This week's show features stories from NHK Japan, Radio Deutsche-Welle, Radio Havana Cuba, and Sputnik Radio.

http://www.outfarpress.com/swr200327.mp3

From JAPAN- The UN has called for aid funds for developing countries to fight the new corona virus. The G7 foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint statement about Covid-19 because the US insisted on called it the Wuhan virus. The French government has imposed fines on people who fail to comply with restrictions on movement during their lockdown. French experts say a European clinical trial of 4 experimental treatments for the virus have begun. The Iranian ambassador to Japan has asked for help getting the US to lift economic sanctions which are hampering efforts to deal with the virus.

From GERMANY- A review of how the corona pandemic is expanding and being approached in many different nations. In Austria the public broadcaster and power company have isolated healthy workers to insure that news and electricity will not be affected. The US is likely to become the epicenter of the pandemic but many health care workers say they do not have supplies to protect themselves.

From CUBA- Italy requested and has welcomed a brigade of Cuban medical workers to aid in the fight against the virus. Venezuelan President Maduro has requested that the US government lift economic sanctions in the face of the pandemic. The Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif accused the US of reaching a higher level of inhumanity by imposing new sanctions during the health crisis. A British court announced it will not release Julian Assange on bail despite the danger of the virus spreading in the maximum security prison where he is being held for the US.

From RUSSIA- On his program called Going Underground Afshin Rattansi interviewed his former director at the BBC, Tariq Ali. Tariq is a journalist and political activist in Britain. The excerpts we will hear were on the 17th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War and why it is still relevant today. He also discusses the alleged torture of Julian Assange and his extradition trial.