The World: Latest Stories

​​​​​​​Two months after devastating earthquakes killed more than 57,000 people in Turkey and Syria, survivors are living in tent camps and shipping containers outside the ruins of their former homes. As mobile businesses and streetside kebab shops return to the city of Antakya, some people are determined to stay in their hometown to grieve and rebuild.

Chinese authorities have sentenced two of the country’s most prominent human rights lawyers to more than a decade in prison, each on subversion charges. Sophie Luo Shengchun, the wife of jailed dissident Ding Jiaxi, speaks with The World’s Marco Werman.

Teachers at the Acorn Center for Early Education and Care in Boston’s Chinatown use a curriculum that teaches students how to manage big feelings — especially pandemic-related ones — which families have recognized as a growing need.

​​​​​​​For decades, India has depended on Russia for its weapons supply. It's the cornerstone of the two countries' ties, which go back to the Soviet era. But it can also be a liability, as India found out last week when it learned that a major shipment of Russian arms had fallen through because of the war in Ukraine.

Uganda recently passed a law that criminalizes homosexuality, punishable by death. LGBTQ people and human rights advocates fear that the Ugandan law may empower anti-LGBTQ movements elsewhere on the continent.

​​​​​​​Thousands of Iraqi children who lived under the brutal rule of ISIS in northern Iraq still face obstacles. Iraqi families who were issued official identification documents by ISIS continue to have a hard time getting their kids into school, because the government doesn't recognize their paperwork.

Migrants from as far south as Chile are walking north to the United States, hoping for a better life. But before they make it to that border, they must make it across Mexico's southern border.

The beating heart of village life in Spain is the local bar, and many of these establishments need urgent life support. Spanish politicians have voted to offer the watering holes public subsidies. Their reasoning: bars serve much more than beer.

How did patriarchy become common around the world, and can we change the dominance of men in societies? Science journalist Angela Saini explores these questions in her new book, "The Patriarchs; The Origins of Inequality."

The food website Taste Atlas recently rated the light and creamy bundz, made from sheep's milk, as one of the top cheeses in the world. The cheese doesn't come from France or Italy — it comes from the southern mountains of Poland.

During Holy Week in Guatemala, many people participate in the tradition of creating elaborate alfombra, or colorful flower carpets made out of sawdust on the streets for processions to pass over.

Pinpointing the “end” of the coronavirus pandemic depends on the vantage point. The World's host Marco Werman spoke with Dr. Michael Mina, a leading epidemiologist and the chief science officer at EMed, a digital health care company, along with Zeynep Tufekci, a sociologist and professor at Columbia University, to learn more about the "bumpy, difficult off-ramp" from COVID-19.

Bogotá is trying to curb sexual harassment against women on public transportation systems. It’s trained more than 500 police officers as part of the purple patrol to respond to cases of gender-based violence. Female police officers also hand out leaflets with information about hotlines that women can call for assistance.

Dozens of people who are homeless die every year in Spain, often on the streets — and usually alone. But one small hospice program is trying to make a difference by connecting with homeless people and spending time with them, even at the very end of life.

In his latest video, Singh, a preacher calling for a Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, says he'll surrender at a time of his own choosing.

The night of April 5 marks the beginning of Passover. Traditionally, Jewish families gather around the dinner table for the holiday with a festive meal where they eat matzah and read aloud from the Haggadah. The text tells the Passover story, guiding readers through a tale of redemption. On Wednesday night, many Ukrainians will be reading the Haggadah in their own language for the first time.

Chris Maroleng, executive director of Good Governance Africa, talks with The World’s host Marco Werman about how Trump’s legal woes impact the rule of law in the sub-Saharan region of the continent.

The US Army missed its target by 25% during the past fiscal year. Other branches of the military are also seeing a drop in recruiting.

The Anthropocene Working Group is voting on a so-called Golden Spike, a sedimentary layer somewhere on Earth that best exemplifies the global impact of humans on planet Earth. It's the last, big task in formally defining the Anthropocene, which is being proposed as a new age in geologic time.

​​​​​​​Ecuador’s National Assembly is debating the future of President Guillermo Lasso. If it votes to remove Lasso, it would be the first impeachment of an Ecuadorian president since the country’s return to democracy in 1979.

Concerned that her mother's legacy would be forgotten, filmmaker Akuol de Mabior set out to create a new documentary called “No Simple Way Home.” It tells the story of Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior's contributions to the liberation of South Sudan.

As annual inflation tops 100%, a 30-year high, with the cost of meat and fruit skyrocketing, many Argentines are keeping their savings in dollars to resist devaluation of the peso.

The international nonprofit Global Witness has ranked the Philippines at the top of its list of deadliest countries to be an eco-activist. Dozens of environmentalists and land defenders also die each year or end up on government watch lists.

The 15th-century Doctrine of Discovery provided the legal basis for the colonial-era seizure of Native lands. Sociology professor Cora Voyageur, who is also a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, joined The World's host Carol Hills to discuss the significance of the Vatican's repudiation of the doctrine.

The Boston Bruins are on the verge of making history — eclipsing the Montreal Canadiens' coveted record of most points scored in a regular season, set back in 1977.

Millions of people in France took to the streets this week for the 10th protest this year against the government’s raising of the retirement age. College students support the strikes, even though shoring up the national pension fund would likely benefit them later in life.

This month, the Ukrainian government issued an eviction notice to clergy at Pecherska Lavra, where some Orthodox Christians may still have close ties with Russia.

In 1973, the last United States combat troops left South Vietnam, ending America’s direct military involvement in the Vietnam War.

US Vice President Kamala Harris began her weeklong visit to the African continent this week in Ghana. She plans to focus on youth entrepreneurship, and to make a claim for supporting some African countries, as China and Russia have made diplomatic and financial inroads.

Cambodian artifacts were often looted out of the country beginning in the 1970s, under control of the Khmer Rouge. At least 13 antiquities have been returned this month amid a push in the art world from artists and scholars to return looted works to their countries of origin.

Only five Trappist breweries remain in Belgium, known for producing the famous Westmalle brand. Beer consultant Sofie Vanrafelghem had the rare opportunity to visit one of the monasteries, and she joined The World's host Marco Werman from Antwerp to share her experience.

Tens of thousands of young American men went to Canada to avoid being conscripted to fight in Vietnam. Some Canadians welcomed them, while others wanted nothing to do with these "hippies." But many of those who stayed — and half of them did — would go on to be leaders in their communities as politicians, environmental activists and teachers and have a lasting impact on Canada's small towns.

As the former president heads to China, Taiwan's current president, Tsai Ing-Wen, is heading to the Americas this week. The diplomatic trips come as voters prepare for this year’s presidential campaigns.

The West African country of Nigeria is lucky to have a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. In the coastal community of Lagos, where many people didn't grow up learning to swim, interest in surfing and water sports is growing.

The West African country of Nigeria is lucky to have a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. In the coastal community of Lagos, where many people didn't grow up learning to swim, interest in surfing and water sports is growing.

​​​​​​​Mexico is hard at work on a huge development project that the country’s president hopes will rival the Panama Canal. It won’t be another waterway, but when it’s finished, the Interoceanic Corridor will connect ports on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Mexico in numerous ways. President Andres Manuel López Obrador is looking to the US for support on the project. But Indigenous communities are fighting the decision.

At Spain’s Institute of Science and Concrete Technology, engineers are trying to find ways to keep buildings and bridges from falling down. The lab is getting attention after the deadly earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria in February.

The 18 tracks on "Pèlerinaj," or “pilgrimage” in Haitian Creole, are a mix of sacred Vodou chants and traditional Haitian rhythms with funk, jazz, rock and electronic music.

Dharavi is known as the largest informal settlement in Asia, where 1 million people live in 1 square mile of Mumbai. For decades, it's been slated for redevelopment. Plans are finally taking shape, but debates remain over where people will live and work.

​​​​​​​In Russia, in order to attend soccer matches in the country's Premier League, fans now need to present a "Fan ID." The state says it’s about public safety and security. But Russian soccer fans aren’t buying it.

Thousands of Russian tech workers have fled to Armenia, helping the country’s tech sector double in size and fueling dramatic economic growth over the last year.

Former US Army Sgt. Kayla Williams, who is currently a senior policy researcher at RAND Corporation, was among the 160,000 coalition troops who were deployed for the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. Now, 20 years later, she reflects on her experiences with The World's host Marco Werman.

Ethiopian photographer and educator Aïda Muluneh is showcasing the culture of her birth country in a series of 12 photographs displayed at more than 300 bus stops across Boston, New York, Chicago and Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Investors worry that the problems at a handful of American banks could ripple across the world economy and unexpected surprises may be lurking. But this is not 2008. Regulations in the US and Europe are much stronger today than they were 15 years ago.

Since former President Rordrigo Duterte launched his so-called “war on drugs” in 2016, convictions of law enforcement officers have been rare. But the recent murder conviction of former police officer Jeffrey Perez shows signs of justice and accountability in the overburdened courts.

Sergei Isupov lives in western Massachusetts, but the rest of his family still lives in Ukraine. They're all artists, and they use their unique forms of art to express how the current war affects each of them.

Along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia sits Lake Kariba, where low water levels have interrupted power supply to both countries — profoundly impacting the economy.

​​​​​​​Kolkata's 150-year-old tram system is limping along. It's down to just two lines and there is little political will, or room in the city's crowded streets, to bring the streetcars back to their former glory days. The tram does have a small but loyal band of supporters who want to keep it alive.

Monday marks 20 years since the start of “Operation Iraqi Freedom," the US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled the president, Saddam Hussein, and aimed to spread democracy in the country. Two decades later, Iraqis who've lived through these turbulent and violent years share their thoughts about the war's impact on their lives, about how they view the US now and about their hopes and concerns for the future of Iraq.

As ice sheets from glaciers melt, dozens of lakes around the world risk overflowing, causing potentially deadly avalanches and flooding in nearby towns and villages. In Huaraz, Peru, residents hope to find ways to prevent Lake Palcacocha from overflowing again — before it's too late.