The World: Latest Stories

The US and Russia carried out a prisoner swap earlier today, resulting in the release of US citizen Ksenia Karelina. This is the second prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington in less than two months. The World's Daniel Ofman shares insights into the geopolitical backdrop for this development with Host Marco Werman.

An earthquake devastated Myanmar, leaving thousands dead. Nearly two weeks later, rescue operations have concluded, but the need for aid remains overwhelming. As The World's Patrick Winn reports, not enough is getting through as the military government blocks relief.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has traveled - on foot - through 21 countries, in a walk that's taken eleven years so far. Traveling at a human speed has given him glimpses of things people easily miss when traveling by plane, rail, or car. Salopek tells Host Marco Werman about some astonishing places that only a walker would discover.

Uganda is known for bananas. The tropical fruit grows there, and it's also a major culinary staple in the country. But banana growers in Uganda struggle to make a living, because of a bumper crop - there can be so many bananas that their monetary value plunges. That has Ugandan entrepreneurs seeking out uses for bananas beyond the culinary. Anita Elash visited some of the factories and farms trying to make a go of new banana products.

The podcast "Things That Go Boom" tells the tale of one man in Europe who helped gun-rights advocates get around firearms restrictions on their continent by circulating instructions for printing 3D guns. Host Laicie Heely brings us this story, with reporting from British journalist Lizzie Dearen.

Representatives from 60 American businesses are in Iraq this week, courtesy of the US Chamber of Commerce. The war-torn country is hoping this large delegation is a sign that American companies have gotten serious about investing in Iraq. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Abbas Kadhim, who directs the Iraq Initiative at the Atlantic Council, about the likelihood that foreign investors will address Iraqis' greatest needs.

Three officials in Iran have been fired after deploying an emergency helicopter to dry out a soccer field flooded with rain. Their idea DID work, though. The field was dry in time for the game. The World's Marco Werman has the details.

Late last year ,authorities in Jamaica updated the geographical indicator designation for Jamaican rum, barring products that are aged overseas from receiving the label. Now, National Rums of Jamaica - which owns two of the country's six distilleries - is challenging that regulation. The World's Carolyn Beeler spoke with intellectual property expert Enrico Bonadio at City University of London about the benefits of geographical indicators like the ones up for debate, and the role of rum in Jamaican history and culture.

President Donald Trump has ordered a 90-day pause on his sweeping new tariffs, with one exception: the massive levies on goods from China. Beijing has retaliated against the increase, imposing 84% tariffs on US goods beginning Thursday. The World's Carolyn Beeler talks with Evan Medeiros, director of Asian studies at Georgetown University about who will blink first in the high-stakes global game of chicken.

Rescuers in the Dominican Republic are digging through rubble, looking for survivors, after a tragedy at a nightclub. The Jet Set music club in Santo Domingo was packed when the entire roof caved in, shortly before 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning. More than 120 people died. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

Dissent, in the form of activism or journalism, is stifled in Cambodia. But artists there are finding subtle ways to tackle controversial topics, from environmental devastation to rapid urbanization. Reporter Leila Goldstein recently visited a growing new art complex in the city of Siem Riep that's giving artists space to display bold work that conveys their unique visions.

We have some fancy news today that you might have missed. Our stories look at a Belgian prince, queen bees and a Brazilian judge living under an assumed aristocratic name for decades. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

The Trump Administration's Africa adviser says the US is working on a deal that would would give American companies more control of critical mineral assets in Democratic Republic of Congo. That would be in exchange for more support to the government in Kinshasa. Host Marco Werman speaks with Jason Stearns, the founder of the Congo Research Group at NYU.

Greenhouse gas emissions hit record highs last year. That's in part because extreme heat drove up demand for electricity to power air conditioning, particularly in China and India. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have more.

A recent UK survey found that 72% of teenagers want more relevant and rigorous climate change education. Now, Sussex University is answering that call with a new degree called Climate Justice, Sustainability and Development." The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

In March, the Arctic is typically more frozen over than at any other time of year. But this year, the region had a record low amount of sea ice cover in March. That's according to new data from Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler discusses those findings and what it means for people living in the Arctic with Twila Moon, a scientist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado.

If you're in Germany, the current season is Spargelzeit, or "asparagus time." That's when the beloved white asparagus is harvested. White asparagus has a taste - and agricultural pedigree - distinct from the more familiar green variety. Michael Bruckmann runs a restaurant at Winkelmanns Spargelhof Klaistdow, a farm in Beelitz, Germany.

Last month, Israeli forces fired on a convoy of ambulances and emergency workers in southern Gaza, killing 15 people. One worker in the convoy remains missing. The Palestinian Red Crescent says the attack constitutes a full-fledged war crime." The health care and social services organization is urging an international investigation into the incident. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

Kenyans may be known for their running prowess, but a new sport is on the move there: basketball. The NBA and International Basketball Federation created a top-tier professional league in Africa six years ago, and this is the first season that a Kenyan team has made it into that league. Briana Duggan has the story from Nairobi.

This year, the Miss Ivory Coast national beauty pageant announced a new rule: Contestants are no longer allowed to wear wigs during the competition. Instead, the winner will need to have a natural hair style. While Ivory Coast's pageant is the first in Africa to prohibit wigs, it's a discussion happening across West Africa about beauty standards. Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Rena Ogwanighie, a fashion and beauty writer for the online magazine Marie Claire Nigeria, who joined the show from Lagos, Nigeria.

When British Bengali musician Tara Lily stopped along the shores in Goa, India, the sound of the ocean reconnected Lily to her father and Indian ancestors. A similar feeling happened when she traveled north to Mumbai. Both places influenced the writing on her debut album "Speak in the Dark." Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler tell us more.

Heavy US tariffs against most nations on Earth kick in Tuesday at midnight. Few will take a beating as hard as Cambodia. Nearly one-third of the country's economy is generated by selling goods to Americans, mostly cheap clothing, and they'll soon suffer a 49% tariff. As The World's Patrick Winn reports, Cambodians are confused by President Donald Trump's claim that Cambodia - one of the poorest countries in Asia - is ripping off the US and making a "fortune."

Doctors Without Borders reports that of 82,000 primary care visits in Gaza, 1/5 of them are for illnesses caused by a lack of access to clean water. The amount of water available to each Palestinian in Gaza, on average, is also shrinking toward dangerously low levels. Israeli authorities' blockade of fuel and electricity is a major factor, as they assert that some of those resources could be used by Hamas.

The US State Department has revoked the visas for South Sudanese nationals. The move comes with the sub-Saharan country on the brink of a renewed civil war. Rebecca Hamilton, the executive editor of Just Security and a professor of law at American University, discusses the implications with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler.

With massive budget cuts in scientific research in the US, a lot of American scientists are looking overseas to continue their investigations. Europe is on their radar, because universities and governments across the continent are creating space for them and offering competitive salaries. Some say this could be the start of a massive scientific brain-drain for the US. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Marseille, France.

Once upon a time, American films didn't get much traction in communist China. But the blockbuster hit "Titanic" changed everything in 1997. Since then, Hollywood's fortunes in the Chinese market have been tied to fluctuations in the US-China political relationship. Host Marco Werman gets the history and current status of Hollywood in China from Jane Perlez, host of the podcast "Face-Off: the US vs. China."

Yesterday, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals scored his 895th career goal. That put the 39-year-old superstar captain ahead of the former record holder, Wayne Gretzky, who congratulated him in a ceremony on the ice, along with a host of other top echelon athletes. Today, he was also congratulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The World's Daniel Ofman reports that what's often missed is Ovechkin's pro-Kremlin politics.

This week, someone transformed a line from the 2009 Lady Gag hit, "Bad Romance," from "I don't want to be friends" to "I don't want to be French." And then they set it free on TIkTok. Millions of mostly Europeans have copied the meme, with videos poking fun at the French, many of whom have not found it amusing. Their own, pro-France memes have now gone viral too. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Paris.

A new investigation by the New Arab news outlet has revealed that Maltese hunters travel as far as Egypt to hunt migratory birds commonly found in the EU. Often these birds, like the Maltese falcon, are illegal to kill in the EU due to regulations and wildlife laws. Host Carol Hills speaks with Mahmoud Elsobky, an investigative journalist with The New Arab, about this illegal hunting activity.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Carol Hills catch you up on headlines in the news you may have missed.

A new trend is taking over social media. Users use Chat GPT Pro to render selfies, portraits, memes - whatever - in the style of Hayao Miyazaki, the artistic genius behind movies like "Spirited Away" and "My Neighbor Totoro." India's Prime Minisher Nahendra Modi, Donald Trump, and Elon Musk have gotten in on it, using the feature to create propaganda images. Others have used it on violent or dark images like the murder of George Floyd. The World's Sarah Birnbaum explains.

At NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday, foreign ministers from across the alliance wrapped up meetings about their collective defense. One of the subjects at the top of the agenda was the war in Ukraine. Some leaders, like UK Foreign Minister David Lammy, accused Russian President Vladimir Putin for dragging his feet in peace negotiations. The World's Daniel Ofman speaks with host Carol Hills about the current state of negotiations between the US, Russia and Ukraine.

Irish writers punch well above their weight when it comes to literary awards. The small country of just 5 million people has had four Nobel literature laureates and six Booker prize winners. But now, some of its most-celebrated authors are facing a battle they never expected - against artificial intelligence and the company at the center of the storm - is tech giant Meta. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

In northern Ghana, families are reeling from a deadly meningitis outbreak. The disease spreads fast, striking without warning-one day, a loved one has a fever; the next, they're gone. Hospitals are struggling to keep up, and fear is growing as more people fall ill. The usual vaccines aren't working, and doctors are up against a dangerous strain they can't easily stop. From Ghana's upper west region, Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman reports. This story was produced with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

As the world braces for the impact of US tariffs, Brazil is hoping its strong economic ties with China will keep its export economy humming. The World's Carolyn Beeler spoke to Oliver Stuenkel, a political analyst at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a Brazilian university. He's currently a visiting scholar at the Harvard Kennedy School and joins the show from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

March Madness is down to the Final Four teams on both the men's and women's sides, and many athletes on the remaining rosters are international students. The World's Bianca Hillier shares a few of their journeys to the States, and how they're playing in the NCAA tournament.

A large crowd of protesters erupted in cheers when the announcement came from South Korea's Constitutional Court. All eight of the judges on the court agreed that Yoon Suk-yeol had violated the basic principles of a democratic state" and would be removed from office immediately. The country remains deeply divided politically. South Koreans will now vote for a new president in 60 days. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

The Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang that President Donald Trump is targeting in his latest wave of deportations, formed in a Venezuelan prison and quickly became a transnational criminal organization with operations across the Americas. The World's Tibisay Zea looks at the history and impact of this gang in Venezuela, the US, and beyond.

Last week, the Sudanese Armed Forces forced the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces out of Khartoum. The once busy capital was the setting for a brutal stalemate between both sides. Hamid Khalafallah is a former nonresident fellow for the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy and a PhD candidate at the University of Manchester. He speaks with host Marco Werman about what's been lost in the fighting over the capital.

Back in January, a massive chunk of ice the size of Chicago broke off from an ice sheet on Antarctica's coast. Exploring the waters this oversized block of ice once covered, scientists found - to their surprise - an abundance of life that was living in the waters that were once beneath that ice. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Patricia Esquete who was with the first team of researchers to study this area of the seafloor. Esquete is a deep sea ecologist at the University of Aveiro in Portugal.

President Donald Trump's tariffs will apply to more than 100 trading partners, but the 34% tariff on Chinese goods is especially high. It comes on top of the 20% tariff he already imposed on Beijing in recent months. Marco Werman speaks with David Steinberg, associate professor of international political economy at Johns Hopkins, about the impact of the tariffs on China, what options the manufacturing giant has to respond, and the expected ripple effects across other Asian countries.

Sometimes, memories of travel - even years after visiting a place - can transport us there, simply through mental snapshots. That's exactly what producer Fil Corbitt captured one particular evening in Cuzco, Peru.

The wide-ranging tariffs President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday are designed to project strength, raise revenue for tax cuts and revive US manufacturing. But skeptics say the tariffs will pull the rug out from under a global trade system that - despite its flaws - managed to deliver prosperity for many global players for decades. Host Marco Werman discusses the implications with Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, an international consulting firm.

After India and the US, Indonesia is the largest democracy on Earth. The country also has a dark history of military rule that only ended in the late 1990s through a mass uprising in the streets. A new law is putting more of the military back into government. As The World's Patrick Winn reports, some fear this pushes Indonesia in the wrong direction.

Israel launched a number of aerial attacks on Syria late Wednesday night. The largest attack came in the southern Syrian city of Nawa, where 10 Syrians were killed. Israel also carried out attacks on a major airbase and a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) in Damascus. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Qutaiba Idilbi, a Syrian political analyst and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, to dive deeper into Israel's intentions and how the new authorities in Damascus are responding.

A new release out this spring from Liberian-American singer-songwriter Mon Rovia focuses on his journey to finding empathy from grief, and making peace with the fact that he escaped Liberia's civil war as a child, while much of his family remained behind. He shares his story with musician Meklit Hadero for her project, "Movement."

The ceasefire which had halted fighting between Israel and Hamas for two months seems long ago and far away. On Wednesday, Israel announced a major expansion of its military advance in Gaza, vowing to seize "large areas" of land and displace residents. From Jerusalem, journalist Noga Tarnopolsky discusses the implications with host Carolyn Beeler.

President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Iranian officials offering to hold talks about Iran's nuclear program. Iran responded by saying it is willing to negotiate indirectly with the US. The two longtime adversaries have come together in the past to agree on a nuclear deal but Trump walked away from it in 2018.

Parisians have voted to close traffic on hundreds of streets in the city center and open them up to pedestrians, cyclists and new green spaces. The plan is part of Socialist Party Mayor Anne Hidalgo's sweeping effort to transform Paris into the city's most-bikable city. Transportation advocates are celebrating the changes, but tension is growing between cyclists and drivers. The World's transportation correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports.

A new decree in Italy is putting a damper on people of Italian descent seeking the dolce vita life. The decree, issued by the country's foreign ministry, is banning people with Italian great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents from seeking Italian citizenship. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Samantha Wilson, CEO of Smart Move Italy, about the reaction from her clientele who continue to seek Italian citizenship, and what's behind this move.