The World: Latest Stories

In many parts of Latin America, evangelical churches have grown at a feverish pace. In tiny Ecuador, for one, evangelical churches are booming. Not only are parishioners flocking to services, but these churches are helping to preserve a culture, as Michael Fox reports from Quito, Ecuador.

A number of scholars and experts say they have never been more concerned about the state of international law. Powerful countries like the US have threatened and imposed sanctions on institutions like the International Criminal Court. The United Nations Security Council has been paralyzed by veto power of its members for more than a decade. Meanwhile, atrocities like the ones in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan continue unabated. The World's Shirin Jaafari has been speaking to lawyers and scholars who say as bleak as this moment seems, all hope is not lost.

When cybercafes first came around in the 1990s, they were places full of computers for accessing the internet in an era before smartphones. But in Japan, they've evolved into third spaces where customers can watch movies, read or just enjoy some solitude. They even have tiny beds that can be rented by the hour or overnight. National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek stayed in one, and tells Host Carolyn Beeler all about it.

Upwards of 150 million lives have been saved by global vaccination drives since the mid-1970s. But now, vaccine rates are stalling and, in some places, they're in decline. Professor Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development says that's in part due to the export from the US of anti-vaccine hesitancy. Dr. Hotez speaks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about how and why the US anti-vaccine movement has gone global.

Japan's elections on Sunday saw the country's ruling Liberal Democratic Party lose its longstanding majority, while a far-right nationalist party - founded on YouTube - gained ground. With an an anti-immigrant, "Japanese People First" platform, Sanseito gained 14 seats in the country's legislature. To learn more, Host Marco Werman spoke to Jeffrey Hall. He's a lecturer in Japanese politics at Kanda University of International Studies just outside Tokyo.

China began construction this weekend on what is expected to be the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. The project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet is controversial, as it could disrupt a protected nature reserve. India has also raised concerns that the dam would reduce the water flowing into northeastern India and Bangladesh. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Professor Scott Moore from the University of Pennsylvania about the water politics surrounding the project.

A cheeky ad campaign in New Zealand is trying to destigmatize herpes, a virus that affects 67% of the population. Celebrity Kiwis joke that they want their country to be the best place in the world to have herpes. Health officials say the campaign has been a roaring success with New Zealand residents, and it's won a prestigious award at this year's Cannes Lions awards, which recognize excellence in the creative industry. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

Climate change comes with a financial cost. So does figuring out how to address it. In this excerpt of DW's Living Planet series, The World's Host Marco Werman and DW's Sam Baker unpack how economic mechanisms in Canada are being used to bring down carbon emissions.

Kazakhstan has one of the world's largest Uyghur populations, estimated at around 300,000 people, and they've lived freely there for centuries. This is compared to the community of Uyghurs in nearby Xinjiang, just a few hours drive to the east in China. Levi Bridges has the story from Kazakhstan's capital, Almaty.

An Irish man, Ken Hopkins, was known as "the accordion man" - a moniker that reflected his status among squeezebox aficionados. That's because his life was defined by the instrument - as a player, collector and repairman. At the time of his death last year, he had the largest-known private collection of accordions. Now, his children have brought those instruments to the auction block. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman explain.

Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade wrapped up the first leg of her US tour at a time when Latino immigrant communities face growing political pressure. Her song, "Hasta La Raiz," became an unexpected anthem during pro-immigrant protests in Los Angeles. In an interview with The World's Reporter Tibisay Zea, she reflects on that moment, the fears she carried on tour and her new album, "Cancionera" - a project rooted in tradition, resilience and turning 40.

Earlier this year, an independent book shop just outside the Danish capital Copenhagen received five big boxes of books. There was just one problem: The books were supposed to go to Nairobi in Kenya. Isabella Mousavizadeh Smith, the owner of the store Books and Company told The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that she decided to keep them, and offer a unique window into the kinds of books people a continent away are reading.

More than 15 years after their last performance together, Britpop legends Oasis have reunited with the band playing to packed-out stadiums in their hometown of Manchester this week. But thousands of fans are being priced out. Tickets have soared thanks to scalpers, known in the UK as touts, who've snapped them up and resold them at sky-high prices. Now, the British government says it's planning new laws to curb the practice. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

It's part sport, part art, part political statement. A US-based arts collective called InDecline stages soccer games around the world where the ball is a life-like replica of the head of some controversial world leader. - from Mexico and Brazil to Germany and Spain. The World's Gerry Hadden went to InDecline's latest match outside the small Spanish town of Moia, where players kicked a replica of the late dictator General Francisco Franco's head, marking the 50th anniversary of his death.

Riccardo Baldini, an Italian concert pianist living in Canada, was paralyzed from the waist down six years ago when a cluster of blood vessels burst. He could still play the keys, but he also needed to work the pedals. So, he's created a new system that he calls "Resonate," which allows him to play the pedals with his mouth. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler has more details.

Felix Baumgartner rose to fame in 2012 after becoming the first person to skydive through the stratosphere, breaking the sound barrier with nothing but his body. Yesterday, he died in a paragliding incident in Italy. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with sports psychologist Odette Hornby about what drives extreme athletes to the edges of their sports when the consequences can be so high.

When you call a 1-800 number, you'll often end up speaking to someone in the Philippines. Call centers are a huge part of the country's economy, employing more than a million people. In recent years, Filipino call center workers have heard predictions - that artificial intelligence could wipe out their industry. But for now, AI is having a different effect. It's driving them mad as The World's Patrick Winn has found out.

Musician Brother Ali became known in the early 2000s for his hard-hitting critique of racism and inequality in the US. Two decades later, the white rapper has moved to Turkey on a spiritual journey as a Muslim. He's still producing music but he says his political views are making it harder for him to get his music out there. Reporter Fariba Nawa sat down with the American rapper in Istanbul.

In an archive in London, writer Elizabeth Lovatt came across a logbook used in the 1990s by volunteers of a London-based helpline called the Lesbian Line. It was run out of a UK charity called London Friend, which is still operational today. Lovatt has now written about the stories told in the logbook in her book, "Thank You For Calling the Lesbian Line." The World's Bianca Hillier spoke with Lovatt to learn more.

A conference this week in Colombia brought together 30 members of Global South countries to discuss concrete steps they can take to force Israel to stop its attacks on the Gaza Strip. Colombia's president has basically argued that Israel is breaking international law, and that if Israel can get away with bombing and starving the Palestinians, then small countries around the world will also be at risk of being attacked by more powerful countries with impunity. Manuel Rueda reports from Bogota.

Afghanistan's forests have been decimated over the past few decades by wars and illegal logging. Now, the Taliban says it wants to preserve them by combatting illegal logging. The group has started a "Green Force," which it says will confiscate smuggled timber and arrest offenders. But experts are skeptical about the Taliban's motivation and the efficacy of the force, as The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

In 1932, as the Nazis were securing power in Germany through the ballot box, a young German man by the name of Raimund Pretzel wrote the draft of a novel centered on a young couple worried about their country changing for the worse. Now known by his pen name, Sebastian Haffner went on to flee Germany and became an outspoken critic of Hitler and the Nazis and that early novel, "Abschied," or "Parting," was published in German earlier this year. It's now flying off the shelves in Germany. The World's Host Marco Werman spoke with Oliver Pretzel, who is currently translating the book into English. He's Haffner's son and is based in the UK.

Most people know of the few main blood types: A, B, O, AB - plus or negative - but scientists have identified dozens of others. Most recently, a team of French researchers discovered a 48th blood type. A woman from Guadeloupe is the only known person with Gwada-Negative, making it not only the newest, but also the rarest, blood group in the world. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Martin Olsson. He's a professor of transfusion medicine at Lund University in Sweden.

A small farm town in southeast Spain has seen three nights of rioting over the last few days. It started after a group of young Moroccans allegedly assaulted an elderly man on his morning walk. News of the attack spread quickly on online extremist platforms, and hundreds of protestors descended on Torre Pacheco, to "hunt immigrants." The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

Kenyan runner Ruth Chepng'etich has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned diuretic on March 14, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced today. Chepng'etich shattered the marathon world record last October by running a 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon. Now, her case is likely headed to a Disciplinary Tribunal and she could face a two-year ban. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have more.

It was called a Marshall Plan" to stop the spread of HIV in Africa. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief - or PEPFAR - was launched by a Republican, President George W. Bush, in 2003. Now, although some funding remains for the program, many of PEPFAR's prevention and support services have stalled, as Dr. Atul Gawande, who led global health at USAID, explains to The World's Host Marco Werman.

A fire at a newly opened mall in Kut, Iraq, killed more than 60 people, including women and children, Iraqi officials said Thursday. As Host Carolyn Beeler explains, the five-story building had just opened a week earlier.

Fauja Singh, known as the world's oldest marathoner, died in his hometown in India recently in a hit-and-run incident. The Londoner had been a beloved figure in the city's running community, becoming an Olympic torchbearer in 2012 and founding the running club Sikhs in the City. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Harmander Singh, his coach and friend, about his memory.

Britain's government says if 16- and 17-year-olds are mature enough to work and pay taxes, they're old enough to vote. So, the UK is lowering its voting age to 16 in time for the next general election. Other countries that have made the move haven't seen dramatic changes in voting patterns. The University of Edinburgh's Jan Eichhorn has looked at global trends and discusses his findings with The World's Host Marco Werman.

Affirmative action is often viewed negatively today in the United States. But Brazil is still moving full speed ahead. Those involved say it has been a huge success. Brazil implemented affirmative action policies at federal universities in 2012. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva increased quotas for jobs in the public sector to 30% for Black and Indigenous peoples. Mike Fox has this report from Rio de Janeiro.

New Zealand implemented new rules in April that effectively make it easier than ever for wealthy foreigners to gain permanent residency in the country through what's known as "golden visas." Some people view this as a crucial tool for the small county to bring in more capital, while others remain skeptical that the plan will work. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

More than 100 people have been evacuated from Grindavik, Iceland, including the Blue Lagoon, due to a new volcanic eruption in the area. This is the ninth eruption since 2023, which prior to that point, had been dormant for centuries. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with volcanologist David McGarvie from Lancaster University about what's happening.

Here are some stories that you may not have seen, including why Australian teens are giving up their vapes, a man in England sentenced to jail for cutting down a famous Sycamore tree and why a woman and her daughters were living in a cave in India. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the details.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Beijing, China, this week to reset relations after years of tension with the regional power. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks to William Yang, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, about the strategy and wider implications.

Hungry bread beetles have infested about a quarter of a 400,000-volume collection significant to the history of Hungary. Established in 996 AD, the Archabbey of Pannonhalma in Western Hungary is one of the oldest historic places in the country and its library hosts documents of historic significance to the country dating just as far back. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Mate Vincze, Hungary's deputy state secretary for public collections and cultural development, who has been monitoring the situation.

Sweden was the first country in Europe to print paper money over 350 years ago. But for the past decade or more, it's been leading the charge to get rid of cash altogether. Not everyone is on board though. Critics say going digital leaves the vulnerable behind, and with cyberattacks surging, even Swedish lawmakers are now having second thoughts. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Israeli airstrikes hit a military compound and targets near the Syrian presidential palace this morning. Israeli officials called it an effort to protect Syria's minority Druze community. Ruth Michaelson, an Istanbul-based journalist, tells The World's Host Marco Werman that the strikes have created a crisis for Syria's transitional government, which had pledged to support the rights of ethnic and religious minorities.

Thousands of Cuban doctors work abroad under state-run medical missions. While Cuba calls it solidarity, critics call it forced labor. As the OAS investigates and the US imposes visa bans, The World hears from doctors who left the program, and others who are still in it.

Carlos Hernandez, a Honduran school teacher, and Kurt Ver Beek, an American sociologist, moved with their families to one of the toughest neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa. When the two decided to take on the barrio's violent street gangs, the men found themselves wading into ethical dilemmas. Journalist Ross Halperin joins The World's Host Marco Werman to discuss their story and the new book, "Bear Witness: The Pursuit of Justice in a Violent Land."

US President Trump has threatened "very severe tariffs" on Russia if a peace deal with Ukraine isn't reached within 50 days. He's also agreed to a plan to funnel military aid to Ukraine through NATO. These moves don't appear to worry the Kremlin, though, as Yaroslav Trofimov of The Wall Street Journal explains to The World's Host Marco Werman.

The Sultanate of Oman will institute a personal income tax beginning in 2028. It's part of a government effort to diversify the country's economy and reduce its reliance on fossil fuel revenues. The World's Host Marco Werman spoke with Monica Malik, chief economist at Abu Dhabi Commercial bank, about the significance of the move and what it could mean for the region.

King Charles III is, among many of his royal titles, the Seigneur of the Swans. He has the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan in the country. But with great power comes great responsibility - that of keeping track of them. That's why the King's Swan Marker, David Barber, is charged with counting all of the swans on the River Thames every summer. That census is underway this week. Host Marco Werman explains the history behind this tradition, and why it's also known as "swan upping."

A mosaic panel on travertine stone slabs, depicting an erotic theme from the Roman era, was returned to the archaeological park of Pompeii in Italy on Tuesday. It was originally stolen by a Nazi German captain during World War II. The artwork was repatriated from Germany through diplomatic channels. The World's Host Marco Werman has more.

A preliminary probe into last month's deadly Air India crash points to the plane's fuel switches as a possible reason the Boeing 737 plunged into a nearby medical school less than a minute after take off. As The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports, Indian authorities are now calling for airlines to inspect Boeing jets for any fuel switch issues.

Nowadays, the Netherlands is seen as one of the most secular countries in the world, with about 6 in 10 people there identifying as non-religious. That number has only increased in recent years and church attendance among Christian denominations has long been in decline. But as the World's Joshua Coe found out, young Christians in the low country are finding a higher power online - and outside some of the traditional notions of church community.

Customs agents at the Cologne Bonn Airport in Germany revealed today that what appeared to be a shipment of chocolate cake mix, was in fact a package containing 1,500 tarantulas being smuggled from Vietnam. The young spiders were in plastic vials, and many did not survive the trip. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary left the International Space Station on their SpaceX capsule today. It was the first time in more than 40 years any of the three countries sent astronauts of their own into orbit. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler has the story.

From tennis to soccer and beyond, athletes around the world won big this weekend. Host Carolyn Beeler gets all the latest from The World's Bianca Hillier.

In Italy right now, flocks of flamingoes are messing with fields, where the rice used for risotto is grown. The flamingos use their webbed feet to dig up algae, insects and other tasty treats.

US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte today made a much-anticipated announcement, saying the United States would not give weapons to Ukraine; it would sell Ukraine US made arms. This is a reversal from Trump's former statements, which suggested he would not transfer any weapons to Ukraine. Host Carolyn Beeler explains.