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.

ICoast PM named ruling party's presidential candidate

PTI Automatic

The English Premier League suspended all fixtures until April 4 on Friday after a spate of coronavirus cases, including Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.
"Following a meeting of shareholders today, it was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on 4 April, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time," the Premier League said in a statement.
Everton also announced their entire first-team squad and coaching staff have been told to self-isolate after a player reported symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
Leicester City had three players go into self-isolation on Thursday and Bournemouth said goalkeeper Artur Boruc and four staff members were also self-isolating.
"Above all, we wish Mikel Arteta and Callum Hudson-Odoi speedy recoveries, and everyone else affected by COVID-19," said Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters.
"In this unprecedented situation, we are working closely with our clubs, ...

English Premier League suspended until April 4

FGN16 CORONAVIRUS-CHINA
China reports 7 more deaths, 8 new cases as coronavirus continues to decline
Beijing: China on Friday reported seven more fatalities due to the novel coronavirus infection, taking the death toll to 3,176, while the new confirmed cases were just eight, as the disease continued to abate across the country, including in its epicentre Wuhan. By K J M Varma
FGN39 CORONAVIRUS-CHINA-US
China distances itself from official's tweet blaming US Army for bringing coronavirus to Wuhan
Beijing: China on Friday distanced itself from a tweet put out by one of its officials alleging that the US Army may have brought the deadly coronavirus to Wuhan, saying the origin of the outbreak required scientific assessment, amid a war of words between Washington and Beijing over the source of COVID-19. By K J M Varma
FGN31 CORONAVIRUS-AUS-LD MINISTER
Australian minister who met with Ivanka Trump in US diagnosed with coronavirus
Melbourne: A senior Australian minister has tested positive ..

Following are the top foreign stories at 1710 hours

Iran announced on Friday that the new coronavirus has claimed another 85 lives, the highest single-day death toll in one of the world's worst affected countries.
"Sadly, 85 people infected with the COVID-19 disease have died in the past 24 hours", bringing to 514 the overall number of deaths in Iran, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference.
"Across the country, at least 1,289 infected people have been added to the list of confirmed patients," said Jahanpour.  "The total number of patients has therefore reached 11,364 cases," he said, adding Tehran province had the most new infections.
The outbreak in Iran is one of the deadliest outside China, where the disease originated.
Several politicians and officials both sitting and former, have been infected, with some dying from the illness.  The latest suspected case of infection was Ali Akbar Velayati, who advises Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on foreign policy.
Velayati fell ill with .

Iran reports 85 new virus deaths, taking total to 514

The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has risen to 5,043, according to an AFP tally based on official sources at 1630 IST on Friday.
A total of 3,176 people have died in mainland China, followed by 1,016 in Italy, and 514 in Iran -- the three countries with the highest number of deaths.
Since COVID-19 was first detected in December, more than 134,300 people have been infected in 121 countries and territories.

Coronavirus deaths pass 5,000: AFP tally

Australia crushed New Zealand by 71 runs in the first one day international at an empty Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
After New Zealand earlier kept the home side to 258 for seven, the Australian bowling attack dominated the Kiwi batsmen to dismiss the visitors for 187 in the 41st over.
Cricket Australia barred spectators from the match in response to the coronavirus pandemic, leading to the strange sight of players acknowledging milestones to empty grandstands.
It was also revealed that Australian fast bowler Kane Richardson was in quarantine early in the day and had been tested for the virus after feeling unwell.
However, he was subsequently cleared of the virus and returned to the ground to rejoin his teammates.
Australian skipper Aaron Finch won the toss and chose to bat, with the home side at one stage looking at a score in excess of 300 following a superb opening partnership from Finch and David Warner.
But once Warner (67) and Finch (60) were dismissed, the Australian ...

Australia crush New Zealand in first ODI

The US state of Ohio likely has more than 100,000 people carrying the new coronavirus, the state health department director said.
Speaking at a press conference Thursday with state governor Mike DeWine to announce measures to slow the spread of the pandemic, director Amy Acton said Ohio had community spread of the virus.
"We know now just the fact of community spread says that at least one percent, at the very least, one percent of our population is carrying this virus in Ohio today," Acton said.
"We have 11.7 million people. So the math is over 100,000. So that just gives you a sense of how this virus spreads and is spreading quickly," she said.
"It is this one-in-50 years pandemic that we've been planning for." Ohio has five confirmed cases and 52 under investigation but, like much of the United States, has so far carried out limited numbers of tests.
Coronavirus cases in the United States surpassed 1,300 on Thursday with nearly 40 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins ...

Ohio likely has 100,000 coronavirus cases: health official

The English Premier League suspended all fixtures until April 4 on Friday after a spate of coronavirus cases, including Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.
"Following a meeting of shareholders today, it was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on 4 April, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time," the Premier League said in a statement.

English Premier League suspended until April 4 -- official

China's central bank said Friday it would cut the reserve requirements for banks, releasing some 550 billion yuan (USD 79 billion) in liquidity as the country fights to control the economic fallout of the deadly coronavirus.
The People's Bank of China (PBoC) said in a statement that it would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) on March 16 by 50 to 100 basis points for banks that meet its assessment criteria, reducing the amount of cash they must hold.
There will be an additional 100 basis point reduction for eligible joint-stock commercial banks, to support the issuance of loans, said the PBOC.
The central bank's moves come a day after China's State Council released a statement saying Premier Li Keqiang called for targeted RRR cuts soon, to support bank lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at Capital Economics, said the move was "yet another step in (the central bank's) campaign to push down borrowing costs and shore up ...

China to cut banks' reserve requirement to combat virus fallout

Ultraviolet light is being beamed through public buses and lifts in China to wipe out any possible germs as part of efforts to clear the country of the deadly coronavirus epidemic.
With companies under pressure to meet strict prevention measures for the virus, which has killed more than 3,100 people in China, some are turning to new technology to keep everything clean.
Shanghai public transport firm Yanggao has converted a regular cleaning room into a UV light disinfection chamber for buses -- cutting a 40-minute process down to just five minutes.
"After the epidemic happened... we were actively searching for a more efficient disinfection method," Qin Jin, deputy general manager at Yanggao told AFP.
He said that normally the process required the full attention of two staff, who sprayed disinfectant on surfaces in the bus before wiping them down.
"The problem with this was that it might not reach certain corners," said Qin.
The group partnered with a technology supplier to set up an ...

On mission to eradicate virus germs, China firms see the UV light

All UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches scheduled to be played next week have been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, European football's governing body said on Friday.
The move comes after two of next week's four scheduled Champions League last 16, second legs -- between Manchester City and Real Madrid, and between Juventus and Lyon -- had already been called off on Thursday.
That followed Real's announcement that their squad had been placed in quarantine after one of the club's basketball players tested positive for the virus. Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has also tested positive for the virus.
Two other matches scheduled for next Wednesday, between Barcelona and Napoli and between Bayern Munich and Chelsea, were initially due to go ahead behind closed doors.
"In the light of developments due to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe and related decisions made by different governments, all UEFA club competitions matches scheduled next week are postponed," UEFA .

UEFA postpone all Champions League and Europa League matches next week

The French football season has been suspended "until further notice" because of the coronavirus outbreak, the LFP, which runs the elite Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, announced on Friday.
In a statement, the league said it had taken a "unanimous" decision to stop playing with immediate effect at an emergency meeting on Friday, having previously said games would continue to be played behind closed doors until mid-April.
COVID-19 has already killed 61 people and infected almost 2,900 in France, according to official statistics.
The move came after French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced that schools in France would close indefinitely to curb the spread of the coronavirus, and urged people over 70 and the infirm to stay home.
"As the president of the republic stressed yesterday, the collective interest must be placed above all else. The urgency today is to curb the epidemic, protect the most vulnerable and avoid travel," the league said in a statement.
The move means France follows .

French football season suspended 'until further notice'

Australia crushed New Zealand by 71 runs in the first one day international at an empty Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
After New Zealand restricted Australia to 258 for seven, the Australian bowling attack dominated the Kiwi batsmen to dismiss the visitors for 187 in the 41st over.
The match was played in front of empty grandstands after Cricket Australia barred spectators from attending as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Australia crush New Zealand in first

Cyprus said Thursday that a cruise ship denied entry by Israel could anchor offshore but no one would be permitted to disembark after some passengers displayed coronavirus symptoms.
State broadcaster CyBC television said the cruise ship Marco Polo is scheduled to arrive at Limassol port on the southern coast Friday morning carrying 800 passengers, mostly Italians.
CyBC said the cruise liner has been at sea for a month after a trip to India and sailed for Cyprus after being denied entry by Israel.
"The cruise ship will remain anchored, so there is no issue of passengers disembarking, on the matter of health we are in coordination with the health minister to face this," Cyprus Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos wrote on Twitter.
He said President Nicos Anastasiades issued the order.
CyBC TV said the ship's doctor told Cypriot authorities that some passengers had experienced symptoms of pneumonia, including a female passenger who needed medical treatment.
The broadcaster said officials .

Cyprus will not let cruise passengers disembark over virus fear

At least six US states have ordered schools to close in an attempt to curb the spread of the new coronavirus which has infected more than 1,660 people across the country.
Schools in Ohio, Michigan, Oregon, Maryland, Kentucky and New Mexico were told to shut from Monday for at least two weeks, affecting millions of students and likely to cause problems for many low income families who rely on free or subsidized school meals.
"This is a necessary step to protect our kids, our families, and our overall public health," Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement Thursday night announcing the closure of the state's schools until April 6.
"I am working with partners across state government to ensure educators, parents, and students have the support they need during this time, and to ensure our children who rely on school for meals have access to food," she said.
Kentucky governor Andy Beshear recommended schools close for at least two weeks and the state was making arrangements ..

Several US states close schools to halt coronavirus

Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier said Friday that he had sent an "ambitious" draft of what could be a new post-Brexit trade deal with Britain to EU capitals.
Next week's face-to-face round of EU-UK negotiations in London has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but both sides are keen to press on.
There is also, for some officials, an unspoken race to publish a comprehensive draft proposal as both sides seek to gain the initiative in a tricky months-long negotiation.
"We've sent a draft agreement on new partnership to EP & Council for discussion," Barnier tweeted, referring to the European Parliament and the member states.
"It shows ambitious & comprehensive future relationship is possible. We must give ourselves every chance of success," he said.
"We will publish the text after our exchanges & look forward to working with UK."
Some in Brussels are pushing for Barnier to put out Europe's vision of a close working relationship with Britain under a deal to ...

Barnier shows 'ambitious' draft UK deal to EU members

Sudan's economy has sunk into a deep crisis since the overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir almost a year ago, risking collapse and social unrest in a country in transition.
Mass protests erupted in Sudan in late 2018 against a government decision to triple bread prices.
Bashir's ouster last April was followed by months of talks, against a backdrop of continued protests, that eventually produced a transitional government comprised of civilian and military officials.
But today in Khartoum, little has improved for most Sudanese.
People queue up for around three hours to buy bread, and six hours to fill their tanks at petrol stations.
Power cuts last six hours a day, and gas bottles for domestic use are hard to come by.
"People protested for change," said Hassan Ibrahim, who had been waiting hours to fill up his minibus -- his only source of income -- with diesel fuel.
"There were martyrs and young people sacrificed their lives. Those who govern today need to step down if they ...

Sudan economy in crisis almost year after Bashir ouster

Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters marched on parliament in Bangkok on Friday, wearing black T-shirts to mourn the state of Thailand under an army-aligned government, in the first street protest for several years.
Discontent with the government of ex-army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha is seething, with a progressive opposition party disbanded and the country's economy faltering as the COVID-19 crisis batters the key tourism industry.
Protesters have met inside university campuses in recent weeks but are now edging back onto the streets of the capital, which has played host to rival -- and often deadly -- rounds of street politics over the last 14 years.
Thailand voted Prayut's conservative government into power a year ago.
It was the first election since a 2014 coup and held under an army-scripted constitution that critics say gave Prayut an unfair advantage.
The boisterous but peaceful 'Black Friday' rally, calling for the government to quit, is the latest reflection of his ...

First Thailand pro-democracy march since 2014 coup

Luxembourg has joined its European neighbours in closing schools and limiting visits to the elderly in hospitals and nursing homes, hoping to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
"Daily life is going to change and we will have to adapt," Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said on Thursday, announcing measures of a scale "never seen before" in the Grand Duchy.
Landlocked Luxembourg is home to only 600,000 people, but more than 200,000 commuters from Belgium, France and Germany cross its borders each day to come to work.
So far, the country has recorded 26 cases of COVID-19 infection, and one 94-year-old man is in a critical state in hospital.
As in many other countries touched by the virus, Luxembourg wants to encourage people to work from home, but this is complicated in its case by the tax rules for cross-border workers.

Luxembourg closes schools and isolates the elderly

The US Department of Defense said Thursday it wants to reconsider its decision to award a multi-billion-dollar military cloud computing contract to Microsoft in a bidding process Amazon claims was tainted by politics.
A judge last month issued an order at Amazon's request temporarily blocking the US military from starting work on the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract, or JEDI.
In a filing late Thursday in a federal court, government attorneys asked for the matter to be "remanded," or sent back, to the Pentagon "for 120 days to reconsider certain aspects of the challenged agency decision." It is up to the court whether the case is remanded or proceeds.
The DoD attorneys said the motion came in response to the judge stalling the awarding of the JEDI contract on the grounds Amazon Web Services (AWS) would "likely be able to show" that the department erred in evaluating its proposal.
"We are pleased that the DoD has acknowledged 'substantial and legitimate' issues that ...

Pentagon 'wishes to reconsider' awarding JEDI contract to Microsoft

The world table tennis body suspended "all activities" until the end of April on Friday, joining a long list of sporting casualties of the new coronavirus outbreak.
The International Table Tennis Federation suspension, from Monday, affects a number of tournaments around the world, as well as training and promotional activities.
"Following the declaration by the World Health Organization of COVID-19 as a pandemic and the increased number of international travel restrictions, the ITTF has decided to suspend all activities provisionally, with the health and safety of athletes, coaches, officials and fans as the top priority," a statement said.
Sports from football to basketball and badminton have been hit by the outbreak, with a swathe of competitions put on hold less than five months before the Tokyo Olympics.

AFP

AFP

Page 108 - Afp/pti