The World: Latest Stories

The US, Canada and Australia all have sports they call football, and they're not "the beautiful game" that's soon to get underway at the World Cup in North America. The World's Gerry Hadden takes a look at what people from different parts of the world think about the sport's name, and whether a common moniker can ever be agreed upon.

Today marks 37 years since Chinese troops opened fire on peaceful protestors in Tiananmen Square. For three decades after the 1989 massacre, Hong Kong was the only place on Chinese soil where large public commemorations honored those killed. Today, in Hong Kong, even symbolic acts caught police attention, as journalist Tom Grundy explains to The World's Host Marco Werman.

Otzi the Iceman, the mummified Copper Age man discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991, has been dead for more than 5,000 years. But a new study has found multiple types of microbes that survived the extreme cold of the glacier that preserved his body. Scientist Frank Maixner told The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that some of these microbes came from the environment, while others were part of his gut microbiome, which could offer new insights for future medical research.

It was the era of Charlie's Angels, and a young Palestinian American girl living in Maryland struggled to fit in among a group of girls she called "The Jennifers." As part of the GBH series Stories from the Stage, in Boston, Lena Rizkallah recalled an elaborate plan she hatched to become part of the group. The first step would be getting a popular toy, at the time, known as a Crissy doll. The plan didn't turn out quite the way Rizkallah expected.

Conflicts around the world impact people's daily lives, but wars also impact our understanding of the past. That's true in Sudan, where an ancient civilization known for millennia as the Kingdom of Kush once thrived. Research about that civilization is underway, but war is making it difficult. Geoff Emberling at the University of Michigan, is an archaeologist who is the co-director of the Jebel Barkal archeology site in northern Sudan. He speaks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler.

The word "fintech" has come to mean many things - from apps like Venmo and Square that allow us to use a smartphone to pay for things, to crypto, blockchains and online banking. But there's another very important Fintech at play: games. As in, those coming out of Finland's booming gaming industry. From our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, Lars Bevanger went to northern Finland, where they've been teaching gaming for around 20 years.

Over the weekend, Japan's crown prince and others released eight crested ibises in north-central Japan. It was the first time in decades that the birds have been seen in the wild. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have details.

There are around 415,000 African elephants left in the world. Their numbers have drastically decreased mostly due to poaching and habitat loss. In fact, what are believed to be the last three elephants still in a zoo, are currently in the middle of a court battle to determine their future. Reporter Elna Schutz visited them at the Johannesburg Zoo in South Africa.

The late Francis Bebey was a musical innovator from Cameroon who used the sounds of the natural world in his music, long before other artists were similarly inspired. Bebey's seminal album was "Tresor Magnetique." Now, that album has been remixed by a new generation of artists. Host Marco Werman speaks to Patrick Bebey, one of the musical pioneer's sons.This story originally aired on Sept. 10, 2025.

Kenyan protesters are demonstrating against plans to build a quarantine center in Kenya for Americans who may have been exposed to Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo. Critics of the planned facility say it exposes Kenyans to risk, without offering them the same protections provided for US citizens. Journalist Joy Kirigia in Nairobi discusses the implications with The World's Host Marco Werman.

Despite mass Russian assaults on Ukrainian cities, Moscow's progress on the battlefield has stalled. Mark Galeotti, a scholar of Russian security affairs at University College London tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that he's seeing an increasingly open campaign inside Russia to try to persuade President Vladimir Putin to wind down the war.

Ahead of the World Cup, Mexico City has turned the axolotl into a kind of unofficial mascot. The smiling salamander now appears on trains, murals, bridges and public art across the capital. Mexicans love the axolotl: It's local, iconic and deeply tied to the city's identity. But the real thing is disappearing from the wild. The World's Tibisay Zea looks into the debate over celebrating the animal while the ecosystem it depends on remains at risk.

Starting this month, the US will begin dismantling an extensive deep sea observation system used by scientists around the world to understand how climate change is impacting the Earth's oceans. While most of the 900 scientific instruments are positioned in the waters off US states, one particular array - in the waters south of Greenland - is crucial for studying the impact of climate change on the circulation of the Atlantic Ocean. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler heard from Rene van Westen, an oceanographer at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto instituted a free school lunch program a year ago. In that time, there has been increasing controversy after thousands of cases of food poisoning, students finding maggots in their meals and criticism that the financial costs of the program would be better spent on teacher training and pay. Dave Grunebaum reports from Jakarta.

They're supposed to be safe places, both for kids and for parents. But police in Paris have suspended dozens of school assistants in over 100 schools, preschools and nurseries for abusing youngsters. The assistants work in cafeterias or lead after-school activities - and they don't go through the same vetting process as teachers. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

It began as a hit song in South Africa by pop star Nomcebo Zikode. She embraced "Jerusalema" as a way to encourage herself to persist in music, and listeners felt the redemption in her voice. Then came the dance challenge, which was followed by a more introspective take on the song by Angelique Kidjo at the rededication of Notre Dame. And now, Kidjo has included "Jerusalema" on her newest recording, "Hope." Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler take a listen.

Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has returned to Norway, six months after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize award there. Speaking at the Oslo Freedom Forum today, Machado said she is planning to return to Venezuela very soon" and expressed confidence that the country will emerge from authoritarian rule. She also renewed her call for free and fair elections in Venezuela in the near future. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry met with Machado in Oslo and spoke to Host Marco Werman.

Musicians often shift identities. Korean American Charley Yang is no exception. His fans first got to know him as BoyWithUke, now he's releasing music as Chandol. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman tell us what's behind the name change.

Vasilis Kostas' passion for music started early. He grew up in Epirus, in the northwestern region of Greece, and remembers how his grandfather would show up every night to sing local, traditional tunes. Those songs stayed with him, as he learned to play the laouto and began to write songs of his own. They appear in his new album "Lena."

Anyone around in the 1980s might recall the hand wringing over test tube" babies, conceived in IVF labs. Today, more than 1 in 50 US babies are conceived by IVF. But on the horizon are mind-blowing experiments in reproductive science that may cause much more controversy. Patrick Winn reports from Bangkok.This story originally aired on May 5, 2025.

A new, experimental drug for pancreatic cancer is giving doctors and patients hope. In a small trial, the once-a-day treatment doubled the survival rate for the deadliest form of cancer. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Dr. Robert Vonderheide from the American Association for Cancer Research about how this drug works, and what it tells us about the larger push for new treatments for cancers.

Martina Ptackova is an eight-time world champion in kickboxing and hand-to-hand combat. The 28-eight year old Czech champ has trained NATO troops in self-defense, but now she's on an altogether different mission: to tackle bullying in schools. From our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, Inside Europe's Rob Cameron meets up with her in Prague.

It's being called Canada's "Brexit moment." Alberta's premier has just announced that a referendum will be held in October, asking voters in the province whether they wish to remain part of Canada, or begin the legal process of pursuing separation. UK-based environmental journalist Leana Hosea of Watershed Investigations is on a reporting trip in Alberta. She joins Host Marco Werman from Edmonton to discuss the origins of the movement, its legal status and why the possibility of secession puts the rights of First Nations communities in jeopardy.

It was a nightmare scenario for the conductor and composer of "La La Land in Concert," as show based on the music Justin Hurwitz wrote for the Hollywood movie. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman explain how a 21-year-old university student saved the show after the intermission.

Alex Saab, one of ousted President Nicolas Maduro's most important fixers, is back in US custody for the second time. His case helps explain how corruption in Venezuela moved from state contracts into daily life. Reporter Tibisay Zea traces the story from government food boxes distributed during the country's economic collapse to allegations of inflated contracts, shell companies and billions of dollars in missing public money - and asks whether Venezuelans will ever see accountability.

Weeks after The World first reported on allegations of forced labor at BYD's new car factory in Hungary, authorities are cracking down on the car maker. Three companies associated with the Chinese EV giant's Hungary plant have been sanctioned - and Hungary has launched an environmental investigation into the site. But as The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports, labor advocates are skeptical those actions will lead to any real change.

For the past three years, Nicaraguan authorities have held Brooklyn Rivera, the country's most prominent Indigenous leader, incommunicado. Then last week, the government released photos showing Rivera in a hospital bed, intubated and emaciated. Yesterday, Nicaraguan officials announced Rivera's death. Former Nicaraguan diplomat Arturo McFields Yescas blames Nicaraguan authorities for Rivera's death. McFields tells The World's Host Marco Werman that Rivera was like a legend" in the Caribbean.

Cheikh Ibra Fam], a musician from Senegal, has a new album out called "Adouna." Ibra Fam's family moved around a lot, so he lived all over Senegal as a child, joining choirs wherever he went. Those gatherings, he says, were his classrooms. Host Carolyn Beeler has the details.

Hope is mandatory. Pretend to be human. Go. That's how author Rachel Goldberg-Polin says she made it through the 328 days her Israeli American son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was held in Hamas captivity after the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. Rachel talks with The World's Host Marco Werman about her book, "When We See You Again." It chronicles her son's abduction and murder, and why she says she still feels blessed, lucky, grateful and in pain.

Soccer fans are anxiously awaiting the June 11 start of the North America World Cup. But scandalously high prices have dampened some spirits. This World Cup isn't just record-breakingly expensive. It's also bigger than ever, with 48 teams competing instead of 32. The larger pool means more room for surprises. The World's Gerry Hadden covers it all with Host Carolyn Beeler.

Artillery barrages and airstrikes landed across Lebanon Thursday, including the coastal city of Tyre. Israel claimed it was targeting Hezbollah. The Lebanese health ministry says that at least 16 people have died in the strikes so far, while many others have fled. Founded by the Phoenicians nearly 5,000 years ago, Tyre is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities and a center of Lebanese culture and identity. Ali Badawi is the regional director for southern Lebanon in the country's Ministry of Culture and speaks with Host Carolyn Beeler about the significance of the city and what's at risk.

A public outcry over alleged corruption in Romania's judiciary has put the country's justice system under intense scrutiny. Hundreds of judges and prosecutors called for change, after an explosive TV documentary last December laid bare the scale of the alleged corruption. The film sparked days of protests. But six months later, critics say meaningful reform has yet to happen. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

AI-generated LEGO videos have become one of the most unexpected propaganda tools in the current Iran war. The clips use humor, memes and video-game-style animation to mock global leaders like US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while pushing pro-Iran narratives online. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

The Cerne Abbas Giant, one of the largest chalk figures carved into a British hillside, is getting a makeover. Some 300 people will spend two weeks "re-chalking" the 180-foot high chalk figure just outside an English town in Dorset. Host Carolyn Beeler explains.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says the government will invest $75 million to pave and improve a highway running through a largely untouched section of the Amazon. That's fueling concerns about landgrabs leading to deforestation. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Philip Fearnside, a scientist at the National Institute for Research in Amazonia, about the concerns.

South African musician Bakithi Kumalo is back on the road again with Paul Simon this summer playing tunes from Simon's vast catalogue. Kumalo is known for his bass playing and can be heard all over Paul Simon's seminal album "Graceland." You might know Kumalo's famous riff on the hit tune "You Can Call Me Al." So, it's a good opportunity for Marco Werman to revisit his conversation last year with Kumalo when the duo was on tour at the time.This story originally aired on July 25, 2025.

The trial of Atef Najib began this month. He's the cousin of deposed President Bashar al-Assad, and former head of political security in the province of Deraa, where it's widely believed Syria's civil war began. Najib is charged with overseeing the arrest and torture of schoolchildren who had scrawled anti-regime slogans on a wall in 2011. From Syria, Deborah Amos reports.

Lack of healthcare infrastructure and distrust of authorities are challenging efforts to confront the latest Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo. New York Times Chief Africa Correspondent Declan Walsh, recently traveled to Mongbwalu, the mining town where the current outbreak was first detected. Walsh tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler how late detection has dramatically exacerbated the crisis.

NASA, this week, announced an ambitious mission for the US to not only go back to the moon, but to stay there. Artemis III is scheduled to blast off in mid-2027 and begin to lay the groundwork for a permanent presence there. The World's Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

The heat is on and rising in many parts of the globe. High temperatures have affected players at the French Open in Paris - where conditions are being described as a heat dome. In Asia, at least 16 people have died in southern India. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more details.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been walking across the globe for his project, Out of Eden Walk. And he marks every 100-mile checkpoint by interviewing the first person he sees. He joins Host Marco Werman to explain how these interviews, which he calls Milestones, are a central part of his global storytelling project.

Rising geopolitical tensions are complicating an already fragile dynamic on the European island of Cyprus - a country that remains militarily divided between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south. Turkey has reacted with alarm to the announcement that France is to send soldiers to the island. Meanwhile, Athens and Nicosia are concerned about new Turkish legislation threatening the sovereignty of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. From Istanbul, Dorian Jones, from our partners at DW, Deutsche Welle, reports on the rising tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.

Legendary Cuban American trumpeter Arturo Sandoval has a new album out titled "Sangu," which is both jazzy and reaches into his Afro-Cuban roots. Topping it off is an honor Sandoval received last week: knighted by the king of Spain. We go back to a conversation that Host Marco Werman had with Sandoval almost 10 years ago to get a better sense of why he was knighted for his public service with special acknowledgement for his role in international relations and diplomacy.

In 2024, Isak Andic, the multi-billionaire founder of the clothing chain Mango, fell to his death on a hike near Barcelona. He was hiking with his son Jonathan Andic. Police initially ruled the death an accident. But they've since arrested Jonathan on suspicion of plotting his father's murder. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Collbato, Spain.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman run us through some headlines in the news that might have flown under the radar.

Soaring demand for the high-bandwidth memory chips powering AI systems is expected to generate huge profits. Now, workers at Samsung Electronics have struck a deal to share some of that wealth. Under a new labor agreement, some 78,000 semiconductor employees will receive more than 10% of company profit. Rutgers University's Joseph Blasi tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that tech firms worldwide will be watching the deal closely.

Protests have gripped Bolivia's capital for weeks, triggered by what voters are seeing as the president's bait and switch. After campaigning as a centrist candidate with a base of working class and Indigenous support, Rodrigo Paz filled his cabinet with conservative business leaders, and enacted policies viewed as more in line with a right-leaning agenda. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Kathryn Ledebur, director of the Andean Information Network in Cochabamba, Bolivia, about what led to this moment.

After a months-long blackout, Iran has begun restoring internet access in the country. Iranians are appearing back online, posting about how the cut-off impacted their lives. The internet monitoring group NetBlocks described the blackout as the longest in modern history. The World's Shirin Jaafari speaks with Host Marco Werman about what people there are saying.

It's being described as Ireland's George Floyd moment." Yves Sakila, a 35-year-old man originally from Democratic Republic of Congo, died in Dublin earlier this month after being restrained by several security guards. A video of the incident has since gone viral and is drawing comparisons to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. Migrant and Black community groups in Ireland are now calling for an independent investigation into Sakila's death. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry has more.

In Germany today, a court found guilty a suspected member of one of the country's most notorious militant groups, the Red Army Faction. The 67-year-old Daniela Klette could now face 13 years in prison for a series of robberies she was involved in while on the run. To understand who Klette is and the far-left group she was a part of, Host Marco Werman speaks with Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at The Counter Extremism Project, who's in Berlin.