The World: Latest Stories

Francisco Franco died 50 years ago. The general-turned-dictator had been at the helm of a violent authoritarian regime that caused immense hardship for the people of Spain. The current Spanish government is marking the anniversary of Franco's demise with a year-long celebration called "Spain in Freedom." But not everyone is on board. The World's Gerry Hadden brought us this story from the village of Belchite when the festivities first got underway earlier this year.

Despite this week's United Nations resolution to adopt a peace plan for Gaza, life for residents of the territory remains precarious. From Al-Mawasi, on the southern coast of Gaza, Joseph Belliveau, the executive director of the aid group MedGlobal, tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler why the October ceasefire hasn't brought security.

It's been 10 years since the landmark Paris agreement was signed. In those years, people who started as youth activists pushing for faster action on climate change have become experienced advocates. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler re-connects with two activists she met while reporting on the Paris climate summit, to get their perspectives on the change they've witnessed since then.

In response to recent acts of violence against Nigerian Christians, the US has determined that Nigeria is a "country of particular concern." Some Nigerians - including religious leaders - see the US response as an oversimplification. The World's Host Marco Werman spoke with journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani in Umuahia, Nigeria, for further insight.

The Trump administration is moving to label Venezuela's so-called Cartel of the Suns" as a foreign terrorist organization - placing a murky network of military and political elites on the same list as ISIS and al-Qaeda. Experts say the label doesn't fit, and wouldn't create a legal basis for military action against Venezuela. The World's Tibisay Zea explains.

An Australian beach outfitter, Swim Shady, is in trouble. Marshall B. Mathers III, better known as Eminem, is suing the beach accessory brand for - as his lawyers put it - creating a "false association" with the rapper's alter ego, Slim Shady. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

In the US and the UK, over half of the foods eaten in a typical diet are ultra-processed. That is, packaged foods significantly altered from their natural state, with many added ingredients, artificial colors. A study just published in The Lancet journal shows the extent of the damage being done by excessive consumption of these foods, and looks at their role in people's diets from one part of the globe to another. Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina is one of the lead authors of the study. He joined Host Marco Werman to share the major takeaways.

Civilizations don't really build palaces anymore, except in Indonesia. Its new Garuda Palace," shaped like a mythical bird, rises from a hilltop in the country's fledgling new capital. The wings are formed by thousands of pillars made from dark copper. The palace is a monument to the country itself, and will eventually serve as a new home to the president and his staff. Reporter Patrick Winn was the first foreign journalist allowed in for a look.

There are many tales of individuals and groups helping Jews during the terrifying years under Nazi rule across Europe. They gave them safe spaces to stay, helped them escape or gave them food and other essentials. Karen Kirsten grew up in Australia listening to her mother's story of being kept by nuns during that time. Kirsten shares memories of her pilgrimage to Poland to find the nuns, with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

One of the biggest culprits of mercury pollution is small-scale gold mining, where mercury is used to separate gold from rock and soil. The problems this causes for the environment and for the health of gold miners is especially easy to see in South America, where small-scale gold mining has taken off. The World's partners at the Deutsche Welle, DW, program "Living Planet" looks into some of the projects in Peru aimed at reducing the problem. Kathleen Schuster reports.

An inmate in Australia is suing a state corrections department over a policy that forbids Vegemite in prisons. Andre McKechnie, 54, claims the prison policy that forbids Vegemite violates his right to enjoy his culture as an Australian." Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman met with US President Donald Trump today at the White House. MBS, as he is known, was sidelined seven years ago after the US intelligence community concluded that he had ordered the operation that led to the killing of an outspoken critic of the Kingdom. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

A UK research project is hoping to fast track the hunt for new antibiotics by using artificial intelligence. The World Health Organization warned last month that infections involving drug-resistant super bacteria are on the rise globally. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Dr. Andrew Edwards, a member of the research team.

A French court sided with Perrier today in a case about what is natural" water, according to the French paper Le Figaro. A consumer group had requested that the famous mineral water be pulled from shelves, because the company was using a micro-filtration process to remove contaminants from the water. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman explain.

One of the rules for sports in the Winter Olympics is that they have to be contested on either snow or ice. But with a changing climate and growing calls for increased diversity at the Winter Games, some people are advocating for a new sport to be added to the lineup - one without snow or ice. The World's Bianca Hillier explains.

Germany's public-private vocational apprenticeship programs are a traditional cornerstone of its economy. But the programs are increasingly short of trainees, raising alarm about the future of the country's skilled labor force. Vocational programs are quietly looking to foreigners to fill the gap, and that's creating problems of its own. Valerie Hamilton reports from Germany.

New research finds that, on average, everyone spends 78 minutes a day traveling, whether it's for commuting, shopping, entertainment, etc. This average holds regardless of where you are or your income. These findings are important when designing urban layouts and transit systems to support green energy transitions. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with researcher Eric Galbraith about his findings.

When international students return home from the US with a college degree in hand, they can have a lasting, beneficial impact on their communities. Reporter Briana Duggan profiles a Kenyan woman who studied computer science at Augustana College in Illinois, and then returned to her small hometown to become an educator.This story originally aired on Sept. 1, 2025.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman catch you up on headlines in the news you may have missed.

A couple decades ago, China had virtually no green infrastructure and was famous for dense smog in its major cities. Today, the country is making huge investments in eco-friendly technology - and it's quickly becoming the biggest source of renewable exports around the globe. The World's Jeremy Siegel reports from the city of Shenzhen.

The US has opened a new facility in Mexico to breed and release millions of sterile flies. It's part of an effort to curb the spread of the New World screwworm, a flesh eating parasite that has spread through Central America and into southern Mexico. Host Marco Werman learns more from entomologist Phillip Kaufman at Texas A&M University.

Today is Equal Pay Day in Europe, according to the European Commission. It's the symbolic date that represents the wage gap between men and women. As Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman explain, today marks the day when European women "work for free" for the rest of the calendar year.

An early snapshot of US colleges and universities this fall shows the number of first-year international students is down 17% compared to last year. That's according to a new report out today from the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit that tracks these trends. GBH's Kirk Carapezza has been taking a closer look at the numbers and shares an update with Host Carolyn Beeler.

A special tribunal in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka has found ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year, and has sentenced her to death. Zafar Sobhan, the editor of the Bangladeshi news site Counterpoint, joins The World's Host Marco Werman from Dhaka to talk about the implications.

"Practically every district" of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv came under heavy bombardment by Russia on Friday, according to a city official. The strikes killed at least five people and have been condemned by Ukraine's international supporters - as Russian forces are hitting Ukraine along key areas of the front line. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Mariia Zolkina, the Head of Regional Security & Conflict Studies at the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, a Kyiv-based think tank.

The Deaflympic Games started in 1924. That was decades before even the Paralympics, which doesn't have categories for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The 2025 edition kicks off in Tokyo this weekend, and The World's Bianca Hillier has the details.

Paniz Faryousefi led the Tehran Symphony Orchestra this week, marking a rare performance by a woman conductor. Only one other women conductor has been allowed to lead a symphony orchestra in Iran in the past four decades. Faryousefi said she hopes her achievement opens the door to other women musicians in Iran.

Chileans go to the polls Sunday to elect their next president and Congress in a first-round vote where security is front of mind. Chileans have a growing perception that their country's security is deteriorating, even when Chile stands as one of the safest countries in the region. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

Sudan's civil war is escalating. The paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which now controls the Darfur region, is escalating its attacks and turning its focus east. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Council meets today to address the growing humanitarian crisis. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Kholood Khair, head of Confluence Advisory, a think tank founded in Sudan.

Last night in Las Vegas, Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny took home five Grammy awards, including for best album and best urban song. But the extravagant hip-hop and soul duo, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, took home five as well - and wowed the world with an explosive live show. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

The International Space Station (ISS) is a home for astronauts that entails a lot of risks and challenges. It's the subject of a new two-part documentary, "Operation Space Station," from our colleagues at NOVA. One of the people we meet in that documentary is Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano. He's among the lucky few to have lived at the ISS and speaks to Host Carolyn Beeler.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been walking across the globe on foot for over a decade, for a project called the Out of Eden Walk. He often walks through sparsely populated, extremely remote places. That trek comes with a major concern: What do you do when you get sick? Salopek tells Host Carolyn Beeler about how he stays healthy on the road, where health care comes in many forms.

It's meant to be the antithesis of the polluted, climate-threatened megacity. A "forest capital" with no smog, no traffic jams, no overflowing sewage and no encroaching seawater. Instead, Indonesia's new capital has solar-powered trains, flying taxis and buildings ensconced in the green jungle like some sci-fi "Star Wars" city - or at least it will, someday, according to the master plan. Nusantara is one of the most ambitious city-building projects ever. And it's now up and running - sort of. Reporter Patrick Winn went to see for himself.

Israeli forces have carried out near-daily airstrikes in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement signed in November of last year. Both Israel and the US say Hezbollah, the Lebanese group opposing Israel, has to disarm. But so far, the group has rejected those demands. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

Pakistan's parliament cemented the power of its military chief today by passing a constitutional amendment limiting the independence of the country's highest court. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler discusses the implications with Ayesha Siddiqa, an expert on Pakistan's military at King's College in London and the author of "Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy."

Ten days ago, a flamingo named Frankie made a daring escape from the wildlife sanctuary where she was born and raised. After a week of attempting to bring Frankie home, the sanctuary confirmed that she was now living in France, where she is well-fed and thriving. The sanctuary has now called off their search, and left Frankie to her freedom.

The group Venessia.com, which has tracked the population of Venice for 25 years, says the city now has fewer than 45,000 residents. That's a loss of more than 120,000 people since the 1950s. They're fleeing an ever-increasing number of tourists, who some say make their beloved city seem more like Disneyland than a living, breathing place. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

Exactly a decade ago, 10 ISIS gunmen opened fire on people in cafes, at a rock concert and at France's national soccer stadium. They killed 130 people and wounded hundreds more. Ten years on, survivors are slowly rebuilding their lives. Many are attending ceremonies across Paris, including at a new memorial garden in their honor. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler catch us up on some stories that are flying below the radar.

The Turkish Football Federation announced mass suspensions this week after it found more than 1,000 active players linked to illegal betting accounts. The news breaks just weeks after hundreds of referees were linked to breaking similar gambling rules. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

The new Japanese prime minister sparked a diplomatic flare-up late last week, when she said that an attack by China against Taiwan could lead to a military response from Japan. China's foreign ministry is demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her "egregious" remarks or "bear all consequences." The back and forth also comes at a time when Taiwan's leaders are stepping into the international spotlight to talk about the importance of defending democracy. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

Which European country do you think is leading the pack in terms of paternity leave right now?

Co-hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman tell us about the Hungarian man who spent 144 hours dancing to over 3,000 songs and burned more than 22,000 calories in his quest to make the Guinness Book of World Records for consecutive time spent on the dancing game platform.

In 2015, Christiana Figueres was a key architect of the Paris Agreement, the landmark global climate treaty that mandated emissions reductions. Now, at the start of this year's COP30 conference, she speaks with The World's Host Marco Werman on the legacy of that agreement.

As the largest US warship sails into the Caribbean, Venezuela has announced a "massive mobilization" of its land, air, naval and reserve forces. Former CIA Latin America analyst Fulton Armstrong tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that, even if Venezuela's military retreated in the aftermath of US strikes, its populace might unify to repel a foreign invader.

Two Swedish teenagers, arrested last year for throwing hand grenades at the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen, went on trial in Denmark today. Swedish authorities say the case highlights a growing problem at home: the recruitment of children and teenagers by criminal gangs. The Swedish government is now proposing a radical measure to try and tackle the problem. Lowering the age of criminal responsibility to just 13. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Ekpar Asat dreamed of building a digital home for his people - a place where Uyghurs could share music, stories and a sense of belonging. Beijing saw that dream as a threat. They erased the network, and then they erased him. But what happened in Xinjiang wasn't only about one man or one community. It has become a blueprint for how repression spreads - far beyond China's borders. Dina Temple-Raston, from the "Click Here" podcast, reports.

A group of 374 musicians set a record on Wednesday for the most number of bagpipers piping in one place at one time. They played AC/DC's iconic rock anthem "It's a Long Way to the Top" in honor of the band's 1976 video in Melbourne, Australia, that featured bagpipes. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Have you been keeping up on your Duolingo streak? New research suggests that learning a second language could play a role in keeping the mind younger and healthier for longer. A study published in the journal "Nature Aging" found that people who speak two or more languages were more likely to see delayed symptoms of dementia. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learned more from Lucia Amoruso, one of the main authors of the research. She's a psychologist with The Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language based in San Sebastian, Spain.

Scientists have developed a new potato variety that is resilient to late blight, a disease that is increasingly threatening the potato crop in the Peruvian Andes. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Thiago Mendes, scientist at the International Potato Center, about the new variety.