in the headlines. march the 26. deaths from. new measures to hold the spread of. russian part of the country's 1st line of defense. from italy i thought it would be safer to get out and back to moscow i'm currently in the safest place. of military driven operation the spread of. the global economy tries to. survive and growing. also in the headlines.

amid fears of a coronavirus outbreak in prisons we hear from his legal team. to listen. to the. he she may look at the drivers of the. reality strike up. the scale of the. church in the north has been turned into a storage unit for the dead. hello there this is international from moscow is just 1 pm here now this. welcome to this 30 minute world news roundup. first coronaviruses rapidly spreading out around the world. the current number of covert 19 confirmed cases stands at nearly half

a 1000000 as of today this hour 6 the death toll has moved beyond 21000 the amount of recoveries though is also on the rise nearly 115000 roughly a quarter of all known infections. so in the latest developments to report see russia's registers its 1st 2 deaths from covert 19 so far it currently has $840.00 cases now with more than half of those infected here in moscow all international flights are said to be grounded from tomorrow except for those bringing citizens home moscow and regions across russia have started introducing a series of tight restrictions to halt the spread of the deadly virus has got up to speed with it all is central moscow correspondent more guarantee of 1st of all before we talk about what's happening in the flights being grounded from midnight

except for tell us about these 2 patients who died what do we know about them. well the they were both elderly a 73 year old and an 88 year old they both had underlying health conditions as i said elderly you know the target the targets the rotavirus covered 90 people demographic that it targets most they both had underlying health conditions they developed severe pneumonia and their conditions worsen the fortunately both of them died the 1st 2 casualties there had been reports of another person who had died but medics refused to confirm that in particular and this is this is set against the background of russia buttoning down on the epidemic trying to prevent it from spreading and taking root in russia 840 confirmed cases as you said but also almost 140000 people under medical observation in self isolation in quarantine

in russia all being watched that they're taking this you know incredibly seriously as you said good grounding all flights aside from those that are bringing people back 200000 tests. tests they've carried out to date also moscow is doing on locked out the mayor has said that everything starting on the 30 the march everything all sorts of venues entertainment venues in addition to the to those that have been shut down such as swimming pools and fitness clubs now restaurants will be. shut down parts of already been shut down this is the 1st time i've ever seen them the same to you know in the dead of winter you have thousands of people. whose parks now they're completely empty and on the 30th of march the country will be doing all but a lot of doubt and this is

a federal level vladimir putin yesterday coming out with a host of new initiatives to limit the spread. in this virus to limit the damage that it does to russia and those include a paid week of for everybody aside from those working in government who essential services the maximum number of people working from home it's possible even general employees are being asked to work from home they're going to raise the minimum wage they're going to raise unemployment benefits they're going to raise money that benefits that mothers families get for young children so there's there's as i said a whole hoost of measures that are being introduced even russia domestically but there is also the international response which is so far been very divided very split the united states and china for example in gauge it a bit a propaganda war over whose fault the virus is the g 20 will be holding its 1st

video conference later today the leaders of the. industrialized nations as well as 9 international organizations will be talking about the demick and perhaps coming to a joint response and how to meet it head on from what we've heard you know the economy is a big part of this from what we've heard from the kremlin they won't be discussing world prices so all prices aren't on the agenda and that is a very important factor that is led to this precipitous drop in global economics nor does he ever see a correspondent things the object from central moscow now into a crystal ski host of the epidemic series on r.t. spoke with people returning home to russia for viral hot spots about what they've had to go through in their quarantines.

how did you end up in this hospital. i write by plane at 11 am from bologna to moscow and i went into self isolation the next day 8815 i opened my door and was met by a medical school or i was really afraid that i would like the people in plague suits yeah exactly i noticed i had a message at 8 in the morning which i only read later that said al flight had people infected with corona virus they moved promptly they gave me just 20 minutes together my stuff and then took me away in a medical be call last quarter and ambulance. yes and i was taken here welcomed filled and documents then they made me under arrest and all my clothes was put in a bag and disinfected all my things were wiped clean i pads telephones everything i had on will they give me temporary clothes for a day while my clothes were being disinfected. as a special you are here for how long this is a 6777 say you are here what exactly do you do. in the

evening and i have a class with my students on line i teach painting at the circus aren't institute. in the morning i have an online sports class i do this every day with my personal trainer i think i'm already thinner. i threw out from italy because my friends and i couldn't get through on the phone to hospitals even the ones not dealing with the coronavirus i thought it would be safer to just get out and back to moscow i'm currently in the safest place to take care of yourselves at home those of you who can is the best advice the french president has given the green light to operation resilience a military plan that will see the army deployed to help with the logistics and medical support in defeating coronavirus. i have decided to launch operation resilience it will be entirely devoted to providing aid and support to populations as well as to supporting public services to deal with the covert 19 epidemic both

in mainland france and in the french overseas departments. moama kron announced the plan for the army as he visited a makeshift field hospital on wednesday it's been forced to take patients as regular hospital struggle to keep up with the virus paris also has promised a huge investment for the health care system but medical workers in france feel it's been a long time coming that with demands going back for more than a year already european stocks slumping once again earlier today as markets opened after a short burst of life on wednesday the retreat in prices comes despite the u.s. reaching its biggest stimulus package in history of course governments worldwide have promised investment on the back of mass quarantines show or do better next than looks at why the money was injected before and for how long nations can keep up the spending. economies across the world have ground to a halt kilian measures have been announced. to governments offering to

pay near full salaries you cannot work there is a scramble to inject amounts of money into the system to counter the economic fallout of the pandemic the costs are expected to exceed anything known in germany from economic crisis to natural disasters in recent decades as knock downs are implemented with no clear end in sight the real question perhaps is now how long could the world afford this this pandemic has brought the 3rd and most serious economic financial and social crisis of the 21st century the strict measures applied around the world although essential to control the spread of the virus plunge our economies into an unprecedented paralysis from which they will not come out easily or automatically already we know that some $67000000.00 us citizens are worried about how they going to pay their credit card bills because of the

pandemic other fears about finding money for the more essential basic needs of life accommodation and food while the multi-trillion for now will keep things taking along over some point that will end governments will have to choose between keeping the economy running or treating populations it is impossible to leave even in self isolation to cure people if we do not continue the economic activity that quite simply allows us to live in this country our daily life so that eating out to restaurants going to the cinema meeting friends perhaps for a drink or even having a haircut these are all activities that contribute to. keeping our economies taking over the money top sliced off by our governments in taxes then goes towards paying

for essential services be that the doctors and nurses who are currently at the frontline of the war against $19.00 all the ability to purchase ventilators and other essential medical equipment governments need money and money comes from a healthy working economy we have already been warned that when containment measures finally and this will not be over the virus will not magically disappear this idea that if you close schools and shut restaurants for a couple of weeks you solve the problem and get back to normal life that's not what's going to happen this virus is going to be circulating potentially for a year or 2 so we need to be thinking on those times goes. social distancing may provide a rest spike from infection peak rates the so-called flattening the curve model but

the impact that could have term economies could some believe provoke spikes in deaths elsewhere in the u.s. state of massachusetts a suicide prevention hotline has seen a surge in cools the majority of people call me lately i'm mentioning all talking about fear of contract in the virus economic impact and prison loneliness or isolation we anticipate and there will be an increased need for services like ours for a time to come in countries where social safety nets 0 and particularly robust or or perhaps nonexistent this is a real concern president trump is well aware of this that despite lawmakers agreeing on a 2 trillion dollars stimulus package trump knows like china he may have to prioritize the economy we have people get tremendous anxiety and depression and you have suicide over things like this when you have

a terrible economy you have death probably i mean definitely would be in far greater numbers than the numbers that we're talking about with regard to the virus governments who they enact a draconian lockdowns now face an even bigger die lemma given that a vaccine for the virus is still possibly a year or even 2 years away and that we're being warned by health experts that kovac 19 will remain a deadly force when recess attention of the financial system becomes the more pressing issue how will they sell the exit strategy from containment if we can always professor richard wolf who believes action should have been taken sooner. we are going to have a worse condition of unemployment now when unemployment goes up right along like this every conceivable store szell problem we. grow a little child that you did for us you name it gold's read it that's one of the

reasons you can i possibly predict the next fall out of all of this everything that government has done since we 1st learned about the a coronavirus in december of last year has been too little and way too late and my judgment as best i can see it now is that this bill are still madly in the form it takes one finally there will also be true little and too late so many thoughts about where this is going to go for a few want to watch the full version of that with richard wolffe accounting artie's boom bust and plenty more about the challenges facing the global economy too in our society dot com. now wiki leaks attitude in the sun has been denied bail in the u.k. as health concerns of a covert 1000 strike fear into prisons is truly an whistleblowers lawyer says he's a great risk in britain's high security belmarsh jail wiki leaks has spoken to claiming at least $100.00 workers at the facility are off sick with symptoms of the

virus. it was 32 listened. to the. court judge related on the prison authorities really well because there was no call the 19 pages inside belmarsh prison while we look for the last 100 stuff of bill moyers our lives with asian 10 years of detention. in a very poor health is a very vulnerable individual at this moment it is only just an issue made in light of the cries of the. international is now calling on the u.k. authorities to release during the sound if he is it risky scarily awaiting possible extradition to the u.s. of course after british police forcibly removed him from london's ecuadorian embassy after 70 is holed up there as soldiers lawyer says that on top of existing

health conditions connected to isolation he's also got a lung problem we spoke to a member of his legal team. yes. considering the possibility of an infection outbreak in overcrowded belmarsh prison you understand his health condition after almost 7 years of imprisonment he should be released immediately the peculiarity of the prison is that there is a large turnover of people besides it's overcrowded already so prisoners are in close contact with each other the british government itself warns about the situation can appear in prisons in all countries besides saunders not convicted officially in britain he's just going through an extradition process he hasn't been convicted he's not serving a sentence. if during the sarge is extradited to the u.s. he could face up to 175 years in prison for leaking confidential data lawyers fear is hearing a possible trial that could be politically motivated over his publishing of alleged u.s. war crimes on wednesday the judge looking into a scientist bail declared he still posed a flight risk but

a former you're an expert on arbitrated tension told r.t. that the coronavirus pandemic right now means that argument falls flat. 1st of all she sought refuge asylum in and out an american embassy well. is it likely that he could seek refuge in refuge in any similar embassy and now i don't think so and secondly it's free movement much more restricted today than it has been a month ago so the likelihood of somebody being able to to flee the united kingdom under the extreme form of political or police surveillance that mr sonner misled would be it into or to use it as a site in press following him it's not very likely he's house has been tearing into territory that's not a question of the finally learn argument it's a question of the man being in a situation where he's health is well he's life he may not survive this.

extra added risk of the current and be demick is extremely serious this man should be kept in isolation in a private facility and not in a prison. so at this hour if you're not international with the u.k. bringing him strictly lockdown measures on monday the still ignore the warnings we take a look at that after the break. the stock market could imagine trading in a 1000 again on the dow and that would be inappropriate given the true.

market. interest rate that would mean. that's what we need right. seemed wrong. to me to believe yet to shape out this day become active. and engaged equals betrayal. when so many find themselves worlds apart we choose to look for common ground.

i gave authorities in italy are hopeful they've started to turn the tide on the pandemic the number of confirmed cases has gone down now for a 4th consecutive day there but still nonetheless the country saying hundreds of people succumb to the virus on a daily basis with italy remaining the hardest hit nation in terms of fatalities and desperate times of call for desperate measures in one northern town this is sad to see is no or a church is being turned into a holding place for coffins row upon row of them the situation is so bad there that there are queues forming around the province for funeral services a priest for the church said that they're expecting many more coffins in the coming days meantime ever more countries are coming to italy's aid to help with the crisis a convoy of 22 trucks with russian medical experts and special equipment has reportedly reached pergamos now berg considered to be the epicenter of the outbreak

there of course as rogue reached over supporters not only russia but also china and cuba that have responded to we heard from residents in milan who seem surprised that normally you members end of the day so far show greater solidarity in the fight against coronavirus. we should be thankful to russia but also to china and cuba as well as to other countries outside the european union as it is ready to help each other in this instance we too will be ready to help other countries when the need arises. if it's of in with that agenda i think in such circumstances any kind of help regardless if origin or ideology must be accepted from my living must unless it's a welcome hand because italy has been left alone so for me they did agree that for so long. european aid has been greater than 8 that came from within the e.u. community you see what i mean when germany or france need help we're always there

for them and when it's the opposite not so much as the u.k. braces itself for those 24 hour health updates on the effects of the corona virus across the country hospitals in london are facing an unprecedented wave of patients on wednesday it was confirmed that the head to the british throne had been infected prince charles tested positive with reported mild symptoms the 71 year old prince of wales is self isolating now than after the u.k. prime minister boris johnson's unprecedented step to set a nationwide lockdown for at least 3 weeks but some brits finding the measures are necessary and inconvenient continuing to go outdoors it's being called reckless by fellow citizens who started the hash tag called covidien on twitter. and you are.

these bloody idiot seem to think they're enjoying a summer's day in the park the u.k. is in lockdown for. its lockdown people not a holiday still at home the longer you persist in behaving like idiots the monger this is going to continue people ignoring the key log down and treating it as a special holiday event it's all the backlash over ignoring social distancing is also happening in the british rural areas too were locals have been telling visitors to go home or some tourist areas and parks so their busiest days last weekend we spoke to a member of staff from local authorities who were left stunned by the volume of visitors indeed they said the confusion has been down to mixed messages coming out of westminster. i don't know whether it was a deliberate ignoring or whether it and. the advice at the time just wasn't clear enough. and i think unless you you've had something directly impact on

you and last a member of your family has been impacted are unless you specifically quite into isolation and i think he i don't think he'd let that the seriousness of the situation you know we're very reliant on on people coming to the area for the local economy and i think it just hasn't hit people but it's my hope that it just happened people and they just didn't stand in the gravity of the situation unfortunately that was an element of their digital until he is and i was very pleased to see the mayor of the term look or to call come on to the airwaves to put a more rational case forward because use it as. misguided wouldn't call them stupid because those rules are not at all clear we've had the u.k.

government which was encouraging people to go out and gain who'd immunity you try ministers far this scene is going down the pub seconds after the prime minister and i used people not to so you have to. have to be aware that there are very mixed messages and that's the challenge. well as people come to terms with those day to day challenges they're part of the u.k. like. from the are posting a traffic warden this is they're still out but it's not just the streets that are bare of britain i think poly boy has been on the hunt for that medicine cabinet staple paracetamol. i'm going out to some essential oils and some painkillers if i can find. people standing outside. the reality. so if you have power seek. to know paris see

tomorrow. there are no cars on the street and. there are still parking wardens. excuse me thank you but i know well. and it's a very considered essential ok this is an amazing thing essential was being carried out there is the post man hello there so thank you for the work that i think. essential work is see the post man i understand. you to get into the pharmacy excuse me sorry do you have ours from alt how long haven't you got it or. latest sorry do you buy some parsley tomorrow. how long have you had it for. 2 weeks thank you ever see tomorrow. again. right now polly get back in

a while i sit for this life but don't for marty's main street is here in moscow i'm covered thank you for watching this time every day will continue to bring you live bulletins from here in russia and also throughout the day as well we go or teams around the world in washington d.c. and london studios that run the clock to bring you the latest stories as well you can also find more news at r.t. dot com and on our social media this is. international. if.

your government and our government and all the other major governments of the world know what's going to happen and when it's going to. but they haven't told you and they haven't told me they haven't announced. imagine something as big as the earth is going to cause tidal waves earthquakes volcanoes are wrapped and it's going to help. so very for a while right. my great grandfather's. nobody would care about the law or prison so you'd have wallace the shooter of. a turtle between now and. is you'll media a reflection of reality. in

a world transformed. what will make you feel safe. isolation community. are you going the right way or are you being led so. dialing. what is true what is faith. in the world corrupted you need to descend. to join us in the depths. or a maybe in the shallows.