Correa was sworn in on Friday morning in the country’s National Assembly. The presidents of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, Bolivia, Evo Morales, and Venezuea, Nicolas Maduro were among those present.

In his speech, Correa underlined the importance of safeguarding the country’s biodiversity and natural habitat, as well as acknowleding the political, economic, and social changes that the country is going through.

“Ecuador is one of the most dynamic economies in Latin America,” Correa said, outlining that the economy grew by 4.3 percent. “Between 2006 and 2012, a million Ecuadorians were no longer poor,” Correa added, as the country’s extreme poverty rate reduced from 16.9 percent to 11.2 percent.

Correa, 50, was born in the city of Guayaquil. He was first elected president of Ecuador in 2006 and then reelected in 2009. His third term is scheduled to end in 2017.

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The Antonov An-2 aircraft was carrying three people when it crashed at around 10 a.m. local time in the village of Zhyl-Kol in the country’s Aksy region of Jalal-Abad oblast, Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Emergency situations confirmed, Kabar news agency reported.

The small single-engine aircraft belonged to Valor-Air Airline LLC, and faced technical pobles during disinfection of field from locusts. The plane burned down after crashing, the ministry said.

All three people on board were killed. They were identified as crew member V. Matveyev, Bishkek resident, A. Toktosunov and Aksy resident Sapar Alymbaev, who was a chief specialist of chemicals, defense and quarantine of plants.

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The incident occurred in the rural area of Chitaga, a municipality in North Santander, when suspected insurgents of the National Liberation Army (ELN) ambushed a military convoy, killing a lieutenant and nine other soldiers.

General Pablo Amaya of commander of the Second Division of the Colombian Army confirmed the killings, adding that third corporal Fabian Huertas was kidnapped. The number of those injured was not immediately known, but they were transferred to local hospitals.

ELN, founded in the 1960s by far-left catholic priests, is Colombia’s second biggest guerrilla organization after FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The group has claimed interest in peace talks, but it has yet to open dialogue with authorities.

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Authorities confirmed the arrests of at least eight people after the violent night riots entered their third day beginning in Husby, a suburb north of Stockholm, the Swedish capital. On Tuesday, riots spread to other areas north and south of Stockholm, including Rinkeby, Skarpnäck, Norsborg, Kista, Fittja, Bredäng, Flemingsberg, Edsberg, and Tensta.

Local police chief Jörgen Karlsson told the Local that between 50 to 100 people took part in Tuesday’s rioting in Husby, although around 300 were estimated to be on the streets.

The numbers grew from what was estimated on Sunday night when dozens of youths began rioting, setting around 100 vehicles on fire and damaging a number of buildings and local shops.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt warned that the unrest could continue, describing Husby with an “intimidating atmosphere.”

Four of the suspected rioters that had been arrested were detained, while two others were later released. The seventh rioters was under fifteen and was also released. They were all suspected of violent rioting and assaulting a public official, Karlsson explained. When police approached the scene, stones were hurled, causing seven minor injuries.

The riots are believed to have begun after a local police shot and killed a machete-wielding 69-year-old man the previous week in the suburb, where a large number of Muslim immigrants reside. While some local youth leaders have claimed inequality, other locals have criticized the riots, saying youths took the incident as an excuse to take out their frustration.

Suburbs in northern Stockholm has faced one of the country’s highest unemployment rates among youths.

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The incident occurred in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan not far from the Afghan border, when the bomb, which was built with around 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of explosives, struck paramilitary truck. Reports said the bomb had been placed in a rickshaw.

A senior police official told Geo TV that the death toll rose to 12 after initial reports said two had died. Most of the victims were security personnel. Several others were also injured.

Similar attacks are not uncommon in the region as local government officials have been aided by paramilitary forces to maintain law and order in the region.

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The attack took place on Wednesday evening in the district of Moqor in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Ghazni, when a suicide bomber detonated explosives, apparently targeting anit-Taliban forces.

Deputy provincial governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi confirmed the deaths of seven people, adding that both Afghan civilians and anti-Taliban uprising forces were among the killed in the attack, according to Khaama Press.

In addition, at least thirteen others were also injured. The explosion is Wednesday’s second in the province, after at least six others were killed in Ghazni city.

No group or terrorist organization has claimed responsibility of the attack.

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The incident occurred in Turkey’s touristic region of Cappadocia, in Central Anatolia, when two hot air balloons collided in midair at around 6 a.m. local time, according to Nevşehir Gov. Abdurrahman Savaş, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.

The most affected balloon lost its bearings and fell near the Ortahisar area of Ürüp. Maria Luiza Gomes, 71, died at the scene, and Mariua Rosas, 65, later died at a local hospital. Both of them were Brazilian nationals.

In addition, 23 others were also injured, but few details were immediately available, as the crash site was quickly cordoned off by authorities carrying out investigations.

While some critics have expressed concern over an excess number of hot air balloons navigating at the same time in the popular touristic area, unclear traffic rules, as well as inexperienced pilots, Nevşehir Mayor Hasan Ünver said the balloon sector would not be affected by the accident.

Furthermore, Ünver said such accidents are “very ordinary incidents,” adding that the risks in balloon rides are lower than parachuting or rafting.

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The incident occurred shortly after 10 a.m. local time outside the provincial council office located in the n the 3rd police district of Pul-i-Khumri, the provincial capital of Baghlan.

Deputy Governor Abdul Qadim said senior public representative, Mohammad Rassoul Mohseni, was entering his office when a suicide bomber ran up, held him and detonated his suicide vest, according to Pajhwok News Agency.

Health officials later confirmed Mohseni’s, among thirteen others, adding that more than twelve people were also injured in the attack. Among the victims were civilians, bodyguards and provincial council members. Ten of the injured were reported in critical condition.

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The incident took place near the Bailiff Service building in Makhachkala, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Dagestan, according to the country’s Interior Ministry, RIA Novosti reported.

No casualties were reported in the initial explosion, but around fifteen minutes after, the second blast detonated and reportedly killed two policement and one Bailiff Service Employee.

Earlier reports released by the local Investigative Committee issued a statement, placing a higher death toll of eight with an unspecified number of injuries. It added that the explosions were possible car bombs. However, most local media outlets have reported at least two deaths.

In addition, over forty others were injured in the twin blasts. No group or terrorist organization has claimed responsibility of the attack.

In recent years, Islamic militant activity that had mostly been seen in the Republic of Chechnya has spread out through North CauCasus. In Dagestan, it is not uncommon for security forces and civilians to face terrorist attacks.

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A gathering was being conducted in Zahra Husseiniya in southern Kirkuk when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives, the National Iraqi News Agency reported on Thursday. According to reports, people were gathered for a funeral ceremony for an individual who was killed during Wednesday’s attacks.

Also on Thursday, at least eleven people were killed in Baghdad and Mosul, after a number of violent attacks involving car bombs and fire arms targeted mostly Shiite neighborhoods. Over 40 others were also reported injured.

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The accident occurred on the Yangtze River in Wuhu City, Anhui Province on Friday morning, when three different vessels crashed into each other on the Baimao Waterway, the Yangtze River Maritime Department said, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

A total of twenty crew members fell into the river’s waters from the three vessels, which included a tub boat carrying iron ore from central China’s Henan Province and two cargo ships carrying steel products and limestone from Zhejiang Province and Jiangsu Province, respectively.

Authorities confirmed that thirteen of those crew members had been pulled out safely from the river, but seven others were still missing.

Search-and-rescue teams were deployed by China’s Ministry of Transport. The cause of the incident was not immediately known, but investigations were also launched.

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The incident occurred on Friday at a building under construction in the village of Tanışma, located in Altınözü district of Hatay Province. The building was reportedly being used as an illegal fuel oil warehouse.

Hatay Governor Mehmet Celattin Lekesiz spoke with the Hurriyet Daily News, said the owner of the building set the illegal warehouse on fire after refusing to hand over the fuel.

As a result, a strong explosion took place, as authorities believe a number of highly flammable products were also located inside the building, including paint thinner and solvent. In addition, authorities believe the warehouse contained some five tons of smuggled oil.

It was not immediately clear as of who were the fatal victims, but reports indicate that at least five officers were wounded, while witnesses said several residents from the local village as well as construction workers were among the victims.

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The bomb blasts took place in the Aino Mena area of Kandahar City, located in the country’s province which holds the same name.

The initial blast detonated at around 7:40 p.m. local time, targeting a police vehicle, while the second struck another vehicle loaded with explosives, according to the governor’s spokesperson, Javed Faisal, who spoke with Pajhwok Afghan News.

Medical officials confirmed the death toll of nine, adding that at least 70 others were taken to the city’s Mirwais Civil Hospital to treat injuries. The attack took place when a large number of people were at the locality, the media outlet said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attacks, describing them as cowardly and savage acts. No group or terrorist organization claimed responsibility of the attack.

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The incident occurred on Tuesday morning at around 7:45 a.m. local time at a gold and copper mine operated by PT Freeport Indonesia in Mimika, located in the eastern province of Papua.

Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) chief Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said a roof collapsed at the Big Gossan underground tunnel, according to Antara news agency.

While some reports have indicated the deaths of at least four people, local media said rescuers pulled out survivors. Daisy Primyanti, Freeport Indonesia corporate communication deputy chief, also confirmed the incident but did not confirm the number of casualties, as rescuers were having difficulties reaching the area.

Although official numbers were not released, reports say at least 32 remain trapped.

The mine is one of the world’s largest in copper and gold, but human rights and environmental controversy has surrounded its operation in recent years. In October 2011, around seventy percent of Indonesian workers in Papua carried out a strike, blocking roads, cutting off pipelines and clashing with authorities. Unidentified gunmen shot and killed at least three people during the incident, but details have been sketchy.

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The four-story building located in the district of Nyagatare in Rwanda’s Eastern Province was under construction when it collapsed on Tuesday afternoon at around 3:30 p.m. local time.

Local police confirmed four deaths, while several others were injured, according to the New Time Rwanda. The identities of those killed was not immediately known, but most of the victims were construction workers, although at least one passerby was affected as well.

Four among those injured were in critical condition and were airlifted to King Faisal Hospital in Kigali, the country’s capital. The others, including those killed, were taken to the Nyagatare Hospital.

The reason of the accident was uncertain, but local authorities launched an investigation to determine the cause.

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Adopted by a vote of 107 in favor to 12 against, with 59 abstentions, the Assembly text expressed the body’s outrage at the “rapidly increasing death toll” in Syria, which the UN estimates to be no less than 80,000. The resolution also strongly condemned the Syrian government for increasingly turning to heavy weapons and condemned “widespread and systematic gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Wednesday’s resolution marked the fifth one by the 193-member body since March 2011, when the crisis in Syria began as a pro-democracy protest movement, similar to those across the Middle East and North Africa. The Syrian government violently cracked down on the protests, setting off an armed conflict between pro-Assad forces and anti-government forces. A number of jihadist groups have since joined the fight against Assad’s regime.

The Arab-led resolution requests the international community to provide “urgent” financial support to host countries to enable them to respond to the growing humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees and affected communities. It also requests the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to submit a report to the Assembly within 90 days “on the very dire situation” of IDPs in the country.

“Over the past 800 days, the conflict has continued to escalate, threatening the establishment of ethnic or sectarian fiefdoms – thus gravely imperilling the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria,” said UN General Assembly President Vuk Jeremic. “Violence is begetting more violence; hatred, more hatred – carving deeper and deeper wounds into Syria’s society.”

Jeremic added: “If we are unable to do anything to stop this tragedy, then how can we sustain the moral credibility of this Organization? It is high time to say ‘enough is enough,’ enough to complacency and enough to fratricide. .. Succumbing to the despondency of the status quo is a prescription for a disastrous future.”

Jeremic said the organization believes at least 80,000 people, many of them civilians, have died since the start of the conflict, and more than 1.3 million others have fled to neighboring countries since the start of the uprising in 2011. Opposition groups estimate the number of deaths is far higher, but those figures cannot be independently verified.

“We should strive to build on the agreement reached by the Action Group for Syria last June in Geneva, and reinvigorated a few days ago in Moscow, to get the political process off the ground, enabling the citizens of Syria to begin reconciliation and freely determine their nation’s future,” he said.

Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja’Afari expressed his surprise that the resolution was tabled under the Assembly’s agenda item on the “prevention of armed conflict” because he believes its content contradicted that purpose. He said it sought to ‘escalate violence’ by legitimizing the provision of weapons to terrorists in Syria and “by recognizing one faction of the opposition as the Syrian people’s legitimate representative.”

He claimed that whenever a political solution looked likely, terrorist activity increased and UN Member States aborted their efforts to find a political solution. He added that al-Qaeda-linked terrorists are now operating in Syria as a result of the “involvement of intelligence agencies of well-known States” and that those terrorists were committing “unprecedented savage crimes” and human rights violations.

Ja’Afari stressed that the Syrian government had reacted positively to peace initiatives and reiterated his commitment to achieving a comprehensive national dialogue that would include the opposition. He called on opposition forces that rejected dialogue to adhere to the will of the “great majority of the Syrian people,” which favored a political solution.

Nearly 30 other delegations also took the floor, with some questioning “the motive behind the text – regime change – which has been clear from the start,” while others urged delegations to “look at the resolution honestly; look at the words on the page, which clearly call for a speedy political transition in Syria.”

Those urging the Assembly to reject the text said the resolution bestowed authority on the National Coalition which could only be exercised by democratically elected officials. Still other speakers saw the resolution as “counterproductive” in light of an agreement reached by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to convene an international meeting on a political transition in Syria.

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The Nepal Airlines plane, a Twin-Otter aircraft, had taken off from Nepal’s second largest city of Pokhara at around 8:10 a.m. local time. It was carrying a total of 21 people on board, including three crew members, and was heading for the airport in Jomsom, a town in the Mustang District of the country’s Dhawalagiri Zone.

The accident happened at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time when the aircraft was attempting to land but skidded off the runway, causing it to crash into the banks of the Kaligandaki River. Everyone survived the accident, but nine people were injured and rushed to a nearby hospital.

A local official said five people were in a critical condition, including the pilot who was identified as Captain D Pradhan.

The nationalities of those injured were not immediately known, but eight of those on board were said to be Japanese citizens, with the others on board being from Nepal. Their destination was not immediately known, but Jomsom’s popular pilgrimage site Muktinath is commonly visited by Hindus and Buddhists.

Aviation accidents occur regularly in Nepal. All nineteen people on board a twin-engine Dornier aircraft, operated by Sita Air, were killed in September 2012 when the plane crashed shortly after taking off in Kathmandu, the Nepali capital. Among those killed were seven British nationals, five Chinese nationals and seven local citizens.

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The IMF said its executive board approved a three-year arrangement which totals 891 million in special drawing rights (SDRs) under the organization’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF). It equals about $ 1.33 billion or 1 billion euros, and the board’s approval allows for the immediate disbursement of SDR 74.25 million ($ 110.7 million or 86 million euros).

“It is intended to stabilize the country’s financial system, achieve fiscal sustainability, and support the recovery of economic activity to preserve the welfare of the population,” the IMF said in a brief statement. It comes just two days after the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) approved the disbursement of $ 2.5 billion (2 billion euros), followed by a disbursement of $ 1.2 billion (1 billion euros) by the end of June.

In March, the Cypriot government reached an agreement with the European Union, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund to restructure the country’s crucial banking system, avoiding a dramatic exit from the eurozone. Shareholders and large depositors will face huge losses in return for the 10-billion euro ($ 12.7 billion) bailout.

The country’s central bank said in March that as much as 60 percent of deposits exceeding 100,000 euros ($ 127,770) at the Bank of Cyprus could be effectively lost. Deposits up to 100,000 euros are safe and were paid out to customers, but only 40 percent of deposits exceeding that amount are certain to be paid out in full.

The central bank said 37.5 percent of the big deposits will be converted into Class A shares of the Bank of Cyprus, giving the owners voting rights and dividends. This would theoretically allow depositors to eventually recover some of their losses, but the shares are now virtually worthless and it is uncertain if they will ever regain value.

Another 22.5 percent of the big deposits is also at risk of being converted into Class A shares of the Bank of Cyprus, but an independent valuer will first have to decide whether the bank’s reserves allow some of it to be returned to depositors. “Not later than 90 days from the completion of the valuation, all or part of that percentage might be converted into shares and the remainder returned to the depositor,” the central bank said in late March.

Banks in Cyprus were closed between March 16 and March 28 to avoid a bank run during the island’s financial crisis.

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The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said the service member died on late Tuesday after a roadside bomb hit an American convoy in the Zhari district of Kandahar Province, which is located in Afghanistan’s volatile south. Three other U.S. service members were also killed in the blast.

“The fourth service member died as a result of circumstances surrounding the same incident. An assessment is ongoing to determine the exact cause of death,” ISAF said in a brief statement, giving no other details. The attack came just a day after a truck bombing killed three Georgian soldiers in southern Helmand province.

The latest death raises the number of coalition troops killed in Afghanistan so far this year to 63, according to official figures. A total of 402 ISAF troops were killed in Afghanistan in 2012, down from 566 fatalities in 2011 and 711 in 2010. A majority of the fallen troops were American and were killed in the country’s south, which is plagued by IED attacks on troops and civilians.

Late last month, the Taliban insurgent group announced the beginning of its so-called spring offensive against coalition forces. A statement from the Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the official name of the Taliban, said this year’s spring offensive will be called “Khalid bin Waleed,” a reference to a famous Arab general of the Muslim army during the Muslim conquests of the 7th century.

“The Afghan Mujahid nation, in defense of their religion and country, has occupied the trenches of Jihad and resistance for the past eleven years against the invading crusaders and their spineless backers,” the council said in a statement on April 27. “During this lengthy period, with the Grace of Allah Almighty, the Jihadi determination and patience has only increased in perseverance by the day and, with the divine help of Allah Almighty, has handed the world a memorable defeat in every field.”

The insurgent group said the offensive would begin across the country on April 28 and aims to defeat the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The Taliban each year announces spring offensives against coalition forces, with an offensive called “al-Farooq” in 2012 and “Badar” in 2011.

Less than a week after the beginning of the spring offensive, eight coalition service members were killed in three separate attacks across Afghanistan, making it the bloodiest day so far this year for foreign troops in Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks, but those claims cannot be independently confirmed as the group frequently makes false claims of responsibility.

There are currently more than 100,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, including some 68,000 U.S. troops and 9,000 British soldiers. Approximately 3,800 British soldiers are expected to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2013, with all foreign combat troops due to leave by the end of 2014.

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Pae Jun Ho, who is better known by his American name Kenneth Bae, was sentenced last month to 15 years of hard labor after being found guilty of committing unspecified crimes aimed at toppling the North Korean government. His family has denied the allegations and said he was only working as a tour operator.

In a brief dispatch Wednesday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Bae had been transferred to a prison on Tuesday to begin serving his sentence. “Pae Jun Ho, an American citizen, started his life at a ‘special prison’ on Tuesday,” the report said, giving no other details.

Bae was arrested in November 2012 after he traveled from China to the North Korean special economic zone of Rason with a group of businessmen, but the exact purpose of his visit is unclear. KCNA previously said the unspecified crimes had been proven with evidence, but gave no other details.

Earlier this month, the U.S. government called on North Korea to grant amnesty and release Bae immediately. “While some of the facts are limited to our knowledge – we don’t know all of the facts – we are concerned that, broadly speaking, about the transparency and due process in North Korea, and we think he should be released,” U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.

North Korea and the United States have no diplomatic relations, but Sweden acts as a protecting power. Ventrell said officials from the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang last visited Bae on April 26, but they did not attend last month’s sentencing. It is not known whether the Swedish officials chose not to attend the sentencing or were prevented from doing so.

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The attack took place in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar at around 12 p.m. local time when a civilian vehicle was struck by an explosive device.

Kandahar’s security chief, General Abdul Razaq, spoke with Khaama Press, confirming the deaths of ten civilians. Among the fatal victims were seven women. In addition twelve others were reported injured, all of them women and children.

No group or terrorist organization claimed responsibility, but Razaq blamed the Taliban, saying they had been targeting security forces with the mine.

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The attack took place at the parking lot of the Al-Jala Hospital located in in the city of Benghazi, the capital of the Cyrenaica region, at around 3 p.m. local time, which is visiting hours at the hospital.

Libyan Deputy Interior Minister Abdullah Masaud spoke to the press, confirming the deaths of fifteen people and over 30 injured. However, the Tripoli Post said at least seventeen were dead, including three children. Fears among local authorities remain, as the death toll could continue rising.

The powerful blast came from an explosive device planted in a vehicle. Nearby buildings were severely damaged, as reports said a three-story building was completely destroyed as was a restaurant.

Large crowds gathered in angry protest, blaming local Islamic militant groups.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) strongly condemned the bombing, expressing its sincerest condolences to the families of the victims, and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

In a statement, UNSMIL called on all Libyans during this “critical phase to stand in solidarity against all attempts of destructions, terrorism, and destabilization of Libya.

The Mission also underscored the need to support the legitimate authority of the State and enable it to shoulder its responsibilities in ensuring the safety and security of all citizens across the country.

Libya has suffered heavy violence since the toppling of Muammar al-Qadhafi two years ago. The former leader ruled the North African country for more than 40 years until a pro-democracy uprising in 2011 – similar to the protests in other countries in the Middle East and North Africa – led to civil war and the end of his regime.

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In a press statement, the UN’s 15-member Security Council reiterated the condemnation from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, underlining that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that “any acts of terrorism are criminal unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.”

The attack took place on Saturday in the town of Reyhanli, in Turkey’s Hatay province. Media reports said Turkish authorities had detained at least nine people in connection with the attacks, but angry locals have protested against the government as little action has been taken in retaliation. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, insisted that the country would not be drawn into military conflict.

Over 300,000 Syrian refugees are currently located in Turkey, and the province of Hatay is home to a number of minorities such as Nusayris and Kurds.

The Council urged authorities to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of “these reprehensible acts of terrorism” and urged the international community to cooperate with Turkish authorities in their investigation and legal processes.

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Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Security and the Environment, said the emergence of the new virus is being recognized as an “important and major challenge” for the entire world. He said experts are now starting to understand some things about the disease, but many details are still unclear.

“We know that the disease is caused by a virus from a group called coronaviruses. One member of the coronavirus family is the SARS virus,” Fukuda explained at a press conference in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. “This new virus is not the SARS virus. They are distinct from each other. However, the fact that they are related has added to the world’s concern.”

The new coronavirus first emerged in the Middle East and is known to have infected at least 34 people, including 18 people who died of the illness. The disease appeared at a health care facility in Saudi Arabia’s eastern province of Ahsaa earlier this month and infected fifteen patients, more than a month after the last case of the virus had been reported.

And on Tuesday last week, health authorities in France confirmed the country’s first case of the novel coronavirus in a patient who recently traveled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where another case had been reported in March. The French Ministry of Social Affairs and Health confirmed Sunday that a second person who shared a hospital room in Valenciennes with the first patient had also been infected.

“We know this virus has infected people since 2012, but we don’t know where this virus lives,” Fukuda said. “We know that when people get infected, many of them develop severe pneumonia. What we don’t know is how often people might develop mild disease. We also know that most of the persons who have been infected so far have been older men, often with other medical conditions. We are not sure why we are seeing this pattern and if it will change over time.”

Fukuda said experts are unsure how people become infected, whether it is from animals, from contaminated surfaces, or from other people. “Finally, we don’t know how widespread this virus is, both in this region and in other countries,” he said, adding that more research is necessary.

But the WHO official said that while there has been no evidence of continuous human-to-human transmission, it appears likely that the virus is able to pass from person-to-person when there is close contact. “The greatest global concern is about the potential for this new virus to spread,” he said.

Fukuda added: “This is partly because the virus has already caused severe disease in multiple countries, although in small numbers, and has persisted in the region since 2012. Of most concern, however, is the fact that the different clusters seen in multiple countries increasingly support the hypothesis that when there is close contact this novel coronavirus can transmit from person-to-person.”

The global health body is calling on countries around the world to increase their levels of awareness and surveillance among all people, but especially among staff working in health systems. “When new cases are found, as is likely, it is critical for countries to report these cases and related information urgently to WHO as required by the International Health Regulations because this is the basis for effective international alertness, preparedness and response,” Fukuda said.

The official praised the Saudi government which has been working closely with international health authorities to stop the virus from spreading further. “One of the reasons why more cases have been identified in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may be because they have gone ahead to strengthen their surveillance system and lab capacities and network,” he said.

Fukuda urged other countries to follow Saudi Arabia’s example. “Countries need to assess their level of preparedness and readiness if this virus should spread and to intensify strengthening the core capacities identified in the International Health Regulations if they are not adequate,” he said. “WHO is ready to assist countries in this region and globally in these tasks.”

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The Lahore Development Authority plaza, which is a 13-story building located in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, caught fire on its seventh and eighth floors at around 12 p.m. local time, the Express Tribune reported.

As emergency teams struggled to arrive and operate quickly due to wrongly parked vehicles outside the building, a number of people desperately jumped out of the building in hope of surviving.

One person who jumped died on the spot while two others doing the same later succumbed to their wounds. In total, at least eight people were confirmed dead. Several others were also trapped, but the number of injured was not immediately known. Nonetheless, those injured were being transferred to the Ganga Ram Hospital.

Two helicopters were also deployed and were evacuating victims. The exact cause of the fire was not immediately known, although it spread quickly in a matter of minutes.

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