, adding he believed the "US will continue to contribute its share," despite a threat from US President Donald Trump to halt funding to the organisation.

After Trump blast, WHO thanks US for 'generous support' in pandemic

Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday lost an appeal against a sentence of two years in detention for corruption, his lawyer said.
"The appeals court upheld the conviction but we will file an appeal in the supreme court because we're fully convinced there is no case" against Bashir, Hashem al-Jaali told AFP.
At the time of his conviction in December, it was ruled that Bashir, who is 76, would serve his time in a correctional centre for the elderly as laid down by Sudanese law.
But pending rulings in other cases -- the killings of demonstrators in protests that led to Bashir's fall last April and the 1989 coup that brought him to power -- he remains in Khartoum's Kober prison.
Bashir was in December convicted of "corruption" and unlawful "possession of foreign currency".
The judiciary ordered the confiscation of 6.9 million euros, USD 351,770 and 5.7 million Sudanese pounds found at Bashir's home.
Bashir admitted to having received a total of USD 90 million from Saudi ...

Sudan court upholds corruption conviction of ousted leader Bashir

New York recorded a new single-day high for coronavirus deaths on Wednesday but Governor Andrew Cuomo said the epidemic appeared to be stablising.
Cuomo said 779 people had died in the last 24 hours, outdoing the previous high of 731 set on Monday.
"We are flattening the curve," the governor told reporters, stressing that social confinement orders were working.

New York reports record coronavirus deaths but curve flattening: governor

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said it was not the time to criticise the early response to the coronavirus pandemic, after US President Donald Trump attacked the World Health Organisation.
"Once we finally turn the page on this epidemic there must be a time to look back fully ... But now it is not that time," Guterres said, according his spokesman.
"Now is the time for unity, for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences.

UN chief says unite now, review virus response later

County cricketers will take "maximum reductions" in their salaries during April and May and have agreed to waive ?1 million ($1.25 million) in prize money during the coronavirus crisis, the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) announced on Wednesday.
The county championship, comprising four-day matches, was due to start on Sunday but English cricket is shut down until at least May 28, with the expectation of further postponements.
The PCA on Wednesday welcomed the collective player agreement, which covers an initial period of April and May.
"Discussions between the PCA, ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) and 18 first-class counties reached a conclusion today with all parties supporting an initial two-month agreement that will see maximum reductions to player salaries and relinquishing of domestic prize money," the PCA said in a statement.
The PCA has relinquished ?1 million of the domestic player prize money for 2020 and players will also agree to be furloughed if asked to by 

Cricketers agree virus package to support game

The United States on Wednesday surpassed 400,000 novel coronavirus cases, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
The pandemic has now claimed the lives of at least 12,936 people in the United States, which leads the world in the number of confirmed infections with 401,116, by the Baltimore-based school's count.
The 300,000-case milestone was passed on Saturday.
The US death toll is approaching those of hard-hit Italy with more than 17,000 and Spain with more than 14,500.
President Donald Trump has defended his response to the crisis, and on Tuesday he accused the World Health Organization of reacting slowly.
He questioned why the WHO had given "such a faulty recommendation," apparently referring to the UN body's advice against curtailing international travel to stop the virus which first spread from China.
"They called it wrong. They really missed the call. They could have called it months earlier," he said.
Trump has been widely criticized for initially downplaying ...

US tops 400,000 coronavirus cases: tracker

"Please don't politicise this virus," pleaded World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday following stinging criticism of the WHO from US President Donald Trump.
"Quarantine, politicising COVID... we shouldn't waste time pointing fingers," he told a virtual briefing in Geneva, adding: "It's like playing with fire... We need to behave.

Don't politicise virus, WHO chief says after Trump blast

Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers donated 10,000 surgical masks to the Athens suburb of Zografou on Wednesday to help fight the coronavirus outbreak.
"The municipality of Zografou wants to express its great gratitude to the Antetokounmpo family for offering 10,000 masks to the residents of the city as a measure of protection against the Covid-19 virus," a statement from the municipality said.
The gesture from the family, "in addition to the substantial offer to the citizens of Zografou, proves the close bond that the Antetokounmpo brothers have with the city that remained for several years their home," it added.
Milwaukee Bucks standout Giannis, last season's NBA MVP, and his brothers Thanasis, Kostas and Alexis grew up in poverty in their early days in Greece where their parents had arrived from Nigeria as immigrants.
They grew up selling merchandise in the streets of the capital in order to help their poor family, but basketball changed their lives and ...

NBA star Antetokounmpo donates masks to Greek city

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday urged the United States and China to join forces to fight the coronavirus pandemic, saying there would be "many more body bags" without international unity.
"The United States and China should come together and fight this dangerous enemy," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing in Geneva, following criticism from US President Donald Trump that the UN health body "blew it" and was "very China centric".

WHO calls for US, China to unite to fight COVID-19

Wearing gloves for hygienic reasons and observing social distancing on the pitch are among the challenges facing Bundesliga footballers back in training this week amid hopes the league could resume next month.
Most of the 18 clubs in Germany's top flight returned to their clubs on Monday, albeit in small groups with limited contact to meet health guidelines due to the coronavirus.
League matches in Germany have been suspended since March 13.
The German Football League (DFL) is in talks with the clubs and authorities about the Bundesliga resuming on May 2, but with matches played in front of empty terraces and fans locked out while public events remain banned in the country.
A decision about when the competition can resume is expected on April 17, which could make it the first of Europe's top leagues to return.  Meanwhile, the league's stars are adjusting to training in the era of social distancing.
Defending champions Bayern Munich, who were four points clear when the league was ...

Bundesliga stars glad to train again, even with social distancing

Rugby's English Premiership chiefs on Wednesday indefinitely suspended the 2019/20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic but said they were committed to finishing the campaign.
The last game was played on March 8. The previous plan was that the English top-flight would resume on April 24 but that is not possible with Britain in the grip of the health crisis.
Premiership Rugby organisers are liaising with the Rugby Football Union, clubs and medical staff on a number of potential scenarios.
"The intention is to play all games and complete the season as soon as it can be done safely," Premiership Rugby said in a statement.
"In the meantime, Premiership Rugby continues to give its full support to the lockdown measures and encourage everyone to stay home, protect the NHS (National Health Service) and save lives."
Chief executive Darren Childs said the effects of the coronavirus had been "heartbreaking and devastating" but he also outlined the economic challenges ahead.
"Many livelihoods ..

AFP

AFP

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