What influence does China have over the WHO?

The World Health Organization said more than twice as many people died as a result of the COVID pandemic than official data shows, if including deaths of other causes that might not have occurred in more typical times.

Posts on social networks have propagated the theory, based on claims by French doctor Didier Raoult, that vaccination has increased Covid-19 infections. FRANCE 24’s Georgina Robertson and Sophie Samaille look at some of the statistics and investigate in this week's show.

The World Health Organization and its COVID-19 vaccine partner Gavi have said they are not currently planning to buy shots from South Africa's Aspen - whose CEO is warning a lack of demand threatens local production.

The World Health Organization's European chief said on Tuesday that at least 3,000 people had died in Ukraine because they had been unable to access treatments for chronic diseases. So far, the global health agency has documented some 200 attacks in Ukraine on healthcare facilities, and few hospitals are currently functioning, the official, Hans Kluge, told a regional meeting attended by 53 member states as well as senior colleagues from WHO.

State media in North Korea has reported the deaths of six people with a "fever" a day after officials confirmed the country's first COVID-19 infection. More than 180,000 people are said to be isolated for treatment.

New data shows China's economy cooled sharply in April, as many cities including Shanghai suffered Covid-19 lockdowns. Industrial output dropped nearly 3 percent compared to a year before, while retail sales slumped 11 percent. Meanwhile, global wheat prices jump after India announces a ban on exporting the grain due to damage from a heatwave. Finally, we see how tourists are returning to Barcelona. The development is good news for local businesses but could revive tensions over mass tourism.

Since North Korea reported its first official coronavirus case last week, the WHO has warned it might spread rapidly in the unvaccinated country. Ruler Kim Jong Un wants the military to turn the tide.

After a White supremacist killed 10 Black residents of Buffalo, New York, various op-ed pieces in major American newspapers show that both Republicans and Democrats are accused of exploiting racial violence for political gain. We also take a look at Democratic candidate John Fetterman's landslide victory in a Senate primary election in Pennsylvania. We end with a public service announcement on the dangers of popping champagne (or prosecco) after shaking the bottle!

Japan's GDP fell at an annualised rate of 1 percent in the first three months of this year as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus hampered consumer spending. Rising commodity prices also weighed on businesses in the world's third-largest economy. Plus, as unemployment remains stable in France at 7.3 percent, a steelworks factory in the northern city of Dunkirk is offering a cash bonus to employees to encourage them to recruit family members.

Health officials in Germany, the European Union and elsewhere are looking at the dangers of the continued spread of monkeypox and how to best contain the disease.

Tobacco products are the most littered item on the planet, and they contain thousands of toxic chemicals that can end up in the environment, according to the World Health Organization.

We look at reactions in the British papers after PM Boris Johnson survives a no-confidence vote. Also, the girl who inspired one of the Vietnam War's defining photos speaks out, 50 years after the picture was taken. Meanwhile, we look at the worrying disappearance of a longtime correspondent for the Guardian and his colleague in a part of the Amazon rainforest notorious for illegal mining and drug trafficking. Finally, we find out why punctuality is making a comeback.