Kinshasa on Monday closed off its upmarket business district for two weeks and began large-scale disinfection in a bid to root out DR Congo's main suspected source of coronavirus, while Kenya isolated its capital Nairobi and other key cities from the rest of the country.
Access to Gombe, which houses the country's main institutions, banks and foreign embassies as well as upscale homes, was barricaded off to everyone except local residents and key workers, an AFP journalist saw.
"The choice of this district is linked to the fact that it's from Gombe that the virus is spreading little by little to other districts," the health authorities said in a daily statement.
After "massive disinfection of the offices and main buildings in Gombe... other areas will be targeted," it said.
Gombe was put under quarantine from April 6 to 20, with Kinshasa Governor Gentiny Ngobila saying the district "is considered to be the epicentre of the epidemic in the city."
According to the Democratic Republic of 

DR Congo confines, disinfects business district to fight virus

PTI Automatic

Saudi Arabia extended the duration of daily curfews in four governorates and five cities, including the capital, to 24 hours to combat coronavirus as confirmed deaths from the disease hit 38.
The kingdom on Monday imposed round-the-clock lockdowns on the cities of Riyadh, Tabuk, Dammam, Dhahran and Hofuf, the interior ministry said on Twitter.
The same measures were also imposed on the governorates of Jeddah, Taif, Qatif and Khobar, the ministry added.
Authorities had already sealed off the holy cities of Mecca and Medina along with Riyadh and Jeddah, barring people from entering and exiting as well as prohibiting movement between all provinces.
Saudi Arabia, which has reported the highest number of infections in the Gulf, is scrambling to limit the spread of the disease at home.
On Monday the health ministry said deaths from the respiratory illness had risen to 38, while confirmed current infections rose to 2,523 and 551 people had recovered from the illness.
Last month, Saudi Arabia 

Saudi imposes 24-hour virus curfew in five cities

British pharmaceutical group GlaxoSmithKline has teamed up with US peer Vir Biotechnology to find antibodies to help fight COVID-19 and "likely" future outbreaks, the pair announced Monday.
It comes as UK defence engineering group Babcock said it was collaborating to make 10,000 ventilators, which are in short supply across the country that has seen more than 5,000 deaths from coronavirus.
"GlaxoSmithKline plc and Vir Biotechnology, Inc. today announced they have signed a binding agreement to enter into a collaboration to research and develop solutions for coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19," said a statement.
GSK will invest USD 250 million (228 million euros) into Vir to help "identify new anti-viral antibodies that could be used as therapeutic or preventative options to help address the current COVID-19 pandemic and future outbreaks", it added.

UK companies team up to tackle coronavirus

Australia's Great Barrier Reef has suffered its most widespread coral bleaching on record, scientists said Tuesday in a dire warning about the threat posed by climate change to the world's largest living organism.
James Cook University professor Terry Hughes said a comprehensive survey last month found record sea temperatures had caused the third mass bleaching of the 2,300-kilometre (1,400-mile) reef system in just five years.
Bleaching occurs when healthy corals become stressed by changes in ocean temperatures, causing them to expel algae living in their tissues which drains them of their vibrant colours.
"We surveyed 1,036 reefs from the air during the last two weeks in March to measure the extent and severity of coral bleaching throughout the Barrier Reef region," Hughes said.
"For the first time, severe bleaching has struck all three regions of the Great Barrier Reef -- the northern, central and now large parts of the southern sectors." The damage came as February brought the ...

Great Barrier Reef suffers worst-ever coral bleaching: scientists

Sex workers in France on Monday asked the government for an emergency fund to compensate them for lost income, after their work was especially hard-hit by social distancing and confinement measures to combat the coronavirus.
"An emergency fund should be created to provide replacement income for the duration of confinement," the Red Umbrella Federation of sex workers' organisations said in a letter addressed to President Emmanuel Macron.
France has announced a special aid of 1,500 euros ($1,618) for independent workers who lose income due to the coronavirus lockdown that entered into force on March 17, but prostitutes are not among the beneficiaries.
Yet their business has been badly hit, leaving many, and their dependents, in "extreme financial insecurity," according to the letter.
The lockdown rules allow people to leave home only for essential outings, and then with a signed and dated self-declaration of the purpose of the excursion.  Patrolling police enforce the lockdown and issue 

Sex workers in France seek 'emergency' fund for lost income

EU countries are nearing an economic rescue plan for European countries worst hit by the coronavirus outbreak, sources said on Monday, but not at the level of ambition called for by Italy and Spain.
The EU's 27 finance ministers are to meet for a videoconference on Tuesday, where a deal to use the eurozone's 410-billion-euro (USD 443-billion) bailout fund was expected to be agreed.
However, with deep divisions between the rich northern countries and those in the south with heavy debt, ministers were expected to sideline a proposal to issue "coronabonds" which would pool borrowing among EU nations to fight the crisis.
A group of states including European heavyweights Italy, France and Spain has been imploring Germany, Austria and the Netherlands for common debt instruments to cushion the economic impact of the virus.  But conservative politicians in the north fear the plans would mean the eventual sharing of all sovereign debts and their taxpayers footing the bill for supposed southern 

EU ministers to agree virus rescue plan, not 'coronabonds'

A UN board of inquiry formed last summer to investigate attacks on civilian establishments in Syria, including hospitals, has refrained from directly holding Russia responsible, according to a summary of its report.
The coordinates of the sites had been communicated to the belligerents by the United Nations precisely to protect them from air strikes.
The summary obtained Monday by AFP noted that UN investigators were unable to visit the sites of the attacks because the Syrian government "did not respond to repeated requests for the issuance of visas to the members of the board."
But, without mentioning Russia, the investigation concluded that in several cases studied by the board "the government of Syria and/or its allies had carried out the airstrike." In 2019, The New York Times published an exhaustive investigation, notably including recordings of Russian pilots, that directly incriminated Russia in attacks on hospitals in Syria.
Moscow, the Damascus regime's main political and ...

UN refrains from directly blaming Russia for Syria hospital attacks: document

The WHO said Monday that asking the general public to wear facemasks could be justified in areas where hand-washing and physical distancing were difficult, but warned masks alone could not stop the coronavirus pandemic.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also slammed suggestions that Africa should be used as a testing ground for a vaccine as racist.  The global COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 70,000 people, while more than 1.2 million people have tested positive for the new coronavirus. A vaccine is thought to be at least a year away.
"Countries could consider using masks in communities where other measures such as cleaning hands and physical distancing are harder to achieve because of lack of water or cramped living conditions," Tedros told a virtual briefing in Geneva.
Tedros said he understood that some countries had recommended or were considering the use of both medical and non-medical masks in the general population to prevent the spread of the ...

General mask use OK where hand-washing, distancing hard: WHO

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, citing the coronavirus outbreak, ordered Tuesday's Democratic presidential primary and other elections in the midwestern US state to be postponed until June.
Evers said holding the election as planned on Tuesday would expose poll workers and voters to significant risk of being infected by the virus.
In an executive order, he said in-person voting should be held on June 9.

Citing virus, Wisconsin governor orders delay of Tuesday's vote

As Jews in Israel prepare for Passover and the country's Christian minority looks ahead to Easter, people are locked into a frantic egg-hunt forced by a nationwide shortage.
Demand for eggs always peaks ahead of the eight-day Passover holiday that opens on Wednesday, especially since many other key foods -- including pasta, bread and pastries -- are prohibited.
Israel, which has more than 8,500 confirmed coronavirus cases, has largely avoided the panic shopping that has affected other countries during the pandemic.  But in recent days, supermarket attendants have scoffed at people seeking a mere dozen eggs.
At one such outlet in the southern part of west Jerusalem, shoppers in a 40 minute queue at the entrance had only one question for those on their way out:
"Are there any eggs?" The answer was inaudible from beneath the ubiquitous face masks, but visible once inside.
"No eggs, the hens are in isolation," read a handwritten sign above shelves long since poached of hens' ...

Israel on frantic egg hunt ahead of Easter and Passover

China demanded an explanation from Brazil Monday after the far-right government's education minister linked the coronavirus pandemic to the Asian country's "plan for world domination," in a tweet imitating a Chinese accent.
In the latest incident to strain ties between Brasilia and Beijing, Education Minister Abraham Weintraub insinuated China was behind the global health crisis.  "Geopolitically, who will come out stronger from this global crisis?" he wrote on Twitter Saturday.
"Who in Brazil is allied with this infallible plan for world domination?" In the original Portuguese, his tweet substituted the letter "r" with capital "L" -- "BLazil" instead of "Brazil," for example -- in a style commonly used to mock a Chinese accent.
It was also a reference to a character from a popular Brazilian comic strip, "Monica's Gang." The embassy condemned Weintraub's "absurd and despicable" tweet, calling it "highly racist." "The Chinese government expects an official explanation from Brazil," ...

Brazil minister offends China with 'racist' virus tweet

The World Health Organization chief angrily slammed recent comments made by scientists suggesting a vaccine for the new coronavirus should be tested in Africa as "racist" and a hangover from the "colonial mentality".
"Africa cannot and will not be a testing ground for any vaccine," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual news conference, insisting "we will follow all the rules to test any vaccine or therapeutics all over the world... whether it is in Europe, Africa or wherever.

WHO slams 'racist' calls for Africa to be vaccine testing ground

Italy's coronavirus death toll shot up on Monday from its lowest level in more than two weeks and officials sounded a more cautious note than earlier about a possibly easing of restrictions.
The civil protection service said the daily number of official COVID-19 deaths rose to 636 on Monday from 525 the day before.
Sunday's toll was the lowest since March 19. It also represented a drop of 23 percent from the 681 deaths reported on Saturday.
Italy's leading health officials had called Sunday's drop an important data point that could potentially lead to an easing of the country's strict month-long lockdown.
But civil protection service chief Angelo Borrelli said Monday that the data were still being carefully assessed and that any definitive ruling was premature.
"The technical-scientific committee is currently carrying out its evaluations. Then, it will be up to the political decision makers," Borrelli told reporters.
He said the scientists will draw their conclusions about how to ...

Italy's virus deaths jump to 636 after big drop

France on Monday reported that 833 more people had died of COVID-19 in hospitals and nursing homes over the previous 24 hours, its highest daily toll since the epidemic began.
"We have not reached the end of the ascent of this epidemic," Health Minster Olivier Veran told reporters, as he announced the new toll which brought the total number killed in the coronavirus epidemic in France to 8,911
France is now giving a daily combined toll of deaths in hospitals and nursing homes. Previously it had only given the hospital toll on a daily basis.

France reports record toll of 833 new coronavirus deaths

Dane Paterson, a fast bowler who played in South Africa's most recent two Test matches, is negotiating a Kolpak deal to play county cricket in England, according to Ashwell Prince, his franchise coach.
Former Test batsman Prince said Paterson, 31, was in the final stages of concluding a deal with the unnamed county.
Prince was explaining why Paterson's name was missing from a list of players contracted by the Cape Cobras franchise for the 2020/21 season announced at a press conference on Monday.
Paterson played in the third and fourth Tests against England in January, taking four wickets at an average of 41.50. England won both matches.
Although Paterson previously played in four one-day internationals and eight Twenty20 internationals for South Africa he was not selected for white-ball matches against England and Australia which followed the England Tests, which Prince said was a factor in the player's decision.
If Paterson concludes a deal, he could be the last of dozens of South ...

South African Test bowler negotiating English county deal

Tottenham forward Son Heung-min will start four weeks of national service in South Korea this month.
Son returned to Asia recently after the Premier League was postponed because of the coronavirus and is in a two-week quarantine period.
With English football unlikely to return soon, the South Korea star will complete compulsory military service in his home country before returning to north London next month.
"The club can confirm that Son Heung-min will commence his mandatory military service in South Korea this month," a Tottenham statement said on Monday.
"Son will return to London following the conclusion of his military service in May." Son hopes to start on April 20 and is reported to be serving in the Military Corps.
He is recovering after surgery in Seoul on the broken arm he suffered in Tottenham's win at Aston Villa in February.
The 27-year-old uploaded pictures and a video on Instagram last week, showing him skipping without a cast on his arm.
On his return to England after .

Spurs star Son to start national service in South Korea

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday extended a shutdown in the epicenter of America's deadly coronavirus pandemic until near the end of the month.
Cuomo said the COVID-19 death rate in New York was "effectively flat" for the past two days but announced that schools and non-essential businesses must stay shut until April 29.
"Now is not the time to be lax," he told reporters.

New York governor extends shutdown to April 29

At a Tehran mosque converted into a factory, women volunteers who would normally attend to visitors to the old battlefields of the Iran-Iraq war have joined the fight against coronavirus.
Lined up like factory workers, around 15 women have taken up positions in front of table-top sewing machines to produce face masks.
But instead of overalls they are clad in black chadors, for they are members of the Basij, a volunteer militia loyal to Iran's Islamic establishment.
And in a sign of the times for Iran, one of the countries worst-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all of the women are wearing masks.  "Our group used to go to the battlefields of the Iran-Iraq war every year to serve visitors," Fatemeh Saidi, a 27-year-old woman involved in the Basij with her husband, told AFP.
The group of about 40 women travels annually to the battlefields of the 1980-1988 war that youths visit during the Persian New Year holidays as part of their education.
"This year, because of the spread of ...

Mosque converted into mask factory in virus-hit Iran

Premier League clubs are facing a backlash after Liverpool tapped into public funds during the coronavirus pandemic while FIFA on Monday urged players and clubs to reach agreement over wage reductions.
English top-flight clubs, among the wealthiest in the world, have come under intense scrutiny, with government ministers warning bosses and players they should "think carefully" over their next moves.
The highest-paid Premier League players such as Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne command eye-watering salaries, reportedly nearing ?20 million ($25 million, 23 million euros) a year.
Even the average salary for a Premier League footballer is more than ?3 million a year, according to the 2019 Global Sports Salaries Survey.
European champions Liverpool, who recorded pre-tax profits of ?42 million in February, announced their decision to furlough some non-playing staff on Saturday, becoming the fifth Premier League club to do so.
The ...

Premier League clubs face backlash as FIFA urges action

The World Health Organization warned Monday that wearing masks alone would not be enough to defeat the global coronavirus pandemic, which has now killed more than 70,000 people.
"Masks should only ever be used as part of a comprehensive package of interventions. There is no black or white answer, and no silver bullet. Masks alone cannot stop the COVID-19 pandemic," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual news conference.

WHO warns masks are no 'silver bullet' for ending pandemic

Italy's daily coronavirus death toll shot up to 636 on Monday, just one day after dropping to its lowest level in over two weeks, the civil protection service said.
The number of fatalities had fallen to 525 on Sunday, the lowest since March 19. Italy's total number of deaths officially attributed to COVID-19 rose to 16,523, more than in any other country.

AFP

AFP

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