Europe

BRUSSELS, March 7 (Xinhua) -- European countries saw the number of coronavirus cases climb on Saturday as the World Heath Organization (WHO) announced that the figure outside China already hit 20,000.

A total of 21,114 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported by 93 countries and regions outside China as of 10:00 CET Saturday, an increase of 3,633 infections from the previous day, according to the WHO daily situation report released Saturday evening.

COUNTRIES HARDEST HIT

LONDON (AP) — As cases of the coronavirus surge in Italy, Iran, South Korea, the U.S. and elsewhere, many scientists say it’s plain that the world is in the grips of a pandemic — a serious global outbreak.

The World Health Organization has so far resisted describing the crisis as such, saying the word “pandemic” might spook the world further and lead some countries to lose hope of containing the virus.

“Unless we’re convinced it’s uncontrollable, why (would) we call it a pandemic?” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this week.

LONDON, Mar 07 (APP): British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the Mologic laboratory in Bedford (UK), the other day also announced new funding in the fight against the spread of coronavirus.

The laboratory is developing a new rapid diagnostic test for coronavirus with support from UK aid.

A United Kingdom (UK) government statement issued here today said, the global race to find a vaccine for coronavirus would be bolstered by support announced by the Prime Minister on Friday, funded by the UK’s international development budget.

MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/: Brent oil futures prices with delivery in May 2020 dropped by more than 6.5% to $46.73 a barrel on the London-based ICE today, according to trading data.

Brent oil prices were at the level below $47 per barrel last time in mid-July 2017.

April 2020 WTI futures prices fell by 6.3% go $43.01 a barrel at the same time.

The dollar at the same time added 1.33% against the ruble to 67.52 rubles per dollar. The euro rose by 1.17% and amounted to 77.07 rubles.

IVANOVO, March 6. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that diarchy would be impossible and detrimental for Russia during a meeting with members of the public in Russia’s Ivanovo Region. When asked to comment on Russia’s potential shift towards a parliamentary republic, Putin said: "We do not have stable political parties, like, for example, European parties that have been developing for centuries. Even there [in Europe], there are major setbacks in the parliamentary system."

MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/: Russia’s flagship air carrier Aeroflot said on Friday it is reducing the number of flights to Italy and South Korea from March 10 and to Vietnam from March 11 due to the slumping demand amidst the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Thus, the company will perform four weekly flights to Rome instead of five in a period from March 10 to 28. The number of flights to Milan will also be reduced. In a period from March 10 to 26, it will make four flights a week to Seoul instead of seven, and three weekly flight to Hanoi instead of seven.

MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/: Russia’s federal agency for tourism (Rosturizm) has confirmed that currently there are no restrictions on foreign citizens’ hotel accommodation in Russia.

"Rosturizm informs all those concerned that no restrictions exist at the moment on the accommodation of foreign citizens at Russia’s hotels," the agency said on its website.

SIMFEROPOL, March 7. /TASS/: Crimea received more than 7,700 immigrants from Ukraine in 2019, a nearly 17-percent increase compared to the previous year, the Crimean Department of the Russian Federal Statistics Service informed TASS.

According to the federal service, 6,622 citizens of the neighboring country moved to the peninsula in 2018, while in 2019 this number amounted to 7,734. Ukrainians account for almost 80% of the total number of citizens of the CIS countries who moved to Crimea. "The number of people who arrived from the CIS countries stands at 9,674," it said.

BRUSSELS, March 7 (NNN-Xinhua) — Health ministers of the European Union (EU) member states called for strengthened solidarity, cooperation and exchange of information in tackling the spread of the disease.

The ministers agreed on further raising public awareness about the threat posed by COVID-19, developing a coordinated approach to prevention and protection of people at risk, and establishing coherent containment measures, including evidence-based advice concerning travel to and from risk areas.

BRUSSELS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Health ministers of the European Union (EU) member states met here on Friday, calling for strengthened solidarity, cooperation and exchange of information in tackling the spread of the disease.

The ministers agreed on further raising public awareness about the threat posed by COVID-19, developing a coordinated approach to prevention and protection of people at risk, and establishing coherent containment measures, including evidence-based advice concerning travel to and from risk areas.