The World: Latest Stories

Host Marco Werman remembers composer and musician Jamshied Sharifi. He created a sound that echoed his family's roots in Iran, making it a part of his own work, whether it was for his own ensemble, for Broadway or film.

Thousands of ancient texts returned to Timbuktu, a historical center of learning in West Africa. The manuscripts were smuggled out of the city over a decade ago as al-Qaeda affiliates took over and destroyed much of the city's UNESCO World Heritage site. Host Marco Werman speaks with analyst Ulf Laessing of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Sahel program, which is based in the Malian capital Bamako.

Globally, plastic producers make more than 400 million tons of plastic each year. But less than 10% is ever recycled. So what happens to the rest? In Indonesia, some of it is burned during the tofu production process. Host Marco Werman speaks with anthropologist Gauri Pathak about why plastic is burned, what it does to human health and how Indonesia and other countries are dealing with plastic imports from countries in the Global North.

Journalist Fatih Atayli is a household name in Turkey - known for his straight-down-the-aisle commentary on his popular YouTube channel. On June 21, he was taken into custody on charges of insulting the Turkish president, and remains one of 17 Turkish journalists currently behind bars. But as Durrie Bouscaren reports from Istanbul, Atayli refuses to be silenced.

Canada's labor relations board said today that the Air Canada strike is illegal and ordered the 10,000 flight attendants back to work. Host Marco Werman has more.

Ukraine is Russia, and the invasion of Ukraine simply represents the return to an older, fundamental reality. That's the worldview of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The World's Marco Werman speaks with Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at the New School in New York and the great granddaughter of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, about the mistrust on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Latin Grammy winner and Brazilian soul icon Liniker has been a musical trailblazer since 2015. Her latest album is Caju. It's a ground-breaking album for the artist, not just musically, but also personally. Liniker speaks to host Carolyn Beeler.

Chappell Roan has name-dropped Los Angeles and Tennessee in hit songs of albums past. But on "The Subway," out this month, the pop star mentions a Canadian province. Now, that province is getting a bit of a boost from the singer's fans. The World's Bianca Hillier has the story.

Bolivia has had one ruling party for more than two decades, and that is coming to an end. Yesterday, Bolivian voters gave an unprecedented rebuke to the Movement Toward Socialism party, or MAS, in a presidential vote. Host Marco Werman has more.

Over 8 million people were lifted out of poverty in Mexico in recent years, according to new government statistics. The roughly 18% reduction has been credited, in part, to the policies of the country's previous administration under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Viri Rios of Mexico Decoded joined Host Marco Werman to discuss the findings.

In the south of Thailand, the dialect is faster, the sun is hotter and the food is not just spicy... it's atomic. Reporter Patrick Winn visited a small-town cook who makes a curry soup that people travel from afar to taste. It's got a special ingredient - big, gooey eggs from giant catfish. This story originally aired in the wintertime, but the soup is a delicacy for every season.

Ahead of today's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rolled up to the conference wearing a sweatshirt plastered with the letters "C-C-C-P." That's "U-S-S-R," written in the Cyrillic alphabet. It was Lavrov's cheeky way of reminding people that Ukraine was once a Soviet state. Coincidentally last week, two other former Soviet states in longstanding conflict just signed a peace declaration: Armenia and Azerbaijan. As Dorian Jones reports for our partners at Deutsche Welle, that agreement has big implications for Russia and for Turkey.

Crate diggers are a passionate bunch, and with websites like Discogs and eBay, they've got something of a global network. Jayesh Veralkar is a part of it. He's a record collector in Dubai and co-founder of Vinyl Souk, a grassroots organization for record collectors in the United Arab Emirates. Host Marco Werman chats with Veralkar about what makes the scene unique, and they play some great music while they're at it.

Negotiations for a global treaty to regulate plastic have stalled out in Geneva. So where does that leave us on a global effort to reduce the amount of plastic in our environment and even our bodies? Host Marco Werman discusses the state of the world's plastic problem and the inadequacy of current interventions with Amy Youngman, legal and policy analyst for the Environmental Investigations Agency.

For almost two years, Palestinians in Gaza have been recording everything - some as trained journalists, others as citizen journalists. They're documenting what's happening all around them, recording as much as possible in case their version of events is called into question. But it's more than that, too: they're also making sure the world knows they existed. The World's Shirin Jaafari explains.

Today marks 80 year since Japan surrendered to allied forces - including China - at the end of World War II. Decades later, China-Japan relations are as complex as ever. Competition between the US and China has grown, and now Japan is caught in the middle. Daisuke Kawai offered a perspective on those dynamics, in conversation with Host Marco Werman. Kawai is Director of the Economic Security and Policy Innovation Program at the University of Tokyo.

It's the final day of talks in Geneva to to nail down a global treaty governing the lifecycle of plastic. But negotiations have hit an impasse. One of the main disagreements pertains to plastic production. Many countries want to set a universal target for reducing the amount of plastic being produced, but others worry about potential economic impacts. Chris Dixon, an observer with the Environment Investigations Agency, joined The World's Host Marco Werman from Geneva.

Fiona Hill advised US President Donald Trump on Russia during his first term and is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. She's also one of the few people to have been in a room with Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. She's watched their dynamics up close. As the high-stakes Alaska summit approaches, she shares concerns and predictions with The World's Host Marco Werman.

Historically, for athletes, playing for the Canadian Hockey League has meant giving up a big opportunity: playing NCAA hockey in the US. This season, though, that all changes. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

A children's song both loved and reviled for its stuck-in-your-head catchiness has been at the center of a legal dispute since 2019, when an American composer filed a lawsuit in Seoul alleging that the Korean band Pinkfong copied his song. The World's Host Marco Werman has the latest on today's ruling.

Flight attendants for Canada's largest airline are planning to walk off the job at midnight Saturday. The move could ground all Air Canada flights for more than a week, leaving 130,000 travelers a day stranded, or scrambling for alternate routes. Wages are at the center of the dispute. But as The World's Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel reports, one of the key sticking points is whether - and how much - flight attendants should be paid when planes aren't moving.

Experts say extremist groups are using artificial intelligence to produce propaganda and appeal to new audiences. Far-right groups as well as ISIS and others are relying on AI tools more and more. The World's Shirin Jaafari explains.

In Peru, an amnesty bill has been signed into law, protecting members of the military and law enforcement from being held accountable for alleged human rights abuses during the 1980s and 1990s. That's when civil war brought torture, forced disappearances and the killing of civilians to the country. Host Marco Werman has more.

Vanna Howard was just 11 years old when she came to the US from Cambodia. She didn't speak any English. Apart from fleeing the large-scale violence that plagued Cambodia, Howard also experienced violence in her personal life. But instead of hiding that part of her past, she decided to use her pain to advocate for change. Vanna Howard shared her experiences with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

A recent World Health Organization report finds that nearly a quarter of people across Africa are feeling lonely. That's the highest among the global regions covered in the findings. The World's Host Marco Werman learned more from Lateefat Odunuga, a clinical psychologist and advisor to the African Network of Youth Policy Experts.

A deadly heat wave is scorching southern Europe with record-breaking temperatures this month. In Italy, a 4-year-old boy died from heatstroke on Monday, while 16 Italian cities, including Rome and Milan, are now on a red heat alert. Environmentalists say lawmakers there are doing far too little to respond. In Milan, some residents are taking matters into their own hands. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports from the Italian city.

US President Donald Trump joined a summit online today, hosted by Germany's chancellor. Other European leaders took part and so did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump said the call went well and was "very friendly." Trump plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin face-to-face on Friday in Alaska. The US president also said today that Russia will face "severe consequences" if Putin doesn't agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine at this week's meeting.

A 2024 study by the University of Manchester found that more than two-thirds of women surveyed experienced harassment while running, including threats, verbal abuse and having objects thrown at them. Now, the Surrey Police Department is trying an unconventional plan to tackle the issue. The World's Host Marco Werman has the details.

US officials have unsealed an indictment against Haitian gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier and three Haiti-born naturalized US citizens for conspiring to violate US sanctions. The Miami Herald's Jacqueline Charles tells The World's Host Marco Werman that Haitians at home and abroad are skeptical the move will undercut the power of the criminal gangs.

The Spanish town of Jumilla has said that only sports are allowed at its municipal gyms, and no religious celebrations. For Muslims in Jumilla, that means there's nowhere to hold large events. Spain's far-right applauds the move but some locals see it as religious provocation in a place where people usually get along. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

North Korea has a secret army of workers applying for remote IT jobs around the world. They collect paychecks, sometimes steal company data and answer to a boss who isn't at company headquarters - he's sitting in Pyongyang. What happens when one of these workers makes it past the front door of a US company? Dina Temple-Raston, the host of the Click Here" podcast from Recorded Future News and PRX, has the story.

One of the largest power plants in France, located near the city of Calais, had four reactors shut down automatically on Sunday. The culprit? Lots of jellyfish. The World's Host Marco Werman explains.

Air carriers around the world are expanding premium seats and luxury cabins for big spenders. The World's Host Marco Werman speaks with travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt of the San Francisco-based Atmosphere Research Group about new offerings - like showers and double beds - for passengers willing to pay top dollar for seats on commercial flights.

Russian troops are advancing deeper into eastern Ukraine, just days ahead of a summit in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders are set to discuss Ukraine's fate. But Kyiv resident Maia Mikaluk tells The World's Host Marco Werman that her country's future shouldn't be decided without Ukrainians at the table.

Public toilets: at best, they're functional, at worst, dirty, dark and even unsafe. But in Shibuya, a busy ward in Tokyo, Japan, officials want public toilets to inspire wonder. Last year, they started a tour of 17 bathroom facilities designed by world-class artists and architects. One is housed inside a glowing cube, another resembles a fairy-like woodland dwelling and yet another toilet, operated by voice, will clean your backside on command. The World's Patrick Winn filed this report last summer.This story originally aired on June 21, 2024.

Amid the hunger and devastation in Gaza, donkeys and horses are vital for survival. Cars are few and fuel is scarce. So, people use animals for transportation. But after months of almost no aid entering, and with much of the infrastructure destroyed, the animals are suffering, too. Outside organizations are trying to help. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

Host Marco Werman introduces us to a duo from Estonia known as Puuluup, embracing a musical folk tradition in their country that elevates the sound of a lyre called the talharpa. Puuluup sits in an awkward space in which tradition is not always comfortable in the present day, and they make that work for them.

Far-right parties are surging in popularity in Europe and environmentalists say their influence could put the EU's climate agenda in jeopardy. Italy's populist prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has become one of the most outspoken critics of the EU's green policies. Activists warn her growing influence could ripple across the continent. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports from Milan.

From Chile's National Center for Artificial Intelligence to universities across the continent, researchers are training Latam-GPT, an artificial intelligence model built with the languages, cultures and histories of Latin America in mind. Advocates say it's about reclaiming digital sovereignty. Critics warn it could still mirror the same biases and inequalities as foreign models. The World's Tibisay Zea looks at the hopes, risks, and grassroots efforts to make AI work for the region.

Host Marco Werman shares a few thoughts about a pocket knife he's had for decades. It's an old memento from a time he worked on a farm in France - a French knife made by the company Opinel. But the company has stated that it intends to change the design of the knife's lock, a move that no doubt will upset Opinel purists.

The British government is giving China until Aug. 20 to clarify its plans for a new mega-embassy outside of central London. The blueprints submitted by Beijing for approval included areas in the new building that were left blank, apparently for "security reasons." But plenty of experts say that allowing China to build a new embassy complex in this part of London would be a security risk for the UK. The World's Matthew Bell has the story.

Milan is no stranger to sweltering heat in August, but this summer, high temperatures arrived early. A study from Imperial College London reported that, in June, the city suffered the highest number of heat-related deaths in all of Europe. Climate scientists say that should be a wake-up call. Yet on Milan's streets, frustration is growing as residents accuse city leaders of ignoring the crisis. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports from Milan, Italy.

An Israeli strike on a press tent outside a Gaza hospital Sunday killed five Al Jazeera journalists, including prominent reporter Anas al-Sharif. The Committee to Protect Journalists had previously warned about the danger to al-Sharif's life. From Jordan, Sara Qudah, the Middle East and North Africa regional director for the CPJ, tells The World's Host Marco Werman the deaths are part of a pattern of press intimidation.

China is experiencing its largest-ever outbreak of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease that causes fever, nausea and severe joint pain. More than 8,000 people have contracted the disease around the Guangdong province. Health authorities are enacting strict protocols to contain the spread. Host Marco Werman speaks with Yanzhong Huang, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign relations, about the outbreak.

Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay has died at the hospital. That was confirmed by his wife, Maria Claudia Tarazona. Uribe had been shot three times at a campaign rally in a working class neighborhood in Bogota, a brazen act of political violence that recalls the cartel-driven violence of the 1990s. He was rushed to the hospital, where he remained in critical condition until his death on Monday. Host Marco Werman has the details.

This weekend in Tampere, Finland, fans of a chubby hippopotamus-like cartoon family flocked to the Moomin Museum for the characters' 80th birthday party. Host Marco Werman has more.

Plastic waste has a devastating impact on Ghanaian communities, but one innovator is transforming discarded plastic into desks for schools. His initiative addresses both environmental damage and the widespread problem of pupils sitting on bare floors in classrooms. Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman has the story from the capital, Accra.

If you're looking for something a little off the beaten track this summer, then may we suggest that you try out the village billing itself as Europe's first-ever bear smart community?" And no, we're not taking you to the forests of Finland or the mountains of Romania - but to the central Italian village of Pettorano sul Gizio, where brown bears really do regularly wander into gardens. How is the community dealing with these overly curious ursine visitors? Angelo Van Schaik has been finding out.

Crimea has come up time and again throughout the ceasefire negotiations between the US, Russia and Ukraine. In recent weeks, there have been media reports that the United States has been trying to pressure Ukraine to make territorial concessions, including Crimea, in exchange for a ceasefire. The World's Daniel Ofman reports on the history of Crimea, and it's status within ceasefire talks.

This week, the Trump administration announced funding cuts to mRNA vaccine development research in the US, but researchers have warned that the impacts will be felt internationally. To get a handle on those impacts we turned to Gaby Galvin, she's a Brussels-based health reporter with the broadcaster Euronews.