The newest Korean music trend

Brazil's Supreme Court ordered an investigation into accusations that allege President Jair Bolsonaro tried to "interfere" with police work for political gain. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( Protesters in Hong Kong are planning to demonstrate against another law that could limit their autonomy. The novel coronavirus is hitting Brazil hard. In Qatar, the government is requiring use of a contact-tracing app. Meanwhile in South Korea, youth are embracing old school tunes. --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Hongkongers continue protests against threats to civil liberties [Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, wearing a mask due to the ongoing global outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), speaks during a news conference in Hong Kong, China May 26, 2020.]( Credit: Tyrone Siu/Reuters [Protesters in Hong Kong]( are planning a massive action Tuesday night before the Hong Kong legislature's Wednesday debate of a controversial bill. The legislation would [criminalize misuse of China's national anthem]( with fines and jail time, eroding freedom of expression in the semi-autonomous city. The debate over the anthem comes as Beijing plans to bypass Hong Kong's legislature to impose a [national security law]( in Hong Kong — a move that has been sharply criticized internationally and sparked protests over the weekend. China's military says it is prepared to ["safeguard"]( Chinese sovereignty in the city. Also: [Hong Kong in shock as China’s Xi Jinping goes for ‘nuclear option’]( And: [Taiwan promises 'support' for Hong Kong's people as China tightens grip]( Brazil follows US in coronavirus outbreak as Qatar requires contact-tracing app As the US approaches 100,000 confirmed deaths from the novel coronavirus, Brazil follows with the [second-worst outbreak]( in the world. Both presidents Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro have downplayed the virus and underlined their focus on the economy, as well as confounded guidance from their public health agencies. Qatar has made a new [contact-tracing app mandatory](, though experts have questioned its efficiency, and privacy concerns have been raised. The app is required on mobile devices for people leaving their homes. Failure to use it could lead to fines and imprisonment. From The World: [South Korea’s coronavirus contact tracing puts LGBTQ community under surveillance, critics say]( And: [Bolsonaro brought in his generals to fight coronavirus. Brazil is losing the battle.]( Tune in: Misinformation and conspiracy theories Amplified by social media, misinformation can undermine critical public health efforts and fuel conspiracy theories. As part of our [weekly series]( taking your questions to the experts, The World's Elana Gordon will moderate a conversation with K. “Vish” Viswanath, professor of health communication at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who will address the pitfalls of COVID-19 misinformation, as well as ways to find trustworthy information about the pandemic. Stream the conversation live at 12 p.m. ET on our [Facebook page](. [The key to winning the Latino vote in 2020? Latinas.]( Women vote at higher rates than men across all racial and ethnic groups in the US. That gap is particularly wide for Latino voters. The key to winning the Latino electorate, experts say, is Latinas. The path to victory in the US presidential election in November cannot afford to ignore the Latino vote. But [Latinas' voting power goes beyond their individual votes](: They’re likely to encourage friends and family to vote, too. That's why campaigns and organizations should target them, experts say. The World is following the young Latino electorate as part of a collaborative public media project, "[Every 30 Seconds](." [The State Dept. is nearing a deal over 1998 terrorism victims. But can Sudan pay it?]( More than 20 years after the 1998 bombings on US embassies in East Africa, the Trump administration is closing in on a deal with the government of Sudan to [settle claims owed to hundreds of victims](. This deal, if passed by Congress, could put the country one step closer to removing the State Sponsors of Terrorism designation, which Sudanese officials see as a key obstacle in emerging from decades of economic isolation. Others in Sudan see the terrorism listing, and related sanctions, as punishment for the crimes of a former regime. From The World: [Khashoggi sons' pardon of his killers is 'final act of the parody of justice,' UN expert says]( Also: [Russia seeks 18-year jail term for ex-US Marine in spying trial]( The Number in the News: 128 While millions are confined to their homes worldwide, baking projects are on the rise, and sourdough bread is having a moment. Google trends report a 40% increase in search for the term "sourdough" since early March — even though making this type of bread requires several days of work, a lot of patience and precision. Nobody knows this better than the people at the [world’s only sourdough library](: The Puratos Center For Bread Flavor in St. Vith, Belgium. [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. [Canals are clear thanks to the coronavirus, but Venice’s still faces an existential threat]( Venetians have discovered a silver lining in an empty city suddenly free of polluting tourist boats: The water in the legendary canals is clear, unlike anything they've seen in decades. [But the city faces another existential threat — climate change]( — a preview of which came in November, when extreme flooding from heavy rains and high tides swamped Venice. If the world can't radically reduce its carbon footprint, climate models show that sea-level rise is most likely to inundate Venice by 2100. Also: [Oil-starved Venezuela celebrates arrival of tankers from Iran]( [Move over K-pop: Korean youth turn to old-time trot music]( [Screenshot from OGAM entertainment that features young musicians singing in the old-timey fox trot style.]( [Credit: Screenshot/OGAM entertainment]( In South Korea, young people are turning their attention to an older style of music — trot, a folk genre that has been around for more than 100 years. These days, South Korean TV viewers are watching young artists perform covers of [old-timey trot music on competition shows]( like “Mister Trot,” which have viewers vote in for their favorite acts in an “American Idol”-style format. Meanwhile, major K-pop artists are also taking up the genre, singing karaoke cover songs on talk shows, or adding their own trotlike elements into their original music. --------------------------------------------------------------- Morning meme With spring in the air, it’s a great time to get started planting flowers to support native pollinators. [Here's how to convert your lawn into a bee pollinator habitat](. [The state of Minnesota is one year into a new program to help support the rusty patched bumblebee, along with other native pollinators.]( [Credit: Courtesy of Clay Bolt/Xerces Society]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Celebrating the musical diversity of Mexico]( - [US honors fallen soldiers on Memorial Day]( - [Airline boarding music]( - [Korean ‘trot’ music: It’s not just for grandparents anymore]( - [A new business model: remote working]( - [The looming mental health crisis from the pandemic]( - [Venice reels from flooding and COVID-19]( - [Netanyahu on trial]( - [Are the US and China entering a ‘new Cold War’?]( - [Epicenter of pandemic shifts to South America]( 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](.