The biggest challenge since WWII

“This is, indeed, the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War." [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( [Marco Werman attends the daily editorial meeting with reporters and producers in The World's newsroom in Boston.] From our very beginning, the driving spirit of The World has been to report on global news in ways that reflect a core belief in our newsroom: We all on planet Earth are connected. Over the past several months, we have all experienced how an event in a corner of China, largely unknown to many around the world, can overtake the globe in unprecedented ways. We in the US are not immune. Like everywhere else, the coronavirus has overwhelmed and reshaped our lives. We can cover this story with depth and humanity, but only thanks to the generous support of listeners. I hope that, in this most critical time, you will consider [a gift]( to The World. [Read more >>]( Thank you, Marco Werman. [donate]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Most challenging crisis since World War II [Boxes with medical equipment and masks to help fight coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are seen on board a Russian military transport plane ahead of its departure to the United States of America, at an airdrome outside Moscow, Russia April 1, 2020, in this screen grab taken from video.]( Credit: Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters “This is, indeed, the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War,” [United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said]( of the novel coronavirus pandemic, as he appealed for global solidarity and cooperation. As the number of deaths in Europe reach 30,000, US officials warned Americans to expect [casualties between 100,000 and 240,000]( — if strict guidelines are followed. There is [confusion within the US coronavirus task force]( over aid shipments. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has accepted [humanitarian assistance from Russia](, including masks and medical equipment, though Russia itself is dealing with [severe shortages](. China, too, has [offered help]( where Western countries have failed. But critics warn that Russia's and China's motivations are [not necessarily altruistic](. And in the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan, which claims it has no cases of COVID-19, [the word "coronavirus" has been banned](. Also: [Cuba has a history of sending medical teams to nations in crisis]( Listen: [How the WHO nudges nations to act in solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic]( Trump offers sanctions relief to Venezuela The Trump administration offered to [lift sanctions against Venezuela]( if President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó agree to a transitional government with lawmakers from both sides. Venezuela has been crippled by a political and economic crisis for years, leaving Venezuelans particularly vulnerable to the pandemic. And: [Why the global recession could last a long time]( US drones strike Somali civilians [Amnesty International warns]( that US airstrikes in Somalia are killing civilians with "zero accountability." The US has launched [hundreds of strikes]( against Islamist militant group al-Shabab over the past 10 years, but has rarely acknowledged civilian casualties. "They killed my daughter," a Somali man [told Al Jazeera](. "We are powerless and they know it." And: [Khat traders, farmers take a hit amid coronavirus pandemic]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Number in the News: 45 As working from home during the coronavirus outbreak becomes the new norm, many of us have become even more tethered to our screens — and our chairs — than usual. Luckily, Derrick Evans is here to help. You may know him as [Mr. Motivator](. He rose to fame in the United Kingdom in the 1990s with his high-energy exercise routines on morning TV — and his neon spandex. Evans says that prolonged periods of staring at a computer screen can take a real toll on the body. That’s why introducing movement throughout the day is key. His first tip? Put sneakers on. Work out with Mr. Motivator on today’s episode of [The Number in the News](. 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. [Madrid’s health system under duress as ice rink turns into morgue]( After another exhausting shift at Madrid’s Ramón y Cajal hospital, nurse Corin Pira finally allowed herself to cry — in the shower. “You feel so frustrated that you start to shed all the tears that you can’t at the hospital because you can’t cry there — tears are also a source of contamination,” she said. About one in seven of Spain's confirmed coronavirus cases are health workers, and those on the front lines feel abandoned by the government and hospital authorities. From The World: [How the World Bank is helping developing countries respond to COVID-19]( And: [The evidence for everyone wearing masks, explained]( [Pandemic has made social justice issues more personal for this young Florida voter]( [Yaneilys Ayuso, who will vote for the first time in November, remembers their multicultural studies class as the catalyst for their involvement in political organizing.] Credit: Courtesy of Yaneilys Ayuso Yaneilys Ayuso, 18, remembers their multicultural studies class during their junior year of high school as the place where they learned about issues that now matter most to them: human rights, racial justice, immigration, women’s rights, and the rights of farmworkers and domestic workers. These issues have taken [center stage since the coronavirus pandemic hit](, Ayuso said — and now, they’re even more personal. From The World: [Every 30 seconds a young Latino in the US turns 18. Their votes count more than ever.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Morning meme Actor Jack Black is here to keep your spirits up with [this motivational dance](. [A screenshot of Jack Black's Instagram]( Credit: Screenshot from Instagram --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Spanish music to inspire]( - [Ancient ball court discovered in mountains of Mexico]( - [$14 billion COVID-19 relief for developing countries]( - [Latino voters in Miami]( - [Refugees can’t practice social distancing]( - [Madrid’s drastic measures]( - [Treating COVID-19 in the Gaza Strip]( - [Masks and COVID-19]( - [Reshuffling the global power deck]( - [China’s narrative around COVID-19]( 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](.