The World: Latest Stories

The current writer's strike in the United States jeopardizing content creation for streaming services might, in fact, help international film and television productions fill the gap and reach global audiences.

For most of the world, silent films died out in the 1930s. But in Brussels, Belgium, the only remaining cinema in the world with a regular schedule of silent films, along with live piano accompaniment, is thriving.

Many Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have lost limbs and need to be fitted with prosthetics. A group of soldiers in New York City is receiving treatment, and they're already thinking about what their lives will look like when they return home.

In an interview with Recorded Future News' podcast "Click Here," Hartman says the cooperation between the US and foreign partners like Ukraine has become important in the effort to deter Russia's cyber operations.

Last week, mercenaries from the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, seized a major Russian city. Fighters eventually stopped their march toward Moscow, but the mutiny put Putin's leadership - and the military -into question.

The World's Planet Hip Hop" series takes us to France, where hip-hop is second only to the US in terms of popularity and influence. Samuel Lamontagne, co-leader of the UCLA Hip Hop Initiative, explains the power of hip-hop and its evolution in France.

In a nationwide address in the 1970s, President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse to be public enemy No. 1" and stepped up efforts to shut down the global trade. Much of the initial efforts of the DEA were focused on Southeast Asia where US troops in Vietnam were using heroin.

Although the movement began within political parties, it's since spread to many other sectors of society such as entertainment and academia. And in some cases, there's even been a backlash.

The latest installment of The World's "Planet Hip Hop" series takes us to Argentina, where trap music has a huge following. From their bedrooms, aspiring artists remix their favorite trap songs and record music of their own.

Colombia's president awarded medals to members of the search party that found the four Indigenous children in one of the world's toughest terrains.

People in Senegal are getting ready for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast ofthe Sacrifice. Families around the world will slaughter an animal, like a sheep or goat, to commemorate the willingness of the Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, in obedience to God. And as people choose what to wear, tailors are cramming to complete their outfit orders in time.

Maia Ernst and her mom escaped Dnipro under heavy shelling in a car occupied by dogs -her own and a few rescues. For the moment, they're living about an hour outside Belgrade, the Serbian capital, where Ernst has taken in a couple more dogs.

The mayor's move renews focus on Tijuana's security situation and the state of Mexican democracy.

Surrogacy is banned in Italy, but the government of Giorgia Meloni is now trying to go further: outlawing the practice of having babies through surrogacy abroad. This will likely have an outsized impact on members of the LGBTQ community, which many believe is the point.

Russian attacks on Ukraine's power stations knocked out more than half of the country's capacity to generate electricity last fall and winter. The widespread blackouts are over for now, but the new focus on energy security is raising prospects for a speedier transition to renewable energy as Ukraine rebuilds.

In El Salvador, thousands of people have been imprisoned over the past 15 months, including dozens of international visitors, as the government tries to stop gang violence through a law known as the state of exception."

Senegal is often seen as a model of political stability in West Africa. But that could be changing. President Macky Sall has upset people with the suggestion that he may run for a third term next year, defying the Constitution, and young people are increasingly frustrated by a lack of opportunities. Recent protests turned deadly, and most victims were under the age of 30.

Brazilian immigrant Jose Jube told The World about finding opportunities in the US.

Modi will hold bilateral talks with Biden and address a joint session of Congress, followed by a lavish dinner reception at the White House. The US and India have long enjoyed warm relations, but this visit is particularly momentous.

Incumbent President Julius Maada Bio will face off against against main contender Samura Kamara on June 24. As the country prepares for this crucial election, voters are looking at issues like economic stagnation, corruption and national security.

An Indigenous woman in Bolivia has earned international recognition for her work in the production, transformation and commercialization of canahua, a resilient crop and nutritious grain with the potential to reach international markets.

US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns was in the room this week when Secretary of State Antony Blinken sat down with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Amb. Burns spoke with The World's Marco Werman about Taiwan, Ukraine and why US and Chinese military leaders have stopped talking to one another.

When the Afghan government fell to the Taliban in 2021, hundreds of students continued their education in Kyrgyzstan. As some students begin to graduate, many are hoping to relocate to the United States.

About a dozen Russian game developers have wound up in the quiet city of Subotica, on the border of Serbia and Hungary, to start over after fleeing Russia. Some left after facing arrest for aiding Ukraine, while others wanted to avoid getting drafted.

Georgia's beloved Borjomi mineral water can be found anywhere from Kyiv to Kazakhstan. But Russia's war in Ukraine has hurt the company's bottom line.

Ukraine's counteroffensive appears to be off to a good start, even though it's early days.

Yingyi Ma, who teaches sociology at Syracuse University and has written extensively about Chinese students' experiences in the US, and Tianrui Huang, a senior at the University of California San Diego studying philosophy and economics,discuss the challenges of studying in the US with The World's host Marco Werman.

In India, artists are using hip-hop to stand up to one of the world's oldest forms of discrimination: caste. In recent years, a new wave of Dalit artists is wielding some of the same musical elements that Black artists began channeling decades ago to call out prejudice and injustice.

Exchange programs allow students to move freely between universities across the European Union, while paying local tuition fees - which, in some cases, can be free. The Bologna Process has united university degrees across the continent under a common set of quality assurance controls and recognition standards.

An hourlong, education-focused special on The World delves into issues around language, borders and cost.

Thousands of students attending US colleges and universities actually reside in Mexico. The World's Marco Werman speaks to teacher Joanna Esser and Tijuana student Carlos Tenorio from Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California, about what it's like to cross borders daily for education.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is classified as a Hispanic-serving institution where some bilingual courses are offered. The World's host Marco Werman speaks with astronomy professor Juan Madrid about teaching his classes in both Spanish and English and what it means for the students.

Language has always been at the heart of the Catalan people's campaign for independence. And the regional government is once again demanding that university professors teach their courses in Catalan. But does the Catalan-language law further the nationalist cause, or leave the region more isolated? Professors are already rebelling.

Migrants from many countries were previously able to cross the US border on foot and turn themselves in to officials to begin asylum proceedings. But since May 12, it's become much harder, and those turned down are banned from re-entering the US for the next five years. Many are now trying to secure appointments through a US government app, but spaces are limited.

Ukrainian authorities say at least 19,000 children have been transferred to Russia from occupied territories during the war. Some Ukrainian families have taken matters into their own hands, taking risky trips to Russia to try to bring their children back home.

In 2020, a deadly blast at Beirut port destroyed the much-beloved Sursock Museum. Parts of the 20th-century building's architecture, reflecting both Venetian and Ottoman stylistic elements, were damaged, along with 57 works of art. Now, almost three years later, the museum has reopened.

Music festivals are ever-expanding enterprises, adding new locations and dates, even if they're repeating the same line-up.

Those planning a Caribbean trip this summer better check the sargassum forecast. This seaweed has been growing in excessive amounts in the Caribbean since 2011, and now growing in Mexico and parts of Florida, as well. Earlier this year, scientists detected a record bloom.

“The Kerala Story” is a fictionalized film that has sparked debate in India. It's about Hindu women being tricked into joining ISIS. The filmmakers say they are uncovering a hidden truth, while others say the film is exaggerated and divisive.

​​​​​​​In 1989, the Ukrainian punk rock band Vopli Vidopliassova released an album called “Tantsi” or “Dances.” In 2019, the original session tape was rediscovered, and in 2023, Tantsi was finally officially released.

​​​​​​​Last December, in yet another blow to women’s rights in Afghanistan, the Taliban announced a ban on women working for nongovernmental organizations. Thousands of women lost their jobs overnight. The months since have been some of the most difficult for the women NGO workers.

Brazil ranks third in the world for the most social media usage, following India and Indonesia. Now, a controversial, 3-year-old bill is weaving its way through Congress. It could regulate social media platforms in the same way as TV and radio. The “Fake News Bill” has staunch supporters, but some also accuse it of being a form of censorship.

US consumers have plenty of reasons to snap up electric vehicles. They are helping the US meet its climate goals, and new owners may qualify for a tax credit. But some of their old cars end up on roads across Africa. These vehicles provide vital transportation in poor countries, but they also cause pollution and are unsafe.

Authorities managed to avoid a worst-case scenario at the holiest site in Jerusalem during the overlapping religious holidays of Easter, Passover and Ramadan that ended a few weeks ago. Now, things are returning to normal at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

For many Ukrainians and Russians who’ve fled their homes since the war started, returning is not an option. So, they’re beginning again in new places and confronting new challenges. As part of our ongoing series on starting over, we visit Cazilhac, a tiny village in southwest France, where a humanitarian bus brought dozens of Ukrainian families to safety around a year ago. Today, just three of them remain.

After Afghanistan fell to the Taliban almost two years ago in August, tens of thousands of Afghans made their way to the United States. They were allowed to stay under a program called “humanitarian parole.” But that status expires in a couple of months, and although they can renew one time, many are calling for Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow them to seek more permanent status.

​​​​​​​Russia's long persecuted ethnic minorities — Buryats, Chechens and Yakuts — have seized on the war in Ukraine to make a case for the independence of their own regions. They say the conflict has laid bare Russia's violent and imperial mentality, not just in Eastern Europe, but within its own borders.

Over the weekend, President Joe Biden announced that the US will support a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots. Administration officials also said that the US will allow its allies to supply Ukraine with advanced fighter jets, including US-made F-16s. The battle for air superiority in Ukraine has been ongoing since Russia's invasion, and now, Ukraine hopes that F-16s can help them counteract Russia's advantages.

The people who collect garbage for recycling organized among themselves to change how they are paid and how they are treated. Today, waste pickers are officially recognized as part of the municipal waste system.

Meanwhile, the ongoing fighting in Sudan continues to make it difficult for aid to get into the country, leaving many children at risk of starvation.