The World: Global News

Welcome to "The World:  Global News" from Hawaii Geopolitical News.

Views expressed in this geopolitical news summary are those of the reporters and correspondents.

Content provided by PRX, WGBH (Boston), and the BBC in London.

Before we get into details, here's the latest BBC World News video from London.  You can find it here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/10462520/one-minute-world-news.

Accessed on 13 April 2020, 1545 UTC, Post 131.

Source (email subscription to "The World"):
https://theworld-totw.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/i/DAD040FD4B54ECDF2540EF23F30FEDED/2CBDDC64C4176BE41C65CA3F48968C2E.  Please click link or scroll down to read your selections.

Until next time,
Russ Roberts
https://www.hawaiigeopoliticalnews.com
https://hawaiiintelligencedaily.com

Many of you have stepped forward and shown your support for The World with thoughtful messages like this one: "I have been listening for years. [Friday's] show on faith in the time of crisis really touched me. You truly fulfilled your mission of bringing the world together. Thank you so much" When you support The World today your donation will be matched! Our coverage never has, and never will be behind a paywall. Donate today to support our freely available journalism. Yes! Match my donation! Spain is starting to loosen some restrictions, as there are signs things are starting to improve in the fight against the novel coronavirus.  Oil-producing nations will cut production by nearly 10%. And a month after the US delcared a state of emergency, many of the president's promises to address the pandemic remain unfulfilled.  And faith leaders have been confronted with many challenges to tradition in the time of the coronavirus.  In the news today Coronavirus restrictions start to loosen in Europe Credit: Juan Medina/Reuters The death toll and rate of new infections are starting to drop in Spain, one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus. While most Spaniards remain in lockdown, the country is beginning to loosen some restrictions, including allowing manufacturing and construction businesses to resume work. Denmark is also starting to open up. Germany, a leader in coronavirus testing, is working to conduct large-scale antibody testing to help researchers assess infection rates and immunity. And Apple and Google are working to bring contact tracing to their smartphone platforms.   Africans and Black Americans in the Chinese city of Guangzhou are facing racist mistreatment, including eviction and compulsory quarantine, due to coronavirus fears. African officials have condemned the racism in speaking to Chinese authorities.  Also: COVID-19 revives grim history of medical experimentation in Africa Oil-producing nations agree to 10% cut in output With a push from US President Donald Trump, oil-rich nations have agreed to cut oil production by nearly 10 million barrels per day in May and June — a drop of nearly 10% that stakeholders hope will stabilize oil prices and global financial markets. The pandemic has drastically reduced demand for oil as global travel has come to a near standstill, causing oil prices to plummet. The agreement, reached on Sunday, is unprecedented in scale and coordination.  And: 5 lessons from World War II for the coronavirus response Trump's coronavirus promises largely unfulfilled One month after Trump declared a national emergency and made sweeping promises of public-private partnerships to address the pandemic in the US, those promises remain largely unfulfilled. Still, Trump hopes to open the economy soon, despite objections from governors and public health experts. The president has also raised speculation he might remove Anthony Fauci after the top infectious disease expert suggested earlier action "could have saved lives."   And: Deadly severe weather outbreak strikes South on Easter with tornadoes; Threat now shifts to Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic Faith leaders consider modifying tradition with technology The pope, the Vatican — a tiny city-state surrounded by Rome — and the Catholic church in predominantly Catholic Italy have all been forced to modify centuries of tradition because of the coronavirus outbreak. Theologians and scholars of Christianity are observing how this difficult historical moment is fostering a revolution comparable to that which occurred in the 13th century. And for rabbis trying to connect the faithful, lockdown creates Catch-22s. Some rabbis think videoconferencing technology such as Zoom is a good platform for bridging the gap during the pandemic. Others make the opposite case. Also: Mexico City's Passion play usually draws thousands. This year, attendance was virtual. And: Pope Francis says it might be 'time to consider a universal basic wage' in Easter letter The Number in the News: 2 With much of the world cooped up indoors, trying to prevent getting infected or spreading the coronavirus, an old idea is starting to take root: victory gardens. During WWII, there were shortages of food, so governments campaigned to get people to use their backyards, side yards or any unused plots of land to grow vegetables to share with the community. Amid the coronavirus crisis, author Debi Goodwin suggests we start a garden, with social distancing, to ease some of that anxiety and build community at the same time. The Number in the News is The World’s daily smart speaker show. You’ll learn one number you won’t forget and why it’s in the news today. Click here to add The Number in the News to your Amazon or Google flash briefing and hear a new episode seven days a week. Mourning in the midst of a pandemic The coronavirus has fundamentally changed how we live our lives, but perhaps most heartbreakingly, how we deal with death. Around the world, centuries-old burial rituals are being stopped. Gatherings to mourn deaths are limited. Even something as simple as a hug for a grieving friend is now essentially out of bounds. Hear how some families are honoring their loved ones and funeral traditions in the midst of the coronavirus. And: Buddhist nun recommends calming the mind to cope with pandemic Also: Wajahat Ali on maintaining one's faith through crises Music to soothe the soul: Ludovico Einaudi's 'Elegy for the Arctic' Credit: Screenshot from Youtube Composer and Italian classical piano superstar Ludovico Einaudi teamed up with Greenpeace for a concert in the Arctic Circle in support of a campaign for a marine sanctuary in the North Pole’s international waters and to raise awareness about melting glaciers and rising sea levels. Einaudi performed “Elegy for the Arctic,” his own composition, on a floating platform in the Arctic Ocean in front of the Wahlenbergbreen glacier in Svalbard, an archipelago in Norway. Morning meme A periodic reminder to maintain at least six feet of social distance — and if you're "born to run," research suggests keeping more than five Springsteens apart while you hit the track.  Credit: Screenshot from Twitter In case you missed it on The World A song for Nelson Mandela Faith leaders on why pandemics happen Note from a Muslim listener A Buddhist response to the outbreak Coronavirus widens the Hindu-Muslim divide in India Animist religion music A virtual reenactment of the stations of the cross Virtual blessings from Italian priests The Zoom Seder Elegy for the Arctic WAJAHAT ALI ON FAITH DURING COVID-19 Faith and mourning during a pandemic Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, RSS