The World: Latest Stories

Given Bob Marley's continued popularity around the globe, it's little surprise to hear locals in the Solomon Islands have been inspired to play one of his hits on PVC pipes. Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler take a listen.

A new Anthropic study of its flagship AI model, Claude, shows the large language model's values shift depending on which language it's speaking. For example, Claude is frank when it speaks Dutch, shows more emotional warmth in Hindi and is especially deferential in Arabic. Princeton University's Zeynep Tufecki tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that there's a lot more at stake than styles of speech.

If you keep putting out wildfires but don't manage a forest, the undergrowth and vegetation only continue to grow, becoming fuel for future mega-fires that can burn beyond human control. Portugal is learning that, and hoping to shift more emphasis from fire suppression to prevention - namely, improving how forests are managed so that they'll burn less. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Portugal.

Los Angeles' long-running Cambodian psychedelic rock group Dengue Fever released its sixth full-length album, "Ting Mong," nearly three years ago. It was the group's first new release in eight years, and showcased the band in a more relaxed, reflective mode than previous records - a perfect platform for the nimble voice of lead singer Chhom Nimol. As part of the series and podcast Movement, Meklit Hadero talked with Nimol about how she developed that unique voice, singing with her family in a refugee camp and later on Cambodia's first televised music competition.This story originally aired on Oct. 26, 2023.

One of the strongest storms so far this year, Typhoon Bavi, slammed into China over the weekend.

Spain pledged to be ready for fires this summer after a record number struck last year. But its approach is mostly more of the same: spending to fight, instead of prevent, the fires. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

After two powerful earthquakes devastated Venezuela's Caribbean coast, anger is growing in some of the hardest-hit communities. Survivors in La Guaira are asking why so many buildings collapsed - including public housing built under Hugo Chavez, the country's late socialist president. Residents say the homes were rushed and unsafe; engineers say the answer is more complicated. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from La Guaira, Venezuela.

When the earliest form of caste was created in ancient India, it had roots in religion. In the 21st century, it lives on as a secular institution that cuts across race, gender, sexuality and class. Suraj Yengde is one of the world's leading experts in the study of caste. He joins Host Marco Werman to discuss why caste is so tricky, and how it reproduces itself in Indian diaspora communities worldwide.

US President Donald Trump has once again imposed a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, designed to prevent any ships from leaving or entering Iranian ports. Iranian scholar Kian Tajbakhsh doesn't see the Iranian regime backing down anytime soon. Tajbakhsh tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that Iran has long viewed itself as engaged in a Cold War with the US, and now sees itself as locked in an end game fight" with Washington.

The death of a newlywed woman in Delhi last weekend is among a string of cases this year rekindling public discussion in India about dowry deaths. Thousands of women are reportedly killed in India every year in dowry-related disputes despite laws on the books intended to penalize this violence. The World's Carolyn Beeler learns more from Kriti Kapila, an anthropologist at King's College London, who has studied this phenomenon.

This week, Hamas announced that it is stepping back from governing Gaza and is ready to hand day-to-day operations to a committee of technocrats. That would mark the end of nearly two decades of Hamas rule. But questions around the disarmament of the group remain. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

A massive wildfire is raging in southern Spain. Authorities in the region of Almeria say at least twelve people have been killed, and many more are still missing. Hundreds of firefighters are battling the blaze. The World's Gerry Hadden joins us from central Portugal, where he is currently reporting for a series on fire risk and prevention across the Iberian Peninsula.

The famed Bayeux Tapestry is on English soil for the first time in centuries. The artifact was transported from France to Britain in the dead of night with maximum security. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with author David Musgrove about the significance of this moment.

Typhoon Bavi, which hit Guam and surrounding islands earlier this week, is on its way toward Taiwan, several Japanese islands, and then to mainland China. Its approach comes just days after another storm, Maysak, caused flooding and deaths in southern China. Carolyn Beeler reports the latest.

As the World Cup reaches its final week, the spotlight is not only on the teams chasing a place in the semifinals but also on FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Elected in 2016 on a promise to restore FIFA's reputation after years of scandal, Infantino is once again facing questions about his leadership. This week's decision to suspend a player's red card after a phone call with President Donald Trump has prompted fresh scrutiny of the FIFA president. The World's Orla Barry reports.

After nearly a week of ceremonies in Iran and Iraq, the body of former Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is being returned to his hometown of Mashhad for burial. Khamenei was killed by US and Israeli forces, along with several family members, on the first day of the war on February 28. From Mashhad, Syed Shahriyar reports.

Paul Salopek is a National Geographic Explorer walking from Ethiopia to South America on foot. But it's also a journalism job. That means conducting interviews, taking photos and videos, and nonstop note-taking and writing. He joins Carolyn Beeler to peel back the curtain on the technology that has kept him connected for the past 13 years, even when he is days of travel away from the nearest outlet or wi-fi signal.

We listen to a track from Marlon Williams. She's New Zealand's hottest Mori singer right now, and she's accompanied on the track by Lorde, New Zealand's best-known artist globally. The World's Marco Werman has more.

Reading Lolita in Tehran, the best-selling memoir by Azar Nafisi, came out in 2003. It told the story of how Nafisi and seven other women read the Western canon together in defiance of the law, even as the Iranian regime banned those materials. Now it's a movie directed by Eran Riklis. The two join Host Marco Werman for a conversation about their collaboration.

In Uganda, scientists have found a new use for catnip: mosquito repellent. A new study presented at the Society for Experimental Biology's annual conference shows that lotion made with nepetalactone, the chemical in catnip that drives cats wild, is just as effective at preventing mosquito bites as DEET-based bug spray. That's welcome news in rural Uganda, where commercial bug sprays are hard to find and catnip-based lotions can be produced

Health workers on the frontline of the Ebola outbreak are on strike. Complaints include a lack of protective equipment and delayed payment. Some in the hardest-hit province say they have not been paid since May. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Christian Happi, a molecular biologist, about the strike and how it might affect efforts to contain the outbreak.

For the past four years, Matariki, the Mori New Year, has been an official holiday in New Zealand. Mori poet Tayi Tibble speaks with The World's Carolyn Beeler about the day's importance to her and why some in the Pacific nation are uncomfortable with the increasing visibility of Mori culture.

If you're a parent of young children who get screen time, then you might be surprised to learn there's a decent chance your kids have watched content from the small Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan. A group of Kyrgyz content creators who call themselves D Billions has produced a series of viral, English-language kids' music videos on YouTube that teach basics like the ABCs, which have received more than 49 billion views - that's more than Taylor Swift's videos. Reporter Levi Bridges takes a look at how they do it.

After Venezuela's deadly earthquakes, many international rescue teams have left as the window for finding survivors narrows. But Los Topos Aztecas - a Mexican legendary volunteer rescue brigade - says it is staying until no longer needed. Born after Mexico City's 1985 earthquake, the group is known for crawling into collapsed buildings by hand. The World's Tibisay Zea meets its 80-year-old leader in La Guaira, Venezuela.

As the World Cup enters the quarter-finals, more and more losing teams are heading home. But across the US, fans of those teams are still feeling the love. There are Cape Verdeans in Boston, the Blue Wave of Curacao in Houston. And then there are the Bosnians in St. Louis. The Bosnia and Herzegovina men's soccer team went further in the FIFA World Cup this year than it ever had. And for many in St. Louis' large Bosnian community, all the hubbub has resulted in a deepened sense of connection to each other and their ancestral home. St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin reports.

The International Olympic Committee has provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee that's been in effect since October of 2023. The move paves the way for Russia to send a team to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Jules Boykoff is the author of several books on the Olympic Games and teaches political science at Pacific University in Oregon. He tells The World's Marco Werman the decision opens a Pandora's Box.

Only an estimated 100,000 people speak Ladino, once common among Jews throughout the Mediterranean. One millennial songwriter is on a quest to save Ladino to honor her Moroccan grandmother. Nani Vazana first told us her story in March 2025.

The meeting of 32 world leaders comes as the future of the military alliance has never looked more uncertain. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he believed the US remains fully committed to the alliance. But, as expected, President Trump had some choice words for some of his NATO allies. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry has more.

President Trump says the temporary deal with Iran is over". His comments follow a series of US strikes on Iran last night. Iran had reportedly attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz because they hadn't coordinated their passage through the waterway. The World's Shirin Jaafari speaks with Host Marco Werman about the latest.

The tiny German village of Feldheim is world famous. Why? Because it is generating its own electricity, heating its homes with farm waste, and paying a fraction of the energy prices most Europeans face. So how did just 130 people manage to break free from the energy system and build something most countries are still struggling to achieve? Reporter Kathleen Thompson went to Feldheim to find out.

From the Iran war to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, events this year have highlighted the way nations use the global energy trade as another weapon of war. To learn more, The World's Marco Werman speaks with Edward Fishman, an expert on economic statecraft at The Council on Foreign Relations.

Shortly after moving to the United States from the Dominican Republic, Claritza Abreu struggled to find work before finally landing a job as an administrative assistant. But she soon realized she was in over her head; taking phone calls meant understanding people saying their names and numbers quickly and being able to write it all down. She wasn't keeping up. She had to do something, so she hit the books. Specifically, the phone book. This story comes to us from GBH's live event series, Stories from the Stage.

As major heat waves hit the US and Europe, a growing body of research suggests periods of extreme heat are linked to worsening mental health. A new Australian study found young people were significantly more likely to be hospitalized for mental health conditions during periods of extreme heat. It also projects heat-related mental health admissions could increase by six percent by the end of the century as extreme temperatures become more common. The World's Carolyn Beeler learned more from Amruta Nori-Sarma, assistant professor of Environmental Health and Population Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Otofu Ayaku joined thousands of other graduates this spring to walk across a stage and accept a diploma from the University of Texas at Austin. A few months ago, life couldn't have looked more different. Ayaku recently returned to Austin after spending about a month in two detention facilities in the Houston area. Here she tells her own story.

The strategic central Sudanese city of el-Obeid is now the focal point in the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The three-year civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, has taken hundreds of thousands of lives. Nathaniel Raymond, of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, tells The World's Marco Werman that the fight for the city is an existential battle" for both sides.

Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader and a frontrunner to win next year's presidential election, has lost her appeal of an embezzlement conviction. But a court today cleared the way for her to run for office, although she'd be required to wear an electronic bracelet that limits her movements. The Financial Times' Victor Mallet, author of "Far-Right France, Le Pen, Bardella and the Future of Europe," talks with The World's Carolyn Beeler about Le Pen's next moves.

The success of Cape Verde's run at the World Cup gave people around the globe an appreciation of the hidden talents in this small nation of islands. Music fans have also been treated to new discoveries in Cape Verdean sounds over the past two weeks. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

Canada is facing its Brexit moment - and it's largely around oil. The secessionists in Alberta don't want Federal environmental regulations holding back oil industry expansion, nor do they want to send oil revenues into central government coffers in Ontario. The Albertan premier just announced a referendum in October on whether the province should remain in Canada or move ahead with a second binding vote on separation. Leana Hosea reports.

This year's opening stages of the Tour de France wrapped up today - in Spain. In other years, Germany has hosted, as has the Netherlands, Monaco, and Italy, among others, for a total of 28 non-French "Grand Departs." The Tour does this for two reasons: To make the sport more international, and to make more money by charging host cities for the honor. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Granollers, Spain.

Nobody knows how long the women in the village of Bayl have been making rugs. For centuries, at least. But with growing access to cheap factory-made rugs in the post-Soviet era, fewer people in Kyrgyzstan are practicing the art form. Now that artisans' patterns are finding their way onto clothing by big-name designers, though, some see a commercial future for traditional rug-making skills. Reporter Levi Bridges has the story.

Dozens of people have died, and hundreds have been displaced in flooding across West Africa. The World's Marco Werman speaks with Victor Ojeh, professor at Taraba State University in Nigeria, about how communities are adapting to what has become a cyclical event.

Mourners dressed in black flooded into Iran's capital today for a procession that was part of the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The massive turnout, encouraged by Iran's theocracy as a sign of strength, came as officials negotiate with the US over a permanent end to the war. Syed Shahriyar reports from Tehran.

This week, the Turkish capital Ankara plays host to NATO's 36th summit. And the run-up has been tense. Not just because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, but because of a sweeping security crackdown which has targeted not only alleged members of the terror group ISIS, but civil society groups, journalists, LGBTQ+ activists and environmentalists as well. Dorian Jones sent us this report from Istanbul.

As round of sixteen play continues in the World Cup, controversy is building. FIFA lifted a suspension for Folarin Balogun, who was given a red card last week. He's eligible to take the field against Belgium today. And hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler recap the latest eliminations.

Venezuela is still reeling from twin earthquakes that rocked the country's north on June 24th. The official death toll has surpassed 2-thousand 500, with tens of thousands of people still displaced from their homes. Our reporter Tibisay Zea grew up in Venezuela and knows that area well. She's been on the ground reporting for the past week and spoke with The World's Marco Werman about what she's been seeing in the capital and the nearby city of La Guaira.

Recent events have placed Iran's theocratic republic under unprecedented strain. Widespread protests, economic pressures, and a devastating war with the US have exposed deep divisions within the regime. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Bouzou Daragahi, the founder of the Badlands podcast and newsletter about whether the Islamic Republic can remain unified and survive the onslaught.

South Africa's Soweto Gospel Choir and Australian DJ Groove Terminator teamed up for an album in 2024 that connected House beats with African music. The album's called "History of House." Grammy-winning producer Latroit and Shimmy, co-music director and conductor of the Soweto Gospel Choir, spoke to Host Marco Werman.This story originally aired on Aug. 5, 2024.

Vietnamese Canadian country singer Nicolette Hoang fronts the band Nicolette and the Nobodies. She never thought she'd go into country music when she thought about being a singer. But there was something about the "natural cry" in Tammy Wynette's voice that drew her in. Host Marco Werman spoke to Hoang back in 2024.This story originally aired on April 4, 2024.

Mickey Hart, the drummer for the Grateful Dead, is one musician who's been at that global cutting edge practically since the beginning. His passion for the beat was first fostered in his childhood home in New York City, explored with the Grateful Dead and coalesced in his album "Planet Drum." Host Marco Werman spoke to Hart back in 2017.This story originally aired on Feb. 27, 2017.

Back in 2023, the iconic East Los Angeles band Los Lobos celebrated its 50th anniversary of creating its blend of rock 'n' roll and traditional Mexican music. At the time, members of the band reflected on their staying power with The World's Host Marco Werman.This story originally aired on Aug. 8, 2023.