The World: Latest Stories

Nigeria has a long literary tradition that has introduced readers around the world to West African history and culture. Books like the 1958 novel by Chinua Achebe, "Things Fall Apart," remains to this day among the most widely read, studied and translated works of literature from anywhere on the continent. Now, some poets in Nigeria - Africa's most populous nation - are hoping to pass the literary spark on to a new generation, through performance. Reporter Ricci Shryock checked out the slam poetry scene in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

A new collection of music from the remote African islands of Sao Tome and Principe is a revelation. This nation in the Atlantic Ocean doesn't get a lot of attention, but as we hear in songs by bands from the 1960s and '70s, like Sangazuza, it's worth listening up.This story originally aired on Jan. 15, 2026.

Last week, Ukraine launched a record number of drone strikes inside Russia. Ukrainians have developed drones capable of hitting oil refineries inside Russia as far away as Siberia. The damage to Russia's oil industry has put pressure on a key revenue source for the Kremlin. From our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, Levi Bridges has this report on how more than four years of full-scale war is reshaping the Russian economy.

There have been plenty of memes and videos floating around since the US midterm elections on Tuesday. One, in particular, caught the public's attention. It involves Abdul El-Sayed, the senator-elect from Michigan who will be the first Muslim to hold that position. The World's Host Aaron Schachter has more.

A former US government contractor has admitted to passing classified information to Ethiopian government officials. The actions were to support the government in its war against rebel forces in the northern Tigray region. A peace deal that was meant to end that war has unraveled over the past couple of years, and conflict surged again a few months ago. The World's Host Aaron Schachter speaks with Michael Woldemariam, fellow at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, about the latest.

Not very long ago, in the galaxy we live in, someone invented a sport that combines fencing with our fantasy pals from Star Wars." All you need is one of those glow-in-the-dark swords every kid - and adult - secretly wanted as a birthday present from Obi-Wan Kenobi, and you're ready to rock. The World's Gerry Hadden reported from Barcelona a year ago on the fun of this rising trend.This story originally aired on Nov. 5, 2025.

A new investigation by our partners at Bellingcat demonstrates how satellite mapping services like Google Maps very publicly identify specific facilities on US military installations across the Middle East. A major vulnerability during the Iran War, this satellite mapping has left many US service members feeling exposed. The World's Host Aaron Schachter learned more from Bellingcat researcher Sebastian Vandermeersch.

Paraguay is facing a deepening political crisis after authorities intervened following the collapse of one of the country's largest digital banks, leaving millions of customers unable to access their money. The collapse of Ueno Bank, which has ties to President Santiago Pena's former business partners, has triggered protests, criminal investigations and an impeachment effort against Pena and his vice president. The crisis has also exposed divisions within the ruling Colorado Party. Reporter Tibisay Zea explains.

If the fictitious band The Commitments (from the 1991 Alan Parker film of the same name) were not so dysfunctional, and if they lived in Norway, they'd probably sound a lot like Sn Byrd. Host Marco Werman offers up a taste.

Before he succeeded him in Rome, Pope Leo XIV had already shared an altar in Buenos Aires with Pope Francis - back when he wasn't Francis yet. On Aug. 28, 2004, Jorge Bergoglio and Robert Prevost concelebrated mass at the San Agustin parish in Buenos Aires. Bergoglio was archbishop of the city; Prevost was head of the Augustinian order worldwide. Neither man had any idea both would become pope. Reporter Natalio Cosoy visited that church in Buenos Aires.

It's been more than two months since a flash flood in Nepal killed thousands of people. This happened when a large part of a glacier collapsed into a mountain lake, displacing tons of water, rock and mud. Scientists say glaciers are melting at a rapid pace due to rising global temperatures, and it's not just happening in the Himalayas. In the high Pyrenees in Spain, Europe's southern-most glaciers are now almost entirely gone. The World's Gerry Hadden brings us this report from a mountainside near Spain's largest remaining glacier, the Aneto.

In 1963, the Brazilian government launched a literacy campaign spearheaded by the revolutionary educator, Paulo Freire. The campaign focused on rural communities in the country's north, and used experimental techniques to teach hundreds of students to read through a 40-hour course. A new documentary, "Reading the World," looks back at the history of that campaign through interviews with students who graduated from that program. Host Marco Werman speaks to co-director Catherine Murphy about the film.

In Morocco, there's a traditional form of music known as Gnawa that some experts believe is a precursor to the American blues. It emerged centuries ago from sub-Saharan Africans who were enslaved by an Arab sultanate in North Africa and taken to Morocco. For several years now, Gnawa music has been getting attention outside of Morocco. And now, there's an added draw, thanks to two sisters shaking up what used to be a strictly male art form. From our archives, Reporter Alexa Dvorson has the story.This story originally aired on June 24, 2024.

Yesterday's US midterm elections made one thing clear: Democrats will have control of Congress for the next two years. What that means for US foreign policy is still an open question, especially when it comes to the ongoing war with Iran. Host Marco Werman speaks with Sina Azodi from George Washington University, to better understand how that conflict could evolve.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to 10 additional years after a second conviction under a controversial national security law. Havoc across European airspace as several bomb threats divert planes. A soccer match in Brazil sets a new record for the most red cards in a single game. Host Marco Werman has more details.

Hungary has begun publishing the names of tens of thousands of people who spied for the communist-era secret police. The files are shedding light on a system that recruited ordinary citizens to inform on friends, neighbors and colleagues during more than four decades of communist rule, which ended in 1989. Among those named are a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, a senior bishop and a former governor of Hungary's central bank. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Artist Kirstie Macleod is the mastermind behind a massive piece of art that took 14 years and 380 people to create. It's called, simply: The Red Dress project. While the dress is made of burgundy silk, artists around the world have embroidered their own unique, colorful designs onto it to show off their culture and country. The World reached into its archives for this report from Bianca Hillier on what the dress means to the people involved.This story originally aired on

Pope Leo XIV has had quite the travel itinerary. Less than a year and a half into his papacy, he's already traveled across Africa, Europe and the Middle East. But unlike other heads of state, who have dedicated government aircraft, popes travel aboard specially chartered commercial airliners. Host Marco Werman speaks with Motoko Rich, The New York Times' Rome bureau chief, who's been racking up frequent flier miles along with the pope.

When Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica last year, a handful of health centers in the storms path stayed standing - and operational - while nearly everything around them was destroyed. The World's Hannah Chanatry looks at what made those buildings so different.

Authorities in Europe are investigating a wave of suspected bomb threats to airplanes traveling across the continent that affected at least seven flights carrying passengers. Several were forced to make emergency landings, some under military escort. It's unclear whether the threats - which European officials are dismissing as hoaxes - were coordinated. The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel breaks down the latest on the incidents and ongoing investigations.

Argentine President Javier Milei has been courting tech leaders worldwide to build data centers in his country's southern Patagonia region. He has been pushing to lower the corporate tax rate to incentivize foreign investment, and pledged that his government would not regulate AI. But for all the potential upsides, many of Milei's critics say that inviting foreign-owned data centers wouldn't actually do much to help Argentines. Host Marco Werman has more.

Leaders around the world have been reacting to President Donald Trump's resounding defeat in the US midterm elections. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry and Latin America Correspondent Tibisay Zea join Host Marco Werman to discuss the global implications of the US Congress changing hands.

Tomas de Perrate was born into a family of Flamenco musicians. But he chose the life of a hairdresser - until his late 40s. Flamenco has long been mixed with other genres, but Perrate takes Flamenco fusion to a new level. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Following sweeping Democratic victories in Tuesday's midterm elections, there are questions about what the results might mean beyond the United States' borders and in the realm of foreign policy. Ishaan Tharoor, who writes about global affairs for The New Yorker, joined The World's Host Marco Werman to discuss the global implications.

Refugees and asylum-seekers have been going to Malaysia from Myanmar for decades. There are now hundreds of thousands in Malaysia. Most of them are ethnic minorities fleeing persecution, economic hardship and, most recently, a civil war. They were once welcomed in Malaysia, to do the jobs most Malaysians didn't want to do. Now, many refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar in Malaysia worry they have bullseyes on their backs. Dave Grunebaum reports.

After years of war and overlapping crises, Lebanon's healthcare workers are struggling with trauma and burnout. Many are leaving the country, raising urgent questions about who will care for those left behind, and who will care for the caregivers. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports from Beirut.

The latest release from 25-year-old singer-songwriter Andrea Bejar is like listening to her musical diary. Instead of writing about broken relationships though, Bejar writes about the fear of growing old and anticipating grief. The Mexican-born, LA-based singer recently spoke to Host Marco Werman about the inspirations behind her album, "In Bloom."

The UK's Health Security Agency has announced a study to establish a baseline data set on the average levels of PFAS, or so-called "forever chemicals," in the blood of UK residents. PFAS are generally known to be present in the bodies of many people worldwide, but the exact chemicals, their levels and their impact on human health outcomes remains unknown. The new study, with initial results publishing next year, aims to close that data gap. Host Marco Werman has more.

Sand mining is a multi-billion dollar industry; sand and gravel are the second-most extracted resource, second only to water. In Sierra Leone, coastal communities have adopted sand mining as a critical source of income. But the people doing the mining also live the environmental consequences, and can see the changes. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with researcher Arnaud Vander Velpen about how sand mining is shaping local communities in Sierra Leone.

In his new book, "Guns Are Not Enough: Foreign Aid in the National Interest," Andrew Natsios, a lifelong Republican and former USAID chief argues that helping vulnerable populations overseas helps make Americans safer and more prosperous. Natsios tells The World's Host Marco Werman that a reimagined USAID should have a seat at the Cabinet table, bringing development and humanitarian perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked by the Pentagon and the State Department.

Fast-growing breeds of "turbo chicken" account for much of the poultry produced worldwide. But after a recent documentary by Danish broadcaster TV2 shed light on illegal practices by local producers, the government's nature minister has called for both nationwide and European Union-wide bans. The World's Host Marco Werman learned more about the sustainability and tradeoffs of this cheap chicken from Leonie Jacobs, an associate professor of poultry welfare at Virginia Tech.

Host Marco Werman offers us a taste from Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas' latest album, "Nortena." It's a song titled "La Linea," a reminder of the imaginary lines we all create between one another.

The people of Rjukan, a town in Norway, live in a valley so deep, surrounded by mountains so high that the sun used to not reach them from late October until March. But 13 years ago, three giant mirrors were installed on the mountainside, reflecting sunlight down into the town square even during the darkest months. From our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, reporter Lars Bevanger spoke to the man behind the idea.

When Israelis went to the polls last week, the livelihoods of Palestinians living under occupation was not a top concern for most Jewish voters. But the outcome of the vote will have a direct impact on Palestinians who live in the West Bank and Gaza. The World's Carolyn Beeler reports from a village outside Ramallah on what the election results mean for Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Twenty-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest driver in F1 history to be crowned champion. Giles Richards, sports reporter for The Guardian was in the crowd in Mexico City's Hermanos Rodriguez Autodromo for Sunday's race. Richards tells The World's Host Marco Werman that Antonelli is an impossibly young" champion and destined for greatness.

On Sunday, Mexicans celebrated "Dia de muertos," an annual holiday when families honor deceased relatives. One popular character always shows up: La Catrina, a fancy skeleton lady wearing an elegant dress and a flowered hat. In 2024, The World's Tibisay Zea went to a big parade in Mexico City, to get the story behind La Catrina's starring role in the seasonal festivities.This story originally aired on Nov. 1, 2024.

It was just one Saturday night - on Oct. 24 - but the group of around 500 mostly under-aged teenagers, calling themselves "Blocus" managed to loot several downtown stores in Barcelona, Spain. What worries police more is the group's online presence and its calls for more ransacking. On Halloween, hundreds of police kept another call to chaos from materializing, but at a high cost. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

Climate change is not just an environmental problem; it can be a mental health one, as well. A new study of 20,000 adults in Nigeria's northern states, where most people make a living from farming and herding, explores the links between climate change, poverty and drug use. The World's Host Marco Werman spoke with with the lead author of this study, Abdullahi Abdulwahab Yakubu, a senior lecturer from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria.

Since World War II, the US has built up the world's most powerful navy. But in recent years, China has been playing a game of catch-up and it now boasts the world's largest military fleet. Oriana Skylar Mastro discusses the situation. She's been an adviser on China strategy at the Pentagon and spoke to the World's Host Marco Werman in her civilian capacity, as the director of the Indo-Pacific Policy Lab at Stanford University.

El Salvador has sent 2,000 troops to Haiti to rescue four military technicians who disappeared in a gang ambush. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele says his forces know how to defeat gangs, pointing to his controversial crackdown at home. But Haiti's gangs are heavily armed and control much of the capital. While some Haitians welcome the intervention, others fear civilian casualties and question whether military force alone can bring lasting security to the country. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

Almost two years after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Syrians in the diaspora are still processing all they lost under more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family. You can hear much of that in the music of Tawabil, a trio based in Berlin. Tawabil is composed of a German guitarist and two artists who emigrated from Syria. From our archives, Alexa Dvorson sent us this story from Berlin.

A new survey of the Canadian accent from McGill University has found that the Canadian accent is shifting closer to the American accent. The World's Host Marco Werman learned more from the survey's co-investigator Claire Henderson.

A quick update from Cambodia, where hundreds of people have been evicted from their dream home and forced to walk the proverbial plank. The dream home being the Villa Vie Odyssey, a Florida-based ship, that had been on a world-wide cruise, now indefinitely grounded.

The Norwegian village of Longyearbyen is one of the most remote settlements in the world. It's located on the Svalbard archipelago, a collection of islands way up in the Arctic Circle. Not an easy place to live, and now there's a new challenge for the 2,600 residents there: They've been told not to drink the tap water after tests found higher than average levels of heavy metals and contaminants in the local water supply. The suspected cause: the area's thawing permafrost due to climate change. Marjolaine Verret is an expert on permafrost at the University Centre in Svalbard. She spoke with Host Carolyn Beeler about what's going on.

Through hundreds of hours of interviews with North Korean defectors, author Jieun Baek has pieced together insights into the "Hermit Kingdom's" privileged class of elites. In a new essay for Foreign Affairs, Baek explores the stifled discontent growing among the cadre of high ranking officials running the country for the Kim family. As Baek tells Host Marco Werman, the Kims have created a system of a few carrots and many, brutal sticks to keep the elites in check.

In Turkey, families commemorate their loved ones by sharing lokma - a small, deep-fried desert - and by saying prayers for the departed. Lokmaci Baba, dubbed Papa Doughnut, rolls through Istanbul with his lokma-mobile when summoned by those who lost someone. Reporter Dorian Jones joined him to uncover the story behind this heartfelt ritual.

Around 1 million Ukrainian refugees, most of them women and children, have been living in Poland since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It's a vulnerable group: According to a report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Ukrainian women who have received protection in EU countries are frequently subjected to physical, sexual and psychological violence. Now, in Poland, the situation is becoming even more fraught as support for Ukrainians begins to erode. Adam Easton visited Martynka - a shelter for female refugees escaping gender-based violence in the Polish city of Krakow.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek is on a years-long journey around the world, mostly on foot, called the Out of Eden Walk. He recently made a stop in the remote Alaskan village of Kake, population: 543. Many people who live in Kake, and villages like it, come from urban settings seeking what Paul calls a "geographical cure" to the complications of modern life. He speaks to The World's Host Aaron Schachter about how that pans out.

Nobel laureate Maria Ressa's new book, "The Fight Back: A Citizen's Guide to Standing Up to Dictators," considers how online networks can be harnessed to drive real-world change. Ressa tells The World's Host Marco Werman that pro-democracy advocates must build their own technology if they want to wrestle back control of citizens' destinies.

The votes are still being counted in Israel after Tuesday's parliamentary elections. One thing that's clear is that no party or coalition of parties has a definitive shot at forming a government. So now, the horse-trading and wrangling begins. The World's Carolyn Beeler reports from Jerusalem.