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March 31, 2020

Daily Coronavirus Death Toll in U.S. Exceeds 500 for First Time

By Antonia Noori Farzan, Kim Bellware, Michael Brice-Saddler, Teo Armus & Rick Noack | The Washington Post
Monday was the first day that the number of U.S. deaths due to the coronavirus grew by more than 500, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. Almost half of the deaths were reported in New York. The previous national high was 446 on Saturday.

More from WPR: What It Will Take to Save Economies From the Coronavirus Pandemic

Opinion

March 31, 2020

The National Security Council Sounded Early Alarms About the Coronavirus

By Josh Rogin | The Washington Post
The NSC’s behind-the-scenes role has been overlooked by critics narrowly focused on whether the folding into the NSC of a previously separate “pandemic office” resulted in what’s seen as the administration’s chaotic response. But the NSC was actually calling for more robust action and working to get more health officials involved.

More from WPR: Trump Is Playacting at Leadership as the Coronavirus Surges in the U.S.

News

March 30, 2020

Trump Extends Social Distancing Guidelines Through End of April

By Michael D. Shear | The New York Times
President Trump retreated Sunday from his desire to relax coronavirus guidelines by Easter, announcing instead that all Americans must continue to avoid nonessential travel, going to work, eating at bars and restaurants, or gathering in groups of more than 10 for at least another month and perhaps until June.

More from WPR: Trump Is Playacting at Leadership as the Coronavirus Surges in the U.S.

White House Airlifts Medical Supplies From China in Coronavirus Fight

By Ana Swanson | The New York Times
A commercial aircraft carrying 80 tons of gloves, masks, gowns and other medical supplies from Shanghai touched down in New York on Sunday, the first of 22 scheduled flights that White House officials say will funnel much-needed goods to the United States by early April as it battles the world’s largest coronavirus outbreak.

Opinion

March 30, 2020

Africa

News

March 31, 2020
March 30, 2020

Mali Holds Election Despite Coronavirus and Insurgency

By The Editors | Reuters
Mali held its long-delayed parliamentary election Sunday despite an insurgency in its central and northern regions, concerns about coronavirus and the recent kidnapping of the main opposition leader.

Kenya’s Coronavirus Curfew Begins With Wave of Police Crackdowns

By Max Bearak & Rael Ombuor | Associated Press
Kenya’s dusk-to-dawn curfew was intended to encourage social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Instead, security forces unleashed beatings and tear gas, injuring dozens of people, potentially exposing many more to the virus and damaging public trust in the government’s strategy to contain the outbreak.

More from WPR: Across Africa, Coronavirus Lockdowns Pose New Risks for the Most Vulnerable

The Americas

News

March 31, 2020

Brazilian Left Demands Bolsonaro Resign Over Coronavirus Response

By Tom Phillips | The Guardian
Some of the most distinguished members of the Brazilian left have demanded Jair Bolsonaro’s resignation in a biting declaration that criticized what they called his cynical and criminally irresponsible handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Opinion

March 31, 2020

News

March 30, 2020

Russian Oil Giant Rosneft Pulls Out of Venezuela Amid U.S. Squeeze on Maduro

By Isabelle Khurshudyan & Anthony Faiola | The Washington Post
Russia’s state-controlled oil giant Rosneft announced Saturday that it had stopped operations in Venezuela and sold its assets to a company wholly owned by the Russian government, in a shake-up of a key economic lifeline for embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas ­Maduro.

Opinion

March 30, 2020

By Indicting Maduro, Trump Is Kneecapping a Transition in Venezuela

By Geoff Ramsey | The Washington Post
There’s no question that organized criminal elements, including drug-trafficking organizations and Colombian guerrilla groups, have penetrated state institutions in Venezuela. The allegations are not surprising given the clear corruption and authoritarianism of the Maduro regime, and they are serious. But the Trump administration’s rhetoric clearly isn’t.

More from WPR: How Nicolas Maduro Is Surviving ‘Maximum Pressure’ in Venezuela

Bolsonaro Is Endangering Brazil. He Must Be Impeached

By Rosana Pinheiro-Machado | The Washington Post
While the novel coronavirus spreads in Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro has demonstrated an alarming inability to govern the country, undermining the pandemic and efforts to protect and save lives. And as a result of his irresponsible and divisive behavior, he has thrown Brazil into a deep crisis. He must be removed from office.

Asia-Pacific

News

March 31, 2020

Exiled Pakistani Journalist Goes Missing in Sweden

By Hannah Ellis-Petersen & Shah Meer Baloch | The Guardian
A prominent Pakistani journalist who fled the country after receiving death threats has gone missing in Sweden where he had been granted political asylum.

Opinion

March 31, 2020

Europe

News

March 31, 2020

Hungary’s ‘Coronavirus Bill’ Hands Orban Unchecked Power

By Loveday Morris | The Washington Post
The Hungarian parliament Monday handed the country’s populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, the power to govern unchallenged for as long as he sees fit, a move rights groups said effectively suspends democracy in the European Union member state in the name of fighting the novel coronavirus.

Ukraine Approves Legislation in a Bid for IMF Aid

By AP Editors | Associated Press
Ukraine’s parliament has voted to lift the ban on the sale of farmland in a move that would allow the country to get $8 billion worth of aid from the International Monetary Fund.

Opinion

March 31, 2020

The Coronavirus Crisis Is Stripping Bare Europe’s Deep Fractures

By Heather A. Conley & John Kornblum | The Washington Post
The EU’s accelerating decline means that one of the key pillars of the Western democratic world is shaking badly at a time when Russia and China are presenting competing visions of the future. A fragmented and disjointed Europe would be a disaster for not only European nations, but also for the United States and democracy globally.

More from WPR: The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Exposing and Exacerbating the EU’s Fissures

News

March 30, 2020

Poland Opposition Leader Calls on Voters to Boycott Election

By James Shotter | Financial Times (subscription required)
The main opposition candidate in Poland’s presidential election has suspended her campaign and called on voters to boycott the poll because of the dangers posed by the accelerating spread of coronavirus.

Opinion

March 30, 2020

Middle East & North Africa

News

March 31, 2020

Saudi Arabia Invites Houthi Rebels to Talks in Riyadh

By Warren P. Strobel | The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Saudi Arabia is in daily talks with Iran-aligned Houthi insurgents in Yemen and has invited Houthi representatives and the internationally recognized government in Yemen to peace talks in the kingdom, a senior Saudi official said.

Virus Soars Among Ultra-Orthodox Jews as Many Flout Israel’s Rules

By David M. Halbfinger | The New York Times
Ultra-Orthodox Jews failing to comply with government instructions to contain the coronavirus are causing it to spread so quickly that Israeli officials are considering blockading entire communities to protect the wider population.

Opinion

March 31, 2020

Benny Gantz Just Sold Out Israel’s Perilously Ill Democracy

By Gershom Gorenberg | The Washington Post
Benny Gantz ran on one promise: to end Benjamin Netanyahu’s reign, to restore the rule of law, to heal democracy. Gantz forgot that and failed the political test. At the end of last week, in one of the most bizarre reversals in Israel’s political history, Gantz cut a deal to join a government with Netanyahu.

More from WPR: Could the Coronavirus Finally Break Israel’s Political Deadlock?

News

March 30, 2020

Saudi Intercepts Missiles in Attacks Claimed by Yemen’s Houthis

By The Editors | Reuters
Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles Saturday night in an attack that Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group Sunday said they had launched towards the capital Riyadh and southern areas near the Yemeni border.

Islamic State Detainees Mutiny at Prison in Syria

By Liz Sly & Louisa Loveluck | The Washington Post
Kurdish-led forces battled Monday to quell an overnight mutiny at a prison in northeastern Syria after former Islamic State fighters complaining about conditions seized control of parts of the facility.

United States

News

March 31, 2020

Daily Coronavirus Death Toll in U.S. Exceeds 500 for First Time

By Antonia Noori Farzan, Kim Bellware, Michael Brice-Saddler, Teo Armus & Rick Noack | The Washington Post
Monday was the first day that the number of U.S. deaths due to the coronavirus grew by more than 500, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. Almost half of the deaths were reported in New York. The previous national high was 446 on Saturday.

More from WPR: What It Will Take to Save Economies From the Coronavirus Pandemic

Opinion

March 31, 2020

The National Security Council Sounded Early Alarms About the Coronavirus

By Josh Rogin | The Washington Post
The NSC’s behind-the-scenes role has been overlooked by critics narrowly focused on whether the folding into the NSC of a previously separate “pandemic office” resulted in what’s seen as the administration’s chaotic response. But the NSC was actually calling for more robust action and working to get more health officials involved.

More from WPR: Trump Is Playacting at Leadership as the Coronavirus Surges in the U.S.

News

March 30, 2020

Trump Extends Social Distancing Guidelines Through End of April

By Michael D. Shear | The New York Times
President Trump retreated Sunday from his desire to relax coronavirus guidelines by Easter, announcing instead that all Americans must continue to avoid nonessential travel, going to work, eating at bars and restaurants, or gathering in groups of more than 10 for at least another month and perhaps until June.

More from WPR: Trump Is Playacting at Leadership as the Coronavirus Surges in the U.S.

White House Airlifts Medical Supplies From China in Coronavirus Fight

By Ana Swanson | The New York Times
A commercial aircraft carrying 80 tons of gloves, masks, gowns and other medical supplies from Shanghai touched down in New York on Sunday, the first of 22 scheduled flights that White House officials say will funnel much-needed goods to the United States by early April as it battles the world’s largest coronavirus outbreak.

Opinion

March 30, 2020

By Indicting Maduro, Trump Is Kneecapping a Transition in Venezuela

By Geoff Ramsey | The Washington Post
There’s no question that organized criminal elements, including drug-trafficking organizations and Colombian guerrilla groups, have penetrated state institutions in Venezuela. The allegations are not surprising given the clear corruption and authoritarianism of the Maduro regime, and they are serious. But the Trump administration’s rhetoric clearly isn’t.

More from WPR: How Nicolas Maduro Is Surviving ‘Maximum Pressure’ in Venezuela

The Americas

News

March 31, 2020

Brazilian Left Demands Bolsonaro Resign Over Coronavirus Response

By Tom Phillips | The Guardian
Some of the most distinguished members of the Brazilian left have demanded Jair Bolsonaro’s resignation in a biting declaration that criticized what they called his cynical and criminally irresponsible handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Opinion

March 31, 2020

News

March 30, 2020

Russian Oil Giant Rosneft Pulls Out of Venezuela Amid U.S. Squeeze on Maduro

By Isabelle Khurshudyan & Anthony Faiola | The Washington Post
Russia’s state-controlled oil giant Rosneft announced Saturday that it had stopped operations in Venezuela and sold its assets to a company wholly owned by the Russian government, in a shake-up of a key economic lifeline for embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas ­Maduro.

Opinion

March 30, 2020

By Indicting Maduro, Trump Is Kneecapping a Transition in Venezuela

By Geoff Ramsey | The Washington Post
There’s no question that organized criminal elements, including drug-trafficking organizations and Colombian guerrilla groups, have penetrated state institutions in Venezuela. The allegations are not surprising given the clear corruption and authoritarianism of the Maduro regime, and they are serious. But the Trump administration’s rhetoric clearly isn’t.

More from WPR: How Nicolas Maduro Is Surviving ‘Maximum Pressure’ in Venezuela

Bolsonaro Is Endangering Brazil. He Must Be Impeached

By Rosana Pinheiro-Machado | The Washington Post
While the novel coronavirus spreads in Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro has demonstrated an alarming inability to govern the country, undermining the pandemic and efforts to protect and save lives. And as a result of his irresponsible and divisive behavior, he has thrown Brazil into a deep crisis. He must be removed from office.

Europe

News

March 31, 2020

Hungary’s ‘Coronavirus Bill’ Hands Orban Unchecked Power

By Loveday Morris | The Washington Post
The Hungarian parliament Monday handed the country’s populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, the power to govern unchallenged for as long as he sees fit, a move rights groups said effectively suspends democracy in the European Union member state in the name of fighting the novel coronavirus.

Ukraine Approves Legislation in a Bid for IMF Aid

By AP Editors | Associated Press
Ukraine’s parliament has voted to lift the ban on the sale of farmland in a move that would allow the country to get $8 billion worth of aid from the International Monetary Fund.

Exiled Pakistani Journalist Goes Missing in Sweden

By Hannah Ellis-Petersen & Shah Meer Baloch | The Guardian
A prominent Pakistani journalist who fled the country after receiving death threats has gone missing in Sweden where he had been granted political asylum.

Opinion

March 31, 2020

The Coronavirus Crisis Is Stripping Bare Europe’s Deep Fractures

By Heather A. Conley & John Kornblum | The Washington Post
The EU’s accelerating decline means that one of the key pillars of the Western democratic world is shaking badly at a time when Russia and China are presenting competing visions of the future. A fragmented and disjointed Europe would be a disaster for not only European nations, but also for the United States and democracy globally.

More from WPR: The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Exposing and Exacerbating the EU’s Fissures

News

March 30, 2020

Russian Oil Giant Rosneft Pulls Out of Venezuela Amid U.S. Squeeze on Maduro

By Isabelle Khurshudyan & Anthony Faiola | The Washington Post
Russia’s state-controlled oil giant Rosneft announced Saturday that it had stopped operations in Venezuela and sold its assets to a company wholly owned by the Russian government, in a shake-up of a key economic lifeline for embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas ­Maduro.

Poland Opposition Leader Calls on Voters to Boycott Election

By James Shotter | Financial Times (subscription required)
The main opposition candidate in Poland’s presidential election has suspended her campaign and called on voters to boycott the poll because of the dangers posed by the accelerating spread of coronavirus.

Countries Reject China Pandemic Product Batches

By Michael Peel, Mehreen Khan, Daniel Dombey & Laura Pitel | Financial Times (subscription required)
Several countries in or neighboring the EU have rejected Chinese-made coronavirus testing kits and protective equipment as substandard, raising concerns about the quality of supplies.

Opinion

March 30, 2020

Africa

News

March 31, 2020
March 30, 2020

Mali Holds Election Despite Coronavirus and Insurgency

By The Editors | Reuters
Mali held its long-delayed parliamentary election Sunday despite an insurgency in its central and northern regions, concerns about coronavirus and the recent kidnapping of the main opposition leader.

Kenya’s Coronavirus Curfew Begins With Wave of Police Crackdowns

By Max Bearak & Rael Ombuor | Associated Press
Kenya’s dusk-to-dawn curfew was intended to encourage social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Instead, security forces unleashed beatings and tear gas, injuring dozens of people, potentially exposing many more to the virus and damaging public trust in the government’s strategy to contain the outbreak.

More from WPR: Across Africa, Coronavirus Lockdowns Pose New Risks for the Most Vulnerable

Middle East & North Africa

News

March 31, 2020

Saudi Arabia Invites Houthi Rebels to Talks in Riyadh

By Warren P. Strobel | The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Saudi Arabia is in daily talks with Iran-aligned Houthi insurgents in Yemen and has invited Houthi representatives and the internationally recognized government in Yemen to peace talks in the kingdom, a senior Saudi official said.

Virus Soars Among Ultra-Orthodox Jews as Many Flout Israel’s Rules

By David M. Halbfinger | The New York Times
Ultra-Orthodox Jews failing to comply with government instructions to contain the coronavirus are causing it to spread so quickly that Israeli officials are considering blockading entire communities to protect the wider population.

Opinion

March 31, 2020

Benny Gantz Just Sold Out Israel’s Perilously Ill Democracy

By Gershom Gorenberg | The Washington Post
Benny Gantz ran on one promise: to end Benjamin Netanyahu’s reign, to restore the rule of law, to heal democracy. Gantz forgot that and failed the political test. At the end of last week, in one of the most bizarre reversals in Israel’s political history, Gantz cut a deal to join a government with Netanyahu.

More from WPR: Could the Coronavirus Finally Break Israel’s Political Deadlock?

News

March 30, 2020

Saudi Intercepts Missiles in Attacks Claimed by Yemen’s Houthis

By The Editors | Reuters
Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles Saturday night in an attack that Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group Sunday said they had launched towards the capital Riyadh and southern areas near the Yemeni border.

Islamic State Detainees Mutiny at Prison in Syria

By Liz Sly & Louisa Loveluck | The Washington Post
Kurdish-led forces battled Monday to quell an overnight mutiny at a prison in northeastern Syria after former Islamic State fighters complaining about conditions seized control of parts of the facility.

Prisoners Riot in Iran; Netanyahu Goes Into Self-Quarantine

By Amir Vahdat & Aron Heller | Associated Press
Prisoners in southern Iran broke cameras and caused other damage during a riot, state media reported Monday, the latest in a series of violent prison disturbances in the country, which is battling the most severe coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East.

Asia-Pacific

News

March 31, 2020

Exiled Pakistani Journalist Goes Missing in Sweden

By Hannah Ellis-Petersen & Shah Meer Baloch | The Guardian
A prominent Pakistani journalist who fled the country after receiving death threats has gone missing in Sweden where he had been granted political asylum.

Opinion

March 31, 2020

News

March 30, 2020

White House Airlifts Medical Supplies From China in Coronavirus Fight

By Ana Swanson | The New York Times
A commercial aircraft carrying 80 tons of gloves, masks, gowns and other medical supplies from Shanghai touched down in New York on Sunday, the first of 22 scheduled flights that White House officials say will funnel much-needed goods to the United States by early April as it battles the world’s largest coronavirus outbreak.

Countries Reject China Pandemic Product Batches

By Michael Peel, Mehreen Khan, Daniel Dombey & Laura Pitel | Financial Times (subscription required)
Several countries in or neighboring the EU have rejected Chinese-made coronavirus testing kits and protective equipment as substandard, raising concerns about the quality of supplies.

India’s Coronavirus Lockdown Leaves Vast Numbers Stranded and Hungry

By Maria Abi-Habib & Sameer Yasir | The New York Times
In one of the biggest migrations in India’s modern history, hundreds of thousands of migrant laborers have begun long journeys on foot to get home, having been rendered homeless and jobless by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Opinion

March 30, 2020

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