Turkish, Equatorial Guinean presidents talk over phone

ISTANBUL The presidents of Turkey and Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday discussed the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic in a phone call, according to an official statement. Turkey's Directorate of Communications said Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Equatorial Guinean counterpart Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo also exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional developments. The novel coronavirus has spread to 185 countries and regions since emerging in China last December, with the U.S. and Europe being the hardest-hit areas in the world. More than 2.59 million cases have been reported worldwide. The death toll has neared 180,000 while the recoveries have reached almost 700,000, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. * Writing by Burak Bir in Ankara.