United Kingdom

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.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped into negative territory on Wednesday as faltering fuel demand from the spread of the coronavirus outweighed a massive pending U.S. economic stimulus package.

Brent crude LCOc1 was down 45 cents, or 1.66%, at $26.70 per barrel at 1029 GMT after earlier rising to a high of $28.29.

U.S. crude CLc1 was down 10 cents, or 0.42%, at $23.91 after a high of $25.24 per barrel.

London; 25 March 2020 (UMM): Prince Charles has tested positive for Coronavirus.

Clarence House said: "He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual."

"In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland.

LONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Britain reached 8,077 as of Tuesday morning, according to the lastest figure from the Department of Health and Social Care.

A total of 90,436 people have been tested across Britain, of which 8,077 were confirmed positive, while 422 patients who contracted the novel coronavirus have died, said the department.

LONDON (Reuters) - British manufacturers are the most pessimistic about the outlook than they have been at any time since the global financial crisis more than a decade ago because of the spread of coronavirus, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said its measure of manufacturing expectations for the next three months sank to -20 from +8 in February.

The balance of order books for March also fell to -29 from -18 but that was slightly less of fall than expected in a Reuters poll of economists which had a median forecast of -35.

LONDON, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A new emergency bill to give the British government great powers to fight coronavirus was approved by lawmakers Monday night.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock told the House of Commons that the virus is the most serious public health emergency the world has faced in a century.

"To defeat it, we are proposing extraordinary measures of a kind never seen before in peacetime. Our goal is to protect life and to protect every part of the National Health Service (NHS)," he said.

TASS, March 23: The price of futures contracts of Brent crude oil for May 2020 delivery lost 7.9% on London's ICE to $25.01 per barrel, according to the trading data as of 1:16 am Moscow time.

The price of futures contracts of WTI crude oil for April delivery is down 7.5% trading at $21.06 per barrel.

The oil price drop follows reports on continuing growth of the number of coronavirus infection cases and the appearance of new sites of the disease.

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s senior adviser on Monday denied a weekend newspaper report that he had prioritized herd immunity and the economy in the coronavirus crisis at the expense of pensioners dying.

The Sunday Times reported that Dominic Cummings at the end of February had outlined the government’s strategy as “herd immunity, protect the economy and if that means some pensioners die, too bad.”

When asked by Reuters if he had said the quote attributed to him and whether the report was accurate, Cummings said: “No. Of course not. No.”

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) could be “overwhelmed” by the coronavirus like the Italian health system in just two weeks, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Sunday in the face of rising numbers of deaths.

The death toll in Italy — the world’s worst-hit country — reached almost 5,000 on Saturday, while in Britain it hit 233.

In a statement released by his office, Johnson again urged Britons to stay at home to stop the spread of the virus.

LONDON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Major supermarkets plan to create tens of thousands of extra jobs across Britain to help keep shops open and stocked during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

As of 9a.m. (0900GMT) on Saturday, 72,818 people have been tested in Britain, of which 67,800 were confirmed negative and 5,018 were confirmed positive. 233 patients in the country who tested positive for the virus have died.