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In Frankfurt, the president of the European Central Bank warned that the coronavirus could trigger an economic crash as dire as that of 2008. In Berlin, the German chancellor warned the virus could infect two-thirds of her country’s population. In London, the British prime minister rolled out a nearly $40 billion rescue package to cushion his economy from the shock. As the toll of those afflicted by the virus continued to soar and financial markets from Tokyo to New York continued to swoon, world leaders are finally starting to find their voices about the gravity of what is now officially a pandemic. (Landler, 3/11)

The nightmare of coronavirus outbreaks on cruise ships has revealed an industry that's skirted oversight for years and used powerful allies in Washington to keep the government out of its business. In 2013, an engine fire aboard the "Carnival Triumph" left 4,000 people adrift with no running water or power and scarce food. Just a year later, Royal Caribbean International earned the dubious distinction of breaking the record for the largest amount of people sick from a norovirus infestation — nearly 700 people. The press wrote stories, policymakers gnashed their teeth — and nothing changed because the U.S. government is largely powerless to intervene. (Snyder, 3/11)

As 2019 gave way to 2020 in a cloud of tear gas, and in some cases a hail of bullets, from Hong Kong to Baghdad, from Beirut to Barcelona and Santiago, it seemed civil disobedience and government crackdowns on protests would dominate the international landscape. Then came the coronavirus. Protests, by their very nature driven by large gatherings, have been doused. (Karam, 3/12)

Iranian officials trace the origins of the country’s coronavirus epidemic to the holy city of Qom, home to dozens of seminaries and religious shrines—but also a number of Chinese-backed infrastructure projects built by scores of workers and technicians from China. This critical link to China, centered in Qom, has helped keep Iran’s  economy alive in the face of American sanctions. And it is now being stress-tested by the coronavirus. The exact route of the virus is unclear. But Iran’s strategic partnership with Beijing has created a constellation of potential contacts that helped unleash the illness, called Covid-19. (Faucon, Rasmussen and Page, 3/11)

A spike in cases in the Gulf helped push infections in the Middle East for the new coronavirus past 10,000 cases on Thursday, with most infected people either in Iran or having recently traveled there. Countries in the region have imposed varying levels of restrictions on travel, from wholesale halting of all commercial flights in Kuwait, to Saudi Arabia banning travel to 39 countries. (Batrawy, 3/12)

Airlines are doing everything they can to get people to fly. They’re making hygiene part of the pitch, touting hospital-grade antibacterial solutions, “fogging” procedures that mist every surface with disinfectant and cabin air filters. They’ve waived fees to change flights. Some are slashing prices, hoping to entice bargain hunters. (Sider, 3/11)