"It is clear that we have entered a recession" that will be worse than in 2009 following the global financial crisis, she said in an online press briefing.

Coronavirus has steered us to a recession worse than 2009: IMF chief

Business Standard

Italy recorded a shocking spike in coronavirus deaths Friday with 969 new victims, the worst daily record for any country since the pandemic began.
The infection rate however continued its downward trend, with the civil protection agency reporting nearly 86,500 confirmed cases in Italy -- a 7.4 percent increase, down from around 8.0 percent in previous days.

Italy records almost 1,000 virus deaths in one-day record

PTI Automatic

Ireland international James McClean has been fined two weeks' wages by Stoke City and agreed to delete his Instagram account after posting what the Championship club termed "an inappropriate social media post".
The 30-year-old Northern Ireland-born midfielder posed in a black balaclava while teaching his children a "history" lesson.
Balaclavas are associated in Northern Ireland with the paramilitary Irish Republican Army (IRA).
"Stoke City can confirm that, following an internal disciplinary review, disciplinary action has been taken against James McClean for an inappropriate social media post," said a club statement on Friday.
"McClean has been fined two weeks' wages by the club and has also agreed to delete his Instagram account.
"The player has expressed contrition and recognises that the post was ill-advised and offensive."
McClean, who opted to play for the Republic of Ireland at senior level instead of Northern Ireland, said he did not intend to cause offence and apologised ...

Ireland star McClean fined over balaclava post

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday said asylum seekers had pulled back from the border with Turkey, with reports citing coronavirus fears as the reason.
"Apparently, the makeshift camp that had been created after (March 1) has been dismantled and those who were at the Evros border (area) have moved away," Mitsotakis told a cabinet meeting via teleconference.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Thursday said that 4,600 migrants were still waiting in the border area of Kastanies, known as Pazarkule in Turkey.
On Thursday evening, the asylum seekers were evacuated by bus to facilities where they will be quarantined for two weeks to make sure they have not been infected with the new coronavirus, Turkish news agency DHA reported.
Turkish authorities dismantled the makeshift camp in Pazarkule after the migrants left, DHA said, adding that the evacuation was carried out "at the migrants' request".
State TV ERT said that Turkish police had set fire to the camp before ..

Asylum seekers pull back from Greek border: PM

Italian rugby chiefs announced Friday that they were definitely scrapping the 2019-2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
All sport in Italy has been suspended since early March until April 3 as a result of the virus which has killed 8,200 people in the country.
"The governing body of Italian rugby has approved the definitive suspension of the 2019/2020 season," the Italian rugby federation (FIR) said in a statement.
"The decision implies the non-assignment of the Italian champion titles and of all the promotion and relegation processes.
"The resumption of domestic activity for the 2020/21 season will subsequently be regulated by the Council."
The FIR added that the decision, which involves all categories of rugby and age groups, "is unprecedented in the history of Italian rugby since the Second World War to date".
Italian rugby's governing body added that "extraordinary support measures will be launched" now for "all the components" of Italian rugby in the coming ...

Italy scraps rugby season amid coronavirus crisis

Atletico Madrid became on Friday the latest La Liga club to request labour authorities to allow them to cut player and staff salaries while football is suspended in Spain due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, club CEO Miguel Angel Gil said that they were "obliged" to propose a partial unemployment plan "for the employees who, due to the state of emergency in our country, can no longer carry their work".
Atleti are among a raft of clubs set to take a huge financial hit due to the indefinite suspension of football in Spain, one of the countries worst hit by COVID-19.
Gil did not outline by how much salaries would be cut, but confirmed that the measure concerned both players and staff.
Earlier on Friday La Liga's bottom club Espanyol asked labour authorities in Catalonia to allow them to cut player and staff salaries by 70 percent.
Espanyol said that the proposed reduction regards players and coaching staff from the men's and women's first teams, Espanyol B and youth teams, ...

Atletico join Espanyol in requesting player, staff paycuts

With more than third of the global population confined to their homes to slow the coronavirus pandemic, many are worried how long they will be cooped up.
But being quarantined can be "a good thing" and something "to enjoy," says veteran Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin.
The 61-year-old, who has made five flights to space spending a combined 671 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), says the main thing is to stay positive.
Here are his five tips for surviving quarantine:
On the ISS, cosmonauts work "in an alien environment, surrounded by metal and plastic," Yurchikhin told AFP.
"There are no trees and no plants -- except for the ones used for experiments, but we treat it as if it were our home.
"But you guys, you're really home!
"Remember that in space, it's really impossible to get out" or take some air. At home, you can always open the windows or step out onto the balcony, the cosmonaut says.
"Remember you have relatives and friends you haven't called for centuries ...

Surviving quarantine: five tips from a Russian cosmonaut

Organisers on Friday announced the postponement of the women's Evian Championships, put back because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Originally scheduled for July 23-26, the championship, held in Evian-les-Bains, France, has been switched to August 6-9.
The organisers of the Evian, a US and European Tour event, said they had been approached by the US tour about rescheduling.
"When LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan told us about his scheduling issues, we naturally stepped up. This is how our partnership has worked for the past 20 years," said event chairman Franck Riboud.
Golf has taken a huge hit from the coronavirus with the USPGA Tour effectively suspended until May 17 and the US LPGA Tour on hold until May 3.
The Evian is one of five majors on the women's Tour.

Women's Evian golf major postponed over coronavirus

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard believes it is unrealistic to "push and push" players to maintain their fitness levels during the coronavirus pandemic with no concrete timetable as to when football will return.
Football in England has been suspended until at least April 30, but that date is expected to be pushed back at a meeting of Premier League clubs next week.
The Blues squad are continuing to train at home in line with government guidelines on social distancing.
"It is very difficult at the moment because we have got nothing concrete in front of us," Lampard said in a FaceTime interview with Chelsea's official club app.
"We have seen that things can change very quickly, so we can only go by the dates we have been given. At the moment it looks like May 1 or the end of April.
"But daily or probably weekly we are looking at it, saying: 'well, how do we train? What does it look like?'
"The last thing I want to do at this moment when the players are in this position when we don't know ..

Lampard wary of pushing Chelsea players too hard during virus lay-off

Major League Baseball jerseys are being turned into desperately needed hospital masks and gowns to help health care workers combat the coronavirus pandemic, thanks to the league's uniform manufacturer.
MLB and official apparel maker Fanatics are absorbing all costs associated with converting machinery at the Easton, Pennsylvania, factory from uniform manufacturing to production of up to one million masks and gowns.
"I'm proud that Major League Baseball can partner with Fanatics to help support the brave healthcare workers and emergency personnel who are on the front lines of helping patients with COVID-19. They're truly heroes," MLB president Rob Manfred said.
"We hope this effort can play a part in coming together as a community to help us through this challenging situation."
The first fabrics used to make masks and gowns were New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies uniforms, which come complete with the pinstripes typically worn by players on those clubs.
Jersey fabrics from all .

Baseball jerseys being turned into hospital gowns, masks

Italy's coronavirus epidemic could peak in the next few days, experts said Friday, but regional authorities warned the crisis was far from over, as four more frontline doctors died.
The national health institute (ISS) cautiously suggested lockdown measures to curb the spread of the disease -- which has claimed over 8,100 lives and infected some 80,000 people -- may soon bear fruit.
"I want to be clear on one point. We have not peaked yet," the institute's head Silvio Brusaferro said.
"There are signs of a slowdown, which makes us believe that we are close, we could peak in the next few days." But virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco warned that would not translate into a go-ahead to ease lockdown measures.
The slight slowing in case numbers "should strengthen our desire to continue. We must not drop our guard." And Brusaferro said any lifting of strict measures would have to be done with extreme caution.
"We'll have to take careful measures for some months in order to avoid the epidemic ...

Italy virus could peak soon but more sacrifices to come

The coronavirus pandemic has driven the global economy into a downturn that will require massive funding to help developing nations, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said Friday.
"It is clear that we have entered a recession" that will be worse than in 2009 following the global financial crisis, she said in an online press briefing.
With the worldwide economic "sudden stop," Georgieva said the fund's estimate "for the overall financial needs of emerging markets is $2.5 trillion."
But she warned that "we believe this is on the lower end." Over 80 countries already have requested emergency aid from the International Monetary Fund.

IMF chief: 'Clear we have entered recession'

The coronavirus pandemic has killed 25,066 people, with Europe accounting for most of the deaths, according to an AFP tally at 1430 GMT Friday based on official statistics.
Europe was the worst-hit continent with 17,314 fatalities. Italy had the highest numbers of deaths in the world at 8,165, followed by Spain (4,858) and China (3,292).
At least 547,034 coronavirus cases have been registered around the world since December.

Global virus death toll tops 25,000, most in Europe: AFP

Nigeria's presidency has insisted that leader Muhammadu Buhari remains hard at work in a bid to quash rumours about his health after his chief of staff tested positive for coronavirus.
"The President tonight at the State House, at work," his office posted on Twitter Thursday, over an undated picture of Buhari looking at papers behind his desk.
His spokesmen also released a "special message" from the president to the nation outlining some $27 million (25 million euros) in emergency funds to bolster the fight against the pandemic.
"I urge all Nigerians to be mindful of those among us who seek to spread panic and misinformation, and sow confusion at this time," the president said in the statement.
The health of Buhari, 77, is a closely guarded secret in Nigeria.
The leader made several trips to London during his first four-year term for a condition that has never been disclosed.
Earlier this week it emerged that his powerful chief of staff Abba Kyari had contracted COVID-19 after ...

Nigeria presidency says leader at work after aide gets virus

Britain's carmakers are facing the "calm before the storm", as they brace for severe fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the nation's industry body warned on Friday.
UK car production fell by just 0.8 per cent to 122,171 vehicles in February from the same month of last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said in a statement.
The industry organisation added that in February -- the month before the coronavirus pandemic started to be felt in Britain -- global shipments fell 3.1 per cent to just short of 95,000 cars.
However, the SMMT also forecast that the coronavirus outbreak could wipe around 200,000 units off UK production this year -- and called for government help for automakers to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak.
"The figures come at a time of unprecedented challenge for the UK and its automotive industry, with all car manufacturing plants now on shutdown as the country focuses efforts on overcoming the crisis," it said in the statement.
"An initial ...

UK carmakers face calm before virus storm: industry

German airline giant Lufthansa said Friday it would apply for government aid to place 31,000 workers on shorter hours until September, with carriers worldwide  among the companies hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis.
The group "has applied for shorter hours for cabin and ground crew until 31 August" at its flagship airline, spokesman Joerg Waber told AFP. "A solution is on the way for cockpit crew," he added.
Thirty-one thousand workers represent almost one in four staff at the wider Lufthansa group, which also includes carriers Austrian and Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Swiss.
Some 700 of Lufthansa's 763 aircraft are "temporarily parked" following massive reductions in its flight operations over the coming weeks.
Chief executive Carsten Spohr last week warned that "the longer this crisis lasts, the more likely it is that the future of aviation cannot be guaranteed without state aid".
The group's flight plan has been slashed back to levels not seen since the 1950s, Spohr ...

Lufthansa puts 31,000 on shorter hours until September

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday pledged to quickly send cash to Americans as part of the massive $2.2 trillion relief package aimed at rescuing the coronavirus-battered economy.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the measure later Friday, once it is approved by the House of Representatives, which provides for payments of $1,200 for Americans making less than $75,000, and $500 for each child, to help support households as the economy faces crushing unemployment and a recession.
"Americans need that money now, they can't wait for government to take three or four or six months like we normally do," Mnuchin said on Fox Business Network, adding he expected direct deposits of the cash to arrive in three weeks.
Mnuchin also tried to clarify statements he made Thursday when he seemed to downplay as "not relevant" government data showing a staggering 3.3 million workers filed for unemployment benefits last week -- by far the highest ever recorded.
"We're in an ...

Mnuchin pledges speedy delivery of cash to Americans

Stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic retreated Friday as investors banked profits from the week's equities rally sparked by massive government and central bank action to bolster an economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index lost more than 700 points in early business, while in Europe key indices were also deeply in the red -- although still set for solid weekly gains.
"European markets have pulled back... with caution being the order of the day after such a good rally," said Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at trading group Markets.com.  "Stimulus efforts have calmed markets" this week, Wilson said, noting however that investors were looking to take profits ahead of the weekend pause.
Earlier, Asian stock markets had managed to record more gains.  While the number of people contracting COVID-19 continues to escalate, the support measures which the G20 said amounted to $5 trillion, have given traders hope that the expected global recession 

Stock markets retreat as nervous investors pocket week's gains

Jurgen Klopp says the mood at Liverpool is upbeat despite the coronavirus lockdown, even admitting he has tried to copy Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's dance moves to keep himself occupied.
The Premier League leaders were on the verge of their first top-flight title for 30 years when English football was suspended earlier this month.
The virus shutdown has since been extended until at least April 30 but Liverpool do not know when, or if, they will get a chance to complete the job.
Klopp said his players' spirits remained high despite the frustrations of having no football to play and praised the efforts of his backroom staff who are looking after the players' fitness.
"We spoke a couple of times, we have a really intense, big, big group chat -- the whole of Melwood (training ground) are in that," he said, speaking to the club's website by videolink from his home.
"The boys are really lively in that, the boys are just interested in what everybody is doing, comments on what everybody is doing 

Dancing Klopp says Liverpool spirits are high despite virus lockdown

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier tweeted wishes for "a speedy recovery" to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday after the latter said he was infected with COVID-19.
Barnier -- who revealed March 19 that he too has come down with the illness from the new coronavirus and was self-isolating -- used a hashtag urging European unity.
"Wishing a speedy recovery to PM Boris Johnson. My thoughts are with him and, indeed, with all families in the UK and across Europe & the world that are affected by coronavirus," Barnier tweeted.
"I am convinced Europe can overcome these difficulties together. #StrongerTogether." The EU and Britain have suspended their meetings meant to work out a treaty on future ties following the UK's exit in January from the European bloc.
Britain's lead negotiator in the talks, David Frost, also displayed virus symptoms, London said just two days after Barnier announced his positive result.
Johnson posted a video message to his Twitter account on Friday ...

EU's Barnier wishes Britain's Johnson 'a speedy recovery'

Coronavirus cases in Latin America surpassed 10,000 on Friday, according to an AFP count based on official government and World Health Organisation figures.
The first case in Latin America was reported on February 26 in Brazil, which has become the regional epicenter of the pandemic with almost 3,000 cases and 77 deaths.
Overall, there have been 181 deaths from COVID-19 in Latin America.

AFP

AFP

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