The World: Latest Stories

Large parts of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil are still waterlogged three weeks after heavy rains flooded the state. Local and federal governments have promised to rebuild homes and businesses. But people are still digging out and, as Michael Fox reports, more rain is in the forecast.

US President Joe Biden calls the International Criminal Court's plans to seek arrest warrants for the leaders of Israel and Hamas "outrageous." Since the court was created almost a quarter-century ago, the US has failed to become a state part to the court, even though it helped create it. Carolyn Beeler speaks with David Scheffer, former US ambassador at large for war crimes issues and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

South Korean officials are banning a group of videos and catchy songs glorifying North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un. The songs, released in April, refer to Kim as a "great leader" and a "friendly father" and became big hits online. South Korea's media regulator called the songs and videos "psychological warfare." Host Carolyn Beeler has the details.

Severe turbulence is being blamed for the problems on board a Singapore Airlines flight today that left one man dead and dozens more injured. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Security forces rescued 350 hostages from Boko Haram captivity in Nigeria yesterday. The hostages had been held in a forest enclave by the militants before they were rescued. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Al Chukwuma Okoli, a professor of political science in Nigeria, about the state of Boko Haram and what this means for Nigeria.

Investigators in Britain this week released an explosive report detailing how more than 30,000 UK residents contracted HIV or hepatitis from tainted blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. Survivors of the contamination and their families have welcomed new pledges of compensation. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Cara McGoogan, the author of "Blood Farm: The Explosive Big Pharma Scandal that Altered the AIDS Crisis."

The Dali, the container ship that struck Baltimore's Key Bridge, is now free of the wreckage, but still in Baltimore harbor as it is prepared for offloading. Its crew members are still on board, operating the ship as they remain the subjects of an investigation. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Sal Mercogliano, professor of maritime history at Campbell University, about the crew and their duties, obligations, and rights, as they are prevented from going ashore.

For all of May, people on both sides of the US-Mexico border are trying to document as many species of plants as possible. Naturalists have discovered that there are many species that are now hard to find in the United States, but healthy populations can be found across the border, and now wall, in Mexico. But tagging these species in Mexico can also be a challenge, in part because of risks from cartel activity. Host Carolyn Beeler talks with Sula Vanderplank, a field researcher for Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers, about the push to document species before it's too late.

The top prosecutor at the International Criminal Court today announced a request for arrest warrants from top leaders from both Hamas and the Israeli government. Karim Khan said that he has reason to believe that Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, along with the Israeli defense minister, and three top leaders from Hamas all "bear criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

In 1873, Levi Strauss teamed up with a tailor to add rivets - the small, circular pieces of metal - to denim pants to make them more durable. This created the industrialized version of blue jeans that the company still sells today. But many people think that history means that Levi's, the company, invented denim, the textile. An exhibition in Paris is helping to shed light on the real background. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

The Toussaint L'Ouverture Cultural Center of Massachusetts is set to celebrate its groundbreaking in Boston tonight. It will act as a gathering place and resource for local Haitians. And organizers hope it will also help the legacy of one of history's great leaders live on. GBH's Esteban Bustillos has the story.

An estimated 15 million people are expected to descend on Paris this July for the Olympic Games. The French government has promised that all spectators will be able to reach the sports venues via public transport. A new train line is also set to run from Orly, one of the city's key airports, out to the main Olympic sites. Not all Parisians are convinced that their transport network is up to the task, though. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports from Paris.

In the Republic of Georgia, a controversial bill that's been denounced as "the Russian law" is once again poised to be enacted. The president of Georgia vetoed the measure on Saturday; today, the speaker of the Parliament promised to override that veto. As host Carolyn Beeler reports, similar legislation in Russia is used to crack down on independent news media, nonprofits, and activists who are critical of the Kremlin.

A London court said Monday that the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, can appeal his extradition to the US. The move will further draw out Assange's legal fight against espionage charges that stem from accusations that he encouraged the theft of classified military documents and then published them online. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Iranians woke up on Monday to the news of the death of President Ibraheem Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The officials were traveling in a helicopter when it crashed in a mountainous area in the northwest of the country. The World brings reactions from Tehran and reports on what the deaths of these two high-ranking officials could mean for the future of the country.

Government critics in Tunisia are facing a new wave of arrests in Tunisia. Democracy has been backsliding there since President Kais Saied came to power in 2019. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Tarek Megerisi, a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, about what's behind the arrests and what this means for Tunisia.

In late February two Binance execs were grabbed by Nigeria and accused of manipulating their country's currency, naira. One of them, Tigran Gambaryan, is a former IRS investigator responsible for the earliest takedowns of crooked crypto currency exchanges. Some in the industry believe that Gambaryan is essentially being held hostage by the Nigerian government, hoping for a big payday from Binance. Dina Temple-Raston of the "Click Here" podcast has the story.

A tiny taqueria in Mexico City, with just four items on its menu, has been awarded a star by the French Michelin dining guide. The World's Tibisay Zea visited Tacos El Califa de Leon to learn their cooking secret.

The US military says the first aid shipment has arrived in the Gaza Strip via a floating pier off the coast of the territory. Humanitarian aid officials say basic necessities are desperately needed in Gaza. But the pier is also a sign of a failure in US-Israeli cooperation. The World's Matthew Bell speaks with host Carol Hills.

After the popular "Rascal Raccoon" cartoon series in the late 1970s, Japanese families rushed out to buy raccoons as pets. They discovered that the animals are rascally, as in the series, but much harder to care for than expected, so many abandoned their pets. Those pets bred and the number of raccoons has exploded, creating a scourge of raccoons in Tokyo. Hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler explain.

Nearly a week after flash floods caused by heavy rain devastated villages in northern Afghanistan, survivors are struggling with basic needs like shelter and food. The floods left at least 300 dead and many are still missing. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

France declared a state of emergency in its Pacific Islands territory of New Caledonia. At least three Indigenous Kanak people and two police officers have been killed in violence that began Monday night over a proposed amendment to the French constitution that expands French citizens' eligibility to vote in the archipelago's local elections. The World's Carol Hills speaks with Denise Fisher, a visiting fellow at Australian National University in Canberra From 2001 to 2004, Fisher was based in New Caledonia as Australian Consul-General.

Like alcoholics or drug addicts, many people are hooked on capitalism. That is, shopping for stuff they don't need, and polluting out of convenience. That's what a new group in France says, anyway. These weary citizens are starting to meet, to share their problems and get on a 8-step path to recovery from consumerism. Capitalists Anonymous is for anyone who feels worse the more they buy, or guiltier for using their gas-guzzling car, but can't seem to get unplug from the system. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Marseille, France.

An international group of Egyptologists has conducted research into how materials were transported to build pyramids across Egypt. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Suzanne Onstine, an Egyptologist at the University of Memphis, about the study her team conducted and how it explains Pyramid construction.

It's official. At a FIFA meeting in Thailand today, the federation's president Gianni Infantino announced that Brazil - arguably the most soccer-obsessed country - is going to host the next women's World Cup. The World's Bianca Hillier spoke to several exuberant Brazilians.

In an effort to try stop the proliferation of false visions or apparitions of Mother Mary, the Catholic Church has revised its rules for certifying them. Previously, bishops could recognize them as official. That's no longer the case. The World's Carolyn Beeler talks with Loup Besmond de Senneville, a reporter for La Croix, the leading Catholic news outlet in France, about the new rules handed down today.

China and Russia are both vying for an economic boost during President Vladimir Putin's two-day state visit. Putin wants Chinese leader Xi Jinping to finally endorse a long-proposed gas pipeline and to further strengthen trade and financial ties. Isabel Hilton of the China Dialogue Trust tells The World's Marco Werman that obstacles stand in the way of a closer embrace.

We join Paul Salopek, a National Geographic explorer, on the next leg of his journey across western Kazakhstan. Salopek meets horse wranglers, archaeologists working with flint metal, sufi mystics and musicians all along the ancient silk road, crossing into Central Asia. Host Marco Werman talks with Paul Salopek his experiences.

Scientists have finally cracked the mystery surrounding the ancient baobab trees. The iconic baobabs, known for their peculiar shapes and remarkable longevity, have been traced back to Madagascar around 21 million years ago. Over time, their seeds dispersed via ocean currents, giving rise to distinct species in Australia and mainland Africa. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have the details.

The Punjabi Wave is a style of music blending South Asian sounds and languages with hip-hop beats. And some of the biggest artists in the genre have roots in the Indian state of Punjab, but live and produce their music in Canada. Anita Elash reports from Toronto.

A roundup of stories and things that may not have caught your attention from hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler.

The Darien jungle, between North and South America, has become one of the main routes for migrants heading to the United States, with more than 520,000 people crossing just last year. Many are now documenting their migration journeys with their phones and posting videos on social media platforms. From Bogota, Colombia, Manuel Rueda reports.

Brooklyn's World Spa is "a theme park for spas," according to the managing director, Lenny Vays. The 50,000-square-foot facility offers spa treatments and experiences from across Europe and Asia. The World's Bianca Hillier pays a visit.

The European Union is taking some 20 airlines to task for using terms like "green fares" and "greenest and cleanest" to describe their commitment to the environment. The EU has embarked on a long-term plan to transition to sustainable aviation fuels, and the first benchmark is next year when 2% of the fuel powering aircraft has to be green. Carolyn Beeler speaks with Andrew Charlton, managing director of Aviation Advocacy, about the kinds of sustainable claims the airlines are making.

Joe Biden this week quadrupled tariffs on Chinese made EVs, largely keeping them out of the US market. But around the world, consumers are driving them and loving them. In Australia, for instance, they have taken the market by storm. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports on the car that Americans can't drive.

Singer-song writer Stevie Wonder celebrated his 74th birthday this week by traveling to Ghana and receiving citizenship in the West African nation. The Grammy-winning music icon has a long, deep relationship with sub-Saharan Africa's anti-colonial movements, as author Kevin Gaines tells The World's Marco Werman.

On Wednesday, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a landmark bill to establish universal health insurance in the country. He says it will help make the country's divided health care system more equal. But he faces a lot of criticism at home. This all comes as his party, which has ruled the country since apartheid, faces its toughest election yet later this month. The World's Africa correspondent Halima Gikandi reports.

When the Israeli military seized control of the border crossing at Rafah, on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian government seemed to be taken by surprise. Egypt's government has stopped cooperating with aid shipments going into Rafah. Experts say the 45-year-old Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty is being put at risk. The World's Matthew Bell reports. And we hear from a US aid worker and a Palestinian in Gaza City what it's like for them, more than seven months after the Israeli attacks on Gaza began.

Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, has been rocked by major protests opposing the foreign agent bill, which has now passed the parliament. The president of Georgia is expected to veto the bill but the parliament can override the veto with a majority vote. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Olya Churakova, a Russian journalist, about her experiences as a Russian journalist who was labeled a foreign agent in Russia under a similar law.

In a surprise move, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken showed up at an underground bar in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday night. He joined Ukrainian rock band 19.99 for a rendition of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World." As we hear from hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman, the band was disappointed not to be on stage with the rock legend, but they called Blinken a natural.

The condition of Slovakia's Prime Minster Robert Fico is said to be critical after he was shot several times on Wednesday in what is being described as an assassination attempt. The suspected shooter is said to have been arrested. Fico is close to Russia's Kremlin and a critic of Western support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. The World's Orla Barry talks with host Carolyn Beeler with the latest developments.

A third of the world's population cooks with fuels that produce harmful fumes when burned. Breathing in the fine particles produced by cooking with wood, charcoal, coal, animal dung and agricultural waste can penetrate the lungs and cause multiple respiratory and cardiovascular problems, including cancer and strokes. Women and children are most at risk. Fifty countries gathered in Paris on Tuesday to raise funds to replace dangerous cooking with clean ones. Marco Werman speaks with Dymphna van der Lans, CEO of the Clean Cooking Alliance, who was at the summit.

Singapore has a new prime minister: Lawrence Wong. At 51, he's known as an affable workaholic who loves dogs and plays Taylor Swift songs on his guitar. Less clear is his political vision for the small city state, increasingly tugged in opposite directions by the US and China. The World's Patrick Winn reports on the political and economic headwinds Wong faces.

Three sisters from Saudi Arabia have faced arrest, imprisonment and travel bans because of their online activism. One has fled the country, another is in prison and one faces a travel ban. The case of these sisters has raised questions about previous promises of social freedoms in the kingdom. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

The global solidarity movement against sexual abuse and harassment really took off in 2017, with the trial of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. But it faltered in France. Now, a short film on the topic at Cannes, and a list of alleged sexual abusers is set to be read at the festival, and it has the film industry, and all of France, perhaps, poised to take #MeToo to the next level. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

An activist in Thailand has died following a hunger strike that lasted more than two months. The 28-year-old woman, Netiporn "Bung" Sanesangkhom, wanted to draw attention to Thailand's law against insulting the country's monarchy - a law she'd been charged with herself. Thailand has some of the world's strictest laws against royal defamation - with some offenders receiving decadeslong prison sentences. The World's Patrick Winn is following the story from Bangkok.

Canada faced a ferocious wildfire season last year. So, far this year appears to be headed on the same trajectory as communities faced evacuations and property losses in the western provinces. One trigger has been smoldering underground fires from last years blazes. They're dubbed "zombie fires." Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Jennifer Baltzer, a forest ecologist, about the role of zombie fires and what this wildfire season could look like in Canada.

The French road safety association "Victims and Citizens" launched a campaign this week asking motorists to "drive like a woman." The idea is to reduce the number of traffic deaths. The organization notes that 84% of deadly road accidents in France are caused by men. And nearly all alcohol-related accidents are caused by men as well. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman explain.

In the South Caucasus, neighboring countries Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars in the years since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The conflict was about the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority-ethnic Armenian region inside Azerbaijan. In September, Azerbaijan's military seized Nagorno-Karabakh, which resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of Armenians. Now, the two countries are engaged in peace talks. The World's Daniel Ofman reports that many Armenians are not happy.

Students from China and its island of Hong Kong travel thousands of miles to study in European and North American universities. Yet they regularly face surveillance and harassment from authorities back home. In a new report from Amnesty International, dozens of students describe the intimidation they and family members encounter. Amnesty's China director, Sarah Brooks, talks with The World's Carolyn Beeler.