The World: Latest Stories

If you think the war metaphor is being overused, you’re not alone. But why is this kind of rhetoric such a go-to for world leaders? And should we consider other metaphors?

In the time of the coronavirus, Ghana's dancing pallbearers appear to have struck an especially popular — albeit macabre — chord.

More than a month after the coronavirus pandemic shut down US universities, international students continue to face uncertainty over what the coming school year will look like — some aren't sure if they would be able to come back to campus. What kind of financial hit could US universities expect if there's a drop in enrollment among international students?

The coronavirus pandemic is creating an insatiable demand for medical and personal protective equipment (PPE) that has overwhelmed the world market. China has ramped up the production of needed supplies by bringing new manufacturers online. In an international marketplace where companies, federal and state agencies are fighting for equipment, Harvard business student Sophie Bai and her colleagues are creating a new supply chain.

On April 26, children 14 and under in Spain left their homes for the first time since mid-March as a reward for numbers of new cases of the coronavirus falling substantially across the southern European country.

Shutting down economies is giving us a glimpse of what the world could look like if less fuel was burned. One clear, immediate benefit? Less air pollution.

With much of the world still under lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, many are turning to their diaries to document this incredible time. Now, fellows from Harvard’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism have teamed up with a sound artist and developer to create the "Corona Diaries" — an open-source audio project where anyone can contribute their audio story.

Thousands of women may lose out on their chance to have a baby as fertility clinics across Britain shut their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A cluster of COVID-19-related deaths at a Canada nursing home last month was an early sign of what was to come in similar facilities around the world.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has become an intriguing puzzle piece of the pandemic's spread after new Bay Area COVID-19 deaths indicate the virus' presence in the United States earlier than thought.

As we continue to fight the coronavirus, is there a safe way to reopen sections of society?

Large-scale migration from Morocco to the Netherlands started in the 1960s under a guest worker program. But when Dutch officials realized that families from Morocco and elsewhere weren’t returning to their homelands, they tried to get them to learn Dutch. When that only partially worked, attitudes hardened.

As the coronavirus continues to upend the lives of people around the world, many are using the simulation game to live out experiences and routines disrupted by the pandemic — and for a sense of normalcy and connection.

Ghana is the first African country to ease its lockdown in response to the coronavirus. The country is using drones to deliver samples collected in more than 1,000 health facilities across the country.

The recent escalation in fighting has dashed hopes that the pandemic might succeed where previous attempts at diplomacy and sanctions had failed.

To celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, many Muslims typically fast during daylight hours and gather together to break the fast every evening. But this year, many are adapting to social distancing measures and stay-home orders.

For those living in camps or sleeping rough in Greece, the country's lockdown poses many challenges. In the absence of much government help, refugees are turning to each other for support.

The pandemic has led to delays for many cases across the country, but the court deemed the first criminal trial worldwide on Syrian state torture too urgent to postpone.

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power was part of the US effort to fight the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014. Power spoke with The World's Marco Werman about how lessons from that experience apply to the pandemic the globe is facing today.

The novel coronavirus is more deadly in areas with many years of high air pollution, researchers are now saying.

The coronavirus pandemic appears well-managed in countries that moved swiftly with science as their guide. Countries that initially downplayed the threat, such as Italy and the United States, have seen spiking death rates as health care systems are overwhelmed.

Ever since the US started its "Remain in Mexico" policy, many migrant families have sent their kids over the border alone to seek asylum. Now, even that door has closed. On March 21, citing the coronavirus, the US began summarily expelling children from the country.

Prickles was just a little lamb when she disappeared seven years ago in a devastating Australian bushfire. She recently returned to her owners as a grown sheep sporting an impressive fleece.

Professor Erika Lee speaks with The World's Marco Werman about how the US has responded with changes to immigration policy and increased xenophobia during times of war, economic hardship and disease throughout history.

Stephan Lewandowsky, a cognitive scientist at the University of Bristol, speaks with The World's Marco Werman about how societies can combat misinformation — particularly around the coronavirus and climate change.

Two novels published in English this spring show the broad landscape of Mexican literature today.

The 93-year-old Holocaust survivor shared her story with The World on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The Wa, a people governed by one of the world’s largest armed groups, faces a new invader ― one that is both invisible and fearless: COVID-19.

Until coronavirus hit, one Texas teen says he was primarily concerned with the cost of college and student loans. Now, he's far more worried about the US economy and job insecurity — especially as the November presidential nears.

Messages to stay at home and follow social distancing measures are seemingly everywhere in Mexico. But for those living in remote, rural communities with little or no internet access, getting those messages is not so easy.

Pioneering radio broadcaster Gil Bailey, known as the Godfather of Reggae Radio, died Monday of COVID-19.

At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has led most of the American population to practice physical distancing, gardening can provide emotional comfort and improved health.

Hundreds of Yemeni bodega workers in New York City are on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight, just like doctors and nurses. Many deal with shortages of face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. Now, there is a community campaign to bring safety kits to them.

A new study in the Netherlands has found the coronavirus in sewage. And in one Dutch city, the coronavirus was detected in wastewater days before any cases were officially confirmed through human testing. Can sewer surveillance serve as an early warning tool for cities?

The Campaign for Real Ale predicts that 50 million pints worth of beer will be dumped in the United Kingdom within weeks if the country’s lockdown continues.

COVID-19 is a threat for many refugee camps across the world. Sanitary conditions are typically not ideal and social distancing is nearly impossible. But at two camps in northern Syria, residents face the virus as well as stigmatization tied to their lives under ISIS.

There’s a massive effort underway to help thousands of Indians on visas in the US who can’t return to India.

As Washington starts to talk infrastructure as a way to put people back to work during the COVID-19 pandemic, a team led by congressional Democrats is working to develop long-term solutions to climate change that will help rebuild the economy.

Few industries on the continent have been spared by the epidemic. The region is projected to experience its first recession in 25 years, according to the World Bank. Among the biggest challenges for Africa is the large scale of people employed in the informal sector.

In Japan, people are making a long-forgotten cheese called “so.” The 1,000-year-old recipe became popular recently on Japanese social media as people stuck at home have extra time on their hands.

There’s a massive effort underway to help thousands of Indians on visas in the US who can’t return to India.

From makeshift sparing buddies to swimming in a kiddie pool, professional athletes get creative during a time of physical distancing.

Some 1,600 nurses in Ontario cross the border every day to work in the US, but the pandemic could change that. As the number of novel coronavirus cases grows in Michigan, some officials in Ontario are calling for restrictions on where these nurses can work.

The COVID-19 pandemic is once again calling attention once to the illegal trade of endangered species and its consequences for human health.

Tom Moore set a goal of walking the length of his back garden 100 times by his 100th birthday. Today, he reached that goal — and raised nearly $20 million for Britain's National Health Service while doing it.

Australian social scientist and reef researcher Joshua Cinner looks for “bright spots,” or reefs that are doing better than expected, to glean lessons for building resilience in the world's reefs, which are suffering from bleaching events.

If there is a COVID-19 outbreak in overcrowded Rohingya refugee camps, the success of the response may depend in part on the status of women in the camps.

Grace Young, a Chinese American award-winning author of cookbooks devoted to Chinese cuisine, is documenting the impact of the pandemic on businesses and restaurants in New York City's Chinatown.

As shutdown measures stretch into weeks and months, many communities across the globe are now wrestling with when and how to relax those policies.

Dr. Michel Yao is WHO's program manager for emergency response for Africa. He spoke to The World's host Marco Werman about what it's like to deal with a pandemic and an epidemic at a time when WHO is overstretched.