The World: Latest Stories

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary this weekend in Vienna but the event is once again being overshadowed by political controversy. Five countries are boycotting the contest over Israel's participation, citing its military offensive in Gaza. Meanwhile, organizers have introduced new voting rules following allegations of voter manipulation by Israel at last year's contest. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Gucci may call it "Italian leather," but much of the raw materials they use originate in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, where 11 tanneries operate and craftsmen continue their ancient profession. In another part of the city, men sit hunched over 600-year-old dye pits where they mix lavish indigo color into intricately designed fabrics. The leather and dye makers are at the heart of the local economy - but globalization is hurting both crafts. From Kano, reporter Ricci Shryock has the story.

It's not often we get to hear music written and recorded in Antarctica. But that's what musician Kyra Sims was able to do on her French horn, while on an expedition with Antarctic scientists and researchers. She is one of only two musicians in the world who have performed on all seven continents and she speaks with Host Carolyn Beeler about the music inspired by her latest adventure.

Cape Verde is an archipelago 350 miles from the nearest country on the African continent and it's distinct from the rest of Africa in many ways. For one thing, it has a functional democracy, which places it in a minority in Africa. Cape Verde will hold elections on Sunday with two candidates for prime minister who offer the classic choice between change or continuity. GBH's Paris Alston reported from Cape Verde recently and tells Host Carolyn Beeler what's at stake.

Shweta Bhatt's parents were worried. Their daughter, pushing 30, hadn't found a partner. So, they tried to do for her what worked for them. When she rejected their involvement, the relationship she ended up pursuing without their help surprised her. This story comes to us from the GBH program Stories from the Stage, in Boston.

Cuba's oil reserves have run dry. It's fueling blackouts lasting more than 20 hours in Havana, and widespread protests, where people are demanding electricity. It's the result of the ongoing US blockade of the island. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with journalist Ed Augustin, who's in Havana, about the latest.

If you can prove you have a Canadian ancestor -.even several generations back - you may now be eligible for Canadian citizenship. That's thanks to a new law passed in Ottawa that removes the one-generation limit on citizenship based on descent. As Maine Public's Ari Snider reports, this has set off a scramble among people seeking a potential exit strategy from the US, especially from New England, where many families have roots north of the border.

Overspending, misspending, favoritism and left-wing political bias: These are the charges leveled against France's public radio and television by a parliamentary report published this week. Critics of the report describe it as a foretaste of the extreme right in power." The head of the committee of lawmakers that produced it is a member of a party allied to Jordan Bardella's far-right National Rally party. From our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, Inside Europe's John Laurenson reports from Paris.

This summer is expected to be a scorcher in North America - and right around the time the World Cup gets underway. New analysis has determined a quarter of the games could experience temperatures beyond the global players' union safety standards. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with sports ecologist and author Madeleine Orr about how climate change is affecting sports.

Last year, Russia made slow but steady gains on the front line in eastern Ukraine. But now, effective deployment of Ukrainian drones, along with a host of other factors, have slowed the progress of Russian troops. Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst with the Finnish think tank Black Bird Group discusses the implications with The World's Host Marco Werman.

Senior citizens in Asia have long been known for their fitness routines. Taiwan is no different. The government there has been extolling the health benefits of exercise for the elderly. Two grandmothers in Taipei have taken the suggestion to heart. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

Chris Martin, of Coldplay, made a big announcement today along with Elmo and some of the other muppets. For the first time ever, there will be a half-time show at the World Cup final in New Jersey. The big event will feature Martin, along with Madonna, Shakira and the K-Pop sensation BTS.

Spanish pistachio production was already way up - by about 73% in the last decade. It's because they're trendy, hawked on social media as healthy and competitors like those in California have seen yields fall. But now, Spanish farmers are really gaining ground because the world's second-largest producer - Iran - can't get its nuts to market. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek is a man on a mission: traveling across the world in the way the earliest humans out of Africa did. Lately, he's been hiking and paddling along Alaska's southern coast. He joins Host Marco Werman to share what he's learned about how coastal ecosystems helped our ancestors thrive as they populated the planet.

More than 250 years ago, Britain saw New England's white pine trees much like we see rare earth minerals today: Control of natural resources shapes global power. The trees were a strategic resource for Britain's Royal Navy. GBH's Hannah Loss went to the forests of Massachusetts to learn more.

Sudan's civil war has triggered what many describe as the world's largest humanitarian disaster. It's a crisis that remains dramatically underreported, according to journalist Ann Curry. She won an Emmy for her coverage of the Darfur genocide in 2007 and recently talked with refugees fleeing into South Sudan. She tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that while Western audiences closely followed the violence in Darfur nearly two decades ago, far fewer people today understand and appreciate the scale of the suffering engulfing Sudan.

US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing Wednesday for talks with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The two leaders are expected to talk over their countries' tech rivalry, the current Iran war and the future of Taiwan. The World's Host Marco Werman learned more from Simon Cox, The Economist's China Economics Editor. He joined the show from Hong Kong.

Today, the world celebrates one of the most popular - and arguably most delicious - of foods: hummus. The World's Aaron Schachter takes a brief look at what makes the creamy - or not so creamy - dip a worldwide favorite.

Tunisian singer, Emel Mathlouthi, was called the "voice of the Tunisian revolution" 15 years ago. She took to the streets to protest like many of her peers during the Arab Spring. Emel recently spoke with Meklit Hadero, on the Movement podcast, about what that was like and how she sees the whole experience.

Each year, hundreds of endangered baby sea turtles will get stuck on the beaches of Cape Town. But thanks to a network of around 2,000 volunteers, many of them get rescued and safely brought to an aquarium. As Elna Schutz reports from Cape Town, with only one or two hatchlings out of every thousand likely to survive into adulthood, this work can make a significant difference.

The UK has had four prime ministers in just four years, and now, Keir Starmer is fighting to avoid becoming the next political casualty. In the past 24 hours, more than 80 Labour MPs have turned on their own leader calling for his resignation after a string of damaging local election results last week. Despite the mounting pressure, the British prime minister is refusing to go, insisting to his cabinet that the public expects them to get on with governing and that he intends to do exactly that. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

French President Emmanuel Macron is in Africa today, co-hosting a summit of some 30 African heads of state in Nairobi, Kenya. France used to organize events like this in its former French-speaking colonies in West Africa. But as the country courts new alliances on the continent, some see hints of France's colonial past on display. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

There have been dramatic cuts to science research grants within the past year. Particularly hard hit: rare disease research, which has always been difficult to fund. But global research collaborations are forging ahead, led by some of the most impacted people. Reporter Deepa Fernandes, whose own daughter has a rare genetic disorder, takes us into the world of Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome.

According to the World Health Organization, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - or PCOS - impacts a huge number of women, but the C" in its name - for cystic" - has caused serious misunderstandings. Experts say the new name - polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, PMOS - represents a major advancement for diagnosis and treatment. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Helena Teede, who spearheaded the change, about why it matters. She's director of the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, and joined the show from Prague.

Professional rakugo storytellers all over Japan practice an art form dating back to the 14th century. One such performer is Katsura Sunshine, a white man from Canada, who fell in love with it, and who is now bringing rakugo to new audiences in the US and Canada. Jacob Aloi of Minnesota Public Radio has the story.

A new Israeli investigation finds that the use of sexual violence on Oct. 7 and against hostages in captivity was a calculated strategy by Hamas." In another separate report released today, Israel's State Comptroller accused the government of neglecting military procurements and jeopardizing soldiers' lives. Journalist Noga Tarnopolsky tells The World's Host Marco Werman the reports were released as the government gears up to establish a special military tribunal to try an elite group of Hamas fighters.

Togolese writer and activist Farida Bemba Nabourema, shared a post on X explaining that not enough credit has been given to francophone musicians "in the political awakening in French dominated Africa." She and her followers offer some examples. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman give it a listen.

They're Sara and Edi, and their musical laboratory is on the top floor of a 17th Century Spanish farmhouse - one that nearly collapsed around them from age and their sonic tinkerings. The house is now patched up and Los Sara Fontan's music is louder and more cutting edge than ever. The World's Gerry Hadden reports on the dynamic duo from Calonge, Spain.

Relatives of Mexico's disappeared took to the streets yesterday for a Mother's Day march, calling on authorities to do more to deter kidnappings, abductions and murders. A new report finds many of the disappearances are the result of deep collusions" between officials and organized crime. Viri Rios, of the news outlet "Mexico Decoded," speaks with The World's Host Marco Werman about the implications.

In a fit of excitement, Hungary's incoming health minister danced wildly at the victory party for the country's new Prime Minister Peter Magyar. As Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain, he was at it again over the weekend.

After the US capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the socialist movement founded by Hugo Chavez is entering a dramatic new phase. Acting President Delcy Rodriguez is opening talks with Washington and reshaping a revolution built on anti-American rhetoric. Reporter Tibisay Zea returns to the Caracas neighborhoods where she met Maduro supporters in 2024, and finds longtime believers struggling to reconcile Chavez's ideals with the movement's new direction - and questioning what "Chavismo" now stands for.

The US-Israeli war against Iran has triggered a plastic shortage in Asia. The region gets most of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, and as a result of the effective blockade, countries cannot access the supply of oil that is the feedstock for plastic products, covering everything from food packaging and cosmetic products to medical syringes and prescription labels. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Barnaby Pace, senior researcher at the Center for International Environmental Law, about why Asia is so exposed to the plastic problem.

The Siberian region known as the Kuzbass is right in the heart of Russia's coal country, and pollution from open mines there has gone ignored by authorities, despite a high rate of respiratory illness and lung cancer. Now, the war seems to be posing a greater threat to coal than years of demands from environmentalists. Reporter Levi Bridges explains.

Some 25 million Americans live with rare genetic diseases - that's nearly 1 in 13. More than half are children. The path to discovering what the condition is, and finding treatments, can take years. But for children who are medical mysteries, getting a diagnosis can be life changing. Today, we meet a Cypriot pediatric neurologist behind the discovery of an ultra-rare genetic syndrome. Dr. Paola Nicolaides was early in her career when she encountered a very unusual patient. That encounter would change the lives of 333 individuals who, today, have a diagnosis of a syndrome bearing her name - including reporter Deepa Fernandes' daughter.Funding to report this story was provided by the Pulitzer Center.

It can all go horribly wrong. Or the translation can be spot-on - or even better than the original! It all depends on the film, the culture, the actual words themselves, the complexity of meaning and the nuance. The World's Gerry Hadden takes a global look at funny, brilliant and sometimes terrible film translations, and why it can be so hard to get it right.

Freshly cut flowers are pretty to look at, but getting them to your local flower shop requires more than just picking them. Growing flowers requires a lot of time, water and energy. And the flower business employs millions of people worldwide. Reporter Kathleen Schuster set out to learn more about the global flower market trade for the DW podcast, "Living Planet."This story originally aired on April 21, 2025.

Sir David Attenborough has documented the natural world and the creatures in it for more than 70 years, shifting from awe and wonder to advocacy around the climate crisis. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Alastair Fothergill, founder of Silverback Films and Attenborough's producer for 40 years, about his legacy.

Only 4% of Gaza's farmlands remain accessible to its residents for farming, according to a new report by the NGO Mercy Corps. The rest have either been damaged in war or are under Israeli control. That means people in Gaza are not able to grow their own crops, leaving them even more reliant on outside aid. The World's Shirin Jaafari tells Host Carolyn Beeler that if current conditions continue, it will take years, maybe decades, to rehabilitate the destroyed croplands.

Russia's annual Victory Day Parade is typically about pomp, circumstance and military might. But the event being held in Moscow on Saturday will lack the usual show of ballistic missiles and tanks. Meanwhile, a leaked security brief from a European intelligence agency claims that President Vladimir Putin has tightened his personal security and faces increased threats of assassination and coup attempts. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learns more from Sam Greene, a professor of Russian politics at King's College London.

The World's Host Carolyn Beeler shares an update on major news stories from across the globe.

A Mexico City meetup for therians - or people who identify strongly with non-human animals, and sometimes dress up like them and emulate their behaviors - became a media spectacle after it was announced. Reporters expected to find a growing online community coming together in real life. But only one participant showed up. The larger crowd was made up of journalists, influencers and live-streamers, revealing a deeper story about online identity, and how social media can make small communities look larger than they are. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Mexico City.

This week, the International Court of Justice is hearing arguments in a territorial dispute between Venezuela and its neighbor Guyana. Venezuela claims two-thirds of neighboring Guyana, on the basis of Spanish colonial history. Phil Gunson is a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group based in Caracas. He tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that tensions over this territory have a lot to do with oil.

Pope Leo XIV will mark one year in the papacy on Friday. His recent tenure has been marked by a forceful tone, especially in denouncing global conflict and defending migrants. Massimo Faggioli, a professor in ecclesiology at the Loyola Institute at Trinity College Dublin, speaks with The World's Host Marco Werman about the the pontiff's evolving presence on the world stage.

Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, the government in Tehran has executed 25 political prisoners - the highest number in such a short span of time over the last three decades. Human rights activists worry the trend will continue unless the international community puts pressure on the Iranian government. The World's Shirin Jaafari has the story.

Sometimes overlooked in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the proverbial elephant in the room: religious doctrine driving politics, and also conflict. There's one belief that factors into how multiple religions approach the issue: that is, belief in Armageddon followed by a Messianic era. Reporter Stephanie Freid, in Jerusalem, explains how that keeps the fighting going.

Sand is in high demand, because it's needed to manufacture cement; that's led to a problem, in many countries, with illegal sand mining. That is, digging up sand illegally from beaches and river banks, and harming ecosystems in the process. As of April, India's Supreme Court is cracking down on the practice, with an ultimatum to three states: Stop illegal sand mining in your borders, or the military will stop it by force. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler checks in with Siddharth Agarwal, founder of India Sand Watch, for the details.

In a ceremony at a temple in Seoul, a humanoid robot named Gabi took monastic vows for ordination in South Korea's largest Buddhist order. The World's Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have more.

The fate of over a million people in the US with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is now in the hands of the US Supreme Court. The case comes after the Department of Homeland Security announced in September that it would end TPS for Haiti. Sarah Betancourt of GBH in Boston reports on what's at stake for those currently living legally in Massachusetts, knowing their days in the US could be numbered.

The UN warns that there's an "unprecedented" crisis in the Persian Gulf with 20,000 sailors trapped there since the beginning of the Iran war in March. Vessels there have come under attack and crew members have complained that they're running low on food. Now, as the US waffles on attempting to open the Strait of Hormuz, The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with John Canias, maritime operations coordinator for the International Transport Workers' Federation, on how the seafarers are doing.

The World Health Organization says the strain of hantavirus identified on the cruise ship heading toward Spain may have passed through human-to-human transmission. But thanks to a robust public health response and the high bar for that transmission, many medical experts believe the risk of the virus spreading among the general public is low. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with epidemiologist Syra Madad about what we know so far.