The World

This week's federal election in Belarus reinstated the country's incumbent leader Alexander Lukashenko in a landslide, but it's widely believed the election was rigged, and mass protests and violent government crackdowns have followed. And, as many Indian Americans express excitement at the first major party ticket with an Indian background, some are saying Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ticket could do better on its position toward India. Also, the US Census Bureau confronted a logistical nightmare before the pandemic. And now that it’s ending its count one month early, the likelihood of undercounting of groups including Black, Latino, Asian and Indigenous populations has grown exponentially.

What impact has the coronavirus pandemic had on places of armed conflict or refugee settlements that are already fragile due to violence and deprivation? As part of our regular series discussing the pandemic and as a special podcast in The World's feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Jocelyn Kelly, director of the program on gender, rights and resilience at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

Watch and listen to more of The World's Coronavirus Conversations here.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced Thursday that they will normalize diplomatic ties. Under the agreement, Israel has agreed to suspend its planned annexation of areas of the West Bank. And, as the coronavirus ravages the US, there are very few countries allowing Americans to cross their borders. But if you’re in the military, the US has bases in more than 70 countries — and they’re continuing to come and go. Also, history is full of examples of architecture changing in response to pandemics. But in Florence, Italy, the coronavirus has prompted the reemergence of "wine windows."

People in the Belarusian capital Minsk and across the country are protesting the election of Alexander Lukashenko. Protesters say the election was rigged and leaders across the EU and the US are raising some of the same concerns. And, Kamala Harris’ father is an immigrant from Jamaica. Jamaicans have been following her career closely and many are now rejoicing her appearance on US presidential hopeful Joe Biden's ticket. Also, if the US can’t build better airports or trains than China, or even manage the coronavirus, how exactly is it supposed to compete with China's economic power?

Russia has granted regulatory approval to a vaccine for the coronavirus without thoroughly testing it. And, two days after Belarusians went to the polls in a highly contested election, the main opposition candidate was forced to flee to Lithuania and protesters have taken to the streets. Also, an estimated 32 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in this year's elections. But many may not feel like they belong in this political process.

Thousands of angry protesters have taken to the streets of Beirut demanding the ousting of Lebanon’s political elite, leading to the resignations of several ministers on Monday. And, America’s focus on preparation for future wars comes with a cost and has left the US ill-prepared for the global coronavirus crisis. Also, the pandemic is hitting Brazil's poor and unemployed population particularly hard — leading to soaring numbers of evictions. Now, housing advocates are starting to push back.

CATEGORIES: 

Beirut, Lebanon, Belarus, coronavirus, COVID-19, eviction, Laicie Heeley, military

Beirut is still coming to terms with the blast that killed scores of people and wiped out Lebanon's main seaport Tuesday. One of the main concerns now is food. And, earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that the world faces a “generational catastrophe” because of school closures amid the coronavirus pandemic. Also, after a week filled with tragedy, anger and frustration following Beirut's explosion, one glimmer of light is Fairuz, Lebanon's most beloved singer, and her song "Li Beirut" which captures the beauty and pain that the city conjures for many people.

Civilians in Lebanon’s capital have little trust in their government, so they’re launching grassroots efforts to recover after this week’s massive explosion. And, if you're an LGBTQ couple in Western Europe, North America or much of Latin America, you can get married. Not in most of Asia. But Thailand is now preparing to challenge the status quo. Also, the tiny island of Cyprus vetoed a major trade deal between the European Union and Canada over halloumi cheese.

After Tuesday’s explosion in Beirut, Lebanon's government has declared a two-week state of emergency. Emergency crews are still on the scene after nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate produced the blast that killed more than 100 people with several thousand more wounded. And, what would President Trump’s foreign policy look like in a second term? Trump’s former National Security Adviser John Bolton offers his thoughts. Plus, high-resolution images of poop stains via satellites show that there are nearly 20% more emperor penguin colonies than previously thought on the icy continent of Antarctica.

A massive explosion rocked downtown Beirut on Tuesday, flattening much of the port, damaging buildings and blowing out windows and doors as a giant mushroom cloud rose above the capital. And UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned Tuesday that school closures as a result of COVID-19 “could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities." Plus, the French Chilean singer Ana Tijoux has managed to draw inspiration from at least one aspect of these trying times and has just released a new single, “Pa Qué?”