USA

Physicians have called particular attention to a desperate need for additional ventilators, machines that help patients breathe and are widely needed for those suffering from Covid-19, the respiratory ailment caused by the highly contagious novel coronavirus.

Hospitals in New York City, New Orleans, Detroit and other virus hot spots have also sounded the alarm about scarcities of drugs, medical supplies and trained staff while the number of confirmed US cases rose by about 18,000 on Friday, the highest jump in a single day, to more than 103,000.

Public health officials said the death of the Lancaster, Los Angeles, child is "a devastating reminder that COVID-19 infects people of all ages."

LA County health officials wrote in a press release on Tuesday that the minor was one of three new deaths.

The officials said: "One of the individuals was a youth under the age of 18."

Dr Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director, said: "Each loss we experience in LA County is tragic, and we are sending our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones who've had to endure this tragedy.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has announced that, beginning tomorrow, they will face the same restrictions as visitors from other coronavirus hot-spots and must self-isolate in another country for 14-days.

Further, anyone entering Fiji from any overseas destination will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

"From midnight tonight our border restrictions on mainland China, Italy, Iran, Spain and South Korea will be extended to foreign nationals who have been present in the United States of America and all of Europe," he said.

Trump made the announcement at a Rose Garden news conference.

Trump said he was declaring the national emergency in order to "unleash the full power of the federal government."

He urged every state to set up emergency centers to help fight the virus.

The declaration enabled the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist state and local governments and coordinate the US response to the crisis. The virus has killed 41 people in the United States.

But he said the "strong but necessary" restrictions would not apply to the UK, where 460 cases of the virus have now been confirmed.

There are 1135 confirmed cases of the virus across the US, with 38 deaths.

"To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days," Trump said.

"The new rules will go into effect Friday at midnight," he added.

"We are marshalling the full power of the federal government and the private sector to protect the American people," he said.

Tuilagi was awarded the ‘Master Card Player of the Day’ after the 35-3 win against the Tongans in the RWC opener on Sunday.

“It’s going to be a tough game for us. Now we have finished from Tonga. More of our focus is going to be on USA.”

The Samoan-born rugby player said the match against Tongans was tough.

“We know that coming to this game, Tonga was going to be a tough test for us. But we managed to get  five points. That’s a great start for our campaign.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been in the Federated States of Micronesia meeting with its president and leaders from Palau and the Marshall Islands.

He said the Compact of Free Association agreements - due to expire in 2024 - are crucial for Washington's Pacific allies.

"They sustain important economic assistance with the people in these countries. They sustain democracy and human rights in the face of Chinese attempts to redraw the Pacific in its authoritarian image.

No fatalities or major injuries were reported after the magnitude 7.1 quake, which jolted an area from Sacramento to Mexico on Saturday (NZT) and prompted the evacuation of the Navy's largest single landholding, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in the Mojave Desert.

The quake was centred 18 kilometres from Ridgecrest, the same area of the desert where a magnitude 6.4 shock hit on Friday. It left behind cracked and burned buildings, broken roads, obstructed railroad tracks and leaking water and gas lines.

Megan Rapinoe's penalty and Rose Lavelle's fine run and finish gave the defending champions victory in the second half, after resilient first-half defending from the Dutch.

Veteran winger Rapinoe's calmly-slotted opener came from a spot-kick awarded after a video assistant referee (VAR) review, at the end of a tournament in which the system has been a major talking point.

The justice department said the ship was used to transport coal, North Korea's largest export but subject to a UN export ban.

The vessel was initially impounded in Indonesia in April 2018.

It is the first time the US has seized a North Korean ship for breaching sanctions and comes amid worsening relations between the two.

A meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump ended without agreement in February with the US insisting North Korea give up its nuclear programme and Pyongyang demanding sanctions relief.