British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains clinically stable and is responding to treatment after spending his second night in intensive care at a London hospital with COVID-19, Downing Street said in its latest health update on Wednesday.
The statement reiterated that the UK prime minister remains in good spirits as it was indicated that while he is not actively working, he remains in contact with his ministers and officials.
The Prime Minister remains clinically stable and is responding to treatment, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
He continues to be cared for in intensive care at St. Thomas' hospital. He is in good spirits, the spokesperson said.
St. Thomas' Hospital is a specialist National Health Service (NHS) infectious diseases facility across Westminster Bridge from 10 Downing Street in central London.
He comfortable, he's stable, he's in good spirits," UK health minister Edward Argar had said earlier on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab, ..

COVID-19: Boris Johnson clinically stable, responding to treatment in ICU

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Ethiopia on Wednesday declared a state of emergency to fight the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far infected 52 people and resulted in two deaths there.
It is the first state of emergency announced under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power in 2018 and won last year's Nobel Peace Prize in part for expanding political freedoms in the authoritarian nation.
"Because the coronavirus pandemic is getting worse, the Ethiopian government has decided to declare a state of emergency under Article 93 of the constitution," Abiy said in a statement.
"I call upon everybody to stand in line with government bodies and others that are trying to overcome this problem," he added, warning of "grave legal measures" against anyone who undermines the fight against the pandemic.
It was not immediately clear how the state of emergency would affect day-to-day life in Ethiopia, where the government has so far refrained from imposing a lockdown similar to those in effect elsewhere in the region, ...

Ethiopia declares state of emergency to fight coronavirus

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday to give the sanctions-hit country a USD 5 billion emergency loan to combat its novel coronavirus outbreak.
The Islamic republic is battling one of the world's deadliest coronavirus outbreaks which it says has killed close to 4,000 people and infected more than 64,500.
There has been speculation abroad that the real number of deaths and infections could be higher.
Iran has said it needs what would be its first IMF loan in over half a century to continue fighting the virus. But its arch enemy the United States, which effectively holds a veto at the IMF, is reportedly set to block the loan, arguing Iran will use the funds for military purposes.
"I urge all international organisations to fulfil their duties," Rouhani said during a cabinet meeting. "We are a member of the IMF... if there's going to be any discrimination between Iran and others in giving loans, neither we nor world opinion will tolerate ...

Virus-hit Iran urges IMF to approve USD 5bn loan

Men and women have the same rights in the small municipality of Canonica d'Adda in Italy's north - except when it comes to shopping for food.
To lower the number of people in supermarkets and reduce the risk of coronavirus contagion, the mayor has decreed that men and women will not shop together.
"Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays you can go to the bread store," a policewoman told a woman waiting in line outside a big supermarket on Tuesday.
"Your husband can go on the other days, however." Those breaking the rule face a fine of up to 400 euros ($435).
Canonica d'Adda is not far from Bergamo, considered the most affected area in the region of Lombardy, where more than 9,000 people have died of coronavirus -- more than half of the total deaths in the country.
Canonica d'Adda's mayor, Gianmaria Ceria, said coronavirus had killed about 20 people in the commune of about 4,400 inhabitants.
The separation by sex for shopping was decided "to protect public health", he said.
"I have to ...

Italy commune bans mixed-sex shopping to stem virus

Singapore on Wednesday announced a 30-million Singapore dollar investment in the agri-food industry to speed up the production of commonly consumed food items like eggs, vegetables and fish during the coronavirus crisis.
Called the 30x30 Express grant, it aims to strengthen Singapore's food security, as part of its goal of meeting 30 per cent of the country's nutritional needs with food produced locally by 2030.
"The current COVID-19 situation underscores the importance of local food production, as part of Singapore's strategies to ensure food security," said the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in a statement.
Proposals will be invited from local farmers producing eggs, leafy vegetables and fish to "grow more and grow faster", reported Channel News Asia.
"The grant call will enable the government to crowdsource and support ideas from the agri-food industry to develop innovative approaches to grow food productively and ...

Singapore announces SGD 30 million investment in agri-food industry

An India-born beauty queen, who has put her pageant life on hold to return to the National Health Service (NHS) frontlines as a doctor at a hospital in eastern England, is petitioning the UK government to address exorbitant staff accommodation rates for medics fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Bhasha Mukherjee, who competed in Miss World 2019 as Miss England last year, was in India as part of a charity mission but decided to return to her job as a junior doctor to join her colleagues at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, to help with the coronavirus workload pressures.
The Kolkata-born 24-year-old, currently in self-isolation for the stipulated 14-day period after flying back from India last week, launched an online petition, calling for at least 50 per cent discount on hospital accommodation.
"I speak not only for myself but also for all the medical staff that are being forced to choose such accommodation when they're working 13 hour shifts a day almost seven days a week, ...

India-born beauty queen doctor petitions for affordable COVID-19 housing in UK

Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic crisis and his rude remarks at reporters questioning his contempt for science and disdain for experts have grabbed headlines in the American media, with a leading newspaper even going to the extent of terming him as the worst president in US history.
According to a report in the CNN, Trump gets increasingly defensive and short-tempered during the daily briefings and refuses to listen to questions about shortcomings in the federal government's efforts in dealing with the pandemic that has claimed over 12,700 lives in the country and infected 1,38,000 people.
On Monday, Trump rubbished a report by an experienced Health and Human Services Department watchdog official about supply shortages at hospitals all over the country, claiming it was politically motivated.
Trump's feuds with the reporters are wide open during his media briefings over the coronavirus situation and his claims of a hugely successful leadership in tackling the worst ..

Trump's handling of COVID-19 pandemic and feuds with reporters grab headlines

Formula One says it will furlough half of its staff until the end of May and senior executives will take pay cuts amid the coronavirus pandemic.
F1 has postponed eight races so far this season and the Monaco Grand Prix has been canceled.
F1 says senior leadership figures will take voluntary pay cuts while still continuing to work and not in furlough. CEO Chase Carey will take a much deeper pay cut.
The McLaren and Williams teams had already put some staff on furlough schemes. McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz have also taken pay cuts.
The season is currently scheduled to begin in France on June 28. F1 management has said it still hopes to hold between 15 and 18 races this year in place of the original 22.

F1 to furlough half of its staff amid pandemic

Bangladesh on Wednesday sought China's medical assistance to handle its worsening coronavirus crisis as the healthcare officials said the infection has killed three more people in the last 24 hours, taking the country's toll to 20.
The Foreign Ministry said that Bangladesh has urged China to send an expert team comprising doctors, nurses and technicians to help the country handle the situation and train its own health professionals.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called up his counterpart AK Abdul Momen and the two leaders discussed the situation in the wake of the virus.
"He (Momen) also discussed the possibility of importing ventilators from China," the ministry said in a statement.
Wang "responded positively" and assured him of Beijing's full support to Bangladesh, it said.
Bangladesh earlier this year sent masks, sanitizers and hand gloves to China after the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan city.
Wang expressed gratitude for Bangladesh's valued contributions.
Healthcare officials said 

B'desh seeks Chinese medical assistance to handle COVID-19 as toll rises to 20

The Vatican said Wednesday that Pope Francis has created a new commission of experts to examine whether women can be deacons, an ordained role in the Catholic Church currently reserved for men.
The 10-member commission, the second of Francis' pontificate to study the fraught issue, includes equal numbers of men and women representing the United States and six European countries.
Deacons are ordained ministers who perform many of the same functions as priests. They preside at weddings, baptisms and funerals, and they can preach. They cannot celebrate Mass.
Married men can be ordained as deacons. Women cannot, though historians say women served as deacons in the early Christian church.
In response to women demanding to be given greater roles in the 21st century, Francis established a commission in 2016 to study female deacons in the early Christian church. But the members failed to reach a consensus and the group effectively ended its work.
The issue was revived during Francis' 2019 ...

Pope creates new expert commission to study women deacons

Stock markets mostly declined Wednesday as EU finance ministers failed to agree on a coronavirus bailout package for the hardest hit countries such as Italy and Spain.
The euro dropped against the dollar and pound, while oil prices gained ahead of a crucial producers' meeting on possible output cuts.
Eurozone finance ministers Wednesday failed to agree on a rescue plan to help hard hit member states face the coronavirus outbreak.
"European Union dysfunctionality is the talk of the town... with overnight squabbles seeing finance ministers ultimately fail in their bid to introduce an aid package worth half-a-trillion euros," said Joshua Mahony, senior market analyst at IG trading group.
The Bank of France, meanwhile, said the nation's economy contracted six percent in the first quarter, putting it in recession and marking the worst performance since 1945.
The German economy, Europe's biggest, is expected to shrink by nearly 10 percent in the second quarter as the coronavirus paralyses ..

Stock markets drop as EU fails to strike coronavirus bailout

Four-time Olympic ski jumping champion Simon Ammann will try to go for another gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
The 38-year-old Ammann, who would be 40 at the time of the next games, won both individual ski jumping gold medals at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. He also swept the normal hill and large hill titles at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
I am convinced that I will get excellent results again, Ammann said in a statement released by the Swiss team on Wednesday.
Ammann last won on the World Cup circuit in November 2014, and got his last podium result two years ago.

4-time Olympic champion Ammann eyes 2022 Winter Games

India and China should pool in their scientific and technological resources to develop a vaccine to contain the deadly novel coronavirus, Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri has said.
"We could cooperate on the development of vaccine for this virus...It will be of great value for the world at large at the end of day, we do have a very large scientific and technological manpower in our two countries," Misri said in an interview to state-run CGTN here.
He said there should be global cooperation to contain the COVID-19.
The enemy is not an individual, a country or a group of countries. It is a virus that doesn't discriminate. It is not only important for the countries to put aside their differences but also rise above those differences. We have to realise that we are all in this together," he said.
According to estimates by the Johns Hopkins University, there are over 1.44 million confirmed coronavirus cases across the world and over 82,000 people have died of it.
Misri said China ...

India, China can cooperate in developing COVID-19 vaccine: Indian envoy

Sadio Mane says he would understand if Liverpool were denied the Premier League title even though they were on the brink of glory when coronavirus forced a shutdown.
Jurgen Klopp's men were 25 points clear of Manchester City when football came to a halt last month, agonisingly close to their first top-flight triumph in 30 years.
But it is unclear when, or even if, the season will be completed.
Asked if he feels like a champion, the 27-year-old Senegal forward told Talksport that he wanted to win the Premier League on the pitch.
"I want to win the games and I want to get the trophy, it's what I would love," he said.
"But with this situation, whatever happens I will understand.
"It has been difficult for Liverpool, but it has been more difficult for many millions of people around the world.
"Some people have lost family members and that is the more complicated situation. But for myself, it's my dream and I want to win it this year.
"If that's not the case, I will accept, it's part of ...

Mane would 'understand' if Liverpool were denied Premier League title

Stories from the science fiction genre often presents a gloomy picture of the future but "Tales from the Loop" creator Nathaniel Halpern wanted his characters to have a glimmer of hope in life.
The show might come across as ominous and melancholy to the viewers at the first glance but there is an inherent feeling of positivity that Halpern has carefully crafted into his stories.
The writer, who has extensively worked on television with shows such as "Legion", "The Killing" and "Outcast", has adapted "Tales from the Loop" from acclaimed Swedish artiste Simon Stalenhag's artwork.
"It just seemed like a unique opportunity to adapt from one visual medium to another. I was very taken by Simon's paintings, there's a unique quality they have. The marriage between the ordinary and the extraordinary felt very emotional to me. So the idea of turning paintings into a TV series felt like a wonderful opportunity," Nathaniel told PTI in an interview.
Through the series, the creator said, he wanted .

Wanted my characters to have a glimmer of hope: 'Tales from the Loop' creator

A 165-strong group of world leaders, including 92 former presidents and prime ministers along with economic and health experts, have come together and demanded the creation of a G20 executive task force to coordinate a multi-billion-dollar coronavirus worldwide fighting fund.
The signatories, which also include Indian economists Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Kaushik Basu, call for an immediate global pledging conference to approve such a fund as part of an urgent globally coordinated task force in the face of the pandemic.
"The economic emergency will not be resolved until the health emergency is addressed: the health emergency will not end simply by conquering the disease in one country alone but by ensuring recovery from COVID-19 in all countries," the open letter to G20 leaders notes.
A communique from the G20 Extraordinary Leaders' Summit on March 26, which included participation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recognised the gravity and urgency of the entwined public health and ...

World leaders call G20 leaders for multi-billion-dollar COVID-19 fighting fund

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking at transfer targets during the lockdown and believes Manchester United are well-placed to exploit any knock-on effects of the coronavirus suspension.
With training and matches halted in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Norwegian has used some of this unexpected free time to pinpoint how best to improve the squad.
Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish are among the names liked with the club, with Solskjaer working with United's staff to fine-tune targets.
"Football is going to get back to normality at one point, and it's very important we're ready when that happens," the United manager told Sky Sports.
"We want to be the best at everything, and of course now is a chance to spend more time, you discuss players, discuss plans."
Asked whether United can exploit the transfer market when football returns, Solskjaer said: "Who knows how the market is going to react to this? Who knows which clubs need to sell players?
"There might be just a ..

Man Utd must be ready for return to 'normality', says Solskjaer

About 6,500 athletes who already have earned their spots for the Tokyo Games are in for 2021 under redrawn qualifying regulations published by the International Olympic Committee.
The IOC released its rewritten roadmap for qualifying for the games, which were rescheduled due to the coronavirus. They'll be held July 23 through Aug. 8 next year.
The new deadline for qualifying is June 29, 2021, and entry lists are due a week later. Individual international sports federations will still be in charge of their qualifying procedures.
Many sports allow athletes to qualify by compiling results over a series of events.
The IOC urged the federations to find a balance between protecting those athletes who were close to qualifying based on the previous 2020 deadlines and also ensuring the best athletes at the Olympic Games by taking into consideration performances in 2021.
The IOC announcement confirmed reports last week that the sports had agreed to let athletes keep spots they already had ...

Athletes already qualified for Tokyo Games get to keep spots

Iran on Wednesday reported 121 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, bringing its overall number of fatalities to 3,993.
In the past 24 hours, 1,997 new cases of COVID-19 infection were detected in Iran, state news agency IRNA quoted health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour as saying.
That put the number of confirmed cases at 64,586, he added.
Iran, which announced its first COVID-19 cases on February 19, is by far the worst hit by the pandemic in the Middle East, according to official tolls.  But there has been speculation abroad that the real number of deaths and infections in the country could be higher.
Jahanpour said that while 3,956 patients were in critical condition, those who recovered had reached 29,812.
The spokesman added that Iran had carried out 220,975 COVID-19 tests to date, according to IRNA.
In a bid to halt COVID-19, Iran has ordered the closure of non-essential businesses and imposed inter-city travel bans, while refraining from a lockdown.
Iran's President ...

Iran says coronavirus deaths near 4,000

More than 750,000 coronavirus cases have been recorded across Europe, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources at 1100 GMT.
That accounts for more than half of the cases identified worldwide so far, although the official figures probably reflect a fraction of the actual number.  With at least 750,276 cases and 58,627 recorded, Europe Europe remains the continent hit hardest by the pandemic.
To date, 1,438,291 cases of novel coronavirus have been recorded across the world, and 82,726 deaths.
Italy has been the worst-hit country, recording 17,127 fatalities out of 135,586 cases.
Spain has recorded 14,555 deaths from 146,690 cases.

Coronavirus cases recorded in Europe pass 750,000: AF

"Killing Eve" star Jodie Comer says she has an unhealthy habit of Googling herself, something which she has pledged to stop doing this year.
The 27-year-old actor plays psychopath assassin Villanelle to Sandra Oh's British intelligence investigator Eve on the BBC America thriller drama.
Comer admitted that she used to regularly type her name into the internet search engine to find out what people were saying about her.
Asked if she ever searches for her name online, she told OK! magazine, "Of course I have. That's like when someone says, 'Oh, that person over there is talking about you.' When that happens, I want to know what they're saying."
"It became one of my New Year's resolutions to stop Googling myself because it's not healthy at all," the Emmy-winning actor added.
The third season of "Killing Eve" is set to drop on April 12.
The upcoming chapter also features Fiona Shaw, Kim Bodnia, Harriet Walter, Danny Sapani, Gemma Whelan, Camille Cottin, Steve Pemberton, Raj Bajaj, ...

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