The World: Latest Stories

The Russian mercenary group known as Wagner Group gained notoriety during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and expanded operations across West and Central Africa. But then in 2023, Wagner's leader Yevgeny Progozhin, after leading a failed military coup against Moscow, mysteriously died in a plane crash. Most of the Wagner troops were incorporated into the Russian security and intelligence forces, except in the Central African Republic, where Wagner Group continues its work under the leadership of Prigozhin's son, Pavel. The 28-year-old millionaire has expanded and diversified the mercenary business he inherited. Host Carolyn Beeler is joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Nicholas Bariyo, who spoke about his recent investigation, The Playboy Who Inherited the World's Most Notorious Mercenary Force."

France is deploying 70,000 police and military personnel across its cities, with more protests planned for this weekend. The demonstrations that began with high school students angry about conditions in their schools have grown into a broader protest movement fueled by the rising cost of living and declining public services. And France is far from alone. Protests have since spread to several countries across Europe. From Madrid, The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

The ground on which many urban areas rest is subsiding" or sinking lower into the earth - a phenomenon frequently linked to water extraction. A study out this month by a research team in China used satellite imaging to track this sinkage across nearly 500 major cities across the globe. It found that much of this so-called land subsidence" is happening under Asian metropolises. To unpack how cities are sinking and why, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Robert Nicholls, a professor of climate adaptation at the University of East Anglia in the UK.

It's hard to imagine, perhaps, but parts of France are bone dry. Severe and frequent droughts this year have left rivers low and wells near empty. Conservation efforts can mitigate the crisis to some degree, but climate change experts say the only real solution is more rain. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Saint-Amans-Soult, France.

In the aftermath of Syria's civil war that overthrew former President Bashar al Assad, millions of Syrians remain displaced or in other countries where they sought refuge. One of them is a woman named Israa, who settled in Germany after fleeing Syria more than 10 years ago, when she was 11 years old. A new documentary from our colleagues at Frontline, "One In A Million," caught up with Israa in Turkey as she was traveling with her family to Germany, and follows her to adulthood as she starts her own family and ultimately contemplates the possibility of moving back to a liberated Syria. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with co-director Itab Azzam about the film.

A fact of electoral life in Israel is that certain groups of people will always vote a certain way: how their leader or rabbi "advises" them to vote. This is how politicians, like Israel's current ultra-right-wing finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, can keep his job. In his case, he's supported by a certain faction of settlers. Ultra-orthodox parties whose population reaches voting age far more than any other, also have a lock on a certain group of voters. Stephanie Freid reports.

Composer Sami Yusuf likes to keep listeners on their toes with his diverse style of music. Born to Azerbaijani parents in Tehran, Yusuf grew up in London and was trained in both Western and Middle Eastern classical music. But his musical knowledge doesn't end there. Flamenco, Native American and more can be heard on his latest release "Ecstasy: Voices of the Earth." Host Carolyn Beeler has the details.This story originally aired on March 30, 2026.

We turn to one of Argentina's biggest pop stars. He goes by the stage name Dillom. It's also something of an alter-ego for 25-year-old Dylan Leon Massa, who was kicked out of his father's house as a kid a decade ago. He went on to build his own record label with friends and is filling stadiums, all without ever signing to a major label. He is now a Latin Grammy nominated artist, and soon to tour the United States. Reporter Natalio Cosoy met with Dillom in Buenos Aires and has his story.

For decades, malaria has claimed children's lives and haunted mothers across Africa. Developing a vaccine was a formidable scientific challenge, in part because the parasite that causes the disease is complex. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended widespread use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine in October 2021. Five years on in Ghana - one of the first countries to pilot the malaria vaccine - the program is actually saving children's lives. From Ghana, Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman has the story.

Ahead of Sunday's presidential runoff in Brazil, some of the country's biggest musicians are taking political sides. Several sertanejo stars - Brazil's version of country music - are backing Flavio Bolsonaro, while many samba and traditional Brazilian pop artists are rallying around President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. But these musical alliances have deep historical roots, and the divisions aren't as clear-cut as they seem. The World's Tibisay Zea explores what Brazil's political soundtrack reveals about its changing society.

Conservationists in India are working on an atlas of the country's grasslands, as part of a wider push to protect the ecosystem. Grasslands are a major carbon sink, but are currently classed as wasteland by the government, meaning they are the first to be converted for other uses. Abi Vanak, advisor to the Grasslands Trust and the director of the Centre for Policy Design at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, spoke with Host Carolyn Beeler.

A shark in South Korea nicknamed Bukangi was guided out of a canal yesterday, where it had been trapped. But instead of swimming away, it's been lingering nearby. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

A vulnerability identified by artificial intelligence in the popular programming language PHP set off a global scramble this week. As IT teams around the world rushed to take down websites that rely on PHP and patch the flaw, cybercriminals raced to exploit it. Johns Hopkins University's Matthew Green tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that China's open-weight AI models likely powered some of the attacks.

As Israeli strikes forced families across Lebanon to flee, many migrant workers found themselves abandoned and without shelter. But rather than wait for help, they mobilized their own networks, opening shelters, organizing aid and protecting one another. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

For years, melting ice in the Alps has revealed historic artifacts - some just a few decades old, others stretching back to the Bronze Age. Many of those artifacts are now on display at a museum in Switzerland. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Marcel Cornelissen, archaeologist and curator of the Treasury of Ice exhibit at the Glacier Garden museum, about what is on display and how it is preserved.

Voters in Serbia will go to the polls in just over a week. And no matter the result, the dominant figure will be Aleksandar Vui. He's resigned as president so that he can run as prime minister for his dominant Serbian Progressive Party. But he faces a stern challenge from a candidate list nominated by student-led protesters. They accuse Vui of autocratic tendencies - and presiding over corruption. From our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, reporter Guy De Launey, who has been a long-time follower of the Serbian leader's career, brings this report from Belgrade.

Comedian Kwasi Mensah learned to cook his family's Ghanaian peanut butter soup. He brought it to his Indian friend's potluck. Along the way, he learned how food helps build community, as he told GBH's Stories from the Stage.

Son Rompe Pera is a band that performs at local cemeteries in Naucalpan, Mexico. It all started with Jose "Batuco" Gama. But since his passing in 2016, his sons and their friends came together to play his music in a slightly different way, while still honoring Gama's legacy. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

After four years in legal limbo over its potential environmental impact, the British government has approved renewed production at the Jackdaw gas field, 150 miles off the Scottish coast. While the UK has sought to be a leader in the transition away from fossil fuels, the decision comes as Britain struggles with soaring energy costs and concerns over energy security. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learned more from Darrick Evensen, a senior lecturer in environmental politics at the University of Edinburgh.

In Barcelona this fall, tourists wearing smart glasses have twice filmed assailants stealing their personal items, ultimately leading to the thieves' arrests. Locals and tourists say the glasses offer added protection on the street, but others worry about privacy and online security. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Cell phone theft is so bad in Brazil that it's become a political issue. Hundreds of thousands of smartphones are stolen across the country each year, and the two presidential candidates have made fighting that particular crime key campaign pledges. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland took the lead for Ottawa during the high-stakes trade talks with the US in 2018. Her tough negotiating stance angered US President Donald Trump, who called her a nasty woman," as she details in her new book "Unreliable Boyfriend: An Insider's View of Dealing with a Chaotic Superpower, Plutocrats, and Other Complicated People." Freeland tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that many Canadians think the current US-Canada rupture can't be repaired.

Chile is one of Latin America's fastest-aging countries. Around 15% of its citizens are over the age of 65 - nearly half of whom report feeling lonely. One local nonprofit foundation is bringing generations together to try and combat this social isolation. As part of The World's series exploring solutions to the global problem of loneliness, Jane Chambers reports from Santiago.

Back in 2010, the explosion of the BP-operated oil well Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico spilled more than 130 million gallons of oil into the water - wreaking havoc on the local ecosystem. A new study has found that since that environmental disaster, marine life in the area decline by 60%. Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Tracey Sutton, the lead author of the study. He's a biological oceanographer at Nova Southeastern University in Dania Beach, Florida.

Unofficial results show roughly three-quarters of voters in the Canadian province of Alberta rejected a move toward separation from Canada in this week's vote. But about one-quarter of voters - hundreds of thousands of Albertans - backed the proposal. Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet, the BBC's chief international correspondent, tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that the separatist movement will fight on.

The Trump administration is proposing a 12% cut to the National Institutes of Health's 2027 budget. The proposed cuts are unlikely to make it through Congress. But scientists still feel the need to advocate for the value of the work they do abroad. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Josh Ehrlich, associate director of the Center for Global Health Equity at the University of Michigan. He wrote about funding research overseas in The Conversation.

For civil defense workers in southern Lebanon, saving lives comes at an enormous personal cost. In the city of Nabatiyeh, rescue teams navigate relentless danger, mourn colleagues killed in Israeli strikes and struggle with memories of those they couldn't save. Shirin Jaafari reports.

Same-sex marriage is not recognized in Slovakia, one of several EU countries that offer no legal recognition to same-sex couples. Last year, the EU's top court ruled that member states must recognize all marriages legally conducted in another EU country. But Slovakia has refused to comply. Now, a couple in the capital Bratislava is taking the state to court. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

The UK has released hundreds of prisoners as part of the government's early release plan. It's a key part of its bid to free up much-needed prison space and combat overcrowding. But one particular group of prisoners were ineligible for the deal. These are people sentenced under the controversial IPP, or Imprisonment for Public Protection, program, which had a minimum term but no maximum. From our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, Nik Martin has the story on the fight to get IPP prisoners released.

A music teacher in a small town in Iowa looked around at his school a realized that it was increasingly Latino - but there were few Latinos playing in school bands. So, he decided to make a change. He started a mariachi band, a rarity in the Midwest. Now, there are four, and they're a big hit with the town. Bret Hayworth of Siouxland Public Media has our story from Denison, IA.This story originally aired on Dec. 23, 2024.

Masked Israeli settlers have attacked West Bank farmers, herders and village residents harvesting olives this week. They've also beaten the journalists and European diplomats who've tried to accompany the Palestinians. Itamar Yaar, a retired Israeli colonel and national-security official who has served in the West Bank tells The World's Marco Werman that the settlers perpetrating the attack are endangering Israel's national security. Werman then speaks with Israeli journalist Noga Tarnopolsky.

What started as demonstrations over the French education system over the past month converged with other grievances - over things like housing and the cost of living. And it comes ahead of an election in France, in which the far right and far left are building support. Vivienne Walt, a TIME Magazine correspondent based in Paris, joins The World's Host Marco Werman to discuss.

The rhythms, the style and lyricism are all a little hard to define when it comes to Cuban pianist Harold Lopez-Nussa. Is it jazz, classical, traditional Cuban or something else? As Lopez-Nussa told Host Marco Werman, he's constantly exploring new directions. His album, "Nueva Timba," is no exception.This story originally aired on Oct. 22, 2025.

Guitarist and songwriter Mahesh Tinaiker fronted the Indian rock ensemble Rock Machine, which later renamed itself Indus Creed. For a generation of India's music fans, Tinaiker offered a homegrown version of metal rock. Host Marco Werman pays homage to Tinaiker who died at the age of 63 last week.

During the 1990s, Portugal experienced a devastating heroin epidemic accompanied by a surge of HIV-AIDS infections. Instead of cracking down on drug possession, Portuguese authorities tried a public health approach focusing on harm reduction. This year marks the 25th anniversary of that policy change. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Robert Glover, who teaches political science at the University of Maine and co-wrote a piece in The Conversation about this approach.

Julian, a landscape architect from Lyon, and his teenage daughter, Coline, spent much of Saturday dodging tear gas canisters and protesting for education reform. From Barcelona, where they've been on vacation, they offer their view on the state of public schools and public spending in general in France. This, as the government of Emmanuel Macron finds itself unable to contain growing public rage and, at times, violence. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

The largest regatta in the world takes place this weekend in the waters of the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts. It will be filled with rowers from all over the world. This year, two athletes will be competing under a banner rarely seen in the rowing world: the Palestinian flag. GBH's Esteban Bustillos has their story.

Ed Maverick started writing songs about heartbreak in his sleepy town of Delicias, in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, when he was 16. The following year, he released his debut album, Mix to Cry in Your Room." The hit Fuentes De Ortiz" reached more than 500 million views on Youtube. But after a major label deal and a move to Mexico City, he was subject to cyberbullying and broke down crying at a concert in New York City. Now at 25, he's about to release his fifth album. Gisele Regatao explains how he became an unlikely cult hero and the voice of Mexican youth.

Members of the Catholic Church around the globe this week are reeling from news that Pope Leo XIV has cancer. The diagnosis came after an operation on the pope's lung. The World's Carolyn Beeler spoke to Massimo Faggioli, a Catholic scholar at Villanova University.

US President Donald Trump added more confusion to US-Ukrainian relations over the last few days, announcing he'd drop sanctions on Russian diesel in order to import it, calling for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to leave office and declaring an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine that came as a surprise to Kyiv. But perhaps the most dangerous development has been the uncertainty over whether the US will continue to share intelligence with Kyiv that allows advance notice of ballistic missile strikes by Moscow. Teri Schultz was at the Warsaw Security Forum to take the temperature of this diplomatic disarray.

For more than a decade, Nicolas Maduro ruled Venezuela, supported by powerful allies, including his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez. Today, Maduro is in a Brooklyn jail, fighting charges that could keep him behind bars for the rest of his life. Rodriguez, meanwhile, is running the country and working with the very government that captured him. His courtroom battle is only beginning, but Venezuela's political future is already being negotiated without him.

Bones discovered at the famed Shanidar Cave in northern Iraq suggest the individual was killed with a spear. This could be the first evidence of murder, or just an accident. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Costa Rica, once a haven of stability in a troubled region, is facing rising homicides and drug trafficking. This week, its leaders unveiled a new prison for 5,000 inmates. The facility is designed to emulate El Salvador's approach to fighting crime and project an iron fist." But Steven Dudley, co-director of the investigative outlet InSight Crime tells The World's Carolyn Beeler that the new prison and the thinking behind it carries many risks.

Six months after Viktor Orban's 16-year rule came to an end in Hungary, his successor Peter Magyar is facing a major test: turning campaign promises into reality. He pledged to tackle corruption, rebuild ties with the European Union and reform state media accused of serving the former regime. But political observers say there's a long road ahead. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

The film is called "La Bola Negra," and it just hit US theaters. Alvaro Lafuente plays the lead as a closeted gay soldier during the Spanish Civil War who falls in love with an enemy officer. Lafuente also wrote the movie's main song and could earn a double nomination come Oscar time. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

This week, Ukraine faced restrictions on Pentagon-funded Starshield access and US intelligence sharing, hindering its ability to intercept drones and strike Russian targets. The service has reportedly been restored. But retired Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, who directs The Foundation for Defense of Democracies Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation tells The World's Carolyn Beeler the incident brought home to Kyiv how vulnerable it is to decisions by a wavering ally.

Archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be the oldest known shipwreck in the world. Estimated to be up to 4,700 years old, the ship's structure has long since decayed. But its cargo of ceramic pots, as well as three stone anchors, remains. And they shed light on the trade routes across the Mediterranean Sea in the ancient world. Carolyn Beeler has more details.

Families are returning to southern Lebanon, but the fighting isn't over. Israeli strikes continue, and parts of the south remain under Israeli military control. Some villages have been reduced to rubble, leaving residents with nowhere to return. For those who have made it home, fear and uncertainty are part of everyday life. The World's Shirin Jaafari visits a mobile medical clinic, where healthcare workers are helping people cope with the physical and emotional toll of war.

The driest non-polar place on earth, the Atacama Desert, is currently covered with carpets of colorful blossoms. This natural spectacle only happens once or twice every ten years, and three years ago it prompted the Chilean government to name this region a national park. Here, researchers are finding clues to deal with climate change and extremely dry conditions. The World's Tibisay Zea first reported on this phenomenon in 2022, from the Atacama Desert.This story originally aired on Oct. 17, 2022.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek is on a decades-long project to walk from East Africa to South America. In his 13 years on the road so far, he's been stopped by law enforcement 120 times. Those encounters range from friendly stops to detentions, and everything in between. He has even been logging those stops on an online map. He joined Host Carolyn Beeler to talk about that map, and share stories about his walk-ins with the law.This story first aired on January 22, 2026.