Informing, engaging & connecting the people of the world. MARCH 17, 2020

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The White House is recommending people in the United States avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people for at least the next 15 days. Commenting on the new guidance from his administration’s coronavirus task force, President Donald Trump said Americans should school at home, avoid traveling and not patronize bars and restaurants.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On March 17, 1601, the first recorded parade to celebrate the Catholic feast of St. Patrick was held in St. Augustine, Florida. While it was a Spanish colony at the time, the vicar was Irish. It wasn’t until 1737 that a parade, organized by homesick Irish soldiers serving in the British army, was held in Boston. The first parade in New York City was held in 1762 and was driven by a surge of Irish immigrants. St. Patrick, who was born in the 4th century, is considered one of the most successful Christian missionaries of all time, and is credited with converting much of Ireland.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Syrian oil revenues should be used to rebuild the war-torn country, raising concerns among Kurdish forces, which control most of the oil fields in eastern Syria, that such Turkish plans could threaten their own presence.

India has closed the iconic Taj Mahal, one of the world’s most visited tourist sites, as it battles the spread of coronavirus. The Culture Ministry said Tuesday it was “imperative” that people keep away from the monument in the city of Agra, the allure of which has apparently not been dimmed by the coronavirus scare.

The U.S. is trying to walk a delicate line between strengthening military ties with Thailand, its oldest ally in Asia, and advocating for democracy in a region where strongman rulers including Cambodia’s Hun Sen and Thailand’s General Prayut Chan-o-cha emerged triumphant in elections regarded as flawed by international observers.

VIDEO: Motion capture technology is no longer just available for filmmakers and video game makers to transform human actors into other creatures. With the smartphone and other technologies, anyone can have their movements captured and analyzed to learn about how the body is moving for better physical performance and to avoid injuries.