The World: Latest Stories

Nigel Richards is a professional Scrabble player from New Zealand who won this year's Spanish-language Scrabble world championship despite two obvious handicaps: It was the first time he'd entered the tournament and, more importantly, he doesn't speak Spanish. Richards is a global phenom and has also won the French-language Scrabble world championship twice in recent years despite not knowing French. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with 2024 North American Scrabble champion Mack Meller about how Richards does it and the fascination he has inspired among Scrabble players around the world.

Nuclear waste from fuel production is tricky. If mishandled, it can irradiate large areas and drinking water - and linger for decades. Canada has recently come to an agreement to bury nuclear waste deep under the ground near the remote town of Ignace. Edwin Lyman is the director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, who explains how the disposal process ideally works and what makes it challenging.

Sometimes it feels like we're all getting dumber. A new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) sheds light on the matter. It found reading and math scores for adults in most of the world's high-income countries have declined during the past decade. One of the study's authors, the OECD's Glenda Quintini, talks with The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about the findings.

Kenya's Ruth Chepng'etich won the Chicago Marathon in October in the fastest time ever recorded for the distance. She crossed the finish line in just 2 hours, 9 minutes and 56 seconds. That's faster than 5 minutes per mile. The win was so extraordinary that it had some people questioning whether it was valid. Now, the results are in and Chepng'etich's world record is finally official. The World's Bianca Hillier has the details.

Governments across Europe have paused asylum applications from Syrians following the fall of President Bashar Al Assad. Germany, which is home to close to a million Syrian refugees, announced this week that it is freezing its asylum application system because the situation in Syria is so unclear. The Austrian government said it is planning a deportation program for Syrians living in the country. The speed at which European countries have announced the change is being condemned by human rights groups. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

Syrians waited in long queues at border gates in southern Turkey this week, preparing to return to the country. With a dictator gone and loved ones newly released from prison, many Syrians who have lived in Turkey for years are eager to return. Others say an evolving security situation and financial concerns are giving them pause. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, northern Spain, helped transform a post-industrial city in decay into a hub for culture and tourism. The museum wants to expand that success by opening annexes in the nearby Basque countryside. But the site it's chosen is ruffling some feathers: an old shipyard abutting the an important bird sanctuary and migratory resting spot. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from the Urdaibai wetlands.

With Canada's first WNBA team, a new soccer league and a successfully launched hockey league, Toronto is on the forefront of the growth of women's sports. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on the movement and how it could impact young Canadians.

Chiung Yao, a romance writer who published best-selling novels in the Chinese-speaking world, died on Wednesday. She was 86. She died at her home in New Taipei City, Taiwan. She began writing in the early '60s, and almost single-handedly helped shape the idea of romantic love for generations. Her novels were so popular that many named their children after her characters. The World's Sarah Birnbaum reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stand today in his long-running corruption trial. He faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and taking bribes - all of which he denies. Host Carolyn Beeler has the details.

In the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, the Israeli government canceled tens of thousands of Palestinian work permits, leaving many important sectors - agriculture and construction in particular - understaffed. Meanwhile, youth unemployment in India has people there looking for jobs outside their own country. That's created a new labor migration pipeline from India to Israel. Sushmita Pathak reports from New Delhi on the workers being lured to a conflict zone for work.

The universe's rate of expansion is 8% faster than all theories on the subject suggest. That's been confirmed by data from the James Webb Space Telescope in a paper published this week. The paper corroborates previous data from the Hubble Space Telescope. Host Carolyn Beeler explains the details.

As many Syrians rejoice at the downfall of the former dictatorship in their country, they also face immediate challenges. Israel has been conducting numerous strikes on targets across Syria, many of which have reportedly destroyed chemical weapons stores belonging to the former Assad regime. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Natasha Hall, a senior fellow at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, about what Israel is seeking to accomplish with its strikes on Syria.

The number of foreign-born older people in the US is increasing fast: It's expected to reach 23% of the total older population by 2060. But the US health care system is not well prepared to cater to aging immigrants. In an increasingly immigrant community in the Hamptons, in New York, Ashley Milne-Tyte reports on a hospital offering fall prevention classes in Spanish.

Ghana's former President John Dramani Mahama has clinched a comeback election victory and will return to power seven years after stepping down. High youth unemployment and a crumbling economy were top of mind for many voters, as reporter Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman tells The World's Host Carol Hills.

In South Korea, a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol failed over the weekend. The motion was called after Yoon unexpectedly declared martial law last week, sending waves of panic across the country. While the impeachment vote failed, Yoon now faces an investigation and a travel ban. But the country is now facing political uncertainty, with many calling for the president to resign.

This year marked the end of the latest El Nino, a climate event that warmed the Pacific Ocean and played a role in 2024 becoming the hottest year on record. This winter, a La Nina could begin. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Chris Callahan, a climate scientist at Stanford University. He joined the show from Palo Alto, California.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country and, for the first time in two decades, Syrians say they are experiencing a taste of freedom. Assad brutally repressed a popular uprising, which started in 2011. His forces killed, tortured and imprisoned those who spoke out against the government. During the 13-year war, Assad used chemical weapons on his own people and besieged and starved people living in areas under opposition control. The World's Shirin Jaafari has been speaking with Syrians about what his departure means to them.

The Hindu festival of Maha Kumbh Mela only takes place once every 12 years. But when it does, it's big. The previous festival in the cycle was the largest peaceful gathering of humans ever recorded. Next month's festival is promising to dwarf that record.

In 2018, singer-guitarist Olguita Acuna left Nicaragua in the dead of night, following death threats and police harassment. Acuna made it to neighboring Costa Rica, sofa surfed, and, like many others forced to flee Nicaragua, applied for refugee status. Now, she's carrying on her activism. Jamie Fullerton reports.

When you're more than 7,000 miles away from where you spent most of your childhood, there's nothing like playing a familiar game from home. In Denver, 18 boys from Afghanistan are getting to play cricket with other boys as part of an effort to bring the sport to more Colorado youth. Colorado Public Radio's Jenny Brundin reports.

Russian state news agencies reported yesterday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Russia where they will be granted asylum. For years, the Kremlin's political backing and military support has enabled Assad to cling onto power. Today, Russia's military still has boots on the ground in Syria - but with the fall of the Assad regime, that military foothold has become uncertain. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

A new directive from Taliban leaders bans women from studying dentistry, nursing and midwifery. The group, which took over the country by force in 2021 after the US withdrawal, also reportedly prevents women from getting treatment from male doctors unless a male guardian is present. Human rights activists say they are alarmed about what these restrictions mean for the future of Afghan women's access to healthcare. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

If you - like us - are concerned about the overindulgences of the holiday season, you might want to take a cue from the Italians. In Italy, it's a common practice to take a brisk walk after a big meal. The stroll is often a chance to see and be seen, an opportunity to appreciate the neighborhood where you live, and yes, a way to work off a few calories. The World's Durrie Bouscaren takes us along for a stroll.

As Ghana prepares for a presidential election this weekend, cocoa farmers are listening to hear what the candidates propose to help the troubled sector. Ghana is one of the world's top producer of cocoa beans, but extreme weather and pests are taking a toll on yields. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman visits some cocoa farms and production facilities in eastern Ghana to hear what people there think could help the industry.

Romanian politics was thrown into turmoil on Friday after its constitutional court announced the nullification of the country's presidential election. A runoff election was due to be held on Sunday after a far-right candidate who'd expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin won the first round. His opponent was a law-maker on the center-right. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry explains.

A rebel coalition in Syria took the central city of Hama on Thursday. The city's capture is a strategic and symbolic victory for opposition forces. The rebel coalition that took the city is called Hay'at Tahrir Al Sham, and it's led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with journalist and filmmaker Martin Smith about his 2021 film "The Jihadist," which features Jolani and follows his efforts to rule over a rebel enclave in the northwestern part of Syria.

On Saturday, Notre-Dames de Paris - the iconic Paris landmark - will open its doors with an official ceremony after five years of restoration work. In 2019, the cathedral's bells fell silent after a devastating fire. The World's Carolyn Beeler spoke to Mathieu Lours to hear about what it took to rebuild Notre-Dame. Lours is an architectural historian and the author of the official history of the renovation. The book is called "Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris."

Learnmore Jonasi, from a small village in Zimbabwe, is making a name for himself in the US comedy scene. And yes, his first name really is Learnmore. Carol Hills speaks with the comedian.

After US prosecutors indicted senior Bahamian police officials for trafficking cocaine, opposition lawmakers in the Bahamas have been asking the ruling government questions. When an opposition leader wasn't given time to pose questions to the government, he took the long mace that sits on the house speaker's desk and threw it out the window. Zhivargo Laing explains how the US indictments have ruffled Bahamian politics.

Taylor Swift's worldwide "Eras" tour has grossed more than a billion dollars since it began in March 2023, boosting hotel stays, restaurant visits and Swifty tourism on five continents. As the tour comes to an end this Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia, hosts Carol Hills and Carolyn Beeler look at the economic impact of Swift's appearances on the local economies where she performed.

Forty years ago, nearly 30 tons of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from Union Carbide Corporation's pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. The incident exposed more than 570,000 people to toxic chemicals and claimed more than 10,000 lives within three days. Since then, there have been over 22,000 additional deaths related to the disaster. Its effects continue in chronic illnesses, adverse reproductive outcomes and genetic damage among survivors in the community. And four decades on, victims and their relatives are still seeking justice. Host Marco Werman speaks with Mark Dummett of Amnesty International about the deadly legacy of the chemical disaster in Bhopal.

A new and powerful weather forecasting model GenCast from Google is said to be more accurate than one of the most-reliable models in the world run by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. That's according to research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The study found that GenCast could also better predict extreme weather, a growing concern due to climate change. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Matthew Chantry, machine learning coordinator at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, to understand what makes this tool reportedly so effective.

As protests against the ruling party in Georgia continue, the number of demonstrators arrested continues to grow. More than 400 arrests have been made in the past week in Tbilisi, the country's capital, and many of those arrested have had their faces published showing quite gruesome injuries. This week, Georgia's public ombudsman accused the police of using severe violence against protesters as a form of punishment that constitutes torture. Andrew Connelly reports from Tbilisi.

France is facing political instability following the collapse of the country's coalition government led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Pierre Bentata, a French professor at Aix Marseille University, on what this means for Emanuel Macron and the arc of his presidency.

Peter Gabriel's RealWorld record label apparently had these recordings from 1990, but only tracked them down in their archives three years ago. The new album is one of 2024's big surprising music releases and is titled "Chain of Light." Even in death, Ali Khan continues to draw international attention to his style of Sufi chanting known as "qawwali."

Voters in the West African nation of Ghana are heading to the polls this weekend for a pivotal presidential election. They are focused on the economy. Specifically: the lack of work, especially for young people. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman brings us the story from the capital, Accra.

The illegal flow of guns from the US to Mexico is made possible by the combination of Mexico's strict gun control laws and the easy access Americans have to firearms. Every year, more than 10,000 firearms found in Mexican crime scenes are traced back to the United States. Gun control activists call it the "iron river," and jt has had a devastating impact south of the border. From KPBS in San Diego, Gustavo Solis reports.

Pope Francis will greet pilgrims in St. Peter's Square from his new open-top popemobile. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman review this all-electric Mercedes-Benz. One standout feature: an elevated seat for Francis - so crowds have a better chance of seeing him. It's the newest version of the pope's ride, which began with the first papal automobile in 1929.

The 2024 list of most-mispronounced words is out. Each year, the language-learning company Babbel and closed-captioning company The Captioning Group track the pronunciation gaffes of politicians, news anchors and the like, and compiles a US and UK list. Host Marco Werman speaks to Esteban Touma, a Palestinian and Ecuadorean linguistic and cultural expert at Babbel.

Idlib has long been a stronghold of rebel resistance to the Syrian government during the long civil war. Since the rebel offensive recently retook Aleppo, airstrikes have restarted inside the city. These bombings have defined life in rebel-held territory, turning it into a brutal grind that Leila Molana-Allen, a correspondent for "PBS News Hour," documented. She speaks with host Carolyn Beeler.

On Wednesday, France's prime minister, Michel Barnier, was ousted after far-right and left-wing ministers joined forces to topple his leadership. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman have the latest.

Sex workers in Belgium will soon be entitled to maternity leave, a pension and some guaranteed safety measures in their place of work. The law, the first of its kind in the world, comes into effect this week. Sex workers unions in Belgium welcomed the move but women's rights groups have called it a backward step. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports.

In South Korea on Wednesday, the streets were relatively calm after a night that many saw as the beginning of a coup d'etat. That followed President Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial declaration of martial law. With the president now facing an impeachment effort by parliament, many Koreans are calm but concerned. Host Marco Werman speaks with Peter Moller about how everyday people experienced the events. He's a resident of South Korea and director of KoRoot, a human rights organization there.

Protests have rocked the country of Georgia after the ruling Georgian Dream Party announced that it will suspend its European Union membership process until 2028. This declaration seems to be in retaliation for the EU parliament deeming the recent elections in Georgia as neither free nor fair, and calling for a rerun under international supervision as well as sanctions on high level government officials. Andrew Connelly reports from the capital city, Tblisi.

Tulsi Gabbard campaigned for Donald Trump in the run-up to November's election. She's an Army vet. And she spent eight years in Congress. Gabbard has no high-level experience with intelligence, but Trump has nominated her as Director of National Intelligence. People with experience in the intelligence field are expressing concerns about Gabbard's lack of qualifications for the DNI position. Some are also concerned about her past statements on national security matters that appear to parrot Kremlin talking points. The World's Matthew Bell reports.

In Japan, a growing number of elderly workers are staying on the job well past the typical retirement age. It's part of a larger trend driven by an aging population that remains active in the workforce. One of the most-common roles for seniors? Taxi driving. Reporter Rebecca Rosman takes a ride across Tokyo with one such cabbie.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman give quick updates on news you may have missed.

Europe's longest left-breaking wave suddenly disappeared some 20 years ago. The culprit: dredging by a nearby shipyard and by local government. The deeper water doomed the Wave of Mundaka, leaving surfers and townsfolk nostalgic to this day. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Spain's Basque Country in the north.

A coalition of rebel forces in Syria is continuing its advance following its capture of Aleppo. The rebels continue to take towns and villages as they move south toward the central city of Hama. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Aron Lund, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, to find out more about the rebels and how they've been able to conduct this rapid advance through Syria.