In a massive federal effort, President Donald Trump asked Congress to speed emergency checks to Americans, enlisted the military for MASH-like hospitals and implored ordinary people — particularly socially active millennials — to do their part by staying home to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

His proposed economic package alone could approach $1 trillion, a rescue initiative not seen since the Great Recession. Trump wants checks sent to the public within two weeks and is urging Congress to pass the eye-popping stimulus package in a matter of days.

Johns Hopkins University says the total number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus worldwide has surpassed 200,000.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering's online tally showed 201,436 cumulative cases by 11:13 GMT (6:13 a.m. EST) on Tuesday, with 82,032 listed as recovered.

Iran reported its single biggest jump in deaths from the new coronavirus on Wednesday, saying that another 147 had died in a nearly 15% spike that raises the death toll to 1,135 people nationwide.

It marks the biggest 24-hour rise in deaths since officials first acknowledged cases of the virus in Iran in mid-February.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday defended his government's response to the coronavirus outbreak in the face of of widespread criticism that officials acted too slowly and may have even covered up initial cases before infections rapidly spread across the country.

In Israel, meanwhile, the government reported a 25% spike in the number of cases, while Iraqis in Baghdad hunkered down as a week-long government-imposed curfew went into effect. Saudi Arabia, leader of the group of the world's 20 biggest economies, said it was working to organize an extraordinary virtual meeting next week about advancing a coordinated response to the pandemic.

Global stock markets sank Wednesday in a third day of wild price swings after President Donald Trump promised aid to get the U.S. economy through the coronavirus outbreak.

London and Frankfurt opened more than 3% lower and Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong all declined. Australia's main index fell 6.4%.

He called on the country to come together. He warned of pain to come. And he deferred to the nation's public health experts while at least momentarily putting aside petty squabbling.

After weeks of trying to play down the risk posed by the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump struck a new, more urgent tone Monday as he delivered a sobering message to Americans grappling with a new reality that will dramatically alter their lives for months to come.

A Lebanese military judge Tuesday appealed a verdict by the military tribunal that ordered the release of a Lebanese-American held since September on charges of working for the Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army militia two decades ago, state-run National News Agency said.

Judge Ghassan Khoury asked the Military Court of Appeals to strike down an earlier ruling in favor of Amer Fakhoury and issue an arrest warrant against him. He asked that Fakhoury be put on trial again on charges of kidnapping, torturing and detaining Lebanese citizens as well as "killing and attempting to kill others," according to NNA.

Appearing before the cameras coughing and sweating profusely, the man leading Iran's response to the new coronavirus outbreak promised it was of no danger to his country.

"Quarantines belong to the Stone Age," Iraj Harirchi insisted.

Iran issued its most dire warning yet Tuesday about the outbreak of the new coronavirus ravaging the country, suggesting "millions" could die in the Islamic Republic if the public keeps traveling and ignoring health guidance.

A state television journalist who also is a medical doctor gave the warning only hours after hard-line Shiite faithful the previous night pushed their way into the courtyards of two major shrines that had just been closed over fears of the virus.

Lebanon's Military Court on Monday ordered the release of a Lebanese-American held in the country for nearly six months on charges of working for the Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army militia two decades ago, Lebanon's state-run news agency said.

Amer Fakhoury was ordered released because more than 10 years had passed since he allegedly tortured prisoners at a jail run by the SLA, the National News Agency said.