The World: Latest Stories

Taylor Swift concerts in Edinburgh this week shook the ground so much that seismic activity was recorded at nearby monitoring stations. Swift isn't the only celebrity to generate earthquake-level excitement in fans. When soccer star Lionel Messi scores goals, his fans also erupt into seismic cheers. Host Marco Werman has more on celebrities whose popularity sets the earth aquiver.

A new law in Japan will see refugees deported if they re-apply for asylum and get turned down. It's an interesting move for a country already known for its exceptionally restrictive immigration and asylum policies. Host Marco Werman speaks with Jefferson R. Plantilla, a lawyer and researcher in Japan, about the country's approach to this issue.

An accused murderer, a serial rapist and a drug smuggler are among the criminals who were granted visas to remain in Australia, a result of a new immigration policy drafted to appease New Zealand. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports from Sydney.

The educational pipeline from India to the US isn't new, but efforts to recruit Indian students have ramped up significantly in recent years. Sushmita Pathak takes a closer look at what those recruitment efforts look like, what's driving them and the risks they've introduced.

Once again, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are deteriorating. Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment. He advised six American presidents on the Middle East. He talks with The World's host Marco Werman about what's standing in the way of an agreement.

Malawi has been in the headlines this week following a plane crash that killed its vice president. This comes at a tough time for the African country, ranked as one of the poorest globally. Malawi is now enduring a severe cost of living crisis. The cause? Soaring fertilizer prices. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman reports from Malawi on how people are responding to the crisis, as well as hopes for economic recovery.

The Danish government has ordered a recall of three types of Buldak, which translates as "fire chicken," manufactured by South Korea's Samyang Foods. The packaged noodles were deemed so hot they might pose a physical danger for Danish consumers. Host Marco Werman speaks with Mary-Jon Ludy, an associate dean and a food and nutrition professor at the Bowling Green State University Graduate College, about how spiciness is perceived across cultures.

Team USA shocked the world by beating Pakistan at the T20 Cricket World Cup last week, pushing the US into second place overall. Today, they took on the first place team: India. Host Marco Werman has details from the big match.

A jury in South Florida has ruled that banana giant Chiquita must pay $38.3 million to relatives of people killed by a right-wing paramilitary group that received funding from the fruit company. The verdict is a rare case of a private US company being held liable for human rights abuses that take place in other countries. Marco Werman speaks with Michael Evans of the National Security Archive and head of The Chiquita Papers, which documents the company's ties to paramilitary groups in Colombia's civil war.

Sumo wrestling from Japan is among the world's oldest sports, dating back at least 1,500 years. The rules are simple: Square off with an opponent, in a ring lined with sand, then try to push the other person out. Another rule: Japanese professional sumo is also off limits to women. As The World's Patrick Winn reports, Japanese women wrestlers who achieve champion status at international sumo events are frustrated to face prejudice back home.

An iconic French singer and model who catapulted to fame in the 1960s, Francoise Hardy, has died at the age of 80. The World's host Marco Werman remembers highlights of her life and career, as well as her enduring influence on pop music and French culture.

Alvise Perez's "The Party's Over" party surprised election watchers by taking three seats in European parliamentary elections Sunday. Alvise and the Chipmunks, as his supporters call themselves, say they're fed up with corruption and the European project. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

A US-based cybersecurity expert gets hacked by North Korea. He then hacks back. Takes out the entire country's limited internet for nine years. As you do. We get the story from Dina Temple-Raston, of the podcast Click Here.

Vietnamese authorities say they have arrested journalist and historian Truong Huy San, known by his pen name Huy Duc. According to government reports, the journalist was charged with a Facebook post being in violation of national security laws. That's against a backdrop of diminishing freedom for the press in Vietnam. The World's host Marco Werman gets the story and its implications.

Scientists have detected a sizable drop in a harmful substance that depletes the ozone layer. That's a layer of the Earth's stratosphere that protects the planet from ultraviolet sunlight. Host Marco Werman speaks with Luke Western of the University of Bristol in the UK about the international efforts that seem to have worked.

Last week's elections in Mexico produced about 25,000 tons of trash. As authorities begin to clear campaign materials from the streets, environmentalists express concerns that improper disposal of plastic waste could cause serious pollution. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Mexico City.

The BTS army is celebrating, as a member of the K-pop megaband is being released from the actual army in South Korea. Kim Seok-jin - or just Jin to fans - is the oldest member of BTS. His mandatory 18 months of military service are done as of Wednesday, Seoul time. Host Marco Werman has more.

After falling in love with an American student, a doctor in Moscow leaves her life behind to start anew in the US. But being a foreigner in a foreign land is not quite what she expected, nor is the marriage she staked her new life on. Elena Yureneva shares her experience with the storytelling project, Stories from the Stage.

Following the UN Security Council vote for a ceasefire in Gaza, momentum may be building to finally end the war. The World's host Marco Werman discusses the likelihood of a breakthrough with Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Queensland, Australia, just committed to government-funded testing of illegal drugs. The harm reduction strategy is popular in Western Europe, where lab technicians have set up a tent at music festivals or clubs and run basic tests on party drugs. As The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports, the idea is to give partiers a chance to reject drugs with questionable contents.

Iran's slate of presidential candidates is now set for the country's election at the end of the month. That leaves just two weeks of campaigning to replace Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash last month. Host Marco Werman has details.

Over the weekend, a daylight raid on Gaza secured the release of four Israeli hostages. Palestinians will remember the operation for intense bombardments that killed hundreds of civilians. In Israel, reactions have ranged from elation over loved ones returning home to their families to anger and impatience prompting growing calls for change, as thousands gather in Tel Aviv to demand a ceasefire and government resignations. Meanwhile, Benny Gantz, a key member of Israel's war cabinet, has resigned. Journalist Noga Tarnopolsky in Jerusalem unpacks all of this and more for The World's host Marco Werman.

As the results came in from the EU elections, France's President Emmanuel Macron challenged French voters to take a clear stance on the rise of the far-right throughout Europe. He's called for immediate elections for his own country's parliament. The World's Orla Barry explains.

The Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets just played a Major League Baseball game series - in London. The two teams split the two-game series, and they drew a good crowd of British baseball fans, although not enough to fill the stadium. Michael Clair, a writer for MLB.com, spoke with The World's host Marco Werman about baseball's trip across the Atlantic and the sport's growing global reach.

Ferhad Feyssal remembers when villagers gathered around the campfire every winter in the Kurdish region in Syria while a danuk, or big pot, cooked bulgur wheat. The memories are so vivid to Feyssal that he decided to name his band Danuk. The World's April Peavey brings us their story.

Three US citizens appeared in a Congolese military court on Friday. They are accused of taking part in a failed coup attempt last month, and they could end up facing the death penalty. Host Marco Werman discusses the situation with Jason Stearns, founder of the Congo Research Group at New York University.

Mexico has a long history of mushroom cultivation and consumption, since pre-hispanic times. But for a long time, those traditions were dismissed and forgotten. Now, the country is rediscovering recipes and methods to cultivate, eat and preserve wild mushrooms. The World's Mexico Correspondent Tibisay Zea takes us to an all-fungi restaurant in Mexico City.

In an exclusive interview in Beirut by The World's Shirin Jaafari, Lebanon's foreign minister tells her that his country cannot afford an all-out war with Israel. His comments come at a time when Hezbollah, the powerful Shia militia group in Lebanon, has been sending rockets and drones into Israel, raising concerns about another war in the Middle East.

On Canada's east coast, a region known as "Iceberg Alley" has begun its annual spring watch for icebergs drifting south from the Arctic. Host Carolyn Beeler has more on Newfoundland and Labrador's Iceberg Festival.

Hot summers are nothing new for India, but daytime temperatures are breaking records in the central and northern regions, and cities aren't cooling down enough at night for the human body to recover. Hospitals have set up special units to deal with acute heat stress, which has already claimed at least 56 lives. Sushmita Pathak reports from New Delhi.

Dementia has become a catch-all term for certain diseases affecting the memory of tens of millions of people. The World Health Organization says over 55 million people have dementia worldwide, and it's a leading cause of death among the elderly. A study published yesterday in the online journal Nature Mental Health found that it might be possible to detect dementia early and within minutes using a brain scan and machine learning. The World's host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Charles Marshall, the lead researcher of the new study. He's a neurologist at the Queen Mary University of London.

Ash is a multi-instrumentalist and deejay who blends his French and Egyptian musical influences into electronic music. Host Carolyn Beeler tells us more, and plays a song off his new album 'Self-Discovery.'

In the second episode of "Lethal Dissent," The World's investigative series with the podcast outfit On Spec, two close friends who work for the Iranian government follow their conscience. But, that puts them at odds with the regime. Now, one of them is dead. To figure out what might have happened, reporter Fariba Nawa goes back to the beginning.

A year ago, Spain's socialist government passed a sweeping law meant to rein in soaring home rental prices. Nevertheless, prices are higher than ever. What went wrong? In essence, it's the classic dynamic of squeezing a balloon. The law applied limits to long-term rentals, so landlords moved their properties into the more-lucrative, less-regulated, short-term tourist rental market. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

Restaurants all over the world serve Caesar salads. It's pretty simple: romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons and a dressing made with lemon or lime juice, anchovies, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Caesar salad. And while its name might make you think of a Roman emperor, KPBS reporter Katie Anastas tells us the salad has its origins south of the US border.

Team USA is playing in the T20 Cricket World Cup for the first time, and they're surprising cricket fans around the world with their performance so far. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on their stunning win and how the rest of the tournament is shaping up.

On June 6, 1941, hundreds of American, Canadian and British ships delivered troops, supplies, ammunition and vehicles to the coast of France, and ferried the wounded away from the battlefield back to England. Many craft and their crews did not make it home and rest at the bottom of the English Channel. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with historian Harry Bennett, associate professor at the University of Plymouth and UK shipwreck diver Steve Mortimer. They tell how the sunken ships represent not only history and a final resting place for fallen fighters, but also serve as a place where sea creatures and plants make their homes, building artificial reefs from the wreckage on the ocean floor.

Activists in Sudan say the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has attacked the village of Wad Alnoura, killing about 100 people. The war between two generals for control of the country has steadily become a war of attrition that's killed thousands and shredded the country's infrastructure. Host Marco Werman speaks with Declan Walsh, from The New York Times, for an update on this latest attack and the war as a whole.

Congestion price plans have been around for decades. Singapore, London and Stockholm have all implemented their congestion price plans over the years. New York City was on the verge of implementing its own plan, when the state's governor put it on ice. Host Marco Werman speaks with Matthew Tarduno, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago, about how congestion price plans have been implemented in other cities across the globe.

With Korea's pop music scene eclipsing other musicians and styles that can be found in Seoul, we offer one example of an artist who does not perform K-pop. Yeore Kim is a virtuoso harmonica player with a diverse repertoire, from jazz to Radiohead. Host Marco Werman will give us a taste of her music.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened a "very intense" military response in Lebanon. This comes after Israel and Hezbollah recently traded rocket and drone attacks over the border. The World's Shirin Jaafari is in Beirut and speaks with host Carolyn Beeler about a potential larger conflict.

A gated community of apartment blocks on the edge of Doha is now home to more than 1,500 Palestinians evacuated from Gaza. Many injured children still have a parent and extended family remaining in Gaza - so even though they've escaped the bombs, the war always feels close. The World's Durrie Bouscaren takes us inside.

French fashion mogul Louis Vuitton has a blouse in his 2024 collection that looks strikingly similar to a traditional Romanian garment called an ia. But the Louis Vuitton version costs more than $5,000. And the apparent Romanian origins go unacknowledged. The Ministry of Culture in Romania has something to say about that. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman discuss.

Novak Djokovic bowed out of the French Open early this week due to a knee injury. But the action continues on the clay, with underdogs making their way to the final on the women's side. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

Some 3,000 Palestinian children have suffered at least one amputation in the last eight months, according to UNICEF. That's the largest cohort in recent history. Only a small percentage have been able to be evacuated out of the Gaza Strip. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports from a hospital in Doha, which is helping treat recent evacuees.

An elite - and enormous - heifer in Brazil named Viatina-19 [vee-AH-ti-nah nineteen] is pregnant for the first time. But the cow already has many offspring, thanks to egg harvesting and cloning. Host Carolyn Beeler tells the story of the most expensive beef cow in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, whose owners plan to export her superior genetic material around the globe.

Statistically speaking, for every baby born in Japan, two people pass away. The country's rapidly shrinking population is, according to Japanese officials, a national emergency" threatening its future prosperity and entire way of life. They're struggling to reverse this trend but some believe fixing this problem calls for a revolution in Japanese fatherhood. The World's Patrick Winn reports with Aya Asakura in Tokyo.

Like in the United States, immigration remains a hot-button political issue in South Africa. There are estimated to be millions of immigrants in South Africa from neighboring countries, in search of work and better livelihoods. Last year, South Africa's president launched a border control unit to deal with immigration. African immigrants from other countries continue to be scapegoated amid high unemployment and economic issues. The World's Halima Gikandi reports from South Africa's northern border.

The top diplomat at the United Nations is once again sounding an alarm about the dangers of climate change. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres likened humanity's role in destructive warming to the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. On Wednesday, he called for a new tax on fossil fuel companies to help pay for the fight against global warming.

Border communities across the US southern border are waiting to see the impact of President Joe Biden's executive order on immigration. Border communities have struggled for years to deal with the flow of migration from Latin America. Host Marco Werman speaks with reporter Alisa Reznick about the impact on local communities and potential consequences of the executive order.