Europe

LONDON, March 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of coronavirus deaths in the United Kingdom rose to 463 as of Wednesday from 422 on Tuesday, the British government said.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the UK were at 9,529 as of Wednesday, compared to 8,077 cases as of Tuesday, the statement added.

The government is anticipating a peaking of cases in Britain in the coming weeks and has appealed to manufacturers to supply the National Health Service with the appropriate requirements.

PARIS, March 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than three billion people have been asked to stay at home in almost 70 countries and territories as governments battle the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.

Most of the countries concerned, including Argentina, Britain, France, India and Italy as well as many US states, have imposed mandatory lockdown measures. Others have introduced curfews, quarantines and other social distancing recommendations.

MOSCOW (AP) — Citing the coronavirus, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday postponed a nationwide vote on proposed constitutional amendments that include a change potentially allowing him to stay in office until 2036.

Putin didn’t set a new date for the plebiscite, which was originally scheduled for April 22, saying that it would depend on how the pandemic develops in Russia. The country reported its first two deaths from the virus on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin still plans to participate in an emergency G20 leaders’ video conference on the coronavirus on Thursday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"The president’s agenda includes a video conference, a virtual G20 summit, initiated by Saudi Arabia that is currently presiding over the group," he pointed out.

MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his Kyrgyz colleague Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev have discussed the measures taken to fight the coronavirus, including humanitarian deliveries of COVID-19 test systems to Kyrgyzstan, the Russian government informed on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/: Moscow’s second Western district military court has sentenced a Russian national involved in the financing of the Islamic State (IS, terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) to 14 years behind bars, the press service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) directorate for Moscow and the Moscow Region informed TASS.

MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/: The Moscow Health Department approved an algorithm for home treatment of patients who were tested positive for coronavirus but have a light form of the disease. The department published the order to that effect on its website on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/: Russia will speed up test launches of the hypersonic missile Zircon from naval ships: launches from submarines will begin in 2020 to proceed in parallel with launches from the frigate The Admiral Gorshkov, two sources in the defense-industrial complex have said.

"The schedule of the hypersonic missile’s test launches from naval ships will be tightened. The Yasen submarines will begin firing drills this year, alongside the continuing series of launches from The Admiral Gorshkov," a source said.

25 March 2020; AFP: The UN's health agency has faced criticism in the past for overreacting and for moving too slowly in fighting epidemics, but it has rarely faced as much scrutiny as with the coronavirus pandemic.

The World Health Organization was deemed too alarmist when it faced the H1N1 epidemic in 2009 but five years later it was accused of dragging its feet in declaring an emergency over the Ebola outbreak in west Africa, which would go on to kill more than 11,000 people.

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo’s coalition government faces a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday after a dispute over whether to declare a state of emergency to combat the coronavirus.

The vote is set to go ahead despite pleas by France and Germany for the Balkan country’s leaders to put aside their differences and focus on trying to curb the spread of the virus.