The World: Latest Stories

Late last year, Russian lawmakers passed a bill banning "child-free propaganda," with fines up to $50,000 for anyone promoting a lifestyle that doesn't include having kids. Meanwhile, schools have been promoting the benefits of having children, online access to information about women's health has been disappearing, and doctors have been under increasing pressure to rein in prescriptions for birth control. It's all part of a campaign to cement traditional Russian values. Reporter Levi Bridges explains.

The American investment company BlackRock has signed a deal to buy ports on the Panama Canal from a company in Hong Kong. This comes after weeks of President Donald Trump claiming, without evidence, that China operated the vital trade waterway. Carolyn Beeler discusses the significance of the ports changing hands with Andrew Thomas, author of "The Canal of Panama and Globalization: Growth and Challenges in the 21st Century."

A 900-pound dolphin launched itself into a small fishing boat Friday, turning a routine outing into a chaotic and memorable day for three New Zealanders. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Over the weekend, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, announced it would uphold a ceasefire requested by their leader, who remains imprisoned in Turkey. The World's Durrie Bouscaren takes look back at the past 40 years of a PKK insurgency, and a look forward - to consider what might happen next.

Deputy Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Christos Triantopoulos has resigned. Host Marco Werman has the story.

Astronomers are sounding the alarm about the impact of a planned renewable energy plant in Chile's Atacama desert. The area is home to some of the most-advanced observatories on Earth because of the unmatched darkness of the night sky. The concern is that light pollution from the proposed plant will compromise the research capacity of those telescopes. Carolyn Beeler speaks with Luis Chavarria, a Chilean astronomer and former representative to the European Southern Observatory. That's the multi-nation group that operates the telescope most likely to be compromised.

Iraq's population now stands at 46 million people following a nationwide census that was held in November of 2024. The census, the first in 40 years, has been billed as a success by Iraq's government. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Hamzeh Hadad, a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, to get the highlights from the census data.

When you take a snooze on an airplane, you have to put a certain amount of faith in the belief that your stuff will still be there when you wake up. But a spate of in-flight thefts in East Asia and Southeast Asia has experts warning travelers to take nothing for granted. The World's transportation correspondent, Jeremy Siegel, has the story.

President Donald Trump has imposed new tariffs on the United States' top three trading partners: Canada, Mexico and China. The response from China came almost immediately. This, as China's political leaders meet in Beijing to set the country's agenda for the next year, in what's known as "The Two Sessions." Host Marco Werman speaks with Taiwan-based journalist William Yang about the economic relationship between China and the US at a major crossroads.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman quickly take us through what we need to know about news stories of the day from Egypt, Australia, and Serbia.

Sudan is the world's leading exporter of gum arabic, which comes from hardened acacia tree resin. It's a necessary ingredient for lots of household items and food products. But the RSF, which the US says is responsible for genocide in Darfur, controls areas key to the production of this widely used material. Mohammed Salih is a gum arabic importer in Sweden who explains how he's forced to contend with these problems.

The decision by President Donald Trump to pause military aid to Ukraine has reverberated across Europe, and not just because European nations must now fill the billion-dollar void created by the withdrawal of US support. Some in the bloc are now questioning the very future of the 80-year trans-Atlantic relationship that's guided global conflict resolution since the mid-20th century. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry has more.

Scotland's Flow Country looks from a distance like a vast expanse of dull, wet brown vegetation - not the kind of view that tourists typically find enticing. But it's become a real attraction since being declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. DW's Richard Baynes has been delving into the strange and wonderful world of Europe's biggest peat bogs, and he brings us the story.

In the north African country of Tunisia, it's common for Muslims to pray at the shrines of saints. One shrine in Tunis is devoted to a female saint, which is rare. Lilia Blaise takes us there for a glimpse of what the shrine means to the women who visit. The story is part of The World's "Sacred Spaces" series, taking us to places where people find spiritual meaning and connection across the globe.

Launching a career is a major hurtle for immigrants whose professional credentials come from institutions and certification processes unfamiliar in the US. GBH's Trajan Warren brings us the story of efforts to help hundreds of thousands of people in Massachusetts start - or restart - their careers.

Last Friday, a 10-year-old boy became the youngest-ever person to give a speech in the UK's House of Commons. The boy, Owen Glass, traveled thousands of miles from his home on Tristan da Cunha to address the UK Youth Parliament. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have more.

In the early 1900s, Brighton, England, was full of electric trams. But at the start of World War II, they were scrapped for the war effort. All of the trams were lost - or so historians thought. Then in 2009, one was discovered on a pig farm, and a team of locals have been working ever since to restore the tram to its original glory. Now, it's back - and the group behind the restoration is hoping to get it running on tracks again soon. The World's Jeremy Siegel has the story.

"Espanoles, Franco ha muerto." With that announcement, in 1975, the people of Spain learned that Francisco Franco, the general-turned-dictator, had died. He'd been at the helm of an authoritarian regime since 1936. The current Spanish government has kicked off a yearlong celebration of Franco's demise, called "Spain in Freedom." But not everyone is on board. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from the village of Belchite.

This week, the US Supreme Court will hear a case that places some blame for cartel violence in Mexico on gunmakers in the US. The Mexican government argues that the firearm industry enables the trafficking of guns used by cartels. Host Marco Werman discussed the case with John Lindsay-Poland, of the advocacy Group Stop US Arms to Mexico.

Ukrainians are showing support for their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following Friday's breakdown of diplomacy in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Ukrainian security analyst, Maria Avdeeva, about how the country is reacting to the Trump and Zelenskyy meeting, and what Ukrainians see as their options going forward.

Filmmakers from Latvia, the Palestinian territories, Brazil and more took home some of the top prizes at the Oscars last night. The World's Bianca Hillier takes a closer look at the international stories that won big.

About an hour outside of London, Thames Carpets sells handmade, antique and modern handwoven carpets mainly from the Middle East. The business goes back decades, and now, the next generation is spreading awareness of the ancient art on a new platform. The World's Shirin Jaafari has the story.

In Athens today, massive demonstrations hit fever pitch as protesters pummeled police with rocks and gasoline bombs outside the Greek parliament. Protests and vigils across the country Friday marked the two-year anniversary of a deadly train crash that killed 57 people. Since then, anger has grown out of what many Greeks see as a lack of accountability on the part of the current government in response to the tragedy. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler heard from Eleni Stamatoukou in Athens. She's a journalist with the news organization Balkan Insight.

Sixty-year-old Toni Moya engraves glass for some of the top cocktail bars and restaurants around Spain. But Moya, one of Spain's last glass artisans, has no heirs for his trade, and when he retires, his long list of exclusive clients worry their unique crystalware will eventually fade into history, too. Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Lagom is a very Swedish concept that means doing things in moderation and only taking your fair share so that there's enough left for everyone. The World's Bianca Hillier explores all the ways it can be applied to life in Sweden.

President Donald Trump met today with his Ukrainian counterpart in the Oval Office. It was expected that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would sign a deal to allow the US access to rare earth metals in exchange for military support. But as The World's Daniel Ofman tells us, the cordial meeting devolved into a shouting match.

This week, thousands of seeds from gene banks around the globe were flown to a remote airstrip in the Arctic Circle. Host Carolyn Beeler tells how new deliveries of seeds from African countries help protect local gene banks from conflict and natural disaster and help insure crop diversity in the future.

Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, is a time of spirituality and an ascetic lifestyle for Muslims. But it's also a time for food, family - and television for many people. Television series remain highly popular during the month of Ramadan, with series bringing both controversy and deeper discussion on history and societal issues. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with writer Kareem Shaheen about why television series are so popular during the month and which themes are typically explored in the storytelling.

A tag team of European leaders travelled to Washington this week, in large part, to garner American support for the fight in Ukraine. On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron had a friendly sit-down with President Donald Trump in the oval office. Yesterday, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer spent a few hours with Trump talking about the good relationship between the two countries. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry speaks with Carolyn Beeler about how it all went.

Some of the United States' most sought-after cartel members behind bars in Mexico have been transferred to US custody to face court. Chris Dalby, the director of World of Crime, a think tank that advises governments on how to tackle organized crime, explains what this announcement really means.

For the government, it poses a threat to "family unity." But for an increasing number of women, Japan's law banning married couples from having different last names has them forgoing marriage altogether. Rebecca Rosman reports from Tokyo about the growing opposition to this law, and the traditions keeping it.

In 1937, the Nazi party organized one of the most notorious art exhibits of all time. Works by the best and the brightest - Paul Klee, Marc Chagal, Vassily Kandinsky - were hung up, ridiculed and called degenerate." Now, a new show at the Picasso Museum in Paris brings some of these works back together, in an exhibition called Degenerate Art. Modern Art on Trial under the Nazis." The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

Tatsuya Shindo was a member of the Yakuza, a transnational organized crime syndicate originating in Japan. His arm-length tattoos give him away as someone who once belonged to an organized criminal gang. Shindo also did time in prison. But now he's a 53-year-old Christian pastor, who spends time with other former prisoners in a society where redemption and getting a second chance is not easy. The World's Matthew Bell reports from Tokyo.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman catch you up on some headlines in the news you might have missed.

According to the FBI, the hackers behind the Bybit hack of $1.5 billion in the Ethereum software token are linked to North Korea. Crypto sleuths have been following the money ever since it was taken, which is a complicated, but enlightening, process of analysis. Andrew Fierman, who is Chainalysis's Head of National Security Intelligence explains how the detective work is done and what such an enormous theft means.

In a letter passed to Kurdish lawmakers permitted to visit him, Abdullah Ocalan, the founder and leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, called on the group to lay down its arms - potentially ending a 40-year insurgency. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

On Feb. 27, 1980, Colombian militants called the M-19 stormed the Dominican Embassy in Bogota, Colombia. They took nearly 60 people hostage, including diplomats and country ambassadors. The crisis would last 61 days before it was resolved and the militants left for Cuba. To find out more about the events from the crisis and why they remain significant, Host Marco Wermans speaks with Alex Fattal, a professor at the University of Calfornia, San Diego.

In just the past couple of weeks, the Trump administration has shaken up the conversation about the war in Ukraine. The US has initiated talks to normalize relations with Russia, and tomorrow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit the White House to sign a rare earth minerals deal with the US. Still, questions remain about security guarantees for Ukraine, and whether Russia truly intends to stop the hostilities. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

The first phase of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will expire on Saturday. While Israeli leaders have stated they're sending a negotiating team to Cairo, the future of a second phase of the deal remains uncertain. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Amir Tibon, an Israeli journalist working for the newspaper Haaretz, about the forces driving the talks to continue and the factors pushing for them to end.

Next week will mark 11 years since Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished over the Indian Ocean. Malaysian officials say the plane could be found before the next anniversary. A new search starts this week, and as The World's Patrick Winn reports, it's led by a start-up from Austin, Texas.

The first mummies in the world were created by the Chinchorro people along the coast of what is today northern Chile. In 2021, UNESCO listed the mummies and the Chinchorro settlement as a World Heritage site. Many of these remains are still out there, and are increasingly becoming uncovered by development and the elements. Michael Fox reports from the Chilean province of Arica.

In Japan, nearly a quarter of women in their 20s - and 40% of men - say they've never been on a date. These figures are worrying policymakers in a country already grappling with a shrinking population, low birth rates and a loneliness crisis. But while traditional dating is on the decline, some young people are looking for love and companionship in unconventional places. From Tokyo, Rebecca Rosman reports.

Cinema goers frequently complain about the ads run by theaters before feature films begin. One patron in India took it a step further. He sued the cinema chain - and won - over its misuse of his personal time. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Simon McDonald, a marketing researcher for the Dutch firm DVJ, about pre-film ads, and how they are accepted, or reviled, around the globe.

On Tuesday, a critical power transmission line failed in Chile, causing 90% of the country's residents to lose power for the rest of the day. Everything from lights to cell phones to trains were rendered useless until about midnight, by which time most affected areas had their power restored. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have more.

BP, a big name in the oil industry, announced that it will slash investment in renewables and step up oil and gas production. While this isn't the first time BP has walked back its climate goals, the announcement marks the latest example of an oil company ditching green energy. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Ellen Wald, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center.

The Vatican said Wednesday that Pope Francis has shown further slight improvement as he battles double pneumonia, but doctors still say his prognosis is still guarded. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Some terms of the deal are still not clear, but the broad contours are the US and Ukraine will work together to develop Ukraine's mineral, oil and gas resources. The US is no longer asking for $500 billion in revenue. There are no security guarantees in the deal so far. Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, explains to Host Marco Werman what's known about the deal, what minerals the US most wants, where they are and how this fits into a broader strategy the US is mapping out.

Venezuela has seen millions of its citizens flee the country in recent years, because of political and economic turmoil. Even so, this South American country continues to produce top-notch classical musicians, who are playing in renowned orchestras all over the world. And for many of them, their musical journey began with a pioneering music education program. The World's Tibisay Zea first reported this story from Venezuela in 2023.

For three years, the US has consistently condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly. But in a dramatic change of course, under a new administration, the US voted yesterday against a UNGA resolution blaming Russia for its incursion. It also filed a separate resolution that called for an end to the war without explicitly blaming Russia. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Brae discusses the implications with Host Marco Werman.

The daily work grind is a routine that can be traced back centuries. People in ancient Rome got up, went to work and did it all over again the next day. But this routine is not the only thing workers from today and ancient Rome share. They also share concerns about new technology and a work-from-home lifestyle. Del Maticic teaches at Vassar College in New York and co-edited the book "Working Lives in Ancient Rome." Maticic speaks to Host Marco Werman.