The World: Latest Stories

People stood in line for hours on Sunday at Ueno zoo in Tokyo to say farewell to Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, two pandas set to return to China amid strained relations between Japan and China. Their departure leaves Japan without any pandas for the first time since 1972. The World's Marco Werman has more.

The Outer Hebrides, off the north-west of Scotland, are a remote, beautiful and sometimes awe-inspiring place. Also known as the Western Isles, they're the UK's last bastion of old-fashioned Christian Sunday observance, with strictures against working, shopping and even leisure activities on the Sabbath. But ... things are changing. DW's Richard Baynes sent us this report from Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis and Harris.

Analysts are calling it China's biggest military purge in roughly half a century: President Xi Jinping has placed his second-in-command, China's top general, under investigation. Shanshan Mei, who specializes in Chinese defense policy at RAND, talks with The World's Marco Werman about the extent of the ongoing purge and what it tells us about the stability of Xi's regime.

During World War II, Japanese-Americans were dubbed "enemy aliens" - even if they fought for their country. Today, seven Japanese American soldiers are being promoted to officer ranks in a solemn ceremony, eight decades after they died fighting for the US. Host Marco Werman has details.

After the fall of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, the reaction in South Florida - home to the largest Venezuelan community in the US - is complicated. In Doral, celebrations have been mixed with uncertainty about what comes next for the country, how much control Donald Trump intends to exert, and who should lead a transition. Many who came to the US legally through the Temporary Protected Status program also fear being sent back to a country in transition. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

Guinea-Bissau's minister of health announced Thursday that the country was halting a controversial Danish-led, US-funded trial of a hepatitis B vaccine. The West African country says there are ethical concerns with the study and that the pause is a matter of sovereignty. The World's Marco Werman learns more about the controversy from Boghuma Titanji (MD), an expert in infectious diseases at Emory University's School of Medicine.

Host Marco Werman shares updates on a few international news stories that The World has been following.

A groundbreaking Australian play has come to New York for a few weeks. It's called The Visitors and it tells an important piece of Australian history from an Aboriginal perspective. A council of tribal leaders is called in when a fleet of ships appears in what is now Sydney Harbor in 1788. "The Visitors" is written by an Aboriginal playwright, and the cast and crew are also Aboriginal. Jeff Lunden reports from New York City.

Tennis player Naomi Osaka has been a standout this week at the Australian Open - both for her play and for her outfits. Host Marco Werman explains.

Acclaimed Iranian film director Jafar Panahi's latest thriller, "It Was Just an Accident," was just nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Early last month, Tehran charged Panahi with creating propaganda against the government and sentenced him to a year in prison in absentia. Panahi spoke with The World's Marco Werman shortly after those charges were announced about the risks he takes and his latest movie that explores guilt, blame, and moral ambiguity.This segment originally aired on Dec. 4, 2025.

About half a million Syrians living in Turkey have returned to Syria - just one in five. Although aid groups estimate many more will follow, it's a difficult decision, and many are wary of Syria's new leader and struggling economy. Reporter Durrie Bouscaren visited Istanbul's now largely emptied 'Little Syria' neighborhood to see how people are answering the question of whether they should stay or go.

A stretched polar vortex is bringing severe winter storm conditions to half the continental US, and is causing temperatures to plummet across even more of the northern hemisphere. The World's Marco Werman speaks with winter weather expert and scientist Judah Cohen about how the warming Arctic is tied to this weather event.

Funding for the US Agency for International Development was among the first to be cut by the Trump administration, with the president mocking some of the programs it supported. One of them was $60 million for "indigenous empowerment" in Colombia. Reporter Natalie Skowlund looks at what the loss of funding means for the rural villages of Colombia - and the drugs coming into the US.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday to appeal for support. The country is in the midst of a bitter winter war of attrition that has seen devastating Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure. To learn more about the current trajectory of the fighting, The World's Marco Werman speaks to military analyst Michael Kofman at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

A new analysis from the United Nations University finds that the world is in a state of "water bankruptcy," with nearly half the world's population experiencing severe water scarcity for at least a month each year. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Kaveh Madani, director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, about what water bankruptcy looks like and whether it's truly a new phenomenon.

In Iran, some families are still searching morgues to find their loved ones. Among those who have been able to find them, some say they have been intimidated and threatened by security forces not to hold funerals. With the communications restrictions still in place, there is a delay for those outside the country trying to find out who among their friends and relatives has died.

When Lalin St Juste lost her grandmother, she lost a relative who'd come to the US from Haiti. That created a stronger need than ever to connect with Haiti itself. In this episode of Movement with Meklit Hadero, we hear about the musician's journey to reclaim her spiritual, political and musical roots.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek is on a decadeslong project to walk from East Africa to South America. In his 13 years on the road so far, he's been stopped by law enforcement 120 times. Those encounters range from friendly stops to detentions, and everything in between. He has even been logging those stops on an online map. He joins Host Carolyn Beeler to talk about that map and share stories about his walk-ins with the law.

One week ago, Uganda's longtime president, Yoweri Museveni, was declared the winner of a disputed election. The country's leading opposition figure, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, went into hiding shortly after the vote count was released. Reached at an undisclosed location, Wine told The World's Marco Werman he believes Museveni's landslide" victory was fabricated" and that his own situation is "risky."

A court sentence, for the man who shot and killed Japan's former prime minister. Wildfires in Chile. And in Russia, on the far-eastern peninsula of Kamchatka: The heaviest snowfall in a half-century. Host Carolyn Beeler gives a lightning-round recap of global headlines.

News of a violent government crackdown on widespread anti-government protests in Iran has ricocheted across the globe, but firsthand accounts from Iranians inside the country have been hard to access. But just across the border, in Turkey, Iranians fleeing - and coming home - share their stories. Fariba Nawa brings us this report.

This week, Guatemala declared a state of emergency after gang members rioted inside the country's prisons. The violence spread, escalating with coordinated attacks on law enforcement in the streets of the capital. For more on the situation, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Guatemalan journalist Claudia Mendez, editor of the radio show ConCriterio, who joined the show from Guatemala City.

Two train crashes this week in Spain have left at least 43 people dead and hundreds injured. Both accidents appear to have been caused by faulty infrastructure. Spain takes pride in its train network, but now passengers are worried the system isn't being properly maintained. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Gelida, Spain.

Immigration has seen one of the most radical policy shifts of US President Donald Trump's second term. Krish O'Mara Vignarajah of the resettlement agency Global Refuge joins Host Carolyn Beeler to discuss the wide-ranging impacts of the past year's changes, and a larger philosophical shift from immigration policy based on humanitarian goals to immigration policy based on exclusion.

An encounter between a Western cellist and Wulu Bunun singers in Taiwan led to an album of singular beauty. Host Carolyn shares the story.

The world's largest nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, reopened today, starting up its 1.36 gigawatt reactor No. 6. That's one of seven reactors at the plant, which were all switched off after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

A Nokia mobile phone was once the must-have gadget of choice. But, with the advent of smartphones, the Finnish communications giant became a case-study in how a market leading brand can suddenly crash and burn if it fails to keep up with technological innovation. Today, however, Nokia is back as a global leader in radio and mobile communication technology. Deutsche Welle, DW's, Lars Bevanger reports that the Finnish company has pivoted toward defense.

Host Carolyn Beeler continues her discussion with David Rennie, geopolitics editor at The Economist, about how the past year has transformed global economic realities. It's been a roller coaster ride since President Donald Trump began his second term in office. Terms like weaponized tariffs" and trade bazooka" suggest we're clearly in new territory.

One year on, US President Donald Trump's second term has rattled the global economy. Terms like weaponized tariffs" and trade bazooka" suggest we're clearly in new territory. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with David Rennie, geopolitics editor at The Economist, about how the past year has transformed global economic realities.

Despite an agreed upon ceasefire, clashes broke out this weekend between the Syrian military and the Kurdish-led SDF militia in the north. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with historian Amr Al-Azm about where things stand - and what could happen if ongoing talks break down.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says the British capital is one of the safest major cities in the Western world, pointing to new police figures showing homicide rates have fallen to their lowest level in a decade. The claim clashes sharply with criticism from his political opponents and from US President Donald Trump, who have portrayed London as a crime-ridden city. Campaigners argue the latest numbers don't tell the full story. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

A love note, a gladiatorial combat scene, a barrage of insults and everyday confessions have emerged on a wall in Pompeii. New imaging technology has revealed nearly 80 previously unseen inscriptions. After being covered in volcanic ash for 1,700 years, the site was rediscovered in the 18th century, and is now one of the world's most significant archaeological sites from the Roman Empire.

Auroras can be seen at both the northern and southern poles right now as the Earth experiences a "solar storm." The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learns more from astrophysicist Ryan French about the good and bad of the solar weather event.

In Venezuela, politics may dominate the headlines, but for most people, the daily reality is about making ends meet. Once one of Latin America's wealthiest countries, Venezuela now faces soaring prices, shrinking wages and a middle class that has largely vanished. From Caracas, The World looks at how families and highly trained professionals are coping.

Romanian conservationists are celebrating a rare moose sighting. The group Rewilding Romania shared a Facebook video of the creature prancing through a field. The sighting represents a promising sign for biodiversity in the region. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

President Donald Trump keeps insisting that the US "needs" to take over Greenland, which is controlled by Denmark. On Saturday, Trump said he was ready to impose new tariffs on eight European countries over their support for Denmark. Meanwhile, there were big protests in both Denmark and Greenland, denouncing US threats to seize the territory. The World's Joshua Coe is based in the Danish city of Aarhus.

She was once called "the most dangerous woman in Africa." But Andree Blouin described herself as an African woman "inflamed by injustice" on a mission to free her continent from colonial rule. She was born in French Equatorial Africa, abandoned at the age of three, escaped an arranged marriage at 15 and became politically active after French officials denied her son medication for malaria, leading to his death. Host Marco Werman speaks with Eve Blouin, the revolutionary's daughter, about her mother.This story originally aired on Jan. 28, 2025.

Julio Iglesias, the 82-year-old crooner who's sold more than 300 million records over his long career, could soon take center stage in a Spanish courtroom. Two former employees from the Dominican Republic say Iglesias trafficked them to his Caribbean estates, over-worked them and sexually abused one. Iglesias denies the charges. Spanish prosecutors are still weighing whether to charge him, but the scandal at home is already full-blown. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Berlin has become a hot spot for dark humor, courtesy of Eastern Europeans who've come to the German capital to make a better life. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and a bleak economy, stand-up comics are turning hard times into comedy gold. Alexa Dvorson reports from Berlin.This story originally aired on April 19, 2023.

Martin Luther King Jr. spent a month traveling through India in 1959 to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was one of King's biggest influences, and King was well known in India as an American disciple of Gandhi's teachings. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Meghan Weaver from the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, who tells us more about King's historic "pilgrimage."

Hip-hop is a global force. But it doesn't always go over well with local governments. In Egypt, authorities have tried to suppress it. But the raw power of the music may be unstoppable. Yasmine el Rashidi, author of "Laughter in the Dark: Egypt to the Tune of Change," tells Host Marco Werman how young Egyptians are pushing hip-hop to the limit.This story originally aired on July 14, 2023.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered in the US for his leadership on civil rights, but that legacy extends to other countries, as well. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have more on King's universal message.This story originally aired on Jan. 20, 2025.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion, many Ukrainian songs have become symbols of defiance and resilience in the face difficult circumstances. Aside from the national anthem, though, one song has stood out as representing Ukrainian sovereignty and perseverance. It's called "Oi u luzi chervona kalyna" or "Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow." Reporter Daniel Ofman has more.This story originally aired on Nov. 29th, 2022.

Fights between rival players and rival fans were just part of the craziness on Sunday at the final match of the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament. Senegal's coach took his players off the pitch after an especially bad call. A goal was called back and a penalty kick "humiliatingly" missed. Host Carolyn Beeler has all the details.

Food entrepreneur Ruby Chan tells the story of the sauce that launched her career. After growing up in her parents' Chinese restaurant, she wanted a desk job more than anything - and she got it. But an epiphany as a working mom sent her back to a recipe from her dad's kitchen. She explained it all as part of GBH's live storytelling program, Stories From The Stage.

Over the past few weeks, southern Australia has braced itself against severe fire conditions. Several major fires are still burning in Victoria. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with fire chief Chris Hardman about what lessons his team has learned from past fires, and the psychological toll the job takes on first responders.

Mhlama is a hearty, cheesy, buttery fondue meal served up for breakfast in Turkey. Farmers who needed a high-calorie infusion first thing in the morning invented the meal, and it's so heavy that you may not eat anything the rest of the day. It's now a staple of the region around the Black Sea. Reporter Fariba Nawa and her daughters went looking for the perfect mhlama in Istanbul.

The question of how to stop the spread of infectious diseases has been ongoing for decades, but came into sharp focus when COVID-19 gripped the globe in 2020. One way to slow diseases is by improving diagnostic tests, and making them more accessible, so that people can know earlier if they have something like tuberculosis in its early stages. As Chhavi Sachdev reports from Mumbai, India, new TB tests there could be a game changer.

In the first two weeks of the new year, 22 people were killed in the eastern state of Jharkhand, India, by a rogue, one-tusked elephant. Forest department officials are working to capture the elephant before it strikes again. Villagers are terrified of leaving their homes at night. The attacks also come at a time of growing human-elephant conflict across India. From Mumbai, journalist Namrata Kolachalam explains the ongoing challenges of living among elephants.

With votes tallied from about 50% of polling places, incumbent President Yoweri Museveni is projected to win reelection in Uganda. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Ebenezer Obadare from the Council on Foreign Relations about what this means for Ugandans.