WHO downgrades COVID-19 pandemic

The World Health Organization announces that the pandemic no longer qualifies as a global emergency. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following WHO downgrades COVID-19 pandemic [The logo of the World Health Organization at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, June 11, 2009.] Credit: Anja Niedringhaus/AP/File photo COVID-19 The World Health Organization has [downgraded the COVID-19 pandemic](, saying that it no longer qualifies as a global emergency, more than three years after it was declared. The pandemic has killed millions of people around the world. The announcement doesn't change much practically, with many countries already having ended their own states of emergency, and dropping most public health restrictions. The WHO says the virus will continue to have [pandemic status like HIV](, despite the fact that COVID-19 is contracted through airborne particles. Serbia A [second mass shooting]( in a week in Serbia has killed at least eight people and injured 14 others. The shooter, who opened fire from a moving car in the capital Belgrade, was arrested Friday morning after an extensive search. It comes after a boy killed nine people at his school on Wednesday. President Aleksander Vucic has promised a "practical disarmament" of the country and announced a [list of new security measures](, including a plan to hire 1,200 new police officers, a ban on new gun permits and psychological checks of gun owners. Pakistan At least seven people, including teachers, were shot dead by multiple gunmen after exams at a [high school in northwestern Pakistan]( on Thursday. In a separate previous shooting, unidentified attackers targeted a moving vehicle, killing a schoolteacher and injuring another. District police officer Muhammad Imran said all of the victims were men and that an [investigation is underway](. Most of the dead were from the Shia minority community. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Young people in Spain use punk rock to vent their frustrations]( [Sandré in concert recently in Tarragona, Spain. The garage punk quartet screams, thrashes, stage-dives and works the crowds into frenzies. It’s becoming increasingly famous as Spain’s punk scene experiences a revival.] Credit: Gerry Hadden/The World In Spain, there have been an increasing number of punk concerts taking place each month, with the genre seeing a [rise in popularity](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Double take US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says that [widespread loneliness]( in the US poses health risks as deadly as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. 😔 An 81-page report from his office says it’s costing the health industry billions of dollars annually. Some reasons include the fact that Americans have become less engaged with worship houses, community organizations and even their own family members in recent decades. Technology has also worsened the problem. And it’s hit young people, ages 15 to 24, especially hard. The report is meant to raise awareness, but won’t actually unlock federal funding or programming to combat the issue. [Screenshot of PBS NewsHour tweet]( Credit: Twitter In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- 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]( and [GBH](.