Joe Parkin Daniels (2020-03-28). [World Report] Venezuelan migrants \"struggling to survive\" amid COVID-19. thelancet.com Humanitarian organisations are concerned that border closures and health-care shortages are amplifying the challenges posed by COVID-19. Joe Parkin Daniels reports from Bogotá.

The Lancet (2020-03-28). [Editorial] Learning the lessons of Chernobyl: time is running out. thelancet.com Unit number 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded on April 26, 1986, causing radiation injuries to hundreds of people within a couple of weeks. High levels of radiation affected clean-up workers (liquidators) involved in the emergency response, more than 500‚Äà000 liquidators involved in later decontamination and containment, and the general population in the surrounding Soviet states. 116‚Äà000 people were evacuated, 220‚Äà000 were permanently relocated, and a 30 km exclusion zone still exists around the plant.

The Lancet (2020-03-28). [Editorial] COVID-19: learning from experience. thelancet.com Over the past 2 weeks, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has marched relentlessly westward. On March 13, WHO said that Europe was now the centre of the pandemic. A few days later, deaths in Italy surpassed those in China. Iran and Spain had also reported over 1000 deaths as of March 23, and many other European countries and the USA reported increasing numbers of cases, heralding an imminent wave of fatalities. Following the sweep of COVID-19 is a series of dramatic containment measures that reflect the scale of the threat posed by the pandemic.

Antoine Flahault (2020-03-28). [Correspondence] COVID-19 cacophony: is there any orchestra conductor? thelancet.com The first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently invading the world, and several countries are now struggling to fight it or trying to delay its start to help smooth its peak size for the purpose of lowering morbidity and mortality, and thereby reduce the overall tension on their health-care system. China\'s first major outbreaks of COVID-19 happened in January, 2020. Then South Korea, Iran, and Italy entered into this Ravel\'s Bolero-like epidemic in late February and early March, 2020, and many other countries are preparing to play the same rhythmic pattern in the coming days and weeks.

Tony Kirby (2020-03-28). [World Report] PrEP finally approved on NHS in England. thelancet.com After years of wrangling, pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention will finally be available on the National Health Service in England. Tony Kirby reports.

The Lancet (2020-03-28). [Editorial] Building on the PrEP victory. thelancet.com On March 15, the UK Department of Health and Social Care announced funding to make pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication available on the National Health Service in England for HIV prevention. This decision will be met, finally, with a sense of achievement by HIV activists and care providers, who have fought long and hard to make tenofovir-based PrEP drugs widely accessible in the UK, 8 years after the US Food and Drug Administration approved them and more than 4 years after WHO recommended their use for people at high risk of acquiring HIV.

Aarathi Prasad (2020-03-28). [Perspectives] Leadership bid. thelancet.com The Perfect Candidate, director Haifaa Al-Mansour\'s second film based in Saudi Arabia, opens with a scene of an old man on a stretcher, bloodied and groaning after a collision with a truck brings him to the only emergency room in the area. Once the under-resourced clinic staff have heaved him through the only route into the building—a mud-clogged and flooded road—he opens his eyes to what for him is an even greater horror: the face of the only doctor qualified to treat him. Through her niqab, a pair of determined eyes examine him, as Dr Maryam expertly turns the patient\'s body to palpate his spine.

Wendy Moore (2020-03-28). [Perspectives] The suffragette surgeons of Endell Street. thelancet.com When war swept through Europe in August, 1914, more than 1000 medical men were mobilised with the British Army to France and several hundred more male doctors signed up to support the Allied war effort. Dozens of British women doctors volunteered their services too. On Aug 14, 1914, just 10 days after Britain declared war on Germany, the UK\'s Association of Registered Medical Women compiled a list of more than 60 members who declared themselves \"willing to serve\". Yet their help was bluntly declined.

Sally Casswell, Jàºrgen Rehm (2020-03-28). [Comment] Reduction in global alcohol-attributable harm unlikely after setback at WHO Executive Board. thelancet.com A decision emerged after many hours of informal consultation at the WHO Executive Board in February, 2020, on the next steps for global governance of harmful use of alcohol. Clear evidence of increased alcohol consumption and attributable harm in many low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs),1 and predictions of more harm to come if effective policy is not adopted,2 led a group of representatives from LMICs to propose a working group \"to review and propose the feasibility of developing an international instrument for alcohol control\".

Asha Herten-Crabb, Sara E Davies (2020-03-28). [Comment] Why WHO needs a feminist economic agenda. thelancet.com In September, 2019, Alan Donnelly and Ilona Kickbusch called for a chief economist at WHO.1 Such a position, they argued, would enable WHO to better advocate for greater recognition of, and thus action on, the interdependency of health and the economy. We support this proposal: recognition of the interdependence of health and the economy is vital for WHO to achieve its mandate: \"the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health…without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition\".

Susan Jaffe (2020-03-28). [World Report] Leadership changes at USAID. thelancet.com Mark Green, the respected head of the US Agency for International Development, has resigned. Susan Jaffe reports from Washington.

Michael Marmot (2020-03-28). [Perspectives] Despair, democracy, and the failures of American capitalism. thelancet.com A third of the children who used to ride the number 6 bus to school in Yamhill, OR, USA, in the 1970s died before their time, mostly by suicide or from drugs, alcohol, or reckless accidents. Nicholas Kristof, columnist for The New York Times, is one of the survivors. He recalls one family of five siblings, four of whom succumbed as adults: Farlan died of liver failure from drink and drugs; Rogena died of hepatitis linked to drug use; Zealan burned to death in a house fire while passed out drunk; and Nathan blew himself up cooking meth.

Ann Danaiya Usher (2020-03-28). [World Report] WHO launches crowdfund for COVID-19 response. thelancet.com For the first time, WHO is asking the general public and private donors for support. The project is a test run for the WHO Foundation, to be launched later this year. Ann Danaiya Usher reports.

Richard Horton (2020-03-28). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19 and the NHS—\"a national scandal\" thelancet.com \"When this is all over, the NHS England board should resign in their entirety.\" So wrote one National Health Service (NHS) health worker last weekend. The scale of anger and frustration is unprecedented, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the cause. The UK Government\'s Contain—Delay—Mitigate—Research strategy failed. It failed, in part, because ministers didn\'t follow WHO\'s advice to \"test, test, test\" every suspected case. They didn\'t isolate and quarantine. They didn\'t contact trace. These basic principles of public health and infectious disease control were ignored, for reasons that r…

WSWS (2020-03-28). Trump\'s \"Get back to work\" demagogy aids the spread of the pandemic. wsws.org Amidst an expanding pandemic, which is still in its early stages, the Trump administration is intensifying its efforts to force a return to work, which would endanger the lives of millions of workers.

Staff (2020-03-27). U.S. Is #1 in Pandemic: Rep. Omar Blasts Trump for \"Wrong Kind of American Exceptionalism\" democracynow.org As much of the United States is under lockdown, the House votes today on a $2 trillion emergency relief package to address the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. It will generate payments to most Americans and includes protections for workers, but it is also a massive bailout for a number of industries and corporations, and the vote comes as a record 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits. We speak with Congressmember Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, the first Somali American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and one of the first Muslim women in Congress, about the bill, Trump\'s response t…

Rob Wallace (2020-03-27). COVID-19 and Circuits of Capital. mronline.org COVID-19, the illness caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the second severe acute respiratory syndrome virus since 2002, is now officially a pandemic. As of late March, whole cities are sheltered in place and, one by one, hospitals are lighting up in medical gridlock brought about by surges in patients.

Jefferson Morley (2020-03-27). Could the Death of the National Security State be a Silver Lining of COVID-19? counterpunch.org Could something good come from the catastrophe of COVID-19? Might the epic insecurity of a plague teach us something about national security? Political scientist Micah Zenko calls the current pandemic \"the worst intelligence failure in U.S. history.\" Former CIA analyst Melvin Goodman sees \"the urgent need to redefine national security.\" Ilan Goldenberg, a former defense

Al Neal (2020-03-27). MLB Opening Day 2020 at home; baseball jerseys material for PPE. peoplesworld.org There was an air of emptiness Thursday. With the entire world amiss during the Covid-19 pandemic, yesterday seemed even stranger—if you\'re a baseball fan that is. There were no crowds gathered at stadiums, no shimmering sunlight reflecting off players\' sunglasses, and the fulfilling sounds of a wooden bat cracking, a ball sailing beyond second base, …

RT (2020-03-27). Italy yet to reach coronavirus contagion peak, national health chief warns, as 712 die in one day. rt.com Italy has yet to see the worst of the coronavirus pandemic spreading through the country, a senior health official has warned, a day after more than 700 people died in a single 24-hour period. | \"We haven\'t reached the peak and we haven\'t passed it,\" the head of the Superior Health Institute, Silvio Brusaferro, told a press conference on Friday. He noted, however, that there were \"signs of a slowdown\" in the number of infections, suggesting that the health crisis could turn a corner soon. | Figures released on Thursday showed 712 new Covid-19 deaths, bringing the nationwide total to 8,215. | Brusaferro said th…

RT (2020-03-27). European stocks sink as spread of coronavirus explodes across continent. rt.com European markets opened significantly lower on Friday, ignoring all the stimulus pledges by governments this week, as the deadly Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread. Europe now accounts for more than half of global infections. | Britain\'s FTSE 100 is plummeting more than three percent during early trading in London. Stock markets in Germany and France are down over two percent. | The market fall comes as EU leaders fail to come to an agreement over the economic response to the coronavirus pandemic. During a video conference summit on Thursday, the leaders of the 27-member bloc argued over how to pull their e…

RT (2020-03-27). Washington cancels major Philippines maneuvers. rt.com The US military has canceled a large-scale exercise involving thousands of troops in the Philippines because of the coronavirus pandemic. | The decision to scrap Balikatan 2020 was taken \"in light of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and in the best interest of the health and safety of both countries\' forces,\" AFP quoted US Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Phil Davidson as saying. | The war games, scheduled for May 4-15, would have involved more than 10,000 troops from the two long standing allies and a smaller contingent from Australia. | The US troops who take part in Balika…

RT (2020-03-27). Coronavirus-inspired terrorists are planning attacks, says DoJ report — but in a fear-charged climate, which is the real threat? rt.com The US Justice Department has warned — with scant evidence — that coronavirus is encouraging terrorists to attack. But Covid-19 is actually deadlier than terrorism, and experts warn against criminalizing its transmission. | The pandemic is accelerating the dastardly plots of terrorists, according to John Demers, the assistant attorney general for national security at the Justice Department, who shared his fears — and he has a lot of them — with Politico on Friday. Demers warned that terrorists would \"take advantage of\" certain \"windows of opportunities,\" though he acknowledged that there…

Andrew Levine (2020-03-27). Neither Biden Nor Trump: Imagine Cuomo. counterpunch.org The Trump presidency is mainly about enriching and glorifying Donald Trump. To that end, and in accord with his attitudes and dispositions, he has set about making America hate again — or, more precisely, a whole lot more than in the recent past. Thus, he has taken to calling the global pandemic caused by the

Eds. (2020-03-27). In light of the Global pandemic, focus attention on the people. mronline.org SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, now declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation, has begun to wreak havoc in large parts of the world, with other parts waiting in anticipation. We are in a real struggle, which needs total mobilisation; a struggle that needs to put life before profit.

RT (2020-03-27). Italy\'s WORST day: Coronavirus death rate highest since start of outbreak with 900+ fatalities. rt.com Italy has experienced its worst day yet in the country\'s devastating coronavirus epidemic, with 919 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours — the highest single-day total since the pandemic began. | The highest-ever single-day spike in fatalities brought Italy\'s death toll to 9,134, a number that has long since surpassed the outbreak\'s original epicenter in China. Italy had 86,498 confirmed cases as of Friday, also exceeding China\'s numbers as Beijing has seen new infections all but flatline. | While single-day deaths in the country had been on the decline for several days, Friday\'s numbers show Italy is no…

Nicolas J.S. Davies (2020-03-27). Why is the U.S. so Exceptionally Vulnerable to Covid-19? dissidentvoice.org The United States has become the new center of the global coronavirus pandemic, with over 86,000 cases, more than China or Italy. More than a thousand Americans have already died, but this is surely only the very beginning of this deadly collision between the U.S.\'s uniquely inadequate public healthcare system and a real pandemic. On …

Staff (2020-03-27). \"Total System Failure\": Congress Pushes $2 Trillion Pandemic Bill. Will Dems Allow \"Corporate Coup\"? democracynow.org We continue our look at the massive $2 trillion coronavirus relief package — the largest stimulus bill in U.S. history — with author Matt Stoller, who argues the country will be unrecognizable after this pandemic if big corporations walk away with trillions of dollars and no strings attached. Stoller is research director at the American Economic Liberties Project and author of the book \"Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy.\" His recent column for The Guardian is headlined \"The coronavirus relief bill could turn into a corporate coup if we aren\'t careful.\"

RT (2020-03-27). Fighting resumes in Libya amid efforts to stop coronavirus pandemic. rt.com Battles raged on several fronts in Libya on Friday after a night of heavy bombardment in Tripoli, Reuters reported, citing combatants and residents. After a comparative lull, serious warfare resumed this week despite international calls for calm to allow Libya\'s fragmented health system to prepare for any spread of the coronavirus. Libya confirmed its first case of the infectious disease on Monday. | The Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar has been assaulting Tripoli for nearly a year, hoping to capture the capital in the northwest where the internationally recognized Governmen…

RT (2020-03-27). France\'s coronavirus death toll nears 2,000 as 300 more die in Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com The death toll from the Covid-19 outbreak has reached 1,996 in France after the country\'s health authorities confirmed that 299 more people have died there in a 24-hour period. | Announcing the latest fatalities on Friday evening, France\'s director-general of health also said that there have been a total of 32,964 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the state, up from 29,155 a day prior. | Earlier Friday, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned of \"very difficult\" days ahead as the country sees a rise in cases, and said the government would extend a raft of nationwide restrictions aimed at curbing the s…

RT (2020-03-27). \'Disgrace we needed global pandemic\': UK govt requests ALL homeless people be housed by weekend. rt.com The UK government has urged all local authorities in England to house all rough sleepers, those in hostels and night shelters by the weekend — leading many to ask why it takes a worldwide Covid-19 crisis to end homelessness. | According to Crisis — a charity for homeless people — a

RT (2020-03-27). World economy has entered a recession 'as bad or worse' than the global financial crisis — IMF chief. rt.com IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said it\'s \"clear\" that the global economy has \"entered recession\" due to the evolving Covid-19 pandemic, and that the organization is working on projections to assess how severe it will be. | Georgieva said she expects the recession to be \"quite deep.\" Recovery is projected for 2021, but only if the virus can be contained, she said. | She said countries needed to step up their response measures aggressively, adding that the IMF has received a large number of requests for emergency financing. Georgieva said the international body has received pledges from Britain, Japan, and China…

RT (2020-03-27). Turkey evacuates hundreds of migrants from Greek border amid virus pandemic. rt.com Ankara has sent some 6,000 migrants waiting at the Turkish-Greek border to cross into the European Union to cities inside the country, Reuters reported on Friday, citing the Interior Ministry. The move was part of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. | Migrants waiting at the border crossing in Edirne province were transported in buses to state guest houses where they would be quarantined, Anadolu news agency reported. They would be moved to other regions in Turkey at the end of the quarantine, it added. | Thousands of migrants had massed at a border crossing with European Union-member Greece after T…

Staff (2020-03-27). When Home Isn\'t Safe: Shelter-in-Place Is Putting Domestic Violence Survivors in a \"Dire Situation\" democracynow.org As schools shut, public spaces close, and all but essential workers are ordered to stay indoors under shelter-in-place orders across the U.S. and globe, domestic violence services are scrambling to help vulnerable people navigate home lives that they say are increasingly unsafe during the pandemic. What happens when you\'re trapped at home with your abuser? \"This is really a dire situation for a lot of victims across the country,\" says Katie Ray-Jones, chief executive officer of the National Domestic Violence Hotline and loveisrespect.

RT (2020-03-27). Sinking global economy & cheap crude take big bite out of Russia\'s forex reserves. rt.com Russian gold and foreign currency holdings have shed almost $30 billion or more than five percent in one week in the biggest drop since the global financial crisis amid the coronavirus pandemic and crashing oil prices. | According to the latest data released by the country\'s central bank, the reserves stood at $551.2 billion as of March 20, down from $581 billion a week earlier. The regulator explained the decline with negative revaluation. | The nation\'s forex holdings faced almost a similar drop in October 2008, when the reserves shrank by $30.6 billion to $487 billion. Another steep decline occurred in the…

RT (2020-03-27). France trying to repatriate 30,000 of its nationals — FM. rt.com France is still trying to repatriate 30,000 of its citizens from overseas due to the coronavirus, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday. Over the last week, France has brought home around 100,000 people, the minister told Europe 1 radio. | Malaysia and France have organized chartered flights to fly out hundreds of their citizens stranded in Cambodia after the Southeast Asian nation sealed its borders and cancelled flights, Reuters reported. | A special charter flight departed on Thursday with 413 French people on board. Another 100 French nationals will be leaving Cambodia on Saturday and many mor…

RT (2020-03-27). China registers first local Covid-19 infection in 3 days as Beijing curbs international travel in hopes of halting imported cases. rt.com China reported its first locally transmitted coronavirus infection in half a week as officials continue to struggle with cases coming from abroad. Beijing has cut the number of flights allowed in and out of the country. | Fifty-five new Covid-19 cases were reported across mainland China on Thursday, according to the latest figures from the country\'s National Health Commission. All but one of the infections involved imported cases. | While China has been largely successful in stopping the spread of the virus, the country has wrestled with cases arriving from abroad. Beijing announced on Thursday that Chinese ai…

Steve Sweeney (2020-03-27). Italian workers strike in Lombardy over coronavirus safety issues. peoplesworld.org Italian workers took strike action over coronavirus safety issues Wednesday with the government accused of putting lives at risk by deeming almost 60% of the country\'s workforce as \"essential.\" Metalworkers\' unions called the action on Monday, raising concerns that non-essential companies, including call centers and weapons factories, had been exempted from government orders to close …

RT (2020-03-27). \'Crocodile tears\': Sports Direct billionaire Ashley \'deeply apologetic\' over coronavirus blunders. rt.com Billionaire and retail giant Mike Ashley has apologized profusely for his company\'s handling of the coronavirus and subsequent government-mandated lockdown. But many aren\'t convinced by the attempted atonement. | When the British government announced a nationwide lockdown Monday, which included the closure of all non-essential shops, Ashley\'s athletics retail company Sports Direct struck a defiant

RT (2020-03-27). Cat contracts coronavirus FROM sick owner in new case of human-to-animal transition. rt.com As scientists around the world battle for a cure or vaccine to Covid-19, a new case of human-to-animal transmission has arisen in Belgium, where health experts say a cat contracted the disease from its coronavirus-stricken owner. | Just one week after the pet owner in Liege, Belgium was diagnosed with Covid-19, their cat also started showing symptoms of the disease, including respiratory problems and diarrhea. | As panic over the outbreak keeps gaining ground, spokesman for Belgium\'s coronavirus crisis center, Emmanuel Andre, tried to reassure the public that the infected animal was an \"isolated case.\" | \"Ther…

David Rosen (2020-03-27). God\'s Vengeance: the Christian Right and the Coronavirus. counterpunch.org Steven Andrew is pastor of the USA Christian Church in San Jose (CA) who warns, \"Obeying God protects the USA from diseases, such as the coronavirus.\" He goes on, Bible thumping, \"Our safety is at stake since national disobedience of God\'s laws brings danger and diseases, such as coronavirus, but obeying God brings covenant protection.

RT (2020-03-27). UK health secretary Hancock follows PM Johnson in testing POSITIVE for Covid-19. rt.com The UK\'s health secretary Matt Hancock has tested positive for coronavirus just hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed that he is carrying the disease. | In a video posted on Twitter, a nasally Hancock said that he had been working from home in recent days because he was displaying \"mild symptoms\" of the Covid-19 infection. He said that doctors told him to get tested and the test came back positive so he will be self-isolating until next Thursday. | Following medical advice, I was advised to test for I…

RT (2020-03-27). #PrayForBoris trends after PM Johnson contracts Covid-19, sparking fierce debate on Twitter. rt.com In the aftermath of British PM Boris Johnson revealing that he has coronavirus, #PrayForBoris started to trend online, infuriating many who claim less high-profile figures such as NHS workers deserve just as much attention. | Johnson News that the deadly virus had hit at…

RT (2020-03-27). Britain, EU negotiators to hold first joint committee talks on Monday. rt.com British and EU negotiators will hold the first meeting of a joint committee as planned on Monday, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. The statement came after trade talks were put on hold because of the coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reported. | The spokesman said the meeting would be co-chaired by senior British Minister Michael Gove and European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic and would take place remotely rather than in person due to the coronavirus. Video conference and conference calls are among the options being considered. | The joint committee will oversee the implementation, app…

RT (2020-03-27). \'Are those who bomb towns going to accuse us of terrorism?\' Maduro rips US over \'narco-terrorism\' charge. rt.com Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro fired back at the US, which is offering a $15 million bounty for information leading to his arrest, dismissing the narco-terrorism charge as a smear to deflect attention from its coronavirus woes. | Maduro came out swinging after the US Justice Department, in an almost unprecedented move,

RT (2020-03-27). Vietnam aims to keep number of Covid-19 cases under 1,000 — govt. rt.com Vietnam is aiming to keep the number of coronavirus cases in the country under 1,000, the government said. The statement came as the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country passed 150 on Friday. | \"We have been able to contain epicenters, and even potential epicenters… and we are determined to keep the number of COVID-19 cases from reaching 1,000,\" Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said. | Vietnam will limit domestic flights and stop public gatherings for two weeks from Saturday in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. | Hanoi has moved to bar entry to all foreigners, suspend inter…

RT (2020-03-27). \'This is low, even for you\': Hillary Clinton uses record coronavirus deaths to bash Trump, gets virtual punches herself. rt.com As the US recorded more cases of Covid-19 than any other country in the world, Hillary Clinton used the opportunity to crack jokes about President Trump. The failed presidential candidate was savaged online for her insensitivity. | As of Friday, the United States has recorded more than 94,000 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, passing out China and Italy. More than 1,400 Americans have died, hospitals are approaching capacity, and a record 3.3 million workers have filed for unemployment. | As the US passed this grim milestone, former secretary of state and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took the o…

RT (2020-03-27). Russia records third coronavirus patient death as number infected surpasses 1,000. rt.com Another person diagnosed with Covid-19 has died in Moscow, bringing the overall death toll in Russia to three people. 196 new cases were announced on Friday, which means the nationwide number of infected now stands at 1,036. | The latest victim was a 70-year-old woman with a number of underlying conditions. She had suffered from diabetes for 20 years and also had terminal renal failure and other diseases. | The two other Russian deaths, announced on Wednesday, also involved elderly patients, aged 88 and 73 respectively. Last week, a 79-year-old woman was initially thought to have succumbed to coronavirus, but…

RT (2020-03-27). Wall Street stocks tumble as US overtakes China in highest number of Covid-19 infections. rt.com US markets dropped on Friday as the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a $2 trillion stimulus bill to contain the coronavirus spread. The US is now the worst-hit nation with more than 85,000 people infected. | The Dow Jones Industrial Average tanked more than 900 points at the opening, ending a three-day rally on Wall Street. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite are also down around three percent. | The US Labor Department reported on Thursday a record number of jobless claims which surged to 3.28 million. The number eclipsed the Great Recession peak of 665,000 in March 2009 and the all-time…

RT (2020-03-27). UK\'s coronavirus deaths up almost ONE THIRD in one day, new figures show. rt.com The latest British government figures on coronavirus show the country\'s sharpest increase to date in the number of deaths, up 181 in one day to a new total of 759 as of Thursday evening. | As of 9am local time Friday, the UK\'s Department of Health and Social Care said 113,777 people had been tested for the novel coronavirus. Of those, over 14,500 were positive. | UPDATE on coronavirus ( As of 9am 27 March, a total of 113,777 have been tested: | 99,198 negative. | 14,579 positive. | As of 5pm on 26 Marc…