The World: Latest Stories

Giorgia Meloni has reached a milestone few Italian prime ministers have come close to: Today, she becomes Italy's longest continuously serving prime minister since the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was in power. Her four-year run in office is particularly notable in a country famous for political instability and frequent changes of government. Meloni is marking the occasion with a rally in Bari. But some political analysts warn that her position may not be as secure as it appears. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

It's the last days of summer and many of us might be looking for a final road trip or holiday. Indian journalist Akshobh Giridhadas loves to travel, and on a trip to the Indian Himalayas many years ago, he encountered some unexpected hospitality. He shared his adventure with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

In Nepal today, some welcome but unexpected news. Two survivors were rescued - alive - from the tunnel of a hydropower plant, some nine days after getting trapped by last week's devastating floods. As the days have worn on, hopes were fading that any of roughly 500 hydropower workers believed to be in tunnels would be recovered alive. Carolyn Beeler continues her reporting from Kathmandu, Nepal, and joined Marco Werman to share updates.

Next Friday will mark 25 years since the September 11, 2001, attacks. A special edition of the show that day will look back at the global impact of the event and what followed. Andrew Sullivan is executive director of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit advocating for Afghan allies of the US. Before that, Sullivan deployed to Iraq and later commanded a company in Afghanistan. In conversation with Host Marco Werman, he recalled the significance of the event on his decision to join the military.

Spanish Women's Football League has announced it will subsidize the procedure of freezing their eggs for players on the national team. Some big stars have been lobbying for this option, as many professionals don't want to interrupt their careers to become mothers. But others say the league simply doesn't want its players getting pregnant while actively playing. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

It's one of Germany's smaller states, and it's not usually the center of national attention. But this weekend, all eyes are on the eastern German region of Saxony-Anhalt. A strong result for the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, could have implications not just for the state itself, but for Germany's political future. From Deutsche Welle, DW, Inside Europe's Thomas Sparrow has more.

Germany's far-right AfD party has been using a particular moped brand for its campaign: the Simson Schwalbe, often described as the "Vespa of East Germany". The Jewish heir to the founding family is fighting to protect the company's legacy. Deutsche Welle, DW's, Matthew Moore reports on how the moped has been turned into a political vehicle.

After trade talks between Canada and the US fell apart, Canadians see Trump administration antics as a threat to their sovereignty. And they've been fighting back - boycotting US alcohol, avoiding US produce, canceling US vacations and posting nasty memes. But the Canadian government is in a tricky position, trying to play to a rise in domestic anti-American sentiment while maintaining relationships with Canada's biggest ally. Katie Toth reports from Nova Scotia.

Experts and officials have pointed to a collapsing glacier high up in the Himalayas as the trigger of the deadly flash flooding in Tibet and Nepal last week. Climate scientists warn that global warming may make glacial collapse - and the subsequent landslides and flooding they can cause - more frequent. National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek recently joined an expedition of scientists studying the link between climate change and a landslide-induced tsunami in Alaska, and tells Host Carolyn Beeler what he learned.

The Spanish enclave of Ceuta remains in crisis mode more than a month after tens of thousands of migrants crossed in from Morocco in just over a day. Spain has gone to great lengths not to implicate Morocco in the incident. But Spanish papers report that Spain's border agency has given a judge a dossier that concludes the Moroccan government was in fact behind the chaotic border crossing in which more than 100 people died. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

The global food supply chain relies on three things: seamless trade, cheap energy and a stable climate. All are under growing pressure, according to Evan Fraser of the University of Guelph in Ontario. Fraser and The World's Host Marco Werman discuss the climate and geopolitical shocks challenging the global food system and what governments can do to protect the vulnerable.

Activist Gloria Steinem was a highly visible symbol of the feminist movement at home and abroad. Egyptian writer, and activist Mona Eltahawy was among her friends. Eltahawy talks with The World's Host Marco Werman about the messages she received from Steinem after she was beaten and sexually assaulted by Egyptian riot police while covering protests near Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Gloria Steinem was a fierce advocate for women exploited by sex traffickers. She collaborated closely with Ruchira Gupta, an Indian journalist, activist and founder of Apne Aap, an organization fighting sex trafficking and exploitation in India. Gupta tells The World's Host Marco Werman how Steinem's first visit to one of Gupta's projects in an Indian shanty town changed both of their lives.

DJ and producer Hilder Brando is KillaBeatMaker. He's been at it for the past 25 years, searching for musicians to join his collective. He says the current incarnation of the group is what he's been looking for all along. Killabeatmaker's latest album is called "Inga."This story originally aired on Aug. 7, 2024

More than 11,000 people in the US have gotten sick in a major Cyclospora outbreak that the FDA linked to iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. But Mexican officials and growers are pushing back, saying no lettuce sample has tested positive for the parasite. The World's Tibisay Zea looks at the local impact in Guanajuato, the trade tensions surrounding the case, and why scientists say the exact point of contamination is still unclear. Alfonsina Avila also contributed to this report.

After more than 270 days at sea, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the waters off Thailand, giving its sailors much-needed shore leave. The ship's record-breaking time at sea resulted in growing complaints about the conditions on the ship and bleeding morale. Many of the sailors are expected to visit the seaside town of Pattaya. The vacation hot spot has deep ties to the US military, going back to the Vietnam War. Elizabeth Becker, author of the book Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism," joined Host Marco Werman to discuss.

We to turn to a teacher on YouTube who composes songs about artists. Mrs. Zepeda's Edu Music Beats has produced musical stories about Jean-Michel Basquiat, Georgia O'Keefe, Vincent Van Gogh ... and now ... Yayoi Kusama.

Extreme weather can be catastrophic. And knowing the details about what is coming - and when - can be a matter of life and death. To refine these predictions, national weather agencies are increasingly turning to AI. Host Marco Werman speaks with Florence Rabier, the former director general and director of forecasts for the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts.

It can be hard to admit to being overwhelmed, and needing help. Especially in cultures where talk therapy isn't common - or might even be taboo. A scientist in Thailand says he's got a novel way to identify people who are quietly struggling with anxiety. All he needs is a sample of their sweat. Last summer, reporter Patrick Winn in Bangkok went to learn more.This story originally aired on June 16, 2025.

Belarusians have been living under an autocratic regime for more than three decades. Alexander Lukashenko is known for ruling his country with an iron fist. Now, that repression is reaching Belarusians abroad. Earlier this year, a Belarusian court declared the European Humanities University, which operates in exile in neighboring Lithuania, an extremist organization. Anybody associated with it could face years in prison. From Deutsche Welle, DW, Inside Europe's Lisa Louis reports.

Marches and memorials held in honour of Ratko Mladi, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army who died last week, have caused outrage across much of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mladi, died in prison at The Hague, where he was serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes committed during the Bosnian war. Yet, in Serbia and in the Serb-controlled part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, many continue to regard him as a hero. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

The World's Co-host Carolyn Beeler has traveled to one of the hardest-hit districts of Nepal. She's in Bidur on the Trishuli River. On the drive there from Kathmandu, she saw trucks piled high with food, water and other supplies for flood victims. She also visited a local shelter for displaced people run by volunteers. Although aid is trickling into the devastated border region, Beeler tells The World's Marco Werman that Nepal's recovery effort faces immense obstacles.

MapQuest rose to the Number 1 downloaded Apple app after it defied US President Donald Trump and refused to change Lake Ontario to Lake America.

For years, Colombian veterans have traveled to Ukraine and Russia to fight in the war between the two countries, drawn by the promise of salaries far higher than they could earn at home. Now, many of their families are confronting a different reality: loved ones who have disappeared on the battlefield, or whose bodies remain thousands of miles away. Manuel Rueda reports from Bogota.

Go on Google Maps in the United States and there's a noticeable change: Lake Ontario is now "Lake America." The name change by the Trump administration is just the latest shot fired in an escalating trade war between the US and Canada. In retaliation, all but two Canadian provinces have banned US alcohol in their liquor stores. As The World's Joshua Coe discovered on a recent visit to Ontario, Canadians are going "elbows up" and drinking more Canadian wine.

Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues to fuel the world's biggest humanitarian crisis. As the war deepens, both sides are seeking more foreign backing. Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair, the founding director of Confluence Advisory, explains what's going on to The World's Host Marco Werman.

Soccer legend Lionel Messi announced Monday his retirement from representing Argentina in international play. As the first player to win the World Cup twice, the 39-year-old tried his shot at a third win this summer, but left empty handed. Advances in training, recovery and sports science are allowing elite athletes to compete longer than ever, but the psychology of when to hang up the towel also plays an important role. The World's Host Marco Werman learned more from Helena Hlasova, a researcher at the University of Bern's Institute of Sport Science.

A small town in Australia's outback is attracting visitors with an open-air museum of old farm tractors, bulldozers and other industrial equipment. They call it the "Great Machinery Mile." Host Marco Werman has more.

Sarah Hood was adopted from South Korea as a child and arrived in the US with the clothes on her back and two recipes in hand. She then spent a lifetime to build a legacy of love across generations through food from South Korea and other cultures. Hood shared her experience with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

Families of soldiers lost or killed in the war in Ukraine are looking for answers. And they are increasingly reaching out to Jared Goyette. He's a Portuguese-speaking reporter who has covered issues affecting Brazilian recruits. He joins Host Marco Werman to talk about where things stand for Brazilian and other foreign fighters on the Ukraine-Russia front.

Lupita Infante is the granddaughter of Mexican cultural icon, Pedro Infante, but she is also an artist in her own right, carrying legacies from both sides of her family. Lupita is charting a new path for herself, while honoring and questioning the mariachi culture she's inherited. In this conversation, she discusses her artistic path with Meklit Hadero of the "Movement" podcast.This story originally aired on April 23, 2026.

Spain's smallest island wants to quit the country so it can get rid of tourism. It's called Tabarca, and it has 59 official residents. But on any given day in August, the one-mile by half-a-mile island can receive several thousand visitors. Most are people looking for a cool place to party. The result is a nightmare for locals. To stem the "hordes" Tabarca has repeatedly petitioned the local municipality for help. The World's Gerry Hadden explains where things stand now.

Russia is preparing for nationwide parliamentary elections in September. But many prominent opposition figures have fled the country in recent years and those who remain face significant barriers to running for office. Yet Russia's opposition hasn't disappeared. Levi Bridges has this report on the current state of Russia's opposition, from Deutsche Welle, DW's, Inside Europe podcast.

Three days after the White House announced that the US would take majority control of a huge portion of Venezuela's oil reserves, critical questions about the agreement remain unanswered. Jorge Pinon, a former oil executive now at the University of Texas at Austin, tells The World's Host Marco Werman that he questions whether a deal actually exists.

Zig-Zag Band was a household name in Zimbabwe in the 1980s and 1990s. It was a band committed to the style of music its members helped pioneer: chigiyo. It's a mix of reggae, mbira-inspired guitar, brass arrangements and dance rhythms. The group has long since disbanded, but a new compilation of its music came out. It's called "Zig-Zag Band: Chigiyo Music Kings 1987-1998." Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the story.This story originally aired on March 12, 2026.

Voters in Iceland rejected this weekend's referendum on resuming talks to join the European Union. Turnout was high and the results were close, with about 53% voting "no." Host Marco Werman has the details.

Denmark is taking new steps to confront the use of artificial intelligence in schools. The rules are supposed to take effect this school year. But questions remain about the extent to which AI is prejudicial to learning, and when it can actually help. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Dr. Guido Makransky, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Copenhagen and the leader of the university's Virtual Learning Lab.

Nepal rescue efforts focus on hydropower workers stuck in tunnelsNEPAL RESCUE EFFORTS FOCUS ON HYDROPOWER WORKERS STUCK IN TUNNELS

Arabic music filled the air of Laura Elkeslassy's Moroccan Jewish childhood home in Paris, especially on Fridays before Shabbat. But she didn't grow up speaking Arabic, so she didn't understand the words. In New York as an adult, Laura's search for a wedding song takes her on a rich musical, spiritual, and political journey - leading to a bookstore in Jerusalem where she discovers that this work to preserve her culture continues what her ancestors began.Elkeslassy's conversation with Meklit Hadero, host of the Movement podcast, first aired Jan. 13, 2026.

Gotham FC's star striker, Esther Gonzalez, has left the New York team and has signed on to play for a Premier League team in Saudi Arabia. Gonzalez is openly gay and married to a woman. In Saudi Arabia, same sex relationships are illegal. The World's Marco Werman speaks with Cyd Zeigler, founder of LGBTQ+ sports publication Outsports, about what this means to her fans.

Unlike the Seine, the Tiber, which courses through Italy's capital, is still considered too polluted for safe swimming. So instead of going in the water, they're going deep underground. DW's Angelo van Schaik visited an ancient Roman quarry to see how it works.

We begin with a brief update on the situation in Nepal, where flash flooding swept away entire villages in the Himalayan region bordering Tibet. The official death toll is nearing 600 people and continues to climb. The list of missing people is almost 2,500.

Gas prices in the United States have risen roughly 40% since the start of the war with Iran six months ago. Triple-A is predicting this August will be the most expensive month ever at the pump in the United States. People around the world have felt the pinch, too. But one South American country has been preparing for this moment for decades ... and is weathering the global storm in fuel prices. Michael Fox has the story from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Iceland has long kept the EU at arm's length. But Russia's war in Ukraine and President Trump's threats to take control of Greenland have prompted a rethink, with growing calls for Iceland to move closer to the bloc. On Saturday, Icelanders will vote on whether to restart talks on EU membership. But there's fierce opposition, particularly from the country's powerful fishing industry. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

It's been a tense week in Haiti after nearly 50 people were killed and over 50 more were kidnapped in a coordinated gang attack in a town outside the capital, Port-au-Prince. Wethzer Piercin is an editor at AyiboPost in Port-au-Prince and joins Host Marco Werman with the details.

This summer has been brutal across Europe with extremely high temperatures. France was hit hard, with many concerned that this is the new normal. Some parts of the country reached close to 110 degrees. Adeline Sire reports on the many ways in which the French kept cool.

Five years ago, a heat dome stretched across British Columbia, Canada, killing more than 600 people. The paramedics trying to respond to emergency calls were unprepared to operate at that level of heat. But hot conditions are increasingly normal in places where they didn't used to be. For The Big Fix, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Brooks Hogya, an academic, paramedic and member of BC's heat advisory committee, about the lessons BC took from the heat dome.

As we've reported this week, devastating flash floods have killed more than 350 people near Nepal's border with Tibet. But the death toll is fluid, with some 1,000 people still unaccounted for. Host Carolyn Beeler discussed the situation with Rojita Adhikari, a freelance journalist based in Kathmandu who traveled today to Trishuli Bazar downstream from where the flood started, and Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa, a glaciologist and a PhD candidate at the Department of Physical Geography at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Wildfires have raged for weeks in Indonesia. It's poised to be one of the country's worst wildfire seasons ever. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Wahyu Perdana, from the peatland monitoring organization Pandau Gambut, about what's happening.

Immigration is a hot topic in Europe, especially among rightwing political groups hoping to take over the leadership of their countries. One nation where the populist right is already governing is Italy - also an external border state. And while, in the first half of this year, sea arrivals in Italy were down by 30% compared to last year, from Deutsche Welle, DW, Inside Europe's Correspondent Angelo van Schaik reports that the situation at the main immigration office in Rome is chaotic.