The World: Latest Stories

The US and Israel saw groups of ethnic Kurds based in Iraq as potential forces to arm Iranian protesters and help bring regime change. But the Kurdish leaders say mixed signals and lack of clear planning from Washington meant that, ultimately, a Kurdish intervention never materialized. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

A casual conversation with a friend led NYU neuroscientist Tim Requarth down an unsettling line of inquiry. His friend has made an AI video of himself scaling Mt. Rushmore, and a little while later, he felt the slightest bit of a memory of being at Mt. Rushmore - even though he had never been there. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Requarth about why our brains' process for making memories seems to be vulnerable to generative AI.

The four-person crew of the Artemis II mission are scheduled to return to Earth today. They are officially the first people to see certain parts of the far side of the moon with their own eyes, and have described the sense of awe that comes with that. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with former astronaut Chris Hadfield about this moment.

Waves of deadly Israeli airstrikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon are threatening to derail the US-Iran truce. US Vice President JD Vance, who will lead an American delegation to discuss peace talks with Iran, described the dispute over whether Lebanon was included in the ceasefire as a legitimate misunderstanding." Lebanese journalist Kim Ghattas, a lecturer at Dartmouth College, disagrees. She explains to The World's Host Carolyn Beeler why Lebanon has long served as a petri dish" for the conflicts of other countries.

We have seen spectacular pictures from the Artemis II mission that went around the moon. But what might be remembered most is a jar of Nutella floating across the screen during a livestream of the mission. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Many people in the United States believe that "Mary Had a Little Lamb" was the first-ever recording of the human voice. But Thomas Edison's device was actually not the first. A Frenchman named Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville did so, singing "Au Clair de la Lune" in 1857 - 20 years before Edison invented the phonograph. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman explain.

It's been almost 30 years since Indonesia set out on its path to democracy. But concerns are now growing that authoritarian tactics to squash basic rights are returning to the country, given increasing threats made against activists, influencers and journalists. It was an acid attack late last year that really brought this into focus, as Dave Grunebaum reports.

Most blades of giant wind turbines are made of metal, and easy to melt down and reuse. But the blades are mostly fiberglass and resin, materials normally buried underground. Until now. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Navarra, Spain, on a company helping to create a circular wind energy economy.

The UK's Defense Secretary John Healey said Thursday that a Royal Navy ship and aircraft were involved in tracking Russian submarines in the North Sea. The Kremlin responded saying it had the right to defend itself from piracy." Since December, the UK and Norway have participated in joint operations in the North Sea to monitor Russian movements in the water. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learned more from Katarzyna Zysk, a professor of international relations at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies.

As the economic shocks of the war in Iran continue, countries in eastern Africa are particularly exposed due to a combination of geography and politics. But for countries in other parts of the continent, like Nigeria and Angola, which are themselves oil producers, the oil shock could provide a long-term opportunity. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Amaka Anku, head of Africa Practice at the Eurasia Group.

There's an emerging understanding that extreme heat impacts not just physical health, but mental health, too. One nonprofit in Bangladesh is studying how heat waves in informal settlements outside of the capital Dhaka are impacting things like anxiety and depression, and offering mental health counseling to alleviate the burden. The World's Carolyn Beeler reports from Bangladesh.

The two-week ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran was brokered by Pakistan. For years, the country was seen by the US and others in the West as a pariah state due to its Taliban links, but much has changed. As it acts as mediator, it's also been fighting the Taliban and ISIS. The World's Host Marco Werman learns more from Aqil Shah, a political scientist at McDaniel College in Maryland.

A high-profile visit by US Vice President JD Vance to Budapest is drawing attention to crucial elections being held in Hungary this Sunday. Vance's two-day visit is seen by many as an 11th hour attempt to boost Prime Minister Viktor Orban's support among Hungarian voters. Independent polls currently put opposition leader Peter Magyar in the lead, but the outcome remains uncertain. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports on the man who could bring down Europe's longest-serving leader.

Iranian musician Hamidreza Afrideh and his wife spent a long time working to establish the Honiak Music Academy in Tehran. Earlier this month, it was destroyed in a missile strike. Fortunately, no one was killed or injured, but 250 students and some 20 music instructors are now without a livelihood. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler share a solo performance by Afrideh on the bowed instrument, the kamancheh, in the ruins of his music school.

The twoweek ceasefire, brokered just hours before US President Donald Trump's threat of total annihilation" was set to take effect, remains highly tentative. Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that Tehran now understands it can wield control over the Strait of Hormuz as a potent weapon of mass disruption."

After more than a month of constant bombardment, residents in Tehran brace for what might be an end to the fighting. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire for two weeks. That's after making threats that a whole civilization will die" if Iran doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The World's Shirin Jaafari speaks with Host Marco Werman.

Proposals for reforms to the legal system are a matter of hot debate in the UK at the moment, with the government determined to press ahead with plans to scrap jury trials for thousands of criminal cases in England and Wales. Under the plans, offenses likely to attract sentences of three years or less would be heard by a judge sitting alone. Ministers say the change will help tackle the huge backlog of 80,000 cases in the Crown Court. But as Nik Martin, from our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, reports, the proposals have triggered strong opposition - with lawyers and judges warning against the erosion of a right long seen as a cornerstone of the British justice system.

It's called Akira Comics, and among its 60,000 volumes, you'll find everything from the Japanese manga style that inspired its name to fantasy literature to classic Marvel superheroes. But Akira is more than just shopping. Its decor is designed to transport clients to fantasy realms, from "The Lord of the Rings" to "Star Wars" to medieval Europe. The World's Gerry Hadden took us on a tour of Akira, on Madrid's north side.This story originally aired on Sept. 12, 2025.

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.