News in brief

European leaders have clashed over how to pull their economies through the coronavirus crisis, as Italy accused other member states of a timid response to an unprecedented economic shock.
Meeting via a video link, the EU’s 27 leaders papered over deep divisions by agreeing that another fortnight was needed to discuss ambitious economic recovery plans. After a testy debate over “coronabonds”, i.e raising funds through issuing shared European debt, the bloc kicked a decision down the road, by calling on EU finance leaders to present proposals within two weeks.
Even as the virtual summit was still ongoing, Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, released a statement rejecting an earlier pre-prepared draft statement because he thought it was a weak response to the scale of the crisis.

Backed by Greece, France, Spain and six other eurozone countries, Italy wants a “European recovery bond” or “coronabonds” – namely, EU-backed debt to lift member states out of a recession and increase spending on healthcare.
But the idea of shared debt remains anathema to Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, who shunned the similar concept of “eurobonds” during the eurozone crisis a few years earlier.

In a video conference summit – their third in as many weeks – talks ran four hours over schedule as leaders sparred over a single paragraph in the communiqué about how best to aid their economies.
After the meeting, Charles Michel, the head of the European council, told journalists the EU was ready to do “everything it takes in order to find the right solution” and needed to continue work with the 19 finance ministers of the eurozone. “We had tonight a very strong political debate. It was a useful debate, it was a necessary debate,” he said.
But hope of a breakthrough remain elusive, as eurozone finance ministers earlier this week failed to agree on common European debt – passing the issue to Thursday’s EU leader meeting.

The cybercrime unit of the Hellenic Police (ELAS) has warned the public about a spike in online fraud and fake news regarding the Covid-19 epidemic.

More specifically, it said on Thursday that it has received scores of complaints from the public and numerous briefings from Interpol and Europol concerning cases of cyber fraud and of perpetrators exploiting people’s concerns over the coronavirus to extort money.

Among the methods employed are fake websites, e-commerce platforms etc that pretend to sell high-demand products such as masks, gloves and antiseptics.

Interested buyers are asked to prepay orders by wire transfer to bank accounts, usually overseas.

Greece’s Health Ministry representative Sotiris Tsiodras announced 71 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the new total number to 892.
The death toll has risen to 27.
Fifty-seven people are in intensive care, including 54 intubated, Tsiodras said, adding that 42 patients have recovered.

A 7,5 month baby has been found positive to the coronavirus on the island of Rhodes. It is the first case of the virus on the island.
Police will intensify checks ahead of the weekend, to safeguard public health and to avoid unnecessary movement of people.

The number of U.S. coronavirus infections climbed above 82,000 on Thursday, surpassing the national tallies of China and Italy, as New York, New Orleans and other hot spots faced a surge in hospitalizations and looming shortages of supplies, staff and sick beds.

Αnd the weather forecast…
Rainy in Attica today. Winds will blow from the north at a speed of 8 on the Beaufort scale. Maximum temperature in Athens: 14 degrees Celsius.