February 20, 2020: Former passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship board a Taxi to leave after spending weeks on board in quarantine due to fears of spreading the COVID-19 Coronavirus in Yokohama. (Photo by Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Princess Cruises, which had one of its ships quarantined off the coast of Japan last month, is suspending global operations through early May because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The cruise line, which is part of Carnival Corp., said Thursday that 18 cruise ships will cease voyages that were scheduled to depart between March 12 and May 10.
Japanese authorities quarantined the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the port of Yokohama for a two weeks after 10 passengers were initially diagnosed with the COVID-19.
The Miami cruise operator said those currently on cruises that will end in the next five days will continue to sail as expected so that travel arrangements aren't disrupted. Sailings underway that extend past March 17 will end at the most convenient location for guests, factoring in operational requirements.
A majority of Americans support higher pay for auto workers who are on strike against Detroit's Big Three carmakers, although approval of the workers' other demands is more mixed, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The ongoing United Auto Workers strike expanded Thursday in a major blow to Ford as the union ordered 8700 workers to walk off the job at the automaker giant's largest plant.
A retired bank official testified that former president Donald Trump obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in loans based on financial statements that have since been deemed fraudulent.
