The World: Latest Stories

Swimming superstar Emma McKeon has retired from the sport at age 30. Host Carolyn Beeler tells the story of this remarkable athlete who owns Australian records of 14 Olympic medals and six Olympic gold medals.

In Ukraine, nearly three years after Russia's full-scale invasion, there are signs of a significant societal mood shift. According to a recent poll, support for continuing to fight has declined across every region in the country. And more than half the population wants to negotiate an end to the conflict. The World's Daniel Ofman reports.

A new track named "+57," Colombia's country telephone code, has provoked huge controversy among fans, music critics, politicians and government agencies. It was supposed to be an ode to the country, but instead critics say it's promoting the sexualization of minors and feeding into negative stereotypes about Colombia. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

After more than a year of fighting, Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon appear to be on the cusp of a ceasefire. The US and France helped shape the ceasefire plan that's expected to go into effect on Wednesday morning local time. Meanwhile, Israel carried out intense air strikes throughout the day today in and around Beirut.

Climate change poses an existential threat to Tuvalu, a small island nation in the Pacific. By the end of the century, scientists say it could sink under the rising seas. That's why Tuvalu's leaders are trying to figure out how to save the country, even if its physical territory disappears. The World's Sarah Birnbaum first reported this story from Sydney.

Israel's ambassador to the US says that a ceasefire with Hezbollah could be implemented "within days." The US has been pushing for a pause in the fighting. And much of Lebanon never wanted this war in the first place. The World's Matthew Bell reports on where the ceasefire negotiations stand now.

Nicaragua's legislature appears set to approve a constitutional amendment that would elevate the wife of the country's leader to a new role as co-president." Opposition leader Felix Maradiaga, now in exile in Miami, speaks with The World's Host Marco Werman about the deterioration of democracy in Nicaragua.

One of US President-elect Donald Trump's talking points is a vow to impose tariffs on goods manufactured in other countries. And people in India are watching closely, to see what that will mean for relations with its biggest trading partner. Some observers see a likely fallout with China working to India's benefit, but it's a complicated relationship. Sushmita Pathak reports from New Delhi.

Spain is offering working papers to nearly a million immigrants. The new measure will apply only to people already in Spain, and who came or have stayed in the country illegally. The amnesty goes against recent anti-immigrant trends and policies across Europe, and against sentiments of at least a third of Spaniards who, according to polls, see immigration negatively. But Spain needs workers, and it needs them paying taxes. The World's Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

The South Korean Indie rock group HOA may sound like a Beatles knock-off band, but since 2015 its members have generated their own unique sound in a country where K-pop rules. Fans have taken notice. We'll hear two of the group's most recent tunes.

A study by the UN agency, UN Women, examined data from around the world in 2023 and found that levels of violence against women have remained high and largely unchanged. It also re-affirmed that violence against women is most likely to occur at home, from either a partner or family member. Raphaelle Rafin, a policy specialist on ending violence against women for UN Women, talks to The World's Host Carolyn Beeler about the results of the study.

This weekend in Azerbaijan's capital Baku, officials at the COP29 climate summit penned a new climate finance deal. Richer countries agreed to pay $300 billion per year to help countries in the Global South cope with climate change. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler heard from Malini Mehra, who was at the summit last week. She's chief executive of GLOBE Legislators and joined the show from London.

As the world's largest religion, Christianity is undergoing a tectonic shift. It is booming in Africa, now the continent with the most followers, and waning in Europe. Countries like Spain, which for centuries sent their missionaries to evangelise the world, now rely on priests from abroad to come preach at home - a trend some call "reverse missions." Alan Ruiz Terol reports on how this phenomenon has translated to the Catholic parish in his own hometown.

Legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz turned 90 late last week. She remains wildly popular in Lebanon and the broader Middle East after more than seven decades in music. Host Marco Werman speaks with Lebanese music writer Danny Hajjar about Fairuz's significance in Lebanon today and beyond.

The Colorado River used to flow all the way to the Pacific Ocean. But climate change and steady demand mean that it dries up before it ever gets there. In the part of Mexico where the river once turned into the sea, environmentalists are hoping there's political will to make things a little greener. KUNC's Alex Hager has the story.

The Albanian prime minister took his country, and most delegates at a UN General Assembly by surprise in September when he announced plans for a brand new state. The state would be similar to the Vatican but would be dedicated to an Islamic sect known as the Bektashi order. The World's Europe correspondent Orla Barry reports from the capital, Tirana.

Six tourists have died in a suspected alcohol poisoning in Laos. Police are looking into whether the alcoholic drinks contained methanol, a highly poisonous substance for humans. This is a recurring issue across Southeast Asia. Host Carol Hills speaks with Dr. Wayne Carter, a leading toxicologist at the University of Nottingham in the UK, about why methanol is so harmful in alcoholic drinks.

Brazil's federal police have passed a sealed indictment against former President Jair Bolsonaro and various aides and allies of his to the country's Supreme Court. The charges are directed at Bolsonaro's alleged attempt to retain control of the presidency after losing the country's general election in 2022. It's being charged as a coup attempt. Leticia Duarte is "Report for the World's" Latin America Manager, and she explains the indictment and what it means for Brazil.

Middle East Airlines is the only carrier currently flying in and out of Lebanon. All the others stopped their operations since the war intensified. The World's Shirin Jaafari reports on the challenges of operating flights in the middle of a war zone, and why for many Lebanese it's vital that the service continues.

Recently, the Cambridge English Dictionary chose "manifest" as its 2024 English word of the year. Other languages also have words of the year. In Germany there's the word of the year and also the "Youth Word of the Year," which was recently announced. Each year since 2020, this German youth word of the year has appeared to be an English word. Host Carol Hills speaks with German journalist Annabell Burkhardt to understand why.

Indian businessman Gautam Adani is one of the world's richest people. But how he amassed his enormous wealth and close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi have long come under scrutiny. Now, a US indictment charging the Adani Group with bribery and corruption have once again brought those questions to the forefront. Sushmita Pathak reported in 2023 on the story of the multibilloinaire's success - as well as the suspicions around it.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Carol Hills list a few headlines in the news you might have missed.

The International Criminal Court has just issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. It also issued a warrant for the arrest of a top Hamas official. The World's Marco Werman discusses the implications with David Scheffer, former US ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues.

The Danish military confirmed on Thursday it is monitoring a Chinese ship off the country's coast. The vessel was reportedly in the Baltic Sea where two undersea data cables were severed in recent days. Finnish, Swedish and German authorities have launched investigations into the event. The World's Joshua Coe happened to be on the shore where the two ships, Chinese and Danish, passed by.

Over the past two days, Iraq held its first census in nearly four decades. The government has ordered a nationwide curfew in order to carry out the count. Iraq's population is expected to rise to 44 million people. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Hamzeh Hadad, a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, about the census and the ethnic and sectarian tensions surrounding it.

Toward the end of September, India achieved a historic victory in chess - winning the gold medal in both men's and women's Chess Olympiad in Budapest - considered the Olympics of chess. This double victory, plus four individual goal medals, has captured the nation's imagination. As Namrata Kolachalam reports, Chennai has become a global hot spot for chess, and professional-level schools and training programs have exploded in towns and cities.

Hosts Carolyn Beeler and Marco Werman give updates on a few food stories you might have missed.

Olga Benario was a German woman who worked as a Soviet agent in the 1920s and 1930s. She ended up in Brazil as part of a plot to assassinate the president of that country. Eventually, Benario was killed in a concentration camp in the Holocaust. But as Zoe Sullivan reports, her extraordinary story lives on through her daughter in Brazil.

Whiskey may not be the first drink you associate with the South Coast of California, but as KCLU's Caroline Feraday reports, a master distiller from Scotland is putting Oxnard on the map when it comes to making the spirit.

Doctors say that right now, breathing Delhi's air is like smoking dozens of cigarettes each day as pollution levels have reached 50 times the safe limit, according to the World Health Organization. The dense smog that shrouds the city this time of year takes a toll on residents, both physically and mentally. Reporter Sushmita Pathak is there now; she explains what causes the annual air quality crisis, and what stands in the way of solutions.

San Marino, officially the world's lowest-ranked soccer team, etched their name in history by securing their first-ever away win ... and put themselves within striking distance of entering qualifying playoffs for the 2026 World Cup in North America. The European Minnows have won just three games in the last 20 years. Host Marco Werman has more.

Since 2017, Jehovah's Witnesses have been designated an extremist organization in Russia - it's unclear why, but the religious group does not believe in war, which observers think may be at least part of the reason. Reporter Levi Bridges explains how a law meant to fight terrorism has been used to jail people for their religious affiliation.

The Biden Administration has agreed to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel landmines, in an effort to slow the steady advance of Russia's troops, especially in the eastern Donbas region. Officials say the new mines are "non-persistent", battery-detonated and don't function after a pre-set period of time. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler discusses the repercussions with Patrick Thompson, Amnesty International's Ukraine researcher.

This month, a university student in Iran stripped to her underwear in public as a way to protest the country's strict dress codes. The details of the incident are still not clear, but the authorities promptly arrested her and accused her of suffering from mental illness. They have reportedly admitted her to a psychiatric hospital. This label, however, is not new. Iran has a history of using it against dissidents.

A year ago this month, the Italian government signed a controversial deal with Albania. It would see asylum seekers rescued off the coast of Italy be taken to a detention facility in Albania - not an EU country - to have their asylum claims processed. But as The World's Europe Correspondent Orla Barry reports, not a single asylum seeker is staying at the detention facility.

Pope Francis today said he will canonize Carlo Acutis next April, making the late teenager the Catholic Church's first millennial and digital saint. Acutis was a British-born Italian website designer who documented Eucharistic miracles on a website he designed before his death from leukemia in 2006 when he was 15.

Arthur Frommer passed away this week at the age of 95. He gained fame through his seminal work, Europe on $5 a Day", which sold millions of copies and inspired a series of similar titles. Frommer's success eventually helped to popularize international travel for ordinary Americans. Host Marco Werman reports.

An entire fleet of diesel trains that were taken off the tracks in California are being shipped to the megacity of Lima, Peru, where they will be used for a new commuter rail project. The World's transportation correspondent Jeremy Siegel looks at how the unusual move could be transformative for the Peruvian capital.

North Korea has cranked up the volume of its loudspeakers along the border with South Korea. But this time, instead of the usual decipherable propaganda, it's blaring weird and disturbing noises that are upsetting South Korean locals within earshot. Using noise and loudspeakers as methods of coercion goes way back. Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Toby Heys, the author of "Sound Pressure: How Speaker Systems Influence, Manipulate and Torture." He's also professor of digital arts at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK.

Work ground to a halt across Greece today as public and private sector workers walked off the job to protest the rising cost of living. Public sector unions are demanding a 10% wage hike and the return of salaries cut during Greece's nearly decade-long financial crisis that began in 2010. Host Marco Werman speaks with Daphne Tolis, a journalist based in Athens.

Global carbon emissions are on track to hit a new record high this year - as they continue to heat the planet, wreak havoc on local ecosystems and fuel more extreme natural disasters. In Baku, Azerbaijan, negotiations are underway on how to fund projects to help countries adapt and survive. The World's Durrie Bouscaren reports.

The Moldovan Orthodox Church is caught between a pro-Russian orientation and a pro-European one. The minority pro-Romanian branch of Moldova's Orthodox Church accused clergy from the rival Moscow-linked branch of the church of campaigning against a referendum asking voters whether they back the government's drive to join the European Union. Katie Toth reports.

In New Zealand, a proposed bill redefining the country's founding agreement with the Indigenous Mori has erupted into political turmoil, with protests all week culminating in a thousands-strong march on the capital of Wellington on Tuesday. Sarah Birnbaum gives the latest on what's happening right now, along with background on the bill itself and the controversy surrounding it.

Forty-five prominent activists in Hong Kong were sentenced to jail for up to 10 years today, sparking criticism from foreign governments and rights groups. Beijing defended the decisions. They were prosecuted under the 2020 national security law for their roles in an unofficial primary election. Hosts Marco Werman and Carolyn Beeler explain.

The Brothers Grimm were interested in unearthing German heritage such that the principalities that would later form Germany had a unifying cultural understanding of themselves. Ann Schmiesing has written a new biography of the Brothers Grimm and talks about how they sourced their tales and what they ultimately meant to German-speaking society.

An Australian mining company had its CEO and staff detained in Mali following a tax dispute with the government there. Host Marco Werman speaks with Beverly Ochieng, a senior associate at the Center for International and Strategic Studies' Africa Program, about what drove Mali's government to take a drastic measure and Bamako's strategic maneuvering in the geo-political game.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at the center of a multi-faceted investigation involving documents gathered using secret intelligence methods. One strand of the investigation involves transcripts that appear to have been stolen or copied, tampered with and implanted in two foreign media outlets. Journalist Noga Tarnopolsky in Jerusalem discusses the case with The World's Host Marco Werman.

Rafael Nadal has made an indelible mark on the world of tennis. Today, in Malaga, Spain, the longtime legend stepped onto the court for the final tournament of his professional career. The World's Bianca Hillier reports on the legacy he's leaving behind.

In his four-hour visit to Manaus, in northern Brazil, Joe Biden met with Indigenous leaders and committed an additional $50 million to a Brazil-administered fund to protect the Amazon rainforest. As the US braces for major climate policy shifts under Donald Trump, Biden declared that "no-one can reverse" the US clean energy revolution. The World's Tibisay Zea reports.

Last week, gymnastics legend Bela Karolyi passed away. He was 82 years old. He trained some of the biggest names in gymnastics at the height of the Cold War, and across the East-West divides. But his legacy is complicated by allegations of an abusive coaching style and his association with Dr. Larry Nassar, whose sexual abuse of women gymnasts surfaced in 2016. The World's Carolyn Beeler spoke to Cristi Munteanu, a senior writer with the Romanian sports news site Golazo.