World News Roundup: Pompeo to Iraq PM: U.S. will take action in self-defense if attacked; China sees fewer coronavirus cases and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Make us ventilators to fight coronavirus, UK government asks manufacturers

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will ask manufacturers to retool production to start making specialist health equipment including ventilators and will look at using hotels as emergency hospitals to cope with the coronavirus outbreak. Britain has taken a distinctly different approach to tackle coronavirus from European countries such as Italy, Spain, and France which have imposed stringent lockdowns to try to slow the spread of the disease.

Philippine leader says home quarantine to last to April 12

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said the country's main island of Luzon would be under home quarantine until April 12 to fight coronavirus, and told the public to heed the orders of police and soldiers or be arrested. In a televised recording of a meeting of top officials, Duterte said the "enhanced quarantine" measures were necessary to contain an unavoidable spread of the virus, including forcing companies to have employees work from home.

Iran's death toll from coronavirus increases to 853: official

Iran's death toll from the new coronavirus has reached 853 with 129 new deaths in the past 24 hours, a health ministry official tweeted on Monday, adding that 14,991 people have been infected across Iran. "In the past 24 hours we had 1,053 confirmed new cases of coronavirus and 129 new deaths," Alireza Vahabzadeh tweeted.

Israel's president tasks Netanyahu rival Gantz with forming government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main political rival, former military chief Benny Gantz, received an official mandate on Monday from Israel's president to try to form the country's next government. "I give you my word, I will do all in my ability to establish within a few days as broad and patriotic a government as possible," Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, said in a ceremony next to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

Fourteen people under examination over November 2015 attacks in France

Fourteen people were formally placed under examination over the November 2015 attacks in France, the French anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said on Monday. Co-ordinated bombings and shootings in November 2015 at the Bataclan theater and other sites around Paris killed 130 people - the deadliest attacks in France since World War Two.

Jewish worshippers urged not to kiss Western Wall due to coronavirus fears

The Jewish faithful should refrain from kissing the stones of the Western Wall, the chief rabbi of the Jerusalem site said on Monday, adding to measures that religious authorities have taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Jews pray en masse at the Western Wall and often stuff is written prayers into the cracks between its stones. Kissing the wall is not a ritual requirement, but some devout Jews do so, believing it shows reverence to God.

Pompeo to Iraq PM: U.S. will take action in self-defense if attacked

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi the United States would take measures in self-defense if attacked, according to a statement on Monday, after a second rocket attack on an Iraqi base that houses U.S. troops helping fight Islamic State. "Secretary Pompeo underscored that the groups responsible for these attacks must be held accountable. Secretary Pompeo noted that America will not tolerate attacks and threats to American lives and will take additional action as necessary in self-defense," the statement read.

Coronavirus hits 'heart and soul' as New York, Los Angeles bars and theaters forced to close

Bars, restaurants, theaters and movie houses in New York and Los Angeles were ordered to shut down to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic as central banks around the world took aggressive steps to cushion the economic impact of the disease. The U.S. Federal Reserve slashed interest rates, for the second time in less than two weeks, to near zero and other central banks followed suit but stock markets and the dollar continued to tumble.

Blinded Chilean student says protests won't end until president steps down

A Chilean student who became a lightning rod for broad social unrest after police shot him in the face during a demonstration has said President Sebastian Pinera will never regain the trust of citizens and should step down. Gustavo Gatica, 22, a psychology student at a Santiago university, said Pinera, a conservative billionaire two years into a second term in office, squandered an early window to engage with demonstrators' complaints of social inequality and elitism when the unrest began in October.

China sees fewer coronavirus cases, wary of international travellers

Mainland China reported a drop in new coronavirus infections on Sunday, but major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai continued to wrestle with cases of infected travelers arriving from abroad. China had 16 new infections on Sunday, the National Health Commission said on Monday, down from 20 the previous day, taking the mainland's tally to 80,860.