The World: Latest Stories

Host Carolyn Beeler wraps up the with the music of Icelandic wunderkind Gabriel Olafs and a composition that reflects the deeply calming side of his music.This story originally aired on Aug. 5, 2022

This week marked one year since the fall of the Assad regime and the end of the Syrian Civil War. To understand how things are going - and where things are headed - we turn to Amr Al-Azm. He's a Syrian historian at Shawnee University. When we spoke to him last year, there was an overwhelming sense that, finally, the war was over. Today, he joined the show from Doha, Qatar.

Across the UK and Europe, thousands of aging landfills are at risk of leaking toxic waste. That's in part due to climatedriven flooding and erosion. A joint investigation by a UK-based environmental journalism nonprofit, Watershed Investigations, and Investigate Europe mapped more than 60,000 sites and found that 30% lie within flood zones. Watershed's Leana Hosea has the story.

FIFPRO, the union representing professional soccer players around the world, released a report today emphasizing the need for better investment in women's soccer, plus more mandatory rest periods in the annual schedule. The report says that "a two-speed industry is continuing to emerge in women's professional [soccer] with widely contrasting levels of workload for players across the industry." The World's Bianca Hillier has the details.

This week, the Trump Administration announced sanctions against Colombians involved in hiring out mercenaries to the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group fueling Sudan's civil war that the US says is involved in genocide. But this isn't the first time Colombian soldiers for hire have cropped up in a conflict zone. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learned more from Elizabeth Dickinson, deputy director for Latin America with the Crisis Group, who's based in Bogota.

From September to October this year, law enforcement agencies around the world seized a record number of illegally traded live animals and bushmeat. That's according to Interpol, which led the sting known as Operation Thunder 2025. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Christian Plowman, program manager at the the International Fund for Animal Welfare's department of wildlife cybercrime.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya was the head of the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza. Despite repeated orders from the Israeli army, he refused to leave his patients and evacuate. Last December, Israeli tanks surrounded the hospital and forced him and his staff to come out. They did, and the doctor was arrested and taken away. A year on, Abu Safiya remains in Israeli detention without being formally charged. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports about the fate of the last doctor in northern Gaza.

Paul Salopek is a National Geographic explorer retracing the path of human migration. More specifically, the scientific community's best guess for the likely path of early human migration. While walking through China, he visited the Academy of Sciences and met with paleo-anthropologists there, who shared their discoveries that cast some doubt on some popular theories of human evolution. He joins Host Carolyn Beeler to share what he learned.

Artist Kirstie Macleod is the mastermind behind a massive piece of art that took 14 years and 380 people to create. It's called, simply: The Red Dress project. While the dress is made of burgundy silk, artists around the world have embroidered their own unique, colorful designs onto it to show off their cultures and countries. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on what the dress means to the people involved.

For generations, wool was a trusty European staple. But with the rise - and rise - of cheap synthetic materials, wool's being pushed out. The knock-on effect has been that wool's gone from being a valuable resource to a waste by-product for cheese and meat-producing sheep farmers. Reporter Dany Mitzman from our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, has the story.

Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves, but production has collapsed in recent years due to corruption, under-investment and mismanagement. Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, discusses the future of the troubled industry in Venezuela with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler.

Spanish police arrested three men in November, after months of surveillance alongside Europol counterterrorism agents. The suspects are accused of plotting an imminent terrorist attack, and of belonging to a terrorist organization known as The Base, which started in the US in 2018. The group seeks societal collapse through violence, then to establish white-dominated ethnostates. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

At the end of last month, Quebec's provincial government introduced a bill that aims to expand it's authority to restrict religious expression in public. It would ban group prayer in public spaces like parks, stop public institutions from serving only halal or kosher foods and prevent universities from providing prayer rooms and interfaith spaces for religious students. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Haseeb Hassaan from the National Council of Canadian Muslims to hear more about this law and why it was introduced.

Construction plans for plants intended to create "green hydrogen" - hydrogen fuel made from renewable electricity - are being canceled in countries around the world. The technology has been hyped as a method of decarbonizing industries with persistent emissions, but it also comes at a high price point. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Morgan Rote, senior director at the Environmental Defense Fund, to learn more.

Last month, gunmen stormed a school in Papiri, Nigeria, kidnapping more than 300 students and staff. About 100 of the children were released over the weekend and some are now being welcomed home by their parents. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have the details.

A federally-funded program has long made free legal counsel available to unaccompanied immigrant children seeking asylum in the US. But the Trump administration slashed funding for the program earlier this year. The money has since been restored. As Alisa Reznick of KJZZ's Fronteras Desk explains, the system is still hurting from the lapse.

In India, mangoes are known as the "king of fruits." But as wars disrupt trade routes, and flooding in fields leads to mushy mangoes, the country's farmers are trying to innovate, and fast. Reporter Namrata Kolachalam went to fields and factories in and around the city of Chitoor to see for herself.

The Chinese ultra-fast-fashion retailer Shein has recently taken up residence on the sixth floor of Paris' historic BHV department store. Despite the fanfare, the first brick-and-mortar location of the global fast-fashion giant has gotten a lot of criticism, ranging from outrage over the company's recent scandals to the idea that fast fashion doesn't belong in the iconic Parisian store. John Laurenson brings us the story from Paris.

China is adding new restrictions on 13 chemicals that are used to make the synthetic opioid behind most overdose deaths in the United States. The move stems from a recent Trump-Xi agreement and is meant to curb the flow of precursors from China to Mexico, where cartels produce most of the illegal fentanyl entering the US. But experts say the impact may be limited: Traffickers adapt quickly, many ingredients remain unregulated and new suppliers - like India - could easily step in. The World's Tibisay Zea reports from Mexico City.

A sperm donor whose genetic material was used to conceive nearly 200 children in at least 14 European countries didn't know he carried a mutation that increases the risk of cancer. Deutsche Welle, DW, investigative journalist Naomi Conrad joined Host Carolyn Beeler to discuss the obligations sperm banks have when genetic abnormalities are discovered.

For more than a year, student-led protests over government corruption and negligence have shaken Serbia. Protesters often gather in central Belgrade, at the bombed-out former headquarters of the Yugoslav Army. The building, which was struck by NATO in 1999, is regarded by many Serbs as a memorial to the dead. Now, the site is slated for a dramatic transformation under a deal struck between the government and a company owned by Jared Kushner, son-in-law to US President Donald Trump. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Maria Corina Machado came out of hiding in Venezuela to accept the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. But the secret operation to sneak her out of the country safely by boat didn't get her there in time, and her daughter accepted the award in her place. The World's Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

In Iraq, 2025 has been the driest year on record since 1933. Water storage levels have dropped dramatically. Politicians blame climate change, but there are other factors at play, as well. Durrie Bouscaren reports from the Al-Diwaniyah region of Iraq.

Even as the US slaps hefty tariffs on Chinese goods, the country's trade surplus is on the rise. Eswar Prasad, an economist who specializes in trade policy at Cornell University joined Host Marco Werman to shed light on what's driving the trend, and what it means for the global economy.

In the US, President Donald Trump shut the door to asylum seekers on his first day in office. Since then, many previously hoping for protection in the US have started looking to Mexico as a possible safe haven. But Mexico's asylum system has challenges of its own. Nina Kravinsky of KJZZ's Fronteras Desk brings us this installment of our Chasing Asylum series, from the Mexico-Arizona border.

Zahili Zamora was born and raised in the Cuban port city of Manzanillo, but her music has taken her to Canada, Southeast Asia and now the United States, where she's recently become a citizen. Her Cuban heritage and status as an immigrant inspired her new album: "Overcoming." Zamora recently joined Host Carolyn Beeler to share her music and her story.

Lenacapavir is one of the latest HIV-prevention drugs that health experts are looking to, in the effort to end the HIV epidemic. Reporter Leah Kahunde Ndung'u examines what Lenacapavir's rollout could mean for Uganda - one of two trial countries in Africa.

Last week, US President Donald Trump unexpectedly pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was serving a 45-year sentence for cocaine trafficking. Hernandez walked out of federal prison in the US. But the attorney general in Honduras has now ordered authorities there to arrest him. Back home, Hernandez is facing allegations of fraud and money laundering. His lawyer says the charges are "completely baseless." For now, though, Juan Orlando Hernandez is not taking any chances. He's in hiding, and his whereabouts are unknown.

In the Netherlands, a character known as Zwarte Piet has traditionally appeared alongside Sinterklaus - Dutch Santa Claus - as a "helper." He shows up at parades and Christmas parties - in Blackface. Activists like Jerry Afriyie say the character normalizes and promotes racism in the country. His anti-racism organization is now ending its 15-year campaign to "Kick Out Zwarte Piet." Joining the show from Amsterdam, Afriyie explains the decision.

Move over Vancouver - Buenos Aires may have snagged this honor from you: the largest-ever gathering of golden retrievers. Volunteers recorded 2,397 golden retrievers in attendance at a park in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Monday. If confirmed, that demolishes Vancouver's effort last year, with just under 1,700 floofy pups. Host Marco Werman breaks out a lint roller to share the details.

India's main airline cancelled thousands of flights this past week, leaving passengers stranded in cities across the country. Videos show travelers banging on customer service counters and yelling at airline employees. The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel explains that the fiasco is exposing flaws in the country's booming aviation industry.

Despite aggressive immigration enforcement activities in the US - in the courts, and on the streets - applications for asylum in the country are at an all-time high. So, too, are rejections. Alisa Reznick reports from the Frontera Desk in Tucson, AZ.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman catch you up on headlines in the news you may have missed.

The 2025 US National Security Strategy, unveiled late Thursday, has revived fears of US gunboat diplomacy' in Latin America. Arturo Sarukhan, a former Mexican ambassador to the US, talks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about what the Trump Administration's embrace of a world view that explicitly prioritizes spheres of power" will mean for Latin America.

An ancient boat discovered off the coast of Alexandria matches descriptions of what were known in the time of Queen Cleopatra as pleasure boats." Researchers say the 114-foot-long vessel likely dates to the first century CE, when the Roman Empire controlled Egypt, and was used by the city's "royal court for excursions" and "crowds of revelers" during festivals. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learned more from Franck Goddio, the president of the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology.

Today marks a year since the regime of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled in Syria. The World's Shirin Jaafari brings us perspectives from Syrians reflecting on the past year.

As Turkey looks ahead to its next presidential election in 2028, critics of the current leadership say political repression is getting worse. The murder of journalist Hakan Tosun has raised the level of alarm. Reporter Ylenia Gostoli has been looking into the case for our partners at Deutsche Welle

From gold-leaf lettering to hand-painting shop windows, a handful of artisans are reviving a skill that was nearly lost to printers fifty years ago. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Paris.

In 2015, Pope Francis set the Vatican on a path toward full reliance on solar power. Now, under Pope Leo's direction, the Vatican has joined seven other countries in being fully powered by solar energy. The way it got there holds lessons for other nations with similar aims. Dan Misleh, founder and executive director of the Catholic Climate Covenant, talks with Host Carolyn Beeler about one key innovation: agrivoltaics.

A rare floral phenomenon is unfolding in Rio de Janeiro. Talipot palms are blooming in the city's Flamengo Park and Botanic Garden. The palms flower only once, towards the end of their 40-80-year lifespan. The World's Carolyn Beeler has the story.

We all know conch shells as loud horns that can be heard from long distances. Humans have used them for millennia for messaging. But a team of researchers in Barcelona has proposed that a nearby collection might also have been used to make melodies. And to prove it, they played them. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

A new report by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines raises concerns about a sharp rise in the number of people killed or injured by landmines. The majority of the casualties are civilians, it said. This comes at a time when five European countries are walking away from a decades-old treaty that banned the production and use of landmines. A development that has activists worried. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

Heads of state and soccer's most powerful officials alike were in Washington, DC today for the official draw of the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the US next summer. The World's Bianca Hillier talks with Host Carolyn Beeler about the spectacle taking place on and off the field.

Germany and other European countries are concerned about the threat posed by a resurgent Russia. So many of them are boosting defense spending and the size of their armies. One of the main concerns is making armies more mobile and better able to work together within NATO. Germany's foreign minister has said that Russia is at least creating the option of a war against NATO by 2029". DW's Brussels-based security correspondent, Teri Schultz, reports on Europe's ongoing efforts to strengthen its forces to defend the frontline

Somalis in the country's capital say they're discouraged by what they heard recently from the president of the United States. Speaking to reporters in Mogadishu, they called Trump's remarks intolerable and un-presidential. Host Carolyn Beeler has more.

Some of the auto industry's biggest innovators gathered in Shenzhen earlier this year for the Automotive World China Exhibition. From electric cars to self-driving sanitation vehicles, the event made it clear that the future of transportation is already here - and China is leading the way. The World's Jeremy Siegel reports from Shenzhen in the final installment of a five-part series on China's transformation.

England and Wales have a backlog of 78,000 criminal cases awaiting trial by jury. That backlog is expected to continue growing if left unchecked. To clear that backlog, Justice Secretary David Lammy has proposed reforms to jury trials in which many crimes would be tried and ruled upon by a judge or tribunal, with no jury to make the final verdict. Carolyn Beeler speaks to Sailesh Mehta, a lawyer in London, to learn more.

The UK has long sent its soldiers for training at a military base in central Kenya. But relations with the local communities near the facility have been uneasy for some time. Now, a two-year-long investigation by Kenyan lawmakers links the British soldiers to unresolved killings, sexual abuse and environmental harm. Kenyan investigative journalist John-Allen Namu discusses the fallout from the report with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler.

Acclaimed Iranian film director Jafar Panahi's latest thriller, "It Was Just an Accident," clinched this year's Palme d'Or award. This week, Tehran charged Panahi with creating propaganda against the government and sentenced him to a year in prison in absentia. Panahi speaks with The World's Host Marco Werman about the risks he takes, and his new movie that explores guilt, blame and moral ambiguity.

"They are targeting our existence," Manal Tamimi - a Palestinian activist in the Israeli-occupied West Bank - recently told The Associated Press. She was referring to extremist Jewish settlers who've been carrying out a torrent of attacks against Palestinians. According to the United Nations, an average of eight attacks have taken place every day in recent weeks. These include arson attacks, violent beatings and property damage. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with freelance journalist Dalia Hatuqa, who splits her time between Ramallah in the West Bank and Amman, Jordan.