Over 80 per cent of the American population is under lockdown after four more states implemented stay-at-home directives in the fight against coronavirus.
The orders were introduced in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Nevada, as the death toll crossed more than 5,000 nationwide.
US President Donald Trump, however, dismissed the need to impose a nationwide lockdown as 39 states and the District of Columbia have already introduced stay-at-home directives.
He also added that a plan to halt flights to coronavirus hot spots are being considered.
This comes as medical experts forecast the death toll could touch anywhere between 100,000 to 240,000 over the next couple of months.
So far, the country has more than 215,000 confirmed cases and 8,800 recoveries.
An official Palestinian tally of direct deaths in the Israel-Hamas war likely undercounted the number of casualties by 41 per cent through the middle of 2024 as the Gaza Strip's healthcare infrastructure unravelled, according to a study published on Thursday.
The US House of Representatives voted on Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) to protest its issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over Israel's campaign in Gaza.
Elon Musk urged Germans to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in an upcoming election in a conversation with its leader on his social media platform X that highlighted the US billionaire's growing ambition to sway European politics.
Two massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning uncontained on Thursday, but a brief respite from the fierce winds that have fanned the flames for two days allowed crews to slow their explosive spread.
The UAE has taken Abdul Rahman Al-Qaradawi into custody from authorities in Lebanon following an extradition order that was issued after a request submitted by the Central Authority in the UAE, represented by the Ministry of Justice.