Informing, engaging & connecting the people of the world. APRIL 15, 2020

To view this newsletter online, please click here .

South Koreans stood in socially distanced lines, disinfected their hands, and wore face masks and gloves inside polling stations, as they participated in one of the world’s first major elections of the coronavirus era.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On April 15, 2013, three are killed and over 260 are injured after two bombs detonate near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. After a massive four-day manhunt during which much of Boston was locked down, police arrested 19-year-old Dzhohkar Tsarnaev and killed his older brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, in a shootout. Police believed the crime was motivated by the brothers’ extremist Islamic beliefs but do not think they were affiliated with any larger terrorist group. The younger brother was found guilty of 30 federal charges in July of 2015 and was sentenced to death. Tsarnaev is being held at a supermax prison in Colorado.

VIDEO: COVID-19 has forced many small business owners to put their American Dream on hold. While countless brick and mortar stores have closed their doors during the pandemic, some owners are finding new outlets for their entrepreneurial spirit.

The shock to the global economy from the coronavirus outbreak is hitting Middle East economies particularly hard, analysts say.

At a time when human contact is considered a health hazard, robots may be more useful than ever. Though their potential is huge, robots are not quite ready to take on the role, experts said.

VIDEO: Businesses around the world are struggling to survive amid the lockdown restrictions imposed in many countries to prevent the further spread of coronavirus. In Malaysia, a popular hamburger chain is among those coping with an order for restaurants to close in the evenings, a measure that is severely cutting the chain’s earnings.