Informing, engaging & connecting the people of the world. MARCH 19, 2020

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Efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus are driving many small family-owned restaurant to potential ruin as states and local governments order them to close or severely limit the number of customers.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On March 19, 2003, in a televised address, U.S. President George W. Bush tells Americans that Operation Iraqi Freedom has begun. The announcement came as explosions rocked Baghdad, Iraq’s capital. Bush and his advisors said the war in Iraq was necessary because Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed or was developing weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were ever found.

The race to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the United States is placing an unprecedented burden on the country’s cyber infrastructure, potentially making it vulnerable to attack.

The United States is calling on warring sides in Afghanistan to start a prisoner swap without further delay, citing urgency in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

VIDEO: A year after eastern Zimbabwe was hit by Cyclone Idai, one of the worst tropical storms in Africa on record, some survivors are still recovering. The cyclone killed hundreds of people in Zimbabwe and left thousands homeless. Authorities have been rebuilding, but many are still living in temporary housing, as VOA reports from Chimanimani District, on the border with Mozambique.

Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated a nationwide vote on constitutional amendments that would open the door to extending his power might face delays because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, which has affected Russia little but ravaged other parts of the globe.