The World

Twenty-three years ago on Friday, the Irish and British governments, along with most of the political parties in Northern Ireland signed the Good Friday accords. Former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern says Brexit has undercut the peace pact. And, migrant women have alleged gender discrimination in US seasonal work. For the first time, they now have a way to file complaints directly with Mexico or the US. Also, as more Venezuelans migrate to Colombia, integration has not been easy. A kickball league in one Colombian border town has eased tensions through cross-cultural communication.

Myanmar’s military regime has killed more than 500 unarmed civilians since seizing power in a coup eight weeks ago. But the troops aren't just killing protesters. They’re also shooting at medics, nurses and EMTs who try to save the lives of injured protesters. And, across Africa, new daily cases of the coronavirus are rising at an alarming rate. Also, Apple announced that its iPhone digital assistant, Siri, would not by default be a woman's voice.

Brazil’s top military commanders resigned Wednesday following a shuffling of President Jair Bolsonaro’s Cabinet. The political shake-up comes amid a worsening crisis over the coronavirus in the country where emergency rooms are beyond capacity. Also, US President Joe Biden unveiled his $2 trillion infrastructure plan on Wednesday. He framed the eight-year spending plan as a program to create jobs, promote racial equity and tackle the climate crisis. And, while France is locking down to prevent a third wave of the coronavirus, artists are demanding that theaters and live performances return.

Brazil — Latin America’s largest country — is experiencing a deepening crisis with the coronavirus pandemic. As part of The World's regular series of conversations about the pandemic and as a special in our podcast feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Marcia Castro, chair of the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who addresses the situation in Brazil.

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

A long-awaited report was released on Tuesday outlining findings on the origins of the coronavirus outbreak. And, a top European Union official traveled to Greece this week to announce funding for several new refugee plans on Greek islands. Also, students in a bilingual program at Winnipeg's Isaac Brock School won first prize in an Indigenous language competition for their Cree rendition of the Raffi song “Baby Beluga."

Myanmar’s military celebrated Armed Forces Day on Saturday with a display of tanks, missiles and marches. Meanwhile, its troops were dispatched across the country, quelling a civilian uprising that left more than 100 citizens dead, including young children. And, a much-anticipated report is expected this week, laying out the findings of a World Health Organization joint mission to China. The report says that animals were likely the source of the coronavirus outbreak. Also, the world’s most expensive traffic jam is finally easing up after the Ever Given container ship was dislodged from the Suez Canal in Egypt.

Many families, most from parts of Central America, are being turned back by US officials at the US-Mexico border in the name of a Trump-era policy to block non-US citizens entering the US by land. And, in the week since American and Chinese officials had their frosty meetings in Alaska, tensions between China and North American and European nations have only escalated. Also, a cargo ship the size of the Empire State Building is blocking traffic in the Suez Canal. It’s a nightmare for the global supply chain but a boon for memes on social media.

There seems to be a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel with the approval of several vaccines and the widespread rollout of vaccination campaigns around the world. But questions about vaccine acceptance persist. As part of The World's regular series of conversations about the coronavirus and as a special feature in our podcast feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Harvard University public opinion expert Gillian SteelFisher, who discussed public attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines.

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

When the pandemic first hit, the Trump administration used a policy called Title 42 to justify its tightening of the southern border. Plenty of critics including public health experts say the policy doesn't have a science-based approach. And India is now dealing with a surge in COVID-19 infections, this time with a new variant. Also, H&M faces calls for a boycott in China after the company spoke out about Uyghur human rights abuses and concerns over forced labor in the production of cotton in Xinjiang province.

What are the root causes that are driving tens of thousands of Central Americans to come to the US-Mexico border? That's a question White House officials are starting to tackle. Senior advisers to President Joe Biden were in Mexico this week discussing possible solutions. And, Chinese students in the US and China respond to the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. Also, while Madrid's mayor is encouraging more cars in the city center, walkers and cyclists are fighting to get more pedestrian space and bike lanes.