New York's governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday that the populous US state's coronavirus death tally has jumped to 385, with 100 fatalities in the past day.
New York is at the epicenter of America's coronavirus battle and the state has now counted 37,258 positive cases, as it scrambles to prepare hospitals and create overflow capacity for an influx of new patients.
The grim announcement comes hours after the total US death toll surpassed 1,000, with more than 69,200 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University's tally.
Cuomo emphasized that 25 per cent of all tests have been conducted in New York state, and expressed disappointment that the federal government had not allocated more resources for it in its USD 2 trillion virus relief bill.
The governor also told journalists the state has received approval to "split" ventilators between two patients, and convert anesthesia machines to ventilators for intensive care patients, if necessary.
He said medical personnel were finding that ...

New York state virus deaths spike to 385, hundred in single day

PTI Automatic

South Africa's confirmed novel coronavirus cases rose sharply on Thursday to 927 from 709 the previous day, on the eve of a three-week lockdown, the government said.
"As of today, the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Africa have risen by 218. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 927," the health ministry said in a statement.
The continent's most industrialised country goes under a 21-day military-patrolled total lockdown starting midnight Thursday in a bid to control the spread of the virus.
Addressing police officers just before they started deploying on Thursday,  President Cyril Ramaphosa, warned people who try to violate the lockdown that they will "meet the full might of the law".

South Africa's coronavirus cases climb to 927: official

South Africa braced for a nationwide lockdown Thursday, joining other African countries imposing strict curfews and shutdowns in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus across the continent.
Some 57 million people will be restricted to their homes during South Africa's three-week total lockdown which begins at midnight.
Kenya, Rwanda and Mali are some of the African countries that have imposed restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus with the continent recording 2,748 cases and 73 deaths so far.
Although Africa's toll is far lower than in Europe, the United States and the Middle East, health experts say the world's poorest continent is especially vulnerable and the figures likely fall far short of the reality.
During South Africa's 21-day shutdown there will be no jogging, dog-walking or sale of alcohol across the country, which has so far recorded 709 cases, the highest number of detected infections in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigeria's government warned Thursday that ..

South Africa braces for coronavirus lockdown

Footballers and musicians have been on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus in Africa, reaching not just for social media to spread awareness of the dangers of the virus but also for the cheque book.
Among the first to step up was Senegalese winger Sadio Mane -- a key player in Liverpool's push for the English Premier League title this year -- who donated 30 million CFA francs (USD 50,000) to his country's National Medical Commission to fight the deadly microbe.
In Ivory Coast, former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba gave masks to the cathedral of Abidjan, with the warning: "My sisters, my brothers, I ask you to take the matter very seriously... we tend to be too light about our reactions to the situation."
Another great African striker, the Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o, also now retired, was quick to urge African communities to adhere strictly to precautionary measures.
"My African brothers and sisters! Corona Virus has taken over our lives. With malice, arrogance and without ...

African stars join fight against virus with donations, songs

Four of Germany's biggest football clubs have pledged 20 million euros ($22 million) to help Bundesliga rivals facing financial difficulty in the coronavirus crisis, the German Football League (DFL) announced Thursday.
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig -- all of whom qualified for this season's Champions League -- said they would make the funds available for crisis-hit clubs in the top two German divisions, which are run by the DFL.
"This decision underlines the fact that solidarity is not an empty word in the Bundesliga," said DFL president Christian Seifert.
"The DFL is very grateful to the four Champions League participants." The four clubs will forego 12.5 million euros of their remaining share of next season's TV rights revenues, and add a further 7.5 million euros from their own reserves.
The DFL itself will be responsible for deciding how the money is distributed among clubs in the top two divisions.
"In these difficult times, it is important ...

Bundesliga big four pledge financial aid for rivals

G20 nations pledged a "united front" on Thursday in the fight against coronavirus, saying they were injecting USD 5 trillion into the global economy to counter the pandemic amid forecasts of a deep recession.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the emergency videoconference chaired by Saudi Arabia's King Salman, who called for coordinated action while facing pressure to end an oil price war between Riyadh and Moscow that has roiled energy markets.
The talks come amid criticism that the G20 has been slow to address the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left more than 21,000 dead worldwide according to official data, and triggered financial shock waves as more than three billion people are locked down.
"We are strongly committed to presenting a united front against this common threat," the leaders said in a joint statement after the summit.  "We are injecting over USD 5 trillion into the global economy, as part of targeted fiscal policy, economic measures, ..

G20 leaders pledge USD 5 trn, 'united' response to coronavirus crisis

Israel's ex-military chief Benny Gantz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival, submitted himself on Thursday as a candidate for speaker of parliament, a move that could lead to an emergency alliance between the two.
The parliament announced that Gantz was the only candidate to succeed Netanyahu ally Yuli Edelstein, who resigned as speaker under pressure on Wednesday.
A formal vote electing Gantz is expected later on Thursday.

Israel's Gantz nominates himself to serve as parliament speaker

The United States will offer USD 15 million for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on drug-trafficking charges, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday.
Pompeo announced the reward as the Justice Department unveiled charges against Maduro, describing him like a common criminal rather than a head of state as Washington tries to help opposition leader Juan Guaido take power.
"The Venezuelan people deserve a transparent, responsible, representative government that serves the needs of the people -- and that does not betray the trust of the people by condoning or employing public officials that engage in illicit narcotics trafficking," Pompeo said in a statement.

US offers $15 mln reward for Maduro arrest: Pompeo

The international friendly between Mexico and Colombia due to take place in Denver on May 30 has been scrapped due to coronavirus safety concerns, organizers announced Thursday.
Soccer United Marketing (SUM) announced the match had been called off because of the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis that has shut down most sports across North America and the world.
"Both federations have agreed to work together to explore all options to reschedule the match during the current World Cup cycle," a statement from SUM said.
"At this moment, our top priority is the health of our fans, players and staff." Mexico had two other US matches cancelled, one on Thursday against the Czech Republic at Charlotte, North Carolina, and another planned for Sunday against Greece at Arlington, Texas.
The Colombia-Mexico match originally had been seen as a tuneup for the South Americans to the now-postponed Copa America.

Mexico-Colombia match at Denver canceled due to coronavirus

The US government plans to take stakes in major airlines in exchange for aid included in a USD 2 trillion coronavirus economic rescue package, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin indicated the plan for government stakes in conversations with lawmakers, said the report, which cited unnamed officials.
The newspaper said the precise terms of the arrangement were not yet clear, but one option is that the government could receive a warrant that allows it to buy shares at a certain price.
The bill that passed the Senate includes USD 25 billion in loans to US airlines and another USD 25 billion in grants.
Major US carriers including United Airlines and Delta Air Lines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The coronavirus has left the worldwide airline industry in dire straits as governments bar significant air travel to try to limit the spread of the virus.

Virus relief bill has US taking stakes in airlines: report

Italian football bosses confirmed on Thursday the national team's training centre at Coverciano in Tuscany will be made available to local authorities for the treatment of coronavirus patients.
Italy is now the global epicentre for the disease which now killed 7,503 in the country and infected almost 75,000.
"Health is of the utmost importance and needs to be protected, which is why the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) is opening the centre in Coverciano to Italians in difficulty," FIGC president Gabriele Gravina said.
All sport in Italy has been suspended until April 3, and the FIGC chief said he had told the Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella that local authorities could use the facility just outside the city.
"We're not playing football now, to get back to it we need to win the most important match against coronavirus together," added Gravina.
The centre already hosts a unit of the local Fire Brigade, with the hotel and the auditorium now being made available for patients receiving 

Italian football opens national training centre to coronavirus patients

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred says the American pastime will help the nation recover from the coronavirus pandemic, but only after it becomes safe for sports to resume.
Yells of "Play Ball" were supposed to signal the start of the 2020 MLB campaign on Thursday before sellout crowds with all 30 teams in action.
Instead, the stadiums sat empty and silent as Americans stayed home and deaths and infections continued a steady rise nationwide.
"The one thing I know for sure is baseball will be back," Manfred told ESPN.
"Whenever it's safe to play, we'll be back. Our fans will be back.
"Our players will be back and we will be part of the recovery, the healing in this country, from this particular pandemic."
Manfred hopes for a May return and vows "nothing is off the table" when it comes to staging a season, which he admits is unlikely to include a full 162 games per club and could feature a start without spectators in stadiums.
But he sees MLB's comeback as "a real milestone 

MLB boss: America's pastime will help coronavirus healing

Israel's ex-military chief Benny Gantz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival, submitted himself on Thursday as a candidate for speaker of parliament, a move that could lead to an emergency alliance between the two men.
The Knesset, Israel's parliament, declared on its website that Gantz was the only candidate to succeed Netanyahu ally Yuli Edelstein, who resigned as speaker under pressure on Wednesday.
A formal vote electing Gantz is expected later on Thursday.
A staunch ally of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, has committed to backing Gantz as speaker.
A source from Gantz's centrist Blue and White party, who requested anonymity, told AFP that the party leader's bid to become speaker was part of an effort to form an emergency government with Likud.
Israel has been mired in a crippling political crisis that has seen the country hold three inconclusive elections in less than a year.
Gantz was tasked with forming a government ...

Israel's Gantz nominates himself to be parliament speaker

G20 nations on Thursday pledged a "united front" in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and said they were injecting USD 5 trillion into the global economy to counter the impact of the crisis.
"We are injecting over USD 5 trillion into the global economy, as part of targeted fiscal policy, economic measures, and guarantee schemes to counteract the social, economic and financial impacts of the pandemic," the leaders said in a statement after an emergency online summit.
They also pledged to work swiftly with multilateral bodies such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Health Organization and regional banks to deploy a "robust" financial package to support developing nations.

G20 nations pledge 'united front' on coronavirus crisis

The US Justice Department is planning to indict Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for "narco-terrorism," US Senator Marco Rubio said on Thursday.
The Florida senator confirmed this in a brief tweet.
US media reports said that the justice department will unveil charges accusing the Venezuelan leader and other senior members of his government of conspiring with drug cartels.
The Justice Department was planning to announce charges relating to Venezuela and "narco-terrorism" in a press conference in Washington Thursday at 11 am (1500 GMT).
The Miami Herald reported that besides Maduro, indictments being unveiled will also name Diosdado Cabello, the Venezuelan National Assembly's former speaker, and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez.

US to indict Venezuela leader Maduro for 'narco-terrorism': senator

Norway announced Thursday that it had extradited a fundamentalist Islamic preacher to Italy, despite the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, where he has been sentenced to jail for leading a jihadist network.
"Krekar is no longer in Norway. Krekar has today been extradited to Italy," Norwegian Justice Minister Monica Maeland told a press conference.
The 63-year-old Iraqi Kurd -- known as Mullah Krekar, but named Najumuddin Faraj Ahmad -- was arrested in July 2019 after he was convicted in his absence by an Italian court and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The Italian court found him guilty of having led a now dismantled jihadist network, Rawti Shax, a Kurdish movement with alleged links to the Islamic State group and which is suspected of planning attacks in the West.
Krekar arrived in Norway in 1991 as a refugee.  Norway's Supreme Court authorised the extradition in early February, ending Krekar's legal attempts to avoid deportation.
Considered a threat to national security in Norway, ...

Norway extradites Islamist preacher to Italy

The UN's education agency said Thursday it had forged a coalition with tech firms and nonprofit organisations to support more than 1.5 billion students missing class because of the coronavirus crisis.
"Never before have we witnessed educational disruption on such a scale," Audrey Azoulay, director general of the Paris-based UNESCO, said in a statement.
The agency estimates that 87 percent of the world's students have been impacted by school closures, forcing many to adapt to online lessons and other distance-learning techniques -- when they are available.
"We are working together to find a way to make sure that children everywhere can continue their education, with special care to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization which is a coalition member.
Tech partners include Microsoft, Google, Facebook and video conferencing specialist Zoom, as well as the GSMA association of mobile network ...

UN enlists tech firms to help 1.5 bn missing school

A parish priest in western Poland is offering his flock the possibility of Easter confessions from the comfort of their own car as social distancing to fight the coronavirus becomes the new norm.
"We've already done a practice run... I have an appointment with a family of five tomorrow and next week I'm due to hear a parishioner confess every sin from his entire life," Father Adam Pawlowski told AFP.
The priest from the western village of Rogalin plans to park his car in an alley by the church and will roll down his window for the parishioner parked at least 1.5 metres (five feet) away to avoid any potential coronavirus infection.
Every year many Poles attend confession before Easter in the majority Catholic EU member of 38 million people, which has 1,120 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 14 deaths.
The religious authorities have reminded the faithful that confession via telephone or the internet is not valid but says the in-person location does not have to be a church ...

Polish priest offers drive-thru confessions to beat virus

"I'm just doing my bit," says Iragartze Fernandez, the part-time referee turned full-time nurse who has swapped the whistle for a face-mask in the hope of helping Spain combat the deadly coronavirus.
The 26-year-old, who officiates matches in La Liga Iberdrola, the top tier of the women's game, and Segunda B, the third tier of the men's, has been practising as a nurse for five years at the Rekalde Health Centre in Bilbao.
But as the relentless spread of the virus has stretched Spain's hospitals to breaking point, Iragartze Fernandez has made her medical role full-time to help manage the rush of patients.
"When someone arrives with a cough and a fever, my job is to analyse their symptoms, while wearing full protective equipment," she told AFP.
"The risk of us transmitting the disease is high because we are constantly living next to it. That's a very stressful experience because you're always fighting against something you can't see. You're always playing at a disadvantage."
- 'I'm not .

Spain's female football referees on frontline of coronavirus fight

France on Thursday carried out its first train evacuation of coronavirus patients from the hard-hit east of the country, which has registered over 1,300 hospital deaths in the fast-spiralling epidemic.
The specially adapted high-speed TGV train, which in normal times whizzes travellers between France's main cities and to other European capitals, evacuated 20 patients from the Alsace region bordering Germany and Switzerland to help relieve overstretched facilities there, officials said.
The patients were destined for hospitals in the Pays de la Loire region along the western Atlantic coast.
President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday visited the eastern city of Mulhouse, home to a cluster of infections, where the army has set up a field hospital to help relieve hospitals.
He announced on the trip that the French military would also start supporting public services strained by the epidemic.
"The whole nation has been mobilised" in the fight against the disease, Macron said while wearing a ...

France stages first train evacuation of coronavirus patients

Banners warning that playing cards together is suicide and guards yelling at crowds to separate: a Chinese city near the coronavirus ground zero remains far from normal even after emerging from a two-month lockdown.
Huanggang, home to 7.5 million people, was among the worst-affected areas in Hubei, the province where the new coronavirus first emerged late last year before morphing into a deadly pandemic.
Travel restrictions were loosened on Wednesday and -- if healthy -- people were allowed to leave Hubei, where more than 50 million people were placed under lockdown in January to prevent the spread of the virus.
But warnings were prominently displayed across Huanggang city to remind people that the virus still posed a threat as they returned to the streets.
"Gathering to play cards is suicide," said a red banner hanging by the roadside.
"If you don't wear a mask, the virus will fall in love with you," warned another.
Restaurants in the city re-opened -- but diners weren't allowed to ..

AFP

AFP

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