The World: Latest Stories

Yaroslav Simkiv has played the trumpet for over 50 years. But these days, Simkiv has taken on a serious role - bidding a musical farewell to Ukraine's fallen soldiers. From Lviv, Emily Johnson reports.This story originally aired on Feb. 10, 2025.

A leading voice in the world of contemporary art, Koyo Kouoh's death in May shocked the art world. The Cameroon-born curator was set to lead the 2026 Venice Biennale, one of the premier art exhibitions anywhere. Alex Greenberger, a senior editor of ArtNews, spoke about her legacy.This story originally aired on May 12, 2025.

The 49th Aga Khan, Karim Al-Husseini, died in February in Portugal. Host Marco Werman spoke with Daryoush Mohammad Pour, an associate professor at the Institute for Ismaili Studies in the UK, about the Aga Khan's life and legacy.This story originally aired on Feb. 5, 2025.

Revered Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga died in October at the age of 80. He played a pivotal role in institutionalizing multiparty democracy and shaping Kenya's constitution. But he was also known as a ruthless politician who formed alliances with rivals. Kenyan journalist Ramah Nyang explores Odinga's legacy in an interview with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler.This story originally aired on Oct. 15, 2025.

For nearly six decades, Ngg wa Thiong'o's writings chronicled the story of Kenya, from colonial rule to troubled democracy. The giant of African literature died in May at age 87. He spent time in jail and exile, writing the first modern novel in the Gikuyu language on prison toilet paper. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learns more from Kenyan author and editor Dennis Mugaa.This story originally aired on May 29, 2025.

An artistic force in Lebanon, Ziad Rahbani was a composer and musician first and foremost. But he was also a playwright, whose critiques and satires earned him a reputation as the "voice of the voiceless." Rahbani was 69 when he died last July.This story originally aired on July 28, 2025.

The widely celebrated Argentine American film score composer Lalo Schifrin died in June at the age of 93. Schifrin was best known for penning the "Mission: Impossible" theme music, but his career spanned seven decades and many styles of music.This story originally aired on June 27, 2025.

A plane crash in Honduras in March claimed the life of Aurelio Martinez, a popular Honduran musician and politician. Host Marco Werman memorializes Martinez as a singer and songwriter who was one of the best-known champions of Garifuna music.This story originally aired on March 20, 2025.

The community of Qoornoq, on a small island off the coast of Greenland, was shuttered decades ago as part of the Danish government's efforts to consolidate Greenland's population. But in recent decades, it's become a summer getaway for former residents. The World's Carolyn Beeler takes us on a visit to Qoornoq.This story originally aired on Oct. 27, 2025.

Indigenous Greenlanders once wore bold face tattoos that carried deep spiritual and cultural significance. But during the centuries of Denmark's colonial rule, the Inuit tradition of getting face and hand tattoos disappeared. The World's Joshua Coe met an Inuk tattoo artist who is now reviving that Inuit heritage for community members living in Denmark.This story originally aired on Jan. 8, 2024.

The Arctic Circle Race in Greenland has been called the toughest race in the world. It's a three-day, cross-country skiing competition through the mountains above Sisimiut. Reporter Emily Schwing skied the 62-mile race course herself, and has this story.This story originally aired on April 23, 2025.

Maaliaaraq Engell grew up in Greenland and is a member of its Indigenous Inuit community. But she never learned about Greenland's Indigenous history or reasons for Danish control of the territory in Greenlandic schools. Now, as a student at the University of Copenhagen, she explains what she missed out on.This story originally aired on Jan. 17, 2025.

Greenland's former Prime Minister Mute B. Egede emphatically stated this year, We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic." The World's Carolyn Beeler reports from Greenland's capital Nuuk about the independence, and the divided opinions of Greenlandic people.This story originally aired on Sept. 11, 2025.

President Trump was insistent last winter that US would take over Greenland, one way or another. But Denmark has controlled the island territory for more than a century - an arrangement the US agreed to in a treaty in 1916. Danish journalist Steen Jorgenseen explains that history to The World's Host Marco Werman.This story originally aired on March 25, 2025.

Denmark announced plans last winter to re-assess a parental competency test that had earned heavy criticism. The test is based on Danish cultural norms, and when it was given to Greenlandic Inuit parents the result was removing a disproportionate number of kids from their families. Inuit rights campaigner Tina Naamansen told Host Marco Werman last winter about the impact those foster care placements had on Inuit families.This story originally aired on Jan. 21, 2025.

Greenland's capital of Nuuk opened a new international airport a year ago as part of a larger effort to increase tourism. But with more tourists, there come more headaches. The World's Carolyn Beeler brings us this story from Nuuk.This story originally aired on Aug. 28, 2025.

To English speakers, the word, "peanut" isn't especially funny. But saying "peanut" in Serbian, "kikiriki," puts a smile on your face; Serbs consider it the funniest word in their language. But why is that the case? Psycholinguists have discovered some clues, as Patrick Cox reports.This story originally aired on June 30, 2023.

Ukrainian comic Anton Tymoshenko is based in Kyiv, and since the start of the war, he's begun performing in both Ukrainian and English. Amid a groundswell of comedy in Ukraine, Tymoshenko has managed to cross over to reach a global, English-speaking audience. He says that for him, comedy is a way to process the war - it's also a defense mechanism, and sometimes a distraction. Reporter Daniel Ofman has the story. (This story originally aired March 11th.)This story originally aired on March 11, 2025.

Sam Kissajukian's 300 Paintings" is an exhilarating one-man show and art exhibition. It's also a humorous meditation on life as a creative person with bipolar disorder. The Australian former standup comic speaks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about his diagnosis and the six-month manic episode that changed his life.This story originally aired on Oct. 23, 2025.

Learnmore Jonasi, from a small village in Zimbabwe, is making a name for himself on the US comedy scene. And yes, his first name really is Learnmore. Host Carol Hills speaks with the comedian.This story originally aired on Dec. 6, 2024.

With the former dictator, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, gone, comedians in Syria see new opportunities for social critique, served with laughs. They have been putting together shows at cafes and clubs across Damascus. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports on how these comedians are telling jokes that were unthinkable under the former regime.This story originally aired on May 30, 2025.

The Riyadh Comedy Festival this fall attracted top talent from the West. But it was no laughing matter for critics of the Saudi regime, who argued the festival helped Saudi Arabia whitewash its notorious human rights abuses. Host Marco Werman spoke with Abdullah Alaoudh, senior director on Countering Authoritarianism at the Middle Democracy East Center in Washington, about the event.This story originally aired on Oct. 2, 2025.

There are plenty of jokes. And lots of laughs. But these Chinese-language open mic events are not just about stand-up comedy. The get-togethers are also place for activists to meet, get some group therapy and share pointed views on life back home in China. The World's Matthew Bell has our story.This story originally aired on July 4, 2025.

Vir Das is incredibly popular in India. Now, he's making a bigger and bigger name for himself outside the country, too. Reporter Sushmita Pathak was in the audience this fall when he performed during a residency at the Lincoln Center in New York City.This story originally aired on Nov. 5, 2025.

Irish politicians have afforded Santa Claus extra special powers. Parliament, last week, ensured that the country's airspace will be officially opened for St. Nick's flight to distribute toys to the boys and girls of Ireland. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

You've got to try the local cuisine - that's the advice given to any traveler headed beyond their own borders. Food can be one of the most visceral and memorable aspects of any trip away from home. National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been on a continuous trip away from home for almost 13 years. That means a lot of different types of eating. He tells Host Marco Werman about some of his most memorable meals.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman catch you up on global headlines you may have missed.

As the world's largest companies are pouring billions of dollars into AI, they are also scouring the planet to find spots where they can set up supercomputing data centers. One of the latest projects from chip-making titan NVIDIA is a proposed $500 million AI factory in Armenia. Shant Shahrigian has the story.

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has drawn, not only opinions and attempted interventions from around the world, but thousands of fighters from other countries have been sent over to fight - some against their will. Seventeen South African men say they were lured overseas under false promises and are now heading to a front line they never signed up for. From Johannesburg, Elna Schutz explains.

In Ukraine, the season of hope and light is being observed, even amid the war. Maia Mihaluk, a Christian ministry leader and Kyiv resident speaks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about last night's massive attack on Ukraine and how her family is coming together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Muslim Kashmiri artisans who create hand-painted papier-mache Christmas ornaments exported to markets across the world are suffering. These workshops rely heavily on the holiday season, but this season, the US has levied a nearly 50% tax on goods from India and Indian-administered Kashmir. From Srinagar, Syed Shahriyar reports.

The Trump Administration has recalled nearly 30 ambassadors and senior embassy officials from their posts. The recalls mostly affected people serving in countries in Africa and Asia. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with former US Ambassador Nick Burns about what this means for US foreign policy.

Journalist Julia Ioffe didn't think the long line of women doctors and scientists in her family was unusual. In Soviet Russia, educated, accomplished women were the norm. But also normal were the burdens of running the home, caring for children and healing a broken country - generation after generation. Ioffe explores how the promise of the Russian revolution failed women in her new book, Motherland: A Feminist History of Russia from Revolution to Autocracy." She spoke with Host Marco Werman.

Tensions are mounting off Venezuela's coast, as US warships and aircraft continue to shadow and seize more oil tankers in the Caribbean. This weekend, the US Coast Guard pursued a third vessel, the Panamanian-flagged Bella 1. Jorge Pinon, a fellow at the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin speaks with The World's Host Marco Werman about why the US oil blockade on Venezuela is sending shockwaves through Havana.

The Iranian capital of Tehran is one of the worst cities in the world for air quality. The World's host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Kaveh Madani, director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, about the factors contributing to air pollution in Iran.

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry to be the envoy to the semi-autonomous territory of Greenland. Landry reiterated the president's claim that control of Greenland is a national security priority for the US. Greenland is a territory of Denmark, which is a NATO ally of the US. The World's Host Marco Werman has more.

Rock climbing became an Olympic sport in 2020. And since then, it's seen a surge of interest all around the world. Last month, Colombia held the Panamerican Cup: a championship for South, Central and North America. Reporter Stan Alcorn went to the Colombian city of Armenia to see it happen.

The sport of darts got a major boost a few years ago when one player - 16 year old Luke Littler - made headlines for being the youngest person to make it to the finals of the World Championships. But this year, all eyes are on David Munyua, a full-time veterinarian who is the first player from Kenya to make it to the tournament. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the story.

From lollipops and fois gras containing toxic additives to deceitful labelling and packaging, food companies are out to make a buck off harried Christmas shoppers. In France, an NGO called FoodWatch calls out some of those producers each year, and gets more than a few to change their ways. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Just a decade ago, the population of the Lesser Antillean iguana on the small, private island of Prickly Pear East Cay was zero. But scientists from nearby Anguilla wanted to save the species from extinction. Now, they're seeing the effort pay off, as Host Carolyn Beeler explains.

Opposition from farmers in Europe has caused a last-minute delay to a major free trade agreement 25 years in the making. The deal between the EU and Mercosur countries in South America was due to be signed this weekend, but will now be postponed to mid-January. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Nicolas Saldias, an analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

For the first time in decades, foreigners in Saudi Arabia can legally buy alcohol at certain stores. High-end hotels are advertising job openings for bartenders and drink specialists, in a move that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. This comes as the Kingdom is set to host the men's World Cup in 2034 and it tries to entice tourists to visit. It also wants to shift its economy away from oil. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

A century-old archive of klezmer tunes was retrieved by Ukrainian and Japanese graduate students from the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, brought to New York and is now being digitized and notated. These tunes - about 1,400 of them - enlarge the klezmer repertoire four-fold. They haven't been heard in 100 years, and in the last couple of years have been recorded by klezmer artists from around the world. Jon Kalish reports.

"The Odyssey - From Vietnam to America" is a tribute to the refugees who fled Vietnam in the aftermath of that war. The refugees became known as "boat people," as they risked everything to sail in small, overcrowded boats in search of freedom. Musician Van-Anh Vanessa Vo spoke to many survivors and included their voices in her work. Vanessa Vo recently spoke to Host Carolyn Beeler.

Australia's government has vowed to tighten firearms laws, toughen hate-speech measures and curtail immigration in the wake of Sunday's massacre at a Jewish Hanukkah festival. Daniel Lo Surdo, a reporter at the Sydney Morning Herald speaks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about the simmering anger among victims' families.

The European Union agreed this morning to provide Ukraine with a $105 billion interest-free loan to cover vital economic and military needs. European leaders had hoped to use frozen Russian assets, but that was cancelled at the last minute due to pushback from Belgium. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

This week saw two shootings in the US that made national and international headlines. The first was at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Two days later, Nuno Loureiro, a Portuguese immigrant and a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was found shot dead at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. A suspect in both shootings was found dead in a New Hampshire storage facility. He was a former student at Brown and also a Portuguese citizen. It's a developing story and being watched closely in Portugal, as journalist Sofia Neves, a reporter at the Portuguese daily paper PUBLICO, tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler.

Thousands of marines stationed at bases from California to Arizona recently gathered at Camp Pendleton in southern California for the annual Steel Knight exercise. Instead of just military maneuvers, the troops used scenarios from past military mistakes, like the evacuation of Kabul in 2021. The drills took place in what the Marines call K-2 Combat Town, a simulated urban area. Andrew Dyer of KPBS reports.

Heng Guan is a Chinese citizen from central China. In 2020, he read about mass detentions and other human rights abuses against Uyghurs in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang, and he decided to go see for himself. The video he put on social media in 2021 provided valuable confirmation of widespread human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which the US government said amounted to genocide that very same year. Now, Guan is in ICE detention, facing the possibility of being deported to Uganda. Human rights advocates say this would put Guan in grave danger and that his case for asylum is a textbook example of why the US created this pathway to citizenship in the first place. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

In Denmark, there seems to be a porridge for every occasion. A quintessential part of the local Christmas diet is a rice porridge called risengrod. The dish hearkens back to a time when rice was a luxury in the Scandinavian country, says restaurateur Lasse Andersen. Last Christmas, Andersen took The World's Joshua Coe behind the counter at one of his porridge bars in Copenhagen to show him how to cook this Danish classic.This story originally aired on Dec. 23, 2024.