The International Monetary Fund lowered its global forecast, fearing the COVID-19 pandemic's effect is far worse than it originally thought. This comes as the European Union said it will move forward with a new digital tax after the United States pulled out of talks last week. Plus, the World Health Organization Director of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals tells VOA why a vaccine may be coming sooner than originally predicted.

Reverend Bernice King, the daughter of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to mourners at Tuesday's funeral of Rayshard Brooks and said something has got to change.More than 200 family and friends gathered filled an historic church in Atlanta, Georgia remembering the 27-year-old Black man, fatally shot by an Atlanta police officer on June 12th outside of a fast-food restaurant. Brooks' death inflamed an already tense situation over law enforcement and racism.

The protests against systemic racism were sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd while in police custody. In addition to calls to address hundreds of years of inequality, there’s been a growing effort to enact meaningful and long-lasting police reform. Emily Owens, professor in the Department of Criminology, Law, and Society at the University of California, Irvine tells VOA that’s no easy task. Plus, where do things stand with Brexit four years later?

European Union and Chinese officials met today in an attempt to build economic ties hampered by a global slowdown during the pandemic and ease tension over Beijing's crackdown on Hong Kong. Plus, a preview of police reform legislation expected this week in the U.S. Congress after a New York officer is suspended for an "apparent chokehold." And the United States and Russia meet in Vienna to negotiate a replacement for an expiring nuclear treaty.

Following a rare unscheduled debate, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously agreed Friday to address the issue of systemic racism against people of African descent by law enforcement. The resolution was requested by the African group of nations, following the death of George Floyd triggered global protests.  The organization declined to single out the United States, citing it as a worldwide problem. Tendayi Achiume, United Nations Special Rapporteur on racism talks to Lori Lundin about the unprecedented nature of the meeting and how this could lead to a foundation for change. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the weekend expressed displeasure, calling it a low point for the organization.

June 19th, or Juneteenth, is observed by many Americans as the day in 1865 the last slaves in America were told that the Civil War had ended and that they were now free. But this year, strikes and protests may accompany barbecues and celebrations amid a national uprising to demand racial justice. Plus, as global protests continue to confront years of inequality and systemic racism, Dr. Scott Ellsworth, a professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan discusses one of the most violent race-related issues in American History. And Augusta University professor Craig Albert shares his thoughts on the White House's move to block John Bolton's new book about serving in the Trump Administration.

The United States Supreme Court handed President Trump a second stunning election-season rebuke in just the last few days -- this time in his bid to end legal protection for young immigrants.Obama era executive order known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA allowed undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. by their parents as children to stay in the country.  California Attorney General Xavier Becerra called the ruling a victory for families and communities who are offering valuable contributions to American society.