The World: Latest Stories

A delegation from Jamaica is asking King Charles to seek guidance on whether Britain is obligated to pay reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.

Not every virus or disease responds to medicine. And the number of drug-resistant bugs is growing. It's largely the result of overusing antibiotics in medicine and agriculture, when pharmaceuticals end up in our water and soil. The World Health Organization has called antibiotic resistance one of the most complex and frightening health challenges of our time. Without urgent action, drug resistant infections could kill 10 million people per year by 2050. For Deutsche Welle, DW's, "Living Planet" podcast, Neil King looked at what can be done.

A new collection of music from the remote African islands of Sao Tome and Principe is a revelation. This nation in the Atlantic Ocean doesn't get a lot of attention, but as we hear in songs by bands from the 1960s and '70s, like Sangazuza, it's worth listening up.This story originally aired on Jan. 15, 2026.

The US recently sent its last forward-deployed aircraft carrier in the Pacific, the USS George Washington, to the Middle East. With so many eyes right now focusing on events in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz, some security analysts are concerned that the US is taking its eye off the ball when it comes to China. The World's Aaron Schachter learned more from Mira Rapp-Hooper, a visiting fellow at The Brookings Institution in Washington.

The hopes and dreams of thousands of Japanese who were incarcerated in camps during World War II were crushed. Many were never able to reconcile what their lives could have been and what they did become. Paul Watanabe, a professor at University of Massachusetts, Boston found out what his mother lost when she was on her deathbed. He shared it with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

Berlin-based Syrian singer Siba Alkhiami, or simply "Siba," wrote "Dounana" - or "Without Us" - two years ago out of anger of the destruction of Gaza and the bombing of Palestinians. A year ago, she released it as a song and it's slowly gone viral. We listen to "Dounana" and hear from Siba that it's relevance has gone beyond Gaza. It's a song about colonialism and how it impacts Indigenous people.

Around 1.5 million Chinese tourists visited France last year. Beyond Versailles or the Eiffel Tower, there's another destination that's high on many Chinese visitors' lists: Montargis, a working-class town about a 90-minute drive from Paris. That's because a Chinese work-study program in the early 20th century left a lasting mark on China's history. From Deutsche Welle, DW, Lisa Bryant reports from Montargis.

The United Nations voted on Friday in favor of adopting a resolution to replace the Mercator projection, which distorts the size of the world's landmasses, with one that represents the continents more accurately. The resolution passed almost unanimously, with only a single country voting no: the United States. Marco Werman has more details.

Israel does not allow absentee voting, forcing the 500,000 Israeli ex-pats eligible to vote to choose between an expensive trip home or sitting out the country's most consequential election in years. To help Israelis return, the AID Coalition, a US-based nonprofit organization, launched an initiative called Fly&Vote. From Tel Aviv, Stephanie Freid reports.

Flooding is common in Nepal. But the avalanche that triggered water and debris to surge down the Trishuli River was of an entirely different magnitude. The World's Carolyn Beeler explains what caused the disaster, and what role scientists say climate change may have played.

In the South Pacific archipelago of Fiji, HIV cases have spiked in the past five years. It is estimated that 1 in 60 adults currently lives with the virus. A drug epidemic and stigma have made the transmission difficult to keep under control. Host Marco Werman talks to Sharon McLennan, a scientist with Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, about this issue.

Some 800 students and teachers in Central Java got food poisoning last week, just after lunch time at a local high school. Officials were forced to end the day early as bathrooms were overwhelmed with people in the throes of intestinal distress. As Host Marco Werman explains, this was yet another embarrassing moment for Indonesia's government and its ill-fated free lunch program.

Two paintings by the French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir were stolen from a museum in southern France Tuesday morning. It's the latest in a growing trend of "smash and grab"-style museum heists across Europe, says Arthur Brand, an independent art detective who has helped authorities recover artwork after similar thefts. He spoke to Host Marco Werman from Amsterdam.

As the United States honors its workers this Labor Day, it's been 250 years since the nation was founded. A defining ideal in the Declaration of Independence is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," but when it was written, they were meant to not only be American pursuits. The Declaration explicitly addresses the larger world. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with historian Nathan Perl-Rosenthal, author of the 2024 book The Age of Revolutions: And the Generations Who Made It."This story originally aired on June 4, 2026.

We look at how the colonies' fight for independence is taught elsewhere - namely, in the countries whose authority was defeated: England, France and Spain. Reporter Gerry Hadden has our story.This story originally aired on June 10, 2026.

The British Empire wasn't the only colonial power in what is now the United States. Several competing colonization projects led by the Spanish, Dutch, French and others laid the foundations of American history. Their distinct patterns of settlement help explain many of the political divides that continue to shape the US today, says historian Colin Woodard. He tells The World's Host Marco Werman that, over the centuries, these rival visions also influenced how American democracy evolved.This story originally aired on July 1, 2026.

Two-hundred and fifty years ago, the American Revolution sent shockwaves around the globe. At the same time, events taking place outside the US impacted how democracy grew in America. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with historian Heather Cox Richardson about how the contradictions inherent in the American experiment have played out on the global stage.This story originally aired on June 15, 2026.

The story of the American revolution, as its typically told, is the story of two parties in conflict: the British crown and the rebelling colonies. But this story ignores the role North America's sovereign tribal nations played in the revolution, and the impact it had on Indigenous people around the world. For our series on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Yale University historian Ned Blackhawk, about this complicated history.This story originally aired on June 26, 2026.

As the United States commemorates its 250th birthday this year, we celebrate by listening to two songs that arrived from overseas and became a part of the country's early history. Host Marco Werman explains.

Giorgia Meloni has reached a milestone few Italian prime ministers have come close to: Today, she becomes Italy's longest continuously serving prime minister since the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was in power. Her four-year run in office is particularly notable in a country famous for political instability and frequent changes of government. Meloni is marking the occasion with a rally in Bari. But some political analysts warn that her position may not be as secure as it appears. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

It's the last days of summer and many of us might be looking for a final road trip or holiday. Indian journalist Akshobh Giridhadas loves to travel, and on a trip to the Indian Himalayas many years ago, he encountered some unexpected hospitality. He shared his adventure with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

In Nepal today, some welcome but unexpected news. Two survivors were rescued - alive - from the tunnel of a hydropower plant, some nine days after getting trapped by last week's devastating floods. As the days have worn on, hopes were fading that any of roughly 500 hydropower workers believed to be in tunnels would be recovered alive. Carolyn Beeler continues her reporting from Kathmandu, Nepal, and joined Marco Werman to share updates.

Next Friday will mark 25 years since the September 11, 2001, attacks. A special edition of the show that day will look back at the global impact of the event and what followed. Andrew Sullivan is executive director of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit advocating for Afghan allies of the US. Before that, Sullivan deployed to Iraq and later commanded a company in Afghanistan. In conversation with Host Marco Werman, he recalled the significance of the event on his decision to join the military.

Spanish Women's Football League has announced it will subsidize the procedure of freezing their eggs for players on the national team. Some big stars have been lobbying for this option, as many professionals don't want to interrupt their careers to become mothers. But others say the league simply doesn't want its players getting pregnant while actively playing. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

It's one of Germany's smaller states, and it's not usually the center of national attention. But this weekend, all eyes are on the eastern German region of Saxony-Anhalt. A strong result for the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, could have implications not just for the state itself, but for Germany's political future. From Deutsche Welle, DW, Inside Europe's Thomas Sparrow has more.

Germany's far-right AfD party has been using a particular moped brand for its campaign: the Simson Schwalbe, often described as the "Vespa of East Germany". The Jewish heir to the founding family is fighting to protect the company's legacy. Deutsche Welle, DW's, Matthew Moore reports on how the moped has been turned into a political vehicle.

After trade talks between Canada and the US fell apart, Canadians see Trump administration antics as a threat to their sovereignty. And they've been fighting back - boycotting US alcohol, avoiding US produce, canceling US vacations and posting nasty memes. But the Canadian government is in a tricky position, trying to play to a rise in domestic anti-American sentiment while maintaining relationships with Canada's biggest ally. Katie Toth reports from Nova Scotia.

Experts and officials have pointed to a collapsing glacier high up in the Himalayas as the trigger of the deadly flash flooding in Tibet and Nepal last week. Climate scientists warn that global warming may make glacial collapse - and the subsequent landslides and flooding they can cause - more frequent. National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek recently joined an expedition of scientists studying the link between climate change and a landslide-induced tsunami in Alaska, and tells Host Carolyn Beeler what he learned.

The Spanish enclave of Ceuta remains in crisis mode more than a month after tens of thousands of migrants crossed in from Morocco in just over a day. Spain has gone to great lengths not to implicate Morocco in the incident. But Spanish papers report that Spain's border agency has given a judge a dossier that concludes the Moroccan government was in fact behind the chaotic border crossing in which more than 100 people died. The World's Gerry Hadden reports.

The global food supply chain relies on three things: seamless trade, cheap energy and a stable climate. All are under growing pressure, according to Evan Fraser of the University of Guelph in Ontario. Fraser and The World's Host Marco Werman discuss the climate and geopolitical shocks challenging the global food system and what governments can do to protect the vulnerable.

Activist Gloria Steinem was a highly visible symbol of the feminist movement at home and abroad. Egyptian writer, and activist Mona Eltahawy was among her friends. Eltahawy talks with The World's Host Marco Werman about the messages she received from Steinem after she was beaten and sexually assaulted by Egyptian riot police while covering protests near Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Gloria Steinem was a fierce advocate for women exploited by sex traffickers. She collaborated closely with Ruchira Gupta, an Indian journalist, activist and founder of Apne Aap, an organization fighting sex trafficking and exploitation in India. Gupta tells The World's Host Marco Werman how Steinem's first visit to one of Gupta's projects in an Indian shanty town changed both of their lives.

DJ and producer Hilder Brando is KillaBeatMaker. He's been at it for the past 25 years, searching for musicians to join his collective. He says the current incarnation of the group is what he's been looking for all along. Killabeatmaker's latest album is called "Inga."This story originally aired on Aug. 7, 2024

More than 11,000 people in the US have gotten sick in a major Cyclospora outbreak that the FDA linked to iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. But Mexican officials and growers are pushing back, saying no lettuce sample has tested positive for the parasite. The World's Tibisay Zea looks at the local impact in Guanajuato, the trade tensions surrounding the case, and why scientists say the exact point of contamination is still unclear. Alfonsina Avila also contributed to this report.

After more than 270 days at sea, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the waters off Thailand, giving its sailors much-needed shore leave. The ship's record-breaking time at sea resulted in growing complaints about the conditions on the ship and bleeding morale. Many of the sailors are expected to visit the seaside town of Pattaya. The vacation hot spot has deep ties to the US military, going back to the Vietnam War. Elizabeth Becker, author of the book Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism," joined Host Marco Werman to discuss.

We to turn to a teacher on YouTube who composes songs about artists. Mrs. Zepeda's Edu Music Beats has produced musical stories about Jean-Michel Basquiat, Georgia O'Keefe, Vincent Van Gogh ... and now ... Yayoi Kusama.

Extreme weather can be catastrophic. And knowing the details about what is coming - and when - can be a matter of life and death. To refine these predictions, national weather agencies are increasingly turning to AI. Host Marco Werman speaks with Florence Rabier, the former director general and director of forecasts for the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts.

It can be hard to admit to being overwhelmed, and needing help. Especially in cultures where talk therapy isn't common - or might even be taboo. A scientist in Thailand says he's got a novel way to identify people who are quietly struggling with anxiety. All he needs is a sample of their sweat. Last summer, reporter Patrick Winn in Bangkok went to learn more.This story originally aired on June 16, 2025.

Belarusians have been living under an autocratic regime for more than three decades. Alexander Lukashenko is known for ruling his country with an iron fist. Now, that repression is reaching Belarusians abroad. Earlier this year, a Belarusian court declared the European Humanities University, which operates in exile in neighboring Lithuania, an extremist organization. Anybody associated with it could face years in prison. From Deutsche Welle, DW, Inside Europe's Lisa Louis reports.

Marches and memorials held in honour of Ratko Mladi, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army who died last week, have caused outrage across much of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mladi, died in prison at The Hague, where he was serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes committed during the Bosnian war. Yet, in Serbia and in the Serb-controlled part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, many continue to regard him as a hero. The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports.

The World's Co-host Carolyn Beeler has traveled to one of the hardest-hit districts of Nepal. She's in Bidur on the Trishuli River. On the drive there from Kathmandu, she saw trucks piled high with food, water and other supplies for flood victims. She also visited a local shelter for displaced people run by volunteers. Although aid is trickling into the devastated border region, Beeler tells The World's Marco Werman that Nepal's recovery effort faces immense obstacles.

MapQuest rose to the Number 1 downloaded Apple app after it defied US President Donald Trump and refused to change Lake Ontario to Lake America.

For years, Colombian veterans have traveled to Ukraine and Russia to fight in the war between the two countries, drawn by the promise of salaries far higher than they could earn at home. Now, many of their families are confronting a different reality: loved ones who have disappeared on the battlefield, or whose bodies remain thousands of miles away. Manuel Rueda reports from Bogota.

Go on Google Maps in the United States and there's a noticeable change: Lake Ontario is now "Lake America." The name change by the Trump administration is just the latest shot fired in an escalating trade war between the US and Canada. In retaliation, all but two Canadian provinces have banned US alcohol in their liquor stores. As The World's Joshua Coe discovered on a recent visit to Ontario, Canadians are going "elbows up" and drinking more Canadian wine.

Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues to fuel the world's biggest humanitarian crisis. As the war deepens, both sides are seeking more foreign backing. Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair, the founding director of Confluence Advisory, explains what's going on to The World's Host Marco Werman.

Soccer legend Lionel Messi announced Monday his retirement from representing Argentina in international play. As the first player to win the World Cup twice, the 39-year-old tried his shot at a third win this summer, but left empty handed. Advances in training, recovery and sports science are allowing elite athletes to compete longer than ever, but the psychology of when to hang up the towel also plays an important role. The World's Host Marco Werman learned more from Helena Hlasova, a researcher at the University of Bern's Institute of Sport Science.

A small town in Australia's outback is attracting visitors with an open-air museum of old farm tractors, bulldozers and other industrial equipment. They call it the "Great Machinery Mile." Host Marco Werman has more.

Sarah Hood was adopted from South Korea as a child and arrived in the US with the clothes on her back and two recipes in hand. She then spent a lifetime to build a legacy of love across generations through food from South Korea and other cultures. Hood shared her experience with GBH's Stories From The Stage.

Families of soldiers lost or killed in the war in Ukraine are looking for answers. And they are increasingly reaching out to Jared Goyette. He's a Portuguese-speaking reporter who has covered issues affecting Brazilian recruits. He joins Host Marco Werman to talk about where things stand for Brazilian and other foreign fighters on the Ukraine-Russia front.

Lupita Infante is the granddaughter of Mexican cultural icon, Pedro Infante, but she is also an artist in her own right, carrying legacies from both sides of her family. Lupita is charting a new path for herself, while honoring and questioning the mariachi culture she's inherited. In this conversation, she discusses her artistic path with Meklit Hadero of the "Movement" podcast.This story originally aired on April 23, 2026.