The World: Latest Edition

The more we learn about the coronavirus, the more the evidence points to the importance of face coverings in limiting the virus’s spread. Still, if you’re confused about the what and the how of masks, you are not alone. And, Beijing had some strong words for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this morning: "Stop making irresponsible remarks." Trudeau reiterated his belief that China’s decision to charge two Canadians with spying was retribution for the arrest of a Chinese tech executive....

Today is the Juneteenth holiday celebrating the emancipation of African Americans from slavery. The World hears from an African American woman who moved to Ghana decades ago to escape racism in the US. Also, Former US ambassador Nick Burns, who knows former National Security Adviser John Bolton from his time in government, weighs in on the veracity of some of the claims in Bolton's forthcoming book. And, one-on-one concerts are replacing full orchestral shows in Stuttgart, Germany

Calls for social justice and police reform have gained momentum as unrest continues across around the world in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. These calls are intersecting with the coronavirus pandemic. As part of our regular series discussing the coronavirus crisis, The World's health reporter Elana Gordon moderated a live conversation with David Harris, managing director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice at Harvard Law School.

From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 80. The UN World Tourism Organization estimates that international tourism could decline by 80 percent this year. Governments are trying to mitigate that by forming “travel bubbles” with neighboring regions. These allow for travel across borders for non-essential trips without quarantining upon arrival.

In a much-anticipated decision issued Thursday morning, the US Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration's attempt to cancel Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. And, a new study shows how an anti-poverty program has an unexpected benefit when it comes to saving Indonesian forests. Also, farmers in China turned to livestreaming to sell off their produce during the coronavirus lockdown. It turns out the technique worked so well that some farmers are planning to continue...

In Russia, after almost a decade in prison, businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin was released into a new world: Mikhail Gorbachev had given his last speech as leader of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party was outlawed. Soon, gangs were violently extorting new business owners and the murder rate soared in the country. But Prigozhin was comfortable with chaos. He started a hot dog stand and climbed his way up into the highest echelons of power — and then decided to diversify. In episode three...

The United Nations addressed systemic racism and police brutality in the US. And, in the wake of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, Minnesota, many people in the Middle East say they need more conversations about anti-black racism at home. Also, a transgender Kuwaiti woman was released on bail after support poured in from across the globe. Her lawyer calls it "the biggest LGBT movement in Kuwait" history.

A new cluster of cases of the coronavirus in Beijing is raising concerns about a second wave in China. Also, anger is mounting over the deaths of Indigenous people at the hands of police in Canada, sparked by the killing of George Floyd. And, how South Africa’s transition from apartheid to a new South Africa might be instructive for how the United States might use this unprecedented moment of focus on race.

Thousands have taken to the streets around the world to protest police brutality and systemic racism. But many public health experts are not as distressed about these large demonstrations as one might think. And, as the US targets the International Criminal Court with sanctions, the court makes a breakthrough in Sudan. Also, a team of psychology researchers in the UK has found that swearing can increase a person's pain tolerance.

The World continues its coverage of campaigns for police reform across the globe. Host Marco Werman speaks with Siana Bangura, an organizer in London, and Miski Noor, an activist with Black Visions Collective in Minneapolis. Also, The World's Jorge Valencia has a story about police killings in Latin America. Tensions continue to escalate between the US and China. The US Navy is dispatching two aircraft carriers plus support ships to the western Pacific, a powerful signal to Beijing. Host...

The coronavirus pandemic could set the planet back on decades worth of progress in securing access to food for millions of people living in poverty. And, protests against police brutality and racism in the US and elsewhere are resonating in South Africa, which has its own complicated history of police violence. Also, Russian emergency teams are still working to contain an oil spill in the Arctic before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean.

Wednesday on The World, we'll check in on global movements to end systemic racial discrimination. First to Toronto, Canada, where the city’s first black police chief resigned abruptly — months before he was supposed to and without explanation. And, thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the US Embassy in Madrid over the weekend to commemorate the life of George Floyd. But, they were also protesting the racial inequalities in Spain. Also, as lockdowns were lifted in China, worry...

In Greece, people are staging protests and actions in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Organizers say the protests aren't just about police brutality, but also about the treatment of migrants in the country. And, voters in Georgia are voting today — most casting absentee ballots. As part of our weekly series, "Every 30 Seconds," we profile a young Latina in Atlanta, Leticia Arcila, and hear about her first time voting. Plus, Netflix has picked up its first film from Zimbabwe....

Protests against racial discrimination and social injustice continue across the globe. At a rally last weekend in Bristol, England, activists pulled down the statue of a 17th-century slave trader and dumped it in the harbor. And, the notion of putting the US military into the streets to quell unrest is a bridge too far for many people, including many military leaders. Also, As East African countries such as Uganda begin easing lockdowns, borders remain a big concern. Truck drivers crossing...

The tactics used by police forces to control protesters around the world over the death of George Floyd have included the use of rubber bullets and tear gas. Use of those instruments may violate international law, experts say. And, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals, The Lancet, has retracted a scientific article about the effects of hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19. Plus, following months of a liberal approach to social distancing, the Swedish government announced...

From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 1,000. Seventy-nine-year-old Pete Loosmore is the supervisor of the Sturminster Newton Mill, normally a tourist attraction in Dorset, England. But now, due to flour shortages in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Loosmore has increased the mill's four production back to commercial levels to meet a spike in demand and support local bakeries facing shortages. Learn how the flour mill is doing its part to help during the...

We continue to focus on the two biggest stories across the globe: Police violence against black people in the US and around the world, and the coronavirus pandemic. The killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the killing of a 14-year-old boy during a botched police raid in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is forcing a reckoning in both countries. Also, how testing and tracing for COVID-19 is working in the UK. And, pandemic lockdowns have changed the way people...

If the US can’t build better airports or trains than China — or even take care of itself in times of major crisis like the coronavirus pandemic or current civil strife — how exactly is it supposed to “beat” China in this global competition we’re in? A co-production of PRX and Inkstick Media, and in partnership with The World, Things That Go Boom host Laicie Heeley looks back to see how China’s ascent snuck up on the US. Is a zero-sum mentality is sleep-walking the US and China to war?

Black Americans are facing two existential threats: the coronavirus pandemic and state violence. And, a recent exchange of cyberattacks between Iran and Israel, which included an attack on critical civilian infrastructure, is threatening to change the unofficial, but implicit agreement on the rules of engagement between these regional rivals. Also, a new collection from music producer and DJ, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, uses bird recordings collected during the coronavirus quarantine.

Today, The World explores the intersection of racism and health in this critical moment around the globe. And, as protests against police brutality continue across the world, many people are using social media to monitor events in real time, raising concerns about misinformation, conspiracy theories and outright false stories. Also, when Italy was hit hard by COVID-19 in February, researchers started looking into patients' brains. What they found was that there are neurological symptoms to...