The World

In New Zealand, activists managed to stop plans to increase police powers that harm Maori communities. A year later, the government wants to expand police powers again. And in France, a group of generals recently published an open letter in a far-right magazine warning that the country could be headed toward civil war. Also, for the first time in nearly four months, Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar's ousted government, was seen in person. Her lawyer sees little chance of a fair trial.

On Sunday, Belarusian authorities diverted a passenger flight carrying Roman Protasevich, a prominent dissident. He was then detained under the orders of Alexander Lukashenko, known as “Europe’s last dictator.” And, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will arrive in the Middle East tomorrow, following the start of Friday’s ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Also, 21 marathon runners have died in China after extreme weather struck an ultramarathon in a northwestern province. And, the Pacific Island nation of Samoa was set to swear in its first-ever female prime minister earlier today, but it didn't go as planned.

After 11 days of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the sides agreed to an Egyptian-brokered truce. As Gaza rebuilds, what does the blockade imposed in 2007 mean for postconflict life? Also, as European countries open up to tourists, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease specialist, weighs in on the state of the pandemic and how to prepare for the next one. And, an iceberg bigger than the state of Rhode Island broke off from Antarctica last week. It was the largest iceberg in the world.

Israel announced a ceasefire with Hamas militants on Thursday after 11 days of fighting and widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip. And, over the years, the Arctic has become a source of tension between Russia and some NATO countries in the region. Also, bipartisan US lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to do more to protect thousands of Afghans and their families who face deadly threats for their work with Americans and their allies in Afghanistan. And, a nesting crane sighting in Ireland is sparking hope of a resurgence in numbers.

Even in India’s southernmost states with model health care systems, COVID-19 has taken a toll. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, second-wave virus outbreaks have strained their hospitals. And, in El Salvador, the popular 39-year-old president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, is taking measures to centralize power among his allies. Also, amid Israel’s full-blown military escalation against militant group Hamas, hostility is rising between mixed communities of Israeli Jews and Arabs. And, China has released photographs taken from its first-ever rover expedition on Mars.

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As fighting between Israel and Gaza continues, US President Joe Biden said he welcomes a ceasefire. But Israeli and Hamas leaders show few signs of letting up. The US continues to sell weapons to Israel, but these purchases are conducted with little transparency and are not held to any human rights standards. And, the Philippines currently has one of the worst COVID-19 infection rates in Southeast Asia, but vaccine rollout has been slow. Also, the self-proclaimed state of Somaliland celebrates 30 years of independence.

Pressure is mounting for President Joe Biden to do more to try to halt Israel’s assault on Gaza. Also, Chileans have decided that 155 citizens will rewrite the country's constitution, replacing the one drafted under the former Augusto Pinochet dictatorship. In Brazil, coastal fishing communities struggle to stay afloat during the pandemic. Are you exhausted? You’re not alone: The World Health Organization has confirmed in a new report that working long hours can be deadly.

Fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip intensified Thursday night, for the fifth day in a row. And, the CDC released new recommendations lifting indoor mask mandates for vaccinated people. In other parts of the world, including Greece, people are celebrating the lifting of other restrictions. Also, a taboo industry has gone mainstream in China: grave robbing.

A "civil war" is erupting in the streets of Israel, as Arab and Jewish mobs attack each other. We get a view from inside Israel. Plus, Amsterdam has become the first city in the world to ban ads that promote fossil fuel-intensive products, like gas-guzzling cars and cheap flights. And, several months ago, the city of Krakow, Poland, realized it had a problem. It needed someone to play the trumpet. The gig had specific requirements: the candidate would have to pass a fitness test, not be afraid of heights, and be willing to work a 24-hour shift.

A national spike in anti-Asian hate crimes — including a recent mass shooting in Atlanta — is prompting a national conversation. From physical assault to harassment to discrimination, Asian Americans have experienced a harrowing array of violence in the US, made more acute amid the coronavirus crisis. As part of The World's series of conversations with Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and as a special edition podcast in our feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a panel discussion addressing anti-Asian racism and the pandemic.

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