The World: Latest Stories

Albert Mazibuko was the last original member of South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. He died on Sunday. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman pay tribute.

The war in Iran is raising concerns in Taiwan about US bandwidth, and whether the Pentagon can fight in the Middle East while deterring China. Cheng Li-wun, the combative chair of Taiwan's main opposition party, arrived in China today on a visit aimed at bolstering ties to the mainland. From the capital Taipei, William Yang, a senior analyst with International Crisis Group, discusses the implications with The World's Host Marco Werman.

Today, US President Donald Trump warned that a whole civilization will die tonight never to be brought back again" if Iran does not make a deal by his evening deadline. This clash of civilizations narrative goes way back. But, Iran's civilization is much deeper and is more complex than East vs. West or Judeo-Christian nations against the Islamic Republic. To understand this ancient history, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Touraj Daryaee, director of the Center for Persian Studies at the University of California Irvine.

In the last few months, the push to replace real elephants with mechanical ones has geared up in India, with around 25 mechanical elephants now placed in Indian temples, primarily in the state of Kerala. The slow but upward trend has had many supporters and recently moved into the private sector, with people buying robot elephants to rent out for weddings and other ceremonies. Reporter Jamie Fullerton has more.

Ryosuke Kiyasu is a respected heavy metal and jazz drummer in Japan who takes on a different style in his solo drum shows - playing a snare drum with his teeth, kicking the drum around the room and often destroying furniture, among other things. He spends six months on the road and sells out small venues all over the world. Jamie Fullerton caught up with the drummer in Warsaw, Poland.This story originally aired on Sept. 17, 2024.

It's been four years since Ukrainian forces liberated the city of Bucha, which was occupied by Russian soldiers for about a month at the beginning of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Mass atrocities committed by the Russian troops in Bucha were later uncovered, horrifying the world. Deutsche Welle, DW's, Inside Europe Correspondent Teri Schultz visited the Bucha memorial this week, alongside an EU delegation that was there to assure Ukraine that those responsible will be brought to justice.

The World's Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman fill us in on a few stories from the animal kingdom that we might have missed.

It's called Torrente Presidente," or "Torrente for President," and it stars a vulgar, racist ex-cop who accidentally ascends to power. On his way up, he lampoons Spanish politicians of all stripes. It's the sixth Torrente film, the most political and, so far, the most popular. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, Zaki Daryabi was editor-in-chief of the influential, independent newspaper Etilaat Roz. He attempted to stay, working from his office in Kabul, but ultimately he made the decision to leave. What was behind this decision is the subject of a new episode from the podcast "Snap Judgement" with reporter Shaina Shealy.

Brinkmanship is the high-stakes strategy of pushing a conflict to the edge to force an opponent to back down. US President Donald Trump seems to be taking it to new levels in the war with Iran. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Dan Drezner, a dean at Tuft's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, about the tension currently on display between diplomacy and escalation and whether we're witnessing a new iteration of the "Madman Theory" at work.

Mosquitoes are a menace in Southeast Asia, especially during rainy season, when they buzz through wet, soupy air spreading dengue and other viruses. The common solutions aren't great: spraying chemicals from trucks, wearing sleeves in humid weather, sleeping under nets. But scientists in countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Laos are now finding success through bio-hacking mosquitoes. Reporter Patrick Winn has the story.

Seema Jilani is a Pakistani American doctor who has traveled the world to support efforts in conflict zones. She's treated victims of violence in Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine and Gaza. During her travels she wondered where home is for her and finally came to a realization. Jilani shared her discovery of home with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

As Iranians struggle with the impact of war, many of those anticipating the US-Israeli attacks would bring about regime change in their country had put their hopes behind Reza Pahlavi as a transitional leader towards a new form of government. Who is Reza Pahlavi, and how did his name suddenly become so prominent? The World talks to reporter Fariba Nawa, who spoke with Iranians in Turkey and Iran to gauge his support.

The military leader of Burkina Faso has said that its citizens should forget about democracy. The statement came amid ongoing violence and an insurgency that has left thousands dead and displaced. But President Ibrahim Traore has also developed a cult-like following outside of his country. The World's Marco Werman speaks with Leonardo Villalon, a University of Florida professor who specializes in that region, about what this means for the future of Burkina Faso and West Africa.

The Azerbaijani city of Aghdam was razed during fierce fighting in the war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Ethnic Armenian forces took control of the city in the early 1990s. But some ten years later, Azerbaijani forces regained the enclave, forcing most of the over 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia. DW's Dorian Jones reports from the ruins.

We've all heard of "doomsday preppers" - anxious types who stock up on cans of food and emergency supplies, ready for worst-case scenarios. Finland takes preparedness to a different level. With firsthand experience fighting Russian aggression and decades of conflict preparation since the Cold War, it has not only a culture of civil preparedness but also a national policy. Now, in this era of international turmoil, other countries are taking notes. Finnish research associate at the London School of Economics Helja Ossa joins us to discuss.

Bridges, vaccine and public health institutes, and cultural sites are among the latest locations targeted by Israeli and American forces in Iran. The World's Shirin Jaafari looks at the damage and the cost to the Iranian people.

The Ukrainian folk band Yagody mixes traditional Ukrainian folk harmonies with modern arrangements and instruments. Their haunting sound and theatrical performances caught the country's attention and led to their selection as Ukraine's 2024 Eurovision entrants. Reporter Emily Cohen caught up with the group at the acclaimed Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN, as part of their first American tour.

Ahead of Easter, one of the most important weeks in the Catholic calendar, the Church is facing a paradox: Interest in the Catholic faith is growing - especially in the United States - but the number of new priests is shrinking. A bishop in Belgium is proposing a solution to address the shortage: open up the priesthood to married men. He plans to ordain priests, he says, by 2028. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Gen-Z is all in for a Baby Boomer jazz-rock guitarist from Japan. Masayoshi Takanaka, 73, has been a big attraction in his home country for years, but time and the need to hear something fresh and optimistic have garnered him a whole new generation of fans. Host Marco Werman tells us more as Takanaka begins an already sold-out tour of the UK, the US and New Zealand.

Sahar Delijani - born to dissidents in a Tehran prison - has been returning, through her writing, to the stories of repression, imprisonment and resistance that have been reverberating through her family all her life. In a recent op-ed in Le Monde, she wrote about the timing of the current US and Israeli war on Iran, coming right on the heels of massive protests in Iran, met with violence from the Islamic Republic. Delijani joins The World's Carolyn Beeler to talk about the impact of the decades-long threats Iranians face, of both internal repression and foreign attacks.

If you're in a country with legal refugee status, that typically means you're entitled to benefits in your host country. But India makes no such guarantees, putting the country at odds with the United Nations Refugee Convention. It also creates an incredible challenge for more than 15,000 Afghans who seek refuge in India, where many have settled despite the barriers. In New Delhi, Priyanka Shankar explains.

Mexico City's iconic Estadio Azteca has reopened after a delayed and scaled-back renovation, marking a key test ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The stadium, set to make history as the first to host this tournament three times, welcomed fans for a high-profile Mexico-Portugal match. But behind the celebration, there are concerns about how World Cup preparations are affecting surrounding communities. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Mexico City.

The US lifted sanctions against acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez yesterday. It's the latest in a series of changes that began when President Nicolas Maduro was captured and brought to the US to face criminal charges. The World's Marco Werman speaks with Professor David Smilde, chair of Tulane University's sociology department, about the latest in the country.

A positive update on a story we brought you more than a year ago about an ancient helmet from Romania stolen while on loan at a museum in the Netherlands. Private art investigator Arthur Brand spoke to us about it at the time. Every day they didn't catch the thieves, he told us, increased the chances that this treasure from Romania could be lost forever.

Celebrations continue in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where the national football team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in over half a century. Axel Tuanzebe scored the only goal in extra time. Hospital administrator and super fan Adrien Makombo was watching in the capital, Kinshasa. He tells The World's Marco Werman this week's win on the soccer pitch has helped to unify the struggling nation.

The Republic of Georgia claims the oldest archeological evidence of grape wine-making in the world. National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been traveling the world on foot for his project, Out of Eden Walk. He gives The World's Marco Werman a tour of the ancient origins of wine-making in the Caucasus, and the folkloric properties of palm wine in East Africa.

Security feeds and traffic cameras have become tools in some of the most high-level killings in recent wars. In Iran, for example, Israel was able to map out the behavior and movement of targets well in advance of attacks by hacking into these kinds of devices. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

The televised spectacle pitting country against country has - for 70 years - been anchored in Europe. This week, the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the international song competition, announced the launch of Eurovision in Asia. Bangkok is set to host the inaugural competition in November. The World's Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have more.

Tagliatelle, tortellini and lasagne - they all come from the Italian city of Bologna. Those pasta types, when authentic, are made from fresh egg pasta. It's known locally as la sfoglia and the people who make it are sfogline. To protect those traditions and the artisans who carry them out, Bologna has established a certification process to distinguish the real deal from imposters. Inside Europe's Dany Mitzman from Deutsche Welle, DW, has the story.

Ninety percent of the ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz are typically bound for Asia, making the continent particularly vulnerable to the disruption we're seeing in the energy market as a result of the war in Iran. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Bill Farren-Price, senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, about how countries throughout the Asian continent are responding.

If you've ever struggled to enjoy a day at the beach while guarding your food from hungry seagulls, new scientific research might prove useful.

The vast majority of countries don't guarantee birthright citizenship. It's mostly limited to the Americas. Around the world, it's more common for nations to grant citizenship based on ancestry. Ming Hsu Chen, author of Pursuing Citizenship in the Enforcement Era, talks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about differing approaches, worldwide, as well as the repercussions of ending automatic citizenship where it has historically existed.

How do you design a city where everyone feels like they belong? Vienna has been trying to answer that question for more than 30 years. The Austrian capital was one of the first cities in Europe to put gender equality at the heart of how it's planned out. A dedicated department was set up to rethink everything from parks to housing to health care. But now, some say those ideas are facing growing resistance. From Vienna, The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

In the Indian city of Hyderabad, an inventor named Kanyaboyin Sudhakar Yadav creates vehicles in the shape of everyday objects. At Sudha Cars Museum you can see burger cars, a basketball car, even a huge toilet car. These quirky creations have earned Yadav fans across the world, but Yadav isn't just having fun; he's also trying to promote public health. Jamie Fullerton went to Hyderabad for a test drive.

Israeli settler violence, raids and home demolitions are forcing West Bank residents from their homes in unprecedented numbers. At the same time, a new Israeli law imposes the death penalty as the default sentence for Palestinians convicted in fatal attacks. Journalist Fouad Abu Ghosh in Jerusalem tells The World's Host Marco Werman that state-backed settler militias are disrupting life in the West Bank.

Global EV giant BYD is building a new factory in Hungary to bypass tariffs and pump thousands of cheap electric cars into the European market. Hungarian leaders have praised the project as a major investment. But as The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel learned, workers at the plant - many of whom are Chinese migrants flown in on temporary visas - are facing conditions investigators liken to forced labor.

In a press briefing this morning, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the upcoming days of combat would be "decisive," asserting that Iran does not have the military capabilities to do anything about it. To get a clear perspective on Iran's current ability to strike back at the US, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Sina Azodi, director of Middle East Studies at George Washington University, who joined from Washington.

It might seem like a step down, but now that the NCAA lets student-athletes get paid for endorsements, the money is better at US universities than it is for most pros in Europe. Nineteen-year-old Dame Sarr came to Duke this year and has been a stand-out guard, even as his old club, FC Barcelona, would love to have him back one day. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Montreal is home to a vibrant and diverse Jewish food scene, with plenty of room for experimentation alongside traditional fare. As Jews across the globe prepare for Passover, Host Marco Werman catches up with Kat Romanow - who teaches cooking classes and hosts events as The Wandering Chew. Romanow describes the global influences that shape Jewish cuisine in Montreal, and describes variations on seder staples, including instructions for making homemade matzo.

A Russian oil tanker has reached Cuba, offering brief relief after months of severe fuel shortages. But for many Cubans, the crisis runs much deeper. Through voices on the island and in exile, this story captures daily life shaped by blackouts, rising hardship and difficult choices about the future. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

In a blunt Palm Sunday sermon, Pope Leo XIV implicitly criticized the world powers behind the war in Iran, arguing that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them." Christopher White, the author of "Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy," talks with Host Carolyn Beeler about Pope Leo's comments and the Vatican's historical response to wars.

Russia now spends nearly half of its national budget on the war in Ukraine. A lot of that spending has boosted Russia's economy. But after four years of fighting, the war has created a country of winners and losers. On the winning side - Russia's military industrial complex. But for the many people outside that sphere, we asked reporter Levi Bridges to dig into how they survive

This weekend, the world's largest aircraft carrier arrived in the waters off of Split, Croatia. The USS Gerald R. Ford was pulled from combat operations in the Red Sea, where it was supporting the US war with Iran. It might be championed as the US Navy's most advanced carrier, but as The World's Joshua Coe reports, it's been dealing with some costly backed-up toilets - among other issues. He joined the show from Split and spoke with Host Marco Werman.

The CEO of Air Canada stepping down after last week's plane crash with a fire truck at La Guardia airport in New York, China resuming flights to Pyongyang and another major art heist are just some stories you may not have seen. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler catch you up on the latest.

Composer Sami Yusuf likes to keep listeners on their toes with his diverse style of music. Born to Azerbaijani parents in Tehran, Yusuf grew up in London and was trained in both Western and Middle Eastern classical music. But his musical knowledge doesn't end there. Flamenco, Native American and more can be heard on his latest release "Ecstasy: Voices of the Earth." Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler bring us the details.

Five months ago, Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica. Since then, the recovery has been a slow and ongoing process. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Jamaica Representative from the WHO/PAHO Ian Stein for an update.

Scientists in Greenland have installed an underwater microphone in Disko Bay. Recording the sounds will allow them to study how climate change is affecting the area, by tracking the presence of species and changes in noise. They have also made the microphone's transmission open to the public, on an online stream called DISKO LIVE. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Outi Tervo, the lead scientist behind the project.

It's a mystery that continues to baffle us to this day. Seventy-eight years ago this month, the body of Czechoslovakia's postwar foreign minister, Jan Masaryk, was found beneath his bathroom window, just two weeks after the Communists had seized power. Was the KGB or its Czechoslovak counterpart involved? As Deutsche Welle, DW, Inside Europe's Rob Cameron reports, police are now examining fresh evidence.

A new musical called "Mexodus" tells a lesser-known story of an "underground railroad" of sorts - from the US across the Rio Grande into Mexico. An estimated 5,000 to 10,000 enslaved people found refuge in Mexico, where slavery was abolished in 1829 (before the US Civil War). Jeff Lunden went to the show and has this report.