The World: Latest Stories

A study published in the medical journal The Lancet found an average rise in sudden deaths of just over three percent per year from 2010 to 2020. Causes include less healthy eating habits and stress. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Girona, Spain.

On the outskirts of Edinburgh, a potato field could soon become the site of a massive AI data center. It is one of two dozen projects proposed across Scotland. But campaigners warn that if every proposed center were built, the data centers alone could consume more electricity than Scotland currently uses. DW's Richard Baynes has been finding out how Scots are taking on the might of data center developers - and may even be starting to win. His story first appeared on the Living Planet podcast.

Ezgi Karakus is a Turkish cellist who moved to Kansas City to study at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. She's become an important figure in local classical and jazz communities. But she's also starting to make a name for herself playing Turkish disco based on Turkish folk songs. From Kansas City, Sylvia Maria Gross reports.

Host Marco Werman tells us about the Guinness World Record that has just been claimed by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris for his DJ set in the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil, last February, by a single DJ. One million, six hundred thousand people were in the streets. How does that happen? Actually, given Harris' fan base and Sao Paulo's population, it isn't too hard.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping lands in Washington today for his first state visit since 2015. Simon Rabinovitch, Beijing bureau chief for The Economist, speaks with The World's Marco Werman about the two leaders' agenda, including questions around safety and artificial intelligence, Taiwan's future and the possible extension of a trade truce.

The Atlantic has yet to see a hurricane this season, while Hurricane Polo, which briefly reached Category 5 strength, threatens Mexico's Pacific coast. The contrast comes as a powerful El Nino develops, bringing potentially devastating consequences worldwide: a new report from the University of Chicago's Climate Impact Lab estimates that unusually high temperatures could contribute to more than 451,000 deaths between June 2026 and February 2027. Indiana University climate scientist Chris Callahan joins The World to discuss the report, the potential impacts of a Super El Nino," and what can be done to protect vulnerable populations.

In the aftermath of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, an American Expressive Arts Therapist created an international network of mental health practitioners to support mental health colleagues in Ukraine. Host Marco Werman speaks with Nathalie Robelot-Timtchenko about this effort and her non-profit organization, First Aid of the Soul.

Perched beneath one of Central Europe's most imposing medieval castles, the Slovak city of Trenin has spent centuries at the crossroads of European history. Its Roman inscription, carved into the castle rock nearly 1,850 years ago, marks the furthest known advance of a Roman army into Central Europe. It's also one of two 2026 European Capitals of Culture. And the town is going all out. DW's Rob Cameron took part in the festivities.

Earlier today, the prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland met with the US president in New York for the formal signing of a new security agreement that Trump had announced last week.

He's facing the lowest approval ratings for any Chancellor since records began. Friedrich Merz, who was due to give a speech at the UNGA this week, has canceled the trip to remain in Berlin after what he openly admits were disastrous results in two state elections. The result in one state - the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania - was the worst his party, the CDU, has seen in state elections since 1949. There are calls for him to resign. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry has more.

It's that time of year again, when world leaders gather in New York for the UN's biggest diplomatic event. This year's General Assembly agenda includes war and climate change, as well as who will lead the United Nations going forward. Antonio Guterres has been Secretary-General for the past decade but is set to step down at the end of the year. To break down the race for the next UN chief, The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with Stephanie Fillion, the Editor-in-Chief of Envoy Magazine.

Drones are changing the kinds of injuries that doctors see in war. They say they create complex wounds that can look deceptively small from the outside, but do immense damage inside. From Gaza to Ukraine, surgeons describe treating civilians with devastating shrapnel and blast injuries, while also adapting to a battlefield where getting patients to care can be more dangerous and take much longer. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

New study highlights how lemurs use a technique similar to opera singers when projecting high notes. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler take us inside the world of the singing lemurs.

Since its return to office, the Trump administration has expelled some 25,000 migrants to 28 countries where they have no previous connection. Washington Post reporter David Nakamura and FRONTLINE documentary filmmaker Juan Ravell discuss the expulsions with The World's Marco Werman. Nakamura and Ravell are both contributors to The Deportation Project, a collaboration organized by Forbidden Stories, a nonprofit news organization based in Paris.

Latin Grammy winner and Brazilian soul icon Liniker has been a musical trailblazer since 2015. Her latest album is Caju. It's a groundbreaking album for the artist, not just musically, but also personally. Liniker speaks to host Carolyn Beeler.This segment originally aired on Aug. 18, 2025.

"The Marching Band" is a French comedy-drama about two long lost brothers who are musicians from different social classes. They meet only when one of them finds out he has leukemia, and needs a donor for a bone marrow transfusion. A DNA test shows that his sister isn't his biological sister, and he has a brother living in a working-class town an hour from Paris. Reporter Adeline Sire has the story.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is continuing to grow; while cases have plateaued in the original epicenter, transmission is shifting to new regions with limited healthcare infrastructure. At the same time, a clinical trial for an experimental vaccine for healthcare workers is underway; this particular strain of Ebola has no current treatment or vaccine. The World's Marco Werman speaks with John Johnson, vaccination and epidemic response expert at Doctors Without Borders, about the latest.

For the first time in over a century, researchers have named a new species of cat. The Tigrina cat was identified in Bolivia and sheds light on the evolution of small cats in Latin America. Carolyn Beeler has the story.

The United States, Denmark and Greenland are expected to sign a new agreement aimed at easing months of tensions over Greenland's security and strategic importance. While the full details have not yet been made public, the deal could expand U.S. military access and investment while placing tighter limits on adversary countries' influence on the island. The World's Joshua Coe reports from Denmark on what is known about the agreement and how people in Denmark and Greenland are reacting.

Music from Malawi is rarely heard or celebrated outside the country. But a new compilation hopes to change that. "Sounds of Malawi, Vol.1" features a diverse group of musicians and musical traditions from this south African nation. Musician and ethnomusicologist Waliko Makhala helped compile it. He recently spoke to host Marco Werman from the city of Blantyre.

Who was the first country to recognize the United States 250 years ago? The answer: Morocco. The U.S. was delighted. It was all about mutual self-interest. And the relationship has endured to this day. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Tangier, Morocco.

In recent weeks, Houthi rebels have launched repeated missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities, as well as its military sites and energy infrastructure. The Kingdom has also come under attack by Iran and Iran-backed Iraqi militias that have targeted its East-West pipeline. Princeton University's Bernard Haykel and The World's Carolyn Beeler discuss Riyadh's options given Washington's reluctance to back more direct attacks on Houthi militias.

Patricio Guzman, a giant of documentary filmmaking, has died. His masterwork, the Battle of Chile, was produced in exile and documented the violence of Pinochet's dictatorship. His later films kept their political center, but became more meditative and poetic in their execution. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Gustavo Furtado, a professor at Duke University, about Guzman's legacy and the place of memory in his work.

Many in Europe believe the Moroccan government played a role in the massive border crossing in July in which nearly 80,000 people entered Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta. Morocco denies it, and ordinary Moroccans believe their government. Their country, they say, has nothing to gain by upsetting relations with Europe today. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Fnideq, Morocco.

Syria was once home to one of the largest populations of bees in the Middle East. But only a fraction of its colonies survived the civil war that began in 2011. In this story from Deutsche Welle's Living Planet, Kathleen Schuster visits a traveling beekeeper. He recounts his fight to bring back the bees and, with them, his country's farming sector.

Turkey's prime minister has ordered crackdowns on Istanbul's LGBTQ+ communities, and there have been widespread raids and arrests under obscenity laws to protect families.' Long lines of police filed into bars, associations and people's homes - officers gathered evidence from hard drives to rainbow flags. Dozens of activists were arrested. Emily Withers reports from Istanbul.

A call-in program produced by three public radio stations heard from people on the ground about what Haitians can do to fight the Trump administration's revocation of TPS, or temporary protected status. Haitians were allowed to live and work in the US after the devastating earthquakes hit Haiti in 2010. Lawyers and advocates both concluded that options are limited outside the Supreme Court. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with GBH's Paris Alston, one of three hosts of last night's broadcast.

A firefighter's outerwear is exceptionally important; its quality and material keep the wearer safe. But the same attention hasn't been given to what a firefighter wears as underwear. That's a big problem, especially for women, because most sports bras are made of material that can melt and burn in high heat - even if the outerwear is not damaged. The World's Marco Werman speaks with Emily Pyke, an Australian Navy veteran and founder of UndaTech, which is developing fire-resistant bras and menstrual briefs.

Canada and the European Union want to further develop their alliance and wider trade relationships. This week, the president of the European Parliament proposed making Canada an "associate member" of the bloc. It's unclear exactly what that would mean, as "associate member" is not currently a legal category within the EU. But it could mark a significant shift in global alliances. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with Amy Verdun, a professor of political science at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, about what both Canada and the EU might gain from a closer relationship.

With the centennial of tenor saxophonist John Coltrane's birth on Sunday (9/20), we listen to a modern exponent of his sound: South African jazz pianist Nduduzo Makhathini. He counts Coltrane's iconic recording "A Love Supreme" as one of the most influential in his collection. Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Fuel prices jump again, sparking protests and blackouts

In Zambia, three native wild dogs - also known as "painted dogs" - were found to have traveled over 2,500 miles in eight months. It's the longest documented trip for any African land mammal. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

The military junta in Mali has increasingly relied on drones to fight against separatists and an al-Qaida-backed insurgency. While state-run media have hailed these "surgical strikes" on "terrorists," a new investigative report by our partners at Bellingcat sheds more light on civilians killed by drones. The World's Marco Werman learned more from Bellingcat researcher Sebastian Vandermeersch.

Authorities have discovered the bodies of nine murdered women, all in their 20s or 30s, most with visible signs of sexual abuse, in an area on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Sabrina Walter is the founder of Women For Change, one of the groups rallying against gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa. She tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that women there are demanding accountability for the crimes.

National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been sea kayaking his way down the Inside Passage, a network of straits, fjords and islands spanning much of the northwestern coastline of North America. It's the latest chapter in his global walking project, the Out of Eden Walk. Salopek joined Marco Werman to talk about the help he's received to make this sea trip possible, and how he had to change his approach to storytelling.

Mexican authorities are investigating a string of clandestine cryptocurrency mines after discovering more than 1,000 mining machines in a remote part of Puebla, apparently powered with stolen electricity. The case is raising questions about possible links to organized crime and money laundering. Experts say crypto mining can be highly profitable when power costs are eliminated - and warn that the farms uncovered so far may be only the tip of the iceberg. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

The Israeli prime minister today announced he will propose a law to revoke the citizenship of anyone "smearing" the nation's army, the IDF. The prime minister cited several incidents, but the push has been spurred on now by the recent NAZA" documentary, by two Israeli directors, which alleges that IDF operations in Gaza have resulted in systematic mass civilian casualties. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Tomer Persico, Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, and journalist Noga Tarnopolsky.

Today in Gaza, rescue workers are searching for dozens of people after a building damaged earlier in the conflict with Israel collapsed. At least 21 people have been confirmed dead, according to a Gaza Health Ministry official. Last month the UN reported that over 82% of structures in Gaza have been damaged and most were fully destroyed. To understand the how residents are coping, Host Marco Werman spoke to Shaimaa Ahmed, a former computer engineering student who lives in Gaza.

Lorena Leonard is from Colombia and spent much of her childhood in Medellin. It was during a time of some of the deadliest violence in the country, when the notorious Pablo Escobar - the King of Cocaine - led the Medellin Cartel. Years later, Lorena was transported back to that time of violence - after a bathroom remodeling project in her home in the US. Leonard shared this experience with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

Russian environmentalism has been given an unlooked-for boost by... of all things, Russia's war in Ukraine, and the European sanctions on fossil fuels that it has provoked. Reporter Levi Bridges has been focusing his attention on the Kuzbass - that's the region in Siberia where most Russian coal comes from.

After a natural disaster, people with disabilities are more vulnerable to death, injury, and an inability to access help. In Nepal, people with disabilities who have survived the floods are facing a lack of sign language interpreters, a lack of transportation - and a lack of information. The World's Hannah Chanatry has the story of a woman and her daughter from the small village of Syabrubesi, one of the first villages destroyed by the flood.

Cellist Diego Carneiro comes from Brazil's Amazon Delta, a place known more for mango trees and tropical birds than classical music. When he plays the cello, it seems to become part of him, like another limb or another pulse. His face and body animate with every note, and his hair sways as he plays. Reporter Caroline Feraday met with the musician as he prepared to set off on one of his tours of conflict zones.

Measles cases have increased by 8% globally compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to an estimate from the World Health Organization. That reverses the declining trend of the previous two decades. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Kathryn Jacobsen, an infectious disease epidemiologist with the University of Richmond, VA, about the causes of this spread.

Last month, the National University of Singapore unveiled the world's second-ever biological data center, combining living human neurons with silicon hardware to process information. The prototype is part of the emerging field of biological computing, which explores whether living neural networks can perform computational tasks more efficiently than conventional systems. Alysson R. Muotri, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego, joins us to explain how this technology works and what it could mean for the future of computing.

The 75th anniversary of the Berliner Festspiele, an annual art and culture festival, featured an opening-night opera which may just be one of the darkest, strangest oeuvres of the twentieth century: Hungarian contemporary composer Gyorgy Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre. From Berlin, DW's Breandain O'Shea reports on that selection and its meaning.

Leenachi is from South Korea, but their popularity doesn't make them K-Pop. Rather, they perform a centuries-old style known as Pansori, part song, part storytelling. But in Leenachi's hands, it's also part psychedelia. We get a taste from the band's summer performance at KEXP Seattle.

The Trump administration is changing how long international students can stay in the US before they have to reapply for a visa... or go home. The new four-year cap takes effect this Sept. 15. Higher education leaders say it could make it much harder for students to change majors or schools, or simply to finish their research. Supporters say it's just a minor inconvenience that adds important accountability to the student visa system. From Boston, GBH's Kirk Carapezza reports.

Frogs are known for their energetic leaps. But as reporter Bianca Hillier discovered a few summers ago, one frog found on mountaintops in Brazil is so small that it cannot jump. Instead, mid-air, it stops moving and crashes to the ground.This originally aired on June 23, 2022.

The Kremlin has a long track record of meddling in the elections of its adversaries. Now artificial intelligence is giving Russia new tools that could make interference easier and more sophisticated. Investigative reporter David Corn does a deep dive into Russia's election interference in his new book How Russia Won: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and the Fight for America." Corn and The World's Marco Werman discuss what role Russia might play in the US midterm vote.

Police in Germany apprehended a man last week suspected of planning and carrying out sabotage against the country's electricity network. Authorities say the 48-year-old suspect's apparent motive was to draw attention to fossil fuels and the climate crisis. The case is raising questions about a form of politically motivated violence that some are calling climate terrorism" or "climate extremism." The World's Marco Werman learned more from Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at The Counter Extremism Project.