The World

Vice President Kamala Harris was in Guatemala on Monday, her first stop in a mission to work on reducing migration to the US by seeking to improve conditions in Central American countries. And, in Burkina Faso, two days ago, Islamist extremists killed more than 130 civilians, according to local officials. This was the worst terrorist atrocity in the history of the country. Also, cities around the world are designing reopening plans and imagining postpandemic life. Human behavior is hard to change, but experts say this is an opportunity to create a new normal.

Peruvians will choose a new president this Sunday, amid one of the biggest economic downturns of the pandemic across Latin America. And, the world marks the 40th anniversary of the HIV pandemic. On June 5, 1981, the US reported the first cases of HIV and AIDS that would turn the world upside down, killing at least 32 million people. The Biden administration is fast-tracking some asylum cases along the US-Mexico border, but some advocates are raising concerns about fairness. Also, a new documentary called “The Six'' highlights the lives of six Chinese survivors aboard the Titanic, and why their stories were neglected for years.

A group of parties spanning Israel's political spectrum has announced an agreement to form a new ruling coalition. If it holds, longtime leader Benjamin Netanyahu is out. And, Peruvians will head to the polls on Sunday to choose their next president. The election underscores how repeated corruption scandals have politically fractured the country. Also, Sri Lanka faces its worst human-made disaster after a container ship carrying oil, toxic chemicals and tons of plastic pellets sank off their coast on Wednesday. And, need a break? Take a moment to watch sea otters playing via livestream on Twitch.

The cyberattack that shut down JBS, the world's largest meat supplier, came within weeks of the Colonial Pipeline hack. Are ransomware attacks the new normal? And, ever since Myanmar’s army seized power in a coup four months ago, the country has descended into terror. Many protesters are fed up with peace marches and are ready to fight back. Also, a herd of wild elephants has gone rogue in China. A dozen or so left a nature preserve in Yunnan province months ago and are now approaching the city of Kunming, putting authorities on guard.

Top-ranking athlete Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Open after controversy following her refusal to speak to the media after matches. And, a new report by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention paints a grim picture of gun violence, which has gone from the lowest to highest rates in Europe. Also, it’s challenging to keep track of new variants of the coronavirus. After months of deliberation, an expert panel has put forward a new system for naming and referencing variants using the Greek alphabet.

Brazil continues to struggle with the coronavirus. Anger may have reached a tipping point there, with Brazilians taking to the streets in organized protests. Also, Western nations designated a Syrian rebel leader as a terrorist. Now, he's trying to soften his image by meeting with Western media. And, the offspring of a revered African freedom fighter, and a rapper delivering her vision of "Afrofuturism." The music and message of Sammus.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Belarus whose recent actions have drawn condemnation from other world leaders. Also, Germany has agreed to pay Namibia $1.3 billion to atone for its colonial-era genocide. And in Kenya, the first-ever national wildlife census, where every animal is counted, from elephants to anteaters.

A group of prominent scientists in the field of virology are calling for an independent investigation to explore the origins of COVID-19. This week, protesters in Iraq took to the streets again to demand an end to a wave of assassinations and intimidation by Iran-supported militia groups. Also, the Biden administration has redesignated Temporary Protected Status — or TPS — to Haitians living in the US. And, The World remembers Eric Carle, beloved author of the famous children’s book, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” who died this week.

Latin America and the Caribbean now register a million new COVID-19 infections about every six days. With the vaccine rollout lagging and lives and livelihoods hanging in the balance, what is next for the region? As part of The World's series of conversations on the pandemic with Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and as a special feature in our podcast feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with demographer Marcia Castro.

Find more of The World's Coronavirus Conversations series: https://www.theworld.org/coronavirus-conversations

Iran has approved a list of seven candidates for next month’s presidential election. Missing from the list are moderates and reformist candidates. In France, a debate on policing tactics and oversight have police calling for more protection, too. And, anti-Semitic attacks have reportedly soared in the UK and EU, in the wake of the conflict in Gaza. Also, Tasmanian devils have been born on the Australian mainland for the first time in 3,000 years.