The World: Latest Stories

This year's odds on favorite to win the massive Eurovision Song Contest is a group named KAJ. They're representing Sweden, but they are from Finland. Their song is called "Bara Bada Bastu." That title translates roughly to "just take a sauna," and is an ode to steam and heat. As hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain, it's being billed as a kind of "sauna diplomacy."

Latvia's Defense Intelligence and Security Service is warning local hikers that strangers who cross their paths might be Russian spies, not curious tourists or out-of-place woodsmen. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the details.

Medieval scholars in the UK have identified a rare original copy of the Magna Carta. Now seen as a landmark legal document in the Western democratic tradition, the 800-year-old charter reined in the power of the king and enshrined the rights of his subjects, as Nicholas Vincent tells host Marco Werman. Vincent is a leading expert on the Magna Carta and teaches medieval history at University of East Anglia in the UK.

For centuries, experts have believed William Shakespeare's marriage to Anne Hathaway wasn't a particularly close one. But a new piece of evidence is throwing that assumption into question. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

After the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu back in November, the Trump administration announced sanctions against the court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, and its officials, employees, agents, and their family members. Now, the effects of the executive order are becoming clearer. The chief has had his bank accounts frozen, and casework is under ramped-up pressure. Alex Whiting is a former prosecutions and investigations coordinator of the International Criminal Court. He speaks with host Marco Werman about what's happening and what it means for the long-term survival of the ICC.

Jose Mujica was president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 and presided over a period of progressive governance that matched his want-for-nothing lifestyle. He forsook the presidential palace in favor of his farm where he grew flowers. His life's arc from young guerrilla fighter to eventual president was not straightforward. Pablo Brum, author of "The Robin Hood Guerrillas: The Epic Journey of Uruguay's Tupamaros," explains Mujica's life to host Marco Werman.

A court in Zurich has been hearing a criminal case against a woman accused of trying to make her neighbor's cat her own. The public broadcaster SWI swissinfo reports that the woman systematically fed the cat and installed her own cat door. Host Marco Werman has more.

Israeli missiles have slammed into two Gaza hospitals in recent days, killing more than a dozen patients, according to medical staff at the facilities. Amande Bazerolle, an emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, just returned from Gaza. She describes the collapse of Gaza's health system to host Marco Werman.

In India's bustling cities, as the sun goes down and the worst of the day's heat is over, an insidious threat looms: high nighttime temperatures. Scorching daytime heat often dominates headlines and public health discussions. But hot nights are a frequently neglected yet deadly aspect of India's heat crisis. They don't allow the body to recover from the day's thermal stress, disrupting sleep, exacerbating respiratory conditions and straining vulnerable populations. As Sushmita Pathak reports from Delhi, climate change is making it worse.

Musician Sami Galbi grew up in the Swiss Alps after his parents migrated there from Morocco. As he puts it in one of his songs, he often felt like a "stranger in both countries, present but absent." His search for belonging, however, took root in the underground art communities in both countries. Those experiences helped inspire Galbi's debut album, "Ylh Bye Bye."

H&M, the Swedish fashion giant, is working directly with models and their agencies to create digital replicas of 30 different models this year. The company will be able to use the images for things like social media posts and marketing campaigns. But as The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports, in an unusual twist, the models themselves will own the rights to their twins, and will even be able to let other brands use them.

Rival militias in the Libyan capital of Tripoli have clashed this week, damaging parts of the city during intense fighting. The violence follows the assassination of an influential militia commander who was allied with both of Libya's rival governments. Host Marco Werman speaks with Tarek Megerisi, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, about the causes behind Libya's instability, years after the overthrow of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Jannik Sinner, the Italian tennis player who's top-ranked in the men's game, took a break from the Italian Open today to meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. Host Marco Werman has more.

Last fall, Kazakh voters approved a referendum to construct the country's first nuclear power plant. Kazakhstan mostly burns coal, which frequently makes Kazakh cities have some of the world's most-polluted air. Nuclear is an easy way to solve the problem, especially given that Kazakhstan is the world's largest producer of uranium. But as Levi Bridges reports, there are concerns about nuclear safety and partnering with Russia on the project.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who won an election last month promising to stand up to US President Donald Trump, unveiled a new Cabinet on Tuesday. He said the pared-down Cabinet would help define a new relationship with Washington. Host Marco Werman has more.

The first wave of an estimated 500 white South Africans touched down in Dulles Airport this week on a US-government chartered airplane. The Trump administration says it has fast-tracked the group for resettlement because the Afrikaners face racial persecution. Nicky Falkof of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg speaks with host Marco Werman about the status of Afrikaners in South Africa today.

Five activists in Poland will stand trial on Wednesday. They are accused of illegally aiding migrants at the border with Belarus. The group is charged with providing food, clothing, and transportation to asylum-seekers from Iraq and Egypt who had crossed into Poland. This trial comes against the backdrop of Poland's controversial decision in March to suspend asylum requests at its border, a move the government says is in response to Belarus allegedly facilitating illegal crossings. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

China extended a credit line of $9.2 billion to Latin American and Caribbean countries on Tuesday. Xi Jinping made the gesture at the opening ceremony of the China-CELAC, or Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Forum in Beijing. China is offering itself as the stable alternative to the tariff-raising Trump administration. Host Marco Werman speaks with Isabel Hilton, founder of the China Dialogue Trust, about which side benefits more from a strengthened trade relationship between China and Latin America.

Usually when athletes have to watch out for the G.O.A.T.," people are talking about the greatest of all time." But at a professional cycling race in Albania, athletes had to watch out for a real goat. Host Marco Werman has the details.

The Cannes Film Festival's red carpet is internationally famous for its train of celebs peacocking in the latest fashion trends. But in recent years, some celebrities have worn clothing that exhibits some form of nudity. This year, that's changing, as the Cannes Film Festival has moved to ban nudity from its red carpet. Host Marco Werman speaks with Vanessa Friedman, chief fashion critic at The New York Times, about the decision and how it might impact fashion.

On Monday, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced it will disarm and disband, potentially closing a final chapter in a four decadelong insurgency. While Turks and Kurds alike hope for a lasting peace, families who lost loved ones take stock of their grief. The World reports.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman highlight some sports headlines you may have missed.

Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander has been released by Hamas from Gaza. Alexander had been held in captivity in Gaza since Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The deal follows direct negotiations between Hamas and the US to secure the release of Alexander. This also comes as reports emerge of a fraying relationship between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Israeli reporter Noga Tarnopolski to understand the dynamics behind the deal and what Trump and Netanyahu's relationship could mean for Israel.

Omar al-Bayoumi is living freely in Saudi Arabia. That's despite reams of puzzling and alarming evidence collected by law enforcement that he was connected to the 9/11 hijackers whom he helped settle in San Diego as they trained for the hijackings. He is alleged to be a Saudi intelligence officer. While US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick visits Saudi Arabia for diplomacy, 9/11 families want him to press the government to extradite al-Bayoumi to the US. Lutnick's brother and most of his employees were killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

Koyo Kouoh, a Cameroon-born curator and leading voice in the world of contemporary art, has passed away at age 58. Kouoh was set to lead the 2026 Venice Biennale, which would have made her the first woman from Africa to take on leadership of one of the art world's premier events. Host Marco Werman speaks to Alex Greenberger, the senior editor of ArtNews.

The new pope may be born in the United States, but he has deeps root in Peru, where he lived for 20 years, as a missionary, and then as bishop of the city of Chiclayo. Cardinal Robert Prevost even gained Peruvian citizenship in 2014. Reporter Manuel Rueda attended mass in Chiclayo the Sunday after the pope was ordained and heard from Peruvians about Prevost's contributions to their community before he was named Pope Leo XIV.

The so-called "super islands," clusters of streets and intersections converted into mostly pedestrian zones, have been around for a few years now. And most people love the sense of calm and community they create. But they complicate traffic for vehicles, and some groups are challenging them in court. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Russia launched over 100 drones at Ukraine overnight, after the expiration of a 72-hour ceasefire that both countries have accused the other of violating. After weeks of proposals to initiate peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered a meeting "without preconditions" in Istanbul on May 15. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants that meeting to be face-to-face with Putin. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have the details.

Russia leads the world in terms of cat ownership. And people there are serious about pet safety. Levi Bridges has the story of a woman who lost her cat in a forest outside of Moscow on a cross-country drive, and the lengths to which strangers went to try and find her cat.

The Recovered Voices movement strives to disseminate the works of composers persecuted by authoritarian regimes, especially the Nazis. It is an international movement with musicians and academics in both the US and Europe unearthing scores by composers deemed degenerate by the Third Reich, or imprisoned by Stalin. Jon Kalish introduces us to musicians who are committed to performing and recording these works.

It's unclear who helped smuggle five members of Venezuela's opposition out of the Argentine Embassy in Venezuela last week. The activists had to make their way past snipers, drones and guard dogs. Phil Gunson, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group in Caracas, discusses the implications of the daring rescue with host Carolyn Beeler.

The two men accused of cutting down the famous Sycamore Gap tree in the UK have been found guilty. They were convicted of two counts each of criminal damage. The key piece of evidence in the trial was a grainy video of the tree's demise. Sentencing for the crime will take place in July. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

The US announced this week that it's cutting $50 million in medical aid to Zambia. A US investigation into corruption in the country found that 2,000 local pharmacies had been selling donated drugs and medical supplies - paid for by the US - that were intended to be distributed for free to the public. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Charles Kenny, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, about the corruption allegations and what the loss of medical aid could mean for the country.

Today, Russia is celebrating Victory Day, the holiday that marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany 80 years ago in World War II. The main celebration took place in Moscow, with a grand military parade attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and more than 20 leaders from other countries, including Chinese leader, Xi Jinping. The World's Daniel Ofman reports that victory in World War II has become a cornerstone of the Kremlin's propaganda and ideology.

Today, Pope Leo XIV gave his first mass as pontiff. The announcement of his papacy yesterday was met with celebrations across the globe, especially among Catholics in the US, where he was born Robert Prevost. The decision was also hailed in Peru, where Leo carried out decades of missionary work and became a naturalized citizen. Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Juan Miguel Espinoza, an associate professor of theology at the Catholic University of Peru in the capital Lima.

The National Gallery in London is unveiling an early renaissance painting this weekend that's considered to be a European masterpiece. The gallery paid $20 million for "The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret." As Host Carolyn Beeler explains, the altarpiece came from a church in what was called "the low countries", or modern-day Belgium.

US officials are heading to Switzerland to meet with China's vice premier this weekend for the highest-level known talks between the two sides since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. On Friday morning, Trump floated the idea of reducing tariffs on Chinese goods from 145 to 80%. The talks in Geneva are not expected to produce a major breakthrough on US-China trade, but they could lower the temperature on a trade war that's causing economic pain across the globe. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

Foreign students - and the big tuition checks they bring - are a key ingredient in the American college business model. But, just as US colleges face a shrinking pool of domestic college-aged students, international students are feeling less welcome here. From the Higher Education desk at GBH in Boston, Kirk Carapezza reports that the shift could have major consequences for colleges - and the US economy.

It's been six straight days of drone attacks on Port Sudan, a place that used to be a quiet refuge for government forces and civilians amid Sudan's civil war. Despite an arms embargo, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues to receive increasingly sophisticated weapons that it has used against both the Sudanese national army and civilians. Brian Castner, head of research for Amnesty International, discusses his organization's most recent investigation into the RSF arsenal with Host Carolyn Beeler and what it reveals about its backers and arms embargo violations.

The US and the UK have a trade deal. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been focused on negotiations with key trading partners around the world. Brexit, implemented five years ago, has cast a long shadow on the UK's trade relations with the EU and the rest of the world. Host Carolyn Beeler discusses the deal with Marco Forgione, director general for The Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade.

The Financial Times reports that British television was behind a third of all new unscripted television adaptations worldwide. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

All this week, celebrations for Victory in Europe Day are taking place in Britain, France and even in Germany. It was on May 8, 1945, when Nazi generals signed onto an unconditional surrender with the US and its allies. The international system of law and commerce that was built in the years after the war helped shape the global order in profound ways, but that system is now coming under strain. By questioning US alliances in the European Union and with NATO, the Trump administration is putting the old post-war international system to the test. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

Dozens of community kitchens that provided desperately needed food to Palestinians in Gaza shuttered this week. Now, the US government is asking humanitarian groups to back a new Israeli plan to push Palestinians into a small enclave where they'll receive aid in centers run by US security contractors. Sean Carroll, the head of American Near East Refugee Aid, a relief group with deep roots in Gaza, speaks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about what's at stake.

In rural Ghana, pregnant women often have trouble getting to the hospital to give birth. Roads are narrow, rough and rocky, and it can take hours to go relatively short distances. The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports on how one nonprofit is working to change that with cheap motorized tricycles.

National Geographic explorer Paul Salopek has experienced recorded-breaking heat in Japan during his global walking journey. He witnessed the havoc the heat had on rice farms that he passed by. Host Carol Beeler speaks with Salopek about his conversations with rice farmers there and how they've adapted their farming techniques as the heat continues to break records.

Wang Jingyu is an alleged Chinese dissident in the Netherlands. He's been interviewed by multiple media outlets about the alleged harassment and coercion he's suffered at the hands of Chinese Communist Party agents. It's well established that China is running a global program to pressure dissidents and criminals into going home. But Wang's story began to fall apart after an NPR investigation. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

In eastern Turkey, two high school friends taught themselves how to make the daf - a shallow drum popular in Kurdish, Persian and Middle Eastern music. Their brand, Elefra Percussion, is a way to preserve a crucial part of Kurdish musical heritage. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

Pope Leo XIV is the first Catholic pontiff to be from the United States. In his first address in St. Peter's Square after the announcement today, he mentioned frequently the need for peace. And he said one of his goals is to build a "missionary church" - one that builds bridges and fosters dialogue. Host Carolyn Beeler discusses the papal selection with Meghan Clark, a professor of moral theology at St. John's University in New York.

The manatees of the Amazon region have the familiar nostrils and sad eyes of their Florida relatives but they are smaller - and they're endangered. Ongoing hunting and the growing effects of climate change have contributed to their dropping numbers over the years but a number of local efforts are underway to bring them back. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Miriam Marmontel, an Amazonian manatee expert and senior researcher with the Mamiraua Institute for Sustainable Development in Tefe, in the Brazilian Amazon.

Trump administration officials told reporters this week that they're planning to send a group of migrants to Libya aboard a US military plane. But today, Libya's government, as well as militias that control eastern Libya, rejected the plan. Sally Hayden, the author of "My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World's Deadliest Migration Route", speaks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about conditions in Libya's vast network of migrant prisons.