Rio drug traffickers order residents to stay home

Around the world, soliders are being handed the mandate of keeping people at home as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases nears 490,000. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( Drug traffickers in Rio are ordering residents to stay home, and soldiers around the world are taking on the new mandate of enforcing lockdowns. A UN call for an immediate ceasefire in Yemen — which is already facing a dire humanitarian crisis — was welcomed by warring parties. And a Palestinian Canadian doctor warns about the situation in Gaza. As Spain continues to be hit hard by the novel coronavirus, hotels are being turned into makeshift hospitals. --------------------------------------------------------------- Our coronavirus coverage has never been behind a paywall. No paywalls, ever. Many of you have stepped forward and shown your support for The World including some with thoughtful messages like this one: "Thank you for your compelling global journalism — a remarkable combination of compassion, truth and excellence." Your donations help us make our nonprofit journalism available to everyone. [donate]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Rio's gangs tell residents to stay home as COVID-19 heightens inequality [A cleaner disinfects an alley of the Vila Ipiranga slum during the coronavirus disease outbreak near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 25, 2020.]( Credit: Pilar Olivares/Reuters Around the world, [soliders]( are being handed the mandate of keeping people at home as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases nears 490,000. [South Africa]( is preparing to join the growing list of countries headed into lockdown, and Bolivia is [tightening its border restrictions](. As the novel coronavirus pandemic spreads in South America, community transmission from rich travelers to their poorer employees [reveal deep inequalities in the region](. In Brazil, [drug traffickers in Rio]( favelas have ordered residents to stay home to slow the coronavirus spread. The [disparities highlighted]( by the disease are widespread, and the United Nations warns of a potential [global food shortage](. From The World: ['Emergency releases' from prison reduce risk of virus spread, criminal justice expert says]( And: [Without support for India's poorest people, lockdown risks failure]( UN calls for truce in war-torn Yemen, Gaza braces for COVID-19 Yemen is facing one of the world's most dire humanitarian crises as the Saudi-led military intervention against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels enters its sixth year. But a small sliver of hope comes as warring parties welcomed the [UN call for an immediate ceasefire]( as the already devastated country braces for the pandemic. In the Gaza Strip, a [Palestinian Canadian doctor warns]( that the Israeli-Egyptian blockade has turned the densely populated territory into a coronavirus "powder keg." "The most frustrating part about the health system in Gaza is [that] we actually know the answer, and the answer is an immediate end to the blockade, even if for a short period, so that we can get through this crisis," he said. Yemen: [Five years of conflict leaves millions suffering]( And: [Fresh from Iran's coronavirus zone, now moving across Afghanistan]( How The World followers are coping with self-isolation [We asked, you answered](: The World wanted to know what our listeners are doing to cope with self-isolation while social distancing and lockdown measures are in place. Whether it’s incorporating new activities in their routines, taking on new or neglected hobbies or finding creative ways to connect with loved ones, World followers are trying to make their stay-at-home lifestyles more bearable. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Number in the News: 21 To raise spirits in the Netherlands during the coronavirus crisis, DJ Sander Hoogendorn had an idea: What if every radio station in the country played "You'll Never Walk Alone" simultaneously? Then, other radio stations across Europe began to join in — 21 other radio stations. [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. [Regrowing Australia's forests may require human intervention]( In Australia, wildfires have burned through massive forests of mountain and alpine ash — some of the tallest trees in the world. These trees aren’t naturally equipped to deal with frequent fires and are struggling to grow back on their own. But [humans are helping]( to give them a shot at recovery. With no intervention, these ravaged forests, located primarily in Southeast Australia, would eventually turn into a different type of ecosystem, like savanna or grassland. Owen Bassett, of Forest Solutions, is not ready to let that happen. For years, he has collected seeds from these trees and [manually replanted]( them in an effort to rebuild the forest. [Under lockdown in Spain, hotels transform into field hospitals]( [An ad advising people to be responsible and stay home is displayed at the almost empty Preciados street due to the coronavirus outbreak in central Madrid, Spain, March 14, 2020.]( Credit: Sergio Perez/Reuters Over the last week, the lack of intensive care spaces has [forced Spain's government to get creative](. A massive conference center on the outskirts of Madrid has been requisitioned and turned into a field hospital. Milder cases are being sent to hotels-turned-makeshift hospitals. The effect of confinement in Madrid — where lives are usually lived at maximum volume on streetside terraces and neighborhood bars — has been dramatic. One 6-year-old named Carmen tweeted a message to the police, with the help of her parents, to ask if the tooth fairy was still allowed to visit. Luckily, [the tooth fairy in Spain]( is a mouse named Perez, so he was exempt on the grounds that he could not catch the virus. --------------------------------------------------------------- Morning meme The [Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra]( in The Netherlands has a soothing rendition of Beethoven's 9th for a little moment of "Ode to Joy." --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Fight or flight? These tiny ants choose to roll away from danger]( - [The coronavirus in prisons]( - [Everyone is a potential solution]( - [Second wave of the coronavirus cases hits Hong Kong]( - [The role of HIV drugs in combating the outbreak]( - [Pandemic pantries around the world]( - [Things to do while stuck at home]( - [Spain nationalizes private hospitals to battle COVID-19]( - [EU response to the coronavirus]( - [US-Mexico border shutdown]( - [India's health care system braces for coronavirus]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX](, [WGBH](, and the [BBC](.