Rising coronavirus infections aren’t only testing Europe’s national governments to their limits but also straining European Union solidarity with the governments of member states shrugging off pleas for greater coordination.  Instead, national governments have been paying little heed to Brussels and are pursuing their own ways of containing the virus and coping with the economic fallout, say diplomats and analysts. One after another, the governments of the 27 member states have ignored Brussels’ appeals to keep their borders open to each other, ending the bloc’s hallowed principle of freedom of movement, and they have been ignoring the bloc’s rules on state support for their domestic industries. While EU leaders have talked about the need for “more Europe,” national leaders have elected to follow the path of “less Europe,” say observers. “Logically, the coronavirus now ravaging parts of Italy and Spain and sweeping across the continent should be the ideal opportunity for the EU to move away from complacency and national individualism to solidarity and European integration. Instead, the pandemic, so far, has proven the opposite,” according to Judy Dempsey, an analyst at the Carnegie Europe research organization. Each member state’s government has adopted its own way of containing the virus, she says. “But this is not a European response. The pandemic has not generated a sense of solidarity among the member states or forced a reappraisal of the EU’s role in setting the agenda, even on something as fundamental as safeguarding the health system,” she adds. Rome’s Spanish Steps are seen empty as Italy tightens measures to try and contain the spread of coronavirus in Italy, March 24, 2020.Italian politicians have complained about the lack of solidarity. Mauirzo Massari, Italy’s representative to the EU, appealed for help. “Rome should not be left to handle this crisis alone.” “In addition to national measures, this is a crisis that requires a global and — first and foremost — a European response,” he wrote this month in an open letter in Politico Europe. But the early appeals for protective gear from neighbors for Italy’s overwhelmed health workers fell on deaf ears, a breach, Italians say, of the principle of European Union solidarity.  According to treaty law, member states are meant to act jointly to assist another to cope with “a natural or man-made disaster.” Instead, France and Germany imposed bans on the export of medical equipment they anticipated needing, although Berlin lifted the prohibition earlier this week. Massari says Rome “asked for supplies of medical equipment, and the European Commission forwarded the appeal to the member states, but it didn’t work.” Today, this means Italy; tomorrow, the need could be elsewhere. Italy, like some central European states, has turned for support to China, which has dispatched medical equipment and doctors. Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio gives a press conference at the Foreign Press Association in Rome, Feb. 27, 2020.Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has heaped praised on China, pointedly noting, “We are not alone, there are people in the world who want to help Italy.”  Other Europeans have found China more responsive than near neighbors. Aleksandar Vucic, president of Serbia, which has applied for EU membership, has highlighted Chinese assistance over the “fairy tale” of European solidarity. Nor have member states adopted a common approach to detecting and reporting coronavirus cases, with common guidelines for the entire bloc, critics complain. An almost empty road leads towards the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, March 24, 2020.With COVID-19 case numbers and deaths soaring — only Germany has shown early signs of managing to “flatten the curve” of confirmed infections — COVID-19 would seem to have torpedoed the logic of “more Europe,” according to The Economist magazine. “The EU evolved to deal with a post-modern world, where borders are blurred and markets ruled. Pandemics are a pre-modern problem, best solved by the tool that brought order to a brutish world: the modern state.” EU loyalists say the criticism leveled at Brussels is unfair. Health care systems are meant to be overseen by national governments and not the EU and Brussels has scant authority or power to act. Governments will always prioritize the health and well-being of their citizens. Critics say the breakdown of neighborliness has highlighted inherent flaws in the bloc and will leave a lasting imprint. Some Italian populist politicians say they doubt the Schengen open-border system will ever be fully restored — at least they hope it won’t. But while the virus has served mainly as a centrifugal force, the devastating economic fallout from the pandemic may well force EU member states closer together, say some analysts. The most Euro-skeptical states tend to be the weakest economically and as they struggle to right their economies, they will need their debts underwritten by the bloc as a whole — most especially by Germany. On March 18, the European Central Bank launched a $809 billion bond-buying program with strong French backing, although some richer member states were less enthusiastic. 
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At a time of isolation, people in many European cities hit hard by the new coronavirus are taking at least a minute each night to come together in gratitude.They stand at open windows or on balconies in Rome, Madrid, Paris, Athens and Amsterdam, singing, cheering and applauding even though they know their intended audience is too busy to listen.The adulation is for the doctors, nurses and other health care workers putting themselves at risk on the front lines of the pandemic that is forcing most residents to stay home. A 52-year-old nurse on Thursday became the first medical professional in Spain to die of COVID-19.People applaud from their houses in support of the medical staff in Rivas Vaciamadrid, March 14, 2020.In Italy, where the number of virus-related deaths surpassed those in China, 2,900 health care providers have been infected, or 10% of the country’s total. Italian broadcasters regularly feature exhausted doctors and nurses begging people to stay home and expressing a sense of abandonment over inadequate protective gear.The Dutch health minister collapsed from exhaustion in the midst of a parliamentary session on Wednesday.A man applauds from his window in support of the medical staff in Madrid, Spain, March 15, 2020.”We’re clapping tonight out of respect and to say thank you to all the health care workers in the Netherlands who are protecting us against this horrible coronavirus,” King Willem-Alexander said while observing the ritual Tuesday night with his family at Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague.The word spread mostly through the WhatsApp messaging service. In France, where the head of the national doctors’ federation picked up the virus from a diabetic patient, the call went out seemingly spontaneously by text messages hours after a nationwide lockdown went into effect Tuesday. Windows opened promptly at 8 p.m. then and again on Wednesday.Health workers react as people applaud them from their houses, Barcelona, Spain, March 16, 2020.”In this period of crisis, we are going to see the most beautiful things humanity has to offer, but also perhaps the darkest,” French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said.In Brussels and other cities, the intended audience for the nightly chorus of thanks was expanded to everyone working to keep essential services running in Belgium, such as firefighters, supermarket workers and trash collectors.In Spain, people are singing Mónica Naranjo’s popular cover of the disco-era tune “I Will Survive” with the lyrics tweaked to say, “I will survive/I’ll look for a home/Among the rubble of my loneliness/Strange paradise/Where you are missed.”Parisians applaud the caregivers and police for their work, Paris, France, March 18, 2020.Workers at one hospital responded with a video recorded in the facility’s corridors. Standing in a small group and wearing masks, they held up one sign after another with messages that included, “We are all in this together.” Then, they gave a minute of applause for their home-bound admirers.
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The trial in absentia of three Russians and a Ukrainian charged with multiple counts of murder over the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 resumed briefly at The Hague on Tuesday amid coronavirus restrictions.The Dutch judges in the trial read out several preliminary decisions before ruling to adjourn the case until June 8 in order to give the defense lawyers of one of the accused more time to prepare their case.The courtroom was almost empty during the 45-minute session, which was livestreamed on the Internet due to restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.Flight MH17 was shot down July 17, 2014, by a Russian-made Buk missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists.FILE – People walk amongst the debris at the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 near the village of Grabove, Ukraine, July 17, 2014.The civilian passenger plane was on a flight from Amsterdam to Malaysia when it was shot down.All 298 passengers and crew were killed.The victims included 193 Dutch citizens as well as 43 Malaysians and 38 Australians.The four accused — Russian citizens Igor Girkin, Sergei Dubinsky, and Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko — remain at large despite the issuance of international warrants for their arrests.Russian nationals Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinskiy and Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, accused of downing of flight MH17, seen on screen as international investigators present their findings, in Nieuwegein, Netherlands, June 19, 2019.Only Pulatov has appointed defense lawyers to represent him at the trial in the Netherlands.When the trial opened on March 9, it was attended by lawyers, judges, family members of victims, and journalists.But the number of prosecutors, lawyers, and other staff on March 23 was reduced over the coronavirus pandemic. Family and media were not allowed to attend the trial in person, and judges sat separated from one another by empty seats.Prosecutors say the four men helped to arrange the supply of the Russian missile system used to shoot down MH17.Girkin, a former colonel in Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), was the top military commander of a separatist group in eastern Ukraine while Ukrainian Kharchenko was in charge of a combat unit in the region, according to the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT).Dubinsky and Pulatov were connected with Russia’s Military Intelligence Service (GRU), the investigators concluded.Despite evidence that Russia’s military was directly involved in shooting down of Flight MH17, the Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement.The Kremlin also denies providing any military or financial support to Ukraine’s pro-Russia separatists, despite evidence assembled by the JIT and the Bellingcat open-source investigative group. 
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The United States could become the global epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as Britain went into lockdown and Olympic organizers considered postponing the 2020 Tokyo Games.   But the Chinese province of Hubei, where the virus was first identified in December, said it would lift travel restrictions on people leaving the region as the epidemic there eases.   Police officers check a pedestrian in Boulogne Billancourt, March 18, 2020.On the economic side, business activity collapsed from Australia and Japan to Western Europe at a record pace in March, with data for the United States later on Tuesday expected to be just as dire.   “The coronavirus outbreak represents a major external shock to the macro outlook, akin to a large-scale natural disaster,” analysts at BlackRock Investment Institute said.   WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said in Geneva there had been a “very large acceleration” in coronavirus infections in the United States which had the potential of becoming the new epicenter.   Over the past 24 hours, 85 percent of new cases were from Europe and the United States, she told reporters. Of those, 40 percent were from the United States.   Asked whether the United States could become the new epicenter, Harris said: “We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the U.S. So it does have that potential. We cannot say that is the case yet but it does have that potential.”    London lockdown   Some U.S. state and local officials have decried a lack of coordinated federal action, saying having localities act on their own has put them in competition for supplies.   President Donald Trump gestures as he asks a question to Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, during a briefing about the coronavirus in the James Brady Briefing Room, March 23, 2020, in Washington.U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the difficulty in a tweet.   “The World market for face masks and ventilators is Crazy. We are helping the states to get equipment, but it is not easy,” he wrote.   Confirmed coronavirus cases exceeded 377,000 across 194 countries and territories as of early Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, with over 16,500 deaths linked to the virus.   Of the top 10 countries by case numbers, Italy had reported the highest fatality rate, at around 10%, which is reflective of its older population. The fatality rate globally is around 4.3%.   Britain, believed by experts to be about two weeks behind Italy in the outbreak cycle, woke up on Tuesday to curbs on movement without precedent in peacetime after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the country to stay at home.   An almost empty Westminster Bridge normally a very busy river crossing as the sun rises in London, March 24, 2020.The streets of the capital were eerily quiet as all but essential shops closed and people only went to work if it was essential.   Johnson had resisted pressure to impose a full lockdown even as other European countries had done so, but was forced to change tack as projections showed the health system could become overwhelmed.  Olympics under threat   A decision on whether to postpone this year’s Tokyo Olympics for the first time will come in days, sources said on Tuesday. The July 24-Aug. 9 Olympics have been the last major sporting event left untouched as the epidemic put most of the world in virtual lockdown.  FILE – A woman wearing a protective face mask walks past the Olympic rings in front of the Japan Olympics Museum in Tokyo, March 13, 2020.The International Olympic Committee and Japan repeated their insistence that the event would go ahead as scheduled — and then their weekend announcement of a lengthy, one-month consultation over possible postponement — perplexed many.   Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and IOC President Thomas Bach were to talk by phone on Tuesday.   China’s Hubei province, the original epicenter of the outbreak, will lift travel curbs on people leaving the area, but other regions will tighten controls as new cases double due to imported infections.   The provincial capital Wuhan, which has been in total lockdown since Jan. 23, will see its travel restrictions lifted on April 8.   However, the risk from overseas infections appears to be on the rise, prompting tougher screening and quarantine measures in major cities such as the capital Beijing.     
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Italy, which has suffered by far the deadliest consequences of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported Tuesday a third consecutive day in which its daily deaths and new infections declined. The 601 deaths recorded Monday are still a staggering figure, but one that is a vast improvement from nearly 800 on Saturday. Italy has reported more than 6,000 deaths and has the second highest overall number of cases.  Officials put the entire country on lockdown two weeks ago in hopes of stopping the spread of the virus that has reached nearly every country on the planet. South Korea, which once held the position of being one of the hardest-hit nations showed its own continued progress, reporting Tuesday a daily rise in new cases of 76.  That was its 13th consecutive day below 100. Meanwhile China continues to report its own improvements with just four locally transmitted cases in its latest figures Tuesday.   But worries persist about a comeback for the virus in China, the place it was first detected in late December, due to cases among people who arrive from elsewhere in the world.  China reported 74 such imported cases Tuesday. Medical experts from China stand at the Nikola Tesla airport after arriving with medical supplies to help country’s fight against coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Belgrade, Serbia, March 21, 2020.Those fears have prompted governments all over the world to institute travel restrictions. Beginning Tuesday, Cuba is barring all tourists from entering the country.  Those already there will go into mandatory quarantine, while Cuban citizens will not be able to leave the island. In the United States, about one-third of the population is under stay-at-home orders issued by state governors.  The latest was the governor of Hawaii telling people to not go out except for essential trips, while the governor of the western state of Washington tightened an existing order to include closing non-essential businesses. President Donald Trump also signed an executive order Monday which criminalizes the stockpiling of personal protective equipment that medical personnel need to stay safe while treating coronavirus patients. With the national and global response to the outbreak taking an economic toll, U.S. political leaders met late into Monday night trying to finalize an agreement on a massive economic rescue package.  They expressed confidence they can reach a deal on Tuesday. 
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Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange say they will file papers Wednesday to have him released on bail because he is at risk of contracting coronavirus. Assange is being held at a London-area prison as he fights extradition to the United States, where he has been charged with espionage for obtaining classified government documents from former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning and publishing them on his website. The documents were secret diplomatic cables and military files related to the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.   Health experts say the prisoners are particularly vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 because of overcrowded conditions.   Assange has been imprisoned since he was evicted from the Ecuadorian embassy last April, where he had sought refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning in a sexual assault case. 
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The long-awaited trial of a former U.S. Marine facing charges of espionage got under way in Moscow on Monday — with U.S. officials accusing Russia of providing no evidence in a spy case that has proved an added irritant to already troubled relations between the two countries.  Paul Whelan, 50, was arrested by FSB security agents in late December 2018 after allegedly accepting classified materials on a computer thumb drive in a central Moscow hotel.  Whelan has repeatedly denied those charges, insisting he was in Moscow for a friend’s wedding and had accepted the drive from a Russian acquaintance without ever knowing or viewing its contents. The former Marine, who in addition to U.S. citizenship holds passports from the U.K., Canada and Ireland, also says he’s been mistreated and denied medical treatment while in detention — an assertion that U.S. officials have backed repeatedly and did so again Monday. U.S. Ambassador to Russia John J. Sullivan joined his counterparts from the U.K. and Ireland at the courtroom Monday, where the presiding judge allowed them to speak with Whelan briefly before closing the hearing to the public — a standard practice in Russian-led “top secret” espionage cases. “It’s a sad day for me as an American and a U.S. ambassador, in these circumstances, to come and see a citizen of my country held in such circumstances, with serious health problems unaddressed, with no evidence that’s been produced to justify his incarceration for well over a year, and his inability to communicate with his family despite repeated requests by him and by me to the Russian government,” said Sullivan, in a statement afterward to the press. “I am hoping that, as this process moves forward, we see a fair and transparent judicial process,” Sullivan added. “Every person, every citizen, of every country in the world, deserves that.” In turn, Russia’s foreign ministry has accused Whelan of feigning illness — part of what the ministry says is Whelan’s playbook training as a U.S. intelligence officer after being caught “red-handed” by Russia’s security services. If convicted on existing charges, Whelan faces the possibility of 10-20 years in prison.U.S. ambassador to Russia John Sullivan speaks with journalists after his meeting with Paul Whelan, a U.S. national arrested and accused of espionage, outside a detention centre in Moscow, Russia January 30, 2020.COVID-19, witnesses, and ‘a goat rodeo’ The Whelan trial proved one of the rare court proceedings currently in session in Russia, after the country’s high court postponed most judicial work last week out of fear of the spread of the coronavirus. Whelan’s Russian lawyers, Olga Karla and Vladimir Zherebenkov, said that — barring unforeseen delays because of the contagion — the closed trial would last about a month in which they promised to mount a vigorous defense. Speaking to reporters, Zherebenkov said he planned to call at least a dozen witnesses, all of them Russians with whom Whelan had been in contact during multiple visits to the Russian Federation in recent years. Whelan’s legal team also indicated they planned to call embassy officials to the stand, a move they assured would prove Whelan’s innocence of the spy charges. “We’ll interrogate the embassies to prove that Whelan physically could not be an agent as a citizen of four different countries,” said Zherebenkov, in comments carried by the Interfax News Agency. “It’s simply not possible,” he added. Yet, throughout the run-up to Monday’s hearing, Zherebenkov has repeatedly acknowledged that politics may play a larger role than material evidence in resolving the case. Last December, the lawyer publicly floated the idea of including Whelan in a wider prisoner swap between Russia and the West. “Paul is a citizen of four countries. None of them has asked to organize his exchange yet,” noted Zherebenkov before pleading: “Take the initiative gentlemen!” Meanwhile, Whelan has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene on his behalf, asking the American leader “to tweet your intentions” about a case that Whelan has colorfully labeled “the Moscow goat rodeo.” 
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Turkish security forces detained five elected Kurdish mayors Monday in anti-terror raids, a move that was condemned by human rights groups, as Turkey is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. The mayors are members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which swiftly attacked the detentions. “We reject with hatred this vile attempt that does not shy away from showing enmity against Kurds, even in these difficult days when the whole world is battling an epidemic,” said Mithat Sancar, co-leader of the HDP.  Co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party Mithat Sancar waves as he attends the 4th Ordinary Peoples’ Democratic Party congress in Ankara on Feb. 23, 2020.Sancar told reporters Monday that security forces seized municipal offices in the city of Batman and in the towns of Egil, Silvan, Lice and Ergani. Local media broadcast images of public workers locked out of their workplaces.  The HDP said the municipalities were in the forefront of trying to contain the virus.  The detentions occurred across Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, the center of a decades-long war by the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) against the Turkish state. The government accuses the HDP of providing logistic and tacit support to the PKK through its network of mayors, a charge the party denies. In an ongoing crackdown, over 30 elected HDP mayors have been removed from office under anti-terror legislation and replaced with government-appointed trustees.  But with Turkey facing a health emergency over the coronavirus, the latest detentions are drawing widespread criticism. “In the midst of this coronavirus pandemic, the interior minister is intent on hounding the HDP by removing the mayors of the Southeast and therefore depriving thousands of voters of their choice,” said Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey researcher for the New York-based Human Rights Watch.   “The grounds of imprisonment are very vague assertions, scant evidence,” Sinclair-Webb said. “Much of the evidence is based on secret witnesses. There is a pattern of complete misuse of the charge of terrorism against people. There is no proof.” Sezgin Tanrikulu of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) speaks to journalists in Istanbul, Oct. 9, 2018.”In fear of Allah, in this period, we need unity and to work,” said Sezgin Tanrikulu, deputy leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Neither the ruling AKP or state officials have so far commented on the detentions. 
The latest crackdown on the HDP comes as the AKP indicated it was considering a mass release of prisoners. Turkey’s prison population has more than doubled since ongoing crackdowns on the country’s pro-Kurdish movement, and in the aftermath of the 2016 failed coup. Earlier this month, national and international human rights groups called for action to ease prison overcrowding, given fears over COVID-19. “We are extremely concerned about Turkish prisons, because they are very overcrowded. The prison population is almost 300,000, which is very high for a country the size of Turkey,” Sinclair-Webb said. “There are a lot of worries of access to medical help in prisons at the best of the times, let alone the worst of times.”  Silivri Prison complex is pictured in Silivri near Istanbul, June 24, 2019. Mehmet Mus, deputy parliamentary head of the AKP, confirmed his party was looking into legal steps to ease the prison population.  “The government has accelerated an important plan to provide early parole for some prisoners,” Sinclair-Webb said. “Now, that is welcome.”  She added, “But the government has so far said they will exempt prisoners charged under terrorism charges and crimes against the state. (In) reality, that includes many journalists, mayors, politicians and human rights defenders.” According to international media watchdogs, Turkey is one of the biggest jailers of journalists in the world. A local newspaper editor in the Kocaeli province was detained by police over the weekend for reporting on the coronavirus. He was released after questioning.  Police have also held several people for social media posts about the coronavirus. The government insists it is determined to prevent people from spreading panic. On Sunday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that nine people had died from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 30. The number of confirmed cases rose from 289 to 1,236.   Turkish authorities stepped up restrictions to contain the virus. In a presidential decree issued Sunday, some civil servant workers were allowed to work at home. Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu delivers a speech in Ankara, Oct. 3, 2019.Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu stepped up pressure on medical product manufacturers and accused some companies of hoarding.   “Some of the manufacturers stockpile the masks. We warned them again on Sunday night to sign contracts with the Ministry of Health,” he said.  Soylu announced Sunday that the first raids on manufacturers had begun and that authorities will seize mask-producing factories if they don’t agree to sell to the state. On Monday, banking hours were restricted. Istanbul’s world-renowned Grand Bazaar was temporarily closed. All entertainment venues, including restaurants and cinemas, are closed, along with schools and universities. Prayers are no longer held in mosques.   
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Turkish officials are threatening to seize factories where face masks are produced if the companies running them do not agree to sell their products to the government.Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told Turkish state-run media Monday the companies must stop hoarding their stock and sign contracts with the health ministry or they will be seized. He was quoted as saying the government would pay a fair price for the face masks.Soylu said the government Sunday carried out simultaneous raids on depots of some local producers that were stockpiling the protective masks.The actions come as Turkey’s death toll from the virus increased by nine to 30 on Sunday, with 1,256 confirmed cases after a surge in the last two weeks. Soylu says Turkey currently has quarantined about 10,750 people.The country has closed about 165,000 businesses, called for citizens to practice social distancing and issued a full curfew for people over 65 to fight the spread of the virus. 
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel has gone into quarantine after being informed that a doctor who administered a vaccine to her has tested positive for the new coronavirus.Merkel, 65, was informed about the doctor’s test shortly after holding a news conference Sunday announcing new measures to curb the spread of the virus, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said.He said that Merkel had received a precautionary vaccine Friday against pneumococcal infection.For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever or coughing. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. About 93,800 people have recovered, mostly in China.Seibert said in a statement that Merkel would undergo “regular tests” in the coming days and continue with her work from home for the time being.Merkel had earlier expressed her gratitude to Germans who were following the rules on social distancing, saying it was important to remain at least 1.5 meters (about five feet) apart to reduce the likelihood of infection.Merkel on Sunday thanked “the overwhelming majority” of Germans who were following rules on social distancing to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.“I know that it means sacrifice,” she said, citing the economic and social costs that the lockdown is having. “I’m moved by the fact that so many are abiding by these rules. This way we show care for older and sick people, because the virus is most dangerous to them. In short: we are saving lives with this.”Merkel said the lockdown had already affected her profoudly, too.“My life has also fundamentally changed and now consists largely of phone calls and video conferences,” she said.The development illustrated how even world leaders aren’t free from the risk of infection.“With a certain distance the risk of infections is reduced almost to zero,” Merkel told reporters. “Whether you are half a meter apart or 1.5 meters apart makes a huge difference.”Seconds later, she was informed that her doctor had tested positive for COVID-19.
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The troubles of opera superstar Placido Domingo continue to mount.The 79-year-old Domingo announced Sunday he has tested positive for the coronavirus.He said in a Facebook post it is his “moral duty” to reveal that he has the illness.The tenor says he and his family are in self-quarantine, adding that except for a fever and a cough, he feels fine.   “I beg everyone to be extremely careful, follow the basic guidelines by washing your hands frequently, keeping at least a 6 foot distance from others, doing everything you can to stop the virus from spreading and please above all stay home if you can!” he said, adding that he hopes everyone can return to their regular daily routines very soon.Domingo’s career as one of the world’s premier opera stars was derailed last year when a number of women accused him of sexual misconduct during his time as a director with the Washington National Opera and the Los Angeles Opera, a company he helped found.  Domingo initially denied the charges but apologized to his accusers after an investigation by the L.A. company concluded last month that their accusations were credible.  “I respect that these women finally felt comfortable enough to speak out, and I want them to know that I am truly sorry,” he said. 
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Britons have been urged to not visit their mother’s Sunday as the country celebrates Mother’s Day amid a worsening coronavirus outbreak. “If your mother is elderly or vulnerable, then I am afraid all the statistics show that she is much more likely to die from coronavirus,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an address to the nation Sunday. “This time, the best thing is to ring her, video call her, Skype her, but to avoid any unnecessary physical contact or proximity.” Cases of the novel coronavirus topped 5,000 in Britain over the weekend, with over 200 reported deaths. A Downing street source told the BBC that the prime minister was expected to Skype his own mother Sunday. London Mayor Sadiq Khan also appealed to Britons to stay home Sunday. “I love my mum. That’s why this mother’s day I’m picking up the phone and calling her — not visiting as I usually do,” Khan wrote on Twitter. I love my mum. That’s why this mother’s day I’m picking up the phone and calling her – not visiting as I usually do. Stay home and stay safe. https://t.co/9cOJQNNqYY#mothersday#coronavirus#covid19— Mayor of London (gov.uk/coronavirus) (@MayorofLondon) March 22, 2020Johnson warned in a speech Saturday that unless Britons immediately put forth a “heroic and collective national effort to slow the spread” of the virus, that Britain’s National Health Service will soon be overwhelmed. Many Britons took to social media Sunday to post about how they would wish their mothers a happy Mother’s Day without risking exposing them to the virus. It’s #MothersDay tomorrow in the UK but #MamaKhan is in self isolation Me: Ma, I won’t be visiting tomorrow as it’s too risky Mum: OkayMe: So I’ll phone to wish you a Happy Mother’s DayMum: And I presume you WILL leave my presents on the doorstep?Me:😳#CoronaCrisisuk— Dr Amir Khan GP (@DrAmirKhanGP) March 21, 2020  Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums in the world.As my mum is classed as high risk I’ll be getting her the best gift ever this year. Social distancing to give her the best chance of getting through this virus. 💪 pic.twitter.com/OdI9DEWKXi— Dave Z Photography (@DaveZ_uk) March 22, 2020 #SubtweetSocialDistancing I miss my mum, it’s Mother’s Day today here in the UK and I can’t go and see her or give her her flowers personally😢💐— Rushy🕊🌹 (@rushna24) March 22, 2020
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Europe is now the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak as the virus continues to spread. New cases in China, where the outbreak began, have started to decline. A view of an empty street, in Rome, March 21, 2020. Mayors of many towns in Italy are asking for ever more stringent measures on citizens’ movements to help contain the surging infections of the coronavirus.All nonessential businesses in hard-hit Italy have been ordered to close as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic.  “It is the most difficult crisis in our postwar period,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said. Italy recorded nearly 800 deaths from the virus Saturday.  There are 53,578 confirmed cases of the virus in Italy, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.  Cuba has deployed a group of doctors and nurses to help Italy combat the virus.   The European Union Commission has reassured Italy that the country’s debt will not keep it from borrowing money to deal with the virus. In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera newspaper, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said, “What we all understand is that no member state can face this threat alone.  The virus has no borders and the European Union is stronger when we show full solidarity.” Beds are prepared for coronavirus patients at a military hospital set up at the IFEMA conference centre in Madrid, Spain, March 21, 2020.Spain, meanwhile, is bracing as it anticipates the impact from the virus.  “The worst is yet to come,” the government said Saturday.  Spanish officials have warned that the situation could soon overcome the country’s health care system. Spain began a 15-day state of emergency more than a week ago, allowing only essential outings.   Spain has 25,496 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins. Germany, another hard-hit country with more than 22,000 cases, is trying to increase the number of intensive care beds, which now total 28,000, by establishing temporary hospitals in hotels, rehabilitation clinics and other facilities. Britain has shut down dining establishments, bars and other leisure businesses in its efforts to bring a halt to the virus. Elsewhere in the world
In Africa, cases have emerged in Angola, Eritrea, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the country’s residents to self-isolate Sunday and millions complied, rendering India’s usually jam-packed thoroughfares nearly empty.    Modi asked for the 14-hour lockdown to give workers a chance to sanitize public spaces. Malaysia has called in the army to help police enforce a two-week travel ban.   Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Sunday there was “90% compliance, but 10% is not a small number.” Gaza reported its first two virus cases Saturday.  Officials say the two are in quarantine.  Situation in the US Millions of Americans are under orders from their state and local governments to stay home, venturing out only for essential needs, including trips to pharmacies, supermarkets, and gas stations, and for solo exercise. U.S. lawmakers are attempting to create legislation that could deliver direct payments to workers and businesses affected by the crisis.    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted an emergency authorization to Cepheid, a U.S. company, to use its rapid coronavirus tests. The tests, which produce results in 45 minutes, initially will be made available to hospital and emergency rooms, and then to “patient care settings” such as doctor’s offices. The company plans to begin selling the tests at the end of March. 
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Young German adults hold “corona parties” and cough toward older people. A Spanish man leashes a goat to go for a walk to skirt confinement orders. From France to Florida to Australia, kitesurfers, college students and others crowd beaches.Their defiance of lockdown mandates and scientific advice to fight the coronavirus pandemic has prompted crackdowns by authorities on people trying to escape cabin fever brought on by virus restrictions. In some cases, the virus rebels resist — threatening police as officials express outrage over public gatherings that could spread the virus.“Some consider they’re little heroes when they break the rules,” said French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. “Well, no. You’re an imbecile, and especially a threat to yourself.”People ride their bikes along a bike bath near the pier, March 21, 2020, in Huntington Beach, Calif. California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statewide stay at home order for Californians in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.‘You’re not Superman’After days of noncompliance by people refusing to stay home and venture out only for essential tasks, France on Friday sent security forces into train stations to prevent people from traveling to their vacation homes, potentially carrying the virus to the countryside or beaches where medical facilities are less robust.The popular Paris walkway along the Seine River was closed and a nightly curfew was imposed in the French Mediterranean city of Nice by Mayor Christian Estrosi, who is infected with the virus.Florida’s governor closed all of the state’s beaches after images of rowdy spring break college crowds appeared on TV for days amid the rising global death toll, which surpassed 13,000 Sunday. Australia closed Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach after police were outraged at pictures of the crowds.New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that people from 18-to-49 account for more than half of the state’s coronavirus cases, warning them “you’re not Superman, and you’re not Superwoman.”Many people were not complying with social distancing recommendations to stay away from each other in New York City’s vast city park network ahead of a ban on congregating in groups that goes into effect Sunday night, Cuomo said.“You can wind up hurting someone who you love, or hurting someone wholly inadvertently. Social distancing works, and you need social distancing everywhere,” Cuomo warned.China’s exampleAs new coronavirus cases in China dropped to zero several days in a row, the chief medical officer for the International Clinic of Wuhan was alarmed at those elsewhere refusing to follow rules to contain the virus. Dr. Philippe Klein said people should look to China’s confinement of tens of millions as an example to emulate “with courage, with patience, with solidarity.”“I exhort you, the French, to apply the rules in our way,” said Klein, who is French.Worldwide, over 307,000 people have been infected. For most, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. But it can cause more severe illness in others, especially older adults and people with existing health conditions. Some 92,000 people have recovered, mostly in China, where the virus first struck late last year.A woman wears a face mask to protect against coronavirus infection as she shops at an IKEA store in Beijing, March 21, 2020.Who are the virus rebels?The virus rebels tend to range from restless teens to wealthy adults who can travel to their getaway homes. Even in Italy, where the virus death toll soared beyond China’s last week, authorities are still trying to rein in people from going outside for fresh air, sun and visits with friends to escape walled-in lives.French farmers markets where people congregate to shop for food have posed a special challenge for police trying to keep people apart from each other at the recommended 2 meters (6 feet), along with neglected urban housing projects where distrust and disobedience of authorities runs deep.In Clichy-Sous-Bois, a Paris suburb where nationwide riots triggered by police harassment allegations erupted in 2005, a person bit a police officer trying to enforce confinement rules, said Linda Kebbab, a police union spokesperson. And a large crowd threatened to spit on officers who had planned to disperse them in the southeastern city of Lyon but left instead, she said.In the southern German state of Bavaria, Gov. Markus Soeder lamented that “there are still corona parties, there are young people who cough at older people and shout corona for fun and, above all, there are an incredible number of groups being formed.”A police officer wearing a face mask patrols the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, as Nice’s mayor said Friday he will be closing a part of it as part of measures to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak spread in France, March 20, 2020.Spain enforces from aboveNational police in Spain, which has the second-highest number of coronavirus infections in Europe after Italy, are using helicopters to spot groups of people meeting up outdoors. Then agents are sent in to break up the gatherings.Spanish police have also taken to highlighting examples on social media of what people should not do in public during the country’s state of emergency. In the southeastern Murcia region, they posted video of police stopping a person waddling outside in a full-body dinosaur costume and tweeted that pets can be taken for brief walks by owners but that “having a Tyrannosaurus Rex complex is not” allowed.And in Spain’s northeastern region of Catalonia, police posted a picture of a man walking a goat on a leash, apparently trying to take advantage of the pet walking exception.France now has 100,000 security personnel on the streets who are issuing fines amid a new national “Stay Home” mantra and warnings by officials that the country’s two-week lockdown could be extended if the country’s infection rate keeps rising. France on Sunday had nearly 15,000 infections.In Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos tried to convince people to say home, warning citizens that future virus prevention measures depend “on our behavior.”But after Florida’s governor shut down the state’s famed beaches, some businesses were still trying to draw in tourists, including Clearwater Mega Bite Shark Boat, a 40-foot (12-meter) vessel with a bow shaped like a shark’s snout that cruises the Gulf of Mexico off Florida’s western coast.The boat can carry 50 passengers but the owner was limiting trips to 10 to comply with federal advice. Only four people signed up for a Saturday trip, said an employee named Chase who answered the phone but declined to give his last name.“Normally we’d be packed this weekend,” he said.
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A strong earthquake shook Croatia and its capital Sunday, causing widespread damage and panic. One death as been reported.The European seismological agency, EMSC, said the earthquake measured 5.3 and struck a wide area north of the capital, Zagreb, at 6:23 a.m. local time Sunday. The epicenter was 7 kilometers (4 miles) north of Zagreb at the depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).One person was reported killed in Zagreb. A 15-year-old was found in a collapsed building, according to the head of Zagreb Emergency Medicine Institute.Many buildings cracked in Zagreb and walls and rooftops were damaged. Downtown streets were littered with debris. Concrete slabs fell on cars and chimneys landed in front of entrances.A car is crushed by falling debris after an earthquake in Zagreb, Croatia, March 22, 2020.Inside homes, residents shared photos of belongings falling off shelves, broken bottles and glass. Officials said there were injuries, but gave no other immediate details. The earthquake struck amid a partial lockdown of the capital because of the spread of the coronavirus. People were told to avoid public areas, such as parks and public squares, but had no choice as they ran out of their apartments. Up to five people keeping a safe social distance are allowed to be together. Zagreb’s iconic cathedral was also damaged with the top of one of its two spires collapsing. The cathedral was rebuilt after it toppled in the 1880 earthquake.Power was cut as people ran out of their homes. Several fires were also reported. At least two other tremors were recorded later.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing twin challenges from former key allies as discontent grows over a sluggish economy and deteriorating human rights. Earlier this month, Ali Babacan launched the Deva Party, which means remedy. The party’s message is of greater rights, democracy and gender equality.  Ali Babacan once a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launches Deva Party, promising a new Turkey of greater freedoms and rights. (Courtesy of Deva Party)Babacan, once Turkey’s economic czar presiding over the country’s most prosperous years, was among Erdogan’s closest allies. Now Babacan is seeking to end Erdogan’s nearly two-decade-long iron grip on power. Gender equality is an important principle, with the party employing a 30% quota for women to hold positions in the party.  “The main purpose of this party is democracy, freedom and equality. So, this is what I believe, the freedom of speech, gender equality,” said Sanem Oktar, the founder of Kagider, which is Turkey’s Women’s Entrepreneurs Association, and one of Deva’s founders. Oktar says she was drawn into politics and Deva because of the critical moment Turkey is facing. Sanem Oktar is one of the founders of the Deva Party, she believes the party message of rights, democracy and gender equality will resonate within Turkish society. (Dorian Jones/VOA)”Every 20 years the society needs to change,” Oktar added. “I feel that Turkey was a little boy who wears a T-shirt. But the T-shirt does not fit the boy right now; we need a bigger T-shirt right now, for more freedom, more equality. That is what society is looking for right now.” Since the 2016 botched military takeover, tens of thousands of people remain imprisoned while hundreds of thousands of others have lost their jobs in a post-coup crackdown, which continues to this day. According to international rights groups, Turkey remains among the world’s worst jailer of journalists. Erdogan defends the crackdown, maintaining that Turkish democracy still faces threats from followers of U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed for the coup attempt. Gulen denies the accusations. Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, challenges his former ally President Erdogan, launching Gelecek Party (Photo courtesy of Gelecek Party)Disillusionment over Erdogan’s rule saw his former prime minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, launch the Future Party, or Gelecek Partisi, in December. Davutoglu is seeking to court the religious base of Erdogan’s ruling AKP. The Future Party commercials on social media rely heavily on the corrupt-free image of Davutoglu, a potent image given the persistent rumors of massive graft haunting Erdogan’s years in power.  Erdogan’s increasing centralizing of power around himself and close family, analysts say, has weakened the once inclusive coalition of views that made the ruling AKP an unstoppable political force. Sociologist Mesut Yegen, says President Erdogan centralizing of power, offers an opportunity to new parities. Dorian Jones/VOA)”Those who are running AKP Party are not composed of, do not represent the diversity of the conservatives, even the religious people in Turkey,” said sociologist Mesut Yegen. “That means those who are about to build this new party will basically tell the Turkish people that, ‘OK, we need a kind of much more diverse and much more inclusive conservative-liberal party,’ ” added Yegen. One of the main factors widely cited as why Erdogan has remained in power for nearly two decades is that he has prevented the emergence of an alternative center-right political party.  A decade ago, another close Erdogan ally, Abdullatif Sener, left AKP and formed the Turkey Party, citing disillusionment over alleged widespread government corruption.  The party didn’t last long. Businesses of party donors received visits by tax officials, members lost their jobs, and the party collapsed. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
Retiree Kasim questions whether former close allies of Erdogan can offer a new alternative for Turkey. (Dorian Jones/VOA)The same study saw an even more significant surge in support over the same period for freedom of speech, from 43% to 65%, which was the most significant increase in all the countries surveyed by Pew. “The Pew findings indicate even middle-class AKP voters wish for a kinder, gentler Turkey, which Erdogan refuses to deliver,” said analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners. “Whether Erdogan becoming increasingly at odds with the constituency will shake Turkey’s fragile equilibrium is a question we shall see with Mr. Babacan,” added Yesilada. But given Babacan’s and Davutoglu’s critical roles in Erdogan’s government, convincing voters they can deliver a new vision is likely to be challenging. Istanbul’s Uskudar district once a stronghold of Erdogan support has declined, amid concerns over economy and declining rights, but voters appear skeptical whether parties led by Erdogan’s former allies offer a way forward. (Dorian Jones/VOA)Istanbul’s Uskudar district was once a stronghold of Erdogan, but recent local polls show a significant drop in support for the ruling AKP. However, there appears to be hesitation toward the new party leaders. “If you look at the founders of these two parties, they both come from the same party,” said Kasim, a retiree. “One was the former prime minister with his Syria politics, and because of him, we are still over our head with the Syria trouble,” he added. “The other was the minister in charge of the economy who had said, ‘We don’t need to produce anything as a country,’ and agreed with everything that went on.” “I don’t think they will have any chance,” said Omer, a student. “That’s what I think. Nobody should forget where the leaders of these new parties came from. They are all the same.” Overcoming skepticism and voter apathy are widely seen as key for these new challengers to Erdogan, although opinion polls do indicate strong support for the idea of new political parties. The next elections in Turkey are not due until 2023, but there are expectations of an early vote. 
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Like many Parisians who could, I fled the capital on Day One of the coronavirus lockdown. Green space, even a garden, sounded a whole lot better than being stuck in a small apartment for weeks and maybe more.  As people packed train stations, desperate to join family in the countryside, I headed out by bike to the Paris suburb of Neuilly Plaisance. My boyfriend and cats awaited. So did a garden sprouting spring flowers.  I crossed a deserted capital. Gone were the tourists, the aggressive motorbikes, the insouciant teens on skateboards, the families toting tots and baguettes — the cocktail of daily life here.  Homeless people wandered empty sidewalks. A few joggers coasted down carless streets — although tougher government guidelines issued since are further limiting our movements to just a few blocks.  A man rides his bicycle along an empty street in Paris, on March 20, 2020 as a strict lockdown comes into effect to stop the spread of the COVID-19 in the country.I biked through the Bois de Vincennes where, in normal times, strollers and prostitutes peacefully coexist. Both were absent. Then I pedaled along the Marne River, teeming with birds clearly enjoying the absence of humans.  The government has issued strict coronavirus rules. No going out without an authorization that fits a few narrow criteria: to buy essentials like medication or food; to go to a doctor; to take a brief stroll or run. Violators risk a hefty, $140-plus fine.  As a journalist, I am lucky. I can go out for reporting, which is considered a “vital” activity. Even so, most days are spent at home.  Cruelly, the weather under lockdown has been spectacular. After weeks of rain, sunny day has followed sunny day.  And this being France, with a healthy history of flouting authority, people quickly learned to stretch the new restrictions. Police have already handed out thousands of fines.  Still, many French are following orders, sobered by President Emmanuel Macron’s warning of this invisible, deadly enemy. They wait in snaking lines in front of supermarkets and still-open boulangeries — the daily baguette considered as vital as water.  They stay home, trying to juggle tending to out-of-school kids with working remotely. They remain hooked to the news, with the ever-growing coronavirus cases and deaths reported.  We are lucky; we are together, still healthy, with no extra demands beyond a pair of hungry cats. We have a pile of books to read. My boyfriend, a sports doctor, has decided to use his shortened work days to learn electric guitar. Friends and family are setting up Skype and Zoom sessions to stay in touch.  French President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting at the emergency crisis center of the Interior Ministry in Paris, March 20, 2020.“Relearn what is essential,” Macron urged the nation as he announced the lockdown March 16, advising French to use their time in confinement to tighten bonds and explore new subjects.  Maybe we will emerge a kinder, wiser nation — although this is also a nation of skeptics.  Still, at 8 p.m. precisely, French are increasingly throwing open their windows to applaud the country’s overstretched health workers.Now there are “balcony concerts.” Last night, we, too, cracked open a window. And down the silent suburban street came the sound of clapping.   Inhabitants applaud to pay tribute to medical staff as France faces an aggressive progression of the coronavirus in Paris, March 20, 2020. 
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Russia is very likely behind a disinformation campaign on coronavirus in the Western media, intended to fuel panic and discord among allies, experts tell VOA. The European Union has accused Moscow of pushing fake news online in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French, using “contradictory, confusing and malicious reports” to make it harder for the bloc leaders to communicate its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reuters news agency reported Wednesday that the European External Action Service issued a nine-page internal document March 16 saying that  “the overarching aim of Kremlin disinformation is to aggravate the public health crisis in Western countries … in line with the Kremlin’s broader strategy of attempting to subvert European societies.”  The document, seen by Reuters, says an EU database has recorded almost 80 cases of disinformation about coronavirus since January 22, some of them claiming that coronavirus was a U.S. biological weapon. FILE – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskova in Moscow, March 31, 2015.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov promptly denied the accusation citing a lack of specific examples.   “We’re talking again about some unfounded allegations, which in the current situation are probably the result of an anti-Russian obsession,” he said.   But Russia analysts tell VOA that the Russian government is using every means possible to use the coronavirus crisis to its advantage as part of its information warfare against the West.  Russia has reported less than 200 confirmed COVID-19 cases and no deaths, compared with about 80,000 cases and about 3,500 deaths in Europe. “The Russian media is using these numbers to praise the Russian government and personally President Vladimir Putin for allegedly preventing the coronavirus from spreading fast in Russia,” said political analyst and historian Peter Eltsov, author of the new book The Long Telegram 2.0: A Neo-Kennanite Approach to Russia. Eltsov said the Russian media also claim that even China is handling the crisis better than the European Union and the United States. “Some talk shows even spread conspiracy theories, claiming that the U.S. government has invented and is testing coronavirus as means of biological warfare.“ Eltsov says the goal of this propaganda is to sow chaos and dissension in the EU, NATO and the United States. “On many occasions, Putin emphasized that Russia needs a new security architecture in Europe. As European countries are cordoning themselves, he may see it as an opportunity to put his plans in action.” U.S. Congress has found indisputable evidence that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election, and many officials say there is no doubt that Moscow plans to do so again in this year’s election. FILE – French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Dec. 9, 2019.During a joint 2017 press conference in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron asked Putin publicly to stop the fake news against him generated by the Sputnik news agency and RT television network.   Klaus Larres, professor of international affairs at the University of North Carolina, noted that Russia has used every opportunity it has had to weaken Europe, notably during the 1973 oil crisis and 2008 global financial crisis. “It is hardly surprising that some Russian state actors are attempting to exploit the coronavirus crisis through conspiracy theories disseminated on the internet,” he told VOA.  Larres said EU members must not allow being drawn into competition over masks and ventilators as part of an effort to have the spirit of Europe crushed. Instead they must share information and join forces to end the coronavirus crisis, he said.   
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Two former close allies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have formed new political parties, a move that could threaten his hold on power.  The two parties are calling for a more democratic Turkey but, as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, they are likely to face formidable challenges.
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The Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged reported no new homegrown cases Thursday, while the death toll in Italy was poised to overtake China’s in a stark illustration of how the crisis has pivoted toward Europe and the U.S.
The outbreak spread to at least one European head of state, 62-year-old Prince Albert II of the tiny principality of Monaco. The palace announced that he had tested positive for the virus but was continuing to work from his office and was being treated by doctors from Princess Grace Hospital, named after his American actress mother.
In the U.S., Congress rushed to pass a $1 trillion emergency package to shore up the sinking economy and help households pull through the crisis, with the first of two possible rounds of relief checks consisting of payments of $1,000 per adult and $500 for each child.
The worldwide death toll crept toward 10,000 as the total number of infections topped 220,000, including nearly 85,000 people who have recovered.  
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe pleaded with people to keep their distance from one another to avoid spreading the virus, even as the crisis pushed them to seek comfort.
“When you love someone, you should avoid taking them in your arms,” he said in Parliament. “It’s counterintuitive, and it’s painful. The psychological consequences, the way we are living, are very disturbing — but it’s what we must do.”Here’s a breakdown of the potentiality of contagion based on your greeting of choice.Italy, a country of 60 million, registered 2,978 deaths Wednesday after 475 more people died. Italy was likely to overtake China’s 3,249 dead — in a land of 1.4 billion — upon the release of Thursday’s figures.
The American death toll rose to 149, primarily elderly people.
Health authorities have cited a variety of reasons for Italy’s high toll, key among them its large population of elderly people, who are particularly susceptible to serious complications from the virus. Italy has the world’s second-oldest population, and the vast majority of its dead — 87% — were over 70.
Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit, a virologist at Germany’s Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, said Italy’s high death rate could be explained in part by the almost total breakdown of the health system in some areas.
“That’s what happens when the health system collapses,” he said.
On a visit to the northern city of Milan, the head of a Chinese Red Cross delegation helping advise Italy said he was shocked to see so many people walking around, using public transportation and eating out.  
Sun Shuopeng said Wuhan saw infections peak only after a month of a strictly enforced lockdown.
“Right now we need to stop all economic activity and we need to stop the mobility of people,” he said. “All people should be staying at home in quarantine.”
Aside from the elderly and the sick, most people have mild or moderate symptoms, like a fever or cough, and most recover in a matter of weeks.
Spain has been the hardest-hit European country after Italy, and in Madrid a four-star hotel began operating as a makeshift hospital for coronavirus patients.  
The director of the group that runs the Ayre GH Colon hotel tweeted: “365 rooms more to help win the war.” The Madrid Hotel Business Association said it has placed 40 hotels with room for 9,000 people at the service of the Madrid region, which has near half of Spain’s 17,000 or so cases.
In London, home to almost 9 million, the government urged people to stay off public transportation as authorities considered imposing tougher travel restrictions.  
The British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s reserved the first hour of shopping for vulnerable customers, one of many such efforts around the world.
Jim Gibson, 72, of London, said he found most of his groceries there in a “relatively trauma-free” experience. But he fretted that he hadn’t been able to get the medicine he needed for his wife and himself, and expressed concerns that Britain’s government had been too slow in ramping up testing.
“You can’t go on ignoring World Health Organization guidelines — if they’re wrong, who the hell is right?” he said. “Let’s have no shilly-shallying.”
Michel Barnier, the European Union’s chief negotiator for its future relationship with Britain after Brexit, said he had been infected with the coronavirus.
“For all those affected already, and for all those currently in isolation, we will get through this together,” the 69-year-old Barnier tweeted.
Thursday marked the first time since Jan. 20 that the Chinese city of Wuhan showed no new locally transmitted cases, a rare glimmer of hope and perhaps a lesson in the strict measures needed to contain the virus.
Wuhan, which has been under a strict lockdown since January, once was the place where thousands lay sick or dying in hurriedly constructed hospitals. But Chinese authorities said all 34 new cases recorded over the previous day had come from abroad.
“Today, we have seen the dawn after so many days of hard effort,” said Jiao Yahui, a senior inspector at the National Health Commission.
European stock markets were up only slightly after losses in Asia despite a massive 750 billion-euro stimulus package announced overnight by the European Central Bank.  
Wall Street was calm in early trading by the standards of the past few days, when traders — weighing the increasing likelihood of a recession against the huge economic support pledged by global authorities — have caused wild swings.  
With wide swaths of the U.S. economy grinding to a halt, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits surged by 70,000 last week, more than economists expected.  
The U.S. Federal Reserve unveiled measures to support money-market funds and borrowing as investors worldwide rush to build up dollars and cash.  
Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, along with Honda and Toyota, announced on Wednesday that they would close all of their factories in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The shutdown of Detroit’s Big Three alone will idle about 150,000 workers.
More borders closed, leaving tens of thousands of tourists wondering how they would get home. In the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand shut out tourists, while Fiji reported its first virus case, a worrying development in a region with poor healthcare.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei planned to pardon 10,000 more prisoners — including an unknown number of political detainees— to combat the virus. The country, where more than 1,100 people have already died, previously freed 85,000 prisoners on temporary leave.  
In Austria, the province of Tyrol put 279 municipalities under quarantine because of a large number of infections, barring people from leaving towns or villages except to go to work.
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The prime minister in the Netherlands has offered reassurances amid the global coronavirus outbreak: telling citizens on Thursday there is no shortage of toilet paper.
 
“Yes, I have enough,” Mark Rutte told a shopper in an informal exchange while visiting a supermarket to show support for workers. “They have it (on shelves) again.”
 
“But there’s enough in the whole country for the coming 10 years,” he said. “We can all poop for 10 years.”
 
Dutch supermarkets shelves have mostly refilled following a stockpiling episode last week. 
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The Olympic flame is set to arrive in Japan from Greece even as the opening of the Tokyo Games in four months is in doubt with more voices calling for the event to be postponed or canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The flame will touch down Friday aboard a white aircraft painted with the inscription “Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay” along its side, and “Hope Lights Our Way” stenciled near the tail section. Staff members of Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways and runway crew wave as they see off the ‘Tokyo 2020 Go’ aircraft, before it departs for Greece, at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Japan, March 18, 2020.Everything about the arrival ceremony at the Matsushima air base in northern Japan will be subdued. The flame is to be greeted by a few dignitaries, saluted by a flyover from an aerial acrobatic team — if weather permits — and then used to ignite a cauldron. The burning vessel will be displayed in three northern prefectures before the official relay begins on March 26 from Fukushima prefecture, which was devastated nine years ago by an earthquake, tsunami and the meltdown of three nuclear reactors. Thousands of people from the region are still in temporary housing and life has not returned to normal for many. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes to use the Olympics  to crown his run as Japan’s longest serving premier, and many suggest he may not be around if the games are put off and the economy slumps. Taro Aso, the Japanese finance minister and former prime minister, characterized the Tokyo Games as the “cursed Olympics” when speaking on Wednesday in a parliamentary committee. Aso was born in 1940, the year Tokyo was to hold its first Olympics, which were called off because of World War II. FILE – Japan’s Finance Minister Taro Aso speaks during a news conference in the sidelines of the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, Oct. 18, 2019.”This isn’t a phrase that the press could like to hear, but it’s true,” said Aso, who was a member of Japan’s shooting team at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Aso pointed out that even as the situation in Japan and Asia improves, it’s worse globally. “We certainly hope to have a situation where everyone can at least come to Japan feeling safe and happy.” Aso said. “But the question is how we do that. It is something that Japan alone cannot achieve, and I don’t have an answer to this.” Getting the flame to Japan represents a small victory for the International Olympic Committee and local organizers, who maintain the Olympics will open as scheduled on July 24 and be followed by the Paralympics on Aug. 25. Even if they don’t, the burning flame could be used as a symbol — particularly if the games are eventually delayed — and a rallying point for the Japanese public. In a conference call on Wednesday, IOC president Thomas Bach got support for holding course, but is also getting push back from athletes who can’t train, are confused about the qualification process, and worry about their health. Critics are also complaining about the unfairness of qualifying, which might give some athletes advantages over others. An IOC member, four-time Olympic hockey gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser, has broken publicly with Bach. “I think the IOC insisting this will move ahead, with such conviction, is insensitive and irresponsible given the state of humanity,” said Wickenheiser, who is training to be a physician. “Keep them safe. Call it off,” Matthew Pinsent, a four-time Olympic champion rower and former IOC member, wrote on Twitter. The four-month torch relay could be fraught with problems, particularly for sponsors Coca-Cola and Toyota, which have invested millions for the publicity.  The torch relay tradition dates from Adolph Hitler’s 1936 Berlin Olympics. Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou, center, lights the torch of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, held by Greek shooting Olympic champion Anna Korakaki, left, during the flame lighting ceremony at the closed Ancient Olympia site in southern Greece.The torch relay in Greece, following the symbolic lighting on March 12, was stopped during the second day and did not resume because of large crowds. The flame was handed over, by proxy, to Tokyo organizers in Athens on Thursday in a bare-bones version of the usual elaborate ceremony in the stadium where the first modern games were staged in 1896. The 80,000-seat marble stadium was empty apart from a handful of officials and participants. The Japanese delegation was absent because of travel restrictions and Tokyo organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori delivered a speech by video from Japan. But his message was upbeat. “Tokyo 2020 commits to be in readiness for the games as planned,” Mori said. “I hereby pledge that on 24 July this flame will be lit at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.” Tokyo organizers have stripped most of the festivities from the relay, and have asked roadside crowds to be “restrained” and keep their distance from others. If that does not happen, organizers say they could stop the relay, or delay it.   
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As lockdown becomes the new norm in Europe, people in France — the EU’s third largest economy — discuss their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic.Busy avenues like the Champs Elysées are not buzzing these days in the French capital. Since Monday at noon local time, French citizens have been ordered to remain home and self-quarantine to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Many are teleworking and taking care of their children, since the schools are closed, too. This is the case for Isabelle Garcia, a lawyer with two toddlers. “The current situation is quite difficult. My husband and I are both teleworking, but (our) son’s school is closed. So is my daughter’s day care. We are waking up early while they’re still asleep. And when the children are awake, I work for an hour when my husband looks after them, and we rotate. It is quite tiring and hard work, but we are making the best of it and trying to do everything we can to get through it, I think, like anybody else,” she said.The French government put the whole country in lockdown, but no curfew has been implemented. People must stay home as much as they can, but they can go outside to grocery shop, see a doctor, walk the dog, or if they cannot telework. Police can fine people up to $150 if they do not have a valid excuse to be outside. A man runs in front of the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, March 18, 2020.Philippe Offroy is a sales manager in Lyon, in east-central France. He had to leave Italy, where he was working in one of the main coronavirus clusters when troubles occurred. He is now stuck in his own country. He said that he has no dog or any animal to walk outside, so he has no valid excuse to go outside his house. Unlike Italy or Spain, the government does not ban all sports activities, as long as you are not in a group and stay close to your home. So, there is this option to breathe a little bit, said Offroy. Some, like Jonathan Peterschmitt, are seeing this lockdown as another quarantine. He tested positive with the coronavirus two weeks ago in Mulhouse Suburb, a town close to Germany. After two weeks of self-quarantine, he is undergoing another long waiting period at home. “I do not go outside now, because I am waiting to have zero symptoms to be sure I am not any threat to anybody. My wife and my kids are very well, but because we are experiencing another quarantine, we have to be extra careful not to meet anybody and stay away from other people.”French authorities may extend the current lockdown after the initial first two weeks.  
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Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated a nationwide vote on constitutional amendments that would open the door to extending his power might face delays because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, which has affected Russia little but ravaged other parts of the globe.“I really am counting on people to show up on April 22 and support the changes,” Putin said in a Wednesday speech that was meant to mark the sixth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula but touched on the vote set for next month.“Although, if there will be problems connected to this well-known coronavirus, then the law allows us to calmly … move it to a later period,” he said. “If the epidemiological situation allows, we’ll hold the national vote. If not, then we’ll postpone a bit.”At the heart of the issue: a controversial referendum over reforms that, among other measures, would allow the Russian leader to retain his post and compete in future presidential elections when his current term ends in 2024.Russian chess players forgo a handshake for an elbow bump as they take part in the Candidates Tournament, organized by the International Chess Federation, in Yekaterinburg, Russia, March 18, 2020.Yet the move — widely seen as an effort to legitimize Putin’s hold over Russian political life well into the next decade — has run into an unexpected foe in the form of a pandemic that demands social distancing and thinning of crowds to avoid mass contagion.Critics say the growing dissonance between government efforts to respond to the virus and the Kremlin’s rush to push through with the vote has revealed the constitutional reforms as nothing short of an orchestrated coup.“The left hand is closing everything, and the right is demanding 24 hours a day, is demanding we come to the booth and vote,” said Matvei Ganapolsky, a commentator on Echo of Moscow radio and vocal critic of the referendum.Few reported infectionsThus far, Russia has been spared the brunt of coronavirus infection — a move government officials have chalked up to smart policies but critics worry may reflect underreporting.A government task force on Wednesday reported 33 new infections in Russia over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 147, with no confirmed deaths.“It’s well-known to us that viruses know no government borders,” Putin said in addressing his cabinet Tuesday at the Kremlin. “Despite the potential high risks … the situation is, on the whole, under control.”Yet scientists continued to question how it was that Russia, the world’s largest country by land mass, had so few cases when it shares borders with coronavirus-ravaged neighbors in China and Europe.A view shows empty shelves in the meat department of a supermarket amid coronavirus concerns in Moscow, Russia, March 18, 2020.For weeks, rumors have circulated of Russian authorities reclassifying coronavirus cases as flu or pneumonia to prevent public panic.Yet Passengers check their smartphones as they wait in an empty hall inside Sheremetyevo international airport outside Moscow, March 18, 2020. Russian authorities are taking strong steps to try to prevent the spread of coronavirus.Moscow’s city government announced its vast transportation network of trains and buses would undergo daily disinfection. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of offices and government services encouraged employees to take time off or work from home.Russia’s Orthodox Church introduced measures aimed at containing the spread of infection, including instructing followers to refrain from the common practice of kissing icons. In a related move, the Moscow Patriarch issued an order for priests to discourage worshippers from kissing their hands.The U.S. Embassy in Moscow announced it was temporarily cutting back on visa and other services out of concern for its American and Russian staff.There were reports of consumer runs on meat, pantry items and other key supplies.Yet, on social media, users mostly swapped ideas — and jokes — on how to spend the coming weeks quarantined in Russia’s traditionally small, cramped apartments.“It’s not so bad to sit under quarantine, only there’s one thing I don’t get: why does one packet of buckwheat hold 2,082 kernels and another 2,947?” asked one user in a widely shared tweet joking about a staple grain of the Russian diet.Очень полезно сидеть на карантине, одно не понятно – почему в одной пачке гречки 2082 штучек гречки, а во второй 2947?— натурал – дезертир (@PapaPozdnyakov) March 17, 2020His point? He, like many others around the world, was now at home with plenty of time to kill.
 
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