World News Roundup: EU states need 10 times more coronavirus equipment; Iran warns of second wave of coronavirus

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Exclusive:

EU states need 10 times more coronavirus equipment - internal document

European Union states need 10 times as much personal protective equipment and other medical devices, such as ventilators, to tackle the coronavirus than traditional supply chains can provide, an internal EU document showed on Wednesday. The 27-nation bloc has been scrambling for weeks to acquire crucial equipment, like face masks, ventilators for patients with severe breathing problems and other medical products since the coronavirus epidemic spread to the continent earlier this year.

After being courted by Trump, African Americans, Latinos face economic blow from coronavirus

The financial hardship caused by the coronavirus outbreak could fall particularly hard on African Americans and Latinos, undoing economic gains President Donald Trump has touted in his outreach to those key voting blocs ahead of the Nov. 3 election. With job cuts hitting U.S. states as governors and companies order offices and workplaces closed, African Americans and Latinos are particularly vulnerable because they more often have jobs that cannot be done at home.

Iran warns of second wave of coronavirus

Iran may face a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak, government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Wednesday, as some Iranians ignored guidance issued by health officials to contain the spread of the disease in the country. "Unfortunately some Iranians ignored advice from health ministry officials and traveled during the (Iranian) New Year holidays ... This could cause a second wave of the coronavirus," Rabiei said, according to state TV.

Canadian legislators break deadlock, vote for coronavirus aid

After almost a day of wrangling, Canada's House of Commons agreed early on Wednesday to approve a C$27 billion ($18.8 billion) stimulus bill to help people and businesses deal with the coronavirus outbreak. A few dozen legislators - maintaining social distancing in the face of the highly contagious disease - backed the measures after the Liberal government agreed to remove proposals that would have given Ottawa emergency spending powers without Parliamentary approval until the end of 2021.

Locked-down no longer, China's Hubei begins return to normal

Life started returning to normal on Wednesday after two months of lockdown in Hubei province, the epicenter of China's coronavirus outbreak, with traffic controls lifted, construction resuming and people catching buses and trains across once-shut borders. Mainland China also reported a drop in new confirmed coronavirus cases to 47 on Tuesday, all of them in travelers returning home, down from 78 infections reported a day earlier.

Prince Charles tests positive for coronavirus, symptoms 'mild'

Prince Charles, the 71-year-old heir to the British throne, has tested positive for coronavirus but is in good health and is now self-isolating in Scotland with mild symptoms. Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth, is displaying what Clarence House said were mild symptoms but remains in good health and has been working from his Birkhall residence in Scotland. His wife, Camilla, 72, tested negative.

Pope, world's Christians join in prayer to end coronavirus

Pope Francis and Christians worldwide recited "The Lord's Prayer" on Wednesday to ask God to stop the coronavirus pandemic which has infected nearly half a million people, disrupted countless lives and shut down churches and other public venues. Francis invited all other Christian leaders and individual Christians on Sunday to recite the 'Our Father' prayer simultaneously at noon Italian time (1100 GMT) on Wednesday.

Rickshaws, kimonos, but no tourists - Tokyo's Asakusa hit by coronavirus, Olympics delay

Japanese and foreign tourists flock in their hundreds of thousands every spring to this old district of Tokyo to see the cherry trees in full bloom and the bright red gate to the Sensō-ji temple, and to visit its bars and shops. But this year, as if the coronavirus pandemic were not already enough in keeping people away, Asakusa - and the rest of Japan - woke to news on Wednesday that the Tokyo Olympics has been postponed till 2021 because of the disease.

Gunmen in Afghanistan kill 25 at Sikh complex, Islamic State claims responsibility

Gunmen and suicide bombers raided a Sikh religious complex in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Wednesday, killing 25 people before security forces killed all of the attackers, the government said. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. Sikhs have been the target of attack by Islamist militants before in South Asia. Their community in Afghanistan numbers fewer than 300 families.

As coronavirus hits Venezuela, Maduro further quashes dissent

On March 13, Melquiades Avila, an indigenous leader and journalist in the remote Venezuelan state of Delta Amacuro, asked on his popular Facebook account: "Will our hospital be ready for coronavirus?" Earlier that week, as Venezuela confirmed its first infections by the novel coronavirus, President Nicolas Maduro's health ministry on its website had listed Delta Amacuro's Luis Razetti Hospital as one of 46 medical centers "prepared" to receive COVID-19 patients.