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The murder of George Floyd amidst of a global pandemic has triggered a global conversation among the Black diaspora and its progressive allies. In the editorial for our #BlackLivesMatter focus, award-winning journalist Gary Younge analyses the current debates in the U.S. and in Europe.

While restrictions against the pandemic are gradually being lifted throughout Europe, the situation in Armenia is worsening. The capacities of hospitals are exhausted. Armenia is in a de facto state of emergency as a result of the pandemic, which could turn into a political crisis. Our colleague Eviya Hovhannisyan from Yerevan reports the current developments in the interview.

Europe could still emerge from the pandemic crisis sustainably positioned and strengthened, but only if the Franco-German tandem works. The plans for a reconstruction fund of 500 billion euros mark a turnaround in the right direction.

At the beginning of 2020 it looked as if the Greek economy would recover with above average growth from 10 years of financial crisis.The corona pandemic has shattered these prospects. Greek society is now hoping for support from the German Council Presidency.

The murder of George Floyd has thrown the United States into a state of unrest. President Trump is throwing fuel on the fire in an attempt to increase his re-election chances. The main problem, however, is historical, structural racism – and not just in the U.S. An interview with Bastian Hermisson, Head of the Foundation’s office in Washington, and Mekonnen Mesghena, Head of Migration and Diversity at the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Berlin.

High-risk geoengineering projects are proceeding in violation of UN moratoria.

In Colombia too, public life and the economy have been at a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic. There is, however, hope that the early measures taken to stem the pandemic will pay off in the medium and long term. The country is currently between hope and fear regarding the measures to ease the social and economic lockdown in place since March.

The new online course on masculinity has now been released in a version with English subtitles, making the cooperation project of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Moscow available internationally to anyone interested.

Britain is in the midst of finalising the Brexit transition process while also being hit especially hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. The German Council Presidency has to protect public health all over Europe while also preventing another financial crisis from happening. But this might also give new momentum to systemic change towards a more sustainable economy.

Their services in pollination and soil management make insects vital for agriculture. But farming also poses grave threats to them. We need to better maintain and restore biodiversity in farmed landscapes.

Organic farming focuses on maintaining  soil fertility and biodiversity. But for  an insect-friendly future, the whole farm landscape will have to change.

If insect diversity were to disappear, a vital part of the system that supports us would be lost. Nature would change, and our diet would have to change with it. Pollinator robots would not be able to compensate for the absence of insects.

The decline in both insect populations and in the number of species is well documented, though the evidence is patchy outside  Europe and North America. Scientists agree that agriculture has a negative influence. Both the expansion and intensification of farming seem to be to blame.

Long-term research, individual studies  and the Red Lists all tell the same story:  the numbers and diversity of insects  are heading downhill. Plugging the gaps  in the data will do nothing to change  this conclusion.

The October uprising has paved the way for new constitution in Chile. However, the virus has forced citizens’ organisations into quarantine and is delaying constitutional change. What happens next?

➔ All graphics and infographics from the Insect Atlas 2020 as download.

To limit the damage that insect pests  cause to crops, we call on their natural enemies – mostly other insects.  Biological pest control is all the more successful if diversity is higher.

For many LGBTI+ people, staying home raises domestic violence concerns. Already among the most vulnerable groups regarding access to employment, LGBTI+ individuals are now facing job and income losses. Moreover, the risk of discrimination in healthcare is higher for LGBTI+ individuals. To make matters worse, hate speech targeting the LGBTI+ community in the pretext of Covid-19 is on the rise.

Dara(*) is an edjai, the local term in Khmer language to designate a street waste picker. In a country lacking a formal recycling system, he is one of the many thousands roaming the streets in search for aluminum cans or plastic bottles he can find to sell to collectors, composing the backbone of the recycling ecosystem.

Sweden has recently become known as one of the members of the Frugal Four group in the negotiations concerning the new European long-term budget. These member states are skeptical towards the idea of corona bonds, and, as net contributors to the EU budget, they are open to paying more to the EU but “there are limits”.

On July 1st, Germany will take over the EU Council Presidency in midst the Corona pandemic. This presents opportunities for Germany to redefine its European policy. How does Germany perceive its role in the European Union and what are the expectations of other member states for the German Council Presidency?

The disappointment in Italian society in relation to the EU at the beginning of the corona crisis has now changed to confidence. Now the expectations of financial solidarity are particularly directed towards the forthcoming German EU Presidency.

Europe and European politics do not currently play a central role in the social debate in Spain. This makes it all the more important for Europe to come up with clear proposals to overcome the crisis.

A fluctuating economy, high unemployment, enormous violence against women and girls – what was already a difficult situation in Mexico has been made far worse by the coronavirus pandemic. Dawid Danilo Bartelt, Head of the Mexico City Office, describes the country’s approach to tackling coronavirus.

We are currently witnessing and participating in the processes of reinterpreting the history of World War II and the formation of the modern historic narrative in Ukraine. An important aspect of this relevant discourse is the visibility of diverse women’s experiences in World War II.

The debate over the data storage model of a coronavirus tracing app shows how the German government’s search for digital infection control tools became caught up between public health officials, privacy experts and the US tech industry.

The type of travel and local tourism management determine how sustainable a holiday can be. Environmentally friendly offers are on the rise, but above all conventional forms that ignore environmental pollution are booming.