The World: Latest Stories

An investigation by The Insider publication has revealed a program whereby Russia's military intelligence paid members of the Taliban to kill US soldiers. Host Carol Hills spoke with Christo Grozev, an investigative journalist with The Insider, about the revelations of his team's investigation.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose nearly 12 years in office have been marked by economic collapse and political turmoil, was inaugurated for a third term in a ceremony in Caracas on Friday morning, defying international calls for him to step aside or show evidence of his declared victory. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

Surveys indicate that, for kids, reading books whose characters reflect their identities and experiences can lead to improved literacy. And as Maine has become an increasingly popular destination for Central African immigrants, two Portland authors have published a multilingual picture book, to give some of the new arrivals a chance to see their own experiences reflected on the page.

Rising global temperatures are also raising worldwide concerns about wildfires like the ones surrounding Los Angeles this week. While the most common way to detect forest fires are visual - often the naked eye - the concern has driven advances in technology that can detect them early. One of the systems being piloted internationally is the Silvanet Wildfire Sensor that "smells" fires when they're just a smolder. Carsten Brinkschulte is the CEO of Dryad Networks, a German environmental technology company that created the sensor. He explained to The World's Carol Hills how the technology works.

An international team of scientists successfully drilled a nearly 2-mile-deep ice core, reaching the bedrock beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. These ice samples are expected to unveil, for the first time, critical details about Earth's climate and atmospheric history, showing a continuous record of the history of our climate as far back as 1.2 million years. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with professor Carlo Barbante at Ca' Foscari University of Venice who coordinated the research project known as "Beyond Epica: Oldest Ice."

A new report from the NGO Transparentem has linked businesses supplying companies including Zara-owner Inditex, H&M Group, Gap Inc. and Amazon to incidents of forced labor and debt bondage on Indian cotton farms. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

A growing number of Americans are starting to move abroad for retirement. Countries like Portugal, Spain, and Panama are on the hot list for retirement destinations. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Kathleen Peddicord, founder of liveandinvestoverseas.com, about the challenges Americans face as they make this choice.

The blazing fire overtaking Los Angeles is an all-hands-on-deck situation. Helicopters, planes, pilots and crews from Canada are swooping in to join the effort to put the fire out. The copters are from British Columbia- based Coulson Aviation, whose CEO, Wayne Coulson, describes the dangerous, difficult work involved.

Cultural preservation initiatives have been an instrumental part of the war effort in Ukraine, where much is still at risk of being lost. One team is working to digitally scan images of historic wooden churches close to the conflict zone in the east so that if they are damaged or destroyed, they can be rebuilt. Lydia Tomkiw reports from Lviv.

The last time Japan's army came to the Philippines in big numbers was during World War II, amid an invasion that left the country in ruins. But that was 80 years ago. Now, the Philippines wants Japanese forces back on its bases. As The World's Patrick Winn reports, the two countries are teaming up against a common rival: China.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek talks about his experience with South Korea's so-called "love motels": short-term rental hotels that cater primarily to people seeking space for intimate encounters. In a country with a severe housing shortage, these motels increasingly provide privacy for young adults who live - by necessity - with their parents. As Salopek discovered walking across the country, these rooms also provide budget-friendly accommodations for travelers as well.

A group of musicians in New York City have gotten together to form an ensemble featuring classical music by Middle Eastern composers of diverse nationalities. They perform music by Palestinians, Lebanese and Syrians. They're called the Riwaya Ensemble - "riwaya" means narration" or story" in Arabic. Jeff Lunden has the story, from New York.

The European import of liquefied natural gas from Russia hit a record high last year, even as the European Union introduced policy measures to ween member states off of Russian energy. Jan-Eric Fahnrich is a gas analyst at Rystad Energy, an independent energy research company. He joined host Carolyn Beeler to discuss the company's data on Russian gas imports to Europe in 2024.

The 39th president of the US, Jimmy Carter, made elevating human rights a guiding principle of US foreign policy, starting with his inaugural address in January, 1977. Implementing the ideals he outlined in that speech nonetheless proved challenging. On the day of Carter's funeral, host Carolyn Beeler discusses the lasting impact on his vision for integrating human rights into US foreign policy with Robert Strong, a senior fellow at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. He's the author of "Working in the World: Jimmy Carter and the Making of American Foreign Policy."

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held their final meeting on Thursday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The two used the occasion to argue for military support to Ukraine to continue after Donald Trump is inaugurated this month.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk waded into European politics this week, firing off a volley of inflammatory posts aimed at the British and German governments in particular. On Thursday, Musk hosts an online conversation with the leader of the German far-right party (AFD) on his social media platform, X. Musk's intervention in European affairs is raising alarm among some political parties there, as The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

South Korea's president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been impeached. But he's defying attempts by law enforcement authorities to bring him into custody. Host Carolyn Beeler has this update.

The next presidential term in Venezuela is set to begin this Friday. But the man who's expected to be inaugurated is not widely accepted as the one who won the presidency. Authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro refuses to cede power. Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, his opponent, says he will be there on Jan. 10 to be sworn in. But it's unclear how that could happen. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

In a speech that reflected on the end to a French presence in many west African countries, President Emmanuel Macron said in a speech that host nations forgot to say thank you. The remark provoked responses from host countries. Wassim Nasr, a senior fellow at the Soufan Center, is an expert on militant extremist movements in the Sahel and West Africa and explains what the French withdrawal means, and why Macron's comment struck a nerve.

War zones are chaotic. Medical facilities come under threat, and health care professionals have either fled or work under extreme conditions. Medical supplies tend to be scarce or nonexistent. Experts say all these can create the perfect storm for the rise in lethal, drug-resistant bacteria. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

Cases of human metapneumovirus - or HMPV - are spiking in northern China. HMPV is an acute respiratory infection that can cause serious complications for the elderly and immunocompromised. Simon Clarke, a professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading in England, tells The World's Carolyn Beeler that HMPV has been around for decades, resulting in broad population-level immunity to the virus.

It's been days since a devastating fire tore through Ghana's Kantamanto Market, the largest secondhand clothing market worldwide. The flames didn't just destroy stalls and merchandise; they wiped out livelihoods. Thousands of traders are now grappling with an uncertain future. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman reports from Ghana's capital, Accra.

In the race between the US and China to bring back rock samples from Mars, China is inching ahead. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Claytor Swope, an aerospace expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about China's efforts, how the US is trying to compete, and what's motivating both countries in this quest.

Every year, in the Costa Rican village of Boruca, men dress in garish masks and costumes to reenact their ancestors' battle against colonizers 500 years ago. In the ritual, Spaniards, are depicted as bulls, while the Borucans depict themselves as devils, to reclaim a slur the Spanish once used against them. Jamie Fullerton has the story from Boruca.

Amr Al-Azm, an archaeologist and former professor at Damascus University, left Syria with his family in 2006. He recently returned to witness firsthand the celebrations and struggles that followed the abrupt departure of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Azm about what it's been like to return, and for analysis of current situation on the ground.

Third-party fact-checking is becoming a thing of the past at Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp parent company Meta. Host Carolyn Beeler discusses the implications with Paul Barrett, deputy director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University's Stern School of Business.

There were cheers in the air and on the runway on Tuesday when the first international commercial flight landed in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime. One passenger shares the joy he experienced on the Doha-to-Damascus flight with host Carolyn Beeler.

Over the past week, the rebel group known as M23 has gained ground in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Host Carolyn Beeler discusses the significance of those advances with Djaffar al-Katanty, a Congolese journalist based in Goma, the capital of the region - located about 15 miles from the latest town to be captured.

Mauro Morandi, the sole caretaker of a Mediterranean island off Sardinia for over three decades, has died at age 85. Known as Italy's Robinson Crusoe," Morandi chronicled his life alone on the pink sands of Budelli from 1985 until 2021, when he left under threat of eviction by authorities. Host Carolyn Beeler tells his story.

In Chinese-controlled Tibet, rescue workers are still digging through rubble after a powerful earthquake near Mount Everest. The rescue operation is complicated by altitudes averaging around 13,000 feet in the area. The damage also highlights concerns over China's plans to build the world largest dam in Tibet. The World's Patrick Winn reports.

A vigilante citizen group says its making up for government inaction by using sledgehammers to "liberate" trees sinking from cement sidewalks. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Mexico City.

In Scotland, whiskey is a big business - and it comes with a big energy footprint. Reporter Emma Jacobs takes us to distilleries in Scotland to see how they're adapting, as part of a massive effort to make the industry greener.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a public announcement - sharing his plan to resign following a massive decline in support and a high profile resignation from his Cabinet. The World's Carolyn Beeler spoke to Tari Ajadi, a political scientist at McGill University who attributes the Canadian leader's fall from grace to a political shift to the right - just as Donald Trump ascends to the presidency in the neighboring United States.

In the year 1700, an English ship mysteriously sank off the coast of Key West. The vessel had been making a return trip from Jamaica after transporting nearly two hundred people to the Caribbean to be sold into slavery. While surveying the long-forgotten ship, a team of archaeologists unearthed objects - as well as insights into the trans-Atlantic slave trade. WLRN's Julia Cooper reports from Key West.

Many Ukrainians are turning to poetry as a symbol of patriotism and resistance. And in Odesa Ukraine, some artists and poets started an organization called The Kids Poetry Studio. The idea is to provide kids with a creative platform to express their feelings about the war. And to stir a degree of nationalism during wartime. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

Pope Francis has appointed an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church's religious orders. Some see the appointment as a major step toward the pontiff's goal of giving women more leadership roles in church governance. The World's Carolyn Beeler has more.

Tourism numbers are sky high in Japan. The country saw record numbers of travelers throughout 2024, and government officials are hoping to see the numbers double by 2030. But workers are in short supply. From robot hotel receptionists to contactless restaurants and overcrowded trains, The World's Jeremy Siegel looks at how tourism is pushing Japan's economy to adapt.

Tomiko Itooka, the oldest person in the world, died last week at the age of 116. That title is now held by a Brazilian elder. Host Carolyn Beeler has the story.

Russia claims to have taken another town on the frontline of its war with Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say they are still defending Kurakhove while claiming more Russian territory in the Kursk region to the north. Host Carolyn Beeler explains.

An effort is underway to try and save the elaborate stone carvings and structures at Persepolis in Iran. Climate change and industrialization have hastened the process of lichen taking over the structures. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

The artist C. Tangana, whose real name is Anton Alvarez, has set aside his mic and taken up directing to critical acclaim. His first feature-length documentary, "The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortes," has been nominated for Spain's top film award and is winning praise at festivals. Alvarez's film goes beyond the music to explore family - and one family secret in particular. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

An hours-long stand-off between South Korean authorities and security services protecting the country's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol ended without the president's detention. Investigators gave up on the arrest warrant citing security concerns, while diehard supporters of Yoon rallied outside the presidential residence. The World's Host Carol Hills spoke to Seoul-based journalist Raphael Rashid, who was covering the event.

Tourism in Cuba has not recovered since the pandemic and new conditions on the island are deterring tourists from visiting to soak up its culture, beauty and political history. Michael Bustamante, an associate professor and Emilio Bacardi Moreau Chair in Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami, explains the roots of the problem.

In Japan, a hidden crisis is unfolding. Over a million people have retreated from society - some for months, others for years. They are known as hikikomori - a term that translates to being pulled inward or confined. Reporter Rebecca Rosman wanted to understand what drives this societal withdrawal. She met with a former hikikomori in Tokyo, who spent nearly a decade confined to his childhood bedroom.

A growing body of evidence has shown that there is a link between alcohol and cancer, but not everyone is aware of the link. Public health authorities around the world, including the US Surgeon General, are taking greater steps to educate the public about the connection. Eric Rimm, a professor and epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who has studied the connection, explains the scientific mechanisms at play, and how much alcohol increases the risks of cancer.

Non-alcoholic drinks are becoming increasingly popular in many parts of the world where people crave the society of a barroom without the hangover, or simply need help staying sober. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Rebecca Pink-Swann, senior bartender at Swift Borough in London, about the rise of the mocktail.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Carol Hills catch you up on a few stories that might have flown under the radar.

Karen Kirsten knew that a group of Catholic nuns hid her mother from the Nazis in Poland during the Holocaust, but that was all. So, she embarked on a quest to find them, while her mother was still alive. She shares her experience on GBH's Stories from the Stage.

A self-taught baker is bringing flavors from her childhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a small farm stand in Southern Vermont. The World's Bianca Hillier paid a visit.

Kyiv has opted to not renew a contract with Moscow that brought Russian natural gas to Europe and $1 billion dollars in transit fees to Ukraine. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Arild Moe, a research professor at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute near Oslo, Norway. He explains the uneven impact among European countries and the potential cost to Russia's energy-based economy.