Hong Kong delays highly anticipated election

July 31, 2020

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Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam is shown wearing a face mask with an image of the Hong Kong coastline in the background.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced Friday that the legislative election planned for early September will be delayed for one year because of the coronavirus pandemic. But the opposition isn’t convinced that’s the real reason for the delay. Also, the pandemic has upended long-established strategies for protecting people and property from the dangers of hurricanes, raising widespread concerns for the Bahamas as Hurricane Isaias tracks through the Caribbean. Plus, sports teams, leagues and broadcasters around the world are taking different approaches to providing crowd noise for games taking place with no fans in attendance.

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Top of The World

Hong Kong election postponed for one year; Eurozone economy down more than 12%; Isaias now a hurricane heading toward Bahamas

The World

July 31, 2020

Beijing-backed Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has announced the upcoming parliamentary elections for September will be delayed a year. And, the coronavirus pandemic has had a blistering impact on the 19-country eurozone economy, which shrank more than 12% in the last quarter. Also, the US National Hurricane Center says Storm Isaias has strengthened into a hurricane near the Bahamas, prompting widespread concerns amid the coronavirus crisis.

The Big Fix

How China’s nature-based solutions help with extreme flooding

The World

July 31, 2020

This year, record rainfall in China caused the longest river, the Yangtze, to overflow, leading to serious damage. But environmental experts say that a range of ecological strategies like tree planting and floodplain restoration over the last decade have helped to mitigate the impact of extreme flooding.

Coronavirus Art

'Portraits for NHS Heroes' honors UK's frontline health workers

The World

July 31, 2020

A UK project is using the hashtag #PortraitsforNHSHeroes to pair health care workers with artists who are painting their portraits as a way to show appreciation for their work during the pandemic.

Conflict

Embattled Bolivian mayor refuses to step down amid political crisis: ‘Quitting would be a betrayal’

The World

July 31, 2020

Patricia Arce, mayor of the Bolivian city of Vinto, has operated under a cloak of fear since November, when a mob attacked her in the street and demanded her resignation in the wake of postelection clashes. But she has held on to her role amid rising human rights abuses under the interim national government.

COVID-19

Choirs in the age of coronavirus: A new study looks at the risks of singing

The World

August 13, 2020

Are choirs really dangerous in the age of COVID-19? A new study measures the actual number of particles sprayed while singing the classic song "Happy Birthday." Jonathan Reid, a chemistry professor leading the research at Bristol University, speaks to host Marco Werman about the study.