The World: Latest Stories

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said today that he received assurances from China that it is not supplying Iran with weapons. This follows a CNN report last week that US intelligence found evidence of China planning to send Iran defense system transfers. To understand the strategic ties between Iran and China, Host Marco Werman speaks to Ahmed Aboudouh, an associate fellow at Chatham House in London.

Ukraine is showcasing its rapid advances in high-tech warfare. This week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced his country's robot soldiers to the world, in a video that's now gone viral. He described how his troops captured a Russian position relying only on ground robotic systems and unmanned aerial vehicles. Arthur Holland Michel, a writer and researcher covering AI and other emerging technologies, discusses the implications with The World's Host Marco Werman.

Today marks three years since the start of Sudan's civil war. Thousands are believed to have died [NOTE: 20,000 up to 150,000 according to estimates] and millions have been forced to flee [14 million from UN estimates]. The United Nations has called the conflict the world's worst health and humanitarian crisis." The aid group Doctors Without Borders warned last month that sexual violence has become not only a weapon of war, but an everyday occurrence. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learned more from the group's project coordinator Stephanie Hoffman in Khartoum.

For Allison Yang, the founder of the video game studio Reality Reload, the H-1B visa process has all the basic elements of a game. Time, skill, strategy and a lot of rules. Players have a certain degree of control, but other aspects are pure luck - similar to the roll of dice. From KQED in San Francisco, Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman reports on a new video game designed to help people get an H-1B visa to work in the US.

Today marks three years since the start of Sudan's civil war. Thousands are believed to have died and as many as 14 million have been forced to flee. In Berlin Wednesday, an international conference hoped to encourage peace talks - though neither side had representatives present. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learned more from Alex de Waal, the executive director of the World Peace Foundation at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Spain has pulled no punches in its opposition to the Israeli-US war in Iran. And it has earned a lot of praise around the world especially as much of the rest of Europe waffles. Turkey is particularly pleased, as it has no interest in more instability on its own doorstep. Turkish leaders have been lauding Spain for its courage in standing up to US President Donald Trump. And, as The World's Gerry Hadden reports, one of Turkey's leading industries is offering Spaniards a gift in return: hair transplants.

Venezuela has passed a new mining law to attract foreign investment and revive its struggling economy. But in the country's south, much of the sector is already controlled by armed groups, with widespread illegal mining and environmental damage. As the government promises reform, investors remain cautious - raising questions about whether the industry can be formalized, or whether the same risks that shaped it will continue. The World's Latin America Correspondent Tibisay Zea reports.

Austrian musician Manu Delago plays the handpan, while Brooklyn-based musician Max ZT plays the hammered dulcimer. They met almost 10 years ago when Delago was on a US tour with Bjork. They bonded over their love and desire to play lesser-known percussive instruments. Last year, they finally got the chance to record together in a 13th-century monastery in the Austrian Alps. The result is their album "Deuce."

Scientists are zeroing in on wastewater surveillance of airplanes as a critical tool to quickly detect the global spread of emerging pathogens. To learn more about what a monitoring system would look like, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler went to Logan International Airport in Boston to speak with Alessandro Vespignani, a professor at Northeastern University and director of the Network Science Institute.This story originally aired on March 11, 2025.

Today, the induction of Fela Kuti and Sade Adu into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame marks the first time Nigerians are honored by the Hall's voters. If rock 'n' roll came from the blues and the blues came from work songs of enslaved Africans, then today can be seen as the boomerang making a complete circle. Host Marco Werman has more.

It's supposed to be the most joyful time of the year in Thailand. Songkran, or Thai Buddhist New Year, is a time for merrymaking and washing away negativity - literally, by splashing strangers on the street with water guns and pouring water over elders' hands in a show of respect. Lots of tourists fly in to join Thais for giant water fights; Thais flock to their home provinces to seek blessings from parents and grandparents. But, as Patrick Winn reports, the Iran war is throwing a huge damper on this year's celebrations.

Luis Carlos Rua was voted into Colombia's national Congress in March. But throughout the campaign, he wasn't known by his name or real-life identity. He was known for social media videos where he appeared in a white elephant costume, pointing out long-delayed projects receiving government funding. Manuel Rueda has the story from Bogota.

Pope Leo XIV was in Algeria on Tuesday as part of his 10-day visit to African nations. While visiting the Muslim-majority country, the pontiff condemned those who wage war. The pope's criticism of the US-led war with Iran has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump, who called the faith leader "weak." To learn more about the trip and Pope Leo's role in geopolitics, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Mathew Schmalz, founding editor of the Journal of Global Catholicism and professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross.

In the US-Israel war on Iran, governments have clamped down on what information gets out. Iran has shut down the internet and the Gulf monarchies have arrested individuals who posted videos of the damage following strikes. In Israel, the military has control over what's reported and in Lebanon, journalists are being targeted and killed. And while all this is taking place, authorities are pushing their own version of events through state media and propaganda to shape how the war is understood. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

For the first time in more than 30 years, delegations from Israel and Lebanon are meeting for direct talks in Washington, DC. But Hezbollah - the Iran-backed militia that's embedded in Lebanon and currently fighting with Israel - is not at the table. Maya Yahya, who directs the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, joined Host Carolyn Beeler for a conversation about Lebanon's likely goals and negotiating position.

It was just over a year ago that the Trump administration deported hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Those deportations were part of a deal between US President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. That deal is the subject of a new documentary by our partners at Frontline: "Trump, Bukele & the Gangs of El Salvador." Director Juan Ravell joins Host Marco Werman for a conversation about what Bukele stands to gain from this arrangement.

Israel has long discounted the possibility of diplomatic talks with Lebanon, but according to Jerusalem-based journalist Noga Tarnopolsky, there also hasn't been a real offer on the table - until now. In a conversation with Host Carolyn Beeler, Tarnopolsky sheds light on the pressures that compelled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to send a delegation to negotiate with Lebanon, what the Israeli public hopes to hear coming out of these talks and the limits of what today's meeting is likely to achieve.

Some airline pilots in the Middle East claim they're facing pressure to fly in or near conflict zones. Now, the largest international group representing commercial pilots is calling for pilots to have "final and non-negotiable" authority to refuse flights. The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel spoke with several pilots about the issue.

The election results in Hungary are seismic. After four consecutive terms under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, champion of what's been called "illiberal democracy," the people of Hungary voted overwhelmingly on Sunday for opposition leader Peter Magyar to take the country in a new direction. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry joins host Carolyn Beeler to explain the significance of this moment.

From blast-off to landing, the voyage of Artemis II around the moon and back brought a sense of wonder to the astronauts who made the journey, as well as to those back home looking at pictures and videos. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler take a moment to share a poignant message from one crew member, after this weekend's splashdown.

Tributes are pouring in from around the globe for singer Asha Bhosle, who died yesterday at the age of 92. Her music has been a soundtrack for people's lives, over multiple generations. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with NYU professor Tejaswini Ganti to get a sense of why people connected so profoundly with Bhosle's music.

US and Iranian delegations met in person at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad this weekend. They spoke for 21 hours without achieving a breakthrough. Former Deputy US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, chief negotiator for the Obama-era nuclear deal, isn't surprised the talks broke down. She explains to The World's Host Carolyn Beeler how DOGE and the dismantling of US diplomatic expertise are hindering US efforts to end the war.

They're dolls, but you might not realize it unless you pick one up. They're known as "reborn babies," and they originated in the US. But they've really caught on in Iberia, where people collect the life-like dolls, role-play as parents online or use them for therapy. Some health professionals worry people might take the simulation too far. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Lahore-born musician Ali Sethi released a song that got so popular, some claimed it had the power to unite two countries at war. In this episode of the "Movement" podcast, about music and migration, Host Meklit Hadero charts his artistic journey, beginning with what inspired Sethi to study traditional Pakistani singing in the first place.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with the members of one of her favorite bands - British hard rockers Deep Purple. Takaichi is a known fan of heavy metal, and said she has been listening to Deep Purple for decades, even playing in a tribute band in middle school. Host Carolyn Beeler explains.

Since the 1970s, Lebanon has seen almost a dozen armed conflicts within its borders. For Lebanese people, especially those who live in the country's south, that means the scars of wars past and present are visible fixtures of daily life. Rania Matar is a Lebanese American photographer whose latest book, "Where Do I Go?" captures the lives of young Lebanese women as they navigate life in their home amid the lingering presence of war. She joins Host Carolyn Beeler to discuss that project, and how her own life is reflected in those of her subjects.

Whale watching in the Gulf of California is big business. But whale sightings there have gone way down in recent years. Scientists say the trend in the waters between the Baja Peninsula and the Mexican mainland tells us something about the health of a vital ecosystem. From KJZZ's Fronteras Desk, Nina Kravinsky reports from off the coast of Senora, Mexico.

The Trump administration has deported as many as 15,000 people to countries they are not from, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Ranging from Mexico and El Salvador to Eswatini and South Sudan, some 27 countries agreed to take in deported individuals unable to return to their countries of origin. The practice has been criticized for leaving deportees in limbo and has raised ethical and legal concerns. Ariel Ruiz Soto is a senior analyst at the Migration Policy Institute and has been researching third-country deportations.

The US and Israel saw groups of ethnic Kurds based in Iraq as potential forces to arm Iranian protesters and help bring regime change. But the Kurdish leaders say mixed signals and lack of clear planning from Washington meant that, ultimately, a Kurdish intervention never materialized. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

A casual conversation with a friend led NYU neuroscientist Tim Requarth down an unsettling line of inquiry. His friend has made an AI video of himself scaling Mt. Rushmore, and a little while later, he felt the slightest bit of a memory of being at Mt. Rushmore - even though he had never been there. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Requarth about why our brains' process for making memories seems to be vulnerable to generative AI.

The four-person crew of the Artemis II mission are scheduled to return to Earth today. They are officially the first people to see certain parts of the far side of the moon with their own eyes, and have described the sense of awe that comes with that. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with former astronaut Chris Hadfield about this moment.

Waves of deadly Israeli airstrikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon are threatening to derail the US-Iran truce. US Vice President JD Vance, who will lead an American delegation to discuss peace talks with Iran, described the dispute over whether Lebanon was included in the ceasefire as a legitimate misunderstanding." Lebanese journalist Kim Ghattas, a lecturer at Dartmouth College, disagrees. She explains to The World's Host Carolyn Beeler why Lebanon has long served as a petri dish" for the conflicts of other countries.

We have seen spectacular pictures from the Artemis II mission that went around the moon. But what might be remembered most is a jar of Nutella floating across the screen during a livestream of the mission. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler have more.

Many people in the United States believe that "Mary Had a Little Lamb" was the first-ever recording of the human voice. But Thomas Edison's device was actually not the first. A Frenchman named Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville did so, singing "Au Clair de la Lune" in 1857 - 20 years before Edison invented the phonograph. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman explain.

It's been almost 30 years since Indonesia set out on its path to democracy. But concerns are now growing that authoritarian tactics to squash basic rights are returning to the country, given increasing threats made against activists, influencers and journalists. It was an acid attack late last year that really brought this into focus, as Dave Grunebaum reports.

Most blades of giant wind turbines are made of metal, and easy to melt down and reuse. But the blades are mostly fiberglass and resin, materials normally buried underground. Until now. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Navarra, Spain, on a company helping to create a circular wind energy economy.

The UK's Defense Secretary John Healey said Thursday that a Royal Navy ship and aircraft were involved in tracking Russian submarines in the North Sea. The Kremlin responded saying it had the right to defend itself from piracy." Since December, the UK and Norway have participated in joint operations in the North Sea to monitor Russian movements in the water. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler learned more from Katarzyna Zysk, a professor of international relations at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies.

As the economic shocks of the war in Iran continue, countries in eastern Africa are particularly exposed due to a combination of geography and politics. But for countries in other parts of the continent, like Nigeria and Angola, which are themselves oil producers, the oil shock could provide a long-term opportunity. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Amaka Anku, head of Africa Practice at the Eurasia Group.

There's an emerging understanding that extreme heat impacts not just physical health, but mental health, too. One nonprofit in Bangladesh is studying how heat waves in informal settlements outside of the capital Dhaka are impacting things like anxiety and depression, and offering mental health counseling to alleviate the burden. The World's Carolyn Beeler reports from Bangladesh.

The two-week ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran was brokered by Pakistan. For years, the country was seen by the US and others in the West as a pariah state due to its Taliban links, but much has changed. As it acts as mediator, it's also been fighting the Taliban and ISIS. The World's Host Marco Werman learns more from Aqil Shah, a political scientist at McDaniel College in Maryland.

A high-profile visit by US Vice President JD Vance to Budapest is drawing attention to crucial elections being held in Hungary this Sunday. Vance's two-day visit is seen by many as an 11th hour attempt to boost Prime Minister Viktor Orban's support among Hungarian voters. Independent polls currently put opposition leader Peter Magyar in the lead, but the outcome remains uncertain. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports on the man who could bring down Europe's longest-serving leader.

Iranian musician Hamidreza Afrideh and his wife spent a long time working to establish the Honiak Music Academy in Tehran. Earlier this month, it was destroyed in a missile strike. Fortunately, no one was killed or injured, but 250 students and some 20 music instructors are now without a livelihood. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler share a solo performance by Afrideh on the bowed instrument, the kamancheh, in the ruins of his music school.

The twoweek ceasefire, brokered just hours before US President Donald Trump's threat of total annihilation" was set to take effect, remains highly tentative. Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, tells The World's Host Carolyn Beeler that Tehran now understands it can wield control over the Strait of Hormuz as a potent weapon of mass disruption."

After more than a month of constant bombardment, residents in Tehran brace for what might be an end to the fighting. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire for two weeks. That's after making threats that a whole civilization will die" if Iran doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The World's Shirin Jaafari speaks with Host Marco Werman.

Proposals for reforms to the legal system are a matter of hot debate in the UK at the moment, with the government determined to press ahead with plans to scrap jury trials for thousands of criminal cases in England and Wales. Under the plans, offenses likely to attract sentences of three years or less would be heard by a judge sitting alone. Ministers say the change will help tackle the huge backlog of 80,000 cases in the Crown Court. But as Nik Martin, from our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, reports, the proposals have triggered strong opposition - with lawyers and judges warning against the erosion of a right long seen as a cornerstone of the British justice system.

It's called Akira Comics, and among its 60,000 volumes, you'll find everything from the Japanese manga style that inspired its name to fantasy literature to classic Marvel superheroes. But Akira is more than just shopping. Its decor is designed to transport clients to fantasy realms, from "The Lord of the Rings" to "Star Wars" to medieval Europe. The World's Gerry Hadden took us on a tour of Akira, on Madrid's north side.This story originally aired on Sept. 12, 2025.

Albert Mazibuko was the last original member of South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. He died on Sunday. Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman pay tribute.

The war in Iran is raising concerns in Taiwan about US bandwidth, and whether the Pentagon can fight in the Middle East while deterring China. Cheng Li-wun, the combative chair of Taiwan's main opposition party, arrived in China today on a visit aimed at bolstering ties to the mainland. From the capital Taipei, William Yang, a senior analyst with International Crisis Group, discusses the implications with The World's Host Marco Werman.

Today, US President Donald Trump warned that a whole civilization will die tonight never to be brought back again" if Iran does not make a deal by his evening deadline. This clash of civilizations narrative goes way back. But, Iran's civilization is much deeper and is more complex than East vs. West or Judeo-Christian nations against the Islamic Republic. To understand this ancient history, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler spoke to Touraj Daryaee, director of the Center for Persian Studies at the University of California Irvine.

In the last few months, the push to replace real elephants with mechanical ones has geared up in India, with around 25 mechanical elephants now placed in Indian temples, primarily in the state of Kerala. The slow but upward trend has had many supporters and recently moved into the private sector, with people buying robot elephants to rent out for weddings and other ceremonies. Reporter Jamie Fullerton has more.