World News Summary


Reuters | New Delhi | Updated: 05-04-2020 17:31 IST | Created: 05-04-2020 05:25 IST
World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Ecuador stores coronavirus victims in giant fridges as morgues fill up

Ecuador's government has begun storing the bodies of victims of the coronavirus in giant refrigerated containers as hundreds of deaths in the city of Guayaquil, the center of the country's outbreak, have already filled morgues and hospitals. Ecuador has confirmed 318 deaths from the virus, one of the highest tallies in Latin America. But President Lenin Moreno said this week that the real figure was higher as authorities were collecting more than 100 bodies a day, many from relatives' homes as a strict quarantine prevented them from being buried. Spain's daily coronavirus death toll falls for second day in row

Spain's death toll from the coronavirus rose to 11,744 on Saturday from 10,935 the previous day, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, though it was the second straight second day in which the daily number of new deaths had fallen. A total of 809 people died from the disease over the past 24 hours, down from 932 in the previous period, the figures showed. French coronavirus death toll hits new high as nursing home tally swells

The total number of deaths from the coronavirus in France reached a new high on Saturday as the government included more previously unreported deaths in nursing homes. The health ministry reported 441 new deaths from COVID-19 in the country's hospitals on Saturday - less than the high of 588 reported on Friday - for a total hospital death tally of 5,532. 5G coronavirus conspiracy theory is dangerous fake nonsense, UK says

A conspiracy theory that links 5G mobile telecommunications masts to the spread of the novel coronavirus is dangerous fake news and completely false, Britain said on Saturday after masts in several parts of the country were torched. When asked by a reporter about the so called "theory" that 5G telecommunications masts could play a role in the spread of the disease, British Cabinet Officer Minister Michael Gove said: "That is just nonsense, dangerous nonsense as well." Canada will not retaliate against U.S. over block of mask exports: Prime Minister

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was not planning to retaliate over U.S. President Donald Trump's move to block 3M Co's exports of N95 respirator masks for use by doctors and nurses. Trudeau said during his daily address that he expected to speak with Trump in the coming days and that Canadian officials were having "very constructive" discussions with the U.S. administration. Mainland China reports 19 new confirmed coronavirus cases

Mainland China reported on Saturday 19 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, down from 31 a day earlier, including one new infection in central Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak in the country. Of the new cases, 18 involved travellers arriving from abroad, the National Health Commission said in a statement. The new infections bring the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China to 81,639 as of Friday. Brazil's lawmakers pass 'war budget' as coronavirus cases surpass 10,000

Brazil's lower house of Congress approved a constitutional amendment for a "war budget" to separate coronavirus-related spending from the government's main budget and shield the economy as the country surpassed 10,000 confirmed cases. The war budget, which lower house Speaker Rodrigo Maia estimates could unleash up to 600 billion reais in extraordinary spending, still needs the Senate's approval by three-fifths of the votes in two rounds expected to take place next week. Number of coronavirus intensive care patients in Italy drops for first time

Italy reported its lowest daily rise in COVID-19 deaths for nearly two weeks on Saturday and said the number of patients in intensive care had fallen for the first time. Officials urged the country not to flout strict lockdown measures they said were starting to show results, although new cases rose by 4,805 on Saturday which was slightly higher than recent daily increases. Show typical British resolve, Queen to tell nation amid coronavirus outbreak

Queen Elizabeth will call on Britons to show the same resolve as their forebears and take on the challenge and disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak with good-humoured resolve when she makes an extremely rare address to rally the nation on Sunday. In what will only be her fifth special televised message to the country during her 68 years on the throne, the queen will also thank healthcare workers on the front line and recognise the pain already suffered by some families. In Italy, support groups fear lockdown is silencing domestic abuse victims

Italy has seen a sharp fall in official reports of domestic violence as it approaches a month under coronavirus lockdown, raising concern among some support groups that forced confinement is leaving victims struggling to seek help. Citing official data, a parliamentary committee into violence against women said last week that reports to police of domestic abuse dropped to 652 in the first 22 days of March, when Italy went into lockdown, from 1,157 in the same period of 2019.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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