Italian daily coronavirus deaths jump 36% to 631
The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has jumped by 168 to 631, an increase of 36%, the Civil Protection Agency said on Tuesday, the largest rise in absolute numbers since the contagion came to light on Feb. 21.
Harvard to move to virtual classes amid coronavirus outbreak
Harvard University asked its students on Tuesday not to return to campus after Spring Break and said it would begin moving to virtual instruction for graduate and undergraduate classes amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Activists make ‘scent of fear’ to protest perfumery at Soviet purge site
Russian activists have created a perfume with notes of gunpowder and ash to evoke the terror felt by victims of Josef Stalin’s purges, and protest the planned opening of a perfume shop in the building where thousands were sentenced to death.
Turkey says U.S. offering Patriot systems if S-400s remain unboxed
The United States has offered to sell Turkey its Patriot missile defense system if Ankara promises not to operate a rival Russian system, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said, in what he called a significant softening in Washington’s position.
Spain steps up anti-coronavirus plan to ‘avoid Italian scenario’
Spain shut down schools in several regions, suspended flights from Italy and closed the lower house of parliament for at least a week after a lawmaker tested positive for the coronavirus, in the hope of stemming a growing outbreak.
Iran should ‘release all prisoners’ amid coronavirus: U.N.
The U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran said on Tuesday he had asked Tehran to free all prisoners temporarily, saying it is “unfortunate and disturbing” to continue holding political prisoners amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Fukushima dreams: a baseball star, a father and their shattered town
Kazuo Ouchi drives down a single-lane road through sheets of rain until he reaches a gravel driveway leading to a weathered farmhouse. Yellowing lace curtains are drawn tight over the windows, shutting out the weak winter light.
Italy may grant holiday from mortgage payments to soften blow from coronavirus
Italians hard-hit by a nationwide lockdown to combat Europe’s worst outbreak of coronavirus could get a holiday from mortgage payments under a raft of measures to ease the economic blow from the epidemic, ministers said on Tuesday.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro plays down coronavirus, calls stock market turmoil ‘sporadic’
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday played down the coronavirus outbreak, and said that the resulting turmoil in financial markets – Brazilian stocks had their biggest fall on Monday since 1998 – is “sporadic” and not a crisis.
‘President of the district’: Afghans mock parallel inaugurations on social media
After a day of political chaos that left many in Afghanistan stunned, some citizens took to social media to vent their frustration and to highlight the absurd elements of their country’s political predicament.
