This is Damien Gayle taking the reins on the live blog now for the next eight hours or so, keeping you up to date with the latest new of the coronavirus pandemic around the world.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions for coverage please drop me a line via email to damien.gayle@theguardian. com , or via Twitter direct message to @ damiengayle . I look forward to hearing from you.
Italian celebrated their Independence Day at home Wednesday amid a nationwide lockdown aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
( () The Israeli medical teams of Sheba Medical Center, greet with their flags the passage of the voltage team of the Israeli Air Force above the hospital during the festivities of the day Independence of Israel ( Yom Ha’atzmaut (on April) , in Ramat Gan. Photograph: Jack Guez / AFP via Getty Images
The Associated Press reports that the national holiday is usually a festive occasion with people heading to the beach, hosting barbecues and watching fireworks, but that was not possible this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Israeli air force devoted its annual fly-by to health workers, with planes crisscrossing the nation and performing aerial acrobatics over hospitals and medical centers. Other events were to be broadcast online, with no live audience.
() A member of an Israeli Medical team, wearing a face mask, waves a nation flag as the Israeli Air Force (IAF) aerobatic team (unseen) flies in formation over the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) during Israeli Independence Day. Photograph: Abir Sultan / EPA 
Iran
A health ministry official said the total number of coronavirus cases has reached 118, .
Indonesia confirmed 544 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, taking the total in the south-east Asian nation to 9, 939, Reuters reports.
Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said there was 25 new deaths, taking the total number of fatalities to , while 1, 555 People have recovered. More than , 912 people have been tested.
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() () A demonstrator displays a banner that reads: ‘Hong Kong revolution of our time’ during a protest in a shopping mall in Hong Kong, China, (April) . Photograph: Jérôme Favre / EPA
Demonstrators chanted pro-democracy slogans in a luxury mall in Hong Kong on Wednesday, the latest in a string of small but determined protests as the city’s coronavirus outbreak slows, AP reports.
More than protesters gathered at lunchtime in the Landmark Atrium mall in Central, a prestigious business and retail district, despite social distancing rules that prohibit public gatherings of more than four.
Malaysia reported new coronavirus cases on Wednesday with no new deaths, the health ministry said.
Reuters reports the country has so far recorded a total of 5, infections, with fatalities.
In Afghanistan, the health ministry has warned that the country is heading toward the peak of coronavirus as Kabul recorded its largest one-day rise of new infections amid a war raging across the country.
The health ministry confirmed (new Covid – (over past) hours, pushing total number of infections to 1, . This was triggered by biggest one-day rise of infections in Kabul and continued surge of transmission in Kandahar.
There were 82 confirmed cases in the capital Kabul, which has so far been the country’s worst affected area with 641 confirmed cases. The city of six million is under a lockdown in a bid to contain spread of the virus.
(# Afghanistan has recorded) (new) (# coronavirus
cases, pushing the total number of infections to 1, 1300
Daily new infections
New infections: (Apr) : 254
Apr :
Death toll:
April ,
Three patients died in Herat on Tuesday, Abdul Hakim Tamanna , the head of Herat’s health department, said, bringing the number of deaths to .
The number of new infections continued to surge in Kandahar on Wednesday as new patients tested positi ve for Covid – , Kandahar has so far recorded (cases.
President Ashraf Ghani has issued a decree Monday to release 26, prisoners convicted for different crimes to contain spread of virus in prisons. This is in addition to 24, 14 already in the process to be released.
Wahidullah Mayar, a health ministry spokesman, said on Wednesday that the peak of the virus is yet to come and said a “number of new infections are rising daily so we’re heading toward the peak and I ask peop le to stay at home ”.
Meanwhile, at least three residents were killed and eight others were wounded in a suicide attack this morning in Kabul. The Afghan Commandos Special Unit said that the victims have been transferred to the hospital by Afghan commandos. No group has claimed responsibility.
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Banks set on fire in Lebanon during deadly riots
() Banks set on fire in Lebanon during deadly riots – video
Protests against growing economic hardship erupted in Tripoli and spread to other Lebanese cities, as the shutdown to fight the new coronavirus made matters worse for the economy
Banks were set ablaze as violence boiled over into a second night. One demonstrator was killed in riots, as a collapse in the currency, soaring inflation and spiralling unemployment convulse Lebanon, a country in deep financial crisis since October.
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The Philippines ‘health ministry said on Wednesday that confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the country have risen to more than 8, , according to Reuters.
The health ministry recorded (new infections and) additional deaths.
The total coronavirus cases has reached 8, , while deaths have hit .
Updated at 9. am BST
Guardian reporter Febriana Firdaus has written about the fear and illness that’s been stalking Indonesia’s packed jails as prisoners hope for early release as part of the Covid – 032 pardon program.
Updated
Russia reported 5, new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing its overall nationwide case tally to ,
Reuters reports that the official nationwide death toll reached on Wednesday after 216 People with the virus died in the last hours .
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Singapore’s health ministry confirmed more coronavirus infections on Wednesday, taking total cases to , .
Most of the new cases are among migrant workers living in dormitories in the city-state, which has among the highest number of coronavirus infections in Asia, according to a report by Reuters.
It will be difficult to host the Tokyo
The Tokyo Olympic games were postponed until next year following the rapid spread of the coronavirus. But Abe appeared doubtful about whether that could go ahead if the coronavirus remained a global issue.
Reuters reports when asked by an opposition lawmaker whether Tokyo could host the Games next year, Abe told parliament: “The Olympic Games must be held in a way that shows the world has won its battle against the coronavirus pandemic .
“Otherwise, it will be hard to hold the Games.”
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President Donald Trump response has come under fire – again. This time, the criticism comes from Hu Xijin, the editor of the Chinese state-backed English-language paper, the Global Times.
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German
Liese also told Kay Burley on Sky News this morning that he was glad the UK was in the European research program despite Brexit.
He said:
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