The World: Latest Stories

Today, the member countries of the World Health Organization approved an agreement that aims to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics. As Host Marco explains, the delegates passed the agreement unanimously.

Amayo has had two life-long passions: Afrobeat from Nigeria and Chinese martial arts. Host Marco Werman speaks to the musician about how these two interests influence his new album, "Lion Awakes." Amayo dedicates the album to his grandmother, a shaman, or medicine woman, in Ghana.

Universities in the US face the possibility of federal funding cuts if they don't comply with White House demands to walk back initiatives the Trump administration deems biased. Internationally, the use of federal funding to force change in higher education settings is nothing new. The World's Joshua Coe found that the Trump administration might be learning from Hungarian leader Viktor Orban.

Over the weekend, Russia launched 273 drones at Ukraine, making it the biggest drone attack since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. As the attacks on Ukraine continue, diplomatic efforts are also ongoing between the US, Russia and Ukraine. Today, US President Trump had separate phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with The World's Daniel Ofman about the latest developments.

The "like" button was created by a Yelp founder in 2005. The World's Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman tell us about a new book detailing the history of the online thumbs up. It's called Like: The Button That Changed The World."

Romania, Portugal and Poland all went to the polls over the weekend. Hosts Marco Weman and Carolyn Beeler have the results.

"Britain is back on the world stage." That was the message from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer today as he hosted a landmark summit with the European Union - the first official meeting of its kind since Brexit. Five years after leaving the bloc, the UK and EU are once again sitting down to discuss key issues including security, trade, energy, travel and fisheries. But the so-called "reset summit" hasn't been welcomed by all - with some Brexit supporters denouncing it as a betrayal of the referendum result. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry has more

In Mozambique, 10 people were killed by members of an ISIS affiliate in a vast wildlife reserve last month. The slain include people working to protect wildlife in the park, as well as members of the Mozambican military. The World's Host Marco Werman spoke to Martin Plaut, who long covered the region as a journalist for the BBC.

Japan's agriculture minister Taku Eto told people at a party fundraiser yesterday that he doesn't have to buy rice because his supporters give him more than he needs. That came at a time when rice is in short supply and prices of Japan's essential grain have sky-rocketed. Host Marco Werman explains that opposition parties accuse Eto of bragging and being tone-deaf.

A familiar melody drifts through the streets of Mexico City - the music of organ grinders, a century-old tradition. But today, that tradition is under threat. The World's Tibisay Zea brings us the story of how these old organ melodies became part of the cityscape, and one woman's efforts to preserve this fading piece of Mexico's urban soundscape.

Hunger and starvation are on the rise in Gaza as Israel's government approves a plan to distribute limited aid and lift its blockade. But the Israeli military is concurrently carrying out a new offensive in the territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the goal is to control the Gaza Strip. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Neri Zilber of the Financial Times in Israel about what this new offensive looks like and how observers understand the military action alongside humanitarian plans.

The UAE has been pursuing AI innovation and has found a willing partner in US President Donald Trump. The two countries have agreed to cooperate on building a huge AI campus in the desert using chips from Nvidia, which the US has export controls on. The project is large enough that it will require a huge amount of energy to power. Sebastian Moss, the editor in chief of Data Center Dynamics, talks with The World's co-host, Carol Hills, about how such a massive project will need to succeed.

President Donald Trump wrapped up his Middle East trip this week with a stop in the UAE. When he landed at Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, locals greeted him with a cultural performance. Hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler have the details.

Look on the flip side of any old paper or plastic container, and there will likely be some form of recycling symbol. Well, turns out much of that recyclable material isn't getting repurposed - and the recycling rate has declined for the eighth year in a row. That's according to a new report by Circle Economy, a nonprofit foundation based in Amsterdam that is focused on helping governments and businesses avoid waste and boost efficiency. The World's Carol Hills spoke to Matthew Fraser, the report's director. He joined the show from Sao Paulo where he's currently at the World Circular economy forum.

At age 12, Eson Kim is held up at gunpoint with her dad in the family's hardware store. What happens next will forever change her. Kim shares her tale on "Stories From the Stage," produced by GBH's TV channel WORLD.

An Australian woman is on trial for allegedly poisoning her ex-husband's family with toxic mushrooms. The World's Sarah Birnbaum has the latest.

What began as a simple street advertisement has become one of Mexico City's most-recognizable sounds. The high-pitched call of scrap metal dealers, blared from loudspeakers mounted on passing trucks, is now embedded in the city's urban rhythm. In the first episode of a three-part series on the sounds of Mexico City, The World's Tibisay Zea explores how this everyday cry became a cultural landmark.

The city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands has opened a new museum dedicated to migration. It's called the Fenix and features art through the lens of migration. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with artist Efrat Zahavi about her work featured at the new museum and the city of Rotterdam's deep connection to migration.

The late dictator Francisco Franco desperately wanted to project an image of Spain to the world as modern and open while maintaining iron-fisted control at home. His idea: to win the annual Eurovision song contest. He ordered his government to make it happen - and through luck and grit, Spain pulled it off, with "La La La" performed by a young singer named Massiel. But Massiel refused to playing along with the regime afterward. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

An Ontario court has ruled that the iconic Hudson's Bay Company can move forward with an auction of 4,400 items as it liquidates its assets and shuts its doors forever. Many of the items going on the auction block are historical and cultural artifacts from the company's 355-year history. Carolyn Beeler speaks with Cody Groat, a professor of history and Indigenous studies at Western University in Ontario, about the history of Hudson Bay's Company, and the efforts to stop the auction.

Russian and Ukrainian officials are meeting in Istanbul for highly anticipated negotiations about the war in Ukraine. This is the first direct diplomatic meeting between Russia and Ukraine since the early weeks of the full-scale invasion. The US and Ukraine have been seeking a 30-day ceasefire, but Russia has rebuffed that proposal. The World's Daniel Ofman reports on the latest talks.

The resume looks legit. A software developer appears to be based in the US or Europe with the skills needed to assist a major Western firm. The catch is the IT worker is actually working for North Korea and is funneling cash back to the hermit kingdom. Michael Barnhart, an investigator at the cybersecurity firm DTEX, tells host Carolyn Beeler about new efforts to counter the scheme.

Summer is in full swing in India and many cities are suffering scorching heat, fueled in part by climate change. In the second of a two-part series looking at the dangers of extreme heat in India, Sushmita Pathak reports from Delhi on some low-tech solutions to the problem.

This year's odds on favorite to win the massive Eurovision Song Contest is a group named KAJ. They're representing Sweden, but they are from Finland. Their song is called "Bara Bada Bastu." That title translates roughly to "just take a sauna," and is an ode to steam and heat. As hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain, it's being billed as a kind of "sauna diplomacy."

Latvia's Defense Intelligence and Security Service is warning local hikers that strangers who cross their paths might be Russian spies, not curious tourists or out-of-place woodsmen. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the details.

Medieval scholars in the UK have identified a rare original copy of the Magna Carta. Now seen as a landmark legal document in the Western democratic tradition, the 800-year-old charter reined in the power of the king and enshrined the rights of his subjects, as Nicholas Vincent tells host Marco Werman. Vincent is a leading expert on the Magna Carta and teaches medieval history at University of East Anglia in the UK.

For centuries, experts have believed William Shakespeare's marriage to Anne Hathaway wasn't a particularly close one. But a new piece of evidence is throwing that assumption into question. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

After the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu back in November, the Trump administration announced sanctions against the court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, and its officials, employees, agents, and their family members. Now, the effects of the executive order are becoming clearer. The chief has had his bank accounts frozen, and casework is under ramped-up pressure. Alex Whiting is a former prosecutions and investigations coordinator of the International Criminal Court. He speaks with host Marco Werman about what's happening and what it means for the long-term survival of the ICC.

Jose Mujica was president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015 and presided over a period of progressive governance that matched his want-for-nothing lifestyle. He forsook the presidential palace in favor of his farm where he grew flowers. His life's arc from young guerrilla fighter to eventual president was not straightforward. Pablo Brum, author of "The Robin Hood Guerrillas: The Epic Journey of Uruguay's Tupamaros," explains Mujica's life to host Marco Werman.

A court in Zurich has been hearing a criminal case against a woman accused of trying to make her neighbor's cat her own. The public broadcaster SWI swissinfo reports that the woman systematically fed the cat and installed her own cat door. Host Marco Werman has more.

Israeli missiles have slammed into two Gaza hospitals in recent days, killing more than a dozen patients, according to medical staff at the facilities. Amande Bazerolle, an emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, just returned from Gaza. She describes the collapse of Gaza's health system to host Marco Werman.

In India's bustling cities, as the sun goes down and the worst of the day's heat is over, an insidious threat looms: high nighttime temperatures. Scorching daytime heat often dominates headlines and public health discussions. But hot nights are a frequently neglected yet deadly aspect of India's heat crisis. They don't allow the body to recover from the day's thermal stress, disrupting sleep, exacerbating respiratory conditions and straining vulnerable populations. As Sushmita Pathak reports from Delhi, climate change is making it worse.

Musician Sami Galbi grew up in the Swiss Alps after his parents migrated there from Morocco. As he puts it in one of his songs, he often felt like a "stranger in both countries, present but absent." His search for belonging, however, took root in the underground art communities in both countries. Those experiences helped inspire Galbi's debut album, "Ylh Bye Bye."

H&M, the Swedish fashion giant, is working directly with models and their agencies to create digital replicas of 30 different models this year. The company will be able to use the images for things like social media posts and marketing campaigns. But as The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports, in an unusual twist, the models themselves will own the rights to their twins, and will even be able to let other brands use them.

Rival militias in the Libyan capital of Tripoli have clashed this week, damaging parts of the city during intense fighting. The violence follows the assassination of an influential militia commander who was allied with both of Libya's rival governments. Host Marco Werman speaks with Tarek Megerisi, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, about the causes behind Libya's instability, years after the overthrow of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Jannik Sinner, the Italian tennis player who's top-ranked in the men's game, took a break from the Italian Open today to meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. Host Marco Werman has more.

Last fall, Kazakh voters approved a referendum to construct the country's first nuclear power plant. Kazakhstan mostly burns coal, which frequently makes Kazakh cities have some of the world's most-polluted air. Nuclear is an easy way to solve the problem, especially given that Kazakhstan is the world's largest producer of uranium. But as Levi Bridges reports, there are concerns about nuclear safety and partnering with Russia on the project.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who won an election last month promising to stand up to US President Donald Trump, unveiled a new Cabinet on Tuesday. He said the pared-down Cabinet would help define a new relationship with Washington. Host Marco Werman has more.

The first wave of an estimated 500 white South Africans touched down in Dulles Airport this week on a US-government chartered airplane. The Trump administration says it has fast-tracked the group for resettlement because the Afrikaners face racial persecution. Nicky Falkof of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg speaks with host Marco Werman about the status of Afrikaners in South Africa today.

Five activists in Poland will stand trial on Wednesday. They are accused of illegally aiding migrants at the border with Belarus. The group is charged with providing food, clothing, and transportation to asylum-seekers from Iraq and Egypt who had crossed into Poland. This trial comes against the backdrop of Poland's controversial decision in March to suspend asylum requests at its border, a move the government says is in response to Belarus allegedly facilitating illegal crossings. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

China extended a credit line of $9.2 billion to Latin American and Caribbean countries on Tuesday. Xi Jinping made the gesture at the opening ceremony of the China-CELAC, or Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Forum in Beijing. China is offering itself as the stable alternative to the tariff-raising Trump administration. Host Marco Werman speaks with Isabel Hilton, founder of the China Dialogue Trust, about which side benefits more from a strengthened trade relationship between China and Latin America.

Usually when athletes have to watch out for the G.O.A.T.," people are talking about the greatest of all time." But at a professional cycling race in Albania, athletes had to watch out for a real goat. Host Marco Werman has the details.

The Cannes Film Festival's red carpet is internationally famous for its train of celebs peacocking in the latest fashion trends. But in recent years, some celebrities have worn clothing that exhibits some form of nudity. This year, that's changing, as the Cannes Film Festival has moved to ban nudity from its red carpet. Host Marco Werman speaks with Vanessa Friedman, chief fashion critic at The New York Times, about the decision and how it might impact fashion.

On Monday, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced it will disarm and disband, potentially closing a final chapter in a four decadelong insurgency. While Turks and Kurds alike hope for a lasting peace, families who lost loved ones take stock of their grief. The World reports.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman highlight some sports headlines you may have missed.

Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander has been released by Hamas from Gaza. Alexander had been held in captivity in Gaza since Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The deal follows direct negotiations between Hamas and the US to secure the release of Alexander. This also comes as reports emerge of a fraying relationship between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Israeli reporter Noga Tarnopolski to understand the dynamics behind the deal and what Trump and Netanyahu's relationship could mean for Israel.

Omar al-Bayoumi is living freely in Saudi Arabia. That's despite reams of puzzling and alarming evidence collected by law enforcement that he was connected to the 9/11 hijackers whom he helped settle in San Diego as they trained for the hijackings. He is alleged to be a Saudi intelligence officer. While US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick visits Saudi Arabia for diplomacy, 9/11 families want him to press the government to extradite al-Bayoumi to the US. Lutnick's brother and most of his employees were killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

Koyo Kouoh, a Cameroon-born curator and leading voice in the world of contemporary art, has passed away at age 58. Kouoh was set to lead the 2026 Venice Biennale, which would have made her the first woman from Africa to take on leadership of one of the art world's premier events. Host Marco Werman speaks to Alex Greenberger, the senior editor of ArtNews.

The new pope may be born in the United States, but he has deeps root in Peru, where he lived for 20 years, as a missionary, and then as bishop of the city of Chiclayo. Cardinal Robert Prevost even gained Peruvian citizenship in 2014. Reporter Manuel Rueda attended mass in Chiclayo the Sunday after the pope was ordained and heard from Peruvians about Prevost's contributions to their community before he was named Pope Leo XIV.

The so-called "super islands," clusters of streets and intersections converted into mostly pedestrian zones, have been around for a few years now. And most people love the sense of calm and community they create. But they complicate traffic for vehicles, and some groups are challenging them in court. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.