The World: Latest Stories

In 1977, David Holden, the chief foreign correspondent for The Sunday Times in the UK, went to Egypt to cover peace talks with Israel. He was murdered shortly after arrival. Preliminary investigation showed he was the victim of a sophisticated operation. Peter Gillman, a former reporter for the Sunday Times, has been investigating ever since, and talks about his reporting partner and his mission to put the mystery of Holden's death to rest in their new findings.

Today marks five years since the World Health Organization made a big announcement - about COVID-19. The first Western country to go on lockdown was Italy. The whole experience of facing this mysterious new disease so early on took a real toll on Italians. Film producer Francesco Frisari was based in Rome at the time, and he remembers it vividly, as he shared with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler.

A new Scottish tartan has been designed to honor the thousands of individuals - mostly women - who were executed between 1563 and 1736 under Scotland's Witchcraft Act. The Witches of Scotland tartan is part of a campaign to recognize what advocates call one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in the nation's history. Host Marco Werman speaks with Claire Mitchell, a lawyer and co-founder of the Witches of Scotland campaign.

A small group of San Diego residents have created patrols in the Linda Vista neighborhood to keep watch for suspicious vehicles. They're not cops or private investigators. They're activists with Union del Barrio, a locally based immigrant rights group, looking for any signs that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is trying to arrest their neighbors. Gustavo Solis reports from KPBS in San Diego.

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. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for an attack on a train in Pakistan. The separatist group has been fighting a violent insurgency for decades. But this attack - with more than 400 hostages thought to be involved - is unprecedented. The World's Matthew Bell has more.

La Paz, Bolivia, depends its public transportation. There are 10 lines and more than 26 stations. But this is no metro. It's the longest cable car system in the world - and it's also the highest. The system opened in 2014. Michael Fox recently took a ride and reported on how the cable cars have transformed public transportation in Bolivia's administrative capital.

Athol Fugard worked with Black actors to create plays about life under apartheid in South Africa, often drawing from small personal moments, then telescoping them into wider observations of society. Daniel Galloway, the former manager of the Fugard theater in Cape Town, talks about Fugard's work and approach, and recollects his time with Fugard.

Today, a cargo ship ran into a tanker that was carrying fuel for the US military. All crew members survived, but one has been hospitalized. Potential environmental damage is still being assessed, though scientists say the impact might be less severe than it would have been had the tanker been carrying crude oil. The World's Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have the story.

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

Suitcase Stories is an 8-year-old program in the Boston area, meant to give immigrants a chance to share their journeys with a larger community. But recently, three foreign-born storytellers scheduled to perform canceled their appearances. Given President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration, they decided that participating would not be safe. Phillip Martin reports from GBH in Boston.

Canada's new leader, Mark Carney, has led the central banks of two separate countries through financial crises. As prime minister of Canada, he'll be putting his fiscal policy bona fides to the test as the country prepares for a trade war with the US, Canada's most important trade partner. The World's Host Marco Werman learned more from Tari Ajadi, a political scientist at McGill University. He joined the show from Montreal.

Over the weekend, residents of Brisbane, Australia, were bracing for the impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred. The storm was downgraded to a tropical low, and made landfall in the city on Saturday. It was the first storm of its kind in the area in 51 years. The city is further south of where tropical cyclones typically hit, and scientists say climate change is playing a role in increasing extreme weather events around the world. In Brisbane, Leila Goldstein takes a look at how the city is recovering after the storm.

She convinced US President Donald Trump to delay tariffs twice, and Trump recently praised her as a marvelous woman". Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum is one of the few world leaders who have been able to deal constructively with Trump. From Mexico City, The World's Tibisay Zea reports on how people are reacting to that distinction at home.

Extreme-right candidate Calin Georgescu stunned many in Romania when he won the first round of a presidential vote in November. This weekend, he was barred from participating in May's presidential vote redo, sparking clashes between his supporters and police. Oana Popescu-Zamfir, director of Bucharest's Global Focus Center, discusses the implications with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is estimating that approximately a thousand people have been killed in major violence in Syria's coastal region. The violence began after an attack on government forces left more than a dozen soldiers dead late last week. Since then, members of Syria's Alawiite community have been attacked and killed in the ongoing violence. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Joshua Landis, a professor of Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, about the background to the violence.

One of four women in Nigeria's 109-member Senate has been suspended, after accusing the Senate's president of sexually harassing her. Host Carol Hills puts this development in context, in conversation with Adefemi Akinsanya, an international correspondent and anchor at Arise News in Lagos.

A project called Phoenix of Gaza XR" uses virtual reality for something more than entertainment. The artists behind it are using the technology to recreate their beloved Gaza. Kate Dellis of GBH in Boston has the story.

An innovative maternal health intervention program in Tanzania has been improving outcomes for mothers and newborns. Host Carol Hills speaks with Dr. Benjamin Kamala, Principal Investigator for the Safer Births Bundle of Care project, about the program's successes in reducing rates of maternal and newborn mortality in the country, as well as takeaways for better serving families through pregnancy, birth, and infancy.

The movie "The Brutalist," shot in Hungary, won three academy awards at the Oscars earlier this week. The country is a big draw for US production companies with its striking landscapes and significant tax breaks. But for Hungary's own filmmakers, making movies there can be challenging. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Syria's new government is clashing with former soldiers and supporters of the recently deposed Assad regime. And the fighting is escalating. Some fear the fighting could lead to more sectarian tension. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Sarah Dadouch, a journalist with the Financial Times, about what's driving this.

Late last year, China broke its own record for the world's fastest train, clocking in at 281 miles per hour. But in Japan, testing is underway for another type of train - one that levitates and can top 300 miles per hour. As The World's transportation correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports, this isn't just a competition. It could revolutionize the future of travel.

Denmark's postal service just announced that it will cease to accept letters after this year. The amount of letters sent through the mail dropped rapidly in the country over the past two decades. In a highly digitized society like Denmark, the email and apps like Facebook are the go-to for bills and season's greetings.

For years, the US has been presented as Russia's No. 1 enemy. Russian state TV is obsessed with finding external enemies and bashing them. But with recent reversals in US foreign policy vis a vis Russia, Ukraine, and Europe, Kremlin-controlled media is striking a different tone. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

Two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on Thursday on a populated area during an exercise with the US near the North Korean border. Six civilians and two soldiers were injured. The South Korean Air Force apologized, saying the bombs fell outside of a firing range by accident during a live-fire exercise.

After their plans to seek asylum in the US were crushed, thousands of Venezuelan migrants across Central America and Mexico decided to backtrack and return to their native country. From Mexico City, The World's Tibisay Zea reports on what is driving the phenomenon, as well as the conditions that will greet these migrants when they land in Venezuela.

Syria's new government is reportedly working with Russia as it rebuilds. It's a surprising turn of events because Russia formerly allied itself with the Assad regime, which the current government toppled. Natasha Hall is a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She joined The World's Marco Werman to discuss this complex relationship.

Some flights are now crossing over Afghanistan to avoid potential safety risks of flying over other nearby countries. According to a story published Thursday by Reuters, airlines must therefore navigate sanctions to pay the Taliban for access the country's airspace. Host Carolyn Beeler discussed the implications with Joanna Plucinska who covers airlines and travel in Europe for Reuters and joined the show from London.

Archaeologists have announced a discovery that puts the first use of bone tools back 1.5 million years. The finding included nearly 30 knives carved by the human ancestor Homo erectus in Tanzania. Host Marco Werman speaks with the lead archaeologist on the team behind the discovery, Ignacio de la Torre. He's a professor in archaeology for the Spanish National Research Council in Madrid.

Only an estimated 100,000 speak the Judeo-Spanish language known as Ladino, once common among Sephardic Jews throughout the Mediterranean. One millennial songwriter is on a quest to save Ladino to honor her Moroccan grandmother. Nani Vazana tells us her story.

According to a widely accepted model for happiness across our lifespan, people's happiness rises early on, reaching a peak around age 30. It then declines in midlife before rising again. The model's been around since 2008, with supporting evidence from studies conducted throughout the globe since the 1970s. But researchers have been witnessing a troubling shift that could upend this model. They're seeing rising unhappiness for 18-25 year-olds in six English-speaking countries. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

The show everyone's talking about right now is "The White Lotus," on HBO. It's all about Americans behaving badly in tropical locales, and the third season is set in Thailand. The series is stacked with American celebrities. It's also catapulted a 77-year-old Thai actress to global fame. And as she explained to The World's Patrick Winn, when first asked to take the job, she almost turned down the role of a lifetime.

Israel has blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, citing Hamas' rejection of a new proposal to extend the ceasefire. Hamas has expressed reservations about the plan because it does not include a commitment from Israel to end the war or fully withdraw its troops. Humanitarian groups warn that cutting off aid now could sabotage the progress made in Gaza during the 44 days of ceasefire. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

Cooperation, respect and strategic interdependence have long characterized the US-Canada relationship. Now, in a matter of weeks, that mutual friendliness has been jeopardized by a trade war and increasing threats from President Donald Trump about annexing Canada. So says Lori Turnbull, a professor of political science at Dalhousie University.

The Arab League, a high-level body of Arab states, met in Cairo on Tuesday to agree to a new Egyptian-backed plan for Gaza's recovery and reconstruction. The proposal would keep Palestinians in Gaza throughout the reconstruction, unlike President Donald Trump's recent proposal to remove Palestinians from the territory. Host Marco Werman speaks with Fawaz Gerges, a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, to get the details of the plan and its significance in the face of Israeli rejection.

Late last year, Russian lawmakers passed a bill banning "child-free propaganda," with fines up to $50,000 for anyone promoting a lifestyle that doesn't include having kids. Meanwhile, schools have been promoting the benefits of having children, online access to information about women's health has been disappearing, and doctors have been under increasing pressure to rein in prescriptions for birth control. It's all part of a campaign to cement traditional Russian values. Reporter Levi Bridges explains.

The American investment company BlackRock has signed a deal to buy ports on the Panama Canal from a company in Hong Kong. This comes after weeks of President Donald Trump claiming, without evidence, that China operated the vital trade waterway. Carolyn Beeler discusses the significance of the ports changing hands with Andrew Thomas, author of "The Canal of Panama and Globalization: Growth and Challenges in the 21st Century."

A 900-pound dolphin launched itself into a small fishing boat Friday, turning a routine outing into a chaotic and memorable day for three New Zealanders. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Over the weekend, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, announced it would uphold a ceasefire requested by their leader, who remains imprisoned in Turkey. The World's Durrie Bouscaren takes look back at the past 40 years of a PKK insurgency, and a look forward - to consider what might happen next.

Deputy Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Christos Triantopoulos has resigned. Host Marco Werman has the story.

Astronomers are sounding the alarm about the impact of a planned renewable energy plant in Chile's Atacama desert. The area is home to some of the most-advanced observatories on Earth because of the unmatched darkness of the night sky. The concern is that light pollution from the proposed plant will compromise the research capacity of those telescopes. Carolyn Beeler speaks with Luis Chavarria, a Chilean astronomer and former representative to the European Southern Observatory. That's the multi-nation group that operates the telescope most likely to be compromised.

Iraq's population now stands at 46 million people following a nationwide census that was held in November of 2024. The census, the first in 40 years, has been billed as a success by Iraq's government. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Hamzeh Hadad, a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, to get the highlights from the census data.

When you take a snooze on an airplane, you have to put a certain amount of faith in the belief that your stuff will still be there when you wake up. But a spate of in-flight thefts in East Asia and Southeast Asia has experts warning travelers to take nothing for granted. The World's transportation correspondent, Jeremy Siegel, has the story.

President Donald Trump has imposed new tariffs on the United States' top three trading partners: Canada, Mexico and China. The response from China came almost immediately. This, as China's political leaders meet in Beijing to set the country's agenda for the next year, in what's known as "The Two Sessions." Host Marco Werman speaks with Taiwan-based journalist William Yang about the economic relationship between China and the US at a major crossroads.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman quickly take us through what we need to know about news stories of the day from Egypt, Australia, and Serbia.

Sudan is the world's leading exporter of gum arabic, which comes from hardened acacia tree resin. It's a necessary ingredient for lots of household items and food products. But the RSF, which the US says is responsible for genocide in Darfur, controls areas key to the production of this widely used material. Mohammed Salih is a gum arabic importer in Sweden who explains how he's forced to contend with these problems.

The decision by President Donald Trump to pause military aid to Ukraine has reverberated across Europe, and not just because European nations must now fill the billion-dollar void created by the withdrawal of US support. Some in the bloc are now questioning the very future of the 80-year trans-Atlantic relationship that's guided global conflict resolution since the mid-20th century. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry has more.

Scotland's Flow Country looks from a distance like a vast expanse of dull, wet brown vegetation - not the kind of view that tourists typically find enticing. But it's become a real attraction since being declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. DW's Richard Baynes has been delving into the strange and wonderful world of Europe's biggest peat bogs, and he brings us the story.

In the north African country of Tunisia, it's common for Muslims to pray at the shrines of saints. One shrine in Tunis is devoted to a female saint, which is rare. Lilia Blaise takes us there for a glimpse of what the shrine means to the women who visit. The story is part of The World's "Sacred Spaces" series, taking us to places where people find spiritual meaning and connection across the globe.

Launching a career is a major hurtle for immigrants whose professional credentials come from institutions and certification processes unfamiliar in the US. GBH's Trajan Warren brings us the story of efforts to help hundreds of thousands of people in Massachusetts start - or restart - their careers.