The World: Latest Stories

New data from the World Meteorological Organization finds the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica is continuing to heal. It's expected to likely close entirely by mid-century. This success story can be directly linked the the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement that phased out the chemicals causing the ozone's depletion. The World's Host Marco Werman spoke with professor of political science Pamela Chasek about the legacy of the Montreal Protocol.

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

Universities are grappling with their biggest challenges in years. Financial and enrollment pressures are mounting, and some economists even warn of a coming recession for colleges. GBH's Kirk Carapezza reports that at places like Clark University in Worcester, MA, the squeeze is already leading to big changes.

Schools around the world are implementing various kinds of cellphone bans in classrooms. A new study takes a look at how that impacts grades. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

Israel's strike on the Hamas political leadership in Qatar last week has raised alarms in Gulf capitals. The countries are questioning US protection and what guarantees exist if such actions happen with or without US warning. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

Somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million French people took to the streets across the country today, protesting against cuts in social services meant to balance the federal budget. But a different approach to getting out of the red has some protestors excited: It's a 2% tax on France's wealthiest, nicknamed the "Zucman Tax" after progressive economist Gabriel Zucman who first floated the idea. But a wealth tax would be a tough pill to swallow for France's conservative President Emmanuel Macron. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Perpignan, France.

US President Donald Trump wrapped up his historic state visit to the United Kingdom today with a joint news conference at the British prime minister's country retreat. Keir Starmer told reporters that he and Trump discussed some major international crises in a private one-on-one conversation earlier today. But the two leaders did not present anything ambitious in terms of new solutions for Gaza, Ukraine or global migration. On those questions, Trump and Starmer simply agreed to disagree on some key details. The World's Matthew Bell has the latest.

The Chinese love their durian, a thorny fruit with fanatical fans. In the Western imagination, durian is often exoticized as the world's most repugnant food. For China's upper-middle class, durians are the new truffles, or bourbon. As Patrick Winn reports, China now imports about $7 billion worth of durian, mostly from Thailand - proving to be a mixed blessing for the country.

At a far-right demonstration in London over the weekend, protesters draped themselves in the English flag, the St. George's Cross. The flag has, over time, been claimed as a symbol of the far-right, despite criticism from politicians and other activists. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with historian Camilla Schofield about the impact of national flags becoming political symbols and the rise of this symbolism in countries around the world.

Hermeto Pascoal, an iconic Brazilian musician and composer, died last week. Pascoal created sound and harmony from anything: soda bottles filled with water and even a baby pig. So, why not a reporter's questions? Co-hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the story.

Pan con chicharron, the Peruvian breakfast sandwich that graces many special occasions, has been crowned the best breakfast in the world, according to tens of millions of voters on social media. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain how the pork rind specialty won the World Breakfast Cup.

A new 72-page UN report released this week finds there are reasonable grounds to conclude that since the start of its war with Hamas in 2023 Israel has committed four of the five genocidal acts as defined under international law. William Schabas, professor of international law at Middlesex University in London, discusses the findings with Host Marco Werman.

The world's tallest bridge - over Huajiang Grand Canyon in China - is set to open later this month. It recently passed a key load-bearing test that involved a team of 96 truck drivers. As The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports, the project was completed in record time.

Shell and Exxon Mobil are suing the Dutch government over the closure of a major gas field in Groningen, and over payouts to residents for damages tied to extraction. The suit is possible under a complicated international framework known as Investor-State Dispute Settlements. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with policy expert Lukas Schaugg about how these disputes work and their increasing use in attempts to delay and dissuade climate litigation.

Until recently, the vehicles cruising around major Southeast Asian cities were brands most anyone around the world would recognize. Lots of Toyotas and Hyundais. A smattering of Fords. The occasional Tesla. But about two years ago, everything changed. From Jakarta to Bangkok, totally unknown brands - with unheard of features - appeared almost overnight. Patrick Winn reports from Bangkok on the massive influx of Chinese electric vehicles.

Gambling the world over brings with it the risk of addiction. That's generally because of the excitement of a big payday. But when the payday is relatively small and there are no bells and whistles to get your blood pumping, people tend to keep themselves more in check. That's what Norway has experienced. And it's one way to help prevent problem gambling. Karen Brown, from New England Public Media, reports.

Google, Microsoft and Nvidia are among the US technology giants announcing tens of billions of dollars in new investments for the United Kingdom. The most ambitious plan is from Microsoft, which has announced a four-year, $30 billion investment, the company's biggest yet outside of the US. American tech leaders say these moves will help make the UK an "AI superpower," boost the country's struggling economy and create thousands of new jobs for Britain. But one global economy expert says these projections might be a bit overblown. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

Lithuania is training children as young as 10 years old in the use of drones as part of a new initiative by the country's Ministry of Defense. Drone warfare has been a crucial innovation since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and as a neighbor of Russia, Lithuania feels compelled to strengthen its defense capabilities. Deputy Defense Minister Tomas Godliauskas tells Host Carolyn Beeler that the training is an important aspect of Lithuania's ability to bolster resilience among civilians.

Kim Chinh grew up in the United States, with one parent from Buffalo, New York - and another from a village in Vietnam. She never thought of herself as biracial. In fact, she didn't think of herself as Vietnamese at all. Chinh joined Stories from the Stage out of GBH in Boston to tell the story of what she'd been avoiding, in that identity, and what changed for her when she finally traveled to Vietnam.

A landmark election five years ago boosted hopes for democracy in Malawi. The country's Supreme Court found evidence of fraud and ordered a historic rerun. Fresh elections put an opposition candidate in power. But today, as voters again head to the polls, corruption and lack of accountability are again major campaign issues. Boniface Dulani of Malawi's Institute of Public Opinion and Research joins The World's Host Marco Werman to discuss why.

India hosted US officials for trade talks today, restoring hope after bilateral trade negotiations collapsed over the Trump administration's steep tariffs on India. The government in New Delhi said the negotiations were "positive." Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have the details.

Today marks 50 years since Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia. With its rugged, mountainous geography, over a thousand distinct ethnic groups and almost as many languages, the young democracy has its share of obstacles to forging a national identity. But as Patrick Kaiku told the World's Host Marco Werman, the idea of direct democracy is familiar to Papuans based on traditional ways of life in the Oceanic country. Kaiku is Director for Policy and Legal Division at the Registry of Political Parties in Papua New Guinea.

There are no reliable statistics on the number of people who have lost the ability to speak their native language. But it is likely a growing number, given the rise in global migration and the disappearance of many minority languages. But once you've lost your first language, is relearning it a realistic goal? Patrick Cox brought us the story of a woman who learned Czech growing up, moved to Canada, lost her ability to use the language but then decided to re-learn Czech as an adult.This story originally aired in 2022.

Tiny Easedale, Scotland, is the proud host of the annual World Stone Skimming Championships. This year, the so-called "toss master" heard rumors of unauthorized rocks in the competition. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Israel unleashed a new military offensive on Gaza City today. After weeks of airstrikes, Israeli ground troops started advancing, with the country's defense minister, Israel Katz, declaring that, "Gaza is burning." Palestinian health officials said more than 20 people were killed today and dozens more were injured. European officials condemned the Israeli offensive, saying it would mean more civilian deaths and make an already dire humanitarian situation even worse. The World's Aaron Schachter has more.

The US military has sunk another Venezuelan boat in the Caribbean, killing three people. President Donald Trump says the vessels are tied to drug cartels, but has offered no evidence. Caracas calls the strikes aggression; Washington insists they're defense. Amid the saber-rattling, many Venezuelans say they're too consumed by economic survival to think about war. Others fear confrontation - or hope foreign pressure might finally weaken Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's grip on power. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.Journalist Isabel Guerrero contributed to this report from Caracas, Venezuela.

Iran has agreed to let international inspectors back into the country, after cutting access in June when Israel attacked its facilities. According to the new agreement, inspectors will be allowed back in to assess damage done by US strikes, and to check in on Iran's nuclear program. However, it's all contingent on the US coming back to the negotiating table, and cooperation from Europe.

The Initial Teaching Alphabet was an initiative in the UK in the 1960s and '70s that was intended to make reading more intuitive for young students. It had almost double the number of letters as the standard ABCs. But many students never successfully transitioned away from it, and have lifelong problems with spelling as a result. Dominic Wyse, a professor at the Institute of Education at University College London, tells Host Marco Werman how the ITA came about and why it failed.

The notoriously tough La Vuelta race has 21 grueling stages, made tougher this year by groups of pro-Palestinian protestors trying to stop an Israeli team for taking part. Six stages were disrupted or canceled, including the final stage and the dash to the finish line. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has praised the protestors, but many are unhappy - including race organizers. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Thousands of spectators lined the streets of Vienna over the weekend as tram drivers from 25 different countries competed in eight different challenges. They ranged from the simple (smoothly stopping and accelerating) to the creative (tram curling and tram bowling). In the end, Austria took home gold on home turf. The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports.

Syria is set to hold its first parliamentary elections since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad, starting today. It's a major step towards a new system being led by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa right now. Critics say the current setup isn't inclusive enough, but instead gives the president too much control, while leaving some religious minorities underrepresented. The World's Shirin Jaafari explains.

In 1881, King David Kalkaua of Hawaii embarked on a nine-month world tour. He met US President Chester A. Arthur, had tea with Queen Victoria in England and opened dialogue with China, Japan and Portugal. Douglas Askman is a professor of history at Hawaii Pacific University. He's studied King Kalkaua's global diplomacy tour of 1881 and speaks to Host Marco Werman.

With global demand for waterbomber planes on the rise, Canadian company De Havilland is ramping up production of its next generation waterbomber plane. This thing can scoop up water - say from a nearby lake - and drop it on wildfires. Paul Petersen is the executive director of the United Aerial Firefighters Association, and he tells Host Carolyn Beeler about the capabilities of this new generation of waterbombers.

There's an old saying: "It's a marathon, not a sprint." But sometimes a marathon turns into a sprint. That's what has happened at both the women's and men's marathons at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo over the weekend. Both races came down to the wire. The World's Sports Reporter Bianca Hillier breaks it down.

A new global treaty brokered by the World Trade Organization aims to address overfishing worldwide. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler talks with Callum Roberts, a professor of marine conservation at the University of Exeter, about what's in the treaty and what it could accomplish.

According World Athletics - the global governing body for track and field - the presence or absence of the SRY gene is a reliable proxy for determining biological sex. A new policy requiring that competitors in the female category undergo testing for the gene is being implemented ahead of the World Athletic Championships, starting tomorrow in Tokyo. Supporters say the new policy guarantees fairness. Critics say it's unethical and unscientific. This is part of a long history of sex-testing in elite women's sports. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

Beginning today, Russia and Belarus are holding military drills they call "Zapad," meaning "West." These drills are nothing new, but the last time they happened, in 2022, Moscow sent troops into Ukraine. Poland, Latvia and Lithuania all share a border with Belarus. As DW's Lisa Louis reports from the Lithuanian border, tensions are running high in all three countries once again.

It's been the worst forest fire season in Spain's history. But in the center of the country stands Europe's largest pine forest, unscathed. At first glance, it's hard to understand why the 100,000 hectares (about 247,000 acres) around Burgos haven't gone up in flames. It's hot and dry there too, with no rain. The answer: The Draw of Pines, an ancient system of local forest stewardship. Now, that tradition the risk of irrelevance, as society changes. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Soria, Spain.

We've been keeping an eye on British singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka since 2012, when he released his debut album, "Home Again." He's now out with his fourth record, "Small Changes." Host Carolyn Beeler brings us a listen, while sharing a little bit of Kiwanuka's background growing up as a child of Ugandan parents living in exile.

Tube operators are back to work today after a five-day strike over pay and hours for the city's subway system. The stoppage caused mayhem on London's streets, with thousands of people opting to rent e-bikes to get to work. But the dramatic influx of traffic overwhelmed bike lanes, and brought busy streets to a standstill.

Brazil's Supreme Court has sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 election loss. It's the first time a Brazilian president has been criminally convicted for trying to subvert democracy. The ruling has divided the country and raised tensions with the United States. The World's Tibisay Zea reports on what the verdict means for Brazilians.

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama has just introduced a new member of his cabinet: Diella, an AI-powered chatbot. Rama has hailed it as the world's first AI-generated minister, claiming that getting humans out of the picture might help fix corruption. Amy Kokalari researches digitalization and AI in the Western Balkans. She spoke to The World's Host Carolyn Beeler from the Albanian capital Tirana.

Underwater recordings made more than 50 years ago captured the sounds produced by humpback whales, for communication. But the mechanism by which they vocalize has only recently been researched and understood. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Magnus Wahlberg, of the Southern University of Denmark. He is part of the research team that figured out how the whales make their songs.This story originally aired on Feb. 22, 2024.

Tokyo's trains are known for three things: They're punctual. They're packed. And they're quiet. But for the next month, the quiet of one of the city's subway lines will be shattered, and it will be known for something - or, rather, someone - entirely different: Ed Sheeran. The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel explains.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman bring us two stories of animals making mischief.

Researchers working in Canada have trialed technology to thicken Arctic sea ice. They pump seawater out from under the ice, then let that water freeze into a layer up top. That extra thickness slows down the melting process in the summer. As part of our Big Fix series, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Andrea Ceccolini, CEO of Real Ice, about whether his company's climate solution is effective and scalable.

Last week, a government commission in Peru voted to nix plans for a vast 3 million acre conservation reserve in the Amazon that would have protected uncontacted peoples there. Peru is among the countries with the most uncontacted tribes. Activists warn that similar protection plans could be on the chopping block in the future. The World's Host Marco Werman spoke to John Reid, who has co-authored a series about uncontacted and isolated tribes, co-published by The Guardian and Brazilian newspaper O Globo. He's an environmental economist and joins the show from Occidental, California.

Negros Tou Moria, or Black Morris, as he's known in English, is from Athens, Greece. He mixes trap beats with traditional Greek folk-music. Black Morris is not a Greek citizen, though, even though he was born there. His parents are immigrants from Ghana, and Greece does not have birthright citizenship. The World's Gerry Hadden brings us the story.

The Women's International Motorcycle Association (WIMA) was founded in the US in 1950. It has since spread to nearly 40 countries and gained more than 6,000 members worldwide. This year, the group is holding its annual international rally in Maine. The World's Bianca Hillier stopped by to find out what motorcycling means to these bikers.

In jungles along the Thai-Myanmar border, people from all over the world are trying to make quick money running online scams. Some people know what they're getting into, but others are duped into thinking they're applying for real jobs. Once they're in one of these nefarious cities, it's very hard to get out. Which is why one man has tried to intercept scammers before their victims go into these places. Patrick Winn reports.