In a dramatic reversal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief rival, Benny Gantz, has agreed to join forces in an "emergency government" to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
Why it matters: This is a big step toward ending Israel's year-long political deadlock and a victory for Netanyahu, who will stay on as prime minister for at least another 18 months even as his corruption trial gets underway.
China will temporarily suspend entry for foreign nationals with visas or residence permits beginning at midnight on March 28 in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday.
Why it matters: It's a sign that China, where the coronavirus outbreak originated, is seeking to curb the number of imported cases in order to stop its epidemic from flaring up again. Diplomatic visas will not be affected.
The U.S. unsealed drug trafficking charges Thursday against President Nicolás Maduro and other senior Venezuelan officials.
Why it matters: It's a highly unusual indictment of a head of state that comes 14 months after the U.S. recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's president. Maduro remains in power, even as the U.S. has insisted he step down and said all options were on the table if he did not.
The Australian man who opened fire inside two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, has pleaded guilty to 51 charges of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of engaging in a terrorist act.
Details: Brenton Tarrant entered his changed plea via video link from Auckland Prison Thursday morning local time. New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said in a statement sentencing would not take place until all victims who wish to attend the hearing can do so. "Due to the COVID-19 epidemic that will not be possible for some time," he noted.
Foreign ministers of the G7 countries failed to agree to a joint statement following a video conference Wednesday in part because the Trump administration insisted the statement refer to COVID-19 as the "Wuhan virus," Der Spiegel first reported and multiple U.S. outlets have confirmed.
In just 24 hours, 405,000 people volunteered to help the U.K.’s National Health Service cope with the country's fast-growing coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Wednesday.
Driving the news: Johnson said the government had hoped 250,000 people would sign up “over a few days," and was amazed that so many "answered the call." The volunteers will be asked to deliver medicine to patients, bring patients home from the hospital, and make phone calls to check on people who have the virus but are remaining at home.
American companies can learn from the experience of Chinese companies that stayed afloat during the months-long shutdowns as China fought the coronavirus, Boston Consulting Group’s chief economist Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak told me in an interview.
What they're saying: CEOs should lead the response themselves."You have to really be in the moment. This is moving so fast," said Carlsson-Szlezak.
Where things stand: There has been suspicion in Russia and overseas about the country's relatively low number of confirmed cases — just 495 as of Tuesday, without a single confirmed fatality. Putin had insisted the situation was "under control," but he elevated his warnings today and said non-essential workers should stay home next week.
Prince Charles, 71, has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing "mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health," a royal spokesperson announced Wednesday.
Why it matters: The spokesperson also said that "it is not possible to ascertain" from whom the prince caught the virus, given the number of public events in which he took part recently — which could become a problem for other leaders across the globe.
