The World: Latest Stories

Chalk it up to an experiment gone wrong. But now, members of the so-called "bad luck generation" in the Netherlands owe the government tens of thousands of dollars for their college education - and they're calling on the their elected leaders to pay them back. The World's Joshua Coe has the story.

A water shortage in Iran. A direct commercial flight - between Moscow and Pyongyang. And a Silicon Valley mistake, during Turkey's 2023 earthquake. The World's Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman sum it all up.

For months, mainstream Israeli media largely dismissed reports of starvation in Gaza as lies or exaggerations. Now, however, amid protests in Tel Aviv and under international pressure, Israel is making a major pivot in Gaza - airdropping aid and establishing safe corridors for assistance. Jerusalem-based journalist Noga Tarnopolsky explains to The World's Host Marco Werman how Israeli media is framing this dramatic shift in policy, and what the information and public opinion landscape looks like within the country overall.

If you've ever had to race to catch a flight, gotten lost in a foreign train station or struggled to order a meal in another language, congratulations, you're ready to play "Jet Lag: The Game." The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports that a group of streamers turned the nerve-racking logistics of world travel into friendly competition.

The Shaolin Temple has multiple claims to fame: Buddhist monastery, martial arts training ground, and major pop culture reference. Now, it's getting a new kind of attention: Its leader has just come under investigation for alleged embezzlement. We look at what Shi Yongxin is accused of, and why it matters given the global brand of this iconic temple. James Robson, a Harvard University professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, joins host Carolyn Beeler to discuss.

South African musician Bakithi Kumalo is known for his bass playing, which is all over Paul Simon's seminal album "Graceland." You very likely know Kumalo's famous riff on the hit tune "You Can Call Me Al." Host Marco Werman recently caught up with Kumalo during a break from the road.

Critics of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele are facing growing risks. Just last week, Cristosal, the country's leading human rights organization, sent its staff abroad due to what it described as persistent harassment and legal challenges. Cristosal's executive director, Noah Bullock tells The World's Host Marco Werman why he and his staffers decided they can no longer work inside El Salvador.

Under the guise of military readiness, China routinely holds war games around the island of Taiwan with warships and fighter jets. Beijing insists that, some day, the small, democratic island will come under its control - by force if necessary. But China has already infiltrated Taiwan from within, as The World's Patrick Winn reports.

Young people in Togo - led by musicians, artists and bloggers - are protesting against a recent government move to consolidate power for the country's leader, Faure Gnassingbe. He had been president since 2005, but a constitutional change - without a public referendum - has changed his position to prime minister, which does not have term limits. The World's Host Marco Werman spoke with Togolese activist Farida Nabourema about the protests and how this differs from past opposition moves.

The megacity of Lagos, Nigeria, has one of the fastest growing populations in the world. But its infrastructure can't keep up. Roads flood. Public transport is scant. Officials hoped to fix that with the construction of an entirely new city on reclaimed coastal land. Pegged as a city of the future, Eko Atlantic features new roads, trains and housing. But so far, even with much of its construction complete, Eko Atlantic has been a bust, sitting almost completely empty and cut off from the rest of Lagos.

Turkish firms are on track to sell more than $8 billion dollars in military hardware this year, a new record for the country. Amid a decades-long national push to expand its domestic defense industry, Turkey has become the world's 11th largest arms exporter. But as The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports, the real question might be who they're selling to.

Yesterday, Ukraine and Russia exchanged drone strikes after peace talks failed in Turkey. Drones have taken on a pivotal role in the war and forced both sides to adapt. The World's Host Marco Werman talks with Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute who regularly visits the frontlines in Ukraine. He joined the show from Kyiv. He said that countries like the US and China are watching closely and updating their own tactics and technology in response.

This week saw two instances of humans impersonating animals to help with different situations in different parts of the world. The World's Host Marco Werman has the details from Japan and the Czech Republic.

Famed World Wrestling Federation superstar Hulk Hogan died today. He was 71. Hogan was known for his outsized ego, his oversized "pythons," as he called his arms and his incredible bluster. One thing few realize is that he got his start in Tokyo. As Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman explain, Hogan was initially trained by a famed Japanese wrestler.

After four months of near-total siege by Israel, people in Gaza are starving. According to the United Nations, at least 1 in 3 people are going multiple days without eating. Death from hunger is rising as The World's Shirin Jaafari has been finding out.

What if you could make transportation carbon-neutral without getting rid of the internal combustion engine? That's the idea behind Synhelion, a Swiss startup that's developed a new synthetic gas powered by the sun. The so-called "solar fuel" is drop-in ready and can be used in place of traditional fossil fuels. As The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports, experts say the product could play a major role in reducing the carbon footprint of air travel.

All eyes have been on a Canadian courtroom today, as the public awaited the verdicts in a high-profile sexual assault case. Five former NHL players have been on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman back in 2018. Today, the judge delivered her decisions. The World's Bianca Hillier shares the latest with Host Carolyn Beeler.

Private intelligence companies in the UK are operating largely without regulation. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Politico's Mason Boycott-Owen, who reported on this issue, about how it works and who these companies are targeting.

Imagine growing up in the US, going to high school, starting a career and having a family - only learn that you're not an American citizen. KPBS reporter Gustavo Solis says that's exactly what happened to thousands of children born in other countries and adopted by American parents in the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

When the North Vietnamese triumphed over the South in 1975, ending the war there, the new Communist regime banned Western pop music, replacing it with what's known as "red music" or Nhac Do, songs that espoused the revolutionary path the country was taking. Since 2016, however, a band from Ho Chi Minh City known as Saigon Soul Revival has been bringing back the pop sounds pre-1975, and has recently been getting global attention. Co-hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler give it a listen.

Antisemitism is being amplified globally by the war in Gaza and the rise of political movements with antisemitic platforms. So, it's challenging and painful for many Jewish people to discuss what truly constitutes antisemitism, especially when it intersects with criticism of Israel. The World's Host Marco Werman broaches the complex debate and the potential for productive conversation with commentator Peter Beinart.

Exposure to extreme heat can cause significant health problems. Responding to those problems comes with a financial cost - for patients and for medical systems. In this excerpt from the Living Planet series of Deutsche Welle, or DW, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler and DW producer Sam Baker unpack how much climate-driven heat waves are costing us - especially in places that weren't designed to handle the change.

Five former NHL players have been on trial in London, Ontario, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in 2018. The verdict is expected to come down tomorrow. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on the high-profile case and the impact it's having on Canadians outside of the courtroom.

In Mexico, up to a third of all fuel sold may come from illegal sources - smuggled, stolen or adulterated. This black market fuels organized crime, drains billions from public coffers and puts ordinary people at risk. From Mexico City, The World's Tibisay Zea looks at how oil theft has evolved into one of Mexico's largest underground economies - and why it's so hard to stop.

Protesters are taking to the streets of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the first anti-government protests since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of the country. Ukraine has long struggled with corruption and it's been a major barrier to joining the European Union. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Andrii Borovyk, head of the corruption watchdog Transparency International Ukraine. He joins us from Kyiv.

In 2024, a schoolboy was out for a jog on the Scottish island of Sanday when he found the remains of a centuries-old shipwreck. After 18 months of investigation by archeologists and local historians, that shipwreck has been identified as that of the Earl of Chatham, a British navy vessel-turned-Arctic whaling ship. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the story of that ship, and why uncovering its history was so important to the residents of Sanday.

A number of scholars and experts say they have never been more concerned about the state of international law. Powerful states like the US have threatened and imposed sanctions on institutions like the International Criminal Court. The United Nations Security Council has been paralyzed by veto power of its members for more than a decade. Meanwhile, atrocities like the ones in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan continue unabated. Still, The World's Shirin Jaafari has been speaking to lawyers and scholars who say a bleak as this moment seems, all hope is not lost. She brings us the second part of this story that looks at solutions moving forward.

The International Court of Justice ruled today that countries have a responsibility to address climate change - and that failing to do so could violate international law. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with international climate law expert Maria Tigre about the significance of this decision and what comes next.

Organist John Medeski of the trio Medeski, Martin and Wood has been collaborating with a young up-and-coming band from Senegal, Aba Diop and the Yermande Family. Co-hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler listen to the first single off their forthcoming album, a compelling and unusual call-and-response of percussion and keyboard.

Climate change is altering ecosystems around the world. Those changes also come with a financial cost. In this excerpt from our partner Deutshe Welle, or DW's, Living Planet series, The World's Host Marco Werman spoke with DW producer Charli Shield about the financial contributions of nature and the idea of ecosystem services, from the scene of a giant kelp forest in Australia.

The UK is planning to ban public institutions and private companies from immediately paying hackers over ransomware attacks. They must first consult with the government. These attacks cost companies worldwide billions of dollars in ransoms and business disruptions. The World's Host Marco Werman learned more from Alan Woodward, a professor at the University of Surrey's Centre for Cyber Security in the UK. He's advised investigators in the US and Europe on cybercrime.

Lead singer of Black Sabbath known as the godfather of heavy metal Ozzy Osbourne died today at the age of 76. Either clad in black or bare-chested, the singer was often the target of parents' groups for his imagery.

In many parts of Latin America, evangelical churches have grown at a feverish pace. In tiny Ecuador, for one, evangelical churches are booming. Not only are parishioners flocking to services, but these churches are helping to preserve a culture, as Michael Fox reports from Quito, Ecuador.

A number of scholars and experts say they have never been more concerned about the state of international law. Powerful countries like the US have threatened and imposed sanctions on institutions like the International Criminal Court. The United Nations Security Council has been paralyzed by veto power of its members for more than a decade. Meanwhile, atrocities like the ones in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan continue unabated. The World's Shirin Jaafari has been speaking to lawyers and scholars who say as bleak as this moment seems, all hope is not lost.

When cybercafes first came around in the 1990s, they were places full of computers for accessing the internet in an era before smartphones. But in Japan, they've evolved into third spaces where customers can watch movies, read or just enjoy some solitude. They even have tiny beds that can be rented by the hour or overnight. National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek stayed in one, and tells Host Carolyn Beeler all about it.

Upwards of 150 million lives have been saved by global vaccination drives since the mid-1970s. But now, vaccine rates are stalling and, in some places, they're in decline. Professor Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development says that's in part due to the export from the US of anti-vaccine hesitancy. Dr. Hotez speaks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about how and why the US anti-vaccine movement has gone global.

Japan's elections on Sunday saw the country's ruling Liberal Democratic Party lose its longstanding majority, while a far-right nationalist party - founded on YouTube - gained ground. With an an anti-immigrant, "Japanese People First" platform, Sanseito gained 14 seats in the country's legislature. To learn more, Host Marco Werman spoke to Jeffrey Hall. He's a lecturer in Japanese politics at Kanda University of International Studies just outside Tokyo.

China began construction this weekend on what is expected to be the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. The project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet is controversial, as it could disrupt a protected nature reserve. India has also raised concerns that the dam would reduce the water flowing into northeastern India and Bangladesh. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Professor Scott Moore from the University of Pennsylvania about the water politics surrounding the project.

A cheeky ad campaign in New Zealand is trying to destigmatize herpes, a virus that affects 67% of the population. Celebrity Kiwis joke that they want their country to be the best place in the world to have herpes. Health officials say the campaign has been a roaring success with New Zealand residents, and it's won a prestigious award at this year's Cannes Lions awards, which recognize excellence in the creative industry. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

Climate change comes with a financial cost. So does figuring out how to address it. In this excerpt of DW's Living Planet series, The World's Host Marco Werman and DW's Sam Baker unpack how economic mechanisms in Canada are being used to bring down carbon emissions.

Kazakhstan has one of the world's largest Uyghur populations, estimated at around 300,000 people, and they've lived freely there for centuries. This is compared to the community of Uyghurs in nearby Xinjiang, just a few hours drive to the east in China. Levi Bridges has the story from Kazakhstan's capital, Almaty.

An Irish man, Ken Hopkins, was known as "the accordion man" - a moniker that reflected his status among squeezebox aficionados. That's because his life was defined by the instrument - as a player, collector and repairman. At the time of his death last year, he had the largest-known private collection of accordions. Now, his children have brought those instruments to the auction block. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman explain.

Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade wrapped up the first leg of her US tour at a time when Latino immigrant communities face growing political pressure. Her song, "Hasta La Raiz," became an unexpected anthem during pro-immigrant protests in Los Angeles. In an interview with The World's Reporter Tibisay Zea, she reflects on that moment, the fears she carried on tour and her new album, "Cancionera" - a project rooted in tradition, resilience and turning 40.

Earlier this year, an independent book shop just outside the Danish capital Copenhagen received five big boxes of books. There was just one problem: The books were supposed to go to Nairobi in Kenya. Isabella Mousavizadeh Smith, the owner of the store Books and Company told The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that she decided to keep them, and offer a unique window into the kinds of books people a continent away are reading.

More than 15 years after their last performance together, Britpop legends Oasis have reunited with the band playing to packed-out stadiums in their hometown of Manchester this week. But thousands of fans are being priced out. Tickets have soared thanks to scalpers, known in the UK as touts, who've snapped them up and resold them at sky-high prices. Now, the British government says it's planning new laws to curb the practice. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

It's part sport, part art, part political statement. A US-based arts collective called InDecline stages soccer games around the world where the ball is a life-like replica of the head of some controversial world leader. - from Mexico and Brazil to Germany and Spain. The World's Gerry Hadden went to InDecline's latest match outside the small Spanish town of Moia, where players kicked a replica of the late dictator General Francisco Franco's head, marking the 50th anniversary of his death.

Riccardo Baldini, an Italian concert pianist living in Canada, was paralyzed from the waist down six years ago when a cluster of blood vessels burst. He could still play the keys, but he also needed to work the pedals. So, he's created a new system that he calls "Resonate," which allows him to play the pedals with his mouth. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler has more details.

Felix Baumgartner rose to fame in 2012 after becoming the first person to skydive through the stratosphere, breaking the sound barrier with nothing but his body. Yesterday, he died in a paragliding incident in Italy. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with sports psychologist Odette Hornby about what drives extreme athletes to the edges of their sports when the consequences can be so high.

When you call a 1-800 number, you'll often end up speaking to someone in the Philippines. Call centers are a huge part of the country's economy, employing more than a million people. In recent years, Filipino call center workers have heard predictions - that artificial intelligence could wipe out their industry. But for now, AI is having a different effect. It's driving them mad as The World's Patrick Winn has found out.

Musician Brother Ali became known in the early 2000s for his hard-hitting critique of racism and inequality in the US. Two decades later, the white rapper has moved to Turkey on a spiritual journey as a Muslim. He's still producing music but he says his political views are making it harder for him to get his music out there. Reporter Fariba Nawa sat down with the American rapper in Istanbul.