Coronavirus Goes Global, Super Tuesday Approaches: Weekend Reads

(Bloomberg) -- The threat of the coronavirus went global this week, prompting Japan to shut schools, Germany and other countries to impose quarantines and sowing chaos in markets. 

Democratic presidential candidates face-off in South Carolina for the last primary before Super Tuesday on March 3. Former Vice President Joe Biden, no longer the front-runner, is facing an uphill climb after falling behind in the early contests and will need a blowout to keep his candidacy alive.

We also take a look at the violence that exploded in India during U.S. President Donald Trump's visit and that country's construction of detention camps that could see millions of people imprisoned under new citizenship laws.

We hope you enjoy these and more of our best stories from the past seven days in this edition of Weekend Reads.

Coronavirus Crisis Seeds Chaos in Washington and on Wall Street
In the 24 hours after Trump assured Americans that the response to the coronavirus was well in hand, signs of disorder began to emerge from Washington to Wall Street. Drew Armstrong reports.

Biden Tries to Defy History After Sinking in Polls
Despite leading national Democratic primary polls for more than a year, Biden’s numbers have collapsed. Paul Murray explains how, since 1980, no candidate has managed to come back from such a position.

Abortion Clinics Are Getting Nickel-and-Dimed Out of Business
Amy Hagstrom Miller’s clinic is on the brink. As Cynthia Koons and Rebecca Greenfield write, the de facto guardian of the pro-choice movement has won cases at the Supreme Court, but anti-abortion funders are threatening her operations with economic pressure.

Johnson’s Post-Brexit Spending Spree to End Era of Austerity
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson won the biggest election victory since the days of Margaret Thatcher by wooing voters in Britain’s former industrial heartlands. Now he’s promised to “level up” struggling regions with a surge in spending, Andrew Atkinson reports.

As Turkey Asks for U.S. Help, Trump Befriends Its Old Enemy
Greece and the U.S. completed a live-fire exercise last week as the NATO allies strengthened military cooperation. Glen Carey reports how, as neighbor Turkey asks for help over the conflict in Syria, Greece has emerged as key to the U.S. struggle for influence in the eastern Mediterranean.

Millions in India Could End Up in Modi’s New Detention Camps
India is building its first standalone detention center for people who don’t meet new citizenship rules. Bibhudatta Pradhan takes us to the front lines of a battle that could see citizenship revoked for millions of people, stoking long-simmering religious tensions.

• Also, take a look at Muneeza Naqvi’s story on the scenes from the aftermath of the worst communal violence to hit India’s capital in nearly three decades.

Coronavirus Shows Scale of Task to Fix China’s Flawed Healthcare
Even before coronavirus, China faced a monumental task to bring its healthcare system up to scratch. Now, that challenge has been highlighted after the virus exposed an over-reliance on big hospitals and shortcomings in emergency response.

Japan Hits Panic Button Despite Weeks to Prepare for Virus 
Although Japan has had a front-row seat to the outbreak in China, it has at times appeared relaxed as the illness spread. But now, after weeks of halting preparations, the mood has changed, Gearoid Reidy and Shiho Takezawa report. 

One-Time Pariah That Hosted Bin Laden Now Courts Global Approval
Led by a suspected war criminal who once hosted Osama bin Laden, Sudan’s reputation could only improve when its government fell. Mohammed Alamin and Samuel Gebre explain Sudan’s startling turnaround in rebuilding ties with the international community.

And finally … As the outbreak of Covid-19 cuts a deadly swath across China, tens of millions of people are struggling with isolation under quarantine. People are turning to livestreaming to experience nightclubs, gyms, and other services that usually require physical interaction, an awkward but effective stopgap to maintain contact with the outside world.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.