The World: Latest Stories

The US and Chinese militaries seldom see eye to eye, but at least they are talking again. A top Chinese military commander is in Hawaii today to meet the head of US Indo-Pacific Command. It's the latest high-level sit-down between the two nuclear-armed superpowers - drawing down a period of nearly two years when China cut communication. Can more face time avert a dangerous conflict? The World's Patrick Winn reports.

Israel's planting of explosives in everyday low-tech items like pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon raises new security concerns. Will these kinds of things be added to lists of suspicious objects? And why were these very simple forms of technology used as explosive devices? Host Carolyn Beeler explores these questions with Richard Forno, assistant director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County's Center for Cybersecurity.

Singer-songwriter Susan O'Neill is an award-winning artist from Ireland. She's hoping to break through to a wider audience with her new album 'Now in a Minute.' Susan O'Neill describes the inspiration behind it and plays a few tracks.

Over the past 30 years, hundreds of thousands of people have fled political instability and civil war in Somalia. Over that time, there's been something of a trend of displaced Somalis returning home to seek public office. As Maine Public Radio's Ari Snider reports, a man who's lived in Maine for over a decade is hoping he can make a difference by becoming president of Jubaland state in Somalia.

The Restoration Ecology team at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, has recently published new research that uses super-sensitive microphones to listen to and analyze the health of soil. The researchers say this new method could replace traditional ones, which are expensive, disruptive, and laborious. The World's Bianca Hillier reports.

Peace talks between the warring parties in Switzerland have led to small improvements in access for humanitarian workers to move food into food-insecure areas. But as Leni Kinzli, a spokesperson for the UN's World Food Program in Sudan, explains, the crisis spans the entire country and things are getting worse.

Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler share a roundup of stories that may not have caught your attention.

Lebanon is in crisis. On Tuesday, a coordinated attack targeted members of the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, that were carrying electronic pagers. The attack killed 12 people and injured more than 2,800 others. On Wednesday, a similar attack was carried out via walkie-talkie radios. It's left three people dead and more than 1,000 injured so far. Host Marco Werman speaks with Nizar Ghanem, research director at the Alternative Policy Institute in Lebanon, about how these repeated attacks have left residents feeling.

More than 100 wildfires are stretching thousands of firefighters to their limits in northern Portugal this week. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro declared a state of calamity for the hardest-hit areas late on Tuesday. Host Marco Werman explains that European Union officials are calling this an example of the continent's "climate breakdown."

A recent shortage of high-quality, low-cost rice in Japan has been pinned on the large number of tourists visiting the country, as well as hot weather exacerbated by climate change. But farmers and agricultural analysts say there's something else at play - a decades-old government program that pays farmers not to plant their rice. Hannah Kirshner reports on some rice farms in Kaga, a town in the Hokuriku region along the Japan sea.

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales and current President Luis Arce are at loggerheads. Arce has accused Morales of attempting a coup while Morales called on supporters this week to conduct a "March to Save Bolivia. " That demonstration turned violent on Tuesday when supporters of Arce intervened. Host Carolyn Beeler finds out why this political crisis has dragged on so long with Kathryn Ledebur of the Andean Information Network in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Across the world, the credibility of elections is declining. That's the conclusion of a new report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in Sweden. Despite a record number of elections happening this year, the report says fewer people are turning out to vote, and the results are increasingly contested. The World's Tibisay Zea reports that the deterioration in election quality is part of a global trend of democracy under threat.

Itaipu is one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the world. It provides electricity to 80 million people in Brazil and Paraguay. Not only is it huge, but it represents a unique model of cross-border energy cooperation. Michael Fox takes us on a tour of the dam, and explains the energy negotiations that help maintain the relationship between these two countries.

In the Indian city of Mumbai, millions of Hindus are just now wrapping up the annual 10-day celebration of Ganpati, a holiday dedicated to the elephant god Ganesha. The holiday has come under scrutiny, however, because of the incredible environmental damage that results from the 11 billion statues that are released into water bodies in the city and across the state each year. Many of the statues are made from a plaster that carries pollutants. Namrata Kolachalam reports from Mumbai on struggling efforts to make the statues more eco-friendly.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous enclave located in the South Caucasus. For decades, the territory has been the source of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, however, ethnic Armenians have been living in this territory for hundreds of years. The World's Daniel Ofman reports on how the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is still shaping the fraught relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan today.

Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler review a mix of Canadian news stories that don't quite make the headlines.

In the Canadian Province of British Columbia, a new intervention measure will force people with concurrent mental health issues and drug addiction to receive treatment. In a recent press conference, the premier of British Columbia David Eby said this expansion of involuntary care is as much a public safety precaution as it is a public health measure. Host Marco Werman speaks with Andrea Woo, who covers health for the Globe and Mail, in Vancouver.

Ryosuke Kiyasu is a respected heavy metal and jazz drummer in Japan who takes on a different style in his solo drum shows --playing a snare drum with his teeth, kicking the drum around the room and often destroying furniture, among other things. He spends six months on the road and sells out small venues all over the world. Jamie Fullerton caught up with the drummer in Warsaw, Poland.

Coaches, players and fans see a parallel to the rise of youth soccer in the United States a few decades ago. There's now Major League Cricket in six US cities, and youth leagues are on the rise. Liz Neisloss reports from GBH in Boston.

The tiny landlocked South American country of Paraguay is one of the top soy producers on the planet. Soy is the country's top export, and it accounts for a major chunk of the country's gross domestic product. But the soy explosion has wreaked havoc on Paraguay's ecosystem and been a disaster for many small farmers, whose farms have been inundated with pesticides from neighboring soy plantations. Mike Fox reports from the Paraguyan state of Alto Parana.

Several regions of the world are experiencing severe flooding. The African countries of Nigeria, Mali and Chad are coping with massive displacement as a result of flooding there. And in Europe, the current downpours are being called historic" and unprecedented." Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler check in with people on the ground in each region to get the latest on shared struggles, as well as how the crises are playing out differently. Olasunkanmi Okunola is a Nigerian scientist who focuses on flood risks and climate adaptation; he explains the flooding and displacement in Africa. And Andreas von Weissenberg is The International Federation of Red Cross's Head of Health, Disasters, Climate and Crises in Europe. He's been monitoring the situation there from Budapest.

Across Lebanon and reportedly in Syria, Hezbollah operatives have been gravely injured and killed when their pagers exploded. It bears the hallmarks of a coordinated attack and is a major strike against Hezbollah. Hannah McCarthy is a foreign correspondent in Beirut, who explains the latest on what's happened as tensions in the Middle East climb to a new level.

The Pantanal region in Brazil is the world's largest tropical wetlands and one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world. It's home to more than 4,700 species of plants and animals, including jaguars, capybaras - the world's largest rodent - striking cobalt-blue Hyacinth Macaws and anteaters. Many of these iconic species burned or had their habitat destroyed in this year's record-setting wildfires. The World's Carolyn Beeler speaks with wildlife biologist Jorge Gallo about the impact the fires are having on wildlife, and visits an animal clinic in Campo Grande, Brazil, to see how veterinarians are treating an injured anteater.

More details are emerging about the background of the man allegedly involved in the second attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump. One particular aspect of the would-be shooter's history that stands out: His obsession with Ukraine's fight against Russia. Host Marco Werman speaks with Ken Gray, a retired FBI agent. He is a distinguished lecturer at the University of New Haven.

A top Venezuelan official claims that the CIA has been plotting to overthrow the government. Six people, including three Americans, have been arrested. The US State Department denies the accusations. Host Marco Werman has the details.

Maria Fernanda Gonzalez, better known as Mafer Bandola, is a master musician from Venezuela who arrived in New York City in 2017. Just a few years later, many other migrants from Venezuela followed, as part of a massive migration from the country to the United States, and cities in the US like New York. As part of our series from the podcast Movement, about migration and music, Meklit Hadero talks to Bandola about how she developed community and has helped her fellow Venezuelans.

Women, activists and human rights advocates in Iraq say they are worried about a set of changes that the parliament is considering to family law. The new proposal would give religious authorities more power over marriage, divorce, inheritance and child custody. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports.

The series Shogun" has been a shocking success. The show, already popular with audiences, has now won a record-breaking number of Emmy's. It's also unique as the main characters speak in Japanese the majority of the time, depicting feudal Japan at the turn of the 17th century. Host Marco Werman speaks with Morgan Pitelka about the authenticity of the history presented in the series.

The results of New Zealand's annual poll to crown its bird of the year are in. The winner is a rare penguin called the hoiho, Maori for "noise shouter." Host Marco Werman explains why conservationists are glad the bird is getting the spotlight.

Record-setting wildfires are raging in Brazil's Pantanal region. In a densely vegetated rural area the size of England, it can be hard for firefighters to find and reach the blazes to combat them. That's why one nonprofit is training local fighters to use drones to pinpoint the exact location and size of fires, and scope out roads to reach them. The World's Carolyn Beeler reports from the area.

Brazil's wetlands region called the Pantanal cover an area roughly the size of England. Although this region is typically flooded for much of the year, historic droughts have led to historic wildfires, destroying large swaths of vegetation and wildlife. Scientists say these kinds of fires in this region will now be four to five times more likely because of climate change. The World's host Carolyn Beeler is in Brazil's Pantanal, and reports on the impacts of the wildfires on people in this region.

Indigenous leaders in Brazil are celebrating after a Danish museum returned a sacred cloak. It has been on display in Denmark for more than 300 years. The nearly 6-foot-long cloak is made of 4,000 red feathers from the scarlet ibis bird. Host Carol Hills has the details.

The list of the world's wonders is always getting revised. But the team at Atlas Obscura has come up with a new list, cataloged in the new book "Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to The World's Living Wonders." The World's Carol Hills talks to the book's authors Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer.

The EU-Tunisia migration deal was signed last year but could potentially be at risk. The deal provided financial support to Tunisia's government in exchange for keeping migrants from reaching the EU. Now, a newly leaked report by the EU says there are major concerns about the human rights situation in Tunisia. Host Carol Hill speaks with Mohamed-Diaa Hamammi, a Tunisian PhD student at Syracuse University, about the democratic backsliding under President Kais Saied's government in Tunisia.

On Sept. 10, 2023, Storm Daniel hit Derna, a small coastal city in eastern Libya. The deluge led to the collapse of two aging upstream dams, unleashing a 65-foot wall of water on the city. At least 6,000 people died, and thousands remain missing. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

Across Spain's Barcelona province, children are getting to school in organized convoys of bikes, dubbed bicibus or "bicycle-bus." As with traditional bus lines, each bicibus route has stops where other cycling students can join along the way. Parents, teachers and other volunteer adults ride, too, to ensure the kids' safety. Gerry Hadden reported from Barcelona on the joys of this climate-friendly trend in 2022.

On Friday in South Africa, an education bill to improve aspects of the country's schools was signed into law - but not without controversy. Under pressure from coalition partners, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa promised to suspend two particular clauses at the center of contention. But as Johannesburg-based journalist Nomsa Maseko tells The World's Carol Hills, the divides run along racial and linguistic lines that have roots in South Africa's apartheid past.

The North Korean government released photos from inside a uranium enrichment facility that shows a much more sophisticated nuclear program than experts might have expected. The photo offers clues about the program's current state. Jenny Town, the director of the Stimson Center's North Korea project, called 38 North, tells The World's Carol Hills what she sees in the photos.

Lael Wilcox left downtown Chicago in May with one goal: to become the fastest woman to ever circumnavigate the world on a bike. Now, 108 days later, she's not only accomplished her goal but she smashed the previous record. Host Marco Werman has the details.

An influential pastor in the Philippines was just arrested after a two-week standoff between police and his supporters. Apollo Quiboloy is the founder and leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in the southern Philippines. He also describes himself as the "Appointed Son of God." Quiboloy faces charges of child sex trafficking in both the Philippines and the US. The World's Matthew Bell has the story.

Alberto Fujimori was the son of Japanese immigrants and went on to lead Peru though an economic crisis and bloody leftist uprisings against the government. The World's Marco Werman talks about Fujimori's legacy with Jose Ragas, an assistant professor at the history department at Universidad Catolica de Chile, who wrote a book called, "The Fujimori Years."

Nurses in Iran have gone on strike, protesting at hospitals across the country since early August. Low pay, forced overtime and delayed wages have left many nurses to seek employment abroad. Demonstrations began after the death of a 32-year-old nurse from overwork. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

Edmundo Gonzalez's exile, and Spain recognizing him as the legitimate president of Venezuela, has set off a diplomatic storm. But Spain is an enticing choice for Venezuelans, beyond international politics. It's now home to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who've fled hardship or persecution, in part because of the historic ties between the countries, and all they share in common. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

The human-horse relationship goes back a very very long time. But how far back exactly and why it happened remain a big mystery. Host Marco Werman speaks with William Taylor, assistant professor and curator of archaeology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, to find out what the latest research says about this historic relationship.

On Thursday, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced that the the United States supports creating two permanent United Nations Security Council seats for African states and one seat to be rotated among small island developing states. Updating the Security Council is something that critics say is badly needed as just five countries (US, UK, France, China, Russia) have dominated the UN decision-making body for nearly 80 years. Marco Werman speaks with Daniel Forti, senior analyst for UN Advocacy and Research at the Crisis Group.

"Mountains" is new independent film by Miami-based director Monica Sorelle, that's currently playing in selected theaters across the United States. The story revolves around a Haitian demolition worker who begins to realize that his job knocking down homes is aiding in the dismantling of his rapidly gentrifying Miami neighborhood of Little Haiti. Marco Werman speaks with the star of the film: Atibon Nazaire.

Apple has lost a long-running court battle with the European Union and now must pay the Irish government 13 billion euros ($14.4 billion) in back taxes. It's part of a larger EU effort to crack down on tax incentives it deems as so-called "sweetheart deals." But Ireland isn't pleased with the court ruling. The World's Marco Werman finds out why in a conversation with Aidan Regan, a professor of political economy at the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin.

The widely recognized winner of Venezuela's July 28 presidential election, Edmundo Gonzalez, was forced to flee into exile, and is now seeking asylum in Spain. Experts say his decision to leave makes it even more challenging for the opposition to reverse President Nicolas Maduro's fraudulent victory. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

President Joe Biden issued a statement on Wednesday saying he is outraged and deeply saddened by the death of Aysenur Eygi." The 26-year-old Turkish American activist was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier during a protest last Friday in the West Bank. Palestinians and anti-occupation activists held a funeral procession for Eygi in the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday. Biden said Israel needs to take "full accountability" for the incident. The World's Marco Werman has the latest.

Adani Group, an enormous multinational corporation run by Gautam Adani, has been negotiating management deals with ports and airports all over the world. Some see it as an extension of India's state influence, especially to counter China's influence via the Belt and Road Initiative. Sumit Ganguly, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and author of "The Sino-Indian Rivalry," explains how competition works between the two states.